JOHANNESBURG: The dragging corruption trial of South Africa’s jailed ex-president Jacob Zuma resumes on Monday despite deadly violence that swept the nation after his imprisonment in an unrelated case.
Zuma faces 16 charges of fraud, graft and racketeering related to a 1999 purchase of fighter jets, patrol boats and military gear from five European arms firms when he was South Africa’s deputy president.
He is accused of pocketing four million rand ($277,000) in bribes from one of the firms, French defense giant Thales, which has been charged with corruption and money laundering.
The trial started in May after numerous postponements and delays, as Zuma’s legal team worked fervently to have the charges dropped.
The 79-year-old Zuma appeared in person for the opening and said he was innocent.
Thales also pleaded not guilty, and the next hearing was set for July 19.
But things took a nasty turn when on June 29, Zuma was found guilty of contempt of South Africa’s top court for snubbing graft investigators probing his tenure as president. He was jailed a week later.
The incarceration sparked protests in his home province of KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), which snowballed into a week of deadly outbreak of looting and arson that spread to the economic hub Johannesburg, claiming over 200 lives.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, who came to office promising to curb graft, said the riots were a “coordinated and well-planned attack” on the country’s young democracy.
“Using the pretext of a political grievance, those behind these acts have sought to provoke a popular insurrection,” Ramaphosa said on Friday night.
Monday’s hearing could reignite tensions that had eased late last week, analysts warn.
“People will be watching the behavior of judges,” said Sipho Seepe, a fellow of the University of Zululand in KZN.
“If they feel justice is not done, they will protest,” he said.
Monday’s hearing will focus on an application by Zuma’s legal team to recuse chief prosecutor Billy Downer for allegedly leaking information to the media.
“We will argue vigorously for the application to be dismissed,” National Prosecuting Authority spokesman Mthunzi Mhaga told AFP.
The trial will be heard virtually to “avoid disruption,” said Mhaga.
Zuma and his supporters have repeatedly decried all these probes as politically motivated and warned his jailing would spark unrest.
But they deny being behind the recent turmoil.
Carl Niehaus, a close friend of Zuma, told reporters this week that there was no “coordinated campaign to lead to looting and violence.”
“There is however an uprising of people who are deeply concerned and angered by [his] imprisonment.”
Zuma, once dubbed the “Teflon president,” is meanwhile seeking to reverse his 15-month jail sentence.
He was arrested for disobeying a Constitutional Court order to testify before a judicial panel probing the plunder of state coffers during his nine-year rule.
Most of the transgressions investigated by the commission involve three brothers from a wealthy Indian business family, the Guptas, who won lucrative government contracts and were allegedly allowed to choose cabinet ministers.
Zuma only testified once in July 2019.
South Africa’s ruling African National Congress (ANC) party forced Zuma — who is a member of the country’s dominant Zulu ethnic group — to resign in 2018 after mounting graft scandals.
But Zuma has retained a fervent support base within the ANC and among the general public, viewed by many as a “people’s man” and a defender of the poor.
Ralph Mathekga, author of “When Zuma Goes,” says judges in the graft case will not bow to “political pressure.”
“Not prosecuting Mr.Zuma will have serious implications for the rule of law,” he told AFP. “The judiciary is going to have to ride the storm.”
Zuma graft trial to resume despite deadly protests across South Africa
https://arab.news/4j8hr
Zuma graft trial to resume despite deadly protests across South Africa
- Zuma faces 16 charges of fraud, graft and racketeering
- His incarceration sparked protests in his home province of KwaZulu-Natal
Chinese hackers targeted phones of Trump, Vance, people associated with Harris campaign: AP sources
- Iranian hackers have also been blamed for targeting Trump campaign officials, while the US Justice Department has exposed vast disinformation campaigns orchestrated by Russia, which is said to favor Trump over Democrat Kamala Harris
WASHINGTON: Chinese hackers targeted cellphones used by Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, his running mate, JD Vance, and people associated with the Democratic campaign of Kamala Harris, people familiar with the matter said Friday.
It was not immediately clear what data, if any, may have been accessed. US officials are continuing to investigate, according to the people, who were not authorized to publicly discuss the ongoing inquiry and spoke on the condition of anonymity to The Associated Press.
An FBI statement did not confirm that Trump and Vance were among the potential targets but said it was investigating “unauthorized access to commercial telecommunications infrastructure by actors affiliated with the People’s Republic of China.”
“Agencies across the US Government are collaborating to aggressively mitigate this threat and are coordinating with our industry partners to strengthen cyber defenses across the commercial communications sector,” the FBI said.
US officials believe the campaigns were among numerous targets of a larger cyberespionage operation launched by China, the people said. It was not immediately clear what information China may have hoped to glean, though Beijing has for years engaged in vast hacking campaigns aimed at collecting the private data of Americans and government workers, spying on technology and corporate secrets from major American companies and targeting US infrastructure.
News that high-profile political candidates were targeted comes as US officials remain on high alert for foreign interference in the final stretch of the presidential campaign. Iranian hackers have been blamed for targeting Trump campaign officials and the Justice Department has exposed vast disinformation campaigns orchestrated by Russia, which is said to favor Trump over Democrat Kamala Harris.
China, by contrast, is believed by US intelligence officials to be taking a neutral stance in the race and is instead focused on down-ballot races, targeted candidates from both parties based on their stance on issues of key importance to Beijing, including support for Taiwan.
The New York Times first reported that Trump and Vance had been targeted and said the campaign was alerted by US officials this week. Three people confirmed the news to the AP, including one who said that people associated with the Harris campaign were also targeted.
A spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in Washington said they were not familiar with the specifics and could not comment, but contended that China is routinely victimized by cyberattacks and opposes the activity.
“The presidential elections are the United States’ domestic affairs. China has no intention and will not interfere in the US election. We hope that the US side will not make accusations against China in the election,” the statement said.
Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung did not offer any details about the Chinese operation but issued a statement accusing the Harris campaign of having emboldened foreign adversaries, including China and Iran.
The FBI has repeatedly warned over the last year about Chinese hacking operations, with Director Chris Wray telling Congress in January that investigators had disrupted a state-sponsored group known as Volt Typhoon. That operation targeted US-based small office and home routers owned by private citizens and companies. Their ultimate targets included water treatment plants, the electrical grid and transportation systems across the US
Last month, Wray said that the FBI had interrupted a separate Chinese government campaign, called Typhoon Flax, that targeted universities, government agencies and other organizations and that installed malicious software on more than 200,000 consumer devices, including cameras, video recorders and home and office routers.
The Wall Street Journal reported this month that Chinese hackers had burrowed inside the networks of US broadband providers and had potentially accessed systems that law enforcement officials use for wiretapping requests.
India, China begin implementing new border pact, ending Himalayan face-off
- The two sides had earlier pulled back troops from five other face-off points, but the last withdrawal of troops took place over two years ago
NEW DELHI, BEIJING: India and China have begun implementing an agreement to end a military standoff on their disputed Himalayan border, the two sides said on Friday, in the biggest thaw between the Asian giants since deadly clashes between their armies four years ago.
Troops who were eyeball-to-eyeball at two points on the frontier in the western Himalayas had begun pulling back, an Indian government source said, heralding an end to the standoff.
The nuclear-armed neighbors struck a deal earlier this week on patrolling the frontier, which then paved the way for the first formal talks in five years between President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of a regional summit in Russia.
“According to the recently agreed solution between India and China ... their frontline armies are implementing relevant work, with smooth progress so far,” Lin Jian, a spokesperson for China’s Foreign Ministry, said on Friday.
In New Delhi, a government official aware of the details said troops on both sides had started withdrawing from the areas of Depsang and Demchok, the last remaining points where they had stood face-to-face.
The source spoke on condition of anonymity as he was not authorized to speak to the media on the issue.
India’s Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
Neither side has provided details of the new pact, which is expected to help improve political and business ties damaged by a deadly military clash in 2020, when 20 Indian and four Chinese troops died in clashes in the Galwan Valley.
The two sides had earlier pulled back troops from five other face-off points, but the last withdrawal of troops took place over two years ago.
On Wednesday, Xi and Modi agreed to boost communication and co-operation in a bid to help resolve conflict.
But officials in India said that New Delhi would still be cautious and is ready to only take baby steps toward building economic ties with Beijing, given the trust deficit of the last four years.
India had blocked direct flights with China, banned hundreds of Chinese mobile applications, and added layers of vetting on Chinese investments, virtually blocking all major proposals from the likes of BYD and Great Wall Motors.
Two Indian government sources said that India would now consider opening up the skies and fast tracking visa approvals to complement the recent easing of tensions, but New Delhi is not yet ready to reverse all the steps it took against Beijing any time soon.
The Asian giants went to war in 1962 over their undemarcated border, which has been a constant irritant in ties.
Drone sparks fire on high-rise residential building in Kyiv
- There was no immediate information about casualties
- “In the Solomianskyi district, the upper floors of a high-rise building hit by an enemy drone are on fire,” Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said
KYIV: A drone struck a high-rise residential building in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv on Friday, sparking a fire and damaging apartments on at least three floors, authorities said.
An AFP reporter on the scene saw what appeared to be a drone buzzing overhead before crashing into the building, erupting in a fireball.
There was no immediate information about casualties, but authorities said an emergency response was under way.
“In the Solomianskyi district, the upper floors of a high-rise building hit by an enemy drone are on fire. Emergency services are at the scene,” Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said on Telegram.
“Apartments on the 17th, 18th, 19th floors are damaged. All emergency services are at the scene,” he said.
The Solomianskyi district is in the west of the city.
Ukrainian cities including Kyiv have been subjected to drone and missile attacks throughout Russia’s two-and-a-half year invasion.
Kyiv has been asking for more air defenses from its allies ahead of what is likely to be its toughest winter yet, as Russia ramps up strikes on energy infrastructure.
Trump accused of groping a woman in 1993 while Jeffrey Epstein watched
- Williams’ allegation is the latest in a lengthy list of accusations made against Trump, including by E. Jean Carroll
- Karoline Leavitt, a Trump spokeswoman, called the allegations “unequivocally false” and argued they were politically motivated
WASHINGTON: Stacey Williams alleged this week that former President Donald Trump groped her at Trump Tower in early 1993 as disgraced hedge fund manager Jeffrey Epstein watched. The former model made the allegation during a video chat of sexual violence survivors supporting Vice President Kamala Harris ‘ campaign.
Williams’ allegation is the latest in a lengthy list of accusations made against Trump, including by E. Jean Carroll, who has been locked in a legal battle with the businessman-turned-president after a jury found him liable in 2023 for sexually assaulting the advice columnist in 1996 and later for defaming her. The allegations against Trump go back decades and include those described in the “Access Hollywood” tape, a 2005 video made public weeks before Election Day 2016 that showed the then-reality television star bragging about grabbing, forcibly kissing and sexually assaulting women.
Williams said on the video call that she met and began seeing Epstein in 1992. Epstein died by suicide in 2019 while awaiting trial in New York for a series of sex trafficking charges, sparking rampant conspiracy theories.
The former model said the two were walking down Fifth Avenue in “late winter, early spring” of 1993 when Epstein suggested they “stop by and see Trump.”
“So we went into Trump Tower and went up the elevator. And moments later, Trump was greeting us and he pulled me into him and started groping me,” Williams recalled. “He put his hands all over my breasts, my waist, my butt. And I froze. And I froze because I was so deeply confused about what was happening because the hands were moving all over me.”
Karoline Leavitt, a Trump spokeswoman, called the allegations “unequivocally false” and argued they were politically motivated.
Williams said Epstein and Trump “were, like, smiling at one another and continuing on in their conversation.” At the time of the alleged incident, Trump was in his mid-40s, while Williams was in her mid-20s.
When the two left, Williams said, there was “seething rage” by Epstein, who swiftly began “berating” her once they got to the sidewalk.
“He kept saying, ‘Why did you let him do that? Why did you let him put his hands all over you?’ And he made me feel so disgusting,” she recalled, adding later that she “felt so humiliated and so sick to my stomach and was so upset.”
As she “absorbed what happened,” however, Williams said she felt like there was some “sort of sick bet or game” between Trump and Epstein and that she was “rolled in there like a piece of meat for some kind of challenge or twisted game.”
Williams added that “not long after” that meeting in Trump Tower she received a postcard from Trump. Williams said her agent received the postcard, via courier, from Trump.
Williams’ team provided The Associated Press with images of the postcard. One side is a photo of Palm Beach and Mar-a-Lago, the former president’s resort in Florida, and the other side is writing allegedly from Trump. “Stacey, your home away from home. Love, Donald,” reads the postcard.
The organizer of the Survivors for Harris video call said this week’s meeting was not affiliated with the Harris campaign and was an outside gathering of sexual violence survivors and advocate organizations. The Harris campaign declined Friday to comment on the allegations. A member of Williams’ team said she has had no contact with the Harris campaign.
In an interview with CNN after the video call, Williams called the encounter with Trump “one of the strangest moments of my life.”
“I think I probably was trying to smile and go through the motions of being engaged the way you would in a social situation. But it was an out-of-body experience,” she said. “So, I don’t know if I spoke, I don’t know if I answered questions, I don’t know.”
Although Trump has sought to distance himself from Epstein in recent years, he told New York Magazine in 2002 that he had known “Jeff” for 15 years.
“Terrific guy,” Trump told the magazine. “He’s a lot of fun to be with. It is even said that he likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side. No doubt about it — Jeffrey enjoys his social life.”
Trump has faced allegations of sexual misconduct and assault for years, all of which he has denied. Many of these allegations followed the publishing of the “Access Hollywood” tape in 2016. While the moment was perilous for Trump’s campaign, he went on to win the 2016 election and the allegations against him have not slowed his political rise.
Williams told CNN that she chose not to come forward earlier due to family considerations.
“You want to be really, really ready, and I wasn’t,” Williams told the network. “I think there’s an evolution to contending with your abuse, or these types of incidents, and it doesn’t happen overnight.”
EU chief cancels meeting with Serbian PM over Russia minister: ambassador
- Vucevic had met earlier with Maxim Reshetnikov, Russia’s Minister of Economic Development.
- The statement said that Vucevic spoke with Reshetnikov and a Russian delegation
BELGRADE: EU chief Ursula von der Leyen canceled talks with Serbia’s Prime Minister Milos Vucevic on Friday because of his earlier meeting with a Russian minister, the EU’s ambassador said.
“We canceled the meeting... following the prime minister meeting with the minister of economy of the Russian federation,” the EU’s ambassador in Belgrade, Emanuele Giaufret, told AFP.
Vucevic had met earlier with Maxim Reshetnikov, Russia’s Minister of Economic Development.
Giaufret said that according to a statement published on the Serbian government’s website, which he said was later removed, there was an “indication of Serbia’s intention to strengthen economic relations in other areas with the Russian Federation.”
“In that light the president of the Commission felt that there were no reasons to hold the meeting with the prime minister,” he added.
The statement, a copy of which was obtained by AFP, said that Vucevic spoke with Reshetnikov and a Russian delegation, about the “further strengthening of economic and overall cooperation between the two countries.”
Von der Leyen had arrived in Belgrade earlier Friday as part of a tour of six Balkan nations, and duly met with President Aleksandar Vucic.
The latter did not take part at this week’s summit of the BRICS group — an alliance of emerging economies — in Russia.
“My presence here today, in the context of my fourth trip to the Balkans since I took office, is a very clear sign that Serbia’s future is in the European Union,” von der Leyen told a joint press conference with Vucic.
“The partnership between the European Union and Serbia is getting stronger,” she added.
Serbia, which aspires to join the 27-nation bloc, has maintained friendly ties with Russia and has refused to sanction Moscow for its invasion of Ukraine.
On Friday, Vucic stressed his country’s commitment to joining the EU.
“We will continue on our European path,” he said, but added that Serbia will “try to preserve our friendship and partnership with all the others also.”
During her four-day Balkan tour, which started on Wednesday, von der Leyen pledged that membership expansion would be high on the Brussels agenda.
Discussions around EU enlargement in the Balkan region of almost 18 million people stretch back 20 years.
The six countries — Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia — are in different stages on their path toward membership of the bloc.
The EU Commission chief will visit Montenegro and Kosovo on Saturday.
