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Jumat, 31 Mei 2024

Donald Trump's guilty verdict fires up some Republican donors - CNA

In a flurry of support on Thursday, mega donors including casino billionaire Miriam Adelson and hotelier Robert Bigelow lined up behind Trump, with their donations set to bolster a wave of pro-Trump ads, door-knocking and phone banking in battleground states.

The verdict has also spurred some longtime Trump donors to boost their financial support for him and, in at least one case, make a big donation to him for the first time.

Robert Bigelow, who is one of Trump's top supporters having already given over US$9 million to an outside group supporting him, said criminal proceedings against Trump were a "disgrace".

"I'm sending President Trump another US$5 million as I promised him," Bigelow told Reuters.

Don Tapia, a former Trump ambassador to Jamaica, said he and a small network of family and friends with whom he donates had planned to give around US$250,000 this election to support Trump.

After Thursday's conviction, Tapia told Reuters the group would aim to give over US$1 million to the pro-Trump spending group MAGA Inc in coming weeks.

"We're going to go all-in for him," said Tapia. He sent Reuters a photo of an American flag flying upside down outside his home in Paradise Valley, Arizona, in protest of the verdict.

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2024-05-30 22:12:00Z
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US, Chinese defence chiefs meet for the first time at Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore - The Straits Times

US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin (left) and Chinese Defence Minister Dong Jun began their meeting at 12.50pm at the Shangri-La Hotel. PHOTO: AFP

SINGAPORE - The US and China defence chiefs are meeting on the sidelines of a regional security forum in Singapore, the first in-person meeting at this level in 18 months.

It comes days after China sent warships and fighter jets near Taiwan, a source of geopolitical tension for the United States and China.

US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin and Chinese Defence Minister Dong Jun – appointed to the role five months ago – began their meeting at 12.50pm at the Shangri-La Hotel, ahead of the Shangri-La Dialogue that starts on Friday night.

Both men had previously spoken over the phone in April, during which they discussed contentious issues including the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait.

The May 31 meeting in Singapore is a realisation of an agreement by US President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping in San Francisco in November 2023 to resume military communication, which was severed after then US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan in August 2022.

Both countries have since emphasised the need for senior military-to-military communication to prevent unintended conflict.

But ties between the two major powers remain rocky, with the US banning the Chinese-owned TikTok and blaming China for dumping excess electric vehicles in other markets, China being seen as supporting Russia in its war against Ukraine, and the Taiwan Strait becoming a flashpoint between the two sides.

The self-governing Taiwan, an ally of the US, is claimed by China as its territory. Cross-strait tension, already high since 2016 when the island’s independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party came to power, heightened further after the May 20 inauguration of new President Lai Ching-te, seen by China as a “dangerous separatist”.

In the South China Sea, ships from the Philippines - a US treaty ally - and China have locked horns near disputed islands and reefs on multiple occasions over the past year.

The Chinese defence minister who attended last year’s Shangri-La Dialogue, General Li Shangfu, had turned down Mr Austin’s invitation to meet then, as the US had not removed sanctions placed on him for his role in procuring equipment from Russia when he was head of the Equipment Development Department of the Chinese military.

Gen Li then disappeared from public view a few months after the June forum and was removed in October. Admiral Dong, who was formerly the Navy chief, replaced Gen Li as defence minister in December.

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2024-05-31 06:38:00Z
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Kamis, 30 Mei 2024

Donald Trump found guilty on all counts at hush money trial - CNA

BIDEN CAMPAIGN: NO ONE ABOVE THE LAW

Biden's campaign said the verdict showed that no one was above the law and urged voters to reject Trump in the election.

"There is still only one way to keep Donald Trump out of the Oval Office: At the ballot box," the campaign said in a statement.

The White House declined to comment.

Trump's fellow Republicans quickly condemned the verdict.

"Today is a shameful day in American history," House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson said in a prepared statement.

The jury notified the court they had reached a verdict at 4.20pm and read out all 34 guilty counts shortly after 5pm.

Trump lawyer Todd Blanche asked Merchan to throw out the guilty verdict, arguing that it was based on the unreliable testimony of Cohen. Merchan denied his request.

Trump's near-certain appeal is likely to focus on porn star Daniels' salacious testimony about their alleged sexual encounter as well as the novel legal theory prosecutors used in the case, but he faces long odds, legal experts said.

Falsifying business documents is normally a misdemeanour in New York, but prosecutors in Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office elevated it to a felony on grounds that Trump was concealing an illegal campaign contribution.

Trump had complained that he could not get a fair trial in his heavily Democratic hometown.

The case was widely regarded as the least consequential of the four criminal prosecutions Trump faces. Jurors heard testimony of sex and lies that have been public since 2018, although the charges themselves rested on ledger accounts and other records of Cohen's reimbursement.

It was known as the "zombie case" because Bragg brought it back to life after his predecessor opted not to bring charges.

This case was also likely to be the only one to go to trial before the election, as the others are delayed by procedural challenges.

If elected, Trump could shut down the two federal cases that accuse him of illegally trying to overturn his 2020 election loss and mishandling classified documents after leaving office in 2021. He would not have the power to stop a separate election-subversion case taking place in Georgia.

Trump has pleaded not guilty in all the cases and has portrayed his various legal troubles as an effort by Biden's Democratic allies to hurt him politically.

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2024-05-30 21:37:00Z
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Construction of Chinese-backed canal in Cambodia sparks fear in Vietnam - South China Morning Post

Cambodia will start work on a controversial US$1.7-billion canal linking the capital Phnom Penh to the sea in August, Prime Minister Hun Manet said on Thursday.

The Chinese-backed Funan Techo canal has sparked fears in neighbouring Vietnam that it could be used by Chinese warships, and reduce Cambodian dependence on Vietnamese ports.

Environmentalists are also concerned that the 180-kilometre (110-mile) canal will potentially reduce water flow to the Mekong, among the world’s most biodiverse rivers.

Cambodia received billions from China in infrastructure investments as one of Beijing’s closest regional allies under former leader Hun Sen.

Hun Manet, his son, said the Funan Techo canal would mostly be funded by Cambodians and that the government is in talks with a Chinese company for further investment.

“We will do it now, we can’t wait for anybody any longer,” Hun Manet said in a speech on Thursday.

Opposition figurehead Sam Rainsy, who lives in exile, has alleged that the project would serve the interest of China.

The waterway is part of Beijing’s huge Belt and Road Initiative, a massive infrastructure scheme across Asia, but Hun Manet insisted it will only serve Cambodia.

06:32

China’s Belt and Road, 10 years on

“[We] do it within the Cambodian territory for the Cambodian people and for the interest of Cambodia,” he said.

“We will have a groundbreaking ceremony this August.”

The canal – 100 metres (328 feet) wide and 5.4 metres (17.7 feet) deep – will connect Phnom Penh with Cambodian ports on the Gulf of Thailand.

Cambodia and China also wrapped up their largest annual military exercises on Thursday, involving several Chinese warships and hundreds of Chinese military personnel.

In December, two Chinese warships made a first visit to a Cambodian naval base that the United States says could be used to boost China’s influence in the Gulf of Thailand.

Cambodian officials have repeatedly denied that the base, near the port city of Sihanoukville, is for use by any foreign power.

US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin is set to visit Cambodia on Tuesday.

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2024-05-30 09:00:14Z
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14 Hong Kong democracy campaigners found guilty of subversion: Court - CNA

"SHOW SUPPORT"

Prosecutors said the 47 had conspired to subvert state power by holding unofficial primary polls, as part of their plan to form a majority in the legislature.

With control of the legislature, they would veto government budgets and force the city's leader to accede to five key demands raised by protesters in 2019, the court heard.

Defence lawyers argued Hong Kong's mini-constitution had laid out mechanisms for such a plan and that the matter was "a purely political issue rather than a legal matter".

Outside the court Thursday, Kathy, one of the 610,000 voters who cast their ballots in the unofficial primary election in 2020, said she believed the defendants "never committed any crime".

"For me, the primary election was simply an occasion to show my support for something I believe in," she said, declining to provide her full name.

University student Lam said the primary election was a strategy "common in many places around the world".

"I still can't figure out how it can subvert the state, so I want to see how the court would rule on that," he said.

Ahead of the hearing, well-known activist Alexandra Wong, also known as Grandma Wong, attempted to stage a protest before police moved her off across the street to a fenced-off area.

"Immediately release the 47!" she shouted, waving a British flag. "Support democracy, support the 47!"

The case has been closely watched by the international community, with diplomatic officers from the consulates of France, the European Union and Italy going to the court on Thursday.

The United States and other Western nations have criticised China for cracking down on democracy in Hong Kong and curtailing freedoms promised when the former British colony was handed over to Chinese rule in 1997.

In response to the 2021 arrests of the defendants, the United States had sanctioned six Chinese and Hong Kong officials.

Before Thursday, 114 people had been found guilty of crimes related to the national security law since it was introduced.

The case against the group of 47 was the biggest under the law.

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2024-05-30 04:02:00Z
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Malaysia helicopter crash: 1 helicopter was not flying at appropriate height, says Navy - The Straits Times

Emergency personnel work at the site where two helicopters collided in the western Malaysian state of Perak, on April 23. PHOTO: REUTERS

KUALA LUMPUR - The failure of one helicopter to fly at a designated height and path has been identified as the main factor behind its collision with another naval helicopter in Lumut.

On April 23, 10 Navy personnel were killed by the crash in western Malaysia during a rehearsal.

Royal Malaysian Navy chief Admiral Tan Sri Abdul Rahman Ayob said the Investigation Board had not found any data that connected the incident to any human error on the part of the Eurocopter AS555SN Fennec helicopter crew, as there was no black box on the aircraft.

“The board has concluded that there was no human error involved, as the Fennec did not have a black box to summarise a connection to human error by the pilot.

“What we can conclude is Fennec was not at the set height and flight path,” he told a press conference at KD Sri Gombak on May 30.

The secondary factor is that the “channelised attention” of the Agusta-Westland AW-139 (AW 139) crew was focused on the change of flight path and this limited their reaction time to avoid collision, he said.

“This full report tallies with the preliminary report that had been issued previously. This report will be sent to the State Airworthiness Authority (SAA) for record purposes,” he said.

Admiral Abdul Rahman said following a comprehensive investigation, the Investigation Board discovered that there was no issue of hypoglycemia - also known as low blood sugar - or fatigue on the part of the aircrew and there was no use of banned substances. All crewmen were fit to fly.

“Their deaths were caused as a result of multiple injuries due to aviation crash,” he said

The AW139 helicopter did not experience any mechanical problem based on analysis of the black box.

“The same can be said for the Fennec based on visual and sound analysis.

“The maintenance of both aircraft were done according to procedures and routines set by the original equipment manufacturer (OEM).

“Samples of lubricant and fuel taken were inspected and it was confirmed to be normal by the Defence Science and Technology Institute (Stride),” he said.

The full report also stated that the weather on the day of incident was good and suitable for flight, he said.

“For the AW139, the black box was used to assist the investigation while for the Fennec, flight profile through air simulation using an actual helicopter was used.

“Cooperation from the OEM was sought to assist the investigation as well. Airbus Helicopter confirmed that there was no equipment that had non-volatile memory on the Fennec to assist investigations,” he said.

When asked on the statuses of both aircraft in their fleet, he said that the Navy will increase the readiness of available aircraft.

“We had three AW-139s and now only two helicopters remain, and will still be based at their set locations,”

“For the Fennec (helicopters) we have four from the six that are in operation as one also currently is damaged. We are in the midst of increasing readiness of available aircraft and are trying to get allocation for new helicopters either through direct purchasing or leasing,”

Admiral Abdul Rahman also emphasised that the welfare of the families affected were being prioritised.

“At the same time, service and benefit payments in the form of monthly pensions to eligible next of kin have begun.

“Other contributions from sympathetic parties via the collection we opened, which is the ‘Tabung Tragedi Lumut 24’ are still ongoing and god willing, it is well received.

“When we close the collection in October, the proceeds will be distributed to the families by then or November,” he said.

He added that the Navy had met families based in Kuala Lumpur on May 30 and will do the same the next day for those in Lumut to brief on the report’s findings.

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2024-05-30 04:55:00Z
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Rabu, 29 Mei 2024

Jury set to decide Trump's fate in historic criminal trial - The Straits Times

A conviction may cost former president Donald Trump votes among independent and some Republican voters. PHOTO: REUTERS

NEW YORK – Twelve New York jurors began deliberating on May 29 on whether to convict Donald Trump in the first ever criminal trial of a former US president, with their decision potentially upending the November election, in which the Republican seeks a return to power.

It was far from certain how long they might take to reach a verdict in the case with Trump, 77, who is accused of falsifying business records to cover up a hush money payment to a porn star in the final weeks of the 2016 election.

Shortly before deliberations began, the judge overseeing the trial told jurors that they cannot rely solely on the testimony of star witness Michael Cohen, who played a central role in the hush money payment at the heart of the case.

Justice Juan Merchan told jurors to apply extra scrutiny to Cohen, Trump’s former fixer, because he testified he was directly involved in Trump’s alleged effort to cover up the payment to porn star Stormy Daniels shortly before the 2016 election.

“Even if you find the testimony of Michael Cohen to be believable, you may not convict the defendant solely on that testimony unless you find it was corroborated by other evidence,” Justice Merchan said.

The judge’s comments were part of his detailed instructions to the 12 jurors and six alternates who have sat silently in a New York courtroom for weeks while prosecutors laid out their case and Trump’s lawyers tried to knock it down.

“You must set aside any personal opinions or bias you might have in favor of or against the defendant,” Justice Merchan said.

A guilty verdict could upend the 2024 presidential race, in which Trump is seeking again to win the White House.

After weeks of testimony from more than 20 witnesses, the piercing glare of the legal spotlight now shifts to the jury, whose identities have been kept secret for their own protection amid soaring political tensions across the United States.

After receiving final instructions from the judge, the jury will retire to consider a verdict that – whichever way it goes – will have an outsized impact on Trump, and the country as a whole.

No time limit is placed on their deliberations, but an acquittal or conviction would require unanimity. If just one juror refuses to join the others, the judge would have to declare a mistrial.

A conviction will not prevent Trump, the Republican candidate, from trying to take back the White House from Democratic President Joe Biden in the Nov 5 election. Nor will it prevent him from taking office if he wins.

Opinion polls show the two men locked in a tight race. But Reuters/Ipsos polling has found that a guilty verdict could cost Trump support among independent and some Republican voters.

A verdict of not guilty would remove a major legal barrier, freeing Trump from the obligation to juggle court appearances and campaign stops.

If convicted, he would be expected to appeal.

Trump faces three other criminal prosecutions, but they are not expected to go to trial before the Nov 5 election.

Biden campaign officials say any verdict will not substantially change the dynamics of the election.

Trump did not speak as he entered the courtroom.

But he fired off a characteristically angry, all-caps message on his Truth Social app, complaining about a “KANGAROO COURT!” and a “CORRUPT AND CONFLICTED JUDGE”.

During the trial, jurors heard testimony from Ms Daniels, who described in lurid detail a 2006 sexual encounter with Trump, and from Cohen, the former Trump fixer who paid US$130,000 (S$419,000) to buy her silence during Trump’s 2016 White House run.

Prosecutors from Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office say that payment could have contributed to Trump’s victory over Democrat Hillary Clinton by keeping an unflattering story out of the public eye.

“We’ll never know if this effort to hoodwink the American voter impacted the election,” prosecutor Joshua Steinglass told jurors during his closing argument on May 28.

They say Trump paid Cohen back in monthly instalments disguised as legal fees. They have charged him with 34 felony counts of falsifying business documents, and face the burden of proving Trump’s guilt “beyond a reasonable doubt”, the standard under US law.

Trump has pleaded not guilty and denies ever having sex with Ms Daniels.

His lawyers say Cohen, a convicted felon, lied under oath when he said Trump knew about the Daniels payment before the election and helped craft the reimbursement scheme after his victory.

“He is literally the greatest liar of all time,” Trump lawyer Todd Blanche told jurors on May 28.

Justice Merchan imposed a gag order to prevent Trump from intimidating witnesses and jurors, and fined him US$10,000 for violating it. REUTERS, AFP

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2024-05-29 15:17:00Z
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