Source: BBC
Security & Justice
State Action Signals Change in Tackling Longstanding Illegal Land Grabs in Jbeil District
For years, the serene villages of Jbeil's highlands have been far from peaceful. Ghabat, a Maronite village nestled between the predominantly Shiite towns of Afqa and Lassa, has become a focal point of growing tensions due to territorial disputes.
Friday, December 20, 2024
Mawlawi Ensures Strict Monitoring for Wanted Syrian Regime Figures at Beirut Airport
Caretaker Minister of Interior, Bassam Mawlawi, conducted an inspection tour of Rafic Hariri International Airport in Beirut to review the security arrangements and measures implemented by the Airport Security Apparatus ahead of the holiday season.
Thursday, December 19, 2024
Opinion
Lebanon After the Assads
The United States has important equities in Lebanon, including a desire for a generally friendly government’s economic and political stability; security cooperation; long-standing relations with the large Christian community in Lebanon and Lebanese diaspora in the United States; and ultimately peace between Israel and Lebanon within a broader regional settlement. Achieving these objectives will require navigating a tumultuous period in the country’s history following a war between Hezbollah and Israel that has devastated a large part of the country, exacerbating Lebanon’s already challenging economic conditions. But perhaps the most important dynamic will be how a likely Sunni-dominated state of uncertain composition in Syria will differ in its intentions toward Lebanon from the previous Alawite-led minoritarian Assad regime.
Thursday, December 19, 2024
Europe’s Syrian Dilemma
The news of the sudden and unexpected demise of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria has met a mixed response in Europe. The jubilation that a murderous dictator and close ally of Russia and Iran has fallen is not just good for the Syrian people but serves as a morale booster for Eastern Europeans wondering whether Russia can be defeated
Wednesday, December 18, 2024
Sports
Cristiano Ronaldo Unveils New Private Jet Worth $73 Million
Cristiano Ronaldo, one of the richest global athletes, has unveiled his upgraded private jet reportedly worth $73 million. With its top-notch design, exceptional speed and range of 7500 nautical miles, the Gulfstream G650 is among the fastest jets in the world.
Monday, December 16, 2024
Guardiola Accepts Man City May Need to Sign More Players to Cope with Schedule
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola believes he will need a bigger squad to handle soccer’s ever-expanding fixture schedule.
Saturday, December 14, 2024
Monday 15 April 2024 08:50:32
Donald Trump's Historic Hush-Money Trial to Begin in New York
Donald Trump will set foot in a New York courthouse on Monday and become the first former US president to stand trial in a criminal case.
He is accused of falsifying his business records to disguise a hush-money payment made to Stormy Daniels, a former adult film star, shortly before the 2016 election.
Mr Trump, 77, faces a maximum of four years in jail if convicted, but could avoid jail time and be fined instead.
He has pleaded not guilty.
Mr Trump's historic trial will take place against the backdrop of his presidential campaign, and could ultimately see the presumptive Republican nominee become a convicted felon months before voters head to the polls in November.
"It's unprecedented," said Alex Keyssar, a professor of history and public policy at Harvard University's Kennedy School. "There's been nothing remotely comparable to it."
The trial, which will begin with jury selection on Monday, is expected to last six to eight weeks and will center around a reimbursement Mr. Trump made to his former fixer Michael Cohen.
Cohen, 57, claims he was directed to pay Ms Daniels $130,000 (£104,000) in exchange for her silence about an alleged affair with Mr Trump, something prosecutors have described as an attempt to "unlawfully influence" the 2016 election.
Hush money payments are not illegal. However, the Manhattan District Attorney's Office alleges that Mr Trump committed a crime by improperly recording the reimbursement to Cohen as legal expenses.
In total, he is accused of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in the first degree. To reach a verdict, all 12 jurors must agree on whether Mr Trump is guilty or not guilty of a specific charge.
The trial in Manhattan is expected to feature testimony from a cast of colorful characters at the heart of the case, including Cohen, Ms Daniels, and Mr Trump's lawyer who went to prison in part over the scandal.
Experts are divided over the strength of the prosecution's case, which involves a more novel legal approach to bringing felony charges over the falsification of business records.
Mr Trump has made several unsuccessful attempts to delay the jury trial and move it from Manhattan, which is comprised predominantly of Democrats.
His fiery remarks about the case, which he has repeatedly described as politically motivated, led the judge to impose a gag order that bans him from making public comments about people related to the case, including witnesses.
The order was extended after Mr. Trump turned his online attacks on the judge's daughter, calling her a "Rabid Trump Hater".
The Trump campaign said the gag order was unconstitutional and violated his free speech rights.
This criminal case is just one of four Donald Trump is facing this year. But it could be the only trial to take place before his 2024 election rematch with President Joe Biden.
As a first-time offender, even if Mr Trump is convicted, experts say he is unlikely to go to prison. Even if he did, under US law, he could still serve as president.
But his conviction would mark the first time a felon has run for president as a major-party nominee, Mr Keyssar said.
"What's remarkable about this is that it doesn't seem to bother a significant portion of the electorate," Mr Keyssar said, noting Mr Trump's popularity has not suffered as a result of his criminal indictments.
But the potential court drama will place him at the center of the news cycle with just months to go before the election.
And that heightened attention means that any small piece of news from the court - good or bad for Mr Trump - could play a role in the race between the former and current president, said Georgetown University government Professor Hans Noel.
"I expect this to be a very close election," he said, "and so any small thing could matter".
