In the United States, a judge Cancels Trump’s Procedure against the Fed Chief.
A federal judge in Washington on Friday canceled the legal procedure initiated by the Trump administration against Jerome Powell, the chairman of the Federal Reserve (Fed) and a target of the American president, accusing him of not lowering the interest rates enough. In a highly criticized investigation, the Washington prosecutor demanded documents from the Fed regarding renovations at its headquarters in Washington, as well as Mr. Powell’s testimony before Congress on the cost of these renovations, seemingly looking for evidence of perjury. According to Judge James Boasberg, as reported by NBCNews, “a mountain of evidence” suggests that the government initiated these proceedings “to pressure its chairman to vote for a decrease in interest rates or resign.” He also stated that “the government has produced virtually no evidence to suspect Chairman Powell of any offense other than displeasing the president.” The Washington prosecutor stated that she would appeal the decision.
Uruguayan Drug Trafficker Captured in Bolivia and Deported to the United States.
Uruguayan drug lord Sebastián Marset, “one of the five most wanted drug traffickers by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA),” was arrested on Friday in Bolivia and immediately deported to the United States, where he faces charges of money laundering, as reported by El País. The 34-year-old leader of the Primer Cartel Uruguayo (PCU) was captured at dawn near Santa Cruz de la Sierra (eastern Bolivia). The trafficker “had been on the run for more than three years, evading numerous Bolivian and international operations,” stated the Spanish newspaper. He had served a five-year prison sentence for drug trafficking between 2013 and 2018. “Upon his release, he dedicated himself to coordinating a cocaine trafficking network linking Bolivia to Europe via Paraguay,” added the Madrid-based publication. Marset was involved in the 2022 assassination of Paraguayan anti-drug prosecutor Marcelo Pecci and was later located in Bolivia. An arrest operation, which failed, resulted in the kidnapping of two policemen and the trafficker’s escape.
Six killed in Pakistani Bombings in Afghanistan.
The Taliban government of Afghanistan accused Pakistan on Friday of “targeting civilian residences in overnight airstrikes, killing four people” in Kabul “and two others in the east of the country,” according to Al-Jazeera. The Taliban stated that “women and children are among the victims of these attacks.” The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) confirmed the deaths of four civilians in Kabul in Pakistani bombings and called for “an immediate cessation of hostilities to avoid further civilian casualties.” According to the Taliban government spokesman, Pakistani planes also “struck fuel depots belonging to the private airline Kam Air near Kandahar airport” – depots labeled as “terrorist infrastructure” by Pakistan. The clashes between the two once close countries have entered their third week. Pakistani authorities accuse Afghanistan of harboring armed militants who launch attacks on its territory, a claim Kabul denies.
