International
Former argentine president seeks brazilian leader’s visit amid house arrest
Former Argentine president Cristina Fernández hopes that Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, her longtime ally in the region, will visit her at her Buenos Aires apartment, where she is serving house arrest for corruption. The final decision rests with the court that sentenced her and sets the terms of her six-year confinement.
Alberto Beraldi, Fernández’s lawyer, made the request on Tuesday before the three judges of the Federal Oral Court No. 2 for Lula to visit her, taking advantage of the fact that the leftist leader will be in Buenos Aires from Wednesday afternoon to attend the Mercosur Summit, which will bring together the presidents of Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay. The regional bloc meeting is scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday.
Fernández, who began serving her six-year sentence in mid-June for a corruption case during her administration, is allowed visits from a group of family members, security police, doctors, and lawyers at her apartment in an old building in the south of the capital. One of the rules she must follow is to request permission for extraordinary visits and justify the reasons.
This is the first such request Fernández has made, and it concerns Lula, with whom she maintained strong political and ideological ties during their respective administrations.
The Brazilian president called Fernández to express his support after Argentina’s Supreme Court upheld the conviction last month, which had been imposed by the federal court in 2022. The Workers’ Party leader said on social media that during the call he told Fernández “how important it is for her to remain strong during these difficult times.”
Lula himself has experienced imprisonment. While confined in a police station in Curitiba in 2019 on corruption charges, he received a visit from then-presidential candidate Alberto Fernández, who later led the government in which the now-convicted Peronist leader served as vice president (2019–2023).
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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