International

Key witness involves Trump in efforts not to be harmed in the elections

The former editor of the American tabloid The National Enquirer, David Pecker, confirmed in a New York court his link with former President Donald Trump in 2016 to hide “embarrassing stories” that could involve the Republican politician and harm him in the elections.

“I wanted to protect my company, myself and also Donald Trump,” said who was also an executive of the media conglomerate America Media Inc. and who goes to court as a witness.

With the help of Pecker and his former lawyer Michael Cohen, Trump is accused of falsifying accounting records to pay for a “criminal plot” that would have bought the silence of porn actress Stormy Daniels. In addition to that of model Karen McDougal, preventing her alleged love affairs with him from coming to light.

The deal (a practice known as ‘catch and kill’) consisted of acquiring the rights to these stories supposedly to be published in that tabloid, but with the real purpose of leaving them ‘forgoten’ in a drawer.

Something that Pecker acknowledged having done in McDougal’s case, with the payment of $150,000 that would then have to be reimbursed by the Trump Organization. But not in the case of Daniels.

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“The boss (Trump, according to Pecker) is going to get very nervous, Cohen told me (…). I assumed that this concern was due to its impact on the campaign,” recalled the media tycoon, who said he had refused to buy the porn actress’s exclusive because he did not want it to affect “the reputation” of the tabloid.

Dozens of bills, checks, letters or emails were brought up by the Prosecutor’s Office while Trump remained impassive from the dock.

His gesture barely soured on a couple of occasions. One of them, when Pecker recalled how the negotiation was with McDougal who, according to his version, feared that the agreement would be leaked.

“I really didn’t want to become the new Monica Lewinsky,” she added.

Pecker mentioned different calls with Trump during 2016 in which his mood varied as media such as The Wall Street Journal or the New York Post learned about the agreement that the former president had with The National Enquirer.

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“He called me very upset asking how he could have happened and saying that he thought he had everything under control. That call ended without being said goodbye,” the then editor explained.

However, Pecker stated that, despite not having been in contact since 2019, he still considers Trump “someone close”: “I still consider him a friend,” he said.

Before reaching the court, Trump was in a campaign event with approximately thirty followers from a new construction site in Manhattan. There, Trump defined Pecker as “good people.”

This opinion was considered by the Prosecutor’s Office as a new violation of the gag order that weighs on the former president. This prevents him from publicly referring, among others, to witnesses, jury members and court workers.

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International

Trump signs order to end federal funding for NPR and PBS

U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Thursday to halt federal funding for two public media outlets, PBS television and NPR radio, accusing them of being biased.

NPR and PBS are partially funded by American taxpayers but rely heavily on private donations.

Trump has long maintained a hostile relationship with most media outlets, which he has referred to as the “enemy of the people.”

An exception is the conservative Fox News channel, some of whose hosts have played important roles in the administration of the Republican magnate.

“National Public Radio (NPR) and Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) receive taxpayer funding through the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB),” Trump said.

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“Therefore, I direct the CPB board and all executive departments and agencies to cease federal funding for NPR and PBS,” he added.

The Republican leader argued that “neither of these entities provides a fair, accurate, or impartial portrayal of current events to the taxpayer citizens.”

At the end of March, Donald Trump called on Congress to end public funding for these two “horrible and completely biased networks.”

International

Man arrested after deliberately driving into seven children in Osaka

Japanese police arrested a man on Thursday after he rammed his car into a group of seven schoolchildren in an apparent deliberate attack in the city of Osaka.

The children, who were on their way home from school, sustained injuries and were taken to the hospital. All seven remained conscious, according to local authorities.

An Osaka police officer, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the suspect is a 28-year-old man from Tokyo. The officer shared statements the man made after his arrest: “I was fed up with everything, so I decided to kill people by driving into several elementary school children,” the suspect reportedly said.

The man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder.

The injured children, aged between seven and eight, included a seven-year-old girl who suffered a fractured jaw. The six other children—all boys—suffered minor injuries such as bruises and scratches and were undergoing medical evaluation.

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Witnesses described the car as “zigzagging” before hitting the children. One witness told Nippon TV that a girl was “covered in blood” and the others appeared to have scratches.

Another witness said the driver, who was wearing a face mask, looked to be in shock when school staff pulled him from the vehicle.

Violent crimes are rare in Japan, though serious incidents do occur from time to time. In 2008, Tomohiro Kato drove a two-ton truck into pedestrians in Tokyo’s Akihabara district, then fatally stabbed several victims. Seven people were killed in that attack.

Internacionales

Clashes erupt during may day protests across France amid calls for better wages

May Day protests in France were marked by a heavy police presence and clashes between demonstrators and law enforcement in several cities.

In Paris, Lyon, and Nantes, thousands took to the streets to demand better wages, fairer working conditions, and to voice their dissatisfaction with President Emmanuel Macron’s government.

While the majority of the demonstrations remained peaceful, isolated confrontations broke out in some areas. Protesters threw objects at the police, prompting the use of tear gas and resulting in several arrests.

Videos showing police crackdowns circulated widely on social media, drawing criticism from labor unions and human rights advocates, who denounced the authorities’ response to the protests.