International
Bolsonaro diverted gifts for 1.2 million dollars for his benefit, according to the Police
Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro benefited from the diversion of gifts received during official visits abroad that are valued at 1.2 million dollars (about 1.1 million euros), according to a report by the Federal Police of Brazil released on Monday.
The Police assure in their investigation that the plot sought the illicit enrichment of Bolsonaro, whom he accused last Thursday along with 11 other people for the crimes of appropriation of public good, money laundering and association to commit crimes.
According to the researchers, the participants in the scheme used two stratagems to divert the official gifts depending on whether their reception had been formally registered.
Thus, those who were not registered were directly subtracted by the former president without going through the evaluation of the Deputy Cabinet of Historical Documentation, an entity of the Presidency controlled by a Bolsonaro adviser.
Meanwhile, other gifts this organization qualified as “very personal goods” so that Bolsonaro could keep them, based on a “legal interpretation diametrically opposed to the constitutional foundations,” according to the Police.
Among the stolen goods, there is a set of rose gold men’s jewelry of the Chopard brand delivered by the Government of Saudi Arabia to Bolsonaro’s Minister of Energy, Bento Albuquerque.
In December 2022, when there were only a few days left until the end of the ultra leader’s mandate, these jewels were taken on the presidential plane to the United States, where they were auctioned.
The same fate was suffered by other luxury objects received by the president during official visits to Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, such as two watches from the Rolex and Patek Phillipe brands.
According to the Police, in the United States, intermediaries of the former president were in charge of negotiating the sale of the jewelry with the purpose of “hiding the real owner and beneficiary” of the transaction.
In this way, the money received for the sale of the two watches went, first, to the bank account of General Mauro César Lourena Cid, father of Bolsonaro’s personal assistant and who occupied an official position of the Government in Miami.
In the following months, those resources were transferred during personal meetings, “in a “split and in kind” way,” to Bolsonaro, who lived for a while in Miami after his electoral defeat against Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
The far-right leader, on whom other investigations weigh, has denied the charges, waiting for the Prosecutor’s Office to determine whether to file a complaint.
International
Portuguese Authorities Seize 2.6 Tons of Cocaine Worth More Than $550 Million in Drug Bust
Italian financial police reported Monday that Portuguese authorities intercepted a speedboat carrying more than 2.6 tons of cocaine, with an estimated street value exceeding $550 million.
Four people — two Spanish nationals, one Albanian citizen, and a man from Gibraltar — were arrested in connection with the operation, according to Italian authorities.
The vessel was intercepted off the coast of Lisbon by Portugal’s maritime police following an investigation led by Italian authorities.
Italian financial police estimated that the seized shipment had a street value of approximately 500 million euros ($570 million), making it one of the largest drug seizures reported in the region in recent years.
Portuguese authorities said the interception took place on Thursday, about 90 kilometers (50 nautical miles) southwest of Cape Espichel, during an operation targeting international drug trafficking routes.
International
U.S. and Iran Maintain Ceasefire as Trump Expresses Optimism Over New Talks
U.S. President Donald Trump said Monday that there are “good chances” of reaching an agreement with Iran, as both sides maintained a ceasefire for the third consecutive day following weeks of escalating hostilities.
Trump expressed optimism about the possibility of resuming diplomatic negotiations aimed at ending the conflict, which began in late February and has raised international concerns over its impact on global markets and energy supplies.
The fighting has remained suspended since Saturday, after the United States resumed airstrikes against Iran amid a dispute over control of the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for global oil shipments. The renewed military action had previously caused the collapse of an earlier ceasefire agreement.
Asked about the prospects for negotiations aboard Air Force One, Trump said: “I have a lot of patience… We’ll see what happens. I think there are good chances that something could happen.”
The U.S. president also highlighted Washington’s military capabilities, saying: “We have a lot of ammunition,” while adding that he would like to have more resources due to U.S. support for Ukraine.
U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz said Trump was allowing diplomatic efforts more time, explaining that the president was “giving some space to the talks” while maintaining that Washington remains prepared to take action if necessary.
Meanwhile, tensions continue in other areas of the Middle East. Saudi Arabia reported that it intercepted drones launched from Iraq by groups allied with Tehran and urged the Iraqi government to take measures to prevent further attacks.
International
Police Investigate After Remains of Five Newborns Found in French Apartment
French authorities have opened a murder investigation after the discovery of human remains believed to belong to five newborn babies inside an apartment in the historic center of a city, the local prosecutor’s office reported Monday night.
According to prosecutors, a 32-year-old woman had given birth at home on Sunday to a healthy baby before being taken to a hospital for medical care.
The discovery was made after the woman’s 32-year-old partner began searching the residence after reportedly learning, once again and at a late stage, that she had been pregnant.
During the search, the man found what appeared to be human remains and informed the hospital, which then alerted prosecutors.
A forensic doctor determined that the remains likely belonged to five newborn infants. Authorities have not yet established the circumstances or motive behind the case.
Investigators have not been able to interview the mother, who remains hospitalized following the delivery.
Prosecutors also confirmed that the couple has two other children, aged eight and nine years old. The investigation remains ongoing as authorities work to clarify the events surrounding the discovery.
Portuguese Authorities Seize 2.6 Tons of Cocaine Worth More Than $550 Million in Drug Bust
U.S. and Iran Maintain Ceasefire as Trump Expresses Optimism Over New Talks
Police Investigate After Remains of Five Newborns Found in French Apartment
Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
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