International
Two police officers arrested for kidnapping a witness in the case opened to Boluarte’s brother
A group of seven people, two of them police, was arrested for the kidnapping in Lima of a key witness in the case opened for influence peddling the brother of the Peruvian president, Dina Boluarte, the special anti-corruption prosecutor and local media reported.
“This is a concern for the Public Ministry. This situation has brought with it an imminent risk for a protected witness by the Public Ministry, of the Special Team of Prosecutors against Corruption in Power (Eficcop),” Marita Barreto told the press in the Lima district of Surco, where the kidnapping that lasted for about an hour took place.
Various local media identified the kidnapped as Iván Siucho, a protected witness in the case called ´Waykis en la sombra´, in which Nicanor Boluarte, the president’s brother, is involved, as well as Mateo Castañeda, former lawyer of the president.
They are being investigated for allegedly having intervened in the appointment of prefects and sub-prefects (administrative authorities in the regions) in order to have their help to form a new political party.
Barreto explained that the kidnappers “have deceivedly entered the witness’s house and then took him in a hijacked car to threaten him and throw him on a street,” in addition to taking away his phone for several hours.
“After the kidnapping was made public,” the kidnapped have thrown their cell phone on the street, always according to the details offered by Barreto to the press.
“The worrying thing about the situation is that the Surco Police, which has intervened after an hour and a half and who had knowledge (of the case), did not immediately inform the prosecutor on duty as indicated in the protocol,” he stressed before qualifying that fact as “a very serious omission.”
Finally, and without confirming that he is a witness to the “Waikys in the shadow” case, Barreto said that “the concern” is that the information provided by the witness is that he has received “threats and would obstruct the investigations.”
International
Winter storm disrupts holiday travel, forcing 1,500 flight cancellations in the U.S.
Airlines canceled around 1,500 flights across the United States during the peak Christmas travel season after warnings of a severe winter storm and forecasts of heavy snowfall in the Midwest and Northeast. An additional 5,900 flights were delayed due to adverse weather conditions.
More than 40 million Americans were under snowstorm warnings or weather advisories one day after Christmas. Meanwhile, another 30 million people faced flood or storm alerts in California, where an atmospheric river triggered intense rainfall.
New York City was bracing for up to 25 centimeters (10 inches) of snow overnight, which would mark its heaviest snowfall in four years. Cold weather was expected to persist through the weekend in the nation’s largest city. According to flight-tracking website FlightAware, airports in the New York area recorded about 850 flight cancellations.
International
At Least Eight Dead and 19 Injured in Deadly Bus Crash in Veracruz, Mexico
A tragic bus accident in the eastern state of Veracruz left at least eight people dead and 19 others injured on Wednesday afternoon, according to local authorities.
The vehicle was traveling through the town of Zontecomatlán when it crashed near a ravine, state Civil Protection officials reported late Wednesday night. “Regrettably, the prosecutor’s office has confirmed eight fatalities,” the agency stated in an official release.
Emergency Response and Medical Care Rescue teams worked into the night to assist the survivors. The 19 injured passengers were stabilized at the scene before being transported to hospitals in the nearby municipalities of Chicontepec and Huayacocotla. While the identities of the victims have not yet been released, Mexican press reports indicate the bus was en route from Mexico City to Chicontepec.
A Recurring Issue on Mexican Highways Road accidents involving long-haul passenger buses and freight transport are a frequent occurrence in Mexico. Experts often cite excessive speed, mechanical failure, or driver fatigue as the primary catalysts for these tragedies.
This latest incident follows another major disaster in late November, where 10 people were killed and 20 injured in a similar bus crash in the western state of Michoacán. The recurring nature of these accidents continues to spark national debate regarding the enforcement of stricter safety regulations for commercial transport units.
International
Jair Bolsonaro Hospitalized for Inguinal Hernia Surgery While Serving Sentence for Attempted Coup
Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, currently serving a 27-year prison sentence for an attempted coup, underwent surgery this Thursday for an inguinal hernia. The procedure took place at the DF Star Hospital in Brasilia, according to his wife, Michelle Bolsonaro.
The 70-year-old former leader left prison on Wednesday for the first time since his incarceration in late November to prepare for the operation. “My love has just gone to the surgical center,” Michelle Bolsonaro posted on Instagram, where she has been documenting her accompaniment during his hospitalization.
Surgical Expectations and Health History Medical professionals treating the far-right ex-president (2019-2022) anticipate the operation will last approximately four hours. His recovery period in the hospital is expected to extend between five and seven days.
Dr. Claudio Birolini explained on Wednesday that while the surgery is standardized, it remains complex due to the patient’s history. Bolsonaro continues to suffer from the long-term effects of a 2018 campaign rally stabbing, an injury that required several major abdominal surgeries in the years following the attack.
“There is no such thing as a simple surgery. However, this is a scheduled and standardized procedure, so we expect it to be carried out without major complications,” Dr. Birolini stated.
Potential Additional Procedures Following the hernia repair, the medical team will evaluate whether Bolsonaro can undergo a second procedure: an anesthetic block of the phrenic nerve. This nerve controls the diaphragm, and the intervention would aim to resolve a chronic case of recurrent hiccups that has plagued the former president for years.
Bolsonaro remains under heavy security at the medical facility as he serves his lengthy sentence related to the events surrounding the January 2023 institutional crisis in Brazil.
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International13 hours agoWinter storm disrupts holiday travel, forcing 1,500 flight cancellations in the U.S.