NEW YORK: Donald Trump’s lawyer took cracks at key witness Michael Cohen during wide-ranging cross-examination Thursday, questioning his memory and poking at his credibility during the first criminal trial of a former US president.
Trump is accused of falsifying business records as he reimbursed Cohen for a $130,000 payment to porn star Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election, when her story of a sexual encounter with Trump could have doomed his campaign.
The defense team has sought to instill doubt by casting Cohen as a disgruntled ex-employee who habitually lies and is out for blood at the trial, which is being heard just six months before election day when Trump hopes to retake the White House.
Under the close watch of Trump, defense attorney Todd Blanche kicked off his second round of questioning off by emphasizing Cohen’s history of lying, especially under oath.
In addition to listing Cohen’s myriad deceptions — which he has admitted to in the past including during direct questioning — the defense also played clips of the witness’s podcast episodes that frequently discussed the former president.
“You better believe I want this man to go down,” he said in one 2020 episode.
Cohen has said repeatedly he takes “responsibility” for his actions and has faced the consequences. Prior to the trial, including in his books, he had done little to hide his contempt for his former boss.
Trump meanwhile has complained his election campaign for another White House term is being stymied by the weeks-long court proceedings, which he has to attend every day.
Branding the case as politicized, he’s taken to bringing an entourage of leading Republicans to New York trial, with his latest crew of allies including congresspeople Matt Gaetz and Lauren Boebert.
The defense did not finish questioning Cohen and will continue Monday. There is no hearing on Friday due to the graduation of Trump’s youngest son, Barron.
Blanche appeared to be trying to crystallize his tactics Thursday after a meandering start this week, when yawns betrayed some jurors’ fatigue.
He has striven to ruffle Cohen, who has a reputation for a temper that could hurt him on the stand.
But Trump’s fixer-turned-foe has stayed largely composed and on topic.
As Blanche tried to catch Cohen in a lie regarding a call to Trump’s bodyguard, Blanche worked to crank the drama, the pitch of his voice rising.
“That was a lie,” Blanche said. “Admit it.”
“No sir,” Cohen replied. “I can’t.”
Prosecutors have indicated Cohen, 57, is their last witness in the case.
His story has generally lined up with both Daniels, and David Pecker, the tabloid boss who said he worked with Trump and Cohen to suppress negative coverage during his 2016 White House run.
Trump, who appeared alert Thursday after spending some time over recent days with his eyes closed, denies he ever had sex with Daniels.
After the prosecution rests, the defense can present a case, but Trump’s lawyers have remained vague on whether their client will testify.
The businessman famously considers himself his own best champion — but legal analysts believe he could be a liability on the stand.
The defense has indicated they wish to call one expert witness to explain campaign finance statutes.
But the prosecution has voiced opposition, saying that only the judge should explain how the law applies.
When the jury begins deliberating, the oft-salacious testimony will likely linger front-of-mind, but they’ll also have stacks of documents to pore over.
The charges hinge on financial records, and whether falsifying them was done with the intent to sway the 2016 presidential vote.
Prosecutors this week walked Cohen and the jury through the issue of 11 checks — most signed by Trump — in return for invoices Cohen said were falsified to cover up the reimbursement, with Trump’s knowledge.
They have said their redirect of Cohen will last approximately an hour when the defense finishes with him, which is expected by Monday midday.
Unless Trump opts to testify, closing arguments could come as soon as Tuesday.
Trump lawyers vie to discredit key witness Cohen at trial
https://arab.news/b58be
Trump lawyers vie to discredit key witness Cohen at trial
Ukraine’s Zelensky says Russian artillery fire has not subsided
KYIV: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Saturday that, according to his top commander, Russian artillery fire had not subsided despite the Kremlin’s proclamation of an Easter ceasefire.
“As of now, according to the Commander-in-Chief reports, Russian assault operations continue on several frontline sectors, and Russian artillery fire has not subsided,” Zelensky wrote on the social media platform X.
“Therefore, there is no trust in words coming from Moscow.”
He recalled that Russia had last month rejected a US-proposed full 30-day ceasefire and said that if Moscow agreed to “truly engage in a format of full and unconditional silence, Ukraine will act accordingly — mirroring Russia’s actions.”
“If a complete ceasefire truly takes hold, Ukraine proposes extending it beyond the Easter day of April 20,” Zelensky wrote.
Russia says Ukraine struck its energy infrastructure 10 times in last 24 hours
- Both sides have repeatedly accused the other of violating a US-brokered 30-day moratorium
MOSCOW: Russia’s Defense Ministry accused Ukraine on Saturday of attacking Russian energy facilities 10 times over the past 24 hours.
The US brokered a 30-day moratorium in March between Ukraine and Russia against strikes on each other’s energy infrastructure. Both sides have repeatedly accused the other of violating it.
On Friday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, when asked if the energy moratorium was over, said it had already been a month but that no orders from the president had been received to change Russia’s position.
More than 100 inmates make deadly prison break in Chad
- The break-out occurred late Friday when an uprising happened
- A local Mongo official said prisoners broke into a manager’s office to steal guns
MONGO, Chad: More than 100 inmates escaped a Chad prison during a shoot-out that left three people dead, and wounded a state governor visiting the facility, officials told AFP on Saturday.
The break-out occurred late Friday when an uprising happened in the high-security penitentiary five kilometers (three miles) from the town of Mongo, in the center of the country.
“There are around 100 who escaped, three dead and three wounded,” Hassan Souleymane Adam, secretary general of the Guera province in which Mongo is located, said.
A local Mongo official, speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity, said prisoners broke into a manager’s office to steal guns.
“A shootout with guards ensued, at the same time the governor arrived. He was wounded,” he said.
The Mongo official confirmed there were three dead, and put the total number of escaped prisoners at 132.
He said the prisoners revolted after complaining about a lack of food.
Chad’s Justice Minister Youssouf Tom told AFP by telephone that he was about to fly to region and would be able to give “precise information once I am at Mongo in the coming hours.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin announces an Easter ceasefire in Ukraine
- Ceasefire will last from 6 p.m. Moscow time on Saturday to midnight following Easter Sunday
MOSCOW: Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday announced an Easter truce in the conflict in Ukraine starting this evening and lasting till midnight on Sunday.
The short-term ceasefire proposal from Russia comes as President Donald Trump has been pressing both Moscow and Kyiv to agree a truce, but has failed to extract any major concessions from the Kremlin.
“Today from 1800 (1500 GMT) to midnight Sunday (2100 GMT Sunday), the Russian side announces an Easter truce,” Putin said in televised comments, while meeting Russian chief of staff Valery Gerasimov.
Easter, a major holiday for Christians, is celebrated on Sunday.
“I order for this period to stop all military action,” Putin said, calling the truce “based on humanitarian reasons.”
“We are going on the basis that the Ukrainian side will follow our example, while our troops must be ready to resist possible breaches of the truce and provocations by the enemy, any aggressive actions,” Putin said.
He said that Gerasimov had told him Ukraine “more than 100 times... breached an agreement on not striking energy infrastructure.”
Russia on Friday abandoned a moratorium on striking Ukrainian energy targets after each side accused the other of breaking a supposed deal without any formal agreement put in place.
The latest truce proposal will show “how sincere is the Kyiv’s regime’s readiness, its desire and ability to observe agreements and participate in a process of peace talks,” Putin said.
Previous attempts at holding ceasefires for Easter in April 2022 and Orthodox Christmas in January 2023 were not implemented after both sides failed to agree on them.
Cambodia welcomes Japanese navy ships to naval base that US suspects is for China’s special use
- Tokyo has developed increasingly close ties with Cambodia in recent years
- China and Cambodia have close political, military, and economic ties
PHNOM PENH, Cambodia: Two Japanese naval ships docked Saturday at Cambodia’s Ream Naval Base, whose recently completed Chinese-funded upgrade has heightened US concerns that it will be used as a strategic outpost for China’s navy in the Gulf of Thailand.
The visit by the two minesweepers, the 141-meter (463-foot) -long Bungo and the 67-meter (219-foot) -long Etajima, part of the Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force, marks the first foreign navy visit since the base’s expansion project was completed earlier this month.
Tokyo has developed increasingly close ties with Cambodia in recent years, seeking to offset China’s influence in the region, and Cambodia invited it to make the renovated port’s first port call, widely seen as an attempt to allay Washington’s concerns.
Both Japanese ships, making a four-day port call with a total of 170 sailors, docked at the base’s new pier, where Cambodian officials, including Rear Adm. Mean Savoeun, deputy commander of the base, held a welcome ceremony.
Concerns about China’s activities at the Ream base emerged in 2019 following a Wall Street Journal report alleging a draft agreement that would grant China 30-year use of the base for military personnel, weapon storage, and warship berthing. The US government has publicly and repeatedly aired its concerns.
China and Cambodia have close political, military, and economic ties. They commenced the port project in 2022, which included the demolition of previous naval structures built by the US at the base.
Cambodia has stated that warships from all friendly countries are welcome to dock at the new pier, provided they meet certain conditions. When Japanese Defense Minister Gen. Nakatani announced the planned visit on Tuesday, he said Japan’s port call symbolizes friendship with Cambodia and is key to regional stability and peace.
He stated that the visit would help ensure Cambodia has an open and transparent naval port, while noting the concerns over China’s growing efforts to secure overseas outposts for military expansion.
The port call came just one day after Chinese President Xi Jinping concluded a two-day state visit to Cambodia aimed at further strengthening China’s strong ties with its closest ally in Southeast Asia.
A statement on Saturday from Japan’s embassy in Cambodia stated that the two vessels are on a mission that began in January to visit 11 countries across Africa, the Middle East, South and Southeast Asia. The port call in Cambodia is considered a “historically significant event for Japan-Cambodia relations,” it said.
The embassy emphasized that the journey of the Japanese vessels “underlines the importance of freedom of navigation, free and open international order based on international law, and its development.”
In December last year, a US Navy warship called at the nearby civilian port of Sihanoukville on a five-day visit. The visit by the USS Savannah, carrying a crew of 103, was the first in eight years by a US military vessel to Cambodia.
