International
Judge analyzes Trump’s request to discard the Florida case due to the “illegal” election of the prosecutor
The judge in the case of former president and Republican pre-candidate Donald Trump for the mishandling of confidential documents, analyzes this Friday a request from the defense to dismis the accusation arguing that the special prosecutor who presented it, Jack Smith, was illegally appointed.
Trump’s defense asked Judge Ailenn Cannon in a hearing today to dismiss the charges against her, arguing that the special prosecutor who filed the accusation, Jack Smith, was illegally appointed.
They detailed that the U.S. Attorney General, Merrick Garland, lacked legal authority to appoint Smith as special prosecutor in charge of the process.
Trump’s team defended at the hearing that Smith was illegally appointed in November 2022 by prosecutor Garland, since his appointment was not first approved by Congress and, in addition, this legislative body did not act in the creation of the special prosecutor’s office.
The Special Prosecutor’s Office led by Smith maintained, for its part, that Garland had full powers as head of the Department of Justice to make the appointment.
Last May, the judge indefinitely postponed the date of the trial against Trump in Florida for the mishandling of confidential documents found in her Mar-a-Lago club, in Palm Beach (Florida) after leaving the White House.
In the same case, Trump faces charges of obstruction and deliberate retention of official documents related to U.S. Security, which are punishable by up to 20 years in prison.
This Thursday The New York Times noted that Cannon, appointed in that federal court by former President Trump (2017-2021) during his term, rejected in 2023 the request of two federal judges in Florida to resign from overseeing the case after his assignment.
Today’s hearing took place just a few weeks after a New York jury found Trump guilty of falsifying commercial records to hide his relationship with porn actress Stormy Daniels and thus protect his 2016 election campaign.
It is expected that next week there will be a debate in court, among other issues, on a silence order that prosecutors have requested to prevent Trump from making comments that could jeopardise the safety of FBI agents and other officials involved in the case.
International
Floods in Central Vietnam leave 28 dead, thousands displaced
The death toll from heavy rains and flooding in central Vietnam has risen to 28, with six people reported missing and 43 injured, local newspaper VnExpress reported Friday night.
More than 22,100 homes remain flooded, primarily in the cities of Hue and Da Nang. Floods and landslides have destroyed or swept away 91 houses and damaged another 181, the report added.
Around 245,000 households are still without electricity, particularly in Da Nang, where over 225,000 homes are affected.
Additionally, 80 stretches of national highways are blocked or disrupted due to landslides. Authorities expect the flooding to continue for another day or two in the region.
International
FBI foils ISIS-Inspired attack in Michigan, arrests five teens
Kash Patel did not provide further details, but police sources told CBS News that the potential attack was “inspired” by the Islamic State (ISIS).
“This morning, the FBI thwarted a potential terrorist attack and arrested several individuals in Michigan who were allegedly planning a violent attack during the Halloween weekend,” Patel wrote on X.
“Thanks to swift action and close coordination with our local partners, a possible terrorist act was prevented before it could be carried out,” he added.
CBS reported that five people between the ages of 16 and 20 were arrested on Friday. At least one of them was reportedly acquainted with a former member of the Michigan National Guard, who was arrested in May for plotting an ISIS-inspired attack on a U.S. military facility in the Detroit suburbs.
International
U.S. warns China over Taiwan during high-level defense talks in Kuala Lumpur
U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth expressed concerns over China’s growing military activity near Taiwan during a meeting on Friday with Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun in Kuala Lumpur.
“It was a constructive and positive meeting,” Hegseth wrote on X. “I emphasized the importance of maintaining a balance of power in the Indo-Pacific and raised U.S. concerns about China’s actions around Taiwan,” the self-governed island that Beijing claims and does not rule out invading.
The meeting took place on the sidelines of the ASEAN Defense Ministers Meeting-Plus, one day after U.S. President Donald Trump met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Busan, South Korea. According to Trump, Taiwan was not discussed during their talks.
“The United States does not seek conflict and will continue to firmly defend its interests, ensuring it maintains the capability to do so in the region,” Hegseth added in his message.
Friday’s encounter followed a September 9 video call between Hegseth and Dong. Their previously planned meeting at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore was canceled due to Dong’s absence from the event.
Trump’s sit-down with Xi — their first since 2019 — resulted in some trade agreements but avoided addressing the issue of Taiwan, a long-standing source of tension between the world’s two largest powers.
Trump has taken a more ambiguous stance on Taiwan’s future compared with former President Joe Biden, who repeatedly stated that Washington would support Taipei if China launched an invasion. The Republican president has also criticized Taiwan for “stealing” the U.S. semiconductor industry.
Floods in Central Vietnam leave 28 dead, thousands displaced
FBI foils ISIS-Inspired attack in Michigan, arrests five teens
U.S. warns China over Taiwan during high-level defense talks in Kuala Lumpur
Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
Defense Minister commends salvadoran soldier for Central American Cross Country victory
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