International

Hospitalized accused of drugging his wife so that she was raped by other men

Dominique Pelicot, the man who is being tried in Avignon (southeast of France) for having drugged his wife for years so that others sexually abused her in a state of unconsciousness, has been hospitalized this Tuesday, leaving his statement and the continuity of the process suspended.

Her lawyer, Béatrice Zavarro, told the press at a break from the trial that she had been informed that Pelicot, 71, had been hospitalized for medical care.

Zavarro explained that his client had begun to have the first symptoms last Friday of “a urinary infection, perhaps a nephritic colic” and implied that “he did not necessarily receive attention during the weekend.”

At the beginning of this morning’s hearing, the president of the Vaucluse Criminal Court, Roger Arata, had indicated that the main defendant would not be able to testify in the afternoon, as planned, due to a health problem, but a possible change in the program was not anticipated at that time.

On Monday, Pelicot was absent shortly after the session was started for the same reason. Arata decided to request an expert opinion this morning to know exactly his state of health and be able to decide.

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His lawyer considered the postponement of the process “indispensable” if it is intended to continue in his absence, and above all, she rejected the speculations that there were this morning about an alleged maneuver by his client not to testify.

He said that he “will answer all the questions,” but said that this medical problem “that he had not scheduled” has arisen.

The process, which also puts 50 other men on the bench accused of having abused his wife, Gisèle – from whom he has been divorced since August – began on the 2nd and must end one or two weeks before Christmas.

International

Erin brings strong winds and storm surge despite weakening offshore

Hurricane Erin weakened to a Category 2 storm on Tuesday but continues to pose a threat to parts of the U.S. East Coast with potentially dangerous flooding, according to meteorologists.

Although the hurricane’s eye is expected to remain offshore, experts are concerned about Erin’s size, as strong winds extend hundreds of kilometers beyond the storm’s center.

In its 18:00 GMT bulletin, the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) lifted tropical storm warnings for the Bahamasand Turks and Caicos Islands, but kept them in effect for parts of North Carolina.

Erin was located several hundred kilometers southeast of North Carolina and was moving northwestward.

“This means there is a risk of potentially life-threatening flooding of 60 to 120 centimeters above ground level,” said NHC Director Michael Brennan.

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He also warned of the possibility of destructive waves, combined with storm surge, that could cause severe damage to beaches and coastal areas, making roads impassable.

International

Three U.S. Warships deploy near Venezuela to combat drug trafficking

Three U.S. naval vessels are moving toward the coasts of Venezuela, according to international media reports on Tuesday, after White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt confirmed that President Donald Trump is ready to combat and curb international drug trafficking.

Reports indicate that the ships will reach Venezuelan waters within the next 36 hours as part of a recent U.S. deployment aimed at countering international narcotics operations.

The announcement coincides with Leavitt’s statement that Trump is prepared to “use the full extent of his power” to halt drug flows into the United States. The naval deployment involves approximately 4,000 military personnel.

“The President has been clear and consistent. He is ready to use every element of U.S. power to prevent drugs from flooding our country and to bring those responsible to justice. The Maduro regime is not the legitimate government of Venezuela—it is a narco-terror cartel,” the spokesperson said during a press conference.

International

Cuban authorities free salvadoran convicted in 1997 hotel bombing

Salvadoran national Otto René Rodríguez Llerena was released after serving a 30-year prison sentence for his involvement in a terrorist attack at a hotel in Cuba in 1997, the Cuban Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported.

During his trial, Rodríguez Llerena admitted to placing an explosive device at the Meliá Cohiba Hotel under the orders of anti-Castro exile leaders. He was arrested the following year when he returned to Havana with another load of explosives that failed to detonate.

“The Cuban government reiterates its commitment to combating terrorism, respecting human rights, and the need for the international community to hold accountable those who promote such acts,” the statement read.

He was released on August 15 and is the second Salvadoran to complete his sentence. In December of last year, another Salvadoran, Ernesto Cruz León, was released after planting bombs at tourist centers, one of which killed an Italian tourist identified as Fabio Di Celmo.

A third Salvadoran, Francisco Chávez Abarca, also received a 30-year sentence from Cuban courts in 2010 after being extradited from Venezuela through Interpol for actions against Cuba.

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Rodríguez Llerena had requested conditional release in 2016, arguing that his actions had not caused any direct fatalities, but no further information was released about his situation until now.