International
The trial of an Australian Instagramer accused of overmedicating her baby to get donations begins
An Australian Instagrammer accused of poisoning her one-year-old baby to gain followers and obtain donations administered her daughter a medicine against seizures in disobeying medical recommendations, as reported this Tuesday before the Australian court that judges the case.
In today’s hearing, the prosecution exposed before the Magistrates’ Court of the city of Brisbane, in east of Australia, that the girl had been diagnosed with tuberous sclerosis, a genetic disorder that caused benign tumors, according to the public channel ABC.
Last year, doctors prescribed the girl the drug “Carbamazelina”, used by people who suffer from epilepsy, but when they detected that it caused seizures in the baby, they withdrew the treatment.
However, the mother, 34 years old and who, according to what was exposed today by the prosecution, still had the prescription for the drug, would have ignored the opinion of the doctors and continued to administer the medicine to the little girl with the aim of obtaining donations and followers.
According to the Australian authorities, the accused thus obtained about 60,000 Australian dollars (37,500 US dollars or almost 36,000 euros).
“There really is no valid explanation for why… (the woman) did not go once, not twice, but three times… to a pharmacy to obtain a medicine that she knew she should no longer give her daughter because it caused her harm,” Police prosecutor Jack Scott said during the session.
Scott indicated during the hearing that on one occasion the seizures caused by the drug caused the girl a cardiac arrest that required medical intervention, according to information collected by the Australian Press Agency (AAP).
The court told EFE today in a statement that during the session a request for bail was also submitted for the detainee, which will continue to be evaluated at a hearing on Wednesday at 9:00 local time (23:00 GMT on Tuesday).
This case has shocked the southern country, very firm in its policies of control over social networks with recent measures that restrict access to them for adolescents, and maintained a tough battle with X for a video showing the knife attack of a teenager against a religious in Sydney in April 2024.
The woman, who has not been identified for legal reasons, was arrested on January 16 following a police investigation based on suspicions that the parent provided the baby with medicines without medical approval.
According to the Queensland Police investigations, between August 6 and October 15, 2024, the woman allegedly administered several prescription and unauthorized medications to the baby and tried to hide this behavior.
The mother also recorded her daughter “while she suffered anguish and immense pain” and published the videos on social networks “to attract monetary donations and online followers,” according to the Police.
In mid-October, medical staff at a hospital in southern Brisbane detected what happened and informed the police while the girl was admitted.
The blood tests carried out then detected that the baby had unauthorized medications in her blood.
After her arrest, the woman was charged with five crimes of poisoning with the intention of causing harm, three of preparation to commit crimes with dangerous objects and a crime of torture, one of manufacturing child exploitation material and one of fraud, which add up to more than two decades in prison if she was found guilty.
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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