International

The Republican Convention stages the total unity around the figure of Trump

Republicans are united, with Donald Trump as the supreme leader. This was the main message conveyed by several of his most prominent figures on the second day of the Republican Party’s National Convention, including his main rival in the primaries: Nikki Haley.

With Trump himself listening to her from the stands, the former Republican candidate for the presidency, who at the time starred in loud confrontations with Trump, assured that she was at the convention at the invitation of the former president, who asked her to offer “a message of unity.”

“He asked me to speak on behalf of the unit. It was a kind invitation and I accepted happily and I will start by leaving one thing perfectly clear: Donald Trump has my firm support,” she said after being greeted with some booing.

The former governor of South Carolina and former representative of the United States to the UN was the most prominent speaker on the second day of the Republican National Convention held this week in Milwaukee (Wisconsin).

A day after Trump made his first public appearance after the assassination attempt he suffered on Saturday in Butler (Pennsylvania), the Republican presidential candidate returned to the same forum today to listen to some of the speakers.

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Again he did not speak, since he is reserving himself for his speech of acceptance of the candidacy, which he will deliver on Thursday. Nor did his candidate for vice president, J.D. Vance, who will take the stage on Wednesday, speak.

Among today’s speakers were three of those who dared to challenge Trump and were candidates in the primaries: Haley, the governor of Florida, Ron DeSantis, and businessman Vivek Ramaswamy.

Haley was the last Republican pre-candidate to surrender to Trump’s superiority and, before the primaries and caucus began, she sounded like the only aspirant capable of taking away the throne, so today she was the most suitable figure to convey the image of unity that the party seeks.

The former U.S. ambassador to the UN appealed to undecided voters and assured that she is aware that there are many people who do not agree with Trump and that she herself has not been on some occasions, but that “it is not necessary to agree with Trump 100% of the time to vote for him.”

For his part, DeSantis offered a much more ideological speech than Haley and aimed at the party’s bases, claiming much of the conservative policies he carries out at the Florida front, with criticism of irregular migration and the left, which he accused of “indoctrinating” schools for talking about “diversity, equity and inclusion.”

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DeDantis asked for the vote for the Republican candidate because the United States needs “a commander-in-chief” active every day to lead the country and because the current president, Democrat Joe Biden, is not fit for his duties, he said.

Ramaswamy, who was also his rival in the primaries, resorted to humor: “Last year at this point I was a candidate for president and I am proud to say that I have achieved the impossible, that many of you know how to say my name,” he said before showing his strong support for Trump.

The former president is “the president who will manage to unite the country, not with words, but with deeds,” said the businessman, who also mentioned one of the most talked about issues on the day: the closure of borders. “If you want to seal the border, vote for Trump.”

With the unity shown at this convention, enhanced after the attempted assassination of the former president on Saturday, the times of division between the pro and anti-Trump, which only a few months ago starred in the headlines and the corrillos of the US Congress, are already far from behind.

Strong differences that were evident when, after the 2022 half-term elections, the Republicans won the House of Representatives and it was an odyssey to find a consensus candidate to exercise as a ‘speaker’ for the deep division between the most moderate and the MAGA, the radicals who identify with Trump’s motto Make the United States big again, for its acronym in English.

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The chosen one was Kevin McCarthy, but he needed fifteen votes to be approved and a year and a half later he became the first leader of the Lower House to be dismissed, at the request of Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz, for supporting the sending of funds to Ukraine.

International

U.S. Senate Rejects Budget, Bringing Government Closer to Shutdown Amid DHS Dispute

The U.S. Senate voted on Thursday against a budget proposal in a move aimed at pressuring changes at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), following the killing of two civilians during a deployment of immigration agents in Minneapolis.

All Senate Democrats and seven Republican lawmakers voted against the bill, which requires 60 votes to advance, pushing the country closer to a partial government shutdown that would cut funding for several agencies, including the Pentagon and the Department of Health.

The rejection came as Senate leaders and the White House continue negotiations on a separate funding package for DHS that would allow reforms to the agency. Proposed measures include banning Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents from wearing face coverings and requiring them to use body-worn cameras during operations.

The vote took place just hours after President Donald Trump said he was “close” to reaching an agreement with Democrats and did not believe the federal government would face another shutdown, following last year’s record stoppage.

“I don’t think the Democrats want a shutdown either, so we’ll work in a bipartisan way to avoid it. Hopefully, there will be no government shutdown. We’re working on that right now,” Trump said during a Cabinet meeting at the White House.

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International

Trump Says Putin Agreed to One-Week Halt in Attacks on Ukraine Amid Extreme Cold

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he secured a commitment from Russian President Vladimir Putinto halt attacks against Ukraine for one week, citing extreme weather conditions affecting the region.

“Because of the extreme cold (…) I personally asked Putin not to attack Kyiv or other cities and towns for a week. And he agreed. He was very pleasant,” Trump said during a Cabinet meeting broadcast by the White House.

Trump acknowledged that several advisers had questioned the decision to make the call.
“A lot of people told me not to waste the call because they wouldn’t agree. And he accepted. And we’re very happy they did, because they don’t need missiles hitting their towns and cities,” the president said.

According to Trump, Ukrainian authorities reacted with surprise to the announcement but welcomed the possibility of a temporary ceasefire.
“It’s extraordinarily cold, record cold (…) They say they’ve never experienced cold like this,” he added.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky later commented on the announcement, expressing hope that the agreement would be honored.

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International

Storm Kristin Kills Five in Portugal, Leaves Nearly 500,000 Without Power

Storm Kristin, which battered Portugal with heavy rain and strong winds early Wednesday, has left at least five people dead, while nearly half a million residents remained without electricity as of Thursday, according to updated figures from authorities.

The revised death toll was confirmed to AFP by a spokesperson for the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority (ANPEC). On Wednesday, the agency had reported four fatalities.

Meanwhile, E-Redes, the country’s electricity distribution network operator, said that around 450,000 customers were still without power, particularly in central Portugal.

Emergency services responded to approximately 1,500 incidents between midnight and 8:00 a.m. local time on Wednesday, as the storm caused widespread disruptions.

The Portuguese government described Kristin as an “extreme weather event” that inflicted significant damage across several regions of the country. At the height of the storm, as many as 850,000 households and institutions lost electricity during the early hours of Wednesday.

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Several municipalities ordered the closure of schools, many of which remained shut on Thursday due to ongoing adverse conditions.

Ricardo Costa, regional deputy commander of the Leiria Fire Brigade, said residents continue to seek assistance as rainfall persists.
“Even though the rain is not extremely intense, it is causing extensive damage to homes,” he noted.

In Figueira da Foz, a coastal city in central Portugal, strong winds toppled a giant Ferris wheel, underscoring the severity of the storm.