International
A U.S. media manager says he favored Trump to help him in his 2016 campaign
A director of a media outlet that testifies in the trial against Donald Trump, named David Pecker, said on Tuesday in a court in New York that he favored the campaign of the then Republican candidate in 2016 after an agreement that, according to the Prosecutor’s Office, was part of a “criminal structure” to corrupt the elections.
The former US president, present in the courtroom, is criminally accused of falsifying accounting records to buy the silence of the porn actress Stormy Daniels and that an alleged love affair between the two did not come to light that would have put in check his promotion to the White House eight years ago.
According to the Manhattan Prosecutor’s Office, the work of Pecker – former editor of the tabloid The National Enquirer – contributed to the plot by buying the publication rights of two other extramarital stories – an alleged ‘affair’ with model Karen McDougal and a false illegitimate son of Trump – to leave them stored in a drawer and thus protect the candidacy of the Republican politician.
A strategy known in English as ‘catch and kill’, which he applied after paying $150,000 to McDougal and $30,000 to the man who claimed to have the exclusive of Trump’s alleged unrecognized offspring, revealed Pecker.
“I made the decision to buy the story (of the alleged illegitimate son) due to the possible embarrassment it would mean for the campaign and for Mr. Trump,” he clarified.
Shortly before, the former American media magnate had explained that they also harmed the former ruler’s political rivals.
“What I had to do was publish positive stories about Mr. Trump and publish negative stories about his opponents,” Pecker, the first witness to testify at the trial, who was called by the Prosecutor’s Office after finishing the initial allegations, confirmed with a calm attitude.
Prosecutors argued on Monday that this “conspiracy,” in which Michael Cohen – former lawyer of the former president of the United States – was forged with a meeting at the Trump Tower in 2015.
International
U.S. Senate Rejects Budget, Bringing Government Closer to Shutdown Amid DHS Dispute
The U.S. Senate voted on Thursday against a budget proposal in a move aimed at pressuring changes at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), following the killing of two civilians during a deployment of immigration agents in Minneapolis.
All Senate Democrats and seven Republican lawmakers voted against the bill, which requires 60 votes to advance, pushing the country closer to a partial government shutdown that would cut funding for several agencies, including the Pentagon and the Department of Health.
The rejection came as Senate leaders and the White House continue negotiations on a separate funding package for DHS that would allow reforms to the agency. Proposed measures include banning Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents from wearing face coverings and requiring them to use body-worn cameras during operations.
The vote took place just hours after President Donald Trump said he was “close” to reaching an agreement with Democrats and did not believe the federal government would face another shutdown, following last year’s record stoppage.
“I don’t think the Democrats want a shutdown either, so we’ll work in a bipartisan way to avoid it. Hopefully, there will be no government shutdown. We’re working on that right now,” Trump said during a Cabinet meeting at the White House.
International
Trump Says Putin Agreed to One-Week Halt in Attacks on Ukraine Amid Extreme Cold
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he secured a commitment from Russian President Vladimir Putinto halt attacks against Ukraine for one week, citing extreme weather conditions affecting the region.
“Because of the extreme cold (…) I personally asked Putin not to attack Kyiv or other cities and towns for a week. And he agreed. He was very pleasant,” Trump said during a Cabinet meeting broadcast by the White House.
Trump acknowledged that several advisers had questioned the decision to make the call.
“A lot of people told me not to waste the call because they wouldn’t agree. And he accepted. And we’re very happy they did, because they don’t need missiles hitting their towns and cities,” the president said.
According to Trump, Ukrainian authorities reacted with surprise to the announcement but welcomed the possibility of a temporary ceasefire.
“It’s extraordinarily cold, record cold (…) They say they’ve never experienced cold like this,” he added.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky later commented on the announcement, expressing hope that the agreement would be honored.
International
Storm Kristin Kills Five in Portugal, Leaves Nearly 500,000 Without Power
Storm Kristin, which battered Portugal with heavy rain and strong winds early Wednesday, has left at least five people dead, while nearly half a million residents remained without electricity as of Thursday, according to updated figures from authorities.
The revised death toll was confirmed to AFP by a spokesperson for the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority (ANPEC). On Wednesday, the agency had reported four fatalities.
Meanwhile, E-Redes, the country’s electricity distribution network operator, said that around 450,000 customers were still without power, particularly in central Portugal.
Emergency services responded to approximately 1,500 incidents between midnight and 8:00 a.m. local time on Wednesday, as the storm caused widespread disruptions.
The Portuguese government described Kristin as an “extreme weather event” that inflicted significant damage across several regions of the country. At the height of the storm, as many as 850,000 households and institutions lost electricity during the early hours of Wednesday.
Several municipalities ordered the closure of schools, many of which remained shut on Thursday due to ongoing adverse conditions.
Ricardo Costa, regional deputy commander of the Leiria Fire Brigade, said residents continue to seek assistance as rainfall persists.
“Even though the rain is not extremely intense, it is causing extensive damage to homes,” he noted.
In Figueira da Foz, a coastal city in central Portugal, strong winds toppled a giant Ferris wheel, underscoring the severity of the storm.
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