Foreign News
Trump seeks to dismiss election interference charges
Ex-President Donald Trump has asked a federal court to dismiss the election interference case against him, arguing his role entitled him to “absolute immunity”.
Mr Trump’s lawyers say his attempts to cast doubt on the 2020 election fell within his duties as president and are not subject to criminal prosecution.
The claims were “at the heart of his official responsibilities”, they argue.
Mr Trump’s attorneys have also asked for the trial, in which the former president is accused of improperly handling sensitive files, to be held after the 2024 presidential election.
It is part of a flurry of legal filings in recent days related to a number of Mr Trump’s ongoing cases.
In a new filing in the election interference case on Thursday, his lawyers argue that Mr Trump’s public statements about the 2020 contest were attempts at “ensuring the integrity of federal elections”. “The acts alleged in the indictment lie firmly within the ‘outer perimeter’ of the President’s official responsibility,” the lawyers argue. “Therefore, they cannot form the basis of criminal charges against President Trump.”
The former president made a range of allegations about fraud in the 2020 presidential election after his loss, but no evidence has emerged of any widespread fraud that would have altered the result.
In an attempt to delay another case, Mr Trump filed a notice to voluntarily dismiss another lawsuit against his ex-lawyer Michael Cohen – who he was suing for at least $500m (£410m) in damages – on Thursday.
In a statement released to US media, Mr Trump’s campaign claimed that his legal suits and 2024 presidential campaign were using up too much of his time for him to pursue the claim.
(BBC)
A head teacher’s quick decision to evacuate his school saved 900 pupils from deadly flash floods along the Nepal-Tibet border
Rajendra Dawadi tells the BBC he was tipped off about incoming flood waters and moved students to higher ground with just minutes to spare. One pupil says she and her friends survived by just 10 seconds and watched as a nearby bazaar was swept away
Wednesday’s disaster has killed at least 794 people and more than 2,500 people are missing in Nepal, local officials say
In Tibet, the official death toll is 16, with 546 reported to be missing, according to Chinese state media –
[BBC]
A ferry carrying around 260 people has capsized off the coast of northern Cyprus with a search underway for survivors, according to local media.
The catamaran-style boat was travelling from the port of Kyrenia, also known as Girne, and started sinking a few kilometres off the coast of the island state on Sunday.
There were no immediate reports of casualties.
[Aljazeera]
A former White House teleprompter operator has been ordered to pay more than $172,000 (£127,000) for using inside information to bet on US President Donald Trump’s speeches.
Gabriel Perez was found to have made trades on what the president would say during addresses between December 2025 and February 2026 on Kalshi – a prediction markets platform where users can bet on real-world events.
Its regulator, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), said Perez would have to surrender profits of $107,539.02 (£79,452) and pay a civil penalty of $65,000 (£48,000).
The White House has not yet commented. In July then press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Perez was on unpaid leave and would not return to his post.
Announcing the settlement on Friday, the CFTC said Perez had “misappropriated” his prior knowledge of Trump’s speeches to place bets “in breach of his duty of trust and confidence”.
It said his civil penalty had been reduced due to his “exemplary co-operation” with the investigation.
Perez has also been banned from trading for three years.
Writing on X, Kalshi’s lead lawyer Bobby DeNault welcomed the decision: “It doesn’t matter who you are: violate our rules or federal law and you will face the consequences.”
(BBC)
Head teacher evacuated 900 children minutes before school washed away by Nepal floods
UPDATE: Seven killed and 23 missing after boat capsizes off northern Cyprus, says Turkish Cypriot PM
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