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Donald Trump and Stormy Daniels face off on tense day in court

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Donald Trump in the Manhattan criminal court on Tuesday (BBC)

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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Sophie Devine to miss ODIs and T20Is against Sri Lanka

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Sophie Devine skipped the WPL too  (BCCI)

New Zealand captain Sophie Devine  will not be available for their ODI and T20I series against Sri Lanka as she continues to “prioritise her well-being.” She had earlier pulled out  of the Women’s Super Smash midway and also opted out of the WPL for the same reason after “receiving professional advice.”

“We are fully supportive of Sophie’s decision to not take part in the upcoming series,” Liz Green, New Zealand Cricket’s Head of Women’s High Performance, said in a statement on Monday. “Player well-being is our highest priority and it’s important Sophie feels fit and well before returning to professional cricket.”

Since winning the T20 World Cup  with New Zealand in October 2024, Devine, 35, had been part of the ODIs against India, played in the WBBL for Perth Scorchers, and also played the ODI series against Australia in late December. She was last seen in action in the Super Smash, where she picked up 5 for 13  against Canterbury on January 24. Her team, Wellington, went on to win the domestic T20 title  with Amelia Kerr putting on a stellar show with bat and ball.

New Zealand are set to play three ODIs against Sri Lanka, starting March 4 at home, followed by three T20Is that begin on March 14. A full squad is set to be announced later this month. They are also scheduled to face Australia for three T20Is in a series that starts on March 21. These are New Zealand’s first T20I assignments since their T20 World Cup triumph where Devine led them to a maiden title.

(Cricinfo)

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Speaker of Parliament endorses the certificate on the Local Authorities Elections (Special Provisions) Bill

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The  Speaker, (Dr.) Jagath Wickramaratne endorsed the certificate on the Local Authorities Elections (Special Provisions) Bill on 17.02.2025 in Parliament, in accordance with Article 79 of the Constitution.
The Second Reading debate related to the Bill was held today (17) from 2.00 p.m. to 7.00 p.m. and was passed in Parliament with a special majority, without amendments.
The Local Authorities Elections (Special Provisions) Bill was presented to the Parliament on the 09th of January 2025 for its First Reading.
Accordingly, this Bill shall come into effect as the Local Authorities Elections (Special Provisions) Act No. 01 of 2025.
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Rs 200 million allocated to establish treatment centre for children with Neurodevelopmental Disabilities, including Autism

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The government will allocate Rs. 200 million to establish a treatment center for children with neurodevelopmental disabilities with international standards at the Lady Ridgeway Children’s Hospital (LRH).

Further, efforts will be made to establish similar kind of treatment centers in every district with the necessary human resources within the next five years.

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