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Donald Trump and Stormy Daniels face off on tense day in court
Stormy Daniels and Donald Trump have been locked in a years-long public battle over an alleged sexual encounter, a hush-money deal paid by the former president’s fixer, and their respective efforts to own the very public narrative.
Those tensions – and the salacious details that surround them – spilled out in court on Tuesday when Ms Daniels took the stand in Mr Trump’s criminal trial to face him in court for the first time.
The former adult-film star, wearing loose-fitting black clothes and her hair pinned back, did not look at the former president for most of the day, except when she noted his dark blue suit after she was asked to point him out.
She spent much of her time on the stand recounting the sexual encounter that she claims to have had with the defendant – an act that sparked the allegations at the heart of the case – and pushing back at his legal team’s scathing questions.
Mr Trump, meanwhile, spent parts of her evidence cursing and shaking his head. That prompted a warning from the judge, according to court transcripts published at the end of the day.
The former president faces 34 felony counts of falsifying business records. The charges stem from an alleged attempt to conceal a $130,000 payment to Ms Daniels aimed to keep her quiet about the purported tryst.
He has pleaded not guilty and denies any sexual encounter with her, though he has acknowledged that his ex-lawyer, Michael Cohen, paid her a sum to keep quiet about her claims.
As the woman who received the money, Ms Daniels was expected to appear in court at some point. But her testimony on Tuesday brought the most dramatic day of the trial yet.
She provided such lurid details about her encounter with Mr Trump that the former president’s lawyers called for a mistrial. Justice Juan Merchan acknowledged “there were some things that would have been better left unsaid” and warned prosecutors not to ask for specifics of such a personal nature.
The details, which she has previously shared, included her claim that they did not use a condom, that she spanked Mr Trump with a magazine, and the answers she allegedly elicited from the former president about his wife.
The trial has already dredged up an underworld of tabloid publishers and Hollywood lawyers, one of whom was employed by Ms Daniels to broker the hush payment. Her testimony on Tuesday appeared to be a step too far for the judge as well as Mr Trump’s defence team, however.
Trump listens as Daniels shares her story
Early in the day, Mr Trump’s lawyers sought to have Justice Merchan limit what prosecutors could ask Ms Daniels about their alleged sexual encounter in 2006, and the pair’s two subsequent meetings.
The prosecution argued they needed to ask Ms Daniels about it to establish intent for the pay-out. Despite tighter parameters, Ms Daniels’ scandalous details still spilled out in unusually long answers.
This is not the first time Ms Daniels has shared the details of her alleged sexual encounter with Mr Trump. Since the deal came to light, she has told her story on national television, in a self-titled documentary, to America’s most famous broadcast journalist and in her book, Full Disclosure.
But this was the first time she shared it while the man she claims to have had sex with sat just a few feet away.
In the morning session, the witness appeared nervous, speaking at such a brisk pace that both the prosecutor, Susan Hoffinger, and Justice Merchan asked her to slow down. At times, it also appeared that her evidence got away from prosecutor Ms Hoffinger, who received a stern warning from the judge to better control her witness.
The adult-film star kept her eyes on the jury while taking the court back to 2006, when she first encountered Mr Trump decked out in golf attire at a celebrity tournament. He asked her to join him for a meal, she recalled.
Ms Daniels told the court that she initially did not want to have dinner with Mr Trump, but her publicist encouraged her, saying “‘What could possibly go wrong?'” The line drew laughs from some in the courtroom.
(BBC)
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Arrest warrants issued for Netanyahu, Gallant and Hamas commander over alleged war crimes
Judges at the International Criminal Court (ICC) have issued arrest warrants for Israel’s prime minister and former defence minister, as well as Hamas’s military commander.
A statement said a pre-trial chamber had rejected Israel’s challenges to the court’s jurisdiction and issued warrants for Benjamin Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant.
A warrant was also issued for Mohammed Deif, although the Israeli military has said he was killed in an air strike in Gaza in July.
The judges said there were “reasonable grounds” the three men bore “criminal responsibility” for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity during the war between Israel and Hamas. Both Israel and Hamas have rejected the allegations.
It will now be up to the ICC’s 124 member states – which do not include Israel or its ally, the United States – to decide whether or not to enforce the warrants.
In May, the ICC prosecutor Karim Khan sought warrants for Netanyahu, Gallant, Deif and two other Hamas leaders who have since been killed, Ismail Haniyeh and Yahya Sinwar. Although Israel believes Deif has also been killed, the chamber said it was not able to confirm his death.
The prosecutor’s case against them stems from the events of 7 October 2023, when Hamas gunmen attacked southern Israel, killing about 1,200 people and taking 251 others back to Gaza as hostages.
Israel responded to the attack by launching a military campaign to eliminate Hamas, during which at least 44,000 people have been killed in Gaza, according to the territory’s Hamas-run health ministry.
Mr Khan accused the Hamas leaders of crimes against humanity and war crimes including extermination, murder, the taking of hostages, rape and torture.
For the Israeli leaders, the accusations included deliberate attacks on civilians, and the use of starvation as a weapon of war, as well as extermination and murder.
[BBC]
Newly appointed Deputy Ministers of the National People’s Power (NPP) government were sworn in today (21) before President Anura Kumara Dissanayake at the Presidential Secretariat.
The new Deputy Ministers are as follows:
- Prof. Anil Jayantha Fernando : Deputy Minister of Economic Development
- Mr. Namal Karunarathne : Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Livestock
- Mr. Wasantha Piyathissa : Deputy Minister of Rural Development, Social Security and Community Empowerment
- Mr. Nalin Hewage : Deputy Minister of Vocational Education
- Mr. R.M. Jayawardena : Deputy Minister of Trade, Commerce and Food Security
- Mr. Gamagedara Dissanayake : Deputy Minister of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs
- Mr. T.B. Sarath : Deputy Minister of Housing
- Mr. Rathna Gamage : Deputy Minister of Fisheries, Aquatic and Ocean Resources
- Mr. Mahinda Jayasinghe : Deputy Minister of Labour
- Mr. Aruna Jayasekara : Deputy Minister of Defence
- Mr. Arun Kemachandra : Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Employment
- Mr. Anton Jayakody : Deputy Minister of Environment
- Mr. Mohommed Muneer : Deputy Minister of National Integrity
- Eng. Eranga Weerarathne : Deputy Minister of Digital Economy
- Mr. Eranga Gunasekara :Deputy Minister of Youth Affairs
- Mr. Chathuranga Abeysinghe : Deputy Minister of Industries and Entrepreneurship Development
- Eng. Janith Ruwan Kodithuwakku : Deputy Minister of Ports and Civil Aviation
- Dr. Namal Sudarshana : Deputy Minister of Women and Child Affairs
- Mr. Ruwan Senarath : Deputy Minister of Provincial Councils and Local Governance
- Dr. Prasanna Kumara Gunasena : Deputy Minister of Transport and Highways
- Dr. Hansaka Wijemuni : Deputy Minister of Health and Media
- Mr. Upali Samarasinghe : Deputy Minister of Co-operative Development
- Mr. Ruwan Chaminda Ranasinghe : Deputy Minister of Tourism
- Mr. Sugath Thilakarathne : Deputy Minister of Sports
- Mr. Sundaralingam Pradeep : Deputy Minister of Plantation and Community Infrastructure
- Attorney Sunil Watagala : Deputy Minister of Public Security and Parliamentary Affairs
- Dr. Madhura Senevirathne : Deputy Minister of Education and Higher Education
- Dr. Harshana Sooriyapperuma : Deputy Minister of Finance and Planning
- Dr. Susil Ranasinghe : Deputy Minister of Land and Irrigation
Secretary to the President Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake was also present at the event.
For Sri Lanka and new head coach Sanath Jayasuriya, the last few months have certainly been winning ones, with the few blips – a 3-0 T20I series reverse against India, and losing the first two Tests in England – swiftly forgotten thanks to the morale-boosting wins and performances that followed.
But observers of Sri Lankan cricket over recent years will know better than to get carried away. After the twin peaks of 2014’s T20 World Cup win and overseas Test triumph in England, there was always likely to be a comedown and rebuild after the retirement of the stalwarts that drove those victories.
But the false dawns since then have been plenty, from an unexpectedly promising 2021 T20 World Cup campaign, to an even more unexpected 2022 Asia Cup final win, and then a run to the final of the 2023 Asia Cup which itself was preceded by an unbeaten 2023 ODI World Cup qualifying campaign. Even this year’s T20 World Cup build up had seen resounding series wins against Zimbabwe, Afghanistan and Bangladesh. All the hope that sprung from those victories, however, was just as quickly snuffed out by abject showings in major tournaments and finals.
So will this time be any different? For Jayasuriya and his team (which he has mentioned at any opportunity when allocating credit), the proof of the pudding is in the tasting. At the moment it tastes quite good, but balancing long-term objectives with short-term goals is no easy task, and during the early part of Jayasuriya’s reign as head coach it’s the short-term that has taken immediate priority.
Take the recently concluded series against New Zealand. Several red-ball specialists were sent to South Africa early to prepare for Sri Lanka’s crucial WTC-impacting Test series later this month, but four key players – Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis, Kamindu Mendis and Asitha Fernando – were asked to remain and play against a fairly green New Zealand side.
Would those four have been better served preparing for the Tests Sri Lanka need to win to keep their WTC final hopes alive? Most certainly. But for Jayasuriya, the need to keep a winning momentum was just as important – and for those four players, a shorter adaptation period is now a challenge they must meet head-on.
“We were discussing all these options, but we wanted to do well, even in Sri Lanka with the ODIs and T20s, because we can’t take things for granted even with this New Zealand team. Yes, some of their players didn’t come but they still have a good team. They played good cricket here,” said Jayasuriya, alongside chief selector Upul Tharanga, on Thursday [21]. “So that is why we give some of them to rest on the last game – to come back to Colombo, rest and then go to South Africa. Some of the players may have to adjust themselves as quickly as possible to the situation. So Kamindu, Pathum, Kusal Mendis, those three players need to adjust themselves according to the situations, red-ball and white-ball.”
As for Asitha – Sri Lanka’s lead red-ball seamer – Jayasuriya felt the rest afforded by not playing in the T20s and the final ODI was enough.
“We gave him a rest in the T20 games, where he had two games off,” Jayasuriya said. “And after that we got him to play two ODIs and we gave him the third ODI off. So we’re managing him, because he’s the one who’s bowling really well at the moment. We have to look after him.
“Of course, we considered those areas resting players with the selectors, but we came to the decision to play everyone in the first two games, and then to see how it goes.”
These answers may not satisfy those who might view a white-ball series against a depleted New Zealand side as significantly less important than the Tests in South Africa – particularly with Sri Lanka’s next major ODI tournament set to be in 2027 for the World Cup – however, it’s increasingly evident that Jayasuriya’s management style – at least at this juncture – is focused on tackling the challenge at hand as opposed to looking at the big picture.
“What I say is, when you get to the ground, you can win the match or lose it, but you have to show the right attitude and body language. That needs to be 100% – if you do that you’ll never go wrong. I always insist on the basics like that.
“If you go for a T20 it’s about three hours of cricket, an ODI is around six hours. For that period of time, flick the switch, and give me 100%, and on either side of that forget about it. Like that, I look to give small, small goals. You don’t need to give these boys big targets, they have played cricket from a young age, they know what to do. They just need the confidence, structure, discipline, put it all together and go well.”
[Cricinfo]
Arrest warrants issued for Netanyahu, Gallant and Hamas commander over alleged war crimes
Students from three schools visit Presidential Secretariat
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