International

Biden seeks to put abortion battle at center of midterms

Photo: Brendan Smialowski / AFP

AFP | Sebastian Smith

US President Joe Biden vowed Tuesday to make a law enshrining nationwide abortion rights his top priority if Democrats win their uphill battle for Congress in looming midterm elections.

Biden’s speech marked a newly intensified push by the White House to lift the party ahead of November 8, when Democrats hope to defy historical trends by retaining their razor-thin control of Congress.

Midterm votes typically see the party in the White House punished, and this year the Democrats face discontent over inflation, an unpopular president, and fierce cultural wars around schools, gender issues and abortion.

In abortion, however, Biden sees a potential game-changer, with anger seething over the Supreme Court’s shock decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, the ruling from half a century ago that enshrined access to abortions nationwide.

20260330_renta_mh_728x90

“Women all across the country, starting in my house, lost a fundamental right,” Biden said in a speech in Washington.

Citing the “chaos and the heartache” for women seeking to terminate pregnancies, Biden said that in the wake of the Supreme Court ruling abortion bans had now been put in place by Republicans in 16 states, home to 26.5 million women.

And he cast the election as setting the stage for a momentous fight next year in the new Congress.

If Republicans win, any attempt to pass a national abortion ban will be stopped at his desk, Biden said. “I’ll veto it.”

If Democrats hold on, the priority would be a national abortion rights law, effectively overturning the Supreme Court ruling.

20260330_renta_mh_728x90

“The first bill I’ll send to Congress will be to codify Roe v. Wade,” Biden said, calling this a “promise.”

“I’ll sign it in January, 50 years after Roe was first decided the law of the land.”

The White House would not say how Biden envisions details of the law and whether he would support any kind of restrictions on abortion.

“It should be something that is decided between a woman and her doctor, her family — not politicians,” Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said.

Passion yes, but votes?

There’s no questioning the passion swirling around abortion on the political stage.

20260330_renta_mh_728x90

Roe v. Wade made the procedure legal everywhere, while the Supreme Court decision handed power fully back to individual state governments, prompting Republican leaderships across the country to swiftly move to impose restrictions or bans, in line with years of “right to life” campaigning.

The issue is potent, but there’s no guarantee it will move the needle in three weeks.

Democratic officials, including Biden, have repeatedly suggested the possibility of an electoral uprising led by women.

“The court and extreme Republicans who have spent decades trying to overturn Roe are about to find out,” Biden said. “They ain’t seen nothing yet.”

He referred to a surprisingly strong rejection by Kansas voters in August of a plan to strip abortion rights from the state’s constitution.

20260330_renta_mh_728x90

“Come this November we’re going to see what happens all over America,” Biden said.

Polls consistently show that a majority of Americans believe abortion should be allowed. While most also think there should be some restrictions, only 13 percent, according to Gallup, support full bans.

The bad news for Democrats, however, is that polls show abortion is far down the list of concerns motivating most voters in the turmoil of post-pandemic US life.

A New York Times/Siena poll out this week showed that of likely voters, 26 percent named the economy as the top issue and 18 percent listed inflation, which is running at the highest rates in four decades.

Abortion scored a lowly five percent of likely voters.

20260330_renta_mh_728x90

Worryingly for Democrats, the poll also found a stunning shift from women independent voters.

In September, this group backed Democrats over Republicans by 14 points. The latest poll shows them backing Republicans by 18 points.

US Education Secretary Miguel Cardona (R) looks on as US President Joe Biden delivers remarks on the student debt relief portal beta test, in the South Court Auditorium of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, next to the White House, in Washington, DC, on October 17, 2022. (Photo by Brendan SMIALOWSKI / AFP)

International

Maradona’s daughter accuses medical team of “horrible manipulation” in court

One of the daughters of Diego Maradona testified in court this Tuesday, breaking down in tears as she denounced what she described as “absolute and horrible manipulation” by her father’s medical team, during an emotional hearing in Argentina.

Gianinna Maradona stated that she and her siblings agreed to home hospitalization after doctors presented it as the best option following the neurosurgery Maradona underwent on November 3, 2020.

The football icon died on November 25 of that year, and the ongoing trial seeks to determine whether the conditions of his home care were appropriate.

According to Gianinna, what the family found at the residence where Maradona was recovering did not match what had been promised. She testified that there was no adequate medical equipment, constant monitoring, or even an ambulance available, despite assurances of continuous care.

“The manipulation was absolute and horrible,” she said during the hearing in San Isidro, near Buenos Aires.

20260330_renta_mh_728x90

She accused members of the medical team, including neurosurgeon Leopoldo Luque, psychiatrist Agustina Cosachov, and psychologist Carlos Díaz, of misleading the family.

“I trusted these people, and all they did was manipulate us and leave my son without a grandfather,” she added.

Later in her testimony, recalling that six years have passed since her father’s death, she became emotional and said she struggled deeply with grief in the aftermath.

International

Trump extends Iran ceasefire after Pakistan mediation request

The president of the United States, Donald Trump, announced on Tuesday that he will extend the ceasefire with Iran, which was set to expire on Wednesday, following a request from Pakistan.

In a statement shared on Truth Social, Trump said the truce will remain in place until Iran presents a proposal and negotiations are concluded, regardless of the outcome.

“I will extend the ceasefire until their proposal is presented and negotiations are completed, whatever the result,” the U.S. leader stated.

Trump justified the decision by claiming that Iran’s government is “deeply divided” and noting that Pakistani authorities, acting as mediators, requested a pause in military action until Iranian leaders and representatives submit a unified proposal.

International

Venezuelan opposition demands election date and minimum wage increase

A group of opposition members from the Zulia Humana and former political prisoners on Tuesday demanded that authorities set a date for elections in Venezuela and increase the minimum wage, which has been frozen since 2022 and is currently worth just a few cents per month according to the Banco Central de Venezuela.

During a press conference in Maracaibo, Professor Eduardo Labrador stressed the urgency of establishing an electoral timeline. “We demand that a date be set for elections so Venezuelans can have free and transparent voting. It is essential to have that date now,” he said.

Economist Rodrigo Cabezas, who served under the late President Hugo Chávez, also called for an increase in the minimum wage, arguing that it is feasible through economic policy measures, although he did not specify an amount due to limited public data.

Cabezas warned that Venezuela experienced “galloping inflation” between March of last year and March 2026, a stage that precedes hyperinflation—a phenomenon the country has already faced. However, he clarified that Venezuela is not currently in hyperinflation, expressing hope that it will not return.