Donald Trump’s latest legal loss hits him where it hurts most because it takes aim at his very identity.

For decades, he has marketed himself as a genius business mogul who made it big in one of the world’s most cut-throat cities.

That image – forever tied to New York deal-making and reinforced by relentless self-promotion – catapulted him to international fame, allowing him to reinvent himself first as a reality TV star and then ultimately president of the United States.

But Judge Arthur Engoron’s ruling in a civil fraud case – related to the inflation of property values and lying on financial statements to obtain better loan terms – undermines Mr Trump’s entire narrative. It instead paints him as a fraud and inflicts a massive blow to his business empire and wealth.

Donald Trump once remarked that the mind can overcome any obstacle. But what an obstacle this is.

The verdict significantly curtails the Trump Organization’s ability to do business in New York. He has personally been banned from holding any directorships for three years and his company cannot secure loans with financial institutions registered with the city during that time either.

He has been hit with an enormous financial penalty of $355m (£282m; €329m) – which jumps to more than $450m once interest is included – that far exceeds how much cash he has to hand. His business will continue to be be watched by an independent monitor, with a separate independent director of compliance also signing off on major business decisions.

In perhaps the only bright spot for the former president and Republican frontrunner, the Trump empire was spared from the equivalent of the corporate death penalty – the cancellation of its business licences.

Mr Trump has for decades seemed to rally and recover from scandals and legal challenges that could irreparably damage others, so much so that he has been referred to as Teflon Don, because nothing sticks.

The nickname previously belonged to the mob boss John Gotti after he won a series of high-profile acquittals in the 1980s. But today’s verdict signals that Donald Trump’s luck, like Gotti’s, may be running out.

Judge Engoron noted Mr Trump and the other defendants’ lack of remorse and history of repeated and persistent fraud. In this case, he said the examples of fraud over more than a decade at the company “leap off the page and shock the conscience”.

Yet the defendants were incapable of admitting the error of their ways, he said, writing: “Their complete lack of contrition and remorse borders on pathological.”

Unsurprisingly, Mr Trump sees things very differently. He says he built a “perfect company” and rejects that he should be punished for fraud because banks were paid back in full. He continues to repeat claims, without evidence, that his legal challenges are just a plot by elite Democrats to keep him out of the White House.

According to Mr Trump’s estranged niece Mary Trump, the judge’s ruling amounts to the end of the Trump family legacy. “Today is an emotional day, but one thing is for certain: the Engoron decision is absolutely devastating for Donald,” she wrote on social media.

As the son of a real estate developer whose projects included middle-class apartment buildings in the outer boroughs of Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island, Mr Trump always dreamed of making a name for himself among the skyscrapers of Manhattan.

A seven-year spree of construction from 1976-1983, including the eponymous Trump Tower, solidified his reputation as a real estate giant in New York. ”Not many sons have been able to escape their fathers,” he told the New York Times in 1983 – the implication being that at 37, he already had.

And it’s true that the 1980s era of greed and excess was a prosperous time for a young developer with his ambition.

Trump Tower, with its prime location on 5th Avenue, put Donald Trump on the map. Once his reputation was established, he subsequently put his name on every project he did.

By the early 1990’s though, Donald Trump filed for several corporate bankruptcies and nearly lost it all.

It was during this time that Rich Herschlag, the chief engineer in the Manhattan Borough President’s office, worked with Mr Trump and his organization on the Riverside South project, a redevelopment in a former rail yard on the Upper West Side.

He says it meant “everything or darn close to everything” for Donald Trump to be seen as a successful real estate developer – and in particular build an empire from his father’s legacy.

“To watch it [potentially] gutted and decimated, I can’t image that’s anything less than an emotional horror,” he told the BBC.

It is not yet clear how Mr Trump will pay the nearly half a billion dollars that he is liable for and if that will involve selling any assets or businesses to raise the cash. His sprawling real estate empire in New York is valued by Forbes at $490m but there are many other properties around the country, including hotels, golf courses, condominiums and even a winery.

He will appeal against the penalty, which would put the decision on hold until a higher court reviews the case.

But if he wants to avoid paying the fine or having his personal assets seized while the appeal process plays out, he still has to deposit the full amount within 30 days or secure a costly bond.

Selling any of his prime Manhattan real estate would be an indignity for the former president – and a decision he would not take lightly.

Whether or not Donald Trump is able to recover from this financial shock, the outcome looks sure to significantly dent his fortune.

The ruling in the city where he rose to the top – while always remaining something of an outsider – is undoubtedly a big loss. And for more than six decades in New York real estate, there’s no figure Mr Trump has derided more than the “loser”.

Source: BBC

North Korea fired multiple cruise missiles Wednesday, Seoul’s military said, part of a string of weapons tests this year that have accompanied increasingly aggressive rhetoric from leader Kim Jong Un.

So far this year, Kim has declared South Korea his country’s “principal enemy”, jettisoned agencies dedicated to reunification and outreach, and threatened war over “even 0.001 mm” of territorial infringement.

Pyongyang has also ramped up weapons tests, including cruise missiles, an “underwater nuclear weapon system” and a solid-fuelled hypersonic ballistic missile.

“Our military detected several unknown cruise missiles over the waters northeast of Wonsan around 09:00 today (1200 GMT) and South Korea-US intelligence authorities are conducting a detailed analysis,” the Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement.

It added that the military was “strengthening surveillance and vigilance, and closely watching for any additional signs and activities from North Korea”.

Earlier this week, North Korea announced it had tested a new control system for a multiple rocket launcher it said would have an “increased” battlefield role.

The cruise missile launches have prompted speculation from experts that it is testing the weapons before shipping them to Moscow for use in Ukraine.

Pyongyang and Moscow have bolstered ties in recent months, with leader Kim Jong Un making a rare trip to Russia to meet President Vladimir Putin in September.

Seoul and Washington have accused the North of supplying Russia with weapons in exchange for technical support for Kim’s nascent satellite programme, which would violate a raft of UN sanctions on both regimes.

Unlike their ballistic counterparts, the testing of cruise missiles is not banned under current UN sanctions on Pyongyang.

Cruise missiles tend to be jet-propelled and fly at a lower altitude than more sophisticated ballistic missiles, making them harder to detect and intercept.

“It is believed that North Korea exported large quantities of multiple rocket launchers to Russia last year,” Ahn Chan-il, a defector-turned-researcher who runs the World Institute for North Korea Studies, told AFP.

He added that there may have been quality issues with some of the exported weapons and that the recent spate of testing could be leader Kim “taking action to address the issue”.

‘Put an end’ to South Korea

Kim repeated last week that Pyongyang would not hesitate to “put an end” to South Korea if attacked, calling Seoul the North’s “most dangerous and first enemy state and invariable arch-enemy”.

In January, North Korea fired an artillery barrage near two South Korean border islands, prompting a live-fire drill by the South and evacuation orders for residents.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has vowed a strong response if Pyongyang attacks, calling on his military to “act first, report later” if provoked.

The hawkish Yoon has bolstered defence cooperation with the United States and Japan since coming to office in 2022, including expanding joint drills, to counter Pyongyang’s growing threats.

With a US presidential election later this year, the North could potentially ramp up its provocations to take advantage of American political gridlock, Cheong Seong-chang, director of the Center for Korean Peninsula Strategy at the Sejong Institute, wrote in a report.

North Korea could “conduct attacks on (South Korea’s) Baengnyeong Island, Daecheong Island, and Socheong Island based on their confidence in the advancement of nuclear and missile capabilities,” he wrote.

Pyongyang has drawn closer to Moscow in areas beyond defence, with a group of Russian tourists — the first known foreign tour group since before pandemic-linked border closures in 2020 — arriving in the North Friday for a four-day visit.

It has become harder for Russians to travel to Europe and the United States since sanctions were imposed following the invasion of Ukraine.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who has also visited Pyongyang, said last year that the North could be recommended as a tourist destination, Tass reported.

Source: AFP

President Joe Biden says he is concerned about King Charles’s cancer diagnosis and hopes to speak to him soon.

Buckingham Palace announced on Monday that King Charles III was being treated for cancer.

The type of cancer has not been revealed, but according to a palace statement the King began “regular treatments” on Monday.

He was diagnosed during a recent treatment for an enlarged prostate.

Asked by reporters in Las Vegas what his message was for the King, Mr Biden said he had “just heard his diagnosis”.

“I’m concerned about him,” he told reporters at a union event. “Hopefully I’ll be talking to him soon.”

The King is beginning treatment as an outpatient and will pause his public events, but he will continue with his constitutional role as head of state, including paperwork and private meetings.

Buckingham Palace has not released any details about the stage of cancer, but said King Charles “remains wholly positive about his treatment and looks forward to returning to full public duty as soon as possible”.

The US State Department called the announcement “incredibly sad news”.

“Our thoughts are with the King … and his family,” spokesperson Vedant Patel told reporters at a regular news briefing.

Former President Donald Trump said the King was a “wonderful man who I got to know well during my presidency”.

“We all pray that he has a fast and full recovery,” he wrote on his social media site Truth Social.

Prince Harry, who lives in California with his wife Meghan Markle, will travel to the UK to see his father, the BBC has been told.

Source: BBC

King Charles III has been diagnosed with a form of cancer and has begun treatment, Buckingham Palace said Monday.

The palace says the cancer is not related to the king’s recent treatment for a benign prostate condition. It did not say what form of cancer the 75-year-old monarch has.

The palace said “a separate issue of concern was noted” during Charles’ treatment for an enlarged prostate last month. “Diagnostic tests have identified a form of cancer,” it said.

“His Majesty has today commenced a schedule of regular treatments, during which time he has been advised by doctors to postpone public-facing duties,” the palace said. “Throughout this period, His Majesty will continue to undertake State business and official paperwork as usual.”

It said Charles “remains wholly positive about his treatment and looks forward to returning to full public duty as soon as possible.”

The palace added that the king “has chosen to share his diagnosis to prevent speculation and in the hope it may assist public understanding for all those around the world who are affected by cancer.”

Charles became king in September 2022 when his mother Queen Elizabeth II died at the age of 96.

News of the king’s diagnosis comes as his daughter-in-law Kate, Princess of Wales, recovers from abdominal surgery that saw her hospitalized for about two weeks.

U.K. political leaders sent messages of support. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak tweeted: “Wishing His Majesty a full and speedy recovery. I have no doubt he’ll be back to full strength in no time and I know the whole country will be wishing him well.”

Source: AP

The head of the political bureau of the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas is due in the Egyptian capital, Cairo, for talks on a new ceasefire proposal, as the Israeli regime continues its brutal war against the besieged Gaza Strip.

Ismail Haniyeh is scheduled to attend a meeting in Cairo on Thursday to discuss the proposal for a six-week truce plan put forward by senior Qatari and Egyptian officials during recent meetings in France.

The three-stage plan would start with an initial six-week halt to the war that would see more aid deliveries into Gaza, AFP quoted a Hamas source as saying.

The source further said that there would also be “negotiations around the withdrawal of Israeli forces,” with possible additional phases involving more captive-prisoner exchanges.

The territory’s rebuilding is also among the issues addressed by the deal, the source said.

In a press statement on Tuesday, Haniyeh confirmed that the movement had received an invitation to visit Cairo in order to reach an “integrated vision” on the new ceasefire proposal and discuss requirements for the implementation of a potential agreement.

Source: Presstv

Since the outbreak of the Gaza war, Israel and its top ally the United States have faced attacks from, and struck back at, multiple Iran-backed armed groups with violence flaring in Lebanon, Iraq, Syria and Yemen.

Lebanon’s Hezbollah and Israel have traded near daily cross-border fire, and Yemen’s Huthi rebels have launched attacks on Red Sea shipping, sparking US and British strikes on their bases.

US forces in Iraq and Syria have also been targeted more than 150 times, the Pentagon says. Most attacks were claimed by the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, a loose alliance of Iran-linked groups.

On Sunday, a drone attack on a remote base in Jordan, near the borders with Iraq and Syria, killed three US troops and wounded 25 others, the US military said.

Biden blamed “radical Iran-backed militant groups operating in Syria and Iraq” and pledged to hold “all those responsible to account at a time and in a manner of our choosing”.

Source: AFP

The world’s largest cruise ship is due to set sail from Miami, Florida, on its maiden voyage, amid concerns about the vessel’s methane emissions.

The 365m-long (1,197 ft) Icon of the Seas has 20 decks, and can house a maximum of 7,600 passengers on board. It is owned by Royal Caribbean Group.

The vessel is going on a seven-day island-hopping voyage in the tropics.

But environmentalists warn that the liquefied natural gas-powered ship will leak harmful methane into the air.

“It’s a step in the wrong direction,” Bryan Comer, director of the Marine Programme at the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT), was quoted as saying by Reuters news agency.

“We would estimate that using LNG as a marine fuel emits over 120% more life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions than marine gas oil,” he said.

Earlier this week, the ICCT released a report, arguing that methane emissions from LNG-fuelled ships were higher than current regulations assumed.

LNG burns more cleanly than traditional marine fuels such as fuel oil, but there is a risk of leakage.

A powerful greenhouse gas, methane in the atmosphere traps 80 times more heat than carbon dioxide over 20 years. Cutting these emissions is seen as crucial to slowing down global warming.

A Royal Caribbean spokesperson is quoted by media outlets as saying that Icon of the Seas is 24% more energy efficient than required the International Maritime Organization for modern ships. The company plans to introduce a net-zero ship by 2035.

On Thursday, Argentina’s World Cup winning captain Lionel Messi, who currently plays for Inter Miami, took part in the ship’s naming ceremony. He was seen placing a football on a specially-built stand to trigger the traditional “good luck” breaking of a champagne bottle against the vessel’s bow.

Icon of the Seas cost $2bn (£1.6bn) to build. It now boasts seven swimming pools, six waterslides, and more than 40 restaurants, bars and lounges.

Source: BBC

South Africa expects the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to rule this Friday on whether it will grant emergency measures to stop the Israeli genocidal campaign in the besieged Gaza Strip, a report says.

News website News24, citing two sources close to the matter, reported on Wednesday that a South African government delegation had touched down in The Hague in anticipation of the judgment.

South Africa’s justice ministry spokesperson Chrispin Phiri, however, in a social media post on X said: “We do not have an official communication from the court as to when the judgment will be delivered.”

South Africa filed the lawsuit against Israel at the end of December, after nearly three months of Israeli aggression against Palestinians in Gaza.

The lawsuit said Israel’s actions are “genocidal in character because they are intended to bring about the destruction of a substantial part of the Palestinian national, racial and ethnical group.”

The application also said Israeli attacks breach the UN’s Genocide Convention, and urged the court to “order Israel to cease killing and causing serious mental and bodily harm to Palestinian people in Gaza.”

Source: Presstv

North Korea says it has carried out a test of its “underwater nuclear weapons system” in response to drills by the US, South Korea and Japan this week.

The test of its supposedly nuclear-armed underwater drones took place off its east coast, state media reported.

The North has claimed tests of its “Haeil-5-23” system before but the weapons have never been independently verified.

South Korea and allies have yet to respond to the latest provocation.

But it comes as the North has ramped up military action in recent weeks, including claiming to have deployed a new solid-fuelled intermediate-range ballistic missile on Sunday.

That followed live-fire drills at the maritime border with South Korea in the first week of January.

Pyongyang leader Kim Jong Un has also been increasingly aggressive in his policy direction and rhetoric – ending several agreements aimed at peace-keeping in recent months.

On Friday, North Korea said it had been provoked by joint drills by Washington, Seoul and Tokyo to carry out a test of its underwater weapons, according to a report by state agency KCNA.

It accused the exercises of “further destabilising the regional situation” and threatening the North’s security.

The US, South Korea and Japan say they have conducted more exercises in the past year as a deterrence response to the increasing frequency of North Korea’s military actions, which include multiple tests of its nuclear ballistic missiles and launches of new weapons. All such actions are in breach of UN sanctions.

But Mr Kim has repeatedly said his regime is building up its military arsenal in preparation for war that could “break out at any time” on the peninsula.

Over the New Year period, he signalled some fundamental policy shifts in his regime’s stance to South Korea.

And earlier this week he declared the former bedrock goal of re-unification with South Korea was over, designating the South as the “principle enemy”.

The rhetoric follows several claimed advances in his country’s military and nuclear capabilities – including in its underwater operations.

Source: BBC