By Joseph Ataman, Pierre P Bairin, Sophie Tanno, CNN

(CNN) — As many as 1,700 passengers are being held on board a cruise ship in southwest France, after dozens of cases of possible gastroenteritis on board.

The ship, named Ambition, was scheduled to sail around France and Spain after picking up passengers from the UK cities of Belfast and Liverpool on May 8 and May 9.

Up to 50 passengers on board Ambition were affected by symptoms consistent with an acute stomach sickness, according to the local health agency in the French department of Gironde.

The passengers were immediately seen by a doctor and kept in isolation in their rooms, according to the statement.

One passenger aboard the ship has died, Reuters reported citing French media.

There is no reason to link the outbreak onboard Ambition with the outbreak of the hantavirus on board the cruise ship Hondius, the regional health authority said.

As a precautionary measure, the planned disembarkation of passengers at Bordeaux has been suspended, pending medical tests. Samples taken from passengers are being analyzed by the Infectious Diseases Department at the Bordeaux University Hospital (CHU).

The ship’s operator, Ambassador Cruise Line, confirmed that a number of guests and crew onboard Ambition have displayed or are displaying symptoms consistent with gastrointestinal illness during a 14-night scheduled journey.

“We would like to reassure guests that we take any illnesses aboard our fleet extremely seriously,” the cruise line said.

“Enhanced sanitation and prevention protocols were immediately implemented across the ship in line with established public health procedures following the initial reports of illness.”

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Por Eric Levenson, CNN

La Corte Suprema de Carolina del Sur revocó este miércoles las condenas por homicidio contra Alex Murdaugh y ordenó un nuevo juicio por la muerte de su esposa y su hijo en junio de 2021, al considerar que el proceso estuvo afectado por la influencia “inapropiada” de la secretaria judicial del condado, Becky Hill.

“Aunque somos conscientes del tiempo, dinero y esfuerzo invertidos en este largo juicio, no tenemos otra opción que revocar la negativa a la solicitud de Murdaugh de un nuevo juicio debido a las influencias externas inapropiadas de Hill sobre el jurado y remitir el caso para un nuevo juicio”, escribieron los magistrados en una decisión unánime de 5-0.

El fallo es el más reciente giro en el extenso caso Murdaugh, que ha captado la atención pública y generado documentales, podcasts y libros de crímenes reales.

Murdaugh, un destacado abogado perteneciente a una dinastía legal del Lowcountry de Carolina del Sur, fue declarado culpable por un jurado de los homicidios de su esposa, Maggie, y de su hijo Paul, de 22 años, en marzo de 2023.

El juicio, que se extendió por seis semanas, incluyó amplios testimonios sobre cómo Murdaugh robó millones de dólares a clientes vulnerables y a su propio bufete de abogados. Murdaugh declaró en su propia defensa y negó haber matado a su esposa y a su hijo —posición que todavía mantiene—, aunque admitió un enorme fraude financiero y reconoció haber mentido a los investigadores sobre su paradero poco antes de los homicidios.

Murdaugh, de 57 años, recibió dos condenas de cadena perpetua por los cargos de homicidio. Por separado, se declaró inocente de decenas de delitos financieros y cumple condenas simultáneas estatales y federales de 27 y 40 años.

Los abogados de Murdaugh apelaron las condenas por homicidio al argumentar que el juicio estuvo contaminado por comentarios inapropiados de parte de una secretaria judicial del condado dirigidos al jurado, pruebas perjudiciales y fallas durante el proceso.

Por el contrario, los fiscales sostuvieron que las condenas debían mantenerse. Dijeron que Murdaugh fue condenado porque las pruebas en su contra eran contundentes y porque era “obviamente culpable”. Los fiscales reconocieron que los comentarios de la secretaria judicial fueron inapropiados, pero afirmaron que tuvieron poca relevancia dentro del contexto general del juicio.

Durante una audiencia de apelación en febrero, el panel de cinco magistrados pareció mostrarse escéptico frente a los argumentos de la fiscalía.

El juicio por homicidio marcó la caída en desgracia de este abogado especializado en lesiones personales, cuyo padre, abuelo y bisabuelo ocuparon consecutivamente el cargo de fiscal local entre 1920 y 2006.

Murdaugh era socio de un poderoso bufete de abogados que llevaba su apellido. Pero detrás de esa prominencia había problemas más profundos, y tras los homicidios de su esposa y su hijo surgieron acusaciones de malversación de fondos, su renuncia, un extraño presunto plan de sicariato y fraude al seguro, una estancia en rehabilitación por adicción a las drogas, decenas de delitos financieros, la pérdida de su licencia para ejercer como abogado y, finalmente, los cargos de homicidio.

La apelación de Murdaugh se centró en presuntos comentarios dirigidos al jurado por parte de la exsecretaria judicial del condado Becky Hill, quien trabajó durante el juicio de Murdaugh y posteriormente escribió un libro sobre el caso.

Los abogados de Murdaugh argumentaron que Hill influyó de manera inapropiada en los miembros del jurado durante el juicio al hacer comentarios como “observen su lenguaje corporal”, insinuando la culpabilidad de Murdaugh. Algunos miembros del jurado confirmaron en declaraciones juradas y testimonios que ella hizo esos comentarios, aunque la mayoría aseguró no haberlos escuchado.

En enero de 2024, tras una audiencia probato

By Jennifer Hansler, Zachary Cohen, Isabelle Khurshudyan, CNN

(CNN) — As President Donald Trump meets with Chinese leader Xi Jinping this week, Taiwan will be nervously monitoring from afar to ascertain whether its political status and critical arms purchases come up in discussions between the two leaders.

While Taiwanese officials have publicly expressed confidence in the strength of their partnership with the US, some current and former US officials and analysts have questioned if the transactional Trump could offer Xi concessions on Taiwan, especially if he seeks the Chinese leader’s help with negotiating an end to the Iran war.

Under the longstanding “One China” policy, the US acknowledges China’s position that Taiwan is part of China but has never officially recognized the Communist Party’s claim to the self-governing island. Washington maintains robust unofficial relations with Taiwan and has sold billions of dollars in advanced weapons to the island, with bipartisan approval, but has remained intentionally ambiguous on whether it would intervene militarily in the event of a Chinese attack.

Although administration officials have said that the US Taiwan policy remains unchanged, there are concerns that Trump might undermine the democratic island of more than 23 million through deeds or words – wittingly or not.

Trump and Xi have had an ongoing dialogue about Taiwan — last year Trump said the Chinese leader promised he would not invade while his US counterpart is still in office — and now the issue is expected to come up when the two meet, according to multiple sources familiar with the planning.

Trump on Monday said he would discuss US arms sales to Taiwan with Xi – a comment that deepened concerns future sales could be jeopardized.

“I’m going to have that discussion,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. “President Xi would like us not to. And I’ll have that discussion.”

Trump has yet to formally move forward with an arms sale package to Taiwan worth around $14 billion. Beijing, for its part, has consistently opposed arms sales to Taiwan.

A bipartisan group of senators, in a letter sent ahead of the trip, urged Trump to formally notify Congress that those sales to the island have been approved by the administration.

“You should make clear to Beijing that as you seek to level the economic playing field, American support for Taiwan is not up for negotiation,” they wrote.

A senior US official noted the administration’s record of arms sales to Taiwan, which included more than $11 billion in sales last December – one of the largest in history – as a sign of the US commitment to the island.

During Trump’s visit, Xi may try to get some concessions from Trump that the Chinese could announce afterward, a former senior US government official said.

“Such a concession could amount to something like criticizing Taiwan, criticizing the president of Taiwan, or agreeing implicitly not to move forward with the next planned major arms sales package to Taiwan,” the official said, noting that would send a huge message to Taipei.

China certainly feels it is entering the talks with leverage to seek concessions of its own. Chinese sources familiar with the matter recently told CNN that Beijing cautiously views its adversary’s months-long conflict with Iran in particular as having potentially strengthen