Russian President Vladimir Putin warned Poland on Friday that an attack on neighboring Belarus would mean an “aggression” against Russia, after Warsaw announced the deployment of military units near the Belarusian border.
During a meeting of the Russian Security Council, Putin described as a “very dangerous game” the alleged plans by Poland and Lithuania to create a grouping of regular forces whose objective would be to “occupy” western Ukraine.
The withdrawal of Grupo Palacios tortillas from the distribution points after the health alert caused by different cases of botulism linked to their consumption has caused a lot of uncertainty about this disease caused by toxins from a bacterium.
From the World Health Organization they report on their website that botulinum toxin “is one of the deadliest substances known”. The disease it causes, botulism, usually refers to cases of food transmission in humans, which, although the WHO recognizes it as “rare”, can “be fatal if it is not diagnosed quickly and treated with the corresponding antitoxin”.
It is transmitted by routes other than food.
The WHO points to “household canned, preserved or fermented foods” as “a frequent source” of botulism. In fact, from the international organization they explain that this food transmission, although it is “relatively unusual”, is generated by the ingestion of these foods with “very powerful neurotoxins” produced by the Clostridium botulinum bacterium.
Botulinum toxin, they clarify from the WHO, is ingested with food “inappropriately prepared, in which the bacteria or its spores survive, grow and produce toxins”, although it is also transmitted by infected wounds, inhalation or in infants.
The symptoms recognized by the WHO
The WHO collects on its website an extensive list of the symptoms that botulinum toxin can produce, which is a neurotoxin and therefore affects the nervous system.. constipation or abdominal swelling. From the WHO they affirm that “the disease can give rise to weakness in the neck and arms, and later affect the respiratory muscles and the muscles of the lower part of the body”, although they do not usually present fever or loss of consciousness.
According to the WHO, the symptoms appear “between 12 and 36 hours after ingestion” and although “the incidence of botulism is low”, “the mortality rate is high if an early diagnosis is not made and appropriate treatment is given without delay”.. The mortality rate ranges from 5% to 10% of cases according to the WHO. Early diagnosis is key
The five keys of the WHO against botulism
The WHO publishes on its website five specific keys to “food safety” that help prevent food poisoning that can cause risk situations for public health:
The WHO response to these public health problems emphasizes surveillance and early detection of cases, risk assessment and containment of the outbreak, as well as the importance of early diagnosis “and prompt administration of botulinum antitoxin.”
The United States has announced that it is increasing its deployment to the Middle East in response to “recent attempts by Iran to seize commercial shipping” in the US Central Command area of operations.
The US Central Command, whose area of operation is the Middle East, Central Asia and parts of South Asia, said in a statement that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has ordered the deployment of an amphibious group (ARG) with a marine expeditionary unit (MEU).
These are in addition to “recently approved” forces, which include F-35 fighters, F-16 fighters and a guided-missile destroyer, the USS Thomas Hudner (DDG-116).
The ARG/MEU, according to its note, will provide new maritime and air resources, providing “greater flexibility and maritime capacity” in the region.
The United States stressed that “in the past two years, Iran has attacked, seized or attempted to seize nearly 20 international-flagged merchant ships in Centcom's area of operations.”
General Michael Kurilla, commander of Centcom, noted that his entity “is committed to defending the freedom of navigation” within its area of responsibility, “which includes some of the world's most important waterways.”
“These additional forces provide unique capabilities, which together with our partner nations in the region, further safeguard the free flow of international trade, uphold the rules-based international order, and deter destabilizing Iranian activities in the area,” he concluded.
The European Union sanctions Iran
On the other hand, the Council of the European Union (EU) established on Thursday a new framework of restrictive measures against Iran in view of this country's military support for the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine and approved more sanctions for its military support for Syria.
The new sanctions regime prohibits the export from the European Union to Iran of components used in the construction and production of unmanned aerial vehicles. It also provides for travel restrictions and asset freeze measures that could be imposed on responsible individuals who support or participate in Iran's drone program, the Council said in a statement.
“These decisions show the EU's determination to continue to respond quickly and decisively to Iran's actions,” said the Council, which stressed that the EU “condemns the delivery of Iranian drones to Russia and their deadly deployment in the war of aggression against Ukraine.”
The government denies it again. Both President Pedro Sánchez and the Minister of Transport, Raquel Sánchez, have assured once again that the implementation of a toll system on Spanish highways is not in the Executive's plans.. The difference with the denial of recent days is that this Thursday comes after the European Commission stated that Spain had committed to incorporating pay-per-use from 2024 in the recovery plan.
In the first place, it has been Pedro Sánchez who has denied this possibility. He has not mentioned the statements from Brussels -the Commission's press conference was held very shortly before the president spoke- and has said that they are “hoaxes” spread by the PP and Vox. In addition, he has defended that during this legislature the payment has been withdrawn on 1,000 kilometers of highway.
“No matter how much hoax that both Feijóo and Abascal try to spread, that possibility is not incorporated into the Sustainable Mobility Law,” he said in statements to laSexta.
Hours later, and after the press conference given by the economic spokesperson for the European Commission, Veerle Nuyts, in which she highlighted that “the Spanish plan refers to a payment mechanism for the use of roads that will begin in 2024 in line with the principle of 'who pollutes, pays'”, the Minister of Transport has made statements to the media to make a new denial.
“I categorically deny for the umpteenth time that the Government of Spain is going to implement a pay-per-use system. We are not going to do it,” said Raquel Sánchez before participating in an electoral act in Barcelona.
But, like the president, the minister has not made any mention of the words of the Brussels spokeswoman and has focused her attacks on the PP, which she accuses of “lying” with this matter of possible tolls: “The PP continues to lie, they do not tire of lying and it is shameful that the PP does it, when if it were up to them they would be applying a pay-per-use toll system since 2021.”
In his opinion, the “hypocrisy of the PP is the result of his nervousness” a few hours after the end of the electoral campaign and just over two days after the vote. “We are in the last days of the campaign and I think they see that it is the prelude to defeat,” he said.
Last January 2023, the new mechanism for the revaluation of contributory pensions was carried out according to the Consumer Price Index (CPI) of 8.5%. On the other hand, the 15% increase for non-contributory pensions was extended in 2023. Some measures contemplated by the central Executive so that pensioners could face the inflationary rise and thus avoid the loss of purchasing power.
In this sense, they want to guarantee that the minimum contributory pensions reach 60% of the median income in Spain by 2027, “with a progressive calendar of increase between next year and 2027 to achieve that objective, so that from 2027 they cannot be lower than the poverty line”, explain the experts of the BBVA Future Retirement portal.. On the other hand, the objective is to increase non-contributory pensions “until reaching 75% of the poverty threshold for a single-person household by 2027.”
How pensions will rise until 2027
This last package of Pension Reform measures was approved through Royal Decree-Law 2/2023, of March 16, on urgent measures to expand the rights of pensioners, reduce the gender gap and establish a new sustainability framework for the public pension system.
Thus, the gap that currently exists between “the reference amount of the contributory retirement pension for people over 65 with a dependent spouse and the poverty threshold calculated for a household of two adults, will be gradually reduced, according to the following scale”:
According to the calculations of the Social Security, the minimum retirement pensions with a dependent spouse will go from the current 13,526.80 euros per year, to 16,500 euros in the year 2027. Likewise, on January 1, 2024, Social Security contributory and Passive Class pensions will rise again in accordance with the average interannual CPI for the month of November.
Tolls have become an unexpected topic of debate in the final stretch of the electoral campaign. The Government actively and passively insists that it does not intend to charge for the use of highways and highways, but the European Commission affirms that it must do so from 2024 because it committed to doing so in the recovery plan. Whatever the resolution of this mess, the truth is that although in Spain drivers do not have to pay to drive on most of the roads in the State, this does not mean that they leave for free. On the contrary, the maintenance and operation of the road network will cost taxpayers 1,212 million this year. Or what is the same, 27 euros for each Spaniard.
This is reflected in the spending program on maintenance and operation of roads of the state network included in the General State Budget for 2023. Investment in maintenance has been growing in recent years, to the point that the cost forecast for this year is 30% higher than budgeted for 2016.
It must also be taken into account that, in recent years, actual spending has been higher than initially planned. Especially between 2018 and 2020, years in which the 2018 budgets were in force, extended twice. Thus, in 2022 the Government had recognized payment obligations in this item for a total of 1,295 million euros, almost 100 million above what was contemplated in the public accounts.
In total, the State will spend almost 2,800 million euros this year to build new roads or maintain existing ones. A figure that multiplies by five, for example, the spending on railway infrastructures (500 million) and that doubles the investment in water infrastructures.
What formulas are there to pay for use?
With the figures in hand, the crux of the matter is who should finance the road network, the users or all taxpayers? Those who bet on the former point out that this formula is fairer and would make it possible to allocate valuable budgetary resources to more productive investments such as education or research.. In addition, it would be compatible with the principle of “who pollutes, pays”, which the European Commission proposes in environmental matters.
In fact, to cover the expenditure on road maintenance that is currently covered by taxes, the amount that would have to be collected would be relatively small.. If one cent were charged per kilometer traveled on high-speed roads, as the Government came to propose privately in 2021, it would practically be enough. According to data from the Ministry of Transport, in 2021 the vehicles that circulated on Spanish motorways and highways covered 104,376 million kilometers. At one cent per kilometer, the collection would amount to 1,044 million.
The problem is that applying this formula is difficult. For charging per kilometer to be viable, thousands of gates and cameras would have to be installed to control traffic, something that would take a significant period of adaptation, says Pablo Sáez, president of the employers' association of infrastructure conservation and exploitation companies (ACEX).
Sáez proposes two other formulas with which highways could be financed without using general budgets. One of them would be to implement the vignette system applied by several Central European countries. With this route, the driver would pay an annual flat fee based on his vehicle that would give him the right to drive without limit of kilometers for a certain time.
The president of ACEX calculates that with an annual fee of 30 euros it would be enough to cover the maintenance of the State road network and with 85 for the entire national network. Another possibility would be to apply a surcharge of one cent to refueling and allocate that income exclusively to conservation. In any case, Sáez insists that whatever solution is adopted, it should be applied to the entire national network and not just to state highways.. “The real conservation problems are in the regional network, which concentrates the majority of conventional roads. They have a very limited budget and have little room left to spend on maintaining their roads,” he says.
As a reference to ensure good maintenance of the network, Sáez believes that allocating 2% of the network's equity value (107,600 million euros in 2021) would be a good figure. We would be talking about 2,140 million euros.
The 'lobby' of the drivers opposes
Those who bet that the cost is assumed by all taxpayers argue that, although not everyone drives, these infrastructures generate a global benefit. This is how they see it from Associated European Motorists (AEA), the drivers' lobby.
“A good infrastructure network acts as an engine for the economy and creates a system of solidarity with depressed areas,” says the president of AEA, Mario Arnaldo, in a conversation with 20minutos. From the AEA, they oppose the generalization of tolls and point out that drivers already indirectly pay for the infrastructure through taxes that only they pay. For example, the VAT that is levied on the acquisition of vehicles or the excise taxes on hydrocarbons, the collection of which goes to the public coffers.
In addition, Arnaldo points out that charging tolls for highways and motorways could shift traffic to secondary roads, with the consequent risk to the accident rate that this could entail. “In Spain the miracle [de la reducción de mortidad por trafico] has not been the card by points, it has been the unfolding of highways of the national network, the dual carriageways. The frontal collision in overtaking disappeared”, argues the president of the AEA.
Arnaldo insists that the ball of the tolls is in the government's court, despite the forceful reaction of Brussels so that these are generalized from 2024. In addition, he sees it as contradictory that the Government has approved a program to recover toll highways to make them free “to then hack 22,500 kilometers of highways.”
Donald Trump has said this week that he believes he will be charged in the criminal investigation for the assault on the Capitol. The former president of the United States says that he has received a letter from the Justice Department prosecutor, Jack Smith, in which he explains that he is the “target” of the grand jury in the criminal investigation into attempts to annul the result of the 2020 presidential election and the assault on the Capitol on January 6, 2021, in which five people died and four are convicted of sedition.
the third card
In the United States, receiving a letter of this type is usually the last step before a citizen is charged.. Trump, in fact, received similar letters just days before he was charged with mishandling classified documents and hush money payments to actress Stormie Daniels during the 2016 election.
If so, the Republican politician could face a third accusation this weekend, predicts the Politico website.. It could be even sooner, according to The Independent, which talks that the indictment could be handed down this Friday.
The second notice of a federal process
This is the second time that Smith — “the deranged Jack Smith,” in Trump's words — has informed the former president that he is being investigated in a federal proceeding.. The first was last month, over Trump's alleged misuse of classified documents after leaving office and obstructing government efforts to recover them.
What charges can be charged this time?
The former president now faces 71 felony charges, though that tally could reach triple digits if he is arrested again in the coming days.. But this time it is not clear what charges can be brought against Trump. Washington analysts believe they could involve conspiracy to defraud the government, as well as obstruction of official process, a crime created after the Enron case.
According to The Wall Street Journal, the letter that Justice has sent to Trump cites three facts for which he could be accused: deprivation of rights, conspiracy to commit a crime against the nation and tampering with a witness.
Obstruct the vote count?
In this case, the alleged crime would be obstructing the Electoral College vote count on January 6. The Government has successfully prosecuted other of the protagonists of the capture of the Capitol with this position. But it seems more difficult for the Justice Department to prove Trump's guilt in that case than it is to establish that he mishandled classified documents containing defense secrets that were seized at Mar-a-Lago.
Did he try to falsify the Michigan votes?
Precisely, the Democratic attorney general of Michigan, Dana Nessel, has filed charges against 16 officials and activists of the Republican Party who created a false list of voters that sought to cast Electoral College votes for Trump despite the fact that the Democrats won that state.. It is the first indictment related to January 6 beyond those brought against the people who besieged the Capitol.
Trump's Counterattack
Trump showed Tuesday that he is willing to once again shatter faith in American democracy to protect himself.. “If you say anything about an election, they want to put you in jail for the rest of your life,” he said Tuesday in Iowa, alluding to the 2020 race he insists was rigged against him.
The former president suggested that day that Congress should impeach Biden (a document released by members of his party in Congress says that Biden's family received funds from a Chinese energy company).
Can you go to jail?
The charges against Trump are piling up and the question Americans are asking is if he will end up behind bars. In case of being convicted in any of the cases that he is dragging, there is speculation about the possibility that he will be imprisoned. That would mean federal prosecutors and judges would have to consider jailing a presidential candidate or even the victor of the 2024 election.
For example, the federal case for Alleged Mishandling of Classified Documents includes charges of intentional withholding of national defense information, conspiracy to obstruct justice, withholding of a document or record, corrupt concealment of a document or record, concealment of a document in a federal investigation, plan to conceal, and false statements and representations.
Each charge carries a maximum sentence of between five and 20 years.. A potential sentence, if convicted, could include decades in prison, The Independent estimates.
An “extraordinary test” for the system
“Even without Trump's incendiary rhetoric, the political and judicial systems would face an extraordinary test, given that the frontrunner for the Republican Party's nomination is being prosecuted by the Justice of his potential Democratic rival in November 2024,” Stephen Collinson writes on CNN when assessing the enormous gravity and importance of the moment.
You should care more than Mar-a-Lago's offenses. [Manipulating the result of an election] is one of the great constitutional insults of our time.”
If Trump is finally accused of trying to annul the elections in key swing states, this would be the first time that the US —the State, the nation…— singles out a former president for an attempt to destroy constitutional institutions and the fundamental principle that voters choose their representatives.
“You should be more concerned…. that the offenses of Mar-a-Lago […] It is one of the great constitutional insults of our time. The country owes it to itself to reaffirm the rule of law and show that at least America's vision is something we are willing to protect and hopefully deter (future threats to that vision) by punishing Trump if he is convicted,” Ty Cobb, a former Trump attorney, told CNN cameras.
“I'm going to air out for a while”. That phrase, which seems banal, was pronounced by Pedro Sánchez in March 2022 during a European Council summit in which the 'classification' of the Iberian Peninsula as an “energy island” was discussed.. The President of the Government left the room as a measure of pressure and, hours later, he left Brussels with the goal of the Iberian exception to reduce the electricity bill, runaway as a result of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. That was for many a goal for the entire squad, but as the 23-J elections approach, it is convenient to have a complete map of what the Executive has done (and what not) in the field of the EU.
And it is that surely the Iberian exception is what the Government has sold the most to hype and cymbal during this legislature. The objective was for Spain and Portugal to be considered apart when it comes to managing the energy crisis, in such a way that the citizens of both countries would pay less for the electricity bill.. It directly consists of limiting the price of natural gas used in the production of electricity to alleviate the consequences of the escalation of energy prices in the electricity 'pool' after the outbreak of the conflict in Ukraine. Just a few weeks ago, Brussels agreed to extend its validity until December 31, 2023.
At the time, Moncloa already defined the measure as “exceptional, temporary, which does not imply subsidizing gas, does not distort the incentives set from Europe for renewable energies or the flows of electricity between countries”. However, now Sánchez's aspiration – if he continues to lead the Government after 23-J – is to achieve a structural reform of the electricity market, in such a way that this “exception” can become the norm throughout the EU. The debate is open, but the friction between the 27 continues, as has been seen this week at the summit of ministers in Luxembourg.
Another important issue in which Spain has sought leadership. The limits of 60% of public debt and 3% of GDP “have become obsolete since the pandemic”, according to several sources. It is an argument already known in Brussels, and the Member States have already opened the melon for its reform; Madrid, through the first vice president, Nadia Calviño, wants to set the pace, and has the endorsement of the German Finance Minister, Christian Lindner, who said he “trusted” her to carry out the changes. However, the most orthodox visions such as the German or the Dutch collide again with the more 'softer' ones, which coincide with the countries of the south.
On the table is the Commission's proposal, which the Spanish government is not entirely convinced. Brussels wants greater flexibility and rules adapted to the particularities of each Member State, but in exchange suggests sanctions in case of non-compliance. These fines, which already exist but are not applied, would be minor but would be applied automatically. The Commission would present a reference fiscal adjustment path, which would cover a period of four years. However, that four-year period can be reduced to three in the case of economies with “moderate” debt while those with a “low” level will not have to make any adjustments.
Beyond this and although it falls further back in time, Spain also scored another goal with the post-Covid recovery fund. Aid for a total of 750,000 million euros between loans and subsidies had the invaluable endorsement of Germany and France, but the first capitals that spoke of this possibility were Madrid and Rome.. They broke the taboo of joint debt issuance and, furthermore, Spain and Italy have ended up as the most benefited partners.
So what is the balance? Iratxe García, president of the group of Socialists and Democrats (S&D) in the European Parliament, comments to 20minutos that “it is indisputable how Spain has once again returned to Europe assuming a leading role in decision-making, especially in a legislature that has not been very normal to say”. For García, in fact, the two key issues in these years have been “the Government as one of the great promoters of the Covid recovery fund, to respond to the crisis in a different way”. The MEP is clear that “if this time it has not resembled that of 2008, it has been because of the leading role of Pedro Sánchez”.
“This proposal has been combined in all the institutions, but also due to the good cooperation between the Government of Spain and the Commission”, he continues.. And it would also focus “on the response to the energy crisis” with a commitment “to a model based on sustainability”. He gives the example of the Iberian exception, which “can become a reality throughout Europe, and that proposal comes from Spain.”
For her part, Dolors Montserrat, spokesperson for the PP in the European Parliament, maintains that the Sánchez government “has not been up to the task” in a scenario in which Europe “has complied”.. For the ex-minister, the management of the Executive “has been deficient in many aspects” and gives as an example that European funds “are not reaching the citizens”. In addition, he emphasized the division between PSOE and Podemos in relation to the war in Ukraine.
Eva Poptcheva, MEP for Ciudadanos, points out that “political leadership has been lacking, and it is something that we have been demanding” since the beginning of the European legislature. “It is strange that Spain, being one of the most important economies in the EU, is not having a role in thinking about Europe, let's say, thinking about where we have to go, something that Germany or France do a lot,” he continued.
The MEP wants to clarify some of the most important issues. “The issue of the Iberian exception is not political leadership, because in Brussels it was perceived as a way of looking for a way out,” he develops.. “In Spain it is sold as a panacea, but in Brussels it is not seen that way at all”, but rather as a form of individualism on the part of Madrid and Lisbon.
Although not all the issues are the same, in the opinion of Poptcheva. “With the issue of fiscal rules, I do believe that this leadership has been seen, with Calviño together with the Government of the Netherlands. That leadership was exercised there”, but the problem is that, he comments, “it is difficult to sustain that leadership when there is a lack of credibility because that reform is proposed by a government that has done nothing for fiscal consolidation.”
And after all, Spain reaches a presidency of the Council decaffeinated by the elections of 23-J. On this, Iratxe García assures that “we need a strong presidency to be able to move these issues forward and in fact there is a lot of expectation about it, on issues such as the Law for the Restoration of Nature”. For this, the S&D leader is clear that Spain has to have “a strong government” and the current circumstances, “with an opposition and a right that doubts the legitimacy of the Executive, made elections necessary.”
“I think that an opportunity is being lost with the presidency of the Council and the general elections coinciding in time,” considers Poptcheva for her part.. Although not pessimistic. “It is also necessary to know that the presidency of the Council has as a key element the Permanent Representation, and the Spanish one is very, very good. I see a certain continuity there,” he clarifies, but asks that the Reper be allowed to work. “If that part is not touched, I think the presidency can go well”, although he does not rule out that the new Executive “wants to give some coups”, which would have a negative consequence in this regard.
The Spanish presidency of the Council was going to move with great fanfare, with an informal summit of leaders in La Alhambra and ministerial meetings in all the autonomous communities. The agenda will be altered as little as possible, but in the end it will be affected by the electoral call. There are voices that are even talking about a possible international career for Pedro Sánchez, especially if the Government does not revalidate. It has sounded to replace Jens Stoltenberg as Secretary General of NATO, but his name is losing steam in the pools. So who knows if his future is in Brussels; to his credit, a sheet of pros and cons after four years sitting in Moncloa.
The United States has confirmed this Thursday that it is investigating the alleged hacking of the email of its ambassador to China, Nicholas Burns, by hackers linked to the Beijing government.
The media The Wall Street Journal and CNN have reported that Chinese hackers have accessed Burns' email and that of the Undersecretary of the State Department for East Asia, Daniel Kritenbrink, in an attack that would have affected hundreds of Executive accounts.
“We have an investigation underway and we cannot offer more details at the moment,” a State Department spokesman told EFE on condition of anonymity.
The same source described the events as a “cybersecurity incident” and assured that the State Department “constantly monitors and responds” to this type of attack.
According to the local press, the hackers did not have access to classified documents, but they did have access to Burns' and Kritenbrink's email inboxes.
That would have allowed them to obtain information about the planning of recent trips to China by senior officials in the Joe Biden Administration, such as Secretary of State Antony Blinken or Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen.
According to the same information, the pirates did not access Blinken's mail.
Both Burns and Kritenbrink accompanied the Secretary of State in the meetings he held with Chinese President Xi Jinping and other Chinese authorities on his trip to Beijing last June.
Blinken traveled to China to reduce tension
After months of tensions due to the Taiwan crisis, the Ukraine war and trade disputes, Blinken traveled to China with the aim of establishing permanent communication channels that avoid a direct conflict between the two powers.
The dialogue continued last week in Indonesia, where the state secretary met with the head of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Foreign Affairs Commission, Wang Yi.
Yellen and US Climate Envoy John Kerry have also been to Beijing recently.
At least four people, two women and two men, have been murdered this Thursday in the Limoncito sector, Colón department, in the Caribbean of Honduras, according to local media.
The four people were driving in a black van, and according to residents of the sector, two men on a motorcycle would have committed the multiple crime, apparently with a large-caliber rifle.
Images disseminated on social networks have shown the vehicle in which the four people were traveling with multiple bullet holes in the door and glass on the left side.
#Honduras| It transcends the murder of four people inside a vehicle in the department of Colón, exactly on the road that leads to the municipality of Iriona at the height of the community of Limoncito, Honduran media report. pic.twitter.com/WfbjF5ejqz
— In La Mira News (@EnLaMira_Sv) July 20, 2023
An official source in Tegucigalpa has said briefly that the National Police was going to the sector to find out about the violent act.
Criminal violence in Honduras leaves an average of between ten and fifteen people dead daily.
