International
The Argentine Anti-Corruption Office will investigate Milei and his cabinet for the fiasco of a cryptocurrency
The Anti-Corruption Office (OA) of Argentina will investigate President Javier Milei and members of his cabinet, at the request of the head of State himself, after he promoted a cryptocurrency on his social networks with possible links to virtual scams.
“President Javier Milei has decided to give immediate intervention to the Anti-Corruption Office (OA) to determine if there was improper conduct on the part of any member of the National Government, including the President himself,” the President’s Office said in a statement.
The OA, a decentralized entity but dependent on the Executive Branch under the Ministry of Justice directed by Mariano Cúneo Libarona, is led by Alejandro Melik, who was a partner of the minister when he worked as a defense lawyer.
Milei decided to create a Research Task Unit (UTI) to investigate ‘$LIBRA’ – the digital currency he advertised – along with all the companies or people involved in his operation.
The UTI, which will be under the President’s orbit, will be composed of representatives of organizations linked to crypto assets, financial activities, money laundering, and other related areas.
“All the information collected in the investigation will be delivered to the Justice to determine if any of the companies or people linked to the KIP Protocol project committed a crime,” they added in the document.
According to the presidential office, the representatives of the KIP Protocol company had a meeting with Milei on October 19, where they told him about the idea of developing a project called “Viva la Libertad” with the intention of financing private ventures in the country using blockchain technology.
“In that meeting, which was duly settled in the Register of Public Hearings, was attended by the President of the Nation; the representatives of the company KIP Protocol, Mauricio Novellli and Julian Peh; and the presidential spokesman, Manuel Adorni,” they listed.}
On January 30 of this year, Milei met at Casa Rosada – headquarters of the Executive – with businessman Hayden Mark Davis, who, according to KIP Protocol, would provide the technological infrastructure for this project.
“Mr. Davis had and has no connection with the Argentine government and was presented by the representatives of KIP Protocol as one of its partners in the project,” the statement said.
From Casa Rosada they established that the Argentine president shared the launch publication of ‘$LIBRA’ on his “personal accounts,” but that it was not “part of the development of cryptocurrency” in any instance.
After the repercussions, Milei decided to delete the publication to avoid spreading it, but in the hours it took, the demand for the cryptocurrency exploded, its price inflated, moved millions, its initial investors withdrew the money obtaining about 87.4 million dollars and it collapsed.
Both KIP Protocol and Davis issued statements on their social networks, where they passed on blame for what happened to each other, although the latter accused Milei’s team of charging against Julian Peh to avoid taking responsibility for what happened.
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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