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Jurors reported getting closer to a verdict Monday in the sex crimes retrial of disgraced Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein, despite tensions raising the risk of a deadlocked jury and a mistrial.”We’re making good progress,” Judge Curtis Farber read in a final note from jurors wrapping up the third day of closed-door deliberations in the New York courtroom.Farber had previously read aloud two notes sent to him by the 12-member jury.In the first note, a juror expressed a desire to talk to Farber “about the situation that isn’t very good.”In the second, jurors wrote they “request the entire definition of reasonable doubt and rules of the jury especially to avoid a hung jury.”A hung jury occurs when a judge acknowledges that jurors have been unable to reach a unanimous decision after several days of deliberations. In that case, a mistrial would be declared and a new trial may be held.On Monday morning, Weinstein, whose downfall in 2017 sparked the global #MeToo movement, looked on impassively from his wheelchair, as the judge, prosecutors and his lawyers engaged in tense discussions.The jury must decide whether Weinstein — accused by dozens of women of being a sexual predator — is guilty of sexual assaults in 2006 on Miriam Haley and former model Kaja Sokola, and of rape in 2013 of then-aspiring actress Jessica Mann.Weinstein is on trial again after a New York state appeals court threw out his 2020 convictions, citing irregularities in the original proceedings. The former movie industry titan’s 23-year prison sentence for the initial conviction was thrown out, but he remains imprisoned for separate offenses.- ‘Playground stuff’ – On Friday, one juror came forward to report tensions between his fellow panelists, alleging “people are being shunned. It’s playground stuff.”He asked to resign as a juror, but Farber denied his request.Responding to the situation, Weinstein’s lawyer Arthur Aidala called for a mistrial, but the judge refused his request.At midday Monday, another juror sought to deliver a message of reassurance that matters had calmed down.”Things are going well, the tone is very different today, we are finding headways,” she told the judge, who appeared to breathe a sigh of relief. During the trial, the three alleged victims testified for several days, recounting how the powerful movie producer had forced them into sexual relations after luring them to his apartment or a hotel room in New York.On Wednesday, prosecutor Nicole Blumberg summarized the evidence of the three alleged victims by saying simply: “He raped three women, they all said no.”The Hollywood figure had “all the power” and “all the control” over the alleged victims, which is why jurors should find him guilty, she said.”The defendant thought the rules did not apply to him, now it is the time to let him know that the rules apply to him.”Weinstein did not take the stand but conceded in an interview with FOX5 television on Friday that he had acted “immorally.” He insisted he did nothing criminal, however.Weinstein’s defense team has suggested the women accused him to score a payday from a legal settlement or criminal damages. 

Funk master and iconic music innovator Sly Stone, whose songs drove a civil rights-inflected soul explosion in the 1960s, sparking influential albums but also a slide into drug addiction, has died, his family said Monday. He was 82.Stone was the multi-instrumentalist frontman for Sly and the Family Stone — rock’s first racially integrated, mixed-gender lineup.He “passed away peacefully, surrounded by his three children, his closest friend and his extended family,” after a prolonged battle with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and other health issues, Stone’s family said in a statement.”While we mourn his absence, we take solace in knowing that his extraordinary musical legacy will continue to resonate and inspire for generations to come,” it added.With his vibrant on-stage energy, killer hooks and lyrics that often decried prejudice, Stone became a superstar, releasing pivotal records that straddled musical genres and performing a memorable set at Woodstock.But he retreated to the shadows in the early 1970s, emerging sporadically for unfulfilling concert tours, erratic TV appearances and a flopped 2006 reunion on the Grammy Awards stage.An effervescent hybrid of psychedelic soul, hippie consciousness, bluesy funk and rock built on Black gospel, Stone’s music proved to be a melodic powerhouse that attracted millions during a golden age of exploratory pop — until it fell apart in a spiral of drug use.Over the course of five years, his diverse sound cooperative left an indelible impact, from the group’s debut 1967 hit “Dance to the Music” and their first of three number one songs, “Everyday People” a year later, to the 1970s rhythm and blues masterpiece “If You Want Me To Stay.”For many, Sly was a musical genius creating the sound of the future.It was “like seeing a Black version of the Beatles,” funk legend George Clinton told CBS News of his longtime friend’s stage presence.”He had the sensibility of the street, the church, and then like the qualities of a Motown,” Clinton added. “He was all of that in one person.”- Huge influence -The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inducted the band in 1993, saying: “Their songs were more than danceable hits — they were a force for positive change.”But Stone struggled to contain the forces and pressures that came with fame. He slid into addiction. He missed concerts. His musical output, once bankable, became erratic.The music, though, proved extraordinarily influential, laying the groundwork for Prince, Miles Davis, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and OutKast.By 1973, the band imploded.Asked why by talk show host David Letterman a decade later, the elusive star was cryptic: “I couldn’t make all the gigs, is what happened.” Multiple drug-related arrests followed. By 2011, he was homeless and living in a van.In his 2023 memoir, Stone acknowledged he was lost in a deluge of cocaine and PCP, but that he finally went clean in 2019.Drugs gave him “confidence” and energy, he wrote.But he regretted “the way I let drugs run my life,” he added.”I thought I could control them but then at some point they were controlling me.”- Family affair – Sly Stone was born Sylvester Stewart on March 15, 1943 in Denton, Texas. His parents moved the family to San Francisco’s suburbs, and built ties with the Church of God in Christ.He was a musical prodigy; by age seven, Stone was proficient at keyboards, and by 11, he played guitar, bass and drums. He sang gospel in church with his sisters and joined high school bands.Stone studied music at California’s Solano Community College, worked as a disc jockey and became a songwriter and record producer. He played keyboards for Marvin Gaye.By 1966 Sly and the Family Stone had emerged, with brother Freddie on guitar and vocals, and sisters Rose on keyboards and Vaetta on background vocals.White musicians Greg Errico on drums and saxophonist Jerry Martini joined them, at a time when such integration was rare.Their first album fell flat. But when influential music executive Clive Davis urged Stone to make a more commercial record, the band stormed up the charts in 1968, with “Everyday People” reaching number one.”We got to live together,” Stone belted out.It was a period of tumult in America, with civil rights showdowns, Martin Luther King Jr’s assassination and anti-war riots.”I was scared. At the time it was almost too much all at once,” Stone, who is survived by a son and two daughters, once told an interviewer.In 1969, Stone and his band released the album “Stand!” It was a commercial triumph including the summer smash of the same name that became a touchstone for Black empowerment.That year, they played a frenetic post-midnight set before half a million people at Woodstock.More than a generation later, the 2025 documentary “SLY LIVES: AKA, the Burden of Black Genius” shed light on one of soul music’s groundbreaking figures.”Sly opened the floodgates for all musicians of color,” music producer Terry Lewis said in the film, “to just do whatever they felt like.”

A Chinese man pleaded guilty on Monday to exporting guns and ammunition to North Korea, the Justice Department said.Shenghua Wen, 42, who was living illegally in the United States after overstaying his student visa, was charged with violating long-standing US sanctions against North Korea.Wen, arrested in California in December, was paid $2 million by North Korea for the arms shipments, the Justice Department said.Wen and unidentified co-conspirators allegedly concealed firearms and ammunition inside containers that were shipped from Long Beach, California, through Hong Kong to North Korea.The Justice Department said law enforcement in August seized two devices at Wen’s home that he planned to send to North Korea — a chemical threat identification device and a handheld broadband receiver that detects eavesdropping devices.In September, law enforcement seized 50,000 rounds of 9mm ammunition that Wen allegedly obtained to send to North Korea, the department said.Wen also attempted to obtain a civilian plane engine from a US-based broker, it said.Wen faces up to 20 years in prison for violating export controls as well as a maximum of 10 years in prison for acting as an illegal agent of a foreign government. He is due to be sentenced on August 18.

World leaders on Monday called for strong rules to govern deep-sea mining and warned against racing to exploit the ocean floor in a thinly-veiled rebuke of US President Donald Trump.Growing anxiety over Trump’s unilateral push to fast-track deep-sea mining in international waters shot to the surface at the opening of the UN Ocean Conference in southern France.”I think it’s madness to launch predatory economic action that will disrupt the deep seabed, disrupt biodiversity, destroy it and release irrecoverable carbon sinks — when we know nothing about it,” said French President Emmanuel Macron.Imposing a moratorium on seabed mining was “an international necessity”, said Macron.The number of countries opposed to seabed mining rose to 36 on Monday, according to a tally kept by the Deep Sea Conservation Coalition, an umbrella group of non-governmental organisations.Trump was not among the roughly 60 heads of state and government in the seaside town of Nice but his spectre loomed large as leaders defended the global multilateralism he has spurned.Of particular concern, his move to sidestep the International Seabed Authority (ISA) and issue permits directly to companies wanting to extract nickel and other metals from waters beyond US jurisdiction. Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva called for “clear action” from the seabed authority to end a “predatory race” for deep-ocean minerals.”We now see the threat of unilateralism looming over the ocean. We cannot allow what happened to international trade to happen to the sea,” he said.The deep sea, Greenland and Antarctica were “not for sale”, Macron said in further remarks directed clearly at Trump’s expansionist claims.The ISA, which has jurisdiction over the ocean floor outside national waters, is meeting in July to discuss a global mining code to regulate mining in the ocean depths.UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he supported these negotiations and urged caution as countries navigate these “new waters on seabed mining”.”The deep sea cannot become the wild west,” he said, to applause from the plenary floor.- ‘Wave of hope’ -Island nations also spoke out against seabed mining, which scientists warn could result in untold damage to ecosystems largely unexplored by humanity.”Here in Nice, we can feel that the looming threat of deep sea mining, and the recent reckless behaviour of the industry is seen by many states as unacceptable,” said Megan Randles from Greenpeace.Meanwhile, a flurry of last-minute signatures in Nice brought a treaty to protect the 60 percent of the world’s oceans outside national jurisdiction closer to law.Macron told reporters that 55 nations had ratified the high seas treaty, just five shy of the number required for its enactment.The president gave two thumbs up and a broad grin as he posed with the new signatories, and said the accord would come into force by January 1, 2026.”Today’s surge of ratifications for the High Seas Treaty is a tidal wave of hope and a huge cause for celebration,” Rebecca Hubbard, director of the High Seas Alliance, told AFP.- ‘Prove you’re serious’ -On Monday, the United Kingdom announced plans to extend a partial ban on bottom trawling in some of its protected marine areas, following a similar move by France at the weekend.Greece, Brazil and Spain took the opportunity Monday to announce the creation of new marine parks, following recent similar action from Samoa.And French Polynesia unveiled what will be the world’s largest marine protected zone, said the International Union for Conservation of Nature.Just eight percent of global oceans are designated for marine conservation, despite a globally agreed target to achieve 30 percent coverage by 2030.Macron said he hoped that coverage would grow to 12 percent by the summit’s close on Friday.Environment groups say that for marine parks to be considered truly protected they need to ban trawling and other harmful activities, and be properly funded.Wealthy nations face pressure in Nice to commit money to make that level of ocean conservation a reality.Small island states are leading the charge for money and political support to better combat rising seas, marine trash and the plunder of fish stocks that hurt their economies.”We say to you, if you are serious about protecting the ocean, prove it,” said President Surangel Whipps Jr of Palau, a low-lying Pacific nation.np-aag-fcc-fff/gv

US states that loosened their gun laws following a landmark court ruling saw thousands more childhood firearm deaths than they otherwise would have — the vast majority homicides and suicides — according to a study published Monday.Jeremy Faust, an emergency physician at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston and lead author of the paper in JAMA Pediatrics, told AFP he was drawn to the topic as a father wondering whether today’s world is safer for children than when he was growing up.”Mortality from car accidents has fallen dramatically, but at the same time, firearm mortality rose and replaced car accidents as the leading cause of death in children over the age of one,” he said — a trend unique among peer nations.To probe this shift, Faust and his colleagues analyzed state-level data before and after McDonald v Chicago, the 2010 Supreme Court decision that extended the Second Amendment to state and local governments. The ruling sparked a wave of legislation, some tightening gun laws but much of it loosening them.The team grouped states into three categories — most permissive, permissive, and strict — and used Centers for Disease Control data on firearm deaths among children aged 0–17. They ran an “excess mortality analysis,” comparing actual deaths from 2011 to 2023 against projections based on prior trends from 1999 to 2010 and population growth.The results were stark: more than 7,400 excess pediatric firearm deaths in states that loosened gun laws — including over 6,000 in the most permissive group of states. By contrast, the eight strictest states overall saw no excess deaths. The model predicted 4,267 fatalities, while 4,212 were recorded — a near-match that bolstered confidence in the analysis.”The biggest thing people always want to know is, what’s the intent behind these?” said Faust. “And I think what surprises most people is that accidents are a very small number of these deaths — it’s mostly homicide and suicide.”While the study showed strong associations, it cannot prove causation — a key limitation.  But in a test of whether broader increases in violence might explain the trend, rather than changes to the law, the team analyzed non-firearm homicides and suicides and found no similar rise, a result that makes the findings “pretty compelling,” said Faust.Black children saw the steepest increases. While the reasons are unclear, the authors speculated that disparities in safe firearm storage could play a role.There were some exceptions. Deaths rose in Illinois and Connecticut despite tighter laws — though in the latter case, the spike was entirely attributable to the 2012 Sandy Hook mass shooting at an elementary school.”Big picture, we have a major problem in this country,” said Faust. “But we also have a handful of states that are resisting these increases and, in fact, turning the other direction.”

US President Donald Trump on Monday accused protesters in Los Angeles of insurrection and threatened they would be “hit harder” than ever if they disrespect security forces during clashes triggered by anger over immigration raids.Demonstrators in a small part of the second biggest US city’s downtown area  torched cars and looted stores in ugly scenes Sunday that saw law enforcement responding with tear gas and rubber bullets.Trump posted he had deployed National Guard troops “to deal with the violent, instigated riots” and “if we had not done so, Los Angeles would have been completely obliterated.””The people are causing the problems are professional agitators and insurrectionists,” he told reporters in Washington.On social media, he said protesters spat at troops and if they continued to do so, “I promise you they will be hit harder than they have ever been hit before. Such disrespect will not be tolerated!”California Governor Gavin Newsom accused the president of deliberately stoking tensions by using the National Guard, a reserve military force usually controlled by state governors.”This is exactly what Donald Trump wanted. He flamed the fires,” Newsom said, adding California would be suing the federal government over the deployment.Trump shot back, saying “I would do it” when asked if Newsom should be arrested.The protests in Los Angeles, home to a large Latino population, were triggered by dozens of arrests of what authorities say are illegal migrants and gang members.Trump’s border czar Tom Homan said Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was targeting members of cartels in Mexico and Colombia.Many locals painted a different picture.They are “people who are here earnestly trying to improve their lives (and) deserve a chance and don’t deserve to be treated as criminals,” Deborah McCurdy, 64, told AFP at a rally where hundreds gathered on Monday.- ‘Isolated’ -On Monday morning, a heavy police presence stood watch in Downtown LA, where streets were quiet.Overnight, vandals had set fires and smashed windows, adding to the scenes of damage left after five Waymo self-driving cars were torched. Obscene graffiti was daubed over many surfaces.Despite isolated and eye-catching acts of violence, officials and local law enforcement stressed the majority of protesters over the weekend had been peaceful.Schools across Los Angeles were operating normally on Monday, while the rhythms of life in the sprawling city appeared largely unchanged.Mayor Karen Bass told CNN that in contrast to Trump’s rhetoric, “this is isolated to a few streets. This is not citywide civil unrest.”Immigration arrests were designed to stir tensions, she said, while the troop deployment was “a recipe for pandemonium.”The United Nations warned against “further militarization” of the situation, in remarks likely to anger the White House.After initial confrontations between demonstrators and federal forces on Sunday, local law enforcement took the lead, using what they called “less lethal weapons” to disperse crowds.Viral footage showed one rubber bullet being fired at an Australian TV reporter, who was hit in the leg on live television.At least 56 people were arrested over two days and five officers suffered minor injuries, Los Angeles Police Department officials said, while about 60 people were arrested in protests i San Francisco.The National Guard is frequently used in natural disasters, and occasionally in civil unrest, but almost always with the consent of local authorities.Trump’s deployment of the force — the first over the head of a state governor since 1965 at the height of the civil rights movement — was criticized by Democrats, including Kamala Harris.The former vice president and Trump’s opponent in the 2024 election called it “a dangerous escalation meant to provoke chaos.” Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum on Monday condemned the violence, while calling on the United States to respect migrant rights.Sheinbaum urged Mexicans living in the United States “to act peacefully and not give in to provocations.”

Fresh strains emerged Monday among jurors in the sex crimes retrial of disgraced Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein, raising the risk of a deadlocked jury and a mistrial.As court proceedings resumed in the New York courtroom, Judge Curtis Farber read aloud two notes sent to him by the 12-member jury deliberating behind closed doors.In the first note, a juror expressed a desire to talk to Farber “about the situation that isn’t very good.”In the second, jurors wrote they “request the entire definition of reasonable doubt and rules of the jury especially to avoid a hung jury.”A hung jury occurs when a judge acknowledges that jurors have been unable to reach a unanimous decision after several days of deliberations. In that case, a mistrial is declared and a new trial may be held.On Monday morning, Weinstein, whose downfall in 2017 sparked the global #MeToo movement, looked on impassively from his wheelchair, as the judge, prosecutors and his lawyers engaged in tense discussions.The jury must decide whether Weinstein — accused by dozens of women of being a sexual predator — is guilty of sexual assaults in 2006 on Miriam Haley and former model Kaja Sokola, and of rape in 2013 of then-aspiring actress Jessica Mann.Weinstein is on trial again after a New York state appeals court threw out his 2020 convictions, citing irregularities in the original proceedings. The former movie industry titan’s 23-year prison sentence for the initial conviction was thrown out, but he remains imprisoned for separate offenses.On Friday, one juror came forward to report tensions between his fellow panelists, alleging “people are being shunned. It’s playground stuff.”He asked to resign as a juror, but Farber denied his request.Responding to the situation, Weinstein’s lawyer Arthur Aidala called for a mistrial, but the judge refused his request.At midday Monday, another juror sought to deliver a message of reassurance that matters had calmed down.”Things are going well, the tone is very different today, we are finding headways,” she told the judge, who appeared to breathe a sigh of relief. During the trial, the three alleged victims testified for several days, recounting how the powerful movie producer had forced them into sexual relations after luring them to his apartment or a hotel room in New York.On Wednesday, prosecutor Nicole Blumberg summarized the evidence of the three alleged victims by saying simply: “He raped three women, they all said no.”The Hollywood figure had “all the power” and “all the control” over the alleged victims, which is why jurors should find him guilty, she said.”The defendant thought the rules did not apply to him, now it is the time to let him know that the rules apply to him.”Weinstein did not take the stand but conceded in an interview with FOX5 television on Friday that he had acted “immorally.” He insisted he did nothing criminal, however.Weinstein’s defense team has suggested the women accused him to score a payday from a legal settlement or criminal damages. 

US President Donald Trump on Monday blamed “insurrectionists” for unrest in Los Angeles, after he sent in National Guard troops to quell protests against immigration raids.”The people that are causing the problems are professional agitators and insurrectionists,” Trump told reporters at the White House.”They’re bad people, they should be in jail,” he added when asked about the clashes occurring in parts of the second biggest US city.The Republican, who turns 79 on Saturday, did not give evidence of why the street protesters are insurrectionists.Trump was returning to the White House after meeting with senior US officials and military officers at his Camp David presidential retreat. Before talking to reporters he greeted workers at the site of a new flagpole he has ordered to be erected outside the White House.Trump did not reply when asked several times by reporters whether he plans to invoke the Insurrection Act, which would allow the military to be used as a domestic police force.The White House has previously said Trump relied on a seldom used law, known as Title 10, to deploy the National Guard to Los Angeles despite California’s Democratic governor Gavin Newsom saying the move was unnecessary, given the limited nature of the protests.Trump lashed out at Newsom, who has been widely tipped as a possible 2028 presidential candidate, over the unrest.”He’s done a terrible job. Look, I like Gavin Newsom, he’s a nice guy — but he’s grossly incompetent, everybody knows,” Trump said.Newsom dared Trump’s border czar Tom Homan over the weekend to arrest him, after Homan said the governor and LA Mayor Karen Bass could face federal charges of trying to impede immigration agents.”I would do it if I were Tom,” Trump said when asked if Homan should arrest Newsom.

Canada will reach NATO’s defense spending target of two percent this year, Prime Minister Mark Carney announced Monday, arguing the country had to revitalize its military “to defend every inch of our sovereign territory.”Carney’s speech at the University of Toronto included stark warnings about the global security order being shaken by US President Donald Trump. But it extended beyond his concern over future US relations. The prime minister warned Canada has not done enough to prepare itself for evolving threats from China, Russia, cyberattacks and the advancing national security implications of climate change. “The long-held view that Canada’s geographic location will protect us is becoming increasingly archaic,” Carney said.With threats facing the country multiplying, the prime minister said Canada “will achieve NATO’s two percent target this year — half a decade ahead of schedule.””We are too reliant on the United States,” he added. Trump has repeatedly pressured NATO members to increase defense spending, arguing the United States was paying more than its fair share for collective security. In April, the alliance announced that 22 of its 32 members hit the two percent spending target.But Trump has pushed NATO members to spend even more and warned the United States could refuse to protect countries that don’t commit what he considers enough resources to defense. Carney said Canada had become used to a post-war order with the United States as “the global hegemon,” and Canada’s “closest ally and dominant trading partner.””Now the United States is beginning to monetize its hegemony: charging for access to its markets and reducing its contributions to our collective security,” he said, condemning Trump’s trade war. Carney said Canada would pursue new security relationships with “like-minded partners,” with a specific focus on Europe. “We are actively seeking to strengthen transatlantic security,” he said, indicating a Canada-EU summit this month will be “will be more important than ever.”- ‘Vulnerable’ Arctic-Since taking office in mid-March, Carney has emphasized the changing security landscape in Canada’s Arctic, where receding ice caused by climate change is opening the region’s vast natural resources to fierce competition. Carney has previously announced plans to substantially expand Canada’s military presence in the region, and on Monday he said the “Arctic is becoming more accessible and vulnerable to commercial and military activities.”Russia and China are seen as two major rivals who could present increasing Artic security challenges in the years ahead. Carney framed Monday’s military spending announcement as a move designed “to protect Canadians, not to satisfy NATO accountants.”He noted the country’s military infrastructure was ageing, with only one of four submarines deemed seaworthy, and less than half of maritime fleet and land vehicles operational. 

Tensions flared again Monday among jurors in the sex crimes retrial of disgraced Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein, raising the risk of a deadlocked jury and a mistrial.As court proceedings resumed Monday morning in the New York courtroom, Judge Curtis Farber read aloud two notes sent to him by the 12-member jury deliberating behind closed doors.In the first note, a juror expressed a desire to talk to Farber “about the situation that isn’t very good.”In the second, jurors wrote they “request the entire definition of reasonable doubt and rules of the jury especially to avoid a hung jury.”A hung jury occurs when a judge acknowledges that jurors have been unable to reach a unanimous decision after several days of deliberations. In that case, a mistrial is declared and a new trial may be held.On Monday morning, Weinstein, whose downfall in 2017 sparked the global #MeToo movement, looked on impassively from his wheelchair, as the judge, prosecutors and his lawyers engaged in tense discussions.The jury must decide whether Weinstein — accused by dozens of women of being a sexual predator — is guilty of sexual assaults in 2006 on Haley and former model Kaja Sokola, and of rape in 2013 of then-aspiring actress Jessica Mann.Weinstein is on trial again after a New York state appeals court threw out his 2020 convictions, citing irregularities in the original proceedings. The former movie industry titan’s 23-year prison sentence for the initial conviction was thrown out, but he remains imprisoned for separate offenses.On Friday, one juror came forward to report tensions between his fellow panelists, alleging “people are being shunned. It’s playground stuff.”He asked to resign as a juror, but Farber denied his request.