International

Kamala Harris rescues Biden for her presidential campaign

The Democratic candidate for the White House, Kamala Harris, rescued the president, Joe Biden, as an asset for his electoral campaign a month after he resigned his own candidacy in an exhibition of unity that leaves behind the political storm that shook the party.

The campaign was prudent when choosing the site. Far from the stadiums that Harris and his new vice president, Governor Tim Walz, have crowded in recent days in the key states of Pennsylvania, Michigan, Arizona, Nevada or Wisconsin.

With Biden, the now vice president appeared at a small gym in Prince George County, Maryland, part of the overwhelmingly Democratic suburbs of Washington; with nothing at stake in the November 5 elections.

In addition, the event, officially of the White House to promote a drop in drug prices negotiated with pharmaceutical companies, attended by a predominantly African-American audience, a sector among which Biden still retains some popularity.

“I could talk all afternoon about the person I’m with in this scenario,” said the Democratic candidate after jumping on the stage with Biden.

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“There is a lot of love in this room for our president,” said the vice president, showing a great affection for Biden, who a little less than a month ago gave him the Democratic candidacy.

Harris dedicated part of his speech to praising Biden for his legacy, giving him credit for the government inheritance.

“I think that love is for many, many reasons; including that few leaders in our nation have done more on so many issues, such as the expansion of access to affordable health care,” the vice president added while the public cheered “thank you Joe, thank you Joe!”, in an evident feeling of farewell.

Both praised each other, being proud to have been key to the approval of a reform that allows the Government to negotiate the abusive prices of medicines with pharmaceutical companies, a great concern among older citizens in the country.

When it was his turn, Biden went to the Democratic base for the first time with Harris next to him since he resigned from the candidacy: “Friends, I have an incredible partner,” he said.

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Harris and Biden thus made a display of partisan unity after the president was forced to resign his candidacy for re-election under pressure from several party leaders, including the influential former president of the Lower House Nancy Pelosi.

Democrats were alarmed by the nefarious polls and the broad public perception that Biden, 81, is too old to govern one more term. That campaign of harassment and demolition opened major wounds among the Democrats, who have managed to heal in record time.

Harris took the reins of the campaign immediately that same Sunday the 21st and in less than a month he has managed to turn around some polls that gave Trump as the winner almost by acclamation and arouse an enthusiasm in the Democratic base not seen since the time of Barack Obama.

Biden, for his part, had moved away from the campaign during these weeks, dedicated only to executive functions, a respite that even allowed him to enjoy a summer day at the beach with his family this past Saturday in Delaware.

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International

Security Council to Hold Emergency Meeting on Middle East Crisis

UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Saturday condemned the “military escalation in the Middle East” following attacks by the United States and Israel against Iran and Tehran’s retaliatory strikes, just hours before an urgent meeting of the UN Security Council.

“I call for the immediate cessation of hostilities and de-escalation,” Guterres said in a statement.

The Security Council is scheduled to meet on Saturday at 21:00 GMT (4:00 p.m. in New York) to address “the situation in the Middle East,” the United Nations announced.

The meeting, during which Guterres will deliver remarks, was convened at the request of France, Bahrain, Colombia, Russia and China, according to a diplomatic source.

International

Trump Floats “Friendly Takeover” of Cuba Amid Rising Tensions

U.S. President Donald Trump said Friday that his administration is considering what he described as a “friendly takeover” of Cuba, as Washington continues to increase pressure on the island’s communist government.

“The Cuban government is talking to us and they have very serious problems, as you know. They have no money, they have nothing at this moment, but they are talking to us and maybe we will see a friendly takeover of Cuba,” Trump told reporters as he departed the White House for a trip to Texas.

Earlier in the week, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Cuba needed a “radical change,” shortly after Washington eased restrictions on oil exports to the island for what officials described as “humanitarian reasons,” amid a deep economic crisis.

The United States has imposed an energy blockade on Cuba since January, citing what it calls an “extraordinary threat” posed by the communist-run island, located roughly 150 kilometers (90 miles) off the coast of Florida, to U.S. national security.

International

Argentina’s Senate Reviews Milei-Backed Labor Overhaul

Argentina’s Senate on Friday began reviewing the Labor Modernization Law promoted by the administration of President Javier Milei, a proposal that would significantly reshape labor rules across the country.

The upper chamber opened its final discussion of the contentious initiative, which revises the method used to calculate severance payments — lowering the amounts owed in dismissal cases — and introduces an “hour bank” mechanism that allows overtime to be offset with paid leave rather than extra wages.

The legislation also broadens the classification of essential services, a change that would place new limits on the right to strike in designated sectors.

The bill was initially approved by the Senate on February 11 and then moved to the Chamber of Deputies, where lawmakers passed it with amendments. It has now returned to the Senate for definitive approval.

Outside the Congress building in Buenos Aires, workers, trade unions and left-wing organizations staged demonstrations beginning at midday. The gathering later thinned out amid reports of disturbances and a strong police presence. Security forces had secured the area surrounding the legislature since early morning hours.

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Union leaders contend that the reform weakens labor protections, while many business representatives back the measure but stress that sustainable formal employment will require economic expansion, improved credit conditions, greater investment and a more dynamic domestic market.