World
Argentina’s Milei Calls Out Spain’s First Lady Over Corruption
Spain has withdrawn its ambassador to Buenos Aires after Argentina’s President Javier Milei slammed Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez over his wife’s alleged corruption during a anti-socialism rally in Madrid.
Javier Milei a staunch libertarian referred to Sanchez’s wife Begona Gomez as “corrupt” during a rally in Madrid organized by the far-right Vox party and attended by several of its overseas friends.
Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares stated that he expects Milei to apologize.
Other ministers also attacked Milei’s statement, in which he referred to socialism as “cursed and carcinogenic”. Sanchez leads Spain’s Socialist Party.
“With his behaviour, Milei has brought the relationship between Spain and Argentina to its most serious state in recent history,” Albares said in a video statement.
Milei’s visit breached diplomatic convention by refusing to meet with Spain’s King Felipe and Sanchez, instead promoting his book at a party gathering alongside Vox leader Santiago Abascal.
Josep Borrell, the European Union’s foreign policy chief, stated in a post on social messaging app X that “attacks against family members of political leaders have no place in our culture”.
Political freedom, prosperity, social cohesion based on fiscal redistribution, respect in public debate are pillars of the EU.
Attacks against family members of political leaders have no place in our culture: we condemn and reject them, especially when coming from partners. https://t.co/xLk19J8GSe
— Josep Borrell Fontelles (@JosepBorrellF) May 19, 2024
Spain’s largest opposition party, the conservative People’s Party (PP), declined to support Madrid’s position, claiming that Sanchez should have provided explanations concerning the alleged corruption issue weeks ago.
“His silence generates internal doubts, but also distrust abroad,” a PP source said, adding that the party’s mission was to oppose the Spanish government, not Milei.
In April, a local court said that it was investigating allegations of influence peddling and commercial corruption against Sanchez’s wife, which were raised in a private complaint by Manos Limpias, or Clean Hands, an anti-corruption activist group.
However, Madrid’s prosecuting authorities later announced that it was asking to have the case dismissed due to a lack of evidence.
Sanchez decided to stay in office after five days of deliberating his future after the investigation into his wife was publicized.
Wife of Span’s PM investigated for corruption
In April, a Spanish judge has initiated a preliminary investigation against Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s wife over corruption allegations, raising political tensions in Madrid to unprecedented heights.
The judge’s surprising decision against Begoña Gómez provoked outrage in Sánchez’s Socialist-led administration, which denounced the claims as “false” and blamed them on rightwing rivals.
The judge, Juan Carlos Peinado, initiated judicial proceedings after receiving a complaint from a labor union regarding influence peddling. It claimed that Gómez obtained favors from private companies that secured government contracts and received subsidies.
Spain’s justice minister, Félix Bolaños, criticized the case as “one more false allegation”.
On Wednesday, Sánchez addressed parliament, “On a day like today, and despite the news I have heard, despite everything, I still believe in justice in my country.”
The union that submitted the complaint was Manos Limpias (Clean Hands), which has a history of filing anti-corruption lawsuits and whose leader has far-right connections. Its complaint was based on a series of stories published by news outlets, including El Confidencial.
Before deciding whether or not to proceed with the case, the judge must call witnesses and analyze the evidence.
Manos Limpias claims that Gómez obtained favors from executives at Air Europa and its parent company, Globalia, while serving as the director of an Africa research center at IE University in Madrid for over four years, until 2022.
Manos Limpias linked her actions to the airline’s €475 million bailout in late 2020, as it tried to survive the coronavirus outbreak.
Gómez has remained silent on the claims in recent weeks and was not available for comment on Wednesday. Globalia has declined to respond.
IE University reported receiving four airline tickets from Globalia as part of an event sponsorship contract in 2020, but stated that it had never received any money from Globalia or its Africa center.
The conservative opposition demanded that Sánchez deliver quick “explanations” to parliamentarians regarding the case.
According to Esther Muñoz, deputy secretary of the opposition People’s Party, the silence of the government’s head is highlighting his wife, not the People’s Party.
Other ministers in Sanchez’s government responded to the opposition. Spain’s deputy prime minister, María Jesús Montero, stated, “we are facing the worst PP in history” and accused it of aligning with “practices and discourses of the extreme right”.
In recent weeks, Sánchez’s government has concentrated on approaching regional and EU elections, passing only a few pieces of legislation.
The PP has postponed the approval of a controversial plan that would provide amnesty to Catalan separatists involved in a 2017 secession push. Sánchez’s minority coalition government is reliant on the votes of Catalan legislators, who will not support any new legislation until the amnesty bill passes.
A Catalan regional election on May 12 will put Sánchez’s standing to the test following the amnesty pact. The Catalan branch of Sánchez’s Socialist Party is leading polls, followed by the extreme separatists Junts for Catalunya.
Source: Financial Times, Reuters
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World
Do Microplastics in the Atmosphere Endanger Your Fertility?
(VOR News) – It is quite possible that the presence of small microplastic particles in the air may be a contributing factor to a wide variety of health problems, including malignancies of the lungs and colon.
This is something that needs additional research to be determined. There is one more item to take into consideration, and that is the potential that this is the exact circumstance.
A recent study found that tires and debris that are decomposing shed minute fragments of plastic that go airborne, so creating a form of air pollution that is not particularly widely known. This type of pollution is caused by the degradation of plastic. An example of this type of pollution is that which is discharged into the atmosphere.
The industry refers to microplastic as “air pollution.”
According to the findings of a researcher named Tracey Woodruff, who is a professor of obstetrics, gynaecology, and reproductive sciences at the University of California, San Francisco, “These microplastics are basically particulate matter from air pollution,” and it is common knowledge that this particular type of air pollution is particularly hazardous.
The researchers who supplied background notes stated that the size of microplastics is less than 5 millimetres, which is smaller than a grain of rice.
This information was provided, according to researchers. These details were supplied by the researchers who conducted the study. These particulars were provided by researchers who were responsible for carrying out the study.
The amount of plastic that is created on a yearly basis by enterprises all over the world is roughly 460 million tonnes, as indicated by the data that were provided by academics all over the world. The forecasts indicate that by the year 2050, this quantity is anticipated to have increased to 1.1 billion tonnes.
Driving is a substantial contributor to the amount of plastic that is floating around in the atmosphere, according to the conclusions of the experts who conducted the study about the phenomenon. When tires are worn down to the point where they scrape against the surface of the road, they allow microplastics to be released into the environment.
As a result of the tires wearing down, this occurs. This impact is brought about as a consequence of the inevitable amount of wear and tear that tires are subjected to.
A study that was published on December 18 in the journal Environmental Science & Technology was the result of researchers conducting an examination of data collected from over 3,000 previous investigations.
The paper was published as a consequence of this procedure. The review was constructed with the help of this analysis that was carried out.
Microplastic used this analysis to put together the review.
A number of diseases, such as cancer, lung problems, and infertility, may be influenced by the presence of microplastics in the air, according to the data, which led to the conclusion that this may be the case.
Despite the fact that the vast majority of the studies that were incorporated into the study were carried out on animals, the researchers claimed that it is very certainly plausible that the findings can also be applied to people. The fact that the majority of investigations were conducted on animals does not change the reality that this is the case.
“We urge regulatory agencies and policy leaders to consider the growing evidence of health harms from microplastics, including colon and lung cancer,” stated Nicholas Chartres, the principal investigator and senior research fellow at the University of Sydney.
The organisation reported this comment. The University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) issued a press release on behalf of the organisation that contained this statement. The news release was disseminated to the public. We are convinced that state officials will act quickly to make sure that no leaks of this kind occur, which is of the highest importance.
SOURCE: USN
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Russian Oil Ships In The Kerch Strait Are Undergoing Rescue Operations.
(VOR News) – Following Sunday’s powerful storm, a Russian oil tanker carrying hundreds of tonnes of oil products ultimately broke apart, causing an oil spill into the Kerch Strait below. Additionally, Russian officials reported that the damage was causing problems for another vessel.
Sunday, Russian authorities announced an emergency rescue operation.
According to the Russian state news agency TASS, which claimed the Emergency Situations Ministry as its source, the Volgoneft-212 tanker, carrying fuel oil and carrying thirteen crew members, ran aground and suffered damage to its bow. A shipment of fuel oil was being transported by the tanker.
Authorities have told the public that the damage was brought on by the extreme weather conditions that are currently occurring.
A second tanker, the Volgoneft-239, was damaged during the storm and is currently stranded in the same area with 14 crew members on board, according to the Ministry of Emergency Situations. The tanker was discovered abandoned and alone in the same spot.
Additional tankers also suffered damage. The 132-meter-long cruiser, which was constructed in 1973, hangs the Russian flag around its neck.
The footage posted by state media showed the 136-meter Volgoneft-212 tanker, which was cut in two with its bow underwater, and waves crashing over its deck. At least one person lost his life as a result of this tragedy. This led to the opening of two distinct criminal investigations by the Russian authorities to look into potential violations of certain safety regulations.
Having flown the Russian flag since 1969, the yacht was finished.
Rosmorrechflot, the Russian government agency in charge of water transportation, reported a petroleum product spill.
It is believed that the cargo capacity of each tanker is around 4,200 tonnes of oil products.
The magnitude of the leak and the cause of the substantial damage one of the tankers received were not specified in the official remarks. This is in accordance with the official remarks.
Several news sites cited Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov as saying that President Vladimir Putin directed the formation of a working committee to handle the rescue effort and lessen the effects of the oil disaster.
Peskov recommended that the government appoint the working committee’s members. This comment was made public right after Putin met with the ministries responsible for ecology and disaster management.
The Russian government has said that it will be sending more than fifty individuals and pieces of equipment to the area in response to the current crisis. Mi-8 helicopters and rescue tugboats are examples of these people and tools.
The news that experts are presently investigating the damage at the event site was announced by Svetlana Radionova, who is in charge of Rosprirodnadzor, Russia’s natural resources regulating entity.
Kommersant reports that Volgoneft-212 used 4,300 tonnes of fuel oil.
The footage, which showed a partially submerged ship and murky water on rough seas, was posted to Telegram without the owner’s consent.
The warships were located in the Kerch Strait, which separates Crimea from the Russian mainland, when the distress signals were sent out.
The Kerch Strait is a crucial international marine passage that connects the Black Sea with the Sea of Azov, allowing for easier traffic between the two bodies of water. It also acts as a border between Russia and the Crimean Peninsula, which is under Russian occupation. The Kerch Strait is located in the centre of the two nations.
The peninsula has remained a major source of contention between the two national governments ever since Russia annexed it from Ukraine in 2014. Russia was the one who seized the peninsula. Ukraine brought legal action against Russia before the Permanent Court of Arbitration in 2016.
Specifically, the lawsuit claimed that Russia intended to illegally take over a location. The argument was supported by evidence pertaining to Russia’s conduct in the region. In 2021, the Russian Federation closed the strait for several consecutive months
SOURCE: VN
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Japan List Cannabis as Narcotic Criminalizes Recreational Use
TOKYO – Japan updated its cannabis and narcotics control legislation on Thursday, criminalizing cannabis (Marijuana) use and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), imposing a maximum seven-year prison sentence.
While the possession, transmission, and cultivation of cannabis and THC were already prohibited in Japan, the new rules will classify them as narcotics and criminalize their use as well, with a prison sentence of up to seven years for violations.
The amended regulations also legalize medical items containing cannabis-derived compounds that are beneficial and safe.
In 2019, 1.8 percent of the Japanese population had used cannabis at least once, making it the country’s second most popular illicit substance behind methamphetamine.
In 2023, a record 6,703 people were probed in cannabis-related criminal cases in Japan, topping methamphetamine cases for the first time, according to the Health, Labour, and Welfare Ministry. Seventy percent of instances involved people under the age of thirty.
A nationwide poll performed the same year by the ministry’s research group estimated that approximately 200,000 people had consumed marijuana within the previous year.
Japan previously did not penalize cannabis usage, apparently taking into account farmers who may have accidentally ingested the drug while producing cannabis plants for use in hemp products.
The amendments will also lift a restriction on cannabis-derived medicines, putting them under a licensing system similar to other drugs used for pain relief and other purposes.
Drugs derived from cannabis plants were only allowed in clinical studies in Japan, but patient groups have been advocating for access to cannabis-derived cannabidiol treatments already licensed in Europe and the United States for illnesses like severe epilepsy.
Cannabis cultivation dates back to the Jōmon period of Japanese prehistory, roughly six to ten thousand years ago (source: Wikipedia).
Cannabis hemp, as one of Japan’s first cultivated plants, provided an essential supply of plant fibre for clothing, cordage, and Shinto ritual goods, among other uses.
For much of Japanese history, hemp was common for fabric and food before cotton emerged as the country’s dominant fibre crop during industrialization during the Meiji period.
Following the end of World War II and the occupation of Japan, the Cannabis Control Law prohibited cannabis possession and manufacturing.
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