While You Were Sleeping: 5 stories you might have missed, May 24
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Former US President Donald Trump was seen sitting next to his lawyer Todd Blanche on at least four screens in the courtroom.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Trump criminal trial to start next March, with campaign in full swing
Donald Trump will face a criminal trial in New York on March 25, 2024, a judge said on Tuesday, meaning the former US President will be on trial as his campaign for the 2024 Republican nomination is in full swing.
Trump, who is charged with falsifying business records to conceal a hush money payment to a porn star, is expected to be crisscrossing the country next spring along with his rivals as states host presidential nominating contests.
Justice Juan Merchan in Manhattan state court announced the date at a hearing in which Trump, the front-runner for the Republican nomination in 2024 and the first former US president to be criminally charged, appeared remotely from Florida.
Former UK PM Johnson referred to police over new claims he broke Covid-19 lockdown rules: Times
Getty Images via AFP
Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been referred to police by the government’s Cabinet Office over new allegations he broke lockdown rules during the Covid-19 pandemic, the Times newspaper reported on Tuesday.
The Times report said the Cabinet Office, which is responsible for overseeing the operation of government, made a referral to two regional police forces based on information discovered while preparing submissions for a public inquiry into the pandemic.
Ministerial diaries showed visits by friends to Chequers, a rural country mansion which is made available to sitting prime ministers, during the pandemic, the report said.
Russia intercepts two US military jets over Baltic Sea
REUTERS
Russia said Tuesday it had scrambled an Su-27 fighter jet to “prevent violations of the state border” by two US Air Force strategic bombers flying over the Baltic Sea.
“After removing the foreign military aircraft from the Russian state border, the Russian fighter went back to its air base,” the Russian defense ministry said.
The army prevented the violation of the border, the statement said, adding that “the flight of the Russian fighter was carried out in strict accordance with international rules for the use of airspace.”
Bulgaria’s Time Shelter wins International Booker Prize
AFP
Bulgarian writer Georgi Gospodinov and translator Angela Rodel were named Tuesday winners of the International Booker Prize with the novel Time Shelter – a first for a book in Bulgarian.
The prestigious award recognises works of fiction from around the world that have been translated into English and the £50,000 (S$83,649) prize is split equally between the author and the translator.
The winning novel focuses on a “clinic for the past” that offers experimental Alzheimer’s treatment.
Lakers to speak with James in coming days about retirement comment
AFP
The Los Angeles Lakers will talk to LeBron James in the coming days after the NBA’s all-time leading scorer said after the team’s exit from the playoffs that he would consider retirement during the offseason.
The 38-year-old James said after his team were eliminated by Denver from the Western Conference finals late on Monday in the minimum four games that he had a lot to think about regarding his basketball future.
Lakers General Manager Rob Pelinka, speaking to reporters on Tuesday, said that he and head coach Darvin Ham look forward to speaking with James and added that their job is to support athletes if they reach a career turning point.
