Opening statements at Trump's trial in Manhattan
The first criminal trial of a former US president began yesterday, with lawyers from both sides presenting divergent views of Donald Trump in their opening statements.
Prosecutors have provided a stark account of Trump's sordid past, painting him as a co-conspirator in a plot to cover up three sex scandals that threatened his 2016 election victory and alleging that Trump lied “over and over and over” to protect his candidacy.
Trump's lawyers called the case a “breach of corporate records” which it was not, arguing that the 34 crimes Trump faced amounted to “only 34 pieces of paper.” They sought to undermine the credibility of key prosecution witnesses, such as Michael Cohen, Trump's former fixer.
The day also included brief testimony from David Pecker, who ran The National Enquirer and who prosecutors say bought and buried stories that could have endangered Trump's 2016 campaign. The proceedings ended early to accommodate the holidays of Easter and a juror's emergency dentist appointment.
An Israeli intelligence leader has resigned
Maj. General Aharon Haliva, Israel's director of military intelligence, resigned over intelligence failures that preceded the Hamas-led attacks on Israel on October 7. He is the most senior official to offer to resign after the assault.
General Haliva had become the symbol of the Israeli establishment's failure to prevent the deadliest attack in the country's history. His resignation was expected to increase pressure on other senior figures, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, to take more responsibility for their role in the catastrophe.
UK passes Rwanda deportation bill
Britain's Conservative government has finally won its Rwandan deportation bill through, enacting a law that human rights activists say is inhumane, immigration experts say unworkable and legal critics say has corroded the state's reputation as a refugee. law of the country.
The legislation is designed to allow the government to put some asylum seekers on one-way flights to Rwanda, where their claims will be processed. If they were then granted refugee status, they would be resettled in Rwanda, not Britain. But any deportation attempt will likely face additional legal challenges, making it unlikely that large numbers of asylum seekers will ever be sent to Rwanda.
OTHER IMPORTANT NEWS
The rush on slimming drugs made by pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk has created a godsend for the Danish city of Kalundborg.
That's all for today's briefing. Thanks for spending part of the morning with us and see you tomorrow. —Dan
PS: “The Interview” will debut on Saturday, a new podcast where you chat with fascinating people.
You can contact Dan and the team at [email protected].