U.S. Court fines Trump $9,000 for violating gag order

Judge Merchan has fined former U.S. President Donald Trump $9,000 for violating his gag order and was found in contempt of court.

Trump was fined $1,000 (£799) for each breach. There are nine total counts. That means Trump will have to pay $9,000.

The judge also ruled that Trump could attend his son’s graduation, letting him skip court 17 May and 3 June.

“This Court rejects Defendant’s arguments and finds that the People have established the elements of criminal contempt beyond a reasonable doubt as to Exhibits 2-10.

“Defendant violated the Order by making social media posts about known witnesses pertaining to their participation in this criminal proceeding and by making public statements about jurors in this criminal proceeding,” the Judge said.

According to CNN, The nine incidents represent seven posts and reposts on Truth Social and two posts on Trump’s campaign website.

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He was fined $1,000 for each violation, must pay the fine by the close of business Friday and must remove the posts by 2:15 p.m. today.

Merchan also threatened incarceration if Trump willfully violated the gag order again.

“Therefore, Defendant is hereby warned that the Court will not tolerate continued willful violations of its lawful orders and that if necessary and appropriate under the circumstances, it will impose an incarceratory punishment,” he said.

The gag order restricts prosecutors and the defense from commenting on court figures outside of the courtroom.

The defence is done with Gary Farro, a banker, after asking him about the $130,000 (£104,000) transaction paid to porn star Stormy Daniels

Trump is accused of trying to cover up a $130,000 (£104,500) payment to Daniels before he won the 2016 election, which prosecutors say was election interference

He has pleaded not guilty to 34 counts of falsifying business records and denies any sexual encounter with Daniels

U.S. Court fines Trump $9,000 for violating gag order

Floods sweep Kenyan cities, 42 dead in dam collapse, 130,000 displaced

About 42 people have died in Kenya and hundreds displaced after a dam burst its banks near a town in the Rift Valley as heavy rains and floods battered the country.

The authorities confirmed this to AFP on Monday,

The dam burst near Mai Mahiu in Nakuru county, washing away houses and cutting off a road, with rescuers digging through debris to find survivors.

“Forty-two dead, it’s a conservative estimate. There are still more in the mud, we are working on recovery,” said Nakuru governor Susan Kihika.

Monday’s dam collapse raises the total death toll over the March-May wet season to 120 as heavier than usual rainfall pounds East Africa, compounded by the El Nino weather pattern.

The Kenya Red Cross said Monday it had retrieved two bodies after a boat carrying “a large number of people” capsized at the weekend in flooded Tana River county in eastern Kenya, adding that 23 others had been rescued.

Video footage shared online and broadcast on television showed the crowded boat sinking, with people screaming as onlookers watched in horror.

On Saturday, officials said 76 people had lost their lives in Kenya since March.

Flash floods have submerged roads and neighbourhoods, leading to the displacement of more than 130,000 people across 24,000 households, many of them in the capital Nairobi, according to government figures released Saturday.

Schools have been forced to remain shut following mid-term holidays, after the education ministry announced Monday that it would postpone their reopening by one week due to “ongoing heavy rains”.

“The devastating effects of the rains in some of the schools is so severe that it will be imprudent to risk the lives of learners and staff before water-tight measures are put in place to ensure adequate safety,” Education Minister Ezekiel Machogu said.

Gaza: OIC, 6 Arab countries seek ‘operative sanctions’ against Israel

The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and six Arab countries have urged the international community to implement robust sanctions against Israel, including halting the export of weapons, in response to its flagrant violations of international law and perpetration of war crimes in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.

Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs, His Highness Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah, convened the meeting in Riyadh on Sunday, while also chairing the Ministerial Committee assigned by the Joint Arab-Islamic Extraordinary Summit on Developments in the Gaza Strip.

During the gathering, the ministers emphasised the urgent need to activate international legal mechanisms to hold accountable those responsible for the horrible crimes committed in the region.

They also underscored the imperative of taking decisive action against settler terrorism and adopting clear and strict positions against it.

In addition to discussing the implementation of sanctions, the meeting focused on intensifying joint Arab and Islamic efforts to secure an immediate cessation of the conflict in Gaza.

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The ministers stressed the importance of upholding international humanitarian law to protect civilians and ensuring unhindered delivery of humanitarian aid to all parts of the strip.

Meanwhile, the participants reaffirmed their commitment to continuing efforts aimed at achieving international recognition of an independent Palestinian state.

They emphasised the significance of the two-state solution and the recognition of the State of Palestine based on the borders of June 4, 1967, with East Jerusalem as its capital, in accordance with relevant international resolutions.

Expressing concern over measures targeting peaceful demonstrators in Western countries advocating for an end to the conflict in Gaza, the ministers reiterated their unwavering support for the Palestinian cause and their determination to address the severe crimes and violations against the Palestinian people.

The meeting saw the participation of esteemed officials including His Excellency Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of Jordan, Ayman Al Safadi, His Excellency the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Egypt, Mr. Sameh Shoukry, His Excellency the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey, Mr. Hussein Ibrahim Taha, Secretary-General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, Secretary-General of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization and Minister of Civil Affairs, Hussein Al Sheikh, and Minister of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Qatar, Dr. Mohammed bin Abdulaziz bin Saleh Al Khulaifi.

Gaza: OIC, 6 Arab countries seek ‘operative sanctions’ against Israel