President Hosni Mubarak’s Goods Confiscated in Spain
Spanish police seized more than 28 million euros in financial products and real estate associated with Egyptian former President Hosni Mubarak of, said the Ministry of Interior.
According to the source, the properties could come from crimes such as embezzlement of funds, corruption and illicit enrichment, committed during Mubarak’s mandate, who was ousted last year after three decades in power.
Ordered by the Egyptian government, Spain blocked 18.4 million euros in financial assets in domestic banks and two properties in the suburb of La Moraleja, on the outskirts of Madrid, valued at seven million euros.
In addition, seven properties were taken over in Marbella (Málaga, Andalusia) valued at more than three million euros and five luxury cars registered in the capital, said a note from the Ministry of the Interior.
These assets belong to Mubarak and his family, but also to former officials of his administration, including ministers and senior civil servants and businessmen related to the former governor, said the text.
French Unions Support Nationalization of Companies
The Working Force Union called today for the nationalization of the companies at risk of closing to avoid more unemployment in France, where the number of unemployed already reaches more than 3 million.
According to the secretary general of that union, Jean-Claude Mailly, this resource should be used when there is a real threat and recalled that various nations have recently implemented that measure in the car industry and the bank sector.
With regard to Florange steel plant, owned by ArcelorMittal consortium, Mailly said the closure of the plant will result in serious damage to the country because it will loose a big part of its iron and steel capacity.
The plant is at risk of stop operating after the owners’ decision of turning off the smelting furnace since last year with the excuse of a low demand of the steel in the world markets.
The measure was initially announced as temporal, but its closure was announced in October, leaving about 600 permanent workers and a larger number of temporary workers unemployed.
French President Francois Hollande and various ministers talked about the possibility of nationalizing the plant to guarantee its operation, though the head of the Government, Jean Marc Ayrault, finally reached an agreement with ArcelorMittal to keep it operating.
Ukrainian Supreme Rada Ratifies Azarov as Prime Minister
The Ukraine’s Supreme Rada (Parliament) passed today the appointment of Nikolai Azarov as prime minister, with the votes of the ruling Party of Regions, the Communists and the independents, for the seventh legislature which began yesterday.
Azarov, who is also leader of the Regions, will take over the reins of the Ukrainian executive (2004-2005, 2010-2012), in a second term, despite the reluctance of opposition, whose deputies were absent during the vote.
The opposition united Batkivschina (Fatherland) that supports former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, the Ukrainian Democratic Alliance for the reforms, the boxing world champion Vitali Klitschko , and the Nationalist Party Freedom (Svoboda) boycotted Azarov’s candidacy, as announced prior to the inauguration of the new legislature.
Meanwhile, the resumption of legislative sessions yesterday came in a heated political environment, instigated by the opposition benches that were reluctant to an understanding with the government of President Victor Yanukovich.
Today, the Supreme Rada adopted its first constructive decisions and also elected its owner, Vladimir Rybak, and vice president, said Azarov, who attributed it to political commitments, UNIAN agency reported.
After the legislative elections of October 28, the Regions won 185 of the 450 mandates in the Rada, which was insufficient to retain a parliamentary majority, so the ruling party should make alliances, probably with the Communists and independent deputies.
The seventh legislature of the Ukrainian parliament began yesterday in a climate of confrontation, with verbal and physical clashes between its members.
Via PL