International

Judge of the Trump case points out comment on Facebook about possible verdict leak

The judge who presided over the criminal trial against former President Donald Trump (2017-2021) in New York, Juan Merchan, pointed out on Friday a comment posted by a user on the Facebook of the judicial system about a possible leak of the guilty verdict before it was determined by the jury.

Merchan addressed a letter to both the Manhattan Prosecutor’s Office and Trump’s defense calling his “attention” to a comment by a user in a publication on May 29, a day before the verdict, which quotes: “My cousin is a juror and says that Trump will be convicted. Thank you, people, for your hard work!!!”

However, the comment was deleted and when the name of the alleged author is searched by the judge on Facebook, a profile of a person appears who is listed as a ‘shitposter’ (a person who intentionally publishes junk messages on the internet), according to local media.

The judge’s letter is a mere notification and does not indicate that he will take any action for the comment.

A spokesman for Trump’s campaign told Fox News that he is “investigating the matter.”

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On May 30, after a month and a half of trial, a jury found Trump guilty of 34 crimes related to the falsification of his company’s documents to silence the porn actress Stormy Daniels and protect her career in the White House elections in 2016, which she ended up winning. The sentence will be announced on July 11.

The jurors were specifically instructed by the judge to keep secret about their work and not to talk about the case with anyone.

On the other hand, Merchan responded this Friday to a motion by Trump’s lawyer, Todd Blanche, allowing him to attend an interview of his client with a correction official prior to the sentence.

International

Florida judge sets 2027 trial in Trump’s $10 billion lawsuit against BBC

A federal judge in Florida has scheduled February 2027 for the trial in the lawsuit filed by U.S. President Donald Trump against the BBC, in which he is seeking $10 billion in damages for defamation.

Trump accuses the British broadcaster of airing a misleading edit of a speech he delivered on January 6, 2021, which, he says, made it appear that he explicitly urged his supporters to attack the U.S. Capitol in Washington.

The president filed the suit in December in federal court in Florida, alleging defamation and violations of a law governing business practices when the program was broadcast ahead of the 2024 election.

Trump is seeking $5 billion in damages for each of the two claims.

Lawyers for the BBC unsuccessfully asked the court to dismiss the case, arguing that Trump had not suffered a “legally recognizable harm,” since the investigative program Panorama, which included the edited footage, aired outside the United States.

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International

Head-of-state diplomacy key to guiding China–U.S. ties, Beijing says

Head-of-state diplomacy plays an irreplaceable strategic guiding role in China–United States relations, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said on Thursday during a regular press briefing, when asked about high-level exchanges between the two sides.

Lin added that in a recent phone call, U.S. President Donald Trump once again expressed his intention to visit China in April, while Chinese President Xi Jinping reiterated his invitation.

Both sides remain in communication regarding the matter, the spokesperson said.

Lin noted that the essence of China–U.S. economic and trade ties lies in mutual benefit and win-win outcomes.

“Both parties should work together to implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, injecting greater certainty and stability into China–U.S. economic and trade cooperation, as well as into the global economy,” he said.

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International

Trump administration to end special immigration operation in Minnesota

The administration of Donald Trump is bringing to a close its special operation targeting illegal immigration in the northern state of Minnesota, border czar Tom Homan announced Thursday, following weeks of unrest and the fatal shootings of two activists by federal agents.

Thousands of federal officers had been deployed to Minnesota in December to carry out large-scale raids against undocumented immigrants.

The operations triggered strong reactions from residents and advocacy groups, leading to daily confrontations and the deaths of two people who were shot by federal agents.

“I proposed, and President Trump agreed, that this special operation should end in Minnesota,” Homan said during a press conference in the state capital, Minneapolis.

“A significant drawdown began this week and will continue into next week,” he added.

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Homan indicated that similar enforcement efforts could be launched in other cities.

“Next week we will redeploy the agents currently here back to their home stations or to other parts of the country where they are needed. But we will continue to enforce immigration laws,” he said.