Asta Dahn gives birth to her second child
Former Prime Minister Asta Dahn and her husband Dmitri Alenichev have announced the birth of their second child, Igor. Ms Dahn quit as the country’s premier in April following a spate of political crises and upon announcing her pregnancy. A spokesperson for Ms Dahn, who remains in the Federal Executive, said that the birth had ‘gone well’ and that Ms Dahn and her child were “safe and happy”. The pregnancy followed rumours that the former government minister and her husband were facing difficulties and were considering splitting. Denying the rumours at the time, Ms Dahn said the decision to quit had been her own, and that she had decided to stand down to ‘focus on her first priority of being parent’. Dahn is due to take up the role of Chair of the Foreign Executive in late October, having been appointed by her successor, Serbin, upon announcing his full executive team back in June.
Fraud investigation into Trediakovsky media empire dropped
Newspaper owner Dmitri Trediakovsky has been informed an investigation into financial irregularities and fraud has been dropped. Releasing a statement earlier today the Financial Crimes Department of the National Federal Police said that an investigation had proved ‘inconclusive’ and that “there was no case to answer at this time related to Mr Trediakovsky’s company or his personal affairs”. The row, prompted by statements by current Prime Minister Krill Serbin when serving as Acting First Deputy Prime Minister, caused international outrage, particularly following a raid on The Republic’s offices. The paper had previously claimed that former PM Asta Dahn had ‘bent rules’ to enable her husband, former Simininya Karasicena footballer Dmitri Alenichev to run for political office. The editor of the newspaper, Arseni Valeryevich, said he welcomed the decision of the government to drop the investigation.
Finance spokesperson says ‘no tax rises’ under Unionist government
In an interview on PTV last night, Unionist deputy and recently appointed financial spokesperson for the party, Satta Jovanovich said that the party would commit to not raising tax if it was to form a government in 2023. Ms Jovanovich, a major supporter of new Union Party leader Bartek Bagdat, said that it would be ‘irresponsible’ to ask the Polascianan people to “pay more money into the government when their ‘real wages were not increasing as fast as they should be”. The decision is a major shift in the party’s platform, and is seen as part of Mr Bagdat’s pledge to campaign on a “2023 agenda” in the run up to legislative elections in three years. In her interview, Jovanovich drew on themes from Mr Bagdat’s first speech as leader where she questioned whether the Coalition government was “making the money in your wage packet go further” – demonstrating a clear new line of questioning from the opposition as the president and Jovanovich’s party campaign on increasing wages through a new minimum pay policy.
