Your Wednesday Briefing: Biden’s Re-Election Bid

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In a video message, President Biden officially kicked off his campaign for the 2024 presidential election, asking voters to “finish this job.”

The announcement didn’t mention Donald Trump — his most likely opponent — but the subtext of the messaging was clear: He saw himself as the best person to stop Trump from winning the presidency.

At the age of 80, Biden has become the oldest American president in history. (Trump is 76.) But he has cleared the Democratic presidential field despite concerns about his age. Although polls show that Democrats want a new face in 2024, they don’t know who that will be.

Kamala Harris, the vice president, will probably face strong Republican scrutiny and criticism; he will take over if something happens to Biden, who will be 86 at the end of his term.

Despite low unemployment, a resilient economy and a stellar record of legislative accomplishments, Biden has never won the state, or even the voters of his party. Nearly seven in 10 Americans believe the US is on the “wrong track.”

While Republicans plan to play on that uncertainty, citing Biden’s age and weakness, Democrats insist that Biden is better than his Republican rivals.

Competition: Trump is currently the Republican Party’s front runner but may face a strong challenge from Ron DeSantis, the governor of Florida. Who else is running away?

Ukraine is preparing a new offensive against Russian forces that could begin as soon as next month, US officials said. The stakes are incredibly high: Without a decisive victory, Western support could weaken and Kyiv could face pressure to hold peace talks.

The operation will take place in the south, near the Russian-annexed Crimea. Twelve Ukrainian brigades, each with around 4,000 troops, are expected to be ready this month, according to leaked US documents.

Ukrainian officials say the aim is to destroy Russia’s dug-in defenses and push the Russian army to collapse. But American officials believe that it is unlikely that the attack will lead to a dramatic change in momentum for Ukraine.

US and European officials say Russia is preparing to mobilize new troops to bolster its military ranks. Because of Russia’s larger reserves of equipment and personnel, US intelligence officials say President Vladimir Putin believes he will win as the West’s appetite for supporting Ukraine wanes.

Quote: “Everything depends on this counteroffensive,” said Alexander Vershbow, former US ambassador to Russia and a senior NATO official, to regain territory and also influence peace negotiations.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol will attend a state dinner hosted by President Biden and the first lady in Washington this week. He will deliver an address to the US Congress. The main focus of Yoon’s visit was South Korea’s relationship with Japan.

During talks at the White House, Biden is likely to call for more steps in South Korea’s détente with Japan, which is crucial to US strategy in Asia.

Tokyo and Seoul are moving to align themselves more closely with Washington as China promotes a vision of a world in which the US has less power. North Korea’s growing nuclear and missile threats are also an incentive for countries and the US

Seoul and Tokyo have taken steps to resolve a long-standing dispute over forced labor during World War II. This week, South Korea restored Japan’s status as a preferred trading partner, a month after Tokyo and Seoul agreed to ease export controls. Yoon also said that Japan can no longer hope to “bow down because of our history of the past 100 years.”

Kevon Looney, USA basketball star, says he can barely survive a hot yoga class. “I was doing a lot of laying on the mat. I thought I was the best athlete, but he destroyed me.

Now Looney, a forward for the Golden State Warriors, practices “Joga,” yoga for jocks, before every game to help him deal with the physical and mental rigors of the NBA.

Living life: Harry Belafonte broke racial barriers in the 1950s with his music and became a leader in the civil rights movement. He died at 96.

Ispace, a Japanese company, aims to complete the first moon landing by a private company. But yesterday, he lost contact with a small robotic spacecraft sent to the moon.

The missing signal could indicate that the lander, which has Japanese and Emirati robots, hit the lunar surface. The spacecraft was launched in December and entered lunar orbit in March.

While the lunar landing attempt by Ispace appears to have been unsuccessful, it will not be the last company to try. Two other landers, made by a US company and funded by NASA, are scheduled to be launched to the moon this year. Two more moon landings by Ispace are also planned.

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