Kazakhstan, Afghanistan to build new railway link connecting Central Asia and South Asia
Kazakhstan's Ministry of Transport and Afghanistan's Ministry of Public Works have reached an agreement on the construction of a new railway line to c...
Harvey Weinstein faces a new rape and sexual assault trial in New York, nearly a year after his 2020 conviction was overturned, marking a key test of progress in the post-#MeToo era.
Harvey Weinstein’s retrial on charges of rape and sexual assault began on Wednesday in Manhattan, nearly a year after New York’s highest court overturned his 2020 conviction. The 73-year-old, who arrived in a wheelchair wearing a dark suit and navy tie, has pleaded not guilty to two counts of first-degree criminal sexual act and one count of third-degree rape.
Weinstein’s previous conviction was widely seen as a landmark moment for the #MeToo movement, as over 100 women—including well-known actresses—had come forward with allegations of misconduct. The former Hollywood producer and Miramax studio co-founder has denied all allegations of non-consensual sex.
The new trial, overseen by state Supreme Court Justice Curtis Farber, is expected to last around six weeks. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg attended the opening day of the proceedings.
“We're hoping that Mr. Weinstein is going to get a fair trial this time,” said his attorney Imran Ansari. “He wants to clear his name.”
In 2020, a separate jury found Weinstein guilty of raping aspiring actress Jessica Mann in 2013 and of sexually assaulting former production assistant Miriam Haley in 2006. He was sentenced to 23 years in prison. However, the New York Court of Appeals ruled in April 2024 that the trial judge had erred by allowing testimony from additional women whose claims were not part of the formal charges, prompting the retrial.
The prosecution has now added a new charge, accusing Weinstein of assaulting an unidentified woman in Manhattan in 2006, in addition to the charges involving Haley and Mann.
Even if acquitted in New York, Weinstein is expected to remain imprisoned, having been sentenced to 16 years for sex crimes in California.
Weinstein's lawyers are petitioning the court to allow him to stay at Manhattan’s Bellevue Hospital throughout the trial, citing inadequate medical care at Rikers Island jail and his recent emergency heart surgery.
Lindsay Goldbrum, representing the new accuser, said the case is a critical moment in the broader fight against sexual violence. “More than seven years after #MeToo, this case will test how far we’ve advanced in our collective understanding of sexual assault, power dynamics, and what it means to be a survivor,” she stated.
Weinstein’s downfall has also left lasting effects on his former film empire. His production studio filed for bankruptcy in March 2018, months after the allegations became public.
Australian researchers have pioneered a low-cost and scalable plasma-based method to produce ammonia gas directly from air, offering a green alternative to the traditional fossil fuel-dependent Haber-Bosch process.
A series of earthquakes have struck Guatemala on Tuesday afternoon, leading authorities to advise residents to evacuate from buildings as a precaution against possible aftershocks.
A deadly mass shooting early on Monday (7 July) in Philadelphia's Grays Ferry neighbourhood left three men dead and nine others wounded, including teenagers, as more than 100 shots were fired.
On July 4, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Khankendi, reaffirming the deep-rooted alliance between the two nations.
The 17th Summit of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) was successfully held in Khankendi, Azerbaijan, highlighting the region’s revival and the deepening economic cooperation among member states.
Oasis is officially back. The Britpop legends kick off their long-awaited reunion tour tonight (4 July) in Cardiff, marking their return to the stage after 16 years apart.
Apple’s Formula 1-themed drama F1: The Movie surged to the top of the U.S. and Canadian box office the weekend, collecting $55.6 million in ticket sales and marking the company’s most successful cinematic opening to date, according to data from Comscore.
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez’s multi-day wedding in Venice is making headlines—not just for its celebrity guest list and luxury, but also for the backlash it has sparked among local activists.
French President Emmanuel Macron is pushing for 'French Touch' electronic music to be recognized by UNESCO as an intangible cultural heritage—putting it on par with Berlin techno, Jamaican reggae, and Irish harp traditions.
Scarlett Johansson recalls how the original “Jurassic Park” deeply influenced her childhood as she premieres her role in “Jurassic World: Rebirth,” set to release on 2 July.
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