International

The argentine justice freezes the assets of former president Alberto Fernández

The Argentine Justice froze the assets and lifted the tax and banking secrecy of former President Alberto Fernández (2019-2023) and several of his collaborators, as part of an investigation for alleged corruption around the contracting of state insurance during his Government, judicial sources confirmed on Wednesday.

Federal judge Julián Ercolini, in charge of room 11 of the national court in Federal Criminal and Correctional Affairs, ordered the general inhibition of Fernández’s assets and lifted the tax and banking secrecy on his accounts in the case that investigates whether the president favored, for the contracting of state insurance, the husband of his private secretary.

Ercolini’s measure also covers 32 other people, former officials, companies and cooperatives that are being investigated, who will now not be able to sell or dispose of their assets.

The decision covers the intermediary Héctor Martínez Sosa and his wife María Cantero, Fernández’s secretary, a link that, for the judge, arouses the suspicion that he determined the role of the former president in the intermediation of insurance between the state entities and Nación Seguros.

Fernández is accused of a scandal related to the contracting of insurance by public bodies during his government.

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Fernández is being investigated for alleged irregularities around a decree he signed in December 2021, by which he ordered that all public bodies should take out insurance in Nación Seguros, of the state-owned Banco Nación, in which friends of the former president would have benefited as intermediaries charging millionaires of commissions.

Despite not needing managers to take out those insurances, the public agencies used the husband of their secretary and his friend, Martínez Sosa, who, in addition, is listed as the former president’s creditor in his affidavits, as an intermediary.

International

Zelenski urges global action after russian ballistic missile strike

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenski called on the international community Thursday to “respond” to Russia’s ballistic missile strike on Ukraine, which he said has heightened the “escalation and brutality” of the conflict.

“The world must react. So far, there has been no strong response,” Zelenski lamented in a social media statement.

“We must act. We must pressure. We must push Russia towards real peace, which is only achievable through strength,” he added.

Russian President Vladimir Putin confirmed Thursday that Russia had launched a new type of hypersonic ballistic missile against Ukraine in its “non-nuclear configuration.”

International

Elon Musk plans sweeping cuts to U.S. bureaucracy and spending

Elon Musk has pledged massive cuts to government programs, subsidies, and bureaucracy in his anticipated role as a “State Efficiency” leader, according to an article published Wednesday in The Wall Street Journal.

The billionaire entrepreneur plans to target hundreds of billions of dollars in federal spending, including funds for public broadcasting and Planned Parenthood. Musk called government bureaucracy an “existential threat” to American democracy.

Teaming up with fellow businessman and Trump ally Vivek Ramaswamy, Musk aims to streamline federal regulations and implement significant administrative and cost reductions.

“We are entrepreneurs, not politicians. We will serve as external volunteers, not federal officials or employees,” Musk and Ramaswamy stated in the article.

International

Putin warns of escalation, suggests strikes on western weapon suppliers

Russian President Vladimir Putin declared that the conflict in Ukraine is taking on the characteristics of a “global war,” warning that Russia might target Western nations supplying Ukraine with weapons used in attacks on Russian territory.

These remarks come after a day of heightened tensions, during which Russia launched a state-of-the-art medium-range missile designed to carry a nuclear warhead. However, this particular missile was loaded with conventional explosives.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the missile strike, calling it the action of a “deranged neighbor” using Ukraine as a “military testing ground.”

Earlier, Ukraine accused Russia of attacking the central-eastern city of Dnipro with a missile exhibiting “all the characteristics” of an intercontinental missile, an unprecedented development in the ongoing conflict.