International

The trial against Sarkozy opens for financing his campaign with Gaddafi money

The Paris Correctional Court began on Monday the trial against former French President Nicolas Sarkozy and twelve other men for the alleged irregular financing of the 2007 electoral campaign with money from the Libyan regime of Muammar Gaddafi.

Sarkozy, who turns 70 at the end of the month, did not want to make statements to the press before the start of the hearing, to which he presented himself in a dark suit and black tie.

In the brief interrogation to which the president of the court, Nathalie Gavarino, subjected all the defendants present (some did not attend, there is one who is considered probably dead and another is in Lebanon, in search and capture), the former head of the French State between 2007 and 2012 recalled that his current profession is a lawyer.

Before the hearing began, Sarkozy was talking in the courtroom with several lawyers and with the other three of the main defendants, former ministers Claude Guéant, Brice Hortefeux and Éric Woerth, as well as with his brother Guillaume.

In this process, which will last until April 10, the French president between 2007 and 2012 is accused of crimes that, if found guilty, could lead to a sentence of up to 10 years in prison and fines of up to 375,000 euros.

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Sarkozy’s convictions

The former conservative president has already been convicted on two occasions, and one of them is definitive, after the opinion a month ago of the Supreme Court, with a firm sentence of one year in prison for a case of corruption and influence peddling, which he can serve under house arrest with an electronic bracelet.

In addition, Sarkozy has been sentenced in the first instance for the irregular financing of his failed presidential election campaign of 2012 (he lost to the socialist François Hollande), to a sentence of one year in prison, half exempt from compliance and the other half under house arrest.

The appeal trial has already taken place and the decision will be known during this year.

The first hearing this Monday will be dedicated to procedural appeals that try to annul the process.

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International

Security Council to Hold Emergency Meeting on Middle East Crisis

UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Saturday condemned the “military escalation in the Middle East” following attacks by the United States and Israel against Iran and Tehran’s retaliatory strikes, just hours before an urgent meeting of the UN Security Council.

“I call for the immediate cessation of hostilities and de-escalation,” Guterres said in a statement.

The Security Council is scheduled to meet on Saturday at 21:00 GMT (4:00 p.m. in New York) to address “the situation in the Middle East,” the United Nations announced.

The meeting, during which Guterres will deliver remarks, was convened at the request of France, Bahrain, Colombia, Russia and China, according to a diplomatic source.

International

Trump Floats “Friendly Takeover” of Cuba Amid Rising Tensions

U.S. President Donald Trump said Friday that his administration is considering what he described as a “friendly takeover” of Cuba, as Washington continues to increase pressure on the island’s communist government.

“The Cuban government is talking to us and they have very serious problems, as you know. They have no money, they have nothing at this moment, but they are talking to us and maybe we will see a friendly takeover of Cuba,” Trump told reporters as he departed the White House for a trip to Texas.

Earlier in the week, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Cuba needed a “radical change,” shortly after Washington eased restrictions on oil exports to the island for what officials described as “humanitarian reasons,” amid a deep economic crisis.

The United States has imposed an energy blockade on Cuba since January, citing what it calls an “extraordinary threat” posed by the communist-run island, located roughly 150 kilometers (90 miles) off the coast of Florida, to U.S. national security.

International

Argentina’s Senate Reviews Milei-Backed Labor Overhaul

Argentina’s Senate on Friday began reviewing the Labor Modernization Law promoted by the administration of President Javier Milei, a proposal that would significantly reshape labor rules across the country.

The upper chamber opened its final discussion of the contentious initiative, which revises the method used to calculate severance payments — lowering the amounts owed in dismissal cases — and introduces an “hour bank” mechanism that allows overtime to be offset with paid leave rather than extra wages.

The legislation also broadens the classification of essential services, a change that would place new limits on the right to strike in designated sectors.

The bill was initially approved by the Senate on February 11 and then moved to the Chamber of Deputies, where lawmakers passed it with amendments. It has now returned to the Senate for definitive approval.

Outside the Congress building in Buenos Aires, workers, trade unions and left-wing organizations staged demonstrations beginning at midday. The gathering later thinned out amid reports of disturbances and a strong police presence. Security forces had secured the area surrounding the legislature since early morning hours.

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Union leaders contend that the reform weakens labor protections, while many business representatives back the measure but stress that sustainable formal employment will require economic expansion, improved credit conditions, greater investment and a more dynamic domestic market.