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Government Agents Raid Peru President Residence in Luxury Watch Probe

Police guard outside President Dina Boluarte's house during a raid aimed at seizing Rolex watches as part of a preliminary investigation into alleged illicit enrichment in Lima, Peru, Saturday, March 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Martin Mejia)
Police guard outside President Dina Boluarte's house during a raid aimed at seizing Rolex watches as part of a preliminary investigation into alleged illicit enrichment in Lima, Peru, Saturday, March 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Martin Mejia)
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Government Agents Raid Peru President Residence in Luxury Watch Probe

Police guard outside President Dina Boluarte's house during a raid aimed at seizing Rolex watches as part of a preliminary investigation into alleged illicit enrichment in Lima, Peru, Saturday, March 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Martin Mejia)
Police guard outside President Dina Boluarte's house during a raid aimed at seizing Rolex watches as part of a preliminary investigation into alleged illicit enrichment in Lima, Peru, Saturday, March 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Martin Mejia)

Televised images swept Peru late Friday of government agents from an investigative team breaking into the president’s residence with a sledgehammer in a raid authorized by the judiciary at the request of the attorney general’s office.
Dina Boluarte is being preliminarily investigated for possessing an undisclosed collection of luxury watches since she came to power in July 2021 as vice president and Social Inclusion minister, and then as president in December 2022.
Initially, she claimed ownership of at least one Rolex as a long-held possession acquired through “personal gains” since the age of 18, urging the media not to delve into personal matters.
Earlier in the week, Attorney General Juan Villena criticized Boluarte’s request to delay her appearance before the court for two weeks, emphasizing her obligation to cooperate with the investigation.
Political turmoil is nothing new in Peru, which has seen six presidents in the last five years. But many see Boluarte’s recent statements as contradicting her earlier pledge to speak truthfully to prosecutors, exacerbating a political crisis stemming from her unexplained ownership of Rolex watches.
According to The Associated Press, he Attorney General emphasized Boluarte’s obligation to promptly produce the three Rolex watches for investigation, cautioning against their disposal or destruction.
Boluarte, a 61-year-old lawyer, ascended from a modest district official to vice president under President Pedro Castillo in July 2021, subsequently assuming the presidency in December 2022 following Castillo's impeachment after he attempted to dissolve congress and rule by decree.
At least 49 people were killed in the protests that followed.

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World

Trump Board of Peace Excludes Canada as Carney Pushes Back on America First

US President Donald Trump gestures after a signing ceremony for the Board of Peace in Davos, Switzerland (AP)
US President Donald Trump gestures after a signing ceremony for the Board of Peace in Davos, Switzerland (AP)
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Trump Board of Peace Excludes Canada as Carney Pushes Back on America First

US President Donald Trump gestures after a signing ceremony for the Board of Peace in Davos, Switzerland (AP)
US President Donald Trump gestures after a signing ceremony for the Board of Peace in Davos, Switzerland (AP)

US President Donald Trump withdrew an invitation to Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney to join a newly established Board of Peace, originally set up to oversee the implementation of a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, as the White House moves to broaden the body into what it envisions as a rival to the United Nations.

Carney had delivered a sharp speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, arguing that a more rigid posture adopted by the United States and other major powers had effectively collapsed the rules-based international order.

He urged medium-sized and smaller countries to coordinate their efforts to counter Trump’s America First doctrine and what he described as attempts to dismantle the international system established after World War II.

Hours before Trump announced the Board of Peace, Carney escalated his criticism, condemning what he called policies of authoritarianism and exclusion, in remarks that appeared aimed at the US president.

Although Trump offered no formal explanation for withdrawing the invitation, the move appeared to be a response to Carney’s remarks.

Trump, who has a record of harshly criticizing leaders who publicly challenge him, has taken similar steps in the past.

Months earlier, he sought to penalize Canada with additional tariffs in response to a Canadian television advertisement that cited comments by former US President Ronald Reagan opposing tariffs.

In a post on his Truth Social platform addressed to Carney, Trump said the Board of Peace was rescinding its invitation for Canada to join what he described as a body that would become the most distinguished gathering of leaders ever assembled.

The White House has sent invitations to at least 50 countries to join the Board of Peace, which the Trump administration portrays as a broad organization designed to resolve global conflicts, with ambitions comparable to those of the United Nations.

Carney received the invitation last week, and aides said he had planned to accept it. He later reconsidered after learning that Trump intended to require members to pay $1 billion for a permanent seat on the board and that other Western leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, had declined to participate.

Trump’s decision added further strain to relations between the United States and Canada, which have traditionally been close despite significant tensions during Trump’s first presidential term.

Since returning to the White House last year, Trump has adopted a more confrontational stance toward Washington’s northern neighbor, drawing criticism from the Canadian government and anger among the public.

Trump has at times waged a trade war against Canada and threatened to annex it as the 51st US state. He has issued sharp rebukes of Carney and other Canadian officials during negotiations over tariffs and other disputes.

Economic ties have also suffered, with Canadians, long one of the most significant sources of international tourism to the United States, increasingly boycotting US destinations and products.

The diplomatic downturn has cast doubt on prospects for renegotiating the United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement, which underpins trade and supply chains across North America. The future of the pact, signed during Trump’s first administration, remains uncertain.

The withdrawal of Carney’s invitation has reinforced doubts that the Board of Peace will operate as a conventional international organization that tolerates dissent and open debate. Under its charter, Trump holds sweeping powers, including veto authority over decisions, control over the agenda, the ability to invite or dismiss members, the power to dissolve the board entirely, and the authority to appoint a successor body.

The board’s creation coincides with a broader shift in Trump’s foreign policy, which emphasizes US power to overthrow governments, seize foreign territory and resources, and dominate neighboring states regardless of their consent.

The administration has largely avoided traditional alliance-building and consensus-driven diplomacy associated with institutions such as the United Nations and NATO.

Relations between Trump and Carney had previously been cordial, but Carney’s Davos speech appeared to mark a turning point. Without naming Trump or the United States directly, Carney described what he called a rupture in the US-led global order.

He warned that middle powers such as Canada, lacking the strength to compete individually with the United States or China, risked subordination unless they acted collectively, cautioning that countries not seated at the negotiating table risked becoming targets of stronger powers.

The following day, Trump briefly addressed Carney’s remarks in Davos, saying the Canadian leader appeared insufficiently appreciative and asserting that Canada owed its existence to the United States, while warning Carney to keep that in mind in future statements.

Carney responded in a televised address to the nation, saying Canada and the United States had built a unique partnership based on economic cooperation, security, and cultural exchange, but stressing that Canada did not exist because of the United States.

He added that Canada prospered because it was Canadian.

World

Italy’s Meloni Hopes to Nominate Trump for Peace Prize

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni attends a press conference with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz (not pictured) on the sidelines of an intergovernmental summit between Italy and Germany at Villa Doria Pamphilj in Rome, Italy, 23 January 2026. (EPA)
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni attends a press conference with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz (not pictured) on the sidelines of an intergovernmental summit between Italy and Germany at Villa Doria Pamphilj in Rome, Italy, 23 January 2026. (EPA)
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Italy’s Meloni Hopes to Nominate Trump for Peace Prize

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni attends a press conference with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz (not pictured) on the sidelines of an intergovernmental summit between Italy and Germany at Villa Doria Pamphilj in Rome, Italy, 23 January 2026. (EPA)
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni attends a press conference with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz (not pictured) on the sidelines of an intergovernmental summit between Italy and Germany at Villa Doria Pamphilj in Rome, Italy, 23 January 2026. (EPA)

Italian leader Giorgia Meloni said Friday she hoped US President Donald Trump would end the conflict in Ukraine so she could nominate him for the Nobel Peace Prize.

Meloni revels in her cordial ties with Trump, who has expressed frustration at failing to win the prize.

"I hope that one day we can award a Nobel Peace Prize to Donald Trump," Italian Prime Minister Meloni told a press conference after meeting German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.

"I trust that if he makes a difference... in achieving a just and lasting peace for Ukraine, for Ukraine too... finally, we too could nominate Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize."

In a message to Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store made public on Monday, Trump said failing to get the prize meant he no longer felt obliged "to think purely of peace".

On Thursday, Trump unveiled his "Board of Peace", initially designed to oversee the Gaza truce and the territory's revival, but which has morphed into a mechanism aiming to resolve all sorts of international conflicts.

Italy has been invited to join the "Board", but Meloni said she had told Trump that Italy faced "constitutional problems".

Italy's constitutional rules do not allow the country to join an organization led by a single foreign leader, according to media reports.

Trump is the chairman of the "Board", as well as serving as the US representative and the chair of its executive board.

Meloni said she had asked Trump to reopen the framework "to meet the needs not only of Italy, but also of other European countries".

"We must try to do this work," she said. "The presence of countries like ours can make a difference."

World

Turkish Court Rejects Bid by Erdogan Rival to Overcome Block to His Presidential Run

Turkish gendarmes block the way as supporters of jailed and suspended Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu rally outside the courthouse of the Marmara Prison Complex, formerly Silivri Prison, on the outskirts of Istanbul, Türkiye, 15 January 2026. (EPA)
Turkish gendarmes block the way as supporters of jailed and suspended Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu rally outside the courthouse of the Marmara Prison Complex, formerly Silivri Prison, on the outskirts of Istanbul, Türkiye, 15 January 2026. (EPA)
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Turkish Court Rejects Bid by Erdogan Rival to Overcome Block to His Presidential Run

Turkish gendarmes block the way as supporters of jailed and suspended Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu rally outside the courthouse of the Marmara Prison Complex, formerly Silivri Prison, on the outskirts of Istanbul, Türkiye, 15 January 2026. (EPA)
Turkish gendarmes block the way as supporters of jailed and suspended Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu rally outside the courthouse of the Marmara Prison Complex, formerly Silivri Prison, on the outskirts of Istanbul, Türkiye, 15 January 2026. (EPA)

A Turkish court rejected on Friday a lawsuit from jailed Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu challenging the cancellation of his university degree, his legal team said, in a further blow to his plans to run for the presidency in the next election.

Imamoglu, who is President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's main political rival, has been in jail since last March, pending trial ‌on corruption charges. He ‌received a separate ‌prison ⁠sentence in July ‌for insulting and threatening the city’s chief prosecutor.

Without a university degree, Imamoglu cannot stand as a candidate for president. His legal team told Reuters that he would appeal against Friday's court ruling.

His jailing has been criticized ⁠by Imamoglu's opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), other opposition parties, ‌some Western leaders and rights ‍groups as an ‍anti-democratic move aimed at eliminating an electoral ‍threat to Erdogan.

Imamoglu himself has denied all the accusations against him, saying they are politically motivated. Erdogan's government denies political pressure on the courts and says the judiciary is independent.

Istanbul University said last March it had annulled Imamoglu’s ⁠degree, days before the opposition picked him as its presidential candidate in the next election, which is scheduled to take place in 2028.

Imamoglu has said the university's decision was illegal and outside its jurisdiction.

In a post on X, CHP Vice Chair Burhanettin Bulut said the court's dismissal of the diploma case amounted to a political decision that ‌showed the judiciary was being used against rivals.