Donald Trump will be arraigned in New York on Tuesday, court officials confirmed, after a grand jury voted to charge the US former president in a historic indictment.
The eye of a legal and political storm will now settle over the District Attorney's office in lower Manhattan as Mr Trump returns to his hometown to be formally charged and stand trial.
The charges are founded in an alleged scheme to cover up a sexual encounter that adult film star Stormy Daniels said she had with him in 2006.
Mr Trump denies the affair or any involvement in hush-money payments to keep Daniels quiet.
Mr Trump's legal team is reportedly considering requesting to move his criminal case from Manhattan to Staten Island, a more conservative New York borough, over concerns that he will not receive a fair trial.
However, any attempt to move the trial venue is likely to fail, as defendants are not entitled to seek out juries based on specific characteristics they find more favourable.
The lawyers have not made a final decision, and the charges in the indictment by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg will be unsealed on Tuesday.
Outside the DA's office on Friday, police officers and journalists gathered in anticipation of any possible protests.
“If he's indicted for paying off Stormy to hush up, why didn't this happen a long time ago? Why did it come out now?” Maria Shkerli, an independent voter, told The National outside the courthouse.
She said the prospect of a former president standing trial in today's polarised America made her “a little nervous”.
“I'm not sure if it's just political stuff, trying to get him indicted so he doesn't have to run … We need some fresh blood to unite the country and I think this is going to cause more havoc with Trump supporters.”
Kate Norman, another passer-by, said the indictment would not change anything.
“They just want to make a show of power,” she said.
The number and nature of the charges Mr Trump faces were not made public on Friday. CNN reported he faced more than 30 counts.
In the 2020 election that Mr Trump lost to Democrat Joe Biden, 75 per cent of people in Manhattan voted against him. The former New Yorker once boasted that he “could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody” and not lose voters.
“Corrupt powerful men that do bad things in our society have to be held to account,” said anti-Trump protester Marina Kalasa.
“Maybe this isn't going to stop him from running for public office but at the same time, still like the grand jury indicted him, and I think that's a powerful message.”
Unchartered territory
In terms of his legal situation, Mr Trump is being prosecuted for an alleged campaign finance violation.
Mr Trump allegedly failed to disclose payments to Daniels with the purpose of influencing an election. Details on the charges have not yet been made public.
The central question is what was the purpose of the alleged hush payment, said Claire Rajan, a political partner at the Allen & Overy law firm.
“Was it to influence the election? Or was it he didn't want his family to find out? Or [was it that] he just didn't want to deal with bad press because of his businesses?” Ms Rajan told The National.
No president has been charged with a felony crime, but that is not a precluding factor in Mr Trump running for the White House next year.
“Being charged with a felony, being found guilty of a felony is not a disqualifier under the Constitution,” said Anna Cominsky, an associate professor of law at New York Law School.
Mr Trump has long galvanised his base around the idea that he has been unfairly attacked by Democrats and the mainstream media.
He is currently the Republican front-runner, with a commanding lead in the polls over other declared or would-be contenders.
The indictment is unlikely to change how his “hardcore” base views him, said Clifford Young, president of US public affairs at Ipsos.
“They might double down on him,” Mr Young told The National.
Presidential historians are struggling to understand what the charges mean for the office itself and Mr Trump's legacy.
“In many ways, the Trump presidency is not over yet. We're still living with it,” said Thomas Balcerski, a presidential historian and visiting professor at Occidental College in Los Angeles.
“To have not just a former president, but a potential political front-runner of a major political party in this country in the 2024 election, to have him also be under this kind of legal scrutiny, is something we've not seen before.”
SHAITTAN
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Singham Again
Director: Rohit Shetty
Stars: Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh, Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff, Deepika Padukone
Rating: 3/5
'Doctor Strange in the Multiverse Of Madness'
Director: Sam Raimi
Cast: Benedict Cumberbatch, Elizabeth Olsen, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Benedict Wong, Xochitl Gomez, Michael Stuhlbarg and Rachel McAdams
Rating: 3/5
PROFILE OF HALAN
Started: November 2017
Founders: Mounir Nakhla, Ahmed Mohsen and Mohamed Aboulnaga
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport and logistics
Size: 150 employees
Investment: approximately $8 million
Investors include: Singapore’s Battery Road Digital Holdings, Egypt’s Algebra Ventures, Uber co-founder and former CTO Oscar Salazar
The%20specs%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2.0-litre%204cyl%20turbo%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E261hp%20at%205%2C500rpm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E400Nm%20at%201%2C750-4%2C000rpm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E7-speed%20dual-clutch%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFuel%20consumption%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E10.5L%2F100km%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENow%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh129%2C999%20(VX%20Luxury)%3B%20from%20Dh149%2C999%20(VX%20Black%20Gold)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The biog
DOB: March 13, 1987
Place of birth: Jeddah, Saudi Arabia but lived in Virginia in the US and raised in Lebanon
School: ACS in Lebanon
University: BSA in Graphic Design at the American University of Beirut
MSA in Design Entrepreneurship at the School of Visual Arts in New York City
Nationality: Lebanese
Status: Single
Favourite thing to do: I really enjoy cycling, I was a participant in Cycling for Gaza for the second time this year
ICC T20 Rankings
1. India - 270 ranking points
2. England - 265 points
3. Pakistan - 261 points
4. South Africa - 253 points
5. Australia - 251 points
6. New Zealand - 250 points
7. West Indies - 240 points
8. Bangladesh - 233 points
9. Sri Lanka - 230 points
10. Afghanistan - 226 points
Fresh faces in UAE side
Khalifa Mubarak (24) An accomplished centre-back, the Al Nasr defender’s progress has been hampered in the past by injury. With not many options in central defence, he would bolster what can be a problem area.
Ali Salmeen (22) Has been superb at the heart of Al Wasl’s midfield these past two seasons, with the Dubai club flourishing under manager Rodolfo Arrubarrena. Would add workrate and composure to the centre of the park.
Mohammed Jamal (23) Enjoyed a stellar 2016/17 Arabian Gulf League campaign, proving integral to Al Jazira as the capital club sealed the championship for only a second time. A tenacious and disciplined central midfielder.
Khalfan Mubarak (22) One of the most exciting players in the UAE, the Al Jazira playmaker has been likened in style to Omar Abdulrahman. Has minimal international experience already, but there should be much more to come.
Jassim Yaqoub (20) Another incredibly exciting prospect, the Al Nasr winger is becoming a regular contributor at club level. Pacey, direct and with an eye for goal, he would provide the team’s attack an extra dimension.
COMPANY PROFILE
● Company: Bidzi
● Started: 2024
● Founders: Akshay Dosaj and Asif Rashid
● Based: Dubai, UAE
● Industry: M&A
● Funding size: Bootstrapped
● No of employees: Nine
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The results of the first round are as follows:
Qais Saied (Independent): 18.4 per cent
Nabil Karoui (Qalb Tounes): 15.58 per cent
Abdelfattah Mourou (Ennahdha party): 12.88 per cent
Abdelkarim Zbidi (two-time defence minister backed by Nidaa Tounes party): 10.7 per cent
Youssef Chahed (former prime minister, leader of Long Live Tunisia): 7.3 per cent
Company%20profile
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Gender equality in the workplace still 200 years away
It will take centuries to achieve gender parity in workplaces around the globe, according to a December report from the World Economic Forum.
The WEF study said there had been some improvements in wage equality in 2018 compared to 2017, when the global gender gap widened for the first time in a decade.
But it warned that these were offset by declining representation of women in politics, coupled with greater inequality in their access to health and education.
At current rates, the global gender gap across a range of areas will not close for another 108 years, while it is expected to take 202 years to close the workplace gap, WEF found.
The Geneva-based organisation's annual report tracked disparities between the sexes in 149 countries across four areas: education, health, economic opportunity and political empowerment.
After years of advances in education, health and political representation, women registered setbacks in all three areas this year, WEF said.
Only in the area of economic opportunity did the gender gap narrow somewhat, although there is not much to celebrate, with the global wage gap narrowing to nearly 51 per cent.
And the number of women in leadership roles has risen to 34 per cent globally, WEF said.
At the same time, the report showed there are now proportionately fewer women than men participating in the workforce, suggesting that automation is having a disproportionate impact on jobs traditionally performed by women.
And women are significantly under-represented in growing areas of employment that require science, technology, engineering and mathematics skills, WEF said.
* Agence France Presse
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
Superpower%20
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Evacuations to France hit by controversy
- Over 500 Gazans have been evacuated to France since November 2023
- Evacuations were paused after a student already in France posted anti-Semitic content and was subsequently expelled to Qatar
- The Foreign Ministry launched a review to determine how authorities failed to detect the posts before her entry
- Artists and researchers fall under a programme called Pause that began in 2017
- It has benefited more than 700 people from 44 countries, including Syria, Turkey, Iran, and Sudan
- Since the start of the Gaza war, it has also included 45 Gazan beneficiaries
- Unlike students, they are allowed to bring their families to France
Results
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The%20Mandalorian%20season%203%20episode%201
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LIVERPOOL%20TOP%20SCORERS
%3Cp%3E(Premier%20League%20only)%3Cbr%3EMohamed%20Salah%20129%3Cbr%3ERobbie%20Fowler%20128%3Cbr%3ESteven%20Gerrard%20120%3Cbr%3EMichael%20Owen%20118%3Cbr%3ESadio%20Mane%2090%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Company%20profile
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Company%20Profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Astra%20Tech%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMarch%202022%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDubai%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAbdallah%20Abu%20Sheikh%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20technology%20investment%20and%20development%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%20size%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%24500m%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
