While You Were Sleeping: 5 stories you might have missed, Jan 11, 2025
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Attorney Todd Blanche (left) and US President-elect Donald Trump appearing in court via video link for the sentencing hearing on Jan 10. PHOTO: AFP
PHOTO: AFP
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Trump sentenced, spared jail, days before inauguration
US President-elect Donald Trump will not go to jail or pay a fine over his criminal conviction stemming from hush money paid to a porn star, a judge ruled on Jan 10, but the sentencing will place a judgment of guilt on his record.
Justice Juan Merchan’s sentencing of Trump, 78, to an unconditional discharge closes a case that had loomed over his bid to retake the White House just days before his Jan 20 inauguration.
By granting an unconditional discharge, the judge would place a judgment of guilt on Trump’s permanent record – without any other legal penalty such as custody, a fine or probation.
Trump pleaded not guilty and has vowed to appeal against the guilty verdict. He appeared with his lawyer on TV screens beamed to the courtroom with two American flags in the background.
US hits Russian oil with toughest sanctions yet
REUTERS
US President Joe Biden’s administration imposed its broadest package of sanctions so far targeting Russia’s oil and gas revenues on Jan 10, in an effort to give Kyiv and Donald Trump’s incoming team leverage to reach a deal for peace in Ukraine.
The move is meant to cut Russia’s revenues for continuing the war that has killed or wounded tens of thousands and reduced cities to rubble since Moscow invaded Ukraine in February, 2022.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a post on X that the measures announced on Jan 10 will “deliver a significant blow” to Moscow.
Oil tanker in Russia’s ‘shadow fleet’ adrift off German coast
AFP
Germany charged that a heavily loaded tanker adrift off its northern coast on Jan 10 was part of the “shadow fleet” Moscow uses to avoid sanctions on its oil exports.
Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock criticised Russia’s use of “dilapidated oil tankers” and labelled it a threat to European security.
She spoke after the 274m-long Eventin, carrying almost 100,000 tonnes of oil, was reported adrift and “unable to manoeuver” in the Baltic Sea.
US stocks plunge on solid jobs report
REUTERS
Wall Street stocks plummeted on Jan 10, on the back of a strong employment report that fueled expectations the central bank might make fewer interest rate cuts this year.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 1.6 per cent to 41,938.45, and the broad-based S&P 500 Index fell 1.5 per cent to 5,827.04.
The tech-focused Nasdaq Composite Index retreated 1.6 per cent to 19,161.63.
Tycoon’s family claims $2.7b over fatal Leicester City crash
The family of Thai businessman Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, who died when his helicopter crashed in 2018, said on Jan 10 it had made a £2.15 billion (S$3.6 billion) legal claim against Italian defence company Leonardo in a London court.
The action, which claims for loss of earnings and other damages, represented the largest fatal accident claim in English legal history, the family of Vichai, the former owner of Leicester City soccer club, said in a statement.
Leonardo said it would defend itself against the High Court claim, which it was considering with legal advisers and insurers. It expressed its “deepest sympathy” for the victims of the crash, saying their deaths were “an unquestionable tragedy”.
