Unbiased headline news – World leaders are reacting to President Biden’s decision not to seek reelection, discussing their relationships with him and offering thoughts on his choice.
U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said, “I respect President Biden’s decision and look forward to working together during the remainder of his presidency.” Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala also highlighted the difficulty of the president’s decision, stating, “It is undoubtedly the decision of a statesman who has served his country for decades.”
—
Vice President Kamala Harris announced her intention to “earn and win” the Democratic presidential nomination after President Biden endorsed her, following his decision to bow out of the 2024 presidential race.
“I am honored to have the president’s endorsement, and my intention is to earn and win this nomination,” she stated. “Over the past year, I have traveled across the country, talking with Americans about the clear choice in this momentous election.” Harris also praised Mr. Biden for his public service career.
—
Russia reported scrambling fighter jets to intercept two U.S. military long-range bomber aircraft approaching the Russian border over the Barents Sea in the Arctic.
“The crews of the Russian fighters identified the aerial target as a pair of U.S. Air Force B-52H strategic bombers,” Moscow’s defense ministry wrote on Telegram, specifying that MiG-29 and MiG-31 fighters were scrambled. Russia has increased military operations in the Arctic, including advanced hypersonic missile tests.
—
The Israeli military intercepted a missile fired from Yemen, hours after Israeli warplanes struck several Houthi targets in the Arabian Peninsula country.
The Israeli airstrikes, in response to a deadly Houthi drone strike on Tel Aviv, marked the first time Israel has responded to repeated Houthi attacks during its nine-month war against Hamas. The violence threatens to open a new front as Israel battles Iranian proxies across the region.
—
Nine people were shot, three fatally, when multiple gunmen opened fire early Sunday at a party in Philadelphia, authorities said.
The mass shooting occurred around 2 a.m. on the 1200 block of North Alden Street in the Carroll Park neighborhood of West Philadelphia, where a party attended by more than 100 people was taking place, according to the Philadelphia Police Department.
—
Half of the deaths attributed to the storm in Harris County, where Houston is located, were heat-related, according to the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences.
Lara Anton, spokesperson for the Texas Department of State Health Services, which uses death certificate data to identify storm-related deaths, estimated that even a preliminary count may not be available until the end of July.
—
A woman was stabbed inside a terminal at Miami International Airport late Saturday, sending her to the hospital in critical condition and prompting a service disruption, police and airport officials said.
An adult male suspect was arrested at the scene, the Miami-Dade Police Department reported. The woman was attacked around 11:30 p.m. in the upper level of Terminal J, in the international arrivals hall, police said. The “situation was swiftly contained,” airport officials stated.
—
Pope Francis expressed hope that the Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games will provide an opportunity for countries at war to respect an ancient Greek tradition and establish a truce during the Games.
“According to ancient tradition, may the Olympics be an opportunity to establish a truce in wars, demonstrating a sincere will for peace,” Francis said during his Angelus prayer in St. Peter’s Square. The Pope emphasized that sport also has “a great social power, capable of peacefully uniting people from different cultures.”