It seems easy. Do you allow Italians who do not live in their place of residence for study or work reasons vote in elections without being forced, also from an economic point of view, a long trip to go back home. As in almost all European countries (except Malta And Cyprus). But no, it’s very complicated. For two reasons: the fierce resistance of the management engine and the lack of will centre-right politics. A deadly cocktail that throws a spanner in the works several legislative proposals now examined by the Constitutional Affairs Commission of Montecitorio. A few weeks ago at the audition Claudius SgaragliaHead of the Interior Department of the Interior Ministry, debunked the proposals on the table and made it clear that it would be better leave everything as it is. For the Interior Ministry, the procedure for changing the electoral system is only partially too complicated. And considering that in March it seemed complete, complete with a demonstration organized by The Good Lobby (who collected signatures with the petition I vote off-site) in Piazza Santi Apostoli with representatives of various political forces. But given the facts, the M5S and center-left are for Fdi, Lega and Forza Italia are holding back.

Well, after the rejection of the Viminale and the negative vote in the Commission on the combination of two proposals made by Marianna Madia (PD) and Victoria Baldino (5 stars), the spokesman for the Lega Nord Igor Lezi she accepted the Madia proposal as the basic text, but indicated that there was no rush. “The majority have indicated that if they have their way, this text will never see the light of day,” they say of the Democratic Party.

Madia’s text, like Baldino’s, provides early voting: A few days before the elections, the non-resident citizen can vote at a manned polling station in a post office at the place of residence with the voting card. Then the card is sealed and sent to the parish of residence, where it is shuffled with the others of one’s section. Another proposal in this area, signed Riccardo Magi (+ Europe), provides that local voters can vote on the candidates and lists of this constituency at their place of residence. Ideas, among other things, the result of the long work of the abstention commission of the former Minister for Relations with Parliament Federico D’Inca in the past legislature, also with the contribution of former ministers Franco Bassaninihas produced a “white paper on abstention” outlining proposals to curb the trend, such as: absence reconciliation. All school hypotheses, which then in reality hit a rubber wall. But off-site voting has been talked about for over a decade, with the first proposals being made as early as 2010, at the time of the last one Berlusconi government.

Il Viminale, with a speech by the Secretary of State of Melonia Wanda Ferro, has refuted both of the above hypotheses (madia and magi): the first would violate the territoriality principle of voting, the second would alter the voter pool, affecting the formation of constituencies. “These are all technical objections and therefore surmountable in the name of the principle of democratic suffrage,” notes Magi. Which underscores the contradiction of not allowing our compatriots to vote within the country when “voting abroad is allowed for people who don’t even speak Italian with ballots are sent by post from one end of the world to the other with few security measures”. The 5 stars also go on the attack. “We are faced with a surreal attitude that the government is posing melons from reality. The abstention is already very high, why should you help them?” asks the deputy group leader Victoria Baldino.

According to Istat, the number of non-residents in Italy is at almost 5 million people10% of the active electorate. Almost everyone does not vote, also to avoid having to bear the cost of a trip. “With voting in-house, they would recover between 2.5 million and 3 million voters. Attention: voters choose left, center and right. No one would have any particular advantages or benefits,” stresses the pollster Antonio Noto. Therefore, it remains incomprehensible why the right feels harmed. “Voting remotely would help tackle abstentions, but it wouldn’t solve the problem of political disenchantment. I would make it more of a constitutional suffrage issue,” he notes Massimo Pessato by swg. About ten amendments have been received on the Madia text and the question has been postponed to the first days of May. But without the political will of the majority (or some other transversal majority that does not currently exist) it will be difficult to achieve the goal.

In the United States, the judiciary of this country already has the ace up its sleeve in the face of the trial against the brother of the famous Senator Piedad Córdoba, Álvaro Córdoba, who was extradited for drug offenses human trafficking, but who insisted once and for all said it was a trap. A few days ago Libya landed Amanda Palacio, also a prisoner of extradition, who was arrested as an accomplice alongside Álvaro and it will be she who will turn on the fan.

SEMANA reveals the previously unreleased story behind the drug trafficking operation and the untold details of this drug trafficking trial that has Álvaro Córdoba behind bars in a US prison today.

A few days ago, Palacio left her cell in El Buen Pastor prison, accompanied by two others Women flying to the United States on a DEA plane. But who is this woman who has Álvaro Córdoba on the ropes and would become his executioner?

Before leaving Colombia, Palacio was clear about his goal: to work with that country’s judicial system, to tell everything he knows, and thus achieve a successful hearing of his sentence. What is known is that the agreement has already started in the United States, so the process can proceed quickly. The obligation: bring charges, take responsibility and pave the way to become the key witness in this case.

The testimony of this woman is crucial, with it she tries to refute the thesis that it was a trap but, on the contrary, an open and systematic drug trade in which allegedly Álvaro Córdoba and she They were the intermediaries between the Mexican drug cartels and the late FARC dissident leader Gentil Duarte, who was the supplier of the cocaine.

What is known about this woman, who worked in a travel agency in Medellín, is that she was contacted to be involved in this drug deal and her main objective was to “do illegal business with Álvaro Córdoba” by allegedly Córdobas The FARC used connections to the dissidents to gain access to the drugs that the powerful Gentil Duarte was supposed to send to the drug lords.

The importance of this 44-year-old woman as a witness, who was moving discreetly and was arrested next to Álvaro Córdoba, is clear and the US authorities know this because she was the one who coordinated their operations and knows the service in detail.

Libya Amanda Palacio did not have an easy time getting to Álvaro Córdoba and Gentil Duarte through this route, she contacted a friend, a woman who is very close to the Córdoba Ruiz family, and thus gained confidence and fully immersed herself in the criminal Business.

Exactly, Historical Compact Senator Piedad Córdoba had pointed out this problem in SEMANA when she pointed out that “apparently this captivity has taken place. There was one person who was very close to us, she is a woman from the Liberal Party who was involved in politics with me and my brother for many years. I sent his two children to this person to study medicine in Cuba on scholarships. She is the one who offers to contact my brother and she was the one who put him to this other lady and to these Mexicans.”

This is precisely Piedad Córdoba’s argument in defending her brother’s innocence and insisting that his capture, surveillance and extradition were in fact part of a trap set against him by the United States justice system.

But nonetheless, it is also the US judiciary’s argument to confirm that there was a criminal arrangement in which Álvaro Córdoba was a key link in trading with the Mexican cartels. So what Libya tells Amanda Palacios is crucial, she is a direct witness of how it worked because she knew it inside out and was part of the organization that allegedly served as a broker in the drug trade.

In addition to their testimonies, they have apprehensions, tracings and photos that served as support to a Southern District court in New York ordering the arrests of Cordoba and Palacio for extradition purposes.

According to the indictment, the footage was taken legally by DEA agents who set up a trap, posing as drug dealers, and taped her closing a store in the city of Medellín.

Undercover agent Matthew S. Passmore, one of those who testified in that country’s courts, confirmed that they had an agreement with Córdoba and its partners to obtain cocaine in Colombia and Venezuela, and that the alkaloid made its way to Central America would take. go to the US.

They were arrested more than a year ago in a prestigious sector of El Poblado in Medellín, according to the investigation, which took place minutes after leaving an apartment where evidence said they were talking and breaking up a cocaine trafficking deal.

Palacio could face a sentence of between five and 10 years for the crime of drug trafficking, which is precisely why he is negotiating to turn on the fan and manage to meet the lowest sentence.

SEMANA spoke to attorney and human rights defender Alex Morales, who represented Palacio in Colombia, and said that “they had a cheap extradition concept and it was perfected about 15 days ago. Therefore, your defense in the United States will help you make the decision that favors you in legal engineering, cooperation with the judiciary is always the best decision in these cases. Even the biggest bosses have made it.”

Attorney Morales confirmed that Palacios was linked to DEA officers in the sale and purchase of drugs and that these were the tests to send them to the United States, the same ones used on Álvaro Córdoba. However, in view of the extradition, he points out that “as proposed, it is necessary to assess the guarantees that the Colombians have and whether it is really necessary to transfer a compatriot to a foreign country, or whether he can approach virtually and administer justice without impunity”.

They are two sides of the coin in the same alleged criminal business. While Libya Amanda Palacios will accept the charges, turn on the fan and pursue legal claims in the United States, Álvaro Córdoba has already stated that he will defend his innocence as he was the victim of a trap. The final word will be dictated by the Court of the Southern District of New York.

A civil lawsuit against the former US president over rape allegations is ongoing in New York. In an interrogation video, Trump insults the plaintiff’s lawyer – he “definitely would have no interest” in her – and defends her derogatory comments about women.

Former US President Donald Trump is once again causing controversy with offensive statements about women. A video of Trump’s interrogation last October was released on Friday in connection with a civil suit against the Republican for rape. In the 48-minute clip, Jean Carroll’s attorney Roberta Kaplan asked Trump questions about the case, which is currently in court in New York.

Trump, who has since announced a renewed candidacy for the presidency, once again rejected the allegations while repeating disparaging remarks about women. He also notably defended his infamous statement that, as a celebrity, you can touch women’s genitals.

Carroll accuses Trump of raping her in a New York department store in the mid-1990s. Trump, who was not yet a politician but a real estate developer, has always rejected the accusation – among other things with the words that Carroll he wasn’t her “type”. The criminal claims were time-barred, but under civil law Carroll was free to sue. She demands compensation. Allegations in the case are expected next week.

To the lawyer: “You wouldn’t be my choice”

Asked about Trump’s statements that Carroll was not his type – as was another woman who had accused him of sexual assault – the Republican said in the video of the interrogation to attorney Kaplan: “You wouldn’t be my choice either, to be honest, I hope that you’re not offended. No way would I be interested in you. Trump said he didn’t mean to be offensive. “But if someone accuses me of something, I think I have a right to be insulting.”

Elsewhere, Kaplan provided Trump with a photo in which he mistook Carroll for his then-wife. At the same time, the ex-president repeatedly emphasized that he did not know Carroll, did not know anything about “this crazy woman” and only greeted her in the photo at a charity event-without knowing her.

Also supports the statement “Grab ’em by the pussy”

Several women have accused Trump of sexual harassment in the past, which he has consistently denied. During his 2016 presidential election campaign, an old audio recording was also made public in which Trump made lewd and derogatory remarks about women – and about the fact that stars could touch women’s genitals if they wanted to. During cross-examination, the attorney spoke with Trump about that video and the statements contained therein. Trump defended his words at the time, saying, “If you look back over the last few million years, that’s probably largely true, not always, but largely true. Unfortunately — or fortunately.”

Americans elected Trump as president in 2016 despite vulgar statements. And many other scandals have not brought him down politically in the past. In the 2024 presidential election, Trump would now like to run again for the Republicans as a candidate – and among potential Republican candidates he has so far been at the forefront. He sees the New York trial, like other legal investigations against him, as an attempt to deter him politically. In the now-released video, Trump also describes Kaplan as a “political agent” and as an “embarrassment”.

Orders expected on Monday

Carroll’s civil trial against Trump is nearing completion. According to media reports, after all of the plaintiff’s American plaintiff witnesses testified, the court scheduled the allegations for Monday – after which jury deliberations would follow. The defense, therefore, is still open until Sunday to request a statement from Trump on the witness stand. In fact, Trump’s lawyers stated that their client did not want to testify in the proceedings. More recently, however, Trump has said otherwise and has put a trip to New York on the line.

(APA/dpa)

Credit, Concord Press Service

caption,

Yevgeny Prigozhin is a personal friend of Putin

Item Information

• Author, Paul Kirby
• Rolle, from BBC News

• May 5, 2023

The leader of the Wagner group, a group of Russian mercenaries operating in the war in Ukraine, says his soldiers will withdraw from the town of Bakhmut next Wednesday (May 10) due to a lack of ammunition.

The leader of the mercenaries, Yevgeny Prigozhin, 61, recently posted a video of himself walking among the bodies of his dead subordinates, blaming the Russian authorities for the deaths. “Tens of thousands” of his soldiers were killed or wounded, he said.

Russia has been attempting to capture the city for months although its strategic value is in question using Wagner Group soldiers on the offensive.

US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said earlier this week that more than 20,000 Russian soldiers have been killed and another 80,000 injured in the Ukraine war since December. Half of those killed were soldiers of the Wagner Group.

In Friday’s statement, Prigozhin accused Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and General Valery Gerasimov of his decision to leave Bakhmut in a cursing speech.

“Shoigu! Gerasimov! Where’s the ammo? You came here as volunteers and die while you get fat in your marble offices!” he said.

The two members of the Russian government were often the target of Prigozhin’s wrath. Meanwhile, various groups among the allies of Russian President Vladimir Putin are vying for power.

In the statement, Prigozhin said that due to the lack of ammunition, Wagner group casualties “are increasing every day in geometric progression.”

However, he says his fighters will remain in their positions until May 9, when Russia celebrates World War II Victory Day.

In the previously released video, Prigozhin standing in front of his men said he would “transfer positions in the Bakhmut settlement to Defense Ministry units and move the remains of Wagner Group soldiers to logistics camps” to recover from defeats.

“My boys will not accept senseless and unjustified losses at Bakhmut due to lack of ammunition,” he added.

One of the videos released by Prigozhin on Friday appears to have been shot about 2 km outside the center of Bakhmut. The BBC compared ground features, including bushes and posts, to satellite imagery of the site.

Prigozhin uses public relations a lot as a strategy, and his influence appears to have waned in recent months. He has already made threats that he has not followed through on later saying they were just “jokes” and “military humour”.

Last week, he told a prowar Russian blogger that the group’s fighters were running low on supplies and needed thousands of rounds of ammunition.

Credit, CONCORD PRESS SERVICE

caption,

Yevgeny Prigozhin announced that he would leave the city

The Kremlin did not comment on Prigozhin’s recent statements.

Meanwhile, Ukraine’s military says it has seen no change in the intensity of fighting near Bakhmut.

“For months, Prigozhin has been trying to make outrageous statements to draw attention to himself,” Serhiy Cherevatyi, spokesman for Ukraine’s Eastern Command, told BBC Ukraine.

Deputy Defense Minister of Ukraine Hanna Malyar said Russia is desperate to take Bakhmut by May 9. The war began in February 2022.

Prigozhin has become a key player in the Russian invasion of Ukraine, at the head of a private mercenary army leading the Russian onslaught.

The group was made up mostly of exRussian soldiers between the ages of 30 and 35, but began recruiting prisoners from penal colonies in 2022 to fill staff shortages, according to information from BBC News Russia’s British intelligence service.

In return, freedom and financial compensation were offered. Also according to the investigation of the BBC service in Russia, lawyers say that sending prisoners to war is illegal in the country.

Despite this, the prison administrations released convicts to fight in Prigozhin’s group.

Russian mercenaries and military men fight side by side against the Ukrainian military.

Prigozhin hails from St. Petersburg, the hometown of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

He is the owner of several restaurants in the city and also has a company that makes food for events hired by the Kremlin earning Prigozhin the nickname “Putin’s Chef”.

The battle for Bakhmut has dragged on for months. Ukraine decided to defend the city at all costs in an apparent attempt to concentrate Russian military resources in a location of relatively minor importance.

In February, Prigozhin had posted another picture of his dead troops, blaming army chiefs for their deaths.

Although the military at the time denied intentionally shortcircuiting Wagner’s ammunition, they responded by increasing supplies at the front lines.

US military analyst Rob Lee said on social media that Wagner’s latest complaint about shortages was likely the result of the Russian Defense Ministry’s rationing of ammunition ahead of Ukraine’s expected counteroffensive.

The ministry must defend the entire front line, but Prigozhin’s only concern is capturing Bakhmut, Lee wrote on Twitter.

If the Wagner group manages to take the city, Prigozhin can claim political credit, Lee added.

Credit, Getty Images

caption,

Yevgeny Prigozhin became known as “Putin’s cook”.

Ukrainian counteroffensive

The head of the mercenaries himself predicted that Ukraine’s counteroffensive will begin on May 15, as tanks and artillery will be able to advance in dry weather after the last spring rains.

In another move, Prigozhin appears to have hired an army general who was recently fired as head of logistics.

Colonel Mikhail Mizintsev has been dubbed the “Butcher of Mariupol” for his role in last year’s bombing of the southern Ukrainian port city that was captured by Russian forces a year ago. He has been responsible for logistics since September last year.

Prigozhin pointed out that the general did his best to supply the mercenaries with ammunition and cooperated in the group’s efforts to recruit convicted prisoners into its ranks.

But Prigozhin was previously filmed in a Russian prison telling inmates they would be released from prison if they served with his men in Ukraine prior to Mizintsev’s appointment as logistician.