International
What should you know about the elections in Ecuador?
August 18|
Eight are the candidates of the alliances and political groups that will be facing each other in the upcoming elections in Ecuador scheduled for Sunday, August 20.
In the midst of the most violent electoral campaign in the history of that South American nation, next Sunday will be defined president, vice president, members of the National Assembly and regional and local leaders at national level.
Construye, one of the most mediatic groups after the assassination of its candidate for president, Fernando Villavicencio, ended up formulating its dupla after the atrocious fact by Christian Zurita and Andrea González for vice-president.
Likewise, the conservative side will be represented by the National Democratic Action (ADN) alliance, with Daniel Noboa for president and Veronica Abad, for vice-president.
The group leading the “hard hand” initiative to solve the security problems in Ecuador is headed by the alliance For a country without fear with Jan Topic, for president and Diana Jácome for vice-president.
In this same line of frontal and direct attack against violence and drug trafficking is the Actuemos alliance formed by the binomial of Otto Sonnenholzner and Erika Paredes.
On the other hand, the center-right Movimiento Amigo will be represented by the duo of Bolívar Armijos for head of state and Linda Romero, for vice-president.
Xavier Hervas and Luz Marina Vega are the two members of the center-right Total Renovation Movement (RETO).
Formed by the coalition between Unidad Popular, Partido Socialista Ecuatoriano, and Democracia Sí; the Claro que se puede alliance will be led by Yaku Pérez who came third in the 2021 elections representing Pachakutik and Nory Pinela.
Finally, the duo of Revolución Ciudadana, integrated by Luisa Gonzales and former presidential candidate, this time as vice-presidential candidate, Andres Arauz.
Polls published before August 10 placed this last duo as the favorite with more than 30 percent of the vote intention.
However, the surveys also revealed that the level of indecision is still high and it is not possible to give a clear favorite for these difficult elections.
On the other hand, the new National Assembly will have to position itself at the end of October.
This Thursday began the early elections for the 4,756 citizens enabled to exercise their right to vote, in 39 Social Rehabilitation Centers for which 62 Receiving Boards were enabled in 20 provinces.
For Sunday, the National Electoral Council informed that the timetable for voting within the country is between 7H00 and 17H00 (local time).
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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