Zapatero, who led Spain from 2004 to 2011, began the first of two days of hearings at the Audiencia Nacional court over allegations of influence peddling linked to the 2021 state bailout of airline Plus Ultra.

The investigation centers on a 53 million euro ($61.5 million) rescue package granted to the carrier after the COVID-19 pandemic severely disrupted global air travel. Investigating magistrate Jose Luis Calama alleges that Zapatero headed a “stable and hierarchical” network that used opaque financial channels to conceal money flows and secure illicit payments connected to the bailout process.

Zapatero has categorically denied any wrongdoing. Prime Minister Sanchez has publicly expressed his “full support” for the former leader, widely regarded as his political mentor within Spain’s Socialist movement.

The case broadened after police searches of Zapatero’s office reportedly uncovered jewelry and luxury watches valued at approximately 1.3 million euros. The findings prompted investigators to examine potential tax fraud and smuggling offenses in addition to the original influence-peddling allegations.

Individuals close to Zapatero have said the valuables originated from a family inheritance and reject any suggestion of criminal conduct.

The proceedings come at a particularly sensitive moment for Sanchez, whose administration is already confronting multiple corruption investigations involving members of his inner political circle and family.

A separate inquiry into his wife, Begona Gomez, over alleged influence peddling has weighed heavily on the government for two years, with a judicial decision on whether to proceed to trial expected in the coming days.

Legal proceedings are also underway involving former Transport Minister and longtime Sanchez ally Jose Luis Abalos, while another case concerns the prime minister’s brother, David Sanchez.

Additional pressure emerged following reports of a police investigation into a former Socialist activist suspected of orchestrating efforts to obstruct corruption inquiries involving figures linked to the governing party.

The accumulation of legal controversies has weakened the Socialists politically. Since late 2025, the party has suffered four regional election defeats, fueling speculation about the impact the scandals could have on Spain’s next national election.

Sanchez rose to power in 2018 after pledging to restore integrity to Spanish politics following a major corruption scandal that resulted in the conviction of the conservative Popular Party (PP). Opposition parties now argue that the government faces its own credibility crisis and have called for Sanchez’s resignation and an early general election.

The prime minister has rejected those demands and insists he will remain in office until the end of his term in 2027. He has continued to highlight his government’s economic and social policy achievements while avoiding detailed public comment on the ongoing investigations.

Political scientist Astrid Barrio of the University of Valencia said the case carries significance beyond its legal implications because of Zapatero’s symbolic influence within the ruling Socialist Party.

“What is at stake is the reputation of someone who has become the moral beacon of Pedro Sanchez and the current Socialist Party,” Barrio said.

She added that two developments could pose the greatest threat to Sanchez’s political survival: the possibility of the prime minister himself becoming the subject of a formal investigation or prosecutors pursuing allegations of illegal party financing against the Socialists.

Rajapaksa was taken into custody by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery and Corruption (CIABOC), according to police and commission officials.

After being produced before the Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court, he was released on bail, police spokesman F.U. Wootler told Reuters.

The arrest marks the latest legal development involving members of the influential Rajapaksa family, which dominated Sri Lankan politics for nearly two decades through a series of senior government positions, including the presidency and key cabinet portfolios.

Yoshitha Rajapaksa, the second son of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, is under investigation over allegations that his recruitment into the Sri Lankan Navy in 2006 did not follow established procedures, according to a statement issued earlier this month by the bribery commission.

Authorities have not publicly disclosed further details regarding the alleged violations or whether additional charges could follow as the investigation progresses.

Neither Yoshitha Rajapaksa nor representatives of the Rajapaksa family immediately commented publicly on the allegations following the court proceedings.

The Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery and Corruption has intensified scrutiny of high-profile public figures in recent years as Sri Lanka seeks to strengthen governance standards and address longstanding concerns about accountability in public institutions.

The case is likely to attract significant public attention given the Rajapaksa family’s enduring influence in Sri Lankan politics and previous investigations involving senior members of the family.

Court proceedings and the commission’s investigation are expected to continue.

In a joint statement, Ukraine’s anti-graft agencies said a former senior official was suspected of participating in a criminal group that allegedly laundered around $10.5 million through a luxury residential development near Kyiv.

The agencies did not publicly identify the suspect, in accordance with Ukrainian legal procedure, but local media widely identified the individual as Yermak, once regarded as one of the most influential figures in the presidential administration.

Speaking to Radio Liberty, Yermak denied owning property in the housing complex linked to the investigation, but declined to comment further on the allegations.

The probe forms part of a broader anti-corruption investigation launched last year that has implicated several high-profile political and business figures tied to the Ukrainian government.

In November, prosecutors accused a former business associate of Zelensky of orchestrating a $100 million kickback scheme connected to the state atomic energy sector. A former deputy prime minister with close ties to the president was also charged in the same investigation.

Zelensky’s communications adviser, Dmytro Lytvyn, told reporters it was premature to comment on the case against Yermak because procedural steps were still underway.

Yermak, a former film producer and entertainment lawyer, emerged as a central power broker after Zelensky took office. He frequently accompanied the president at official events and played a leading role in negotiations linked to U.S.-backed peace initiatives involving Russia.

His resignation last year came during a broader reshuffle within the Ukrainian government aimed at restoring public confidence amid growing criticism over concentrated authority within the president’s office.

The latest allegations come as Ukraine continues to rely heavily on Western military and financial support, with Kyiv under sustained pressure from allies to demonstrate progress in combating entrenched corruption and strengthening institutional transparency during wartime.

The Minnesota House approved the measure by a vote of 126-5, with bipartisan backing from Republicans and Democrats. The legislation now heads to the state Senate and is expected to be signed by Governor Tim Walz, who has publicly indicated support for the proposal.

Under the legislation, the Office of the Inspector General, or OIG, would begin operating immediately, with broader enforcement authority scheduled to phase in by 2028. Lawmakers backing the bill said the agency would investigate corruption and misuse of public funds across state programs.

Republican state Representative Kristin Robbins, who chairs the Minnesota House Fraud Prevention and State Oversight Committee, said the new office would strengthen ongoing investigations into alleged fraud schemes linked to state-administered welfare and pandemic relief programs.

The legislation comes amid heightened political and legal scrutiny of fraud cases involving organizations connected to Minnesota’s Somali-American community, the largest Somali diaspora population in the United States.

Federal prosecutors and U.S. President Donald Trump have alleged that more than $9 billion may have been improperly obtained through social service fraud schemes in Minnesota involving federal and state welfare funding distributed since 2018.

One of the most prominent cases centers on the now-defunct nonprofit Feeding Our Future, which administered federally funded meal reimbursement programs during the COVID-19 pandemic. Prosecutors said defendants created shell companies and fictitious meal distribution sites, submitting falsified meal counts to the Minnesota Department of Education to secure inflated reimbursements.

Former Feeding Our Future executive director Aimee Bock was found guilty of wire fraud and bribery charges, according to court proceedings cited by lawmakers.Authorities have charged 79 individuals, most of them Somali Americans, in connection with schemes allegedly involving more than $250 million in fraudulent grant claims tied to child nutrition and welfare programs.

Robbins’ committee recently subpoenaed Democratic U.S. Representative Ilhan Omar to testify regarding allegations that she assisted entities accused of abusing federal and state funds. Omar has not complied with the subpoena, according to committee officials.

The investigations have intensified debate in Minnesota over oversight of pandemic-era aid programs and the effectiveness of state controls governing the distribution of federal welfare funding.

State-run Anadolu Agency⁠ reported that prosecutors issued arrest warrants for 30 suspects linked to alleged corruption involving municipal subsidiaries and public tenders. Twenty-nine suspects were detained, while one individual was reported to be abroad.

According to a statement cited by prosecutors, the investigation concerns the alleged “activities of a criminal organization established under the leadership of Ekrem Imamoglu.”Authorities accuse the suspects of manipulating public procurement processes through companies affiliated with the Istanbul municipality.

Imamoglu, who has been imprisoned for more than a year, is currently standing trial alongside 413 co-defendants. Prosecutors allege he directed a large criminal network operating within the municipality. If convicted on all charges, he could face cumulative prison sentences totaling 2,430 years under Turkish law.

The Istanbul mayor and his political allies deny the accusations and argue the investigation is politically motivated, accusing Erdogan’s government of attempting to sideline one of the country’s most prominent opposition figures ahead of the 2028 presidential election.

Imamoglu emerged as a major national challenger to Erdogan after securing repeated election victories in Istanbul, Türkiye’s largest city and economic hub. Opposition parties have increasingly described the legal proceedings against him as part of broader pressure on dissenting political voices and municipal administrations controlled by the opposition.

The Turkish government has repeatedly denied accusations of political interference in the judiciary, maintaining that courts operate independently and investigations are conducted according to the law.

The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) said the artworks, valued at approximately $198,000, were retrieved in coordination with U.S. authorities and form part of broader efforts to recover assets allegedly misappropriated from 1Malaysia Development Berhad between 2009 and 2014.

The collection includes Picasso’s “L’Ecuyère et les clowns” (1961), alongside works by Joan Miró, Maurice Utrillo and Balthus. Authorities said the pieces had been held in the United States and were among artworks linked to individuals associated with the fund.
The MACC said the items are now under strict security and undergoing environmental stabilisation before authentication and valuation by Malaysia’s National Visual Arts Development Board.

The repatriation follows earlier coordination with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Department of Justice, as Malaysia continues efforts to trace and recover assets across jurisdictions.
Authorities said some of the recovered works had previously been stored at major auction houses, including Christie’s and Sotheby’s, after being seized from a former lawyer linked to 1MDB.

Malaysia has sought to recover more than $4.5 billion believed to have been siphoned from the sovereign fund in a global scheme involving luxury assets ranging from real estate to artwork.

To date, about 31.2 billion ringgit ($7.90 billion) has been recovered, representing nearly 70% of identified assets, according to the MACC.

The 1MDB case, co-founded by former prime minister Najib Razak, has triggered investigations in multiple countries.

Najib was convicted and jailed in 2022 over charges linked to the scandal, which he has consistently denied.
The MACC said the recovered artworks may be publicly displayed before any decision is made on potential sale.