Key moments from the first week of the Ghislaine Maxwell trial

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Key moments from the first week of the Ghislaine Maxwell trial

As the first week of proceedings in Ghislaine Maxwell’s sex trafficking trial in New York came to a close, prosecutors brought in one of paedophile Jeffrey Epstein’s green massage tables to show jurors.

The 59-year-old socialite is accused of grooming adolescent females for sexual assault by the late Epstein. She has pleaded not guilty to all of the counts, which date back to 1994.

During the first week of the trial, some of the claimed victims of Epstein and Ms. Maxwell gave heartbreaking testimony. However, there were also allegations that Ms. Maxwell was being singled out because Mr. Epstein, whose death in prison was declared a suicide, could no longer stand trial.

Since her arrest last year, Ms. Maxwell, who holds British, American, and French citizenship, has been held in a US jail. If convicted, she may face up to 80 years in prison.

Prosecutor Lara Pomerantz described Ms. Maxwell as a predator who sought and groomed underage girls for her long-term partner, Epstein, to abuse in her opening statement on Monday.

The trial’s first witness, Larry Visoski, Epstein’s long-time personal pilot, told the court on Tuesday that he flew VIPs to luxurious places all over the world.

Mr. Visoski mentioned Prince Andrew, Bill Clinton, and Donald Trump as those he had flown with. They haven’t been charged with any criminal activity.

The first of four Maxwell accusers to testify wept as she detailed being sexually abused by Epstein when she was 14 years old.

Under the alias Jane, Ms. Maxwell showed her how Epstein liked to be massaged and even took part in their sexual experiences.

A green massage table confiscated from Jeffrey Epstein’s Palm Beach residence during a 2005 police search was later exhibited to jurors.

Epstein allegedly used massages as a ruse before expanding his contacts with underage girls, according to prosecutors.

Officers discovered a range of sexualized photographs at Epstein’s residence, according to Michael Dawson, a detective who participated in the 2005 search. Prosecutors also showed a photo of a box labelled “Twin Torpedos” that Mr. Dawson claimed was taken from an upstairs cabinet and contained sex toys.

Didi is planning to leave the US stock market and relocate to Hong Kong

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Didi is planning to leave the US stock market and relocate to Hong Kong

Didi Global, a Chinese ride-hailing startup, has declared its intention to delist from the NYSE and list in Hong Kong.

The firm has been the subject of significant attention since its introduction to the United States in July. Beijing has promised a crackdown on technology companies that list overseas just days after their IPO.

On Thursday, the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) issued new requirements for Chinese companies that want to list in the US.

Didi, China’s Uber, raised $4.4 billion (£3.3 billion) in its initial public offering in New York at the end of June. On the first day of trading, however, investors considered concerns about tensions between Washington and Beijing, as well as objections raised by US regulators about some Chinese businesses’ financial reports.

China’s internet regulator ordered online businesses to stop distributing Didi’s app within days, stating that it had inappropriately obtained personal data from clients.

The Chinese Cyberspace Administration (CAC) announced that it was investigating the corporation in order to protect national security and the public interest.

Regulators in the United States and Europe have imposed restrictions on Didi, as well as many other Chinese technology companies.

On Thursday, the US Securities and Exchange Commission announced that it had finalised guidelines that will allow US-listed multinational companies to be delisted if their auditors do not comply with authorities’ requests for information.

The rule was approved in 2020 after Chinese officials continually refused requests from US authorities to investigate the finances of Chinese companies that list and trade in the US. Meanwhile, in August, a corporate insider said that plans to launch in the United Kingdom and continental Europe had been shelved.

It plans to roll out services across Western Europe, including key British cities.

SoftBank, a Japanese conglomerate, is Didi’s largest single investor, owning more than 20% of the company. Alibaba and Tencent, two Chinese digital behemoths, have also joined the team.

Thanks to Didi’s acquisition of the company in 2016, Uber now has a stake in Uber China. Didi Global shares have lost more than 40% of their value since their IPO on the New York Stock Exchange.

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Another antibody treatment for Covid has been approved in UK

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Another antibody treatment for Covid has been approved in UK

A new antibody medication for people with COVID has been licenced in the United Kingdom, which reduces the risk of severe sickness.

It’s called sotrovimab, and preliminary tests show it should be effective even against novel varieties like Omicron. The medicine adheres to the virus and prevents it from entering our cells when administered as an infusion into a vein.

A single dose reduced the risk of hospitalisation and mortality in high-risk patients by 79 percent in a clinical trial.

The medicine is the second of its kind of monoclonal antibody therapy to be approved by UK regulators.

When given early in the infection, both sotrovimab and ronapreve are most effective. According to the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), they should be used within five days of the onset of symptoms.

GSK, the maker of sotrovimab (Xevudy), says it has conducted preliminary lab studies to see how well the medication works against Omicron.

More testing is needed, but researchers believe the medicine targets a region of the virus’s spike protein that hasn’t undergone significant modifications or mutations, implying that it could work effectively.

There are a few different sorts of therapies for COVID aside from vaccines that are aimed at helping prevent infections in the first place and reducing the risk of becoming very ill. They are divided into three groups:

•Antibodies that can target the virus (such as sotrovimab and ronapreve)

•Antiviral tablets (such as molnupiravir) that directly impact the coronavirus’s capacity to survive within the body

•Drugs that calm the immune system (such as dexamethasone)

The majority of people with COVID do not require therapy and recover within a few weeks. It’s possible that you’ll be able to care for yourself at home. Resting, drinking plenty of fluids, and taking paracetamol or ibuprofen are all things that can help you feel better if you have the flu.

If your condition worsens, you should seek medical attention. People who suspect they have Covid should be tested and isolated themselves to help prevent the infection from spreading.

Kyle Rittenhouse’s search policy has been reversed by Facebook

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Kyle Rittenhouse’s search policy has been reversed by Facebook

Facebook has overturned its decision to restrict searches for a US teen acquitted of killing two people during rioting in Wisconsin.

Following Kyle Rittenhouse’s shooting in August 2020, the corporation took action to ensure that searches for his name would return a list of blank results. Mr Rittenhouse, 18, was acquitted of two counts of homicide and one count of an attempted homicide earlier this month.

Brian Fishman, the former director of Facebook’s Dangerous Individuals and Organizations division, said the firm had banned searches for the teen’s name in a Twitter thread shortly after the massacre. He also claimed that Mr Rittenhouse’s appreciation on Facebook was being removed.

Other prominent social media platforms’ policies did not go as far as this one.

YouTube, for example, had no Kyle Rittenhouse policy in place and only removed content that violated existing guidelines against glorifying violence.

Last year, the kid acknowledged killing two individuals and wounding a third during racial riots in Kenosha, Wisconsin but claimed he was acting in self-defence. Some see Mr Rittenhouse as a national hero, while others see him as a rash vigilante. For moderators, deciding where to draw the line between support and glorification of violence is a challenging task.

Facebook, on the other hand, chose a different approach. Mr Rittenhouse’s accounts were deleted.

Despite the fact that people were permitted to speak about Mr Rittenhouse on the platform, a search for his name yielded a list of blank pages. Because of his acquittal, Facebook’s policy has become more difficult to enforce.

The decision also raised the question of whether Facebook went too far in filtering Rittenhouse-related information.

Facebook’s move to ban searches for his name was blasted by many right-wing publications and broadcasters in the United States.

However, Facebook would claim that a sad act of violence requires a concrete response.

Mr Rittenhouse does not have a Facebook or Instagram account, which is understandable. It’s unclear whether Facebook will prevent him from doing so in the future.

After allegations of foul play, the Amazon union election will be repeated

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After allegations of foul play, the Amazon union election will be repeated

Reigniting a national debate, employees at an Amazon warehouse in Alabama will have a second chance to vote on unionisation.

The e-commerce behemoth has been ordered by a regional director of the US National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to hold the election for employees at its Bessemer warehouse once more.

Workers rejected a demand to create a union by a two-to-one margin in April. In August, the National Labor Relations Board charged that Amazon intervened with the election process.

While the vote represents a significant victory for labour activists, it is not the news Amazon was hoping to hear. “Sadly, the NLRB has now concluded that those votes shouldn’t count,” a company spokeswoman said in a written statement.

 The vote will be rescheduled at a later date. As a result of the election, Amazon, the second-largest private employer in the United States, is once again in the spotlight. In recent decades, union membership has progressively declined in the United States, but the pandemic reignited worries about wage inequality and worker safety, with Amazon attracting a lot of attention.

The corporation has recently faced strong union campaigns in New York and Canada.

The RWDSU had hoped that the epidemic, which enhanced Amazon’s profitability while exposing its employees to new health risks, would provide the union with a chance to gain support and establish a new standard for Amazon workers across the country.

Organizers linked the Bessemer walkout to broader issues about civil rights and racial justice, citing complaints about over-monitoring and management’s abrupt, impersonal attitude.

Employees were allegedly forced to deposit ballots into a mailbox that was visible to an Amazon camera, providing the impression of surveillance, according to the union. If the union campaign is successful, the employer will be required to meet with union representatives to discuss issues such as working conditions and wages.

Reeva Steenkamp’s parents will meet Oscar Pistorius

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Reeva Steenkamp’s parents will meet Oscar Pistorius

Oscar Pistorius, the convicted ex-Paralympic athlete, has been moved to a new prison ahead of a meeting with the parents of his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, whom he murdered in 2013.

The meeting is part of a process that could lead to the 35-year-old’s eventual release on parole. The South African has been moved closer to the Steenkamps’ home.

After serving half of his 13-year and 5-month sentence, Pistorius may be eligible for parole. But he must first take part in restorative justice, as described by the South African authorities.

Offenders are required to speak with their victims or relatives as part of this process. They must also accept responsibility for the harm they have caused, according to the Department of Correctional Services.

In 2013, Pistorius fatally shot Ms Steenkamp at his Pretoria home, claiming he mistook her for a burglar.

He was shot four times through a lavatory door that was locked. He was sentenced to five years in prison for manslaughter in 2014, after a trial that was broadcast around the world. On appeal in 2015, Pistorius was convicted of murder, and his sentence was later enhanced to 13 years and five months.

The Steenkamps’ lawyer, Tania Koen, told national broadcaster SABC earlier this month that they “would like to participate in the victim-offender discourse” if Pistorius were released.

The Steenkamps had also received a letter from Pistorius, which the lawyer characterised as emotionally devastating for them, according to the UK’s Daily Mirror newspaper.

The authorities have not specified a date for the meeting, only stating that the timetable will be governed by the level of preparedness of all parties.

People were told not to put pressure on those who were participating to expose what was said, according to the Department of Correctional Services.

Before his killing, Pistorius had won a gold medal at the Paralympics. In 2012, he made history as the first amputee sprinter to compete in the Olympics while using prosthetic blades. His legs were amputated below the knee when he was 11 months old since he was born without fibula bones.

Why do some women have to wait decades to be diagnosed with ADHD?

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Why do some women have to wait decades to be diagnosed with ADHD?

Leading psychologists are warning that gender bias is keeping many women with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder misdiagnosed.

Because the myth that ADHD primarily affects “bad boys” persists, it is estimated that tens of thousands of people in the United Kingdom are unaware they have the illness and are not receiving the necessary treatment.

“You have to make this incessant noise in my head stop, I used to implore doctors and therapists all the time. I’m unable to think. I’m having trouble sleeping. But this was dismissed as nervousness or women’s issues,” Hester explains.

She was diagnosed with depression at the age of 16 and spent much of her twenties trying unsuccessfully to be sent to a psychiatrist.

Hester’s anti-depressants and anti-anxiety medicines were ineffective, but she learned to disguise her depression and worry.

Hester was ultimately diagnosed with ADHD in 2015, at the age of 34, and she claims it was only because her husband had been diagnosed with the disease a year before. It took a year for him to be diagnosed.

A late diagnosis can harm relationships and professions, as well as raise the risk of mental health issues like anxiety, depression, and eating disorders.

ADHD is a neurodevelopmental disorder that can be inattentive, hyperactive/impulsive, or a combination of the two. Females typically learn to “camouflage” their symptoms, according to experts. They could be diagnosed with anxiety or sadness. They may also have another disorder, such as autism, in addition to their ADHD. As a result, they may receive an incomplete or erroneous diagnosis, masking their underlying issues.

According to an official from England’s Department of Health and Social Care, advice has been modified to make it easier for clinicians to diagnose ADHD in women and girls.

According to the Scottish government, a pilot project is being carried out to enhance the diagnosis of adults with neurodevelopmental problems. The Welsh government plans to conclude a review of all-age neurodevelopmental services by March. Psychologists recommend filling out online ADHD questionnaires and speaking with a doctor for more information.

Quinton de Kock refuses to take a knee and withdraws from the West Indies’ T20 World Cup match

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Quinton de Kock refuses to take a knee and withdraws from the West Indies’ T20 World Cup match

Quinton de Kock, South Africa’s wicketkeeper, has withdrawn from the T20 World Cup match against the West Indies after refusing to take the knee. Before the match, Cricket South Africa (CSA) issued a directive requiring all players to perform the gesture.

De Kock, 28, withdrew “for personal reasons” from the toss in Dubai, according to Captain Temba Bavuma.

“Awaiting a further report from team management before deciding on next steps,” the CSA said.

In June, De Kock, who had previously refused to take a knee, said: “What’s my justification? I’m going to keep it to myself. It is solely my personal view. 

Carlos Brathwaite, a West Indies all-rounder, said: “Quinton de Kock is someone I know well, and I’ve never gotten a nasty vibe from him. We get along swimmingly, but I’d like to know why he did what he did.

During the limited-overs series against the West Indies in July, De Kock stood with his hands behind his back in a gesture of unity. In November, the CSA announced that players might demonstrate their support for social equality by kneeling, raising a fist, or standing to attention.

Some South African players, but not all, kneeled before the team’s T20 World Cup opener against Australia on Saturday, in which De Kock hit seven runs.

On Tuesday, CSA stated that the squad must take “a united and consistent stand against racism.” Concerns were voiced that team members’ differing postures in favour of the BLM initiative produced an unintentional perception of inequity or lack of support for the initiative. “

“The CSA believes that success will be assured both on and off the field if all South Africans work together to construct a new innings founded on the pillars of inclusion, access, and excellence.”

Despite the whistleblower crisis, Facebook makes $9 billion

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Despite the whistleblower crisis, Facebook makes $9 billion

Facebook’s third-quarter profits were higher than projected, despite the company’s continued negative news due to stolen internal papers.

In the three months ending in September, the social media behemoth recorded a profit of $9 billion (£6.5 billion), up from $7.8 billion the previous year. However, Apple’s iOS 14 operating system received a new privacy update that made it more difficult for marketers to target adverts to specific users.

It comes as a former employee made new allegations of unethical behaviour. Frances Haugen has made public a cache of internal documents indicating that Facebook prioritised business over user safety.

According to many media sources, the documents demonstrate that Facebook failed to monitor content that encouraged hate speech and sex trafficking outside of the United States on a regular basis.

The social media behemoth announced that its monthly user base had increased by 6% to 2.91 billion in the year ending September 30. Despite the company’s high profitability, revenue fell short of analyst estimates due to “headwinds” produced by Apple’s privacy requirements.

The privacy reform will have an impact on Facebook’s digital business in the fourth quarter, but the company is anticipated to react to the changes over time. The company announced that it would spend $10 billion this year on its metaverse branch, known as Facebook Reality Labs, which is responsible for developing augmented and virtual reality technology, software, and content.

The pressure has only increased as a result of the whistleblower documents, which were initially revealed by the Wall Street Journal.

An internal Facebook study on Instagram’s effects on teen mental health, whether Facebook’s platforms foment divisiveness, and Facebook’s handling of the January 6 Capitol incident are among them.

Ms. Haugen told UK MPs on Monday that Facebook was “unquestionably making hate worse.”

MPs are debating what additional laws to impose on major social media platforms as part of the proposed Online Safety Bill. Despite the accusations, Facebook’s stock rose 1.3 percent in after-hours trade on Monday. So far this year, the company’s stock has increased by nearly 20%.

Heathrow’s air traffic may not recover until 2026, according to the airport’s boss

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Heathrow’s air traffic may not recover until 2026, according to the airport’s boss

Despite indicators of massive pent-up demand for travel, Heathrow Airport’s head has cautioned that air traffic may not fully return until at least 2026.

Even though international travel laws were loosening, John Holland-Kaye said that Britain’s busiest airport was still losing money. He also chastised the aviation authority for limiting increases in the fees that airlines pay to use Heathrow. According to him, airlines at Heathrow make a solid profit, and investors want the same.

Mr Holland-Kaye stated that passenger volume was still roughly 45 percent of what it was in 2019.

Long lines and the airport’s ability to cope with an increase in passengers have been criticised. “We are employing people right now to ensure that we can fulfil the demand that is starting to come through across the airport, Even on the busiest days of 2019, we’re still at roughly 40% to 45 percent of where we were back in 2019.” He said.

Security personnel and engineers to assist maintain the airport are among the positions Heathrow is looking to fill. Border Force, which is part of the Home Office, is responsible for any shortfall of passport control employees, which has resulted in headlines about long waits.

Mr. Holland-Kaye stated that it was critical for the airport and its investors to be able to raise funds to help fund the airport’s return to growth. To pay the costs of operating terminals, runways, baggage systems, and security, the airport can currently charge up to £22 per passenger.

It had hoped to raise it to £43 in January, but the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has now announced that it will be capped at £24.50 to £34.40 for the next five years.

Although it has lost £3.4 billion since the start of the epidemic, the London airport reported passenger numbers returned to 28% and freight to 90% of pre-pandemic levels in the third quarter. Heathrow, which lost its title as Europe’s busiest hub to Paris last year, has sustained significant losses as a result of the pandemic and had hoped to recoup some of its losses by hiking airline fees.

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