International
Belgium denies Ecuador’s extradition request for ex-president: lawyers
AFP
Belgium has refused to extradite Ecuador’s former president Rafael Correa, his lawyers announced Friday, after Brussels recently granted him asylum.
The former socialist leader was sentenced in absentia to eight years in prison in his home country, over pay-to-play politics that involved accepting funds for his 2013 election campaign in exchange for state contracts worth about $7 million.
After leaving office in 2017, Correa moved to Belgium — the home country of his wife — where he has lived ever since.
Belgium’s asylum decision became public on April 22, the same week the president of Ecuador’s National Court of Justice signed its extradition request.
“The Belgian Justice Ministry now confirms… that it will not follow up Ecuador’s extradition request,” read a statement from law firm Jus Cogens.
“Belgium will also refuse to cooperate with the Ecuadorian justice system in the framework of political processes,” it added.
Correa, who has insisted on his innocence, told AFP that Belgium’s asylum decision proved there was a political agenda behind his “persecution.”
“There is no justice in Ecuador, everything is corrupt,” the 59-year-old said in April.
According to Ecuador’s judiciary, Correa and several former government officials and businesspeople took part in the graft scheme, with the ex-president implicated over a $6,000 payment to his private account, which he claims was a loan.
Correa is also the subject of an arrest warrant over the 2012 kidnapping of a Colombian opposition politician.
Ecuadorian Foreign Minister Juan Carlos Holguin told reporters there was no political persecution in his country.
“Every citizen who goes through the Ecuadorian justice system has had the right to due process,” he said.
According to the independent World Justice Project, Ecuador ranked 92 out of 139 countries on last year’s Rule of Law Index.
International
U.S. Senate Rejects Budget, Bringing Government Closer to Shutdown Amid DHS Dispute
The U.S. Senate voted on Thursday against a budget proposal in a move aimed at pressuring changes at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), following the killing of two civilians during a deployment of immigration agents in Minneapolis.
All Senate Democrats and seven Republican lawmakers voted against the bill, which requires 60 votes to advance, pushing the country closer to a partial government shutdown that would cut funding for several agencies, including the Pentagon and the Department of Health.
The rejection came as Senate leaders and the White House continue negotiations on a separate funding package for DHS that would allow reforms to the agency. Proposed measures include banning Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents from wearing face coverings and requiring them to use body-worn cameras during operations.
The vote took place just hours after President Donald Trump said he was “close” to reaching an agreement with Democrats and did not believe the federal government would face another shutdown, following last year’s record stoppage.
“I don’t think the Democrats want a shutdown either, so we’ll work in a bipartisan way to avoid it. Hopefully, there will be no government shutdown. We’re working on that right now,” Trump said during a Cabinet meeting at the White House.
International
Trump Says Putin Agreed to One-Week Halt in Attacks on Ukraine Amid Extreme Cold
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he secured a commitment from Russian President Vladimir Putinto halt attacks against Ukraine for one week, citing extreme weather conditions affecting the region.
“Because of the extreme cold (…) I personally asked Putin not to attack Kyiv or other cities and towns for a week. And he agreed. He was very pleasant,” Trump said during a Cabinet meeting broadcast by the White House.
Trump acknowledged that several advisers had questioned the decision to make the call.
“A lot of people told me not to waste the call because they wouldn’t agree. And he accepted. And we’re very happy they did, because they don’t need missiles hitting their towns and cities,” the president said.
According to Trump, Ukrainian authorities reacted with surprise to the announcement but welcomed the possibility of a temporary ceasefire.
“It’s extraordinarily cold, record cold (…) They say they’ve never experienced cold like this,” he added.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky later commented on the announcement, expressing hope that the agreement would be honored.
International
Storm Kristin Kills Five in Portugal, Leaves Nearly 500,000 Without Power
Storm Kristin, which battered Portugal with heavy rain and strong winds early Wednesday, has left at least five people dead, while nearly half a million residents remained without electricity as of Thursday, according to updated figures from authorities.
The revised death toll was confirmed to AFP by a spokesperson for the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority (ANPEC). On Wednesday, the agency had reported four fatalities.
Meanwhile, E-Redes, the country’s electricity distribution network operator, said that around 450,000 customers were still without power, particularly in central Portugal.
Emergency services responded to approximately 1,500 incidents between midnight and 8:00 a.m. local time on Wednesday, as the storm caused widespread disruptions.
The Portuguese government described Kristin as an “extreme weather event” that inflicted significant damage across several regions of the country. At the height of the storm, as many as 850,000 households and institutions lost electricity during the early hours of Wednesday.
Several municipalities ordered the closure of schools, many of which remained shut on Thursday due to ongoing adverse conditions.
Ricardo Costa, regional deputy commander of the Leiria Fire Brigade, said residents continue to seek assistance as rainfall persists.
“Even though the rain is not extremely intense, it is causing extensive damage to homes,” he noted.
In Figueira da Foz, a coastal city in central Portugal, strong winds toppled a giant Ferris wheel, underscoring the severity of the storm.
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