International
Trump suggests that Biden should face judicial investigations similar to his own
The President of the United States, Donald Trump, suggested this Wednesday that he would like his predecessor, Joe Biden, to face judicial investigations similar to those he has faced in recent years.
Trump made these statements in his first interview since taking office on Monday, granted to presenter Sean Hannity, a fervent defender of the president, on the conservative Fox News network.
During the conversation, Hannity asked Trump if he would like the Department of Justice to investigate his political adversaries, such as Biden or former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, his rival in the 2016 elections.
In his response, Trump assured that he finds it difficult to argue that they should not investigate themselves alluding to his own experience with judicial proceedings.
“I went through four years of hell. I spent millions of dollars on legal fees, and I earned, but I did it in the most difficult way. It’s really complicated to say that they shouldn’t go through the same thing,” Trump said.
Trump is the only president in the history of the United States who has been sentenced in a criminal case, in this case a judicial process in New York related to the falsification of business documents to hide payments made to porn actress Stormy Daniels.
Although he was sentenced for that case this month, he was not fined, imprisoned or restricted to his freedom.
The other three criminal cases that Trump faced have been suspended, due to the tradition of the Department of Justice of not prosecuting an active president.
One of them refers to the retention of classified documents that he took to his residence in Mar-a-Lago after leaving the White House in January 2021. Another case focuses on his attempts to reverse the results of the 2020 elections in Georgia, while the last one is related to the assault on the Capitol on January 6, 2021.
During the presidential campaign, Trump promised to take “revenge” against his political rivals and falsely argued that the legal cases against him were politically motivated.
Before leaving power, Biden issued preventive, “total and unconditional” pardons for several members of his family, including his brother James.
In addition, in December, Biden granted a pardon to his son, Hunter Biden, preventing him from facing prison sentences on charges of illegal possession of a weapon and tax fraud.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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