'Specter of death' hangs over Gaza as aid groups wait for access, UN official says_我的网站
一 |
Former President Donald Trump surrendered at Fulton County Jail in Atlanta on Thursday evening and booked on more than a dozen charges stemming from what prosecutors say were efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election in the state.
He arrived for his booking at 7:30pm, escorted by a Secret Service entourage at least a dozen black cars deep and a motorcade of law enforcement officials after traveling on his private jet from his residence in Bedminster, New Jersey.
Afterward, he made brief – and defiant – remarks.
“If you challenge an election, you should be able to challenge the election. I thought the election was a rigged election, a stolen election. And I should have every right to do that,” he said before boarding his plane. “What has taken place here is a travesty of justice. We did nothing wrong. I did nothing wrong.”
Throngs of Trump’s supporters and critics alike gathered early in the morning behind barricades in the parking lot across from the infamous jail ahead of the former president’s arrival, holding signs, shouting from megaphones and waving flags.
Converging with the heavy media presence and tight security, it was all but certainly the media circus Trump had hoped it would be in the wake of the first GOP presidential primary debate on Wednesday evening, which the former president chose to sit out, citing his record-setting lead in polling.
Trump and 18 of his closest allies are being charged in a sweeping racketeering scheme, which involved spreading conspiracy theories, pressuring elected officials and propping up fake electors to overturn the 2020 presidential election results in Georgia in a desperate effort to remain in power despite having lost the presidency in a free and fair vote.
The charges follow a two-year investigation by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis.
The indictment marks the fourth set of criminal charges against Trump, who now faces a cumulative 91 felony counts in New York state court for hush money payments to porn star Stormy Daniels, in federal court in Florida for mishandling classified documents, in federal court in the District of Columbia for his efforts to prevent the peaceful transfer of power and incite a violent insurrection at the Capitol and now in Georgia.
Sheriff Pat Labat maintained that Trump would be treated like anyone else accused of a crime by a grand jury – and by all accounts he was. The booking process has become somewhat commonplace for Trump, even though it remains unprecedented among former presidents.
But unlike his other surrenders, this one included a photograph – a mugshot that became a part of American history the second the shutter clicked as the first former U.S. president was captured through the lens. The photo is set to be released by the county sheriff’s office on Friday.
Trump, who is the front-runner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, has denied wrongdoing in all the cases against him and continues to repeat unfounded claims that the 2020 presidential election was “rigged and stolen.” In reality, Trump lost the general election to Biden, and, in Georgia specifically, he lost by some 11,779 votes.
Trump, in his remarks, repeated claims that his indictments are an attempt by Democrats and the so-called “deep state” to undermine his candidacy for president.
“What they're doing is election interference. They're trying to interfere with an election,” he said. “There’s never been anything like it in our country before. This is their way of campaigning.”
The conditions for his release, which were set last week, include a $200,000 bond and strict conditions on his social media use. Among other things, he must not violate any laws in Georgia or elsewhere, he must appear in court as directed, he must not communicate about the facts of the case with fellow co-defendants – except through his legal team – and he must not intimidate co-defendants or witnesses.
Hours before his surrender, Trump replaced one of his leading attorneys, Drew Findling, with Steve Sadow, a widely respected criminal defense lawyer in Atlanta who recently defended a rapper in a racketeering case. Shadow has long criticized Georgia prosecutors for overusing the state’s RICO law.
The sudden change in defense came as a surprise – though not entirely out of character for Trump, who has been burning through attorneys in recent months as his legal challenges mount.
At least 12 of Trump’s 18 co-defendants have surrendered already, including Mark Meadows, the former White House chief of staff, former U.S. acting Assistant Attorney General Jeffrey Clark and Trump’s former personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani.
Meadows, the former White House chief of staff, had sought to delay his surrender date until a decision was made on his request to move his charges to federal court and dismiss the indictment altogether. But a federal judge on Wednesday denied him an extension.
The handful of other co-defendants who have yet to surrender have until noon on Friday before Willis issues warrants for their arrests.
Willis initially proposed that the trial begin on March 4 – adding to an already busy legal calendar for Trump heading into the 2024 election. But the former president is seeking to delay the case for as long as possible, including by lengthy pre-trial motions and a petition to move the charges to a federal court. Legal experts say Willis' timeline is likely untenable – though she did file a motion on Thursday to move up the timeline for the trial to Oct. 23 after one of the co-defendants filed a request for a speedy trial.
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二 | LONDON -- The "specter of death" is hanging over Gaza amid an impasse over humanitarian access into the blockaded strip and Israel's "total siege" of Gaza, which has cut off the supply of water, food and fuel, U.N. Emergency Relief chief Martin Griffiths warned.Humanitarian aid and relief convoys carrying "hundreds of tonnes" of essential items have been streaming towards Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, his organization said. Many have parked outside Gaza awaiting access to the besieged enclave as pressure mounts for establishment of a humanitarian corridor that would enable the urgent delivery of aid."Aid access is our overwhelming priority," Griffiths said. "And we are in deep discussions hourly with the Israelis, with the Egyptians, with the Gazans about how to do that."Speaking Tuesday ahead of President Joe Biden's expected Wednesday trip to the region, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said it is "critical" that aid begins flowing into Gaza.He announced that the United States and Israel have "agreed to develop a plan that will enable humanitarian aid from donor nations and multilateral organizations to reach civilians in Gaza."However, Egyptian authorities have said that Israel is not cooperating with delivery of aid into Gaza, with Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry telling reporters that talks are yet to be fruitful, rendering the Rafah crossing -- the sole remaining official exit out of Gaza -- out of use."Until now the Israeli government has not taken a position on opening the Rafah crossing from the Gaza side to allow the entrance of assistance and exit of citizens of third countries," said Shoukry.At least four Israeli airstrikes have been recorded near the Rafah border crossing since the war began.Medical Aid for Palestinians told ABC News that the humanitarian crisis in Gaza is deepening, with local health services "overwhelmed.""For more than 16 years, Gaza has been suffering from an illegal blockade weakening it day by day. Medicines and drugs, before this escalation, were at 48% and 29% shortages. Health staff have always been overwhelmed and never paid enough, and lack of specialists was always an issue," said Mahmoud Shalabi, Senior Programmes Manager for Medical Aid for Palestinians in Gaza. "Now, the situation is even worse, and worse than any other escalation that Gaza has gone through"As the conflict enters day 11, at least 4,178 lives have been lost, including at least 1,400 killed in Israel and at least 2,778 in Gaza, according to the Israeli Health Ministry and the Palestinian Health Ministry."One healthcare worker described to me the situation at Gaza's largest emergency department as a slaughterhouse with bodies on the ground and no space to deal with huge influx of injuries," said Shalabi."Right now, Gaza needs medicines, medical disposables, and equipment. In addition, health staff and humanitarians need safe corridors to reach people and conduct their work safely without being targeted. The IDPs need shelter, food, health, psychosocial services, water, and the list goes on," said Shalabi."We hope that we will come out of this alive."Food and water supplies are also dwindling, aid organizations warning there are just "days" of stocks left for Gazans: "There is not one drop of water, not one grain of wheat, not a liter of fuel that has been allowed into the Gaza Strip for the last eight days," said Philippe Lazzarini, chief of U.N. Aid for Palestinians.The World Health Organization has said it is "advocating vigorously for the opening of Rafah crossing.""Not just one-time access but sustained, unhindered access to Gaza," said WHO's Regional Emergency Director Dr. Richard Brennan.The organisation has raised concerns over potential disease outbreaks with at least 400,000 internally displaced persons seeking shelters in UNRWA schools. Overcrowding, lack of clean water and sanitation could lead to the spread of infections like cholera and dysentery, compounding on the plight of Gazans.Biden is on Wednesday due to head to Israel and Jordan, expected to discuss "humanitarian needs of civilians in Gaza" with Jordan's King Abdullah, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas."The siege in Gaza, the way it is imposed, is nothing else than collective punishment," said Lazzarini. "So, before it is too late, the siege must be lifted and aid agencies must be able to safely bring in essential supplies such as fuel, water, food and medicine."。
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