International

The US media point to Trump as the winner of the debate against Biden

The American media and polls show their concern about the ability of the president, Joe Biden, 81, to take charge of the White House for one more term and point to former President Donald Trump, between 2017 and 2021, of 78, as the winner of the debate between the two candidates that was held on Thursday.

A CNN poll, the network that made the first face-to-face among the November presidential candidates, indicated on Thursday that registered voters who watched the debate “largely think that Trump overcame Biden.”

“Most say they have no real confidence in Biden’s ability to lead the country. At the same time, most of those who tuned in to the program say that it had little or no effect on their election for president,” the channel said.

Republicans who witnessed the first debate of 2024 expressed broad confidence in Trump’s performance, according to the survey, while Democrats are less optimistic about his party’s candidate.

“96% of observers say that Trump did a better job, while a more modest 69% of observers of the Democratic debate see Biden as the winner of the night,” according to the poll.

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In 2020, when both candidates were fighting for the Oval Office, the same poll pointed out that the audience considered that Biden surpassed Trump in his two debates.

For his part, a YouGov survey conducted this Friday indicates that Trump won the debate by a margin of two to one. 43% of respondents thought that Trump won the debate, compared to the 22% who said it was Biden. The remaining 35% indicated that they were not sure.

For its part, The New York Times published after the debate that “a hesitant action by President Biden left Democratic strategists stunned, which generated doubts about their aptitude to stay in the race.”

The media, adds that the personal attacks “overshadowed the discussions about policies during the debate,” since in a part of its 90 minutes the candidates discussed topics such as who played golf best, their cognitive abilities and their legal problems.

“The cognitive and age concerns that revolve around President Biden came to light,” says The Hill, a media that, in addition, points out that the Democrat “was clearly confused and lost at times.”

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Kate Bedingfield, former director of communications at Biden’s White House, said on CNN that the president’s performance was “disappointing”: “Her biggest problem was to show the American people that she had the energy and resistance, and she didn’t do it.”

Politician Andrew Yang pointed out in X that the Biden who was seen in the debate “is a very different type” that he faced several times in the Democratic debates for the 2020 candidacy.

“Democrats should nominate another person before it’s too late,” he added in another publication.

Most national polls – before the debate – showed Trump and Biden almost tied, with an advantage of just two tenths on the part of the tycoon, according to the average made by the FiveThirtyEight website.

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International

Hiroshima survivor who embraced Obama dies at 88

The emotional embrace between Barack Obama and Hiroshima survivor Mori—who was eight years old when the United States dropped the atomic bomb in 1945—resonated around the world.

According to Asahi Shimbun and other local media, Mori died on Saturday at a hospital in Hiroshima.

Mori, known for his research on the fate of American prisoners of war in Hiroshima, was thrown into a river by the force of the explosion on August 6, 1945, during the atomic bombing of the city.

In a past interview with AFP, ahead of his meeting with Obama at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial in 2016, Mori recalled the chaos and desperation that followed the blast.

He described how, after emerging from the water, he encountered injured civilians seeking help amid the devastation, an experience that stayed with him throughout his life.

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In 2016, Obama became the first sitting U.S. president to visit Hiroshima, where he paid tribute to the victims of the first atomic bomb used in warfare. During the visit, Mori was visibly moved as he met the president, sharing a brief but powerful moment that symbolized remembrance and reconciliation.

The bombing of Hiroshima resulted in the deaths of approximately 140,000 people, including those who succumbed to radiation exposure in the aftermath.

Three days later, a second atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki, killing an estimated 74,000 people and contributing to the end of World War II.

International

Colombia seeks ‘total suffocation’ of armed groups with regional support

Colombia is advancing a strategy aimed at the “total suffocation” of illegal armed groups, seeking to corner them in border regions with the support of Ecuador and Venezuela, Defense Minister Pedro Sánchez said in an interview with AFP.

According to the minister, coordinated pressure from neighboring countries—backed by United States—aims to dismantle criminal networks that use cross-border routes to traffic Colombian cocaine toward North America and Europe.

For decades, armed groups involved in Colombia’s internal conflict have relied on border territories as strategic rear bases to evade military operations and maintain logistical support.

However, Sánchez said that dynamic is beginning to change.

“We expect a total suffocation between both nations so they have no spaces where they can live or feel safe […] to close off any room they might have,” he stated during the interview in Bogotá, less than five months before the end of President Gustavo Petro’s term.

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Regional developments have reinforced this strategy. Following the capture of Nicolás Maduro in a U.S. military operation, Washington has increased its influence in Caracas, where interim leader Delcy Rodríguez has implemented a renewed anti-narcotics policy.

Meanwhile, in Ecuador, President Daniel Noboa—a key U.S. ally in the region—has launched a two-week security plan under strict curfews to combat criminal gangs, with U.S. support.

Sánchez argued that these combined efforts leave illegal organizations with fewer escape routes and operational spaces, effectively placing them in a “dead end.”

International

Two killed in shooting at restaurant near Frankfurt Airport

Two people were shot dead early Tuesday at a restaurant in Raunheim, near Frankfurt Airport, according to local police.

Preliminary findings indicate that an armed individual entered the establishment at around 03:45 local time (02:45 GMT) and opened fire on the victims, who died at the scene from their injuries.

The suspect fled and remains at large, while the motive behind the shooting is still unclear, German media reported. Authorities have launched a large-scale search operation.