Confiscated Russian assets
The European Council has called on EU leaders to speed up talks on the use of confiscated Russian assets for the reconstruction of Ukraine. President Charles Michel says the profits from the frozen assets could be used for reconstruction efforts. Michel described the proposal as a question of justice. The EU has blocked 300 billion Euros of assets belonging to the Russian central bank back in November. The move is part of the sanctions the bloc imposed on Russia over the war in Ukraine. Moscow has hit back with its own measures, including limitations on supply of energy to Europe.
Reducing reliance on dollar
Brazil and Argentina are planning for greater economic integration, including a common currency that would wean off a reliance on the U-S dollar in bilateral transactions. Brazil’s President Lula da Silva and his Argentine counterpart Alberto Fernandez made the revelation in a joint article they penned. The text says Brasilia and Buenos Aires want to eliminate barriers to their exchanges and encourage the use of local currencies. The two countries have also decided to speed up discussions on a common South American currency aimed at boosting regional trade. Lula had brought up the idea of a common currency during his Presidential campaign. He has chosen Argentina for his first trip abroad since he took office. Relations between Brasilia and Buenos Aires were tense during Brazil’s former rightwing President, Jair Bolsonaro.
California mass shooting
A man who went on a shooting rampage and killed 10 people during Chinese Lunar New Celebrations in the US state of California has been found dead. Police say they found the body of the shooter after hours of manhunt. They say the suspect identified as 72-year-old Huu Can Tran died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. His body was inside a van in a city about 35 kilometers away from the site of the shooting in Monterey Park, which is home to a large Asian community. The investigation is still underway to determine the motive behind the carnage. The incident, which also injured 10 people, is the latest in the grim litany of mass shootings in the US. Over the past years, there have been growing calls for passing stricter legislation on gun control, and curtailing access to weapons in the country.