The National Court has ordered Judge Santiago Pedraz to issue national and international arrest warrants against Carmelo Ovono Obiang, son of the president of Equatorial Guinea Teodoro Obiang, and two other senior officials in the country.

The second section of the Criminal Court has upheld an appeal filed by relatives of several opponents, considering “appropriate” the arrest of these senior officials, against whom the judge is directing a case for the alleged kidnapping and torture of four opponents in November 2019.

In addition to the president's son, current Secretary of State of the Presidency of Equatorial Guinea, the decision affects the director of the Presidency Security, Isaac Nguema, and the Minister of State, Nicolás Obama. The complaint that gave rise to the procedure, born in 2020, was directed against them.

The judge agreed to send this procedure to Equatorial Guinea, although this decision is not yet final, since both the Prosecutor's Office and the private prosecution appealed it to the Criminal Chamber, which has not yet ruled.

“In a situation of rebellion”

Although the Chamber specifies that its order does not resolve anything about the jurisdiction or not of the National Court, it does mention in its argument that there are resolutions of the judge that “clearly explain the reasons why the Spanish jurisdiction would be indirectly competent.” .

In the order known this Thursday, dated February 19, the court revokes the magistrate's decision – also appealed by the Prosecutor's Office – to reject the arrest of the son of Obiang and Isaac Nguema, who, “it is evident” that they are in ” situation of rebellion” in a case, he adds, that “has provided enough data that points” to his “possible involvement” in the events under investigation.

The court refers to the police proceedings and the monitoring of those investigated, “whose presence in Spain has been confirmed”, as well as the possible relationship with the detective agency involved in the monitoring of the victims.. He also recalls the investigations into “transfers of significant amounts of money in Spanish banking entities, cash whose relationship with the events has also been the subject of investigation.”

“They have ignored the calls”

He questions that Judge Santiago Pedraz did not give “any reason” that justified “in a reasoned manner” his refusal to issue arrest warrants against both, who have “disregarded the calls to appear” by the judge, “despite having even been provided with the possibility of appearing via videoconference”.

It happened, the magistrates explain, when the judge summoned the defendants to testify last year and allowed them to do so electronically from Equatorial Guinea, although all of them refused to appear. The Chamber emphasizes that, despite the fact that they were “appropriately summoned” and that they were even offered the possibility of testifying by videoconference, something that in itself prevented “the immediate adoption of precautionary measures,” they refused to appear.

And at that time “there was no conflict of jurisdiction that would imply the loss of jurisdiction” of the National Court, as they alleged.. The court, which criticizes in its order the “obstructive attitude” that those investigated have had, reminds Pedraz, therefore, that until there is a firm decision on the jurisdiction of the case “the processing of the case can continue” with the practice of proceedings, including the declaration of the defendants and the “issuance of search and arrest warrants for interested parties.”

The French Government is going to propose to industrialists and distribution groups the creation of a common voluntary labeling with the countries of origin of the ingredients of food products, with the idea of transposing it in the future to the entire European Union ( EU).

“More transparency is needed in so-called processed products” and that means “giving all the information to the consumer” about all the ingredients that make them up, explained the delegate minister responsible for Consumption and Tourism, Olivia Grégoire.

In an interview with the Sud Radio station, Grégoire indicated that, following the example of Nutriscore, he wants to work with industrialists and distributors to “imagine an origin-score that can be deployed in Europe in 2025.” “You have to tell the truth,” he summarized, “so that the consumer is clear about things and has the information. And in the end, the consumer is the one who decides, if he wants to and if he can.”

Its intention is to bring together the aforementioned agents in mid-March to agree on a common labeling, with the idea that if the system is very widely adopted, this may have consequences on the composition of the processed products and favor the use of raw materials of origin. French.

This idea is based on what has happened with the Nutriscore, which offers visible ratings using letters and colors based on the nutritional quality of the ingredients, and which has led many industrialists to change the recipe to improve the grade of their products. . And this is thanks to the fact that manufacturers have agreed to apply this system to 60% of their food products.

Similarly, the French Government is confident that by specifying the country of origin of ingredients, consumer preference for domestic foods would lead these manufacturers to introduce more of those foods, instead of prioritizing only the highest prices. low. According to Grégoire's cabinet, the labeling system has to be simple and, if possible, it should be able to be put into practice quickly, perhaps this summer.

Thus, France could take it to the negotiating table of the European Union, which must review the labeling rules in the second half of 2024 or the first half of 2025. The minister's cabinet insisted that it does not want to make “a moral judgment ” about the origin of the products, but rather they want to present them “objectively.” But to a question about whether a categorization from best to worst is proposed depending on whether a product is of French, European or extra-European origin, the answer was that it will be discussed with the parties.

At least five people died after a container ship crashed into a bridge in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou on Thursday, causing several vehicles to fall into the water.

According to the local newspaper The Paper, the vehicles that fell into the water were a bus with a driver on board, a van with three people and an electric motorcycle with its driver.

The cargo ship was traveling from Nanhai district in Foshan to Nansha district in Guangzhou and collided with the Lixinsha Bridge while passing through the Hongqi Lushui Canal.

The United States has warned the International Court of Justice (ICJ) this Wednesday that “any movement towards the withdrawal” of Israel from the West Bank and the Gaza Strip requires guaranteeing the “very real security” of the Israeli State, and has insisted that only negotiations can lead to “lasting peace” in the region.

In its intervention before the ICJ, the United States has assured that “a comprehensive, just and lasting peace requires negotiations between the parties” and has stressed that the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the occupied territories “depends on and is linked to the end of belligerence.” , mutual recognition and respect for Israel's right to live in peace within secure and recognized borders, free from threats or acts of force.

“Any movement toward Israel's withdrawal from the West Bank and Gaza requires consideration of Israel's very real security needs,” said US representative Richard Visek in hearings analyzing the legal consequences of Israeli practices and policies in the West Bank and Gaza. occupied palestinian territories. “October 7 (Hamas attack) reminded us all of those security needs, which still persist,” the American also noted.

Visek's statements

In this sense, Visek has rejected that the ICJ issues “an opinion that demands a unilateral, immediate and unconditional withdrawal by Israel, which does not take into account the legitimate security needs of Israel.” Furthermore, he has admitted that “international law has an important and central role to play here,” and that the ICJ has “the challenge” and “serious and difficult task” of giving an advisory opinion that “promotes, rather than disrupts.” , balance, or potentially make the possibility of negotiations even more difficult.”

“The Hamas attack, the hostage-taking and other atrocities, the ongoing hostilities, the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza, and the violence in the West Bank urge the United States to achieve a final peace that includes the realization of Palestinian self-determination.” , he later declared. Following this, he assured that “the current crisis illustrates the vital need to achieve this final peace of a Palestinian State living safely alongside a secure Israel fully integrated in the region.”

However, it has stressed that this conflict “cannot be resolved with violence or unilateral actions, negotiations are the way,” and has urged the ICJ to “carefully calibrate its advice in this procedure to support and promote a final realization of the peace and stability” within the framework of the resolutions of the UN Security Council.

In response to countries that have intervened in the hearings and criticized US support for Israeli practices in Palestine, Visek has alleged that the United States has “repeatedly declared its strong opposition to any unilateral attempt to change the peacefully established status of territories by the force or coercion, anywhere in the world.”

At the request of the UN General Assembly in 2022, before the offensive in Gaza, the ICJ will this week analyze “the legal consequences derived from Israel's policies and practices in the occupied Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem”, to issue a non-binding legal opinion.

The Swiss people will vote in a referendum on a proposal to ban the import of foie gras and cruelly obtained animal skins, after federal authorities gave the green light to both animal rights initiatives.. The proposals were launched in 2022 by the Swiss Animal Alliance coalition, and reached the 100,000 signatures required by law for them to be submitted to a referendum and now the body in charge of their verification has confirmed their validity.

According to its initiators, importing this type of products from animals abused abroad is “hypocritical”, since it conflicts with the Swiss animal protection law, which recognizes that animals have the capacity to suffer in case of abuse or living in bad conditions.

In the case of goose liver, known as foie gras, its production has been prohibited in Switzerland for more than 40 years. However, Parliament has refused to ban this product, considering that this would push Swiss consumers living in areas close to France to buy this product in the neighboring country, since it is allowed there.. The import of foie gras shows a downward trend in the country, although it still amounts to about 200 tons annually, being a product especially in demand at Christmas dinners.

Meanwhile, environmentalists have estimated that about 350 tons of skins arrive in Switzerland every year, half of them from China, where, they have recalled, “the terrible conditions of detention and slaughter of animals are regularly reported.”

The High Court of London will decide as soon as possible, on an unspecified date, whether it authorizes Julian Assange to continue appealing in the United Kingdom or whether, instead, his extradition to the United States, approved by the British Government in 2022, can be activated.

Judges Victoria Sharp and Adam Johnson retired to deliberate after concluding two days of hearings this Wednesday in which the defense of the Australian, who was absent due to illness, and the British Prosecutor's Office, representing the American Justice, presented their arguments.

The US claims Assange for 18 crimes of espionage and computer intrusion for the revelations of his WikiLeaks portal, which in 2010 and 2011 exposed alleged war crimes of that country in the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Assange's defense asked the court for permission to appeal aspects of the litigation that were not appealed in another process in 2021, as well as the extradition order signed in June 2022 by the then Minister of the Interior, Priti Patel.

If the magistrates agree to your demand, a new appeal trial will begin before the English Justice, which could last over time.

If she is denied, her surrender to the United States will be activated, in which case her lawyers have already said that they will request precautionary measures to detain her from the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) and the opening of a process there.

Assange defends that they are “political crimes”

When listing the arguments that would support their potential appeal, Assange's lawyers, Edward Fitzgerald and Mark Summers, said that his surrender would violate the British-American Extradition Treaty as the alleged crimes were, in their opinion, of a political nature and against his freedom. of expression, in addition to potentially exposing him to the death penalty.

They also argued that he would not have a fair trial in the US since, due to the location of the court, the jury would be chosen from people linked to the Washington Administration.

USA: “Evidence-based criminal offenses”

Clair Dobbin, on behalf of the United States, asked the Superior to disallow the appeal and give the green light to the handover, arguing that it is legal because the charges against the former 'hacker' are not political but “criminal crimes based in tests”.

Dobbin said Assange is wanted for conspiring with former US soldier Bradley Manning (now Chelsea Manning) to illicitly obtain classified military information and disseminate it, endangering “numerous innocent US informants” in countries such as Iraq, Afghanistan, China, Iran or Syria.

The prototype of the fighter-bomber being developed by Turkey, called 'Kaan', carried out its first test flight this Wednesday, reports the Turkish state agency Anadolu.. The flight, carried out before the cameras of several media outlets, took place at the Murted (formerly Akinci) military base near Ankara and lasted 11 minutes, reports the Hürriyet newspaper.

Developed since 2016 by the state company TUSAS, the 'Kaan' first took to the runway for taxiing tests last December and, as Turkish authorities indicated then, it could begin to be used in the Air Force from 2032..

Turkish General Ismail Hakki Pekin estimated this Wednesday, in statements to Hürriyet, that “serial production of the 'Kaan' will still take 10 years,” but that once in use, Turkey “will have the most powerful air forces in the entire region.” , including Israel.”

Bigger than American F-16s

The 'Kaan', which is defined as a “fifth generation” fighter, measures 21 meters long and six meters high, and has a wingspan of 14 meters, according to data provided by Anadolu.

With its two engines currently manufactured by the American company General Electric, with a propulsion force of 76 kN without afterburner and 131 kN with afterburner, it will reach a speed of 1.8 mach and will be able to fly up to altitudes of 17,000 meters.

Thus, it is not only larger and more powerful than the American F-16 fighter, which Turkey currently uses, but also larger than the F-35, in whose production in the United States Turkey participated until this country was expelled from the program. in 2019 for acquiring a Russian anti-aircraft missile system.

Turkey began this project in 2016 to complete its locally produced weapons fleet, which already includes a tank model, a helicopter and above all the TB2 combat drone, which is also exported.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan often highlights the ability to manufacture its own weapons as an indicator of Turkey's international weight and its greatness as a nation.

Its critics, however, remember that many of the key components used in these vehicles and aircraft are still imported from other countries.

The EU machinery against Russia remains very active and the bloc agreed this Tuesday on the thirteenth package of sanctions against the Kremlin, just in the week that will mark two years since the invasion of Ukraine.. The final approval has been delayed for a few days due to a new blockade by Hungary. It also happens that this batch was approved shortly after the death of the Russian opponent Alexei Navalny, for which the EU holds Moscow directly responsible.

With this package of sanctions, the Union plans to add more companies and individuals to the 'blacklist', with a total of 2,000 people, among whom is Putin himself.. Regarding entities, the EU focuses on all those that contribute directly or indirectly to the war against Ukraine. Likewise, it plans to strengthen the mechanisms so that these approved measures are not avoided from Russia.. It is relevant in this new shortlist that Chinese and North Korean companies with strong ties to Moscow are included.

Another important point is related to a limit on Moscow's military development, especially with regard to the use of drones in the conflict.. “I welcome the agreement on our 13th sanctions package against Russia. We must continue to degrade Putin's war machine. With a total of 2,000 listings, we keep the pressure on the Kremlin high. We are also further cutting Russia's access to drones,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen wrote on social media.

“This package is one of the largest approved by the EU. It will be submitted to a written procedure and will be formally approved by February 24,” recalled the Belgian presidency of the Council, with the focus precisely on the second anniversary of the war.. Sources consulted by 20minutos insist that support for Ukraine will be maintained over time, although some voices such as the High Representative, Josep Borrell, assure that we must be more specific in support, especially at a time when the Ukrainian counteroffensive has will remain frozen and the conflict will drag on without provision for a diplomatic channel.

Precisely, the head of European diplomacy also celebrated the step taken. “We are adding almost 200 people and entities to our package of designations, bringing the EU lists to more than 2,000. With this package, we are taking more measures against the entities involved in circumvention, the military and defense sectors,” said the Spanish leader.

The president of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, spoke along the same lines.. “Russia is paying for its actions. Agreed 13th EU sanctions package will further shred Kremlin arsenal production and fragment its war chest. Two years after the first Russian missiles, our determination to support Ukraine is stronger than ever,” he said.