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
German president says trust in U.S. leadership is ‘lost’ amid global tensions
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier said on Tuesday that trust between the United States and its Western allies has been “lost,” warning that the damage could persist beyond the presidency of Donald Trump.
“The rupture is very deep, and the loss of trust in U.S. great power policy is significant—not only among its allies, but also, as I observe, globally,” Steinmeier said during a speech in Berlin marking the 75th anniversary of Germany’s Foreign Ministry.
Referring to the future of transatlantic relations, he stated that “there is no return to the situation before January 20, 2025,” the date marking the start of Trump’s second term in the White House.
“Even a future U.S. administration will no longer be able to resume the role of a benevolent hegemon guaranteeing a liberal international order,” added Steinmeier, who previously served as Germany’s foreign minister.
He also criticized the war against Iran, describing it as “contrary to international law” and calling it “a political mistake with serious consequences.”
“This war is avoidable and unnecessary,” he said.
Although the German presidency is largely ceremonial, Steinmeier’s remarks reflect a broader concern within Germany, aligning with the government’s cautious stance while going further in tone.
International
Trump claims talks with Iran as G7 meets to address global tensions
U.S. President Donald Trump said that the United States has held talks with Iran—a claim denied by Tehran—and has temporarily paused his threat to target the country’s electrical infrastructure.
In his first overseas trip since the United States and Israel launched their offensive on February 28, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected to address key global issues, including the situation in the Middle East, according to State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott.
Foreign ministers from the Group of Seven will meet in Cernay-la-Ville, close to Versailles, on the outskirts of Paris.
During the meeting, Rubio will hold discussions with his counterparts on “the war between Russia and Ukraine, the situation in the Middle East, and threats to global peace and stability,” Pigott said.
France currently holds the presidency of the G7, whose members also include the United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, Italy, and Japan.
Although all G7 nations are close allies of the United States, none has offered explicit support for Washington’s military actions against Iran, a stance that has reportedly frustrated Trump.
Last Saturday, G7 foreign ministers called for an “immediate and unconditional end” to Iranian attacks against U.S. allies in the Middle East.
International
Pentagon to deploy 3,000 troops to Persian Gulf as Middle East tensions escalate
The Pentagon is planning to deploy nearly 3,000 troops from the 82nd Airborne Division to the Persian Gulf, according to two senior officials cited Tuesday by Spanish newspaper El País.
Meanwhile, Hezbollah warned it would confront any attempt at occupation following Israel’s announcement that its military will take control of southern Lebanon up to the Litani River, located about 30 kilometers from the border.
In recent hours, the Israel Defense Forces carried out airstrikes on Beirut, while Iran and Hezbollah responded with attacks on Israel, leaving at least six people with minor injuries in Tel Aviv.
The escalation comes as global markets react to renewed instability. The price of oil rose again above $100 per barrel after a brief decline the previous day, following an announcement by U.S. President Donald Trump of a five-day truce on attacks targeting Iran’s energy infrastructure.
Despite the announcement, Iranian authorities reported that two projectiles struck a gas pipeline in Khorramshahr and administrative buildings at a gas facility in Isfahan early Tuesday.
German president says trust in U.S. leadership is ‘lost’ amid global tensions
Trump claims talks with Iran as G7 meets to address global tensions
Pentagon to deploy 3,000 troops to Persian Gulf as Middle East tensions escalate
Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
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