International
Six other congressional Democrats ask Biden to end his campaign
Six other congressional Democrats have urged US President Joe Biden this Friday to end his re-election campaign and “pass the baton” so that a younger leader can face former President Donald Trump (2017-2021) in the November elections.
With these six Democrats, the number of members of Congress calling for Biden’s withdrawal rises to 31, which constitutes almost 12% of the members of the Lower House and Senate that make up the Democratic bench. Of the 31 who are the protagonists of the revolt, 28 are legislators and 3 are senators.
The first to ask for Biden’s withdrawal this Friday was Sean Casten, from Illinois, who in an opinion column in the Chicago Tribune entitled “It’s time to pass the witness,” said that, although it “broken his heart to say it,” he had to declare that the president “is no longer up to the point.”
Shortly after, in a joint statement, four other Democrats also urged Biden to “pass the baton to a new generation of Democratic leaders.”
Although they express their “great admiration” for Biden, they argue that we must “face the reality” that there is concern among the public about his “age and ability” to govern for another four years and defeat Trump in November.
“We believe that the most responsible and patriotic thing he can do at this time is to retire as our candidate while continuing to lead our party from the White House,” they say in the statement.
Among the legislators who sign the statement is African-American Marc Veasey, representative of Texas and the first member of the African-American Caucus to turn his back on Biden, opening a crack in what has been the president’s most solid support block in Congress.
The letter is also signed by the Hispanic Jesús ‘Chuy’ García, born in Durango (Mexico) and a member of the Hispanic caucus, as well as Marc Pocan of Wisconsin and Jared Huffman of California, an ally of one of the legislators of that state, the influential Nancy Pelosi, former president of the House of Representatives.
Subsequently, Senator Martin Heinrich of New Mexico urged Biden to “pass the witness” to allow the party to unite around a candidate capable of beating Trump, thus becoming the third member of the Senate to call for the withdrawal of the president.
“This moment in the history of our nation demands a vision that goes beyond any individual. Donald Trump’s return to the White House poses an existential danger to our democracy. We must defeat him in November, and we need a candidate who can achieve it,” Heinrich said.
This trickle of legislators increases the pressure on Biden, who has seen in recent hours how his support among key figures of the party falters. As reported yesterday by The Washington Post, former President Barack Obama has told his close circle that Biden should “seriously reconsider” the future of his candidacy.
The call for Biden to retire arose after the June 27 debate against Trump, in which the president, who at 81 years old is the oldest president in the history of the United States, projected an aged image and had difficulty concluding some sentences.
International
Ukraine declares nationwide energy emergency amid russian attacks and extreme cold
The Ukrainian government on Wednesday declared a nationwide energy state of emergency amid continued Russian military attacks and extreme winter weather, with nighttime temperatures dropping as low as minus 18 degrees Celsius.
“The consequences of Russian attacks and worsening weather conditions are severe (…) Overall, a state of emergency will be declared for Ukraine’s energy sector,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a statement posted on social media following a meeting with senior officials.
Zelensky announced the creation of a “permanent coordination headquarters” to manage the crisis in the capital, Kyiv, and tasked former defence minister and current energy chief Denys Shmyhal with overseeing support efforts for affected individuals and communities, including addressing power outages, heating shortages and other “practical issues.”
“There are many problems that require urgent solutions,” the president said, noting that repair crews, energy companies, municipal services and the State Emergency Service are working “around the clock” to restore electricity supplies. Kyiv has been particularly affected after Russian strikes last Friday disabled key parts of the power grid, as daytime temperatures hover around minus 12 degrees Celsius and plunge to minus 18 at night.
Zelensky added that public authorities will “maximize efforts with partners to obtain the necessary equipment and additional support,” while the government will ensure “maximum deregulation of all processes” to speed up the connection of backup power equipment to the grid. He also confirmed that work is underway to significantly increase electricity imports into Ukraine.
The Ukrainian leader further instructed his Cabinet to review curfew regulations in light of the extreme cold, arguing that citizens must have the greatest possible access to assistance centers, while businesses should be given flexibility to plan their operations according to the state of the energy system.
International
France joins Denmark’s ‘Operation Arctic Resistance’ in Greenland amid U.S. tensions
French President Emmanuel Macron confirmed in the early hours of Thursday (Wednesday afternoon in El Salvador) that France will take part in “Operation Arctic Resistance,” after Denmark announced it would expand its military presence in Greenland amid rising tensions with the United States over Washington’s stated ambitions regarding the semi-autonomous territory.
“At Denmark’s request, I have decided that France will participate in the joint exercises organized by Denmark in Greenland, ‘Operation Arctic Resistance,’” Macron said in a brief message posted on social media at 5:18 p.m.
The French president added that “the first French military elements are already on their way, with others to follow,” though he did not specify the number of troops being deployed or the scale of France’s planned contribution.
The governments of Sweden, Norway and Germany have also confirmed the deployment of military contingents to Greenland. Germany’s armed forces will send a 13-member reconnaissance team to the Greenlandic capital, Nuuk, to take part in a mission scheduled to run from Thursday through Saturday, according to the German Ministry of Defence.
Denmark’s announcement came shortly before a Danish delegation met at the White House with U.S. Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio to discuss Washington’s plans regarding Greenland. Copenhagen said the military activities would be carried out “in close cooperation with NATO allies.”
International
Iran closes airspace amid U.S. threats and deadly nationwide protests
Iranian authorities closed the country’s airspace in the early hours of Thursday, according to data from flight-tracking website FlightRadar24, amid growing threats of a possible U.S. attack as protests across the country continue and have reportedly left thousands dead.
According to FlightRadar24, the Iranian government suspended all flights to and from the country, except for international flights that have received special authorization. The notice was initially issued for a duration of just over two hours.
The move comes after U.S. President Donald Trump in recent days threatened to strike Iran if its security forces failed to halt the deaths linked to weeks-long protests that began in Tehran and later spread to other Iranian cities. Despite the threats, the White House said diplomacy remains Trump’s preferred option.
Speaking from the Oval Office on Wednesday, Trump claimed that “the deaths in Iran have stopped” and said there would be no executions of protesters following his warnings to Tehran. He added that his administration would seek to verify those claims.
“I’ve been told the deaths in Iran are stopping. They’ve stopped, and that there are no plans for executions,” Trump told reporters, cautioning that the United States would be “very upset” if those assurances proved to be untrue.
The statements contrast with reports from rights groups. The Norway-based NGO Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO) said on Wednesday that more than 3,400 people have been killed since the protests erupted. Meanwhile, Kurdish-Iranian rights group Hengaw reported this week that a 26-year-old Iranian man, Erfan Soltani, was facing execution as of Wednesday.
Ukraine declares nationwide energy emergency amid russian attacks and extreme cold
France joins Denmark’s ‘Operation Arctic Resistance’ in Greenland amid U.S. tensions
Iran closes airspace amid U.S. threats and deadly nationwide protests
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