Cincunri Sakia

Sabtu, 01 April 2023

Russia assumes UN Security Council presidency despite Ukrainian anger - BBC

A Russian tank in the occupied Ukrainian city of Mariupol in March last year

By George Wright

BBC News

Russia has taken the presidency of the UN Security Council despite Ukraine urging members to block the move.

Each of the council's 15 members takes up the presidency for a month, on a rotating pattern.

The last time Russia had the presidency, February 2022, it launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

It means the Security Council is being led by a country whose president is subject to an international arrest warrant for alleged war crimes.

The International Criminal Court - which is not a UN institution - issued the warrant for Vladimir Putin last month.

Despite Ukraine's complaints, the United States said it could not block Russia - a permanent council member - from assuming the presidency.

The other permanent members of the council are the UK, US, France, and China.

The role is mostly procedural, but Moscow's ambassador to the UN, Vasily Nebenzia, told the Russian Tass news agency that he planned to oversee several debates, including one on arms control.

He said he would discuss a "new world order" that, he said, was coming to "replace the unipolar one".

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba called Russia's presidency "the worst joke ever for April Fool's Day" and a "stark reminder that something is wrong with the way international security architecture is functioning".

Ukraine's presidential adviser, Mykhaylo Podolyak, said the move was "another rape of international law... an entity that wages an aggressive war, violates the norms of humanitarian and criminal law, destroys the UN Charter, neglects nuclear safety, can't head the world's key security body".

President Volodymyr Zelensky called last year for the Security Council to reform or "dissolve altogether", accusing it of failing to take enough action to prevent Russia's invasion.

He has also called for Russia to be removed of its member status.

But the US has said its hands were tied as the UN charter does not allow for the removal of a permanent member.

"Unfortunately, Russia is a permanent member of the Security Council and no feasible international legal pathway exists to change that reality," White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told a news briefing this week.

She added the US expects Moscow "to continue to use its seat on the council to spread disinformation" and justify its actions in Ukraine.

The UN Security Council is an international body responsible for maintaining peace.

Five nations are permanently represented on the Security Council. They reflect the post-war power structure that held sway when the council was formed.

Members of this group work alongside 10 non-permanent member countries.

Russia's presence as a permanent member on the Security Council means it can veto resolutions.

To pass a Security Council vote, there must be nine votes in favour, with none of the five permanent members voting against.

In February last year Russia vetoed a resolution that intended to end the Russian invasion of Ukraine (China, India and the United Arab Emirates all abstained).

In September it vetoed a resolution calling for the reversal of its illegal annexation of four regions of Ukraine. Brazil, China, Gabon and India abstained.

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Jumat, 31 Maret 2023

Trump will not appear in court in handcuffs - lawyer - BBC

A protester outside Trump Tower on Friday

By Robert Plummer & Nada Tawfik

BBC News, London and New York

Donald Trump's court hearing has been set for Tuesday afternoon, according to the BBC's US partner CBS News.

The former president is expected to fly from Florida on his private plane and hand himself in with federal agents there to protect him.

A grand jury has indicted Mr Trump in connection with a $130,000 (£105,000) pay-out to porn star Stormy Daniels.

The charges are not yet public, and a lawyer for Mr Trump said on Friday that he too has yet to read the indictment.

A law enforcement official told CBS that Mr Trump is expected to fly his private plane to New York on Monday before surrendering to officials on Tuesday.

The process is likely to involve dozens or possibly hundreds of Secret Service agents, the official added, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Mr Trump will not be handcuffed, the official added, saying that shackles are typically only used on suspects who are thought to be a flight or safety risk.

What Trump indictment means - a simple guide

The hearing is due to take place at 14:15 local time (19:15GMT).

Mr Trump's lawyer, Joe Tacopina, told ABC News that Mr Trump will "probably" appear in court on Tuesday, "but nothing is certain".

Prosecutors "will try and get every ounce of publicity they can from this thing", he said, adding "the president will not be put in handcuffs".

"I understand they're going to be closing off blocks around the courthouse, shutting down the courthouse," he continued.

Security is being co-ordinated by the FBI, NYPD, Secret Service and New York City court officers.

Sources tell CBS that they are bracing for possible scenarios that include attacks against Mr Trump, prosecutors, jurors or members of the public. The district attorney's office has received "many threats", the sources said.

Members of law enforcement were seen discussing security near the courthouse

On Friday morning, the streets around the courthouse were calm but the barricades were going up in anticipation of what may come next week.

Police officers were on patrol and security plans were being put into place. Many expect the area to go into lockdown when the former president attends court.

The district attorney's office had initially asked Mr Trump to surrender on Friday, according to Politico, but the request was rejected because more time was needed for security preparations.

Mr Trump, 76, denies wrongdoing. He is the first serving or former US president to face a criminal charge.

It is unclear how many charges are contained in the indictment, which is still sealed.

Media reports have said the ex-president faces more than 30 counts related to business fraud and Mr Tacopina said on Thursday he thought there would be 34. But on Friday, he said he did not know how many.

"We know what the subject matter is, we know the basis of the charges. We don't know the exact counts or how they're formulated," he said.

On Friday Mr Trump began attacking the judge assigned to his case in an effort to undermine the credibility of the investigation and rally his base to his defence.

Republicans - including House Speaker Kevin McCarthy - have accused the Manhattan district attorney of weaponising the criminal justice system to influence next year's presidential election. Georgia Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Green, who Mr Trump recently suggested should run for Senate, called on followers to protest and said she plans to be present in New York next week.

In response, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said the charges had been brought by citizens of New York doing their civic duty - and neither the former president nor Congress could interfere with proceedings.

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In Washington, the US Capitol Police, which are tasked with safeguarding lawmakers in Congress, said the force believes protests will take place across the country and have plans in place to increase security at the US Capitol.

In 2016 adult film star Stormy Daniels contacted media outlets offering to sell her account of what she said was an adulterous affair she had with Mr Trump in 2006 - the year after he married his current wife, Melania.

Mr Trump's team got wind of this and his lawyer, Michael Cohen, paid $130,000 to Ms Daniels to keep quiet. This is not illegal.

However, when Mr Trump reimbursed Mr Cohen, the record for the payment says it was for legal fees. Prosecutors say this amounts to Mr Trump falsifying business records, which is a misdemeanour - a criminal offence - in New York.

President Joe Biden declined to comment on the indictment, despite being pressed on the issue by journalists as he left the White House on a trip to Mississippi.

Mr Tacopina said Mr Trump was being "pursued by a prosecutor who has obviously very diverse political views from the president. So it's a very troubling case".

He said the former president was "not worried at all" about the charges.

"He's upset, angry. He's being persecuted politically. That is clear to many people, not only on the Right but on the Left."

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By Anthony Zurcher

North America correspondent

@awzurcher

As the first former US president to face criminal charges, Donald Trump will also be the first to be fingerprinted, taken for a mugshot and brought before a judge.

If the case proceeds as expected, he will be the first US president to sit before a jury.

Already the shockwaves are spreading across the political landscape.

Some aspects are predictable - the former president, his lawyers and his children are denouncing the yet-to-be-detailed charges as political persecution.

They see it as an attempt to disrupt the campaign of a frontrunner for the presidency in 2024.

At Mr Trump's political rally in Texas last Saturday, the former president was already fixated on an arrest that seemed to be looming.

"This is really prosecutorial misconduct," Mr Trump said of the New York City district attorney's inquiry. "The innocence of people makes no difference to these radical left maniacs."

Republicans close ranks

As the news broke, other members of the Republican Party closed ranks around their former president.

Several senior members of the House of Representatives called the indictment "outrageous" and pledged a thorough congressional investigation.

Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy said the New York district attorney had "irreparably damaged" the nation in an attempt to interfere with the 2024 presidential election.

Several of Mr Trump's potential rivals for the Republic nomination condemned the charges.

"Prosecuting serious crimes keeps Americans safe, but political prosecutions put the American legal system at risk of being viewed as a tool for abuse," former Trump Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement.

Former Vice-President Mike Pence sits with then Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in August 2020

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, viewed as Mr Trump's most formidable potential opponent, was equally strident in a Twitter post, calling the indictment "un-American".

"The weaponisation of the legal system to advance a political agenda turns the rule of law on its head," he wrote.

He added that Florida would not assist in an extradition of Mr Trump to New York to face the charges.

Mr Trump's lawyers have previously said he would go to the courthouse willingly - something expected to happen early next week.

A delicate balance for Trump's rivals

At some point, however, Mr Trump's rivals will have to turn on him - and a lower-profile potential candidate may have given a hint of the strategy in his Thursday evening press release.

"It is a dark day for America when a former president is indicted on criminal charges," former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson said, noticeably not calling the indictment unjust.

Donald Trump has surged in Republican approval polls recently, but there is still sentiment that his drama - the political storm clouds that always seem to follow him - is a liability that will make him a less appealing presidential candidate.

For that line of attack, this indictment could become Exhibit A, noted by his Republican opponents more with sadness than with glee.

Donald Trump dances during a rally at the Waco Regional Airport on March 25, 2023

For its part, the Trump campaign is leaning into the controversy, using the front-page headlines and breaking news bulletins to drum up new donations from supporters.

"Please make a contribution - of truly any amount - to defend our movement from the never-ending witch hunts and WIN the WHITE HOUSE in 2024," read a campaign email that included Mr Trump's press release on the indictment. It promised that the indictment would "backfire" on President Joe Biden and the Democrats.

Biden keeps his silence

At least so far, the White House has been keeping a studious silence on the matter - similar to the strategy it employed during Mr Trump's 2021 Senate impeachment trial after the 6 January attack on the US Capitol.

Their view, perhaps, aligns with the old Napoleon quote about not interrupting an enemy when they're making a mistake.

Other Democrats, however, have been less reticent.

"The bedrock of our legal system is the principle that justice applies to everyone equally," Democratic Senator Cory Booker said in a statement. "No-one is above the law."

Senator Cory Booker gesticulates while holding a piece of paper at the US Capitol on 2 March, 2023

The Democratic National Committee's press secretary tried to link Mr Trump and his legal troubles to the former president's "Make America Great Again" movement and the Republican Party as a whole.

Democrats, and many political analysts, attribute the party's better-than-expected performance in last year's mid-term elections to Republican candidates being too closely associated with a former president who, while still loved by many Republicans, is disliked by a majority of Americans.

Expect Democrats to once again employ a similar line of attack.

Mr Trump's current legal drama may reach a crescendo and conclude well before a vote is cast in 2024. The political fallout could ultimately depend on the course it tracks - and whether this case is joined by others.

For the moment, however, the partisan lines on Mr Trump's indictment are clearly drawn - as they have been on almost every major issue of national importance in America today.

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2023-03-31 11:23:54Z
1882519002

CPTPP: UK accepted into Indo-Pacific trade bloc in biggest trade deal since Brexit - Sky News

The UK has been accepted into an Indo-Pacific trade bloc in what the government says is its biggest trade deal since Brexit.

The Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) is a free trade agreement between 11 countries across the Indo-Pacific, including Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam - and now the UK.

The partnership sees the countries open up their markets to one another, reducing trade barriers and tariffs, with the hope of bolstering the economies of its members.

Sunak hails UK joining CPTPP - live politics updates

Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch said the UK's accession to the CPTPP was formally confirmed in a telephone call between her and counterparts from the group at 1am BST on Friday.

The UK is the first European country to enter the agreement, and the government claims it will lead to a £1.8bn boost to the economy "in the long run".

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the deal shows "what we can achieve when we unleash the benefits of Brexit".

While the UK already has trade agreements with most of the CPTPP members, apart from Malaysia, UK officials said it would deepen existing arrangements, with 99% of UK goods exported to the bloc now eligible for zero tariffs.

This includes cheese, cars, chocolate, machinery, gin and whisky, while Downing Street said the services industry would also enjoy "reduced red tape and greater access to growing Pacific markets".

The deal has been praised by a number of business groups, including the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), Standard Chartered bank and the world's second-largest wine and spirits seller Pernod Ricard.

But other trade experts have warned it will not make up for the economic hit caused by leaving the European Union.

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt said joining the CPTPP is a "massive opportunity" for British exporters and shows "our influence in this part of the world is becoming more significant".

Ms Badenoch told Sky News the difference between being part of the CPTPP and the EU is "we make the rules and regulations on our standards".

She promised the deal is "not going to displace farmers in the UK" and said it will provide more competition for EU countries so "people don't have to buy what they don't want".

The UK began negotiations to join the bloc in September 2021 when Boris Johnson was in Downing Street.

The signatory countries of the CPTPP are home to 500 million people and the government claims the deal will be worth £11 trillion in GDP, accounting for 15% of global GDP.

However, critics said the impact will be limited, with official estimates suggesting it will add just £1.8bn a year to the UK economy after 10 years, representing less than 1% of UK GDP.

Mr Sunak said the agreement "puts the UK at the centre of a dynamic and growing group of Pacific economies".

"We are at our heart an open and free-trading nation, and this deal demonstrates the real economic benefits of our post-Brexit freedoms," he added.

"As part of CPTPP, the UK is now in a prime position in the global economy to seize opportunities for new jobs, growth and innovation."

More politics:
Starmer 'prepared to be ruthless' to win election
Labour's top second jobs earner says he'll 'live with' any ban

'Real milestone for British industry'

The announcement was welcomed by business group the CBI which called it "a real milestone for the UK and for British industry".

Interim general director Matthew Fell said: "Not only does the agreement provide greater access to a group of fast growth economies representing 14% of global GDP and over 500 million consumers, but membership reinforces the UK's commitment to building partnerships in an increasingly fragmented world.

"CPTPP countries and business need to work together to future-proof the rules-based trading system and stimulate growth with a focus on digital, services and resilient supply chains."

Labour said the agreement represented "encouraging" progress but it needed to see details.

The party's shadow trade secretary Nick Thomas-Symonds said: "The Conservative government's track record in striking good trade deals is desperately poor.

"Other countries joining CPTPP arrangements have secured important safeguards and put in place support for their producers: it is vital that ministers set out if they plan to do the same."

'EU should be priority'

The Institute of Directors said it was "vital the UK signs trade deals to restore our international reputation since Brexit".

But it added "complete reorientation" to the Indo-Pacific would not solve "the very real problem that businesses currently face - namely that they have many more trade related challenges than they did six years ago".

"From our surveys, directors have told us that the EU-UK relationship is a priority issue the government needs to address in order to support business," they said.

"UK companies still rely on the long-established links they have with EU markets, which are directly on our doorstep and with whom they have closer historical ties.

"The Indo-Pacific strategy will open up important opportunities for UK businesses, but the government must not forfeit the significance of our relationship with the EU in order to do so."

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2023-03-31 07:21:34Z
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Donald Trump indicted over 'hush money' payment to Stormy Daniels - The Times

Donald Trump is to become the first former US president to face criminal charges after a grand jury voted to indict him over allegations of hush money paid to a pornographic actress.

The historic move comes after months of testimony behind closed doors in Manhattan, where the jury heard details of a $130,000 payment to Stormy Daniels shortly before the 2016 presidential election.

Trump, 76, has denied having an extramarital relationship with her or having knowledge of the payment made by Michael Cohen, then his personal lawyer.

Trump is alleged to have paid Stormy Daniels hush money shortly before the presidential election

MARKUS SCHREIBER/AP

The charges were filed under seal, according to sources close to the inquiry. Trump is expected to turn himself in and be arraigned on Tuesday, when the charges will be unsealed, according to his lawyer Susan Necheles.

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2023-03-31 07:30:00Z
1882519002

Cincunri Sakia

Sabtu, 01 April 2023

Russia assumes UN Security Council presidency despite Ukrainian anger - BBC

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At least 5 killed in Arkansas tornadoes as storms rip through state - The Independent

Jumat, 31 Maret 2023

Trump will not appear in court in handcuffs - lawyer - BBC

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Andrew Tate released from prison after three months and put under house arrest - The Independent

Trump's indictment is sending shockwaves across the political landscape - bbc.com

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Republicans close ranks

A delicate balance for Trump's rivals

Biden keeps his silence

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CPTPP: UK accepted into Indo-Pacific trade bloc in biggest trade deal since Brexit - Sky News

Donald Trump indicted over 'hush money' payment to Stormy Daniels - The Times

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