International
The phase of initial allegations in the criminal trial of Trump in New York begins on Monday
The trial in New York against former President Donald Trump (2017-2021), accused of falsifying documents to buy the silence of a porn actress and thus protect her career at the White House in 2016, enters this Monday the phase of filing initial allegations.
According to the Prosecutor’s Office, Trump, 77, who seeks to return to the White House in the November elections, participated in a plan with his then lawyer Michael Cohen and others to influence the 2016 elections by suppressing negative information for his image.
This plan included an alleged payment of $130,000 to silence the porn actress Stormy Daniels and not air a Trump relationship with her at the time his wife Melania was pregnant.
On Monday of last week, the process began and Trump thus became the first former president of the United States to be subject to a criminal trial.
The jury selection process concluded last Friday after the six alternate members were appointed, who were chosen from a total of twenty-two candidates and thus join the twelve holders, seven men and five women, already selected.
Among the elected members is a woman of Spanish origin who passed the suitability filters applied by Judge Juan Merchán, in charge of the case, the prosecutor’s office and the defense lawyers of the former governor.
However, multiple candidates were discarded after assuring that they suffered from anxiety or “douts” at the prospect of having to be part of the jury.
On Friday, a hearing was also held in which prosecutors confirmed that, if Trump gets on the rune in this criminal trial, they will also ask him about his other legal battles, including two high-profile civil sentences for which he has been convicted in New York.
They also asked Judge Merchán for permission to interrogate the former president about alleged sexual attacks committed against other women, a matter on which the magistrate could rule on Monday.
Trump appeared on April 4, 2023 before the judge of the New York court in Manhattan, heard the notification of the charges against him and pleaded not guilty.
He is accused of 34 serious crimes related to his attempt to silence Daniels, who in 2016 sought to sell his story about the sexual relations he allegedly had with the former president a decade earlier.
Each of the crimes could result in Trump a prison sentence of up to 4 years.
The defense is expected to harshly attack the credibility of the Prosecutor’s Office’s Witnesses, in particular Michael Cohen, Trump’s then right-hand man, who made the payment to Daniels and pleaded guilty in 2018 of violating campaign funding and other federal laws.
Judge Merchán expressed his concern about the safety of the jury this week and said that he would prohibit journalists from revealing any information about the current and past work histories of the jury members, as well as exposing physical characteristics that make them identifiable.
The Manhattan case is the first to go to trial of the four criminal cases that Trump faces, it is also the sharpest personally and may be the only one to be held before the presidential elections next November.
In addition to this process in New York, Trump will also have to answer in the courts of Georgia and Washington DC for his alleged attempts to reverse the results of the 2020 presidential elections that he lost against the current Democratic president, Joe Biden.
And in Florida, for the accusation of illegally stealing and keeping in his Mar-a-Lago mansion classified documents that he took from the White House after leaving power.
International
China calls for dialogue amid rising Iran-Israel conflict
The Chinese government emphasized on Monday the importance of “creating the conditions to return to the proper path of dialogue” between Iran and Israel, which have exchanged attacks in recent days resulting in more than 20 Israeli and over 220 Iranian deaths.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun expressed deep concern at a press conference over the Israeli attacks on Iran and the “sudden escalation” of the military conflict.
Guo called on all parties to “take immediate measures to ease tensions and prevent the region from descending into further turmoil,” stating that “force cannot bring lasting peace.”
“If the conflict between Israel and Iran continues to intensify or even expand, the countries of the Middle East will be the first to suffer the consequences,” he added, while noting that China “will continue to maintain communication with the relevant parties, promoting peace and dialogue.”
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi spoke last Saturday with his Iranian and Israeli counterparts to condemn the Israeli airstrike on Iranian territory, which he described as a “violation of international law” with the potential to trigger “disastrous” consequences.
In both calls, Wang reiterated China’s rejection of the use of force, defended diplomacy as the only solution to the Iranian nuclear dispute, and offered China’s mediation to prevent further destabilization in the Middle East.
International
Suspect arrested in killing of Minnesota legislator and husband, governor Says
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz announced on Sunday the arrest of Vance Luther Boelter, 57, the main suspect in the killing of Democratic legislator Melissa Hortman and her husband in a Brooklyn Park suburb on Friday night.
Boelter, who also reportedly shot State Senator John Hoffman and his wife early Saturday morning, was apprehended in Sibley County following an intensive manhunt involving hundreds of law enforcement officers.
In a public statement, Governor Walz condemned Boelter’s “unthinkable actions,” which resulted in the death of a woman who “shaped the core of who we are as a state.”
“We cannot become numb to this. We are a deeply divided nation,” Walz said in a statement posted on his X account.
“We move forward not with hatred or violence, but with humility, grace, and civility,” he added.
Expressing solidarity with the victims’ families, Walz said the entire state of Minnesota is in mourning. He also thanked law enforcement for their bravery and professionalism: “They have saved lives,” he emphasized.
“As we heal, we will not let fear win,” Walz concluded. “We must honor Melissa by moving forward with understanding, service, and above all, humanity.”
Throughout Sunday, police and sheriff units searched a rural area in Minnesota for Vance Luther Boelter, a security company director and preacher who, according to Governor Walz, acted out of politically motivated violence.
International
40,000 tourists stranded in Israel amid airspace shutdown over Iran conflict
Approximately 40,000 tourists are stranded in Israel following the closure of the country’s airspace amid escalating hostilities with Iran, the Israeli Ministry of Tourism reported on Monday.
The ministry has set up a virtual office to provide information via email (virtual@goisrael.gov.il) and phone (+972-53-583-5808), as well as a Facebook page called Israel Virtual Tourist Office.
Israeli Tourism Minister Haim Katz is in contact with hotels and accommodations across the country to offer support to tourists in need, the ministry added.
Many stranded travelers are considering crossing overland into Jordan or Egypt to seek flights from those countries. The Israel Airports Authority reminded the public that land border crossings remain open.
Three German tourists stranded in Jerusalem told EFE today that they have not received any assistance from their country’s embassy in Israel, and their primary option currently is to cross into Jordan to catch a flight from there.
Since early Friday morning, Israel launched operations against Iran, targeting military personnel and infrastructure, including energy and nuclear facilities, as well as numerous residential areas in Tehran.
In response, Iran has fired hundreds of ballistic missiles at Israel, some of which have struck various locations across the country, leaving at least 24 dead so far, according to Israeli authorities.
Iranian health officials report at least 224 deaths, mostly civilians, including at least 17 senior military officials—nine from the Revolutionary Guard—and more than a dozen nuclear scientists.
The Israeli military has warned that many more “targets” remain, while Iran’s Revolutionary Guard declared on Monday that it will continue missile attacks against Israel until its “destruction.”
China calls for dialogue amid rising Iran-Israel conflict
Suspect arrested in killing of Minnesota legislator and husband, governor Says
40,000 tourists stranded in Israel amid airspace shutdown over Iran conflict
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