The Daily Populous

Saturday August 1st, 2020 morning edition

image for Prince Andrew lobbied US government for better plea deal for Jeffrey Epstein, newly released Ghislaine Maxwell documents claim

Newly unsealed court documents claim the Duke of York allegedly lobbied the US government for his former friend Jeffrey Epstein to secure a “favourable” plea deal in the disgraced late financier’s underage prostitution case.

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They appealed for the release of the documents in the case as they said it would prove Andrew’s involvement in Epstein’s case.

In 2008, Epstein pleaded guilty to soliciting a minor for prostitution as part of a secret “sweetheart deal” offered by Florida prosecutors.

The newly released documents also reveal email correspondence between Maxwell and Epstein, who died in August last year while in prison for other charges.

They said the documents should be blocked since Maxwell now faces criminal charges for aiding Epstein’s abuse of underage girls.

She has denied the charges and currently awaits trial in prison in New York following her arrest earlier this month. »

Underage girl forced to have sex with Prince Andrew, US court document claims

Authored by theguardian.com

The sex offender Jeffrey Epstein allegedly tried to gather incriminating material against Prince Andrew by forcing an underage girl to have sex with him, according to newly released court documents.

She also claimed she was forced to have sex with Prince Andrew, which he vehemently denies.

Similar allegations about Prince Andrew having sex with an underage girl were ordered to be struck from court records in 2015 in the civil case. »

Bill Gates on Elon Musk’s controversial coronavirus comments: Stick with electric cars and rockets

Authored by marketwatch.com

That’s Microsoft MSFT, +0.54% co-founder Bill Gates explaining to CNBC why Tesla TSLA, -3.81% boss Elon Musk should perhaps focus on his job and let the experts focus on theirs.

Musk has courted controversy ever since the coronavirus first broke out across the U.S., having suggested deaths have been overcounted and lockdowns were unnecessary.

He also called California’s approach to combatting coronavirus “fascist” and drew an F-bomb from a politician. »

Coronavirus: Boris Johnson postpones lockdown easing in England

Authored by bbc.co.uk

Face coverings will be mandatory in more indoor settings, such as cinemas.

Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Boris Johnson: "Our assessment is that we should now squeeze that brake pedal".

The rethink on easing England's lockdown follows new restrictions for people in parts of northern England, after a spike in virus cases. »

Portland sees peaceful night of protests following withdrawal of federal agents

Authored by theguardian.com

The withdrawal of federal agents from frontline policing of demonstrations in downtown Portland significantly reduced tensions in the city overnight.

But in the absence of the federal officers, Thursday night’s protest passed off without major incident or intervention by the police.

She said that “Trump’s troops” were behaving like an occupying army in Portland and provoking unrest with heavy-handed tactics. »