Trump Speaks to Michael Cohen After 8 Years, Citing 'Weaponization'

Q: Why did the Belgian royal family keep the formal recognition of this secret prince quiet for six months?

It appears the recognition was kept quiet mainly out of discretion, not because of any reported legal obstacle. Prince Laurent had already asked for privacy when he publicly acknowledged Clément Vandenkerckhove as his biological son last year, saying the matter was an “intimate” family issue that should be handled with “discretion.” Multiple reports say the formal step itself was completed quietly at a town hall about six months before it became public, suggesting the family chose to settle the civil paperwork privately before allowing details to emerge. The available reporting does not point to a single official explanation from the palace for the six-month delay. But the context is clear: this was the final administrative stage of a long and sensitive paternity process involving a child born outside Laurent’s marriage, and the family appears to have treated it as a personal matter rather than a public royal event. That approach also fits the wider Belgian royal context. Prince Laurent’s father, former King Albert II, was involved in a very public paternity battle over Delphine Boël, so there may have been an effort this time to avoid spectacle and handle the recognition with minimal publicity until it was fully completed.

Q: Which groundbreaking human cancer treatment was successfully adapted to make medical history for a snake?

The groundbreaking treatment was **electrochemotherapy**, a human cancer therapy that was successfully adapted for a snake. According to the reports, the patient was Jodie Foster, a 15-foot reticulated python at Chester Zoo with a recurring **fibrosarcoma** in her jaw. After surgery to remove the tumor and part of the affected jawbone, veterinarians used electrochemotherapy to target remaining cancer cells. The treatment combines the cancer drug **bleomycin** with carefully controlled **electrical pulses**, which make cancer cells more permeable so the drug can work more effectively. Zoo vets and University of Liverpool specialists said it was believed to be the **first time the technique had been used in a snake**, making it a veterinary milestone. Follow-up checks found no sign of the cancer returning, and the python reportedly recovered well, resuming normal eating and behavior.

Q: What hidden inheritance benefits does the newly recognized Belgian prince gain without entering the line of succession?

The newly recognized Belgian prince’s main material gain is private inheritance rights, not constitutional power. By being legally acknowledged as Prince Laurent’s son, Clément Vandenkerckhove becomes eligible to inherit from Laurent’s personal estate on the same basis as Laurent’s other children. That is the key “hidden” benefit behind the title. He can now legally use the title Prince of Belgium and the style Royal Highness, and he may also adopt the royal surname Saxe-Coburg if he chooses. Those changes strengthen his legal family status and identity within the royal house. But the recognition stops short of state-backed privileges. Reports say he will not enter Belgium’s line of succession, will not receive a royal allowance or state stipend, and will not carry out official royal duties. Belgium’s public royal funding rules are limited to a small number of senior royals, so his new status does not bring taxpayer-funded benefits. In practical terms, the recognition gives him dynastic legitimacy and access to his father’s private inheritance, while excluding him from the throne and public royal benefits.

3 articles · Updated · The Independent · Aug 21

Eight years after their last contact, Donald Trump said he has spoken with former lawyer Michael Cohen again.
Trump framed the outreach around Cohen's treatment, saying, “They weaponized you,” according to the latest report.
The report presents the call as a notable thaw between the two men, whose relationship had been broken for years.
With no further details on timing or substance, the development stands mainly as a political and personal signal from Trump.