Victoria Barrientos was part of a conspiracy that trafficked methamphetamine and fentanyl, according to the Muskingum County Prosecutors Office

A Lebanese judge on Monday questioned auto tycoon Carlos Ghosn in Beirut over possible links to a former French Cabinet minister charged two years ago with “passive corruption" for work she did for him, officials familiar with the case said. The Lebanese officials said Ghosn denied any dealings with France’s former Justice Minister Rachida Dati who is accused of having done consulting work for Ghosn for two years starting in 2010 when she was a member of the European parliament. Dati was accused in 2021 of “passive corruption by a person who at the time was holding an elective mandate" and “benefiting from abuse of power.” She was suspected of lobbying which would have been illegal in her position. The former head of Nissan and Renault denied during the questioning in Beirut that Nissan had paid about $1 million for Dati in lawyer fees, added the officials speaking on condition of anonymity. The officials said Beirut recently received a new Red Notice from Interpol and summoned Ghosn for questioning on Monday where he came with his lawyer to attend the session. It was the third Red Notice that Lebanon has received since Ghosn fled from Japan in late 2019. A Red Notice is not an international arrest warrant but a request to law enforcement to provisionally arrest the person of interest. Monday’s questioning was the first for Ghosn since May last year when he was summoned for questioning days after Beirut received a Red Notice from Interpol at the request of the French prosecutor’s office. The notice was for Ghosn and four other people based on an investigation opened in 2019 into money laundering and abuse of company assets. Dati was the toast of Paris and foreign capitals when she served as justice minister under then-President Nicolas Sarkozy from June 2007 to June 2009. With her Algerian and Moroccan parents and humble origins as one of 11 children in a housing project, she was his emblem of diversity in a new France. Her bling-bling style — a penchant for Dior clothes, stiletto heels and expensive jewels — quickly transformed her into Cabinet cover girl. In 2019, Ghosn jumped bail while being questioned in Japan in a daring escape by hiding in a box spirited aboard a private jet. He fled to Lebanon which does not extradite its citizens. Prosecutors in Japan charged three Americans with helping Ghosn escape the country. Renault and Nissan have been distancing themselves from the scandal. Ghosn, who has citizenship in Lebanon, France and Brazil, has repeatedly professed his innocence. Read More Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Egyptian family awaits word on son as village mourns dozens feared drowned trying to reach Europe Tunisia says attacker fatally stabbed police officer at Brazilian Embassy; suspect arrested Greek court postpones hearing for smuggling suspects in deadly migrant boat sinking until Tuesday

By Shreyashi Sanyal U.S. stock indexes fell on Wednesday as a deal to raise the nation's debt ceiling

Three senators who serve on the Committee on Armed Forces have reportedly sent a letter to the Department of Defence (DoD) expressing concern over allegations that Elon Musk controlled Ukrainian soldiers’ ability to access satellite communications via Starlink. Democratic senators Jeanne Shaheen, Elizabeth Warren and Tammy Duckworth have asked Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to provide clarification over an incident from last year in a letter sent on Friday according to NBC News. The incident, laid out in Walter Isaacson’s biography of Mr Musk, claims that the billionaire tech entrepreneur stopped the Ukrainian armed forces from accessing satellite communications via Starlink near the Crimean Peninsula thus thwarting a potential assault on Russian ships. Mr Musk clarified on X that he did not discontinue Starlink connectivity but refused a request by Ukraine to provide it there out of fear of escalating war. The three senators said the “confusion over what actually happened” demands answers and expressed great concern about Mr Musk’s role in the incident. “The reports raise serious concerns about whether Mr Musk has personally intervened to undermine a key US partner at a critical juncture,” a portion of the reported letter said. Several officials, including the three senators, have shared similar worries that commercial satellite companies similar to Starlink could cause issues by intervening on significant decisions like this one. Senator Jack Reed who serves as the chairman of the Committee on Armed Forces, said in a statement obtained by Bloomberg, that the situation with Mr Musk raised concerns about national security. “Neither Elon Musk, nor any private citizen, can have the last word when it comes to US national security,” Mr Reed said. “We’ve got to look at the broader satellite markets and the role of government outsourcing, the outsized role Mr Musk and his company have taken on here, and the Pentagon’s actions and contractual arrangements,” Mr Reed added. At the time of the incident, Starlink had no contract with the Pentagon and therefore no directive from US officials. Mr Musk said had he received an order from President Joe Biden to extend services to Ukrainians in Crimea he would have done so. In June, the Pentagon and Starlink signed a contract in which the DoD agreed to buy its services for Ukraine. Now, the three senators are imploring leaders to consider the implications of Mr Musk’s actions and look to prevent situations like this from arising in the future. “We are deeply concerned with the ability and willingness of SpaceX to interrupt their service at Mr Musk’s whim and for the purpose of handcuffing a sovereign country’s self-defense, effectively defending Russian interests,” the letter said according to NBC News. The senators requested Mr Austin provide answers by the end of October. The Independent has reached out to the offices of Ms Duckworth, Ms Shaheen and Ms Warren for comment. Read More Putin praises Musk as ‘outstanding person’ days after report Tesla boss stopped Ukrainian attack Elon Musk's refusal to have Starlink support Ukraine attack in Crimea raises questions for Pentagon Elon Musk ignores reporter after claims he stopped Ukrainian attack on Russia

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