- Mozambique starts tallying votes in tense election
- Zelensky moves to court European leaders in drive for military aid
- Ratan Tata: Indian mogul who built a global powerhouse
- Rodgers rejects 'false' suggestions of role in Saleh dismissal
- One dead as storm Kirk tears through Spain, Portugal, France
- Indian business titan Ratan Tata dead at 86
- Lebanon facing 'catastrophic' situation as 600,000 displaced: UN
- US warns Israel not to repeat Gaza destruction in Lebanon
- Musk's X returns in Brazil after 40-day showdown with judge
- Call her savvy? Harris unleashes unconventional media blitz
- Lucian Freud 'masterpiece' fetches £13.9 million at London sale
- SoFi Stadium to hold next two CONCACAF Nations League finals
- McIlroy and DeChambeau set for PGA-LIV 'Showdown' in Vegas
- Fed minutes highlight divisions over rate cut decision
- Steve McQueen debuts new WWII film at London festival
- Run blitz edges India and South Africa closer to World Cup semi-finals
- Zelensky to court European leaders in drive for military aid
- Israel captain says 'difficult' to focus on football in time of war
- Macron to host Ukraine's Zelensky after meeting Ukrainian troops
- Root says 'many more to get' after England Test runs landmark
- India pile up World Cup high to rout Sri Lanka
- One year later, Israeli hostage family learns of loss
- Texans receiver Collins, Pats' safety Peppers out for NFL clash
- Biden-Netanyahu talk as Hezbollah, Israeli forces clash
- Musk's X available again in Brazil after 40-day ban
- Reddy stars as India crush Bangladesh to clinch T20 series
- Nobel winners hope protein work will spur 'incredible' breakthroughs
- What are proteins again? Nobel-winning chemistry explained
- Arch rivals Ghana, Nigeria drawn together in CHAN qualifying
- AI steps into science limelight with Nobel wins
- Trump lauds India's Modi as 'total killer'
- Wall Street, Europe rise as Chinese shares tumble
- Hunkering down for Hurricane Milton at Disney -- but first, a few rides
- Reddy, Rinku power India to 221-9 in second Bangladesh T20
- Overshooting 1.5C risks 'irreversible' climate impact: study
- Time running out in Florida to flee Hurricane Milton
- Demis Hassabis, from chess prodigy to Nobel-winning AI pioneer
- The long walk for water in the parched Colombian Amazon
- Biden-Netanyahu to talk as Hezbollah, Israeli forces clash
- France vows to step up drugs fight after police vehicles torched
- Air France says jet flew over Iraq during Iran attack on Israel
- Activists target Picasso work to protest Israel arms sales
- Let 'Emily in Paris' remain in Paris, Macron says
- Global stocks diverge as Chinese shares tumble
- Time runs out in Florida to flee Hurricane Milton
- Chad issues warning ahead of more devastating floods
- Record-breaking Root helps England dominate Pakistan in first Test
- German govt sees economy shrinking again in 2024
- Ex-UK soldier denies passing secrets to Iran intelligence
- Creator's death no bar to new 'Dragon Ball' products
Prosecution lays out 'criminal conspiracy' in historic Trump trial
Prosecutors accused Donald Trump of engaging in "criminal conspiracy and a coverup" as opening arguments began Monday in the first ever criminal trial of a former US president.
Assistant District Attorney Matthew Colangelo said Trump falsified business records to pay $130,000 to porn star Stormy Daniels to "silence" her about a potentially politically embarrassing sexual encounter.
"This case is about a criminal conspiracy and a coverup," Colangelo told the jury of New Yorkers in a Manhattan courtroom. "He orchestrated a criminal scheme to corrupt the 2016 presidential election."
Trump, dressed in a dark suit and blue tie, sat at the defense table, staring straight ahead as the prosecutor delivered his opening statement, shifting back and forth in his seat a little.
Before the court session began, Trump condemned the case as "election interference" designed to derail his 2024 White House bid.
"It's a very, very sad day in America," the 77-year-old Republican presidential candidate told reporters.
"I'm here instead of being able to be in Pennsylvania, in Georgia, and lots of other places campaigning," he said. "This is a witch hunt and it's a shame and it comes out of Washington."
Trump is the first former president to face criminal charges and the case poses substantial risks to him less than seven months before his election rematch with President Joe Biden.
Prosecution witnesses are expected to include Daniels and Trump's former fixer Michael Cohen.
The identities of the jury's five women and seven men are being kept secret for their own protection.
Trump faces 34 counts of falsifying business records to pay "hush money" to Daniels to ensure an account of their alleged 2006 extramarital tryst did not get out ahead of the 2016 election.
The alleged crime is less significant than the indictments stemming from Trump's attack on the 2020 election -- which the Republican lost to Democrat Biden -- and his hoarding of secret documents.
Trump could face jail time in the current case, although a fine or probation is more likely, analysts say.
- Campaign trail -
The trial in a dingy courtroom will keep Trump off the campaign trail for four days a week over a possibly six-to-eight-week period, while Biden hammers him from the White House and around the country.
But Trump has tried to used the heavy media attention to fire up his support base by giving regular statements outside the courtroom.
"This is going to be the beginning of probably the most sensational trial in American history," former prosecutor Bennett Gershman, now a lecturer at Pace University, told AFP.
"Every day we're going to be hearing testimony that's going to be damaging to Mr Trump."
Trump has railed against the case, particularly what he calls the "very unfair" partial gag order imposed by Judge Juan Merchan to prevent him from using his media presence to attack witnesses, prosecutors and relatives of court staff.
Security was tight Monday after a man set himself on fire last week outside the courthouse in an unrelated but gruesome incident.
A hearing will be held Tuesday at which Merchan will decide if Trump is already in contempt of court due to outbursts during jury selection.
The Republican's three other criminal cases have been repeatedly delayed due to his successful strategy of challenging every step.
However, Merchan has run the New York fraud trial on a tight schedule.
Many potential panelists were excused after saying they could not be impartial, before lawyers and the judge whittled down the group to 12 jurors with six alternates.
A unanimous verdict will be required to convict Trump, who has been ordered to attend each day of the trial.
S.Gregor--AMWN