| | | | | | | Hello. Today we hear from my colleagues in New York covering Donald Trump’s first day in court, where he faces a civil lawsuit for alleged fraud. I also have a bit of good news as a second malaria vaccine was green-lit by public health authorities. It’s been a week now that your news briefing comes twice a day - drop us an email to let us know what you think. |
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| | | | Get up to speed | | • | Mike Jeffries, the ex-CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch, and his British partner Matthew Smith face allegations of exploitation from men recruited for sex events they hosted around the world, a BBC investigation has found. Read the full investigation. | | • | A second malaria vaccine is recommended for use by the World Health Organization. It is cheaper and easier to produce than a first vaccine unveiled two years ago. | | • | The Democratic campaigner Laphonza Butler is appointed to replace the late US senator Dianne Feinstein. Elections for the seat will take place in November 2024. |
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| | AT THE SCENE | New York City, United States | | Trump in court for fraud trial | | | | EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock | | Donald Trump is finishing his day in court as he faces a civil lawsuit and a fine of $250m for alleged fraud committed through the Trump Organization. The former president denied the allegations and attacked both the prosecutor who launched the suit and the judge presiding over the case. | | | The build up to Donald Trump's trial in New York on Monday was filled with animosity between the main players. Trump has accused his chief opponent - New York Attorney General Letitia James - of everything from racism to being "biased and corrupt". And as he stood outside the courtroom - with his comments echoing across the chamber - he raged against Judge Arthur Engoron, who he called a "rogue" adjudicator. Given the former president's highly personal attacks, observers expected a tense atmosphere in the cramped confines of the courtroom.
But during most of the proceedings this morning, there have been minimal interactions between Trump, Judge Engoron and James. As he entered court clad in his blue suit, Trump looked ahead as he walked past the attorney general. Dressed in all black in the front row, James averted her gaze and looked ahead. Their paths did not cross for the rest of the opening statements. As for Judge Engoron - who Trump has referred to on social media as "deranged" - the former president has occasionally glanced in the justice's direction as he addresses the court, mostly sitting still and appearing relatively subdued.
While prosecutors set out their case, Trump for the most part sat still and looked straight ahead, occasionally whispering to his representatives, while James kept her eyes on a lawyer unveiling a visual presentation that accompanied her team's opening statements. |
| | | | • | The rundown: Here are the five things to know to know about the trial. | | • | Real estate, real worries: Looking at the New York buildings that the former president could lose. |
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| | Questions Answered | | Ukraine’s other battlefront | | | | Volodymyr Zelensky's address at the UN last month did not command the same attention as before. Credit: EPA-EFE/REX/SHUTTERSTOCK |
| | Kyiv suffered a double blow this weekend: a candidate who campaigned on ending military support for Ukraine led the general election in Slovakia, and in Washington, Congress chose to withhold a $6bn aid package to avoid a government shutdown. These show how Ukraine is facing a fight in diplomatic circles, as well as on the battlefield. | | | | James Landale, BBC diplomatic correspondent |
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| | What’s changed? | | At the UN General Assembly recently, it was noticeable how Ukraine was no longer automatically at the top of the agenda. Diplomats noticed the sheen had come off the Ukrainian delegation, as leaders from the Global South pressed their own agendas. | | How has the West reacted? | | The counter-argument Western diplomats are making is that more than the fate of Ukraine hangs in the balance on the battlefield. Russia's withdrawal from the Black Sea grain initiative and its attacks on Ukrainian grain silos have made it easier for Ukraine and the West to argue that the Global South has a stake in the fight. The diplomats say countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America are beginning to warm to this argument. | | So, what is Kyiv’s stance? | | Ukraine is playing a long game. Key figures within the government have long anticipated that Western support might soften over time. But there may be two key moments when Western unity could be tested. First, if Donald Trump is re-elected President next year and curbs US support ; Second, if there is some kind of end to the conflict, allies may find it hard to unite around the compromises that might be needed to reach a political settlement. | | | | |
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| | The big picture | | Lost at space | | | | Our view of the Orion Nebula - visible only as a faint smudge to the naked eye - has been transformed. Credit: NASA/ESA/CSA/McCaughrean & Pearson |
| | The James Webb Space Telescope has spotted Jupiter-sized "planets" free-floating in space, unconnected to any star - and astronomers are struggling to explain why. One possibility is these objects were made around stars, then kicked out into interstellar space through various interactions, scientists told our science correspondent Jonathan Amos. "My reactions ranged from: 'Whaaat?!?' to 'Are you sure?’ to 'That's just so weird’,” one astronomer said. | | | | |
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| | | | For your downtime | | The race to map oceans | | Behind the quest to chart the bottom of the sea. | | |
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| | | | And finally... | | Opinions may vary on the matter of public proposals - some find the gesture romantic, I find it unnecessarily stressful. But it seemed to have gone well for this couple running Sunday’s Cardiff Half Marathon, where one runner popped the question right before the finish line. His partner said yes, but the couple missed their target time by seven minutes. Watch the proposal here. |
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