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
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Trump lawyers vie to discredit key witness Cohen at trial
Trump says he wants to ‘end conflicts not start them’
DOHA: US President Donald Trump on Thursday said he wanted to "end conflicts not start them" as he addressed troops at the United States' sprawling Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar.
Trump visited a US base installation at the center of American involvement in the Middle East as he uses his four-day visit to Gulf states to reject the “interventionism” of America’s past in the region.
"As president, my priority is to end conflicts, not start them, but I will never hesitate to wield American power if it's necessary to defend the United States of America or our partners," Trump said.
“Our soldiers are fighting against the enemies of civilization and defeating terrorism. Our soldiers embody American power and are the strongest in the world,” he added.
“Qatar will invest $10 billion in Al Udeid Air Base and the US base will soon have the F47 fighter jet,” he explained.
“We will not hesitate to use force to defend America and our allies,” he said.
Earlier, Trump and Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani also witnessed the signing of a joint declaration of cooperation between the two governments, and letters of offer and acceptance for MQ-9B drones and the FS-LIDS anti-drone system, Qatar News Agency reported.
President Trump thanked the emir for Qatar’s warm hospitality and described Sheikh Tamim as a longtime friend and trusted partner. “We always had a very special relationship,” he said of the emir.
The President heads to Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates as his last stop in his official visit to the GCC.
Russian delegation arrives in Turkiye for Ukraine war talks
- Russian President Vladimir Putin was not part of the delegation from Moscow
- A Ukrainian delegation including Zelensky was due to arrive in Ankara
ISTANBUL: Russia’s delegation arrived in Istanbul for peace talks with Ukraine, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Thursday, and a Ukrainian official said a delegation including President Volodymyr Zelensky was on its way the the Turkish capital Ankara.
Russian President Vladimir Putin was not part of the delegation from Moscow, however, according to a list released by the Kremlin Wednesday night, prompting criticism from Western officials that the Kremlin isn’t serious about the peace effort.
Vladimir Medinsky, an aide to Putin, will lead the Russian delegation that will also include three other senior officials, the Kremlin said. Putin also appointed four lower-level officials as “experts” for the talks.
Earlier this week, Zelensky challenged the Russian leader to meet in person in Turkiye to talk about ending the more than three-year war. Zelensky said he would travel to Ankara to meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and wait for Putin.
A Ukrainian delegation including Zelensky was due to arrive in Ankara on Thursday, a senior Ukrainian official familiar with the matter told The Associated Press.
Also in the delegation are Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, and the head of the Ukrainian presidential office Andriy Yermak, the official said.
He spoke on condition of anonymity for security reasons as the team had not yet arrived in Ankara.
“Now, after three years of immense suffering, there is finally a window of opportunity,” Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said at a NATO meeting taking place separately in Turkiye. “The talks in Istanbul hopefully may open a new chapter.”
But Zelensky will sit at the table only with Putin, Ukraine’s presidential adviser, Mykhailo Podolyak, said.
Details about whether, when and where the Ukrainian delegation might meet their Russian counterparts are still unclear but is expected to be clarified after Zelensky and Erdogan meet, according to a Ukrainian official who requested anonymity to speak openly about the day’s plan.
Tass said that the talks were to take place in a presidential office on the Bosporus.
Moscow offered talks instead of a ceasefire
Putin on Wednesday evening held a meeting with senior government officials and members of the delegation in preparation for the talks, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. Defense Minister Andrei Belousov, General Staff chief Valery Gerasimov, and National Security Council secretary Sergei Shoigu attended the meeting, among others.
Kyiv and its European allies had urged the Kremlin to agree to a full, unconditional 30-day ceasefire as a first step toward peace. Putin effectively rejected the proposal, offering direct talks between Russia and Ukraine instead.
The Kremlin billed Thursday’s talks as a “restart” of peace negotiations that were held in Istanbul in the first weeks of the war in 2022 but quickly fell apart. Moscow accused Ukraine and the West of wanting to continue fighting, while Kyiv said Russia’s demands amounted to an ultimatum rather than something both sides could agree on.
Russia’s delegation then was also headed by Vladimir Medinsky.
Putin’s proposal came after more than three months of diplomacy kickstarted by US President Donald Trump, who promised during his campaign to end the devastating war swiftly. The Trump administration in recent weeks indicated that it might walk away from the peace effort if there was no tangible progress soon.
Trump had pressed for Putin and Zelensky to meet in Istanbul but said Thursday he wasn’t surprised that Putin was a no-show. He brushed off Putin’s decision to not take part in the talks.
“I didn’t think it was possible for Putin to go if I’m not there,” Trump said during a roundtable in Doha, Qatar
The US and Western European leaders have threatened Russia with further sanctions if there is no progress in halting the fighting.
NATO ministers back Ukraine
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha met with US State Secretary Marco Rubio and Senator Lindsey Graham in the Turkish city of Antalya late Wednesday night. Antalya on Thursday is hosting NATO foreign ministers to discuss new defense investment goals as the US shifts its focus to security challenges away from Europe.
Sybiha reaffirmed Ukraine’s support for Trump’s mediation efforts and thanked the US for its continued involvement, urging Moscow to “reciprocate Ukraine’s constructive steps” toward peace. “So far, it has not,” Sybiha said.
On Thursday morning, Sybiha also met with other European foreign ministers, including his French counterpart Jean-Noël Barrot, who in a post on X reiterated the call for a ceasefire and the threat of “massive sanctions” if Russia doesn’t comply.
“We’re in a very difficult spot right now, and we hope that we can find the steps forward that provide for the end of this war in a negotiated way and the prevention of any war in the future,” Rubio said Thursday.
Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen, also in Antalya for the NATO talks, accused Moscow of not being willing to to engage in a serious peace process.
“We have one chair empty, which is the chair of Vladimir Putin. So now I guess the entire world has realized that there’s only one party not willing to engage in serious peace negotiations, and that certainly is Russia,” Valtonen said.
Barrot echoed her sentiment: “In front of Ukrainians there is an empty chair, one that should have been occupied by Vladimir Putin,” he said. “Vladimir Putin is dragging his feet and in all evidence does not want to enter into these peace discussions.”
India says Pakistan nuclear arsenal should be under UN surveillance
- Singh’s comments came as the nuclear-armed rivals ended their worst military conflict in nearly three decades
SRINAGAR: Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal should be brought under the surveillance of the UN’s nuclear agency, Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh said Thursday, following last week’s conflict between Islamabad and New Delhi.
“I wanted to raise this question for the world: are nuclear weapons safe in the hands of a rogue and irresponsible nation?” Singh told troops at a base in Srinagar in Indian-administered Kashmir.
“I believe that Pakistan’s atomic weapons should be brought under he surveillance of IAEA. I want to say this very clearly,” he said, referring to the International Atomic Energy Agency.
“The entire world has seen how Pakistan has irresponsibly threatened India with nuclear attacks multiple times.”
Pakistan repeatedly said during the conflict that the nuclear option was not on the table.
Singh’s comments came as the nuclear-armed rivals ended their worst military conflict in nearly three decades with a ceasefire announcement on Saturday.
The conflict sparked global concerns that it could spiral into a full-blown war.
The fighting began last Wednesday when India launched strikes against what it described as “terrorist infrastructure” in Pakistan.
Pakistan immediately responded with heavy artillery fire and a four-day standoff ensued between the South Asian rivals, which left around 70 people dead on both sides.
India claims Pakistan backed an April attack in which 26 people were killed in Indian-administered Kashmir — a charge Islamabad denies.
New Delhi had earlier denied targeting Pakistan’s nuclear installations during the brief conflict.
“We have not hit Kirana Hills,” Indian Air Marshal A.K. Bharti told reporters, referring to a vast rocky mountain range where, according to Indian media reports, Pakistan stores its nuclear arsenal.
China says ready to 'expand practical cooperation' with Russian army
BEIJING: China said Thursday it was ready to "expand practical cooperation" with the Russian army, after President Xi Jinping's recent visit to Moscow for a lavish World War II Victory Day parade.
"The Chinese military stands ready to work with the Russian side to further deepen strategic mutual trust, step up strategic communication, and expand practical cooperation," the ministry of defence said in a statement on social media platform WeChat.
Israel’s presence still roils Eurovision a year after major protests over the war in Gaza
- About 200 pro-Palestinian demonstrators marched Wednesday in the Swiss host city of Basel
- Oddsmakers suggest Raphael is likely to secure a place in Saturday’s final with her song “New Day Will Rise”
BASEL: Most contestants at the Eurovision Song Contest are seeking as much publicity as possible.
Israel’s Yuval Raphael is keeping a low profile.
The 24-year-old singer has done few media interviews or appearances during Eurovision week, as Israel’s participation in the pan-continental pop music competition draws protests for a second year.
Raphael is due to perform Thursday in the second semifinal at the contest in the Swiss city of Basel. Oddsmakers suggest Raphael is likely to secure a place in Saturday’s final with her anthemic song “New Day Will Rise.”
Israel has competed in Eurovision for more than 50 years and won four times. But last year’s event in Sweden drew large demonstrations calling for Israel to be kicked out of the contest over its conduct in the war against Hamas in Gaza.
More than 52,800 people in Gaza have been killed in Israel’s military offensive, according to the territory’s health ministry.
About 200 people, many draped in Palestinian flags, protested in central Basel on Wednesday evening, demanding an end to Israel’s military offensive and the country’s expulsion from Eurovision. They marched in silence down a street noisy with music and Eurovision revelry.
Many noted that Russia was banned from Eurovision after its 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
“It should be a happy occasion that Eurovision is finally in Switzerland, but it’s not,” said Lea Kobler, from Zurich. “How can we rightfully exclude Russia but we’re still welcoming Israel?”
Last year, Israeli competitor Eden Golan received boos when she performed live at Eurovision. Raphael told the BBC that she expects the same and has rehearsed with background noise so she won’t be distracted.
“But we are here to sing and I’m going to sing my heart out for everyone,” she said.
Anti-Israel protests in Basel have been much smaller than last year in Malmo. Another protest is planned for Saturday in downtown Basel, 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) from the contest venue, St. Jakobshalle arena.
But concern by some Eurovision participants and broadcasters continues.
More than 70 former Eurovision contestants signed a letter calling for Israel to be excluded. Several of the national broadcasters that fund Eurovision, including those of Spain, Ireland and Iceland, have called for a discussion about Israel’s participation.
Swiss singer Nemo, who brought the competition to Switzerland by winning last year, told HuffPost UK that “Israel’s actions are fundamentally at odds with the values that Eurovision claims to uphold — peace, unity, and respect for human rights.”
At Wednesday’s protest, Basel resident Domenica Ott held a handmade sign saying “Nemo was right.”
She said the nonbinary singer was “very courageous.”
“If Russia couldn’t participate, why should Israel?” she said.
The European Broadcasting Union, which runs Eurovision, pointed out that Israel is represented by its public broadcaster, KAN, not the government. It has called on participants to respect Eurovision’s values of “universality, diversity, equality and inclusivity” and its political neutrality.
