International
Trump loses his third attempt to remove Judge Merchan from his New York criminal trial
Judge Juan Manuel Merchan rejected the third attempt of former President Donald Trump (2017-2021) to remove him from his criminal trial in New York based on an alleged conflict of interest.
Earlier this month, Trump’s lawyers tried to prove that the fact that current Vice President Kamala Harris became a Democratic presidential candidate created a conflict of interest for Merchan, since the judge’s daughter worked as a political consultant for her.
Thus repeating the argument that Merchan denied twice in the past. In addition, more than a year ago an advisory panel on judicial ethics gave the go-ahead to the judge to take care of the case.
“Clearly said, the accused’s arguments are nothing more than a repetition of obsolete and unfounded statements,” Merchan wrote yesterday in a three-page order that was published this Wednesday.
In May, Trump became the first former president of the United States to be found guilty in a criminal trial, in his case on 34 counts of serious crimes of falsification of commercial records related to the payment of a porn actress to protect her presidential career in 2016.
Trump’s sentence, originally scheduled for July, was postponed until September 18 so that the judge who oversees the case can study whether a recent ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court could affect his conviction.
Harris has not hesitated to use Trump’s historic criminal case for his campaign and introduces himself to voters as a former prosecutor who faces a “convict criminal.”
Central America
U.S. extradites Iranian man over alleged sanctions evasion scheme
The United States has extradited from Panama an Iranian national accused of evading economic sanctions against Iran by illegally exporting U.S. technology. He is scheduled to appear this Monday before a court in Seattle.
Reza Dindar, 44, was extradited on April 17 after being detained in Panama since July 2025 on charges related to export control violations between 2011 and 2012, allegedly carried out through companies based in China.
The defendant appeared before a U.S. district court in Seattle, where he faces charges of violating sanctions imposed by the United States on Iran in 1995 during the administration of Bill Clinton. These sanctions prohibit the unauthorized export, re-export, or supply—directly or indirectly—of U.S. goods, technology, or services to Iran or its government.
According to the indictment, between 2010 and 2014, Dindar led the company New Port Sourcing Solutions in Xi’an, China, which allegedly concealed the procurement of U.S. products for shipment to clients in Iran.
International
Elon Musk skips French court appearance over X investigation
Billionaire Elon Musk did not appear this Monday before French authorities, who had summoned him for a voluntary statement as part of an investigation into his social media platform X, prosecutors told AFP.
The platform has been under investigation since early 2025 following complaints from lawmakers alleging bias in its algorithms, which may have altered its functioning and interfered in politics in France.
The probe has since expanded to include other alleged offenses, such as complicity in the distribution of child sexual abuse material, as well as the role of Grok in spreading denialist content and sexually explicit fake images.
In early February, investigators raided X’s offices in Paris. The company has denied any wrongdoing, describing the searches as “political” and “abusive.”
At that time, the Paris prosecutor’s office summoned Musk and former CEO Linda Yaccarino to provide voluntary testimony as those responsible for the platform during the period under investigation.
Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau also stated that X employees were called to testify as witnesses between April 20 and April 24.
International
Four injured in shooting at Teotihuacán archaeological site in Mexico
Four more people were injured by gunfire during the ആക്രമ attack at Teotihuacán, one of the most emblematic archaeological complexes in Mexico, authorities confirmed.
The Secretary of Security of the State of Mexico, Cristóbal Castañeda, reported that the victims include two Colombian nationals, one Russian, and one Canadian. Additionally, two other individuals were injured due to falls, according to a statement from local authorities.
President Claudia Sheinbaum expressed concern over the incident, stating on social media that “what happened today in Teotihuacán deeply pains us.”
Federal authorities recovered a firearm, a knife, and ammunition at the scene, which remains under the protection of state police and the Guardia Nacional, according to the federal Security Cabinet.
Located about 50 kilometers from Mexico City, Teotihuacán is a major tourist destination frequently visited by both domestic and international travelers.
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