Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs was ‘coercive and criminal,’ jury hears

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs was ‘coercive and criminal,’ jury hears
Sean Diddy Combs listens during court proceedings. (AP)
Short Url
Updated 30 sec ago
Follow

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs was ‘coercive and criminal,’ jury hears

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs was ‘coercive and criminal,’ jury hears

NEW YORK: Sean “Diddy” Combs used violence and threats of reputational ruin to control women he abused for years, New York jurors heard Monday during opening statements of the federal sex trafficking trial that was followed by the case’s intitial graphic testimonies.
The panel of 12 jurors and six alternates responsible for determining Combs’s fate heard of the famed artist’s explosive outbursts and an attempt to preserve his own reputation and power of celebrity through bribery.
But the 55-year-old music mogul’s defense team insisted that while some of his behavior was questionable — and at times constituted domestic abuse — it did not amount to evidence of the racketeering and sex trafficking he’s charged with.
Combs has pleaded not guilty on all counts, including the racketeering charge that the hip-hop pioneer led a sex crime ring that included drug-fueled sex parties by use of force, threats and violence.
Prosecutor Emily Johnson alleged Combs “brutally” beat his former girlfriend, singer Casandra “Cassie” Ventura, threatening to release videos of her participating in elaborate sexual “freak-offs” if she defied him.
Ventura’s testimony is core to the case, and she is expected to take the witness stand as soon as Tuesday.
Johnson also told jurors Combs had set a man’s car ablaze and dangled a woman from a balcony, and made impossible demands of his lovers and employees alike.
“Let me be clear,” US attorney Johnson said, “this case is not about a celebrity’s private sexual preferences.”
“It’s coercive and criminal.”
But Combs’s defense lawyer Teny Geragos told jurors the “case is about love, jealousy and infidelity and money.”
Combs, appearing aged with his once jet-black hair now gray, dramatically stood up and looked at the jury box when Geragos introduced him, his hands clasped.
Geragos called Combs’s accusers “capable, strong adult women,” and said his situation with Ventura was a “toxic relationship” but “between two people who loved each other.”
“Being a willing participant in your own sex life is not sex trafficking,” she said, adding that the defense would admit there was domestic violence — but that Combs is not charged with such crimes.
Combs was joined at the courthouse by his children, including 18-year-old twin daughters, as well as his mother Janice.
The case’s first witness was Israel Florez, a Los Angeles police officer who “at the time” was a security officer — and who responded to a call of “a woman in distress” on March 5, 2016 at the Los Angeles-area InterContinental Hotel.
Florez’s testimony provided the foundation for the prosecution to introduce evidence of now-infamous security footage — published by CNN last year — of Combs in a towel chasing Ventura throughout the hotel hallways, at times striking her.
The jury was repeatedly shown the video on Monday, including a cell phone-recorded version that Florez filmed himself of the original footage.
Florez detailed his interaction with Combs and Ventura in painstaking detail, including saying that after the officer escorted the rapper back to his room, Combs offered him a wad of cash.
The officer understood this was intended as a bribe: “He was telling me, ‘Don’t tell nobody,’” Florez said.
Florez’s testimony was followed by a male dancer who engaged in a sexual relationship, often in exchange for money, with Combs and Ventura from 2012 to approximately the end of 2013.
In lurid detail, Daniel Phillip described his encounters with the pair, which generally involved sex with Ventura while Combs watched.
But eventually, Phillip said, Combs physically abused Ventura in front of him.
“Why is she doing this, why is she staying with this guy?” Phillip recalled thinking.
“I tried to explain to her that she was in real danger if she stayed with him.”
Day one of testimony in the blockbuster trial saw hoards of journalists, influencers and members of the public descend on the downtown Manhattan courthouse.
If convicted, the one-time rap producer and global superstar, who is often credited for his role in bringing hip-hop into the mainstream, could spend the rest of his life in prison.
The selected jurors will remain anonymous, but not sequestered — meaning they must individually ensure they stay away from media coverage and social media commentary about the high-profile case.
The proceedings are expected to last eight to 10 weeks.


Hollywood studios and unions call on Trump to offer tax breaks

Hollywood studios and unions call on Trump to offer tax breaks
Updated 26 sec ago
Follow

Hollywood studios and unions call on Trump to offer tax breaks

Hollywood studios and unions call on Trump to offer tax breaks
  • The letter thanks Trump “for the support you have shown our industry,” and for drawing attention to production fleeing overseas

LOS ANGELES: Hollywood studios and unions representing movie workers joined forces Monday to urge US President Donald Trump to give tax breaks to US-made films.
The joint letter, which was also signed by Jon Voight and Sylvester Stallone — two of Trump’s “ambassadors” to Hollywood — comes days after the Republican president said he wanted to impose 100 percent tariffs on foreign films in a bid to help the domestic industry.
The letter thanks Trump “for the support you have shown our industry,” and for drawing attention to production fleeing overseas.
But it makes no mention of Trump’s tariff plan, a proposal that was met with bafflement across the industry, with observers saying they had no idea how such a tax might work.
“Currently, more than 80 countries offer production tax incentives and as a result, numerous productions that could have been shot in America have instead located elsewhere,” says the letter.
“Returning more production to the United States will require a national approach and broad-based policy solutions, including... longer term initiatives such as implementing a federal film and television tax incentive.”
The idea of a federal tax credit scheme was also suggested last week by California Governor Gavin Newsom.
The letter, from the Motion Picture Association — an umbrella grouping for major studios and streamers — and unions representing directors, actors and writers, suggests a number of tax deductions that would make movie-making cheaper.
“A domestic production incentive would make the US market more competitive and able to retain and return high-paying jobs tied to film and television productions — and the use of this deduction has historically promoted significant economic and job growth,” it says.
America’s movie industry has gradually moved away from its traditional home in and around Hollywood as production has shifted to cheaper locations.
The number of shooting days in Los Angeles reached an all-time low last year — lower even than during the Covid-19 pandemic, when filming shut down completely.
Fewer than one in five film or TV series broadcast in the United States was produced in California, according to FilmLA, an organization that tracks the movie industry.
The loss of that production has a significant economic impact.
According to the letter to Trump, each day a film shoots on location it spends more than $670,000, and employs nearly 1,500 people.
On May 4, Trump declared on social media that “the Movie Industry in America is DYING a very fast death.”
He said he had told the Department of Commerce and the Office of the US Trade Representative to levy a 100 percent tariff “on any and all Movies coming into our Country that are produced in Foreign Lands.”
 


Dubai nurse fought cancer while leading hospital teams

Sarah Ilyas was diagnosed with cancer following her son’s 14th birthday. (Supplied)
Sarah Ilyas was diagnosed with cancer following her son’s 14th birthday. (Supplied)
Updated 12 May 2025
Follow

Dubai nurse fought cancer while leading hospital teams

Sarah Ilyas was diagnosed with cancer following her son’s 14th birthday. (Supplied)
  • Sarah Ilyas was diagnosed with the disease following her son’s 14th birthday

DUBAI: Even after being diagnosed with breast cancer, nurse and mother Sarah Ilyas did not stop helping others.

Originally from Pakistan and currently a chief nursing officer at Aster Hospitals and clinics in the UAE, Bahrain and Oman she worked her way up the ranks from being an intensive care nurse to nursing supervisor at the Dubai Health Authority.

However, just as her career was really taking off, and during her son’s 14th birthday party in November 2021, Ilyas felt something was wrong.

“I felt this shrill pain in my left breast, then I felt the lump, but since I was so exhausted, tired and burnt out, I just went to sleep,” she recalled.

The next day, Ilyas had the lump examined. A biopsy was carried out at the same hospital in which she worked, and she carried on as normal until she received her results.

It was bad news. The lump was malignant — a stage three metastatic carcinoma.

“It is one of the most difficult cancers and notorious tumors to get over, it’s not simple breast cancer,” she explained.

After working on developing an oncology department at the hospital, Ilyas never expected she would one day be a patient benefiting from her own hard work.

By December, she had started “scary” chemotherapy, and was grateful for a strong support system that meant she could carry on working and being around her family.

“My bosses took care of me so well throughout my treatment plan. I was given so much flexibility, and I could work from home if I could not get myself out of bed,” she said.

Today, Ilyas has a new outlook on life after working throughout her treatment and beating her illness. She also urges others battling cancer to share their own stories to inspire and help others.

“I didn’t even know my daughter’s favorite color or what my son likes to eat. I regret not giving my time to them,” she said.

“Let us not shy away from telling our story, words of encouragement can inspire and give hope to others.”


Swedish club not skirting around shorts issue as they back Irish camogie players

Swedish club not skirting around shorts issue as they back Irish camogie players
Updated 10 May 2025
Follow

Swedish club not skirting around shorts issue as they back Irish camogie players

Swedish club not skirting around shorts issue as they back Irish camogie players
  • The Irish sport hit the headlines this week for all the wrong reasons with players
  • Camogie is the female version of hurling, a ball sport played with wooden sticks

STOCKHOLM: Camogie players in Sweden have turned the clock back by wearing a kit from a bygone age in a show of solidarity with colleagues in Ireland currently protesting for the right to wear shorts.

The Irish sport hit the headlines this week for all the wrong reasons with players, tired of a rule outlawing the wearing of shorts, ramping up protests, ultimately leading to the late postponement of Saturday’s Munster final.

Camogie is the female version of hurling, a ball sport played with wooden sticks, often likened to a mix between lacrosse and hockey, with a little rugby thrown in because of its physicality.

Wherever you go in the world, from Uganda to Vietnam, you are likely to find people playing Ireland’s national sports. Sweden is no different, and Irishwoman Michelle Cotter set up the hurling and camogie teams at Stockholm Gaels.

“The goal was to do something over here to show the players back home that their impact is reaching much further than the island of Ireland,” Cotter told Reuters.

The Camogie Association of Ireland’s rules state that playing gear must include skirt, skort or divided skirt, but a recent survey showed that 83 percent of players want the choice to include shorts.

The Stockholm club, which includes not only Irish players and local Swedes but women from Australia, Austria, the US, Britain, France and Spain, took things back to even before the days of skorts, when players wore skirts down to their ankles.

The first set of camogie rules, drawn up in 1903, stated skirts should be worn no more than six inches from the ground and, while things have improved, two motions to introduce shorts were defeated at last year’s Camogie Association congress.

“Given none of us even own skorts, we togged out for training in skirts and dresses,” Cotter, who also coaches and plays on the team, said. “It felt every bit as ridiculous as it looked.”

There is still hope for change following all the media attention and controversy of the past week, after the association agreed to hold a special congress on May 22 to vote again on a motion to allow the wearing of shorts.


Liam and Olivia dominate — again — with top baby names in the US for a sixth year in a row

Liam and Olivia dominate — again — with top baby names in the US for a sixth year in a row
Updated 10 May 2025
Follow

Liam and Olivia dominate — again — with top baby names in the US for a sixth year in a row

Liam and Olivia dominate — again — with top baby names in the US for a sixth year in a row
  • ‘A trend we’re tracking is that Americans are more likely to choose heritage choices’

WASHINGTON: Liam and Olivia dominate. Still.
The two names have, for a sixth year together, topped the list of names for babies born in the US in 2024.
The Social Security Administration annually tracks the names given to girls and boys in each state, with names dating back to 1880. In time for Mother’s Day, the agency on Friday released the most popular names from applications for Social Security cards.
Liam has reigned for eight years in a row for boys, while Olivia has topped the girls’ list for six. Also, for the sixth consecutive year, Emma took the second slot for girls, and Noah for boys.
The girls’ name Luna slipped out of the Top 10 and was replaced by Sofia, which enters at number 10 for the first time.
After Liam, the most common names for boys are, in order: Noah, Oliver, Theodore, James, Henry, Mateo, Elijah, Lucas and William.
After Olivia, the most common names for girls are Emma, Amelia, Charlotte, Mia, Sophia, Isabella, Evelyn, Ava and Sofia.
Sophie Kihm, editor-in-chief of nameberry, a baby naming website, said the latest data showcases how American parents are increasingly choosing names that have cross-cultural appeal. Kihm’s first name shows up in two variations on the annual list.
“A trend we’re tracking is that Americans are more likely to choose heritage choices,” Kihm said, including names that work “no matter where you are in the world.”
”More families in the US come from mixed cultural backgrounds and I hear parents commonly request that they want their child to travel and have a relatively easy to understand name.”
The Social Security Administration’s latest data show that 3.61 million babies were born in the US in 2024. That’s a slight increase from last year’s 3.59 million babies, representing an overall increase in the American birthrate.
Social media stars and popular television shows are having some impact on the rising popularity of certain names, Social Security says.
Among those rising in popularity for girls: Ailany, a Hawaiian name that means “chief,” topped the list. The boys’ name Truce, an Old English name meaning “peace,” rose 11,118 spots from last year’s position to rank 991.
The complete, searchable list of baby names is on the Social Security website.


Sweden’s new national security adviser quits over dating site images

Sweden’s new national security adviser quits over dating site images
Updated 09 May 2025
Follow

Sweden’s new national security adviser quits over dating site images

Sweden’s new national security adviser quits over dating site images
  • Thyberg said that he had failed to disclose the existence of the images
  • “I should have informed about this, but I did not,” he said

OSLO: Sweden’s new national security adviser abruptly resigned on Friday, just one day after his appointment, amid criticism from the prime minister that he failed to disclose information regarding images published years ago on a dating website.

Tobias Thyberg, a foreign service veteran who in previous roles served as ambassador to both Ukraine and Afghanistan, had omitted the information during security background checks, the government said.

The resignation comes just months after Thyberg’s predecessor in the high-profile job stepped down and was charged with negligent handling of classified information.
Thyberg did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment on Friday.

But in a statement to daily Dagens Nyheter, Thyberg said that he had failed to disclose the existence of the images.
“These are old pictures from an account I previously had on the dating site Grindr. I should have informed about this, but I did not,” he said, according to DN.

Reuters could not independently verify information about the content of the images.

Background checks for sensitive government jobs typically require the disclosure of any information that could potentially make someone vulnerable to blackmail.

Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said the information should have come to light a long time ago.

“It is a systemic failure that this kind of information has not been brought forward,” Kristersson told reporters on the sidelines of a conference in Norway.

Thyberg had been due to travel to Oslo on Friday with the prime minister for a meeting of northern European leaders, but the adviser’s participation was canceled.