AFP - Squid Business

Cambodia genocide denial law open to abuse, say critics

Survivors of the Khmer Rouge’s genocidal regime welcome a beefed-up Cambodian law that forbids denying the movement’s atrocities, but rights advocates and academics warn it could also stifle legitimate dissent.Enacted last month ahead of this week’s 50th anniversary of the Khmer Rouge seizing the capital Phnom Penh, the law threatens hefty jail sentences and fines for anyone who denies the genocide that killed around two million people between 1975 and 1979.The atrocities committed by the Khmer Rouge are widely accepted by Cambodians save a dwindling group of ageing former cadres and soldiers who live mostly in the remote northwest.The hardline Maoist group led by “Brother Number One” Pol Pot reset the calendar to “Year Zero” on April 17, 1975 and emptied cities in a bid to create a pure agrarian society free of class, politics or capital.About a quarter of the population died — of disease, starvation, overwork or by execution — in the disastrous social engineering experiment memorably chronicled by the 1984 Oscar-winning movie “The Killing Fields”.Some activists, however, say former prime minister Hun Sen is using the law to burnish his legacy and stifle any opposition to his son and successor, Hun Manet.The government is trying to “reinforce state narratives rather than to genuinely encourage historical accountability”, said Sophal Ear, associate professor at Arizona State University. “In practice, it could be another tool to silence dissent,” he said.Political analyst Ou Virak called the law a “mistake”, adding: “A population that is afraid to discuss will be even more afraid to ask questions.”- ‘I am the peacemaker’ -Now 72, Hun Sen was a commander under Pol Pot before he fled to Vietnam in 1977, joining other Cambodian defectors to lead the Vietnamese army’s assault that drove the Khmer Rouge out of Phnom Penh.In the more than 30 years Hun Sen ruled Cambodia he stifled dissent, critics say, equating opposition to his leadership as support for those he replaced.”Hun Sen wants to impose his vision of things, saying: ‘I am the peacemaker’,” said Adriana Escobar Rodriguez of the French National Centre for Scientific Research.One form of genocide denial tended to downplay Vietnam’s role in ousting the Khmer Rouge, she said, but another stemmed from the fact that some “people still can’t believe that Khmers could have killed other Khmers” — referring to Cambodia’s majority ethnic group.Hun Sen has defended the stricter law, comparing it to similar legislation against Holocaust denial in Europe.The 2013 law it replaced stemmed from a case involving one of Hun Sen’s main opponents that took place just before national elections.Kem Sokha was accused of describing notorious Khmer Rouge prison S-21 — where an estimated 15,000 people were tortured to death — as a Vietnamese fabrication.He has spent lengthy periods in prison on various charges since, and is currently under house arrest on treason charges and banned from politics.Chum Mey, one of a small handful of people who emerged alive from S-21, sells books describing his experiences outside the former prison, which was turned into the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum.He says it would be stupid for anyone to deny the Khmer Rouge’s atrocities.”There is evidence,” the 94-year-old said.”They killed my four children and my wife.”

Stellantis: les millions de Carlos Tavares soumis une dernière fois à la colère des actionnaires

La rémunération de Carlos Tavares doit encore faire polémique mardi lors de l’assemblée générale du groupe Stellantis, dont il a été écarté fin 2024 après des résultats décevants.L’ex-directeur général du géant de l’automobile (qui regroupe une quinzaine de marques, dont Peugeot, Fiat, Opel et Chrysler) a bénéficié, pour 2024, d’une rémunération atteignant 23,1 millions d’euros, en baisse de 37% par rapport à l’année 2023 (36,5 millions). C’est l’équivalent de 350 fois le salaire moyen des 259.000 salariés de Stellantis à travers le monde (65.993 euros), en baisse pour la première fois depuis la création du groupe en 2021.John Elkann, président du conseil d’administration de Stellantis et dirigeant par intérim, a touché près de 2,8 millions d’euros pour l’année.Les actionnaires du groupe doivent se prononcer mardi à partir de 14H00 sur cette politique de rémunération, à titre consultatif. Ils l’avaient contestée à 52% en 2022, 48% en 2023, et 30% en 2024, sans que cela ne perturbe le versement prévu par le conseil d’administration.”Le package de rémunération de 23,1 millions d’euros proposé pour l’ancien directeur général dans le rapport de rémunération semble excessivement généreux, en particulier compte tenu des performances opérationnelles médiocres et des circonstances entourant la démission forcée”, a protesté le gestionnaire d’actifs AllianzGI le 8 avril.Après des premières années marquées par des profits record, le groupe Stellantis a vécu une très mauvaise année 2024, freiné notamment par des difficultés en Amérique du Nord. Le bénéfice net du groupe a chuté de 70%, à 5,5 milliards d’euros, et Carlos Tavares a été poussé vers la sortie.L’ancien directeur général doit toucher par ailleurs une indemnité de départ de 2 millions d’euros et un bonus de 10 millions d’euros. Mais un autre bonus de 10 millions lui a été refusé.- Une “démission” -La société de conseil aux investisseurs Proxinvest a aussi recommandé de voter contre la résolution concernée.”Le départ étant volontaire puisque c’est une démission, aucune indemnité n’aurait dû être attribuée au dirigeant”, a souligné Proxinvest, même si M. Tavares a été poussé vers la sortie.”Au regard des performances de la société, il peut être considéré que la société est en situation d’échec ; or il n’est pas acceptable d’attribuer une indemnité de départ à un dirigeant ayant mené la société à cette situation d’échec”.Le président de la République lui-même avait critiqué le montant du salaire de Carlos Tavares en 2022. Le ministre de l’Industrie Marc Ferracci s’est exprimé dans le même sens dimanche sur France 3, soulignant qu’un “principe de modération” devait s’appliquer. Mais “je ne pense pas que ce soit fondamentalement à l’État de déterminer le niveau des salaires, le niveau des rémunérations”, avait-il aussitôt ajouté.La présidente du comité de rémunération de Stellantis, Wan Ling Martello, a concédé dans une lettre aux actionnaires que “la rémunération est une question complexe et sensible”, et qu’il existe “des opportunités d’améliorer l’alignement avec les attentes des investisseurs”.Wan Ling Martello insiste sur la nécessité “d’attirer et de retenir des talents de classe mondiale au sein d’une entreprise mondiale et d’assurer une structure d’incitation appropriée, surtout durant cette période de transformation disruptive significative dans notre industrie”.Pour peser indirectement sur cette politique, AllianzGI, qui détient moins de 1% du capital de Stellantis, a également annoncé qu’il allait s’opposer à la réélection de deux membres du conseil d’administration qui siègent au comité de rémunération, le Français Benoît Ribadeau-Dumas (qui représente Exor, le groupe de la famille Agnelli) et Fiona Clare Cicconi, qui représente les salariés.

Asian stocks mixed as stability returns, autos lifted by exemption hope

Asian stocks were mixed Tuesday as some stability returned to markets after last week’s rollercoaster ride, with auto firms boosted by Donald Trump’s possible compromise over steep tariffs on the sector.However, the US president’s unorthodox approach to trade diplomacy continues to fuel uncertainty among investors, with speculation over new levies on high-end technology and pharmaceuticals dampening sentiment.The announcement last week of exemptions for smartphones, laptops, semiconductors and other electronics — all key Chinese-made products — provided a little comfort, though Trump’s suggestion they would be temporary tempered the optimism.Traders gave a muted reaction to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s remarks Monday that a China-US deal could be done in an apparent olive branch as the two economic powerhouses trade tariff threats.His comments came as Trump has hammered China with duties of up to 145 percent, while Beijing has imposed retaliatory measures of 125 percent.”There’s a big deal to be done at some point” Bessent said when asked by Bloomberg TV about the possibility that the world’s largest economies would decouple. “There doesn’t have to be” decoupling, he said, “but there could be.”Meanwhile, Trump aide Kevin Hassett said the White House had received “more than 10 deals where there’s very, very good, amazing offers made to us”, but did not specify which countries.After a broadly positive day on Wall Street, Asian markets fluctuated.Tokyo and Seoul were among the best performers thanks to a rally in autos after Trump said he was “very flexible” and “looking at something to help some of the car companies” hit by his 25 percent tariff on all imports.Toyota and Mazda jumped five percent and Nissan more than three percent, while Seoul-listed Hyundai jumped more than four percent.South Korea’s announcement of plans to invest an additional $4.9 billion in the country’s semiconductor sector gave a little lift to chip giants Samsung and SK hynix.Sydney, Singapore, Taipei, Manila and Jakarta also rose. Hong Kong and Shanghai dipped with Wellington.Federal Reserve governor Christopher Waller provided some support to markets after suggesting he would back the central bank to cut interest rates to help the economy, instead of focusing on higher inflation.He pointed out that prices could see a transitory rise because of the tariffs but added that if Trump reverted to the crippling tariffs included in his “Liberation Day” on April 2 then officials would be ready to step in.”If the slowdown is significant and even threatens a recession, then I would expect to favour cutting the… policy rate sooner, and to a greater extent than I had previously thought,” he said in comments prepared for an event Monday. “In my February speech, I referred to this as the world of ‘bad news’ rate cuts. With a rapidly slowing economy, even if inflation is running well above two percent, I expect the risk of recession would outweigh the risk of escalating inflation, especially if the effects of tariffs in raising inflation are expected to be short lived.”However, OANDA senior market analyst Kelvin Wong warned central bankers would face some tough choices.”Combination of slowing growth and persistent inflation, hallmarks of a stagflation environment, poses a significant challenge for the US Federal Reserve, which may find it increasingly difficult to implement counter-cyclical monetary policies to support the economy,” he said in a commentary.- Key figures around 0230 GMT -Tokyo – Nikkei 225: UP 0.9 percent at 34,285.02 (break)Hong Kong – Hang Seng Index: DOWN 0.2 percent at 21,379.50Shanghai – Composite: DOWN 0.3 percent at 3,254.04Dollar/yen: UP at 143.32 yen from 143.09 yen on MondayEuro/dollar: DOWN at $1.1327 from $1.1356 Pound/dollar: DOWN at $1.3179 from $1.3189Euro/pound: DOWN at 85.94 pence from 86.08 penceWest Texas Intermediate: UP 0.3 percent at $61.69 per barrelBrent North Sea Crude: UP 0.2 percent at $65.03 per barrelNew York – Dow: UP 0.8 percent at 40,524.79 (close)London – FTSE 100: UP 2.1 percent at 8,134.34

Disarming Lebanon’s Hezbollah no longer inconceivable: analysts

The once unthinkable disarmament of Hezbollah could finally be within reach, as the United States pushes Lebanon to act and applies pressure to the group’s backer Iran over its nuclear programme, analysts said.Hezbollah was left badly weakened by more than a year of hostilities with Israel, beginning with the group’s campaign of rocket fire at its arch-foe in support of ally Hamas, and culminating in a major Israeli bombing campaign and ground incursion into Lebanon.In the months after the war, which devastated parts of the country and killed many of the movement’s top leaders, Lebanon elected a president and formed a government after a more than two-year vacuum as the balance of power shifted.The war “clearly changed the situation on ground in Lebanon”, said David Wood from the International Crisis Group.”It’s conceivable to think that Hezbollah could move towards disarmament and potentially even participate in that process willingly,” Wood told AFP.Hezbollah was the only group that refused to disarm after Lebanon’s 1975-1990 civil war. Bolstered by an arsenal once considered more powerful than that of the Lebanese army, it long presented itself as the country’s best line of defence against Israeli aggression. But both its stockpiles and its senior leadership were sapped by the conflict, with longtime leader Hassan Nasrallah among the commanders killed.Under a November 27 truce, Hezbollah was to withdraw its fighters to the north of Lebanon’s Litani River and dismantle any remaining military infrastructure in the south, while the Lebanese army was to deploy in the area.Israel was meant to withdraw its troops, but it still remains in five points it deems “strategic” and conducts regular strikes on what it says are mostly Hezbollah targets.A source close to Hezbollah told AFP that the group had ceded to the Lebanese army around 190 of its 265 military positions identified south of the Litani.Visiting US deputy special envoy for the Middle East Morgan Ortagus, who is spearheading Washington’s campaign to pressure the Lebanese government to disarm Hezbollah, this month said it should happen “as soon as possible”.Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, who has pledged a state monopoly on bearing arms, has said the issue requires national dialogue.- ‘Inevitable’? -Hezbollah — which was established after a 1982 Israeli invasion — has already agreed to significant political compromises this year, including declining to stand in the way of the selection of the new president.Hanin Ghaddar from The Washington Institute told AFP that Hezbollah’s disarmament was “inevitable”.The only alternative to the Lebanese state disarming the group “is that Israel is going to do it” militarily, said Ghaddar, a critic of the group.Retired south Lebanon intelligence chief General Ali Shahrour said after Hezbollah’s recent setbacks “it is certainly not in its interest to engage in any war (with Israel) or confrontation against the (Lebanese) state” in opposition to disarmament.He said talks between Hezbollah’s patron Iran and the United States on curbing Tehran’s nuclear programme would impact Iran-backed groups across the region.Those negotiations kicked off last weekend, with US President Donald Trump threatening military action against Iran if they failed to reach a deal.Several Hezbollah officials have said the group is ready for dialogue on Lebanon’s defence strategy, including the issue of the group’s weapons, but is not prepared to surrender them now.Ghaddar said current Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem and the chief of its parliamentary bloc, Mohammed Raad, likely wanted “to play the time game” to avoid disarmament.Hezbollah wants “to survive” as a military institution, she said, adding any internal divisions would centre on “how to go about it”.Several experts said Israel’s ongoing troop presence along the border played into the group’s hands.”The Israelis are certainly providing Hezbollah with justification to retain its weapons,” said Shahrour, the retired intelligence official.- US-Iran talks -The source close to Hezbollah, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Lebanon’s army lacked “the military capability to defend the south” against Israel.They accused Washington of insisting Hezbollah’s rockets be destroyed, rather than confiscated, in order to keep Lebanon’s army weak.The Crisis Group’s Wood said Beirut’s options included dismantling Hezbollah’s military infrastructure or integrating its weapons and fighters into the regular army.The “safest approach” is “to move cautiously and take time”, he said.”It is possible that Iran would seek to trade its support for regional allies, including Hezbollah, for concessions in negotiations with the US,” Wood added.Karim Bitar, a lecturer in Middle East Studies at the Sciences Po university in Paris, said the issue of what should come first — Israel’s full withdrawal or Hezbollah’s disarmament — was “a chicken and egg situation”.Hezbollah would likely surrender some heavy weapons while denying responsibility for arms held by individuals aligned with the group, he told AFP.”In the absence of an Iranian green light, I doubt that Hezbollah would willingly relinquish its weapons to the Lebanese army, even if they are offered to form an autonomous battalion within the Lebanese army,” he said.”A lot of this will depend on the US-Iranian negotiations.”

US opens door to tariffs on pharma, semiconductors

The United States opened the door on Monday to tariffs targeting high-end technology and pharmaceuticals, feeding the uncertainty gripping the global economy in a trade war that Chinese leader Xi Jinping warned can have “no winner.”After weeks of indications such a move was coming, the US commerce secretary formally announced “national security” investigations into pharmaceutical imports, and another on semiconductors and chip-making equipment.The specter of a broadening tariffs onslaught came as Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent touted momentum in talks with individual countries on reaching trade deals — but with little detail offered.On China, he said “there’s a big deal to be done” but was notably vague about the timing or chances of it happening. Talks have begun with Vietnam and were to start with Japan on Wednesday, then South Korea next week, Bessent told Bloomberg TV.Investors were relieved at the apparent easing of pressure in President Donald Trump’s wide-ranging but often chaotic attempt to reorder the world economy by using tariffs to force manufacturers to relocate to the United States.Wall Street stocks finished solidly higher on Monday as markets greeted more conciliatory signs from the Trump administration on exemptions for key electronics. Asian and European markets were also boosted.Trump remains firm that the tariffs will bring critical manufacturing back, with White House spokesman Kush Desai telling AFP Monday that “the entire administration is committed to working on Trump Time” — apparently referring to moving quickly — on the matter.Tit-for-tat exchanges have seen US levies imposed on China this year rise to 145 percent, and Beijing setting a retaliatory 125 percent barrier on US imports.Late Friday, US officials announced exemptions from the latest duties against China and others for a range of high-end tech goods such as smartphones, semiconductors and computers.But Trump suggested Sunday that the exemption would be only temporary and that he still planned to put barriers up on imported semiconductors and much else.In response, South Korea — a major exporter to the United States and home to the world’s largest memory chip maker Samsung — announced on Tuesday plans to invest an additional $4.9 billion in its semiconductor industry.The South Korean finance ministry said “growing uncertainty” over US tariffs had left the country’s powerful industry clamoring for support.On Monday, Trump once again pivoted to suggesting possible compromise, saying in remarks at the White House that he was “very flexible” and “looking at something to help some of the car companies” hit by his 25 percent tariff on all auto imports.”I don’t want to hurt anybody,” he said.China’s Xi, who kicked off a Southeast Asia tour with a visit to Vietnam, warned Monday that protectionism “will lead nowhere” and a trade war would “produce no winner.”- Short-lived relief? -Trump initially unveiled huge tariffs on countries around the world on April 2.He then made an about-face a week later when he said only China would face the heaviest duties, while other countries got a global 10 percent tariff for a 90-day period.The trade war is raising fears of an economic downturn as the dollar tumbles and investors dump US government bonds, normally considered a safe haven investment.And the latest wrangling over high-tech products — an area where China and other East Asian countries are key — illustrates the uncertainty plaguing investors.Washington’s temporary exemptions will benefit US tech companies such as Nvidia and Apple, which makes iPhones and other premium products in China.But any relief could be temporary.The US president said he would announce tariffs rates for semiconductors “over the next week,” and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said they would likely be in place “in a month or two.”- Negotiations -The White House says Trump remains optimistic about securing a trade deal with China, although administration officials have made it clear they expect Beijing to reach out first.And EU trade chief Maros Sefcovic said “the EU remains constructive and ready for a fair deal” after meeting with Lutnick and US trade envoy Jamieson Greer in Washington.Sefcovic said this deal could include reciprocity through a “zero-for-zero” tariff offer on industrial goods, but added in a social media post that “achieving this will require a significant joint effort on both sides.”The Trump administration also says that dozens of countries have already opened trade negotiations to secure deals before the 90-day pause ends.Japanese Economic Revitalization Minister Ryosei Akazawa will visit Washington for negotiations this week, with his country’s automakers hit by Trump’s 25 percent tariff on the auto sector.burs-sms/bfm/dhw/mtp

US opens door to tariffs on pharma, semiconductors

Un homme inculpé pour tentative de meurtre après l’incendie au domicile d’une figure démocrate américaine

Un homme de 38 ans, qui a reconnu vouloir s’en prendre au gouverneur de Pennsylvanie Josh Shapiro, a été poursuivi lundi par la justice américaine pour tentative de meurtre et terrorisme après un incendie aux “cocktails Molotov” qui a endommagé le domicile de ce poids lourd du Parti démocrate.Le nom de Josh Shapiro revient régulièrement aux Etats-Unis comme un potentiel prétendant à l’élection à la Maison Blanche en 2028 côté démocrate. Le gouverneur de 51 ans faisait partie des possibles candidats à la vice-présidence des Etats-Unis de Kamala Harris, qui avait finalement choisi le gouverneur du Minnesota Tim Walz comme colistier.L’élu se trouvait avec sa famille à l’intérieur de sa résidence officielle de Harrisburg, capitale de la Pennsylvanie, où il avait célébré la fête juive de Pessa’h samedi, quand tout le monde a été réveillé et évacué par son service de sécurité en raison de l’incendie. “Même si le feu a pu être éteint, il a causé d’importants dégâts à une partie de la résidence”, ont précisé les autorités dans un communiqué.Cody Balmer, 38 ans, soupçonné d’avoir pénétré par effraction dans la maison avec des engins incendiaires de fabrication artisanale, a été arrêté. Sa libération sous caution a été refusée lors d’une audience lundi, selon un employé du tribunal. Sa prochaine comparution est prévue le 23 avril.- Bouteilles de bière -Selon des documents judiciaires, le suspect s’est livré à la police. Il a déclaré qu’il éprouvait de la “haine” à l’égard de M. Shapiro et a déclaré aux enquêteurs qu’il l’aurait “frappé avec son marteau” s’il l’avait rencontré.Toujours selon ces documents, l’homme a réussi à pénétrer dans l’enceinte de la résidence et a brisé des vitres pour jeter “ses cocktails Molotov” à l’intérieur. La police dit avoir retrouvé des bouteilles de bière contenant de l’essence dans la résidence.Cody Balmer est poursuivi pour huit chefs d’inculpation, dont tentative de meurtre, incendie criminel et terrorisme.Sur le réseau social X, Josh Shapiro a rapporté avoir été réveillé par “des coups sur la porte” frappés par la police, avant d’être évacué avec ses proches.”Dieu merci, il n’y pas de blessés et le feu a été éteint”, a-t-il écrit.”Ce genre de violence devient bien trop commun dans notre société et peu m’importe qu’il vienne d’un bord ou d’un autre, cela doit cesser”, a ajouté devant la presse le démocrate, qui avait défait en 2022 un candidat proche de l’extrême droite et soutenu par Donald Trump.Le président républicain a qualifié lundi l’agresseur de M. Shapiro de “taré” devant la presse, ajoutant que “l’on ne peut certainement pas permettre qu’une telle chose se produise”.Le vice-président américain JD Vance, dénonçant une “violence vraiment répugnante”, a demandé que le responsable soit “rapidement traduit en justice”.La ministre de la Justice, Pam Bondi, s’est quant à elle déclarée “profondément soulagée que le gouverneur Shapiro et sa famille soient en sécurité”. La violence contre les élus ou les responsables politiques est devenu un problème récurrent aux Etats-Unis, qui a culminé en juillet dernier avec la tentative d’assassinat contre Donald Trump en plein meeting lors de sa campagne présidentielle, à Butler, en Pennsylvanie. L’auteur des tirs, qui avaient seulement effleuré le candidat républicain, avait été tué sur place par les forces de l’ordre. Nombre d’experts s’accordent à dire que les actes de violence ont augmenté avec l’arrivée de Donald Trump au pouvoir, en janvier 2017 — qu’il en soit, ou non, responsable.Selon la police du Capitole, chargée de protéger les élus du Congrès, les menaces contre ces derniers ont plus que doublé depuis cette date. En 2022, le mari de la présidente de la Chambre des représentants de l’époque Nancy Pelosi avait été grièvement blessé à coups de marteau chez lui par un intrus qui cherchait en réalité l’élue démocrate.

Harvey Weinstein New York retrial for sex crimes to begin

Disgraced Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein faces a retrial starting Tuesday, on rape and sex assault charges for which a previous verdict was overturned, forcing survivors who helped fire up the “MeToo” movement to testify against him once again.Weinstein’s 2017 conviction by a jury was overturned seven years later by an appeals court that ruled the way witnesses were handled in the original New York trial was unlawful.The voiding of the jury’s verdict by the New York Court of Appeals was a setback to survivors of the movement against sexual violence and the promotion of justice for survivors.The onetime Miramax studio boss will be in court for the sexual assault of former production assistant Mimi Haleyi in 2006, the rape of aspiring actress Jessica Mann in 2013, and a new count for an alleged sexual assault in 2006 at a hotel in Manhattan. Haleyi and Mann testified in the earlier trial, sharing graphic testimony of their interactions with Weinstein.The new trial, expected to last up to six weeks in a Manhattan criminal court, begins Tuesday with jury selection, which could take five days, according to Judge Curtis Farber.Weinstein, 73, said he hopes the case will be judged with “fresh eyes,” more than seven years after investigations by the New York Times and the New Yorker led to his spectacular downfall and a global backlash against predatory abusers.Weinstein is serving a 16-year prison sentence after being convicted on separate charges in California in 2023 for raping and assaulting a European actor a decade prior.- ‘Very different’? -The producer of a string of box office hits like “Sex, Lies and Videotape,” “Pulp Fiction” and “Shakespeare in Love,” Weinstein has appeared frail and gaunt at recent courtroom hearings ahead of the trial.”It’ll be very, very different because of the attitude of New York City, New York state and, I think, the overall country,” said his lawyer Arthur Aidala.”Five years ago, when you guys were here, there were protests. There were people chanting: ‘Fry Harvey, he’s a rapist’… I think that, overall, has died down,” he said, adding that he hoped jurors would try the case on its merits.Weinstein has never acknowledged any wrongdoing and has always maintained that the encounters were consensual.Accusers describe the movie mogul as a predator who used his perch atop the cinema industry to pressure actresses and assistants for sexual favors, often in hotel rooms.Since his downfall, Weinstein has been accused of harassment, sexual assault or rape by more than 80 women, including actors Angelina Jolie, Gwyneth Paltrow, Lupita Nyong’o and Ashley Judd.In 2020, a jury of New Yorkers found Weinstein guilty of two out of five charges — the sexual assault of Haleyi and the rape of Mann.But the conviction and the 23-year prison sentence were overturned in April 2024.In a hotly debated four-to-three decision, New York’s appeals court ruled that jurors should not have heard testimonies of victims about sexual assaults for which Harvey Weinstein was not indicted.”It really reflects the challenges that survivors face in seeking justice for sexual assault,” said Laura Palumbo of the National Sexual Violence Resource Center. The three survivors of Weinstein’s alleged crimes are expected to testify once again.

Chinese EV battery giant CATL posts 33% surge in Q1 profit

The world’s leading maker of electric vehicle batteries, Chinese firm CATL, posted a 32.9 percent jump in first quarter profit, even as demand for electric vehicles slows.The firm produces more than a third of all electric vehicle (EV) batteries sold worldwide, cooperating with major brands including Tesla, Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Volkswagen.Founded in 2011 in the eastern Chinese city of Ningde, Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Limited (CATL) was initially propelled to success by rapid growth in the domestic market.Net profit in the first quarter was up 32.9 percent year-on-year to 13.96 billion yuan ($1.91 billion), according to a statement CATL released on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange Monday.During the same period, CATL’s sales rose by 6.2 percent year-on-year to 84.7 billion yuan, the filing showed.CATL has been aided by strong financial support from Beijing, which has sought in recent years to shore up domestic strength in certain strategic high-tech sectors.But following years of rapid growth, the world’s largest EV market is showing signs of flagging sales in the face of a broader slowdown in consumption.CATL warned in January that its slide in sales last year was likely due to a “decline in the prices of raw materials such as lithium carbonate”, which had forced the firm to adjust prices.Last year saw lithium prices fall significantly, partly due to market oversupply and weaker consumer demand for EVs.The trends have fuelled a fierce price war in the country’s expansive EV sector, putting smaller firms under huge pressure to compete while remaining financially viable.CATL is building its second factory in Hungary after launching its first in Germany in January 2023.