Plus: Saving the African penguin, and Eurovision's controversies ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
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| Hello. It's been an eventful week at Donald Trump's hush-money trial. Madeline Halpert and Kayla Epstein, who have been reporting from the court room, reflect on the week's star witness, Stormy Daniels. From South Africa, Jenny Hill reports on the efforts to save the African penguin from extinction. As another Eurovision controversy appears to be brewing, we look at other times when the event proved to be more than just a song contest. Finally, let's celebrate 25 years of the BBC News theme and try our best in this week's news quiz. | |
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QUESTIONS ANSWERED | Impact of Stormy Daniels' testimony |
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| | Ms Necheles tried to portray Ms Daniels as a money-hungry woman who fabricated details. Credit: Reuters | As the recipient of the $130,000 (£104,000; €120,000) payout on the eve of the 2016 presidential election that's central to the prosecutors' case, adult film star Stormy Daniels was one of the most eagerly awaited witnesses of Donald Trump's hush-money trial. Her two-day testimony proved dramatic. Mr Trump has pleaded not guilty to the charges, and denies having sex with Ms Daniels. |
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| | Madeline Halpert and Kayla Epstein |
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| How was the prosecution's questioning received? | Ms Daniels' meandering responses to prosecutors prompted criticism from Justice Juan Merchan, who later told the court that some of it "would have been better left unsaid". The testimony about the 2006 alleged sexual encounter prompted Mr Trump's lawyers to lodge two mistrial requests, which Justice Merchan both denied. The judge had asked prosecutors to tread carefully when probing the specifics of the alleged sexual encounter. | What about the defence's cross-examination? | Mr Trump's attorney Susan Necheles worked to damage Ms Daniels' credibility by accusing her of making up the alleged sexual encounter. At one point, Ms Necheles claimed Ms Daniels had made up the story just like the screenplays she wrote for the adult films she starred in. "The sex in those films was very much real, just like what happened to me in that [hotel] room," a frustrated Ms Daniels responded. Her response was a "mic drop", said former Manhattan prosecutor Jeremy Saland. | Where does this leave Mr Trump? | With their cross-examination, Mr Trump's legal team may have inadvertently helped the prosecution's case, experts said. | | - More on the trial: In her evidence, Donald Trump's former White House assistant Madeleine Westerhout has told the court he often dictated his tweets.
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| | | Western Cape, South Africa |
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| The fight to save the African penguin | | It is becoming harder to access food as ocean currents and temperatures shift. Credit: Christian Parkinson/BBC | Almost all the surviving African penguins live in seven colonies along Africa’s south-western coastline. Scientists say the species is declining by about 8% each year. It is estimated that there are now just 8,750 breeding pairs left in South Africa. |
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| | Jenny Hill, World Affairs correspondent |
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| | As the ocean swells around the rocky shore of South Africa's Betty's Bay, penguins hop along the waterline, calling to one another in short raspy barks. They are endearingly comical as they totter about but Alistair McInnes, a seabird conservationist for BirdLife South Africa, looks worried. “This one near the water is quite skinny. You can see it hasn’t got much fat on it.”
The penguins draw tourists from all over the world who come to see the short, stocky birds with the distinctive black stripe running down the side of their bodies. They seem unfazed by the people taking their pictures but, as they preen in the sunshine or watch over their eggs, they face a precarious existence. |
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YOUR WEEKEND LISTENING | Rising from the ashes | Katya Adler discusses the special place Notre-Dame holds in the hearts and minds of people all over the world who pitched in to help restore it after the 2019 fire. | Listen now> |
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THE BIG PICTURE | Eurovision's most contentious moments |
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| | | The singing show is known for flamboyant songs and outlandish outfits, but there's a political side to it, too. Credit: BBC | On Saturday, the 26 acts who qualified out of an initial 37 will compete in the Eurovision Song Contest final. Come for the extravagant performances, stay for the complex voting system - a mix of national juries and popular vote that, occasionally, results in controversy. |
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FOR YOUR DOWNTIME | More than meets the eye | The idealised scene in John Constable's The Hay Wain is too good to be true. | |
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And finally... on the airwaves | The BBC News theme turns 25 this year. The tune, with its highly danceable beeps and drums, briefly became a TikTok hit during the pandemic - and is the soundtrack to our news coverage. In occasion of the anniversary, composer Dave Lowe shares how the iconic sound came together. | |
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The Essential List newsletter | The week's best stories, handpicked by BBC editors, in your inbox twice a week. | |
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MORE BBC NEWSLETTERS | - In History: The past comes to life through the BBC's unique audio, video and written archive, each Thursday. Subscribe.
| - US Election Unspun: Cut through the noise in the race for the White House, every Wednesday. Subscribe.
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