The high-profile trial of Sean “Diddy” Combs is approaching its final stretch, with both teams poised to rest their cases as soon as Tuesday.Closing arguments are tentatively expected to begin on Thursday, after which jurors will be tasked with deciding the fate of the music mogul who faces life in prison if convicted.The prosecution’s 34th and last witness is currently on the stand, and defense lawyers indicated Monday they do not plan on calling their own witnesses to testify in Manhattan federal court.It’s not abnormal for defense teams to opt not to present a case; the obligation to prove guilt lies on prosecutors, and unless jurors decide they have, the defendant is presumed innocent.Over seven weeks of testimony prosecutors drew connections across a web of witnesses, phone records and travel bookings, a bid to show that Combs was the kingpin of an enterprise comprised of high-ranking employees that carried out crimes including bribery, arson and kidnapping to enforce his power and satisfy his every desire.The prosecution said the artist and entrepreneur trafficked women and men for drug-fueled sexual marathons, sometimes days-long encounters dubbed “freak-offs” or “hotel nights.”Some of the events were filmed, and jurors have watched a number of sexually explicit clips.Government attorneys are closing their questioning by offering reams of text messages and other records for jurors to review, documentation of dozens of freak-offs that they say also shows arrangements for prostitution and trafficking.The 55-year-old denies the charges.- No defense witnesses? -The defense’s decision not to call witnesses could indicate they believe their questioning of government witnesses could have cast enough doubt on the case against Combs.It could also mean they haven’t identified any witnesses who could help them.They did indicate they plan to submit some exhibits into evidence before resting.Lawyers for Combs have insisted that what prosecutors have called sex trafficking was consensual.Three women have testified in graphic detail of harrowing abuse that ranged sexual, physical and emotional.The singer Casandra Ventura, Combs’s girlfriend for more than a decade, filed suit against Combs in 2023, a civil case that was settled out of court in less than 24 hours — but which opened the floodgates for a deluge of accusations against the one-time music industry powerhouse.She was among the key witnesses to testify at the trial, and jurors were repeatedly shown now-infamous surveillance footage of Combs violently kicking and dragging Ventura in a hotel.A hotel security guard testified that he received $100,000 in a brown paper bag from Combs in exchange for the disturbing tape, which CNN published last year.Jurors are not sequestered but are instructed every day not to consume any media about the case — a mighty task, as news of the trial has permeated both traditional and social media.

US President Donald Trump said a ceasefire between Iran and Israel was in force on Tuesday, urging both sides to “not violate it” on the 12th day of the war between the two arch-foes.”THE CEASEFIRE IS NOW IN EFFECT. PLEASE DO NOT VIOLATE IT!” he wrote on his Truth Social platform. The US leader had earlier said the truce would be a phased 24-hour process beginning at around 0400 GMT Tuesday, with Iran unilaterally halting all operations first. He said Israel would follow suit 12 hours later.Israeli rescuers said four people were killed in an Iranian strike, after state media in the Islamic republic reported waves of missiles were headed toward Israel.Neither Iran nor Israel have confirmed the agreement touted by Trump on ending the conflict that has killed hundreds in Iran and two dozen in Israel.Only hours before Trump’s latest announcement, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi had said that “as of now, there is NO ‘agreement’ on ceasefire or cessation of military operations”.”However, provided that the Israeli regime stops its illegal aggression against the Iranian people no later than 4 am Tehran time, we have no intention to continue our response afterwards,” he said on social media.But Israel’s army said sirens were activated in northern Israel — where moments before Iran’s state broadcaster IRIB reported a wave of missiles were headed.At least four people were killed in the multi-wave Iranian missile attack shortly before the staggered ceasefire announced by Trump was meant to enter into force, emergency services and the military said.The Magen David Adom rescue service said three people were pronounced dead at the scene of a strike in the southern city of Beersheba while a fourth was added in an update to its figures.Explosions also continued to rock Tehran overnight, with blasts in the north and centre of the Iranian capital described by AFP journalists as some of the strongest since the conflict broke out.Any cessation in hostilities would come as a huge relief to world leaders frantic about an escalation in violence igniting a wider conflagration.The adversaries had been swapping missile fire since Israel carried out surprise “preemptive” strikes against Iran on June 13, targeting nuclear and military sites, and prompting Trump to warn of a possible “massive” regional conflict.- Strikes on US base -The US leader’s truce announcement came hours after Iran launched missiles at the largest US military facility in the Middle East — Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar — in a move Trump shrugged off as “very weak.”Calling for a de-escalation, Trump said Tehran had given advance notice of the barrage. Iran’s National Security Council confirmed having targeted the base “in response to the US aggressive and insolent action against Iran’s nuclear sites and facilities”. But it added that the number of missiles launched “was the same as the number of bombs that the US had used” — a signal that it had calibrated its response to be directly proportional rather than escalatory.”This was calibrated and telegraphed in a way that would not result in any American casualties, so that there is an off ramp for both sides,” Ali Vaez, a senior advisor at the International Crisis Group, told AFP.The offensive came after the United States joined its ally Israel’s military campaign against Iran, attacking an underground uranium enrichment centre with massive bunker-busting bombs and hitting two other nuclear facilities overnight Saturday into Sunday.As international concern mounted that Israel’s campaign and the US strikes could ignite a wider conflict, French President Emmanuel Macron insisted that “the spiral of chaos must end” while China warned of the potential economic fallout.- ‘Blatant aggression’ -Iran said its assault in Qatar wasn’t targeting the Middle Eastern neighbour, but the government in Doha accused Tehran of “blatant aggression” and claimed its right to a “proportional” response.Iran’s state media quoted the Revolutionary Guard Corps announcing that six missiles had hit Al Udeid, which had been evacuated beforehand, according to the Qataris. The broadside was made up of “short-range and medium-range ballistic missiles,” a US defence official said.AFP reporters heard blasts in central Doha and in Lusail, north of the capital, on Monday evening, and saw projectiles moving across the night sky.Iranians gathered in central Tehran to celebrate, images on state TV showed, with some waving the flag of the Islamic republic and chanting “Death to America”.Qatar earlier announced the temporary closure of its airspace in light of “developments in the region”, while the US embassy and other foreign missions warned their citizens to shelter in place.Israeli strikes on Iran have killed more than 400 people, Iran’s health ministry has said. Twenty-four people have died in Iran’s attacks on Israel, according to official figures.burs-ft/hmn/dv/tc

Celebrities in superyachts sail into Venice this week for the three-day wedding party of Amazon tycoon Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez, despite irate locals who say the UNESCO city is no billionaire’s playground.The tech magnate and journalist have reportedly invited about 200 guests to their multi-million dollar nuptials in the Italian city, which are expected to kick off Thursday and end Saturday with a ceremony at a secret location.The security details are under tight wraps amid rumours the rite may take place at the historic Church of the Abbey of Misericordia, or at the Arsenale, a vast shipyard complex dating back to when the city was a naval powerhouse.Bezos, 61, and former news anchor and entertainment reporter Sanchez, 55, are said to have booked out the city’s finest hotels for a star-studded guest list rumoured to include Leonardo DiCaprio, Mick Jagger, Kim Kardashian, Oprah Winfrey, Orlando Bloom and Ivanka Trump.At least 95 private planes have requested permission to land at Venice’s Marco Polo airport, the Corriere della Sera said.And Bezos’ mega-yacht, Koru, is likely to moor off the iconic San Giorgio Maggiore island, which sits just opposite St Mark’s Square and has reportedly been booked in its entirety for the period.- Star-studded -The lavish celebration has sparked much soul-searching in Venice, where some fear so many A-list guests and their entourages will make life worse in a city already drowning under the weight of holidaymakers.Around 100,000 tourists overnight in peak periods, while tens of thousands descend just for the day, many hopping off cruise ships for a quick Bellini cocktail, while the city steadily depopulates.Venice happily hosted the star-studded nuptials of Hollywood actor George Clooney 11 years ago but protesters say Bezos — one of the world’s richest men and founder of a company regularly scrutinised for how it treats its workers — is different.As environmentalists questioned the guests’ carbon footprint, Greenpeace slammed billions spent on hedonistic partying while the fragile city is “sinking under the weight of the climate crisis”.Sanchez has also been criticised for saying more must be done to tackle climate change while also taking part in a space flight in April on a rocket developed by Bezos’s space company Blue Origin.Activists unfurled a giant banner in St Mark’s on Monday, with a picture of Bezos laughing and a sign reading: “If you can rent Venice for your wedding, you can pay more tax”.- ‘Private ballroom’ -Built on islands in a lagoon, the city has imposed a controversial ticket policy for day-trippers but locals say more must be done to protect local businesses and tackle the housing crisis.Tommaso Cacciari, 47, who heads the No Space for Bezos movement, said the protesters object to “the use of Venice as if it were a very private ballroom, rather than a real city with inhabitants, with frailties, with problems”.He told AFP such events were “condemning Venice to a definitive death” by driving out remaining residents, but protesters were ready to kill the romance by throwing “our bodies, our boats and inflatable animals” into canals as guests pass.The couple’s Sicilian wedding planner Lanza & Baucina said they have been instructed to minimise any disruption to the city.And Simone Venturini, Venice’s tourism city councillor, denied it would disrupt daily life, telling AFP it was just “one of many events that the city hosts on a daily basis. It is also relatively small in terms of the number of people involved”.The couple, both divorced, have made charity donations to support the city and are employing historic Venetian artisans.Venice’s oldest pastry maker Rosa Salva is baking 19th-century “fishermen’s biscuits” for party bags also expected to contain something by Laguna B, renowned for its handblown Murano glass.While disgruntled citizens hoping to make a splash ready their swimming costumes, others flattered by Bezos’s decision to celebrate here have set up a counter-group called “Yes Venice Can”.”It’s a fragile city, that’s clear, it’s not like you can do everything all the time, no matter what — but events like this don’t create any problems at all”, said 50-year-old local Michele Serafini.The wedding “brings money to the city of Venice”, and that can only be a good thing, he said.