Briefly

UNITED STATES

12 jurors picked ahead of Trump trial

The judge in Donald Trump's criminal trial was expected to wrap up jury selection on Friday before opening arguments start next week in a historic case being heard as the former president campaigns to win back the White House. After the 12 jurors were sworn in on Thursday, a pool of six alternates will be completed — ready to step in if any of the original jury become unavailable during the case in which Trump is accused of covering up hush money paid to an adult movie star. The trial at the Manhattan Criminal Court in New York is expected to last six to eight weeks, providing a wealth of legal and political drama just months before election day in November.

KENYA

Defense chief killed in helicopter crash

Kenya began three days of mourning on Friday after its defense chief and nine other senior military officers were killed in a helicopter crash, the latest accident to blight the nation's military. General Francis Omondi Ogolla, the chief of the Kenya defense forces, was killed when his helicopter went down shortly after takeoff in a remote area of northwestern Kenya on Thursday. "A distinguished four-star general has fallen in the course of duty and service of the country," President William Ruto said.

JAPAN

Google Maps sued over 'punching bag' reviews

Around 60 doctors have accused Google Maps of ignoring vitriolic reviews of their clinics in a classaction lawsuit touted as the first of its kind. The medics are seeking $9,000 in total damages from Google in a bid to hold the tech titan accountable for inaction over the reviews. They sued the company on Thursday, saying they are powerless to reply to, or refute, reputation-damaging reviews because of their obligation to patient confidentiality.

Agencies Via Xinhua