International

Parliament approves the dismissal of Kenya’s vice president on a historic day

The Senate of Kenya (Upper Chamber of Parliament) approved this Thursday the dismissal of the vice president of the country, Rigathi Gachagua, an unprecedented act in the history of the African country.

After two days of impeachment, the senators voted in favor of the impeachment (as the impeachment process is known in English) against the vice president, who could not defend himself in person before the parliamentarians because he was admitted to a hospital in Nairobi for intense chest pains.

How was the motion for the dismissal of the vice president of Kenya?

The motion had to be supported by at least two-thirds (45) of the 67 members of the Senate who supported at least one of the eleven charges that weighed on Gachagua.

Thus, 45 senators or more voted in favor of five of the eleven charges, which included corruption, promotion of ethnic discrimination, insubordination, intimidation and humiliation towards public officials.

“As a result, his Excellency Rigathi Gachagua ceases to hold office,” said the president of the Upper House, Amason Kingi.

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But the vice president also received the express support of some senators.

“This divorce that the president is looking for, he will get it. But it will be painful, harmful, catastrophic, it will have victims,” said legislator John Methu in reference to Kenyan President William Ruto, whose relationship with Gachagua had been rarefied for months.

On the 8th, the National Assembly (Lower House) already expressed itself in favor of the process of dismissal of Gachagua, 59 years old.

The dismissal ends his political career – he has been vice president since 2022 and, from 2017 to 2022, he was a deputy of the Assembly – since he will not be able to occupy any other public office in the future and, in addition, he will lose all the benefits derived from having held the vice presidency of Kenya.

Sudden hospitalization of Gachagua

The vote culminated in a dramatic day marked by the sudden hospitalization of the dismissed vice president, who is “stable,” according to doctors, adding that he will remain under observation between 48 and 72 hours.

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“It came with chest pains and when you get to the hospital with that, our first concern is if it has something to do with the heart and our job is to make sure that you don’t have the possibility of suffering a heart attack,” Karen Hospital’s chief cardiologist Dancan Gikonyo told reporters.

The setback caused the temporary suspension of the session in the Upper House, which resumed the impeachment shortly after 17:00 local time (14:00 GMT).

The session, the second debate in the Senate after the one held this Wednesday, was resumed after a request from Gachagua’s lawyer, Paul Muite.

Muite asked for a postponement of the impeachment until next Tuesday, so that the vice president could stand in person and defend himself before the Senate, but the president of the Upper House, Amason Kingi, pointed to this Saturday as an alternative date.

However, the senators refused in a vote to postpone the process until Saturday and decided to continue this Thursday, before which Muite and his legal team withdrew in protest.

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The procedure with green light

The procedure already received the green light on October 8 with a large majority in the National Assembly (Lower House), where 281 of the 349 deputies voted to move forward, after a marathon session in which the vice president intervened.

“In the absence of an active investigation by any Kenyan investigative agency, I believe that there can be no serious reason to believe that I have committed any crime,” Gachagua said at the time, denying all the accusations against him.

The debate in the Senate could begin this Wednesday after two courts rejected urgent appeals imposed by the vice president to stop the process.

According to local media, Vice President Gachagua has filed up to 26 lawsuits challenging the legality and the process of his dismissal.

One of the main arguments against impeachment is the lack of significant public participation.

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International

Maradona’s daughter accuses medical team of “horrible manipulation” in court

One of the daughters of Diego Maradona testified in court this Tuesday, breaking down in tears as she denounced what she described as “absolute and horrible manipulation” by her father’s medical team, during an emotional hearing in Argentina.

Gianinna Maradona stated that she and her siblings agreed to home hospitalization after doctors presented it as the best option following the neurosurgery Maradona underwent on November 3, 2020.

The football icon died on November 25 of that year, and the ongoing trial seeks to determine whether the conditions of his home care were appropriate.

According to Gianinna, what the family found at the residence where Maradona was recovering did not match what had been promised. She testified that there was no adequate medical equipment, constant monitoring, or even an ambulance available, despite assurances of continuous care.

“The manipulation was absolute and horrible,” she said during the hearing in San Isidro, near Buenos Aires.

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She accused members of the medical team, including neurosurgeon Leopoldo Luque, psychiatrist Agustina Cosachov, and psychologist Carlos Díaz, of misleading the family.

“I trusted these people, and all they did was manipulate us and leave my son without a grandfather,” she added.

Later in her testimony, recalling that six years have passed since her father’s death, she became emotional and said she struggled deeply with grief in the aftermath.

International

Trump extends Iran ceasefire after Pakistan mediation request

The president of the United States, Donald Trump, announced on Tuesday that he will extend the ceasefire with Iran, which was set to expire on Wednesday, following a request from Pakistan.

In a statement shared on Truth Social, Trump said the truce will remain in place until Iran presents a proposal and negotiations are concluded, regardless of the outcome.

“I will extend the ceasefire until their proposal is presented and negotiations are completed, whatever the result,” the U.S. leader stated.

Trump justified the decision by claiming that Iran’s government is “deeply divided” and noting that Pakistani authorities, acting as mediators, requested a pause in military action until Iranian leaders and representatives submit a unified proposal.

International

Venezuelan opposition demands election date and minimum wage increase

A group of opposition members from the Zulia Humana and former political prisoners on Tuesday demanded that authorities set a date for elections in Venezuela and increase the minimum wage, which has been frozen since 2022 and is currently worth just a few cents per month according to the Banco Central de Venezuela.

During a press conference in Maracaibo, Professor Eduardo Labrador stressed the urgency of establishing an electoral timeline. “We demand that a date be set for elections so Venezuelans can have free and transparent voting. It is essential to have that date now,” he said.

Economist Rodrigo Cabezas, who served under the late President Hugo Chávez, also called for an increase in the minimum wage, arguing that it is feasible through economic policy measures, although he did not specify an amount due to limited public data.

Cabezas warned that Venezuela experienced “galloping inflation” between March of last year and March 2026, a stage that precedes hyperinflation—a phenomenon the country has already faced. However, he clarified that Venezuela is not currently in hyperinflation, expressing hope that it will not return.