The Daily Populous

Jussie Smollett found guilty of 5 disorderly conduct charges

CHICAGO — A jury found actor Jussie Smollett guilty on five of six felony disorderly conduct charges on Thursday, nearly three years after he was accused of falsely reporting a racist, homophobic attack directed toward him in Chicago.

The lone not guilty verdict was for Smollett making a false report that he was a victim of an aggravated battery.

Defense attorney Nenye Uche said Smollett would appeal the conviction, saying that Smollett is 100% innocent.

Judge James Linn set a post-trial hearing for Jan. 27, adding that he would schedule Smollett’s sentencing at a later date.

Breaking: Jussie Smollett convicted of orchestrating and reporting a phony hate crime on himselfhttps://t.co/WCZ0v38NIy — Chicago Tribune (@chicagotribune) December 9, 2021.

Officials charged Smollett with disorderly conduct days after he reported the alleged incident.

A grand jury subsequently indicted Smollett on six counts of disorderly conduct, CNN reported. »

Germany warns Russia will pay a price if it enters Ukraine

Authored by apnews.com

PARIS (AP) — Germany’s foreign minister warned Russia on Thursday that it would pay a “high political and economic price” if it makes any militaristic moves against neighboring Ukraine.

Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock emphasized the need to coordinate a common European position when dealing with hostile neighbors such as Russia, which has amassed troops near the border with Ukraine.

Russia insists it has no plans to invade Ukraine unless it is “provoked.”. »

Psilocybin trial finds psychedelic is effective in treating depression

Authored by statnews.com

Eagerly awaited results of the largest-ever study of psilocybin were announced Tuesday, with Compass Pathways revealing the psychedelic drug was highly efficacious as a therapy for treatment-resistant depression.

The Phase 2b study is the largest randomized, controlled, double-blind trial of psilocybin, the psychedelic compound in magic mushrooms.

There were three suicides in studies of esketamine, the only psychedelic currently approved for treatment-resistant depression, he pointed out. »

Conversion therapy to be illegal in Canada in 30 days

Authored by ctvnews.ca

That means that in a month it will be illegal to subject someone of any age, consenting or not, to so-called conversion therapy.

“The consensus demonstrated by Parliamentarians in Canada is a part of an emerging global consensus surrounding the real and life - long harms for conversion therapy victims and survivors… Canada’s criminal laws on conversion therapy are among the most comprehensive in the world.”.

Several provinces and municipalities across Canada have already sought to outlaw conversion therapy in their jurisdictions, including Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, P.E.I., Yukon, Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton. »

French minister says no diplomatic boycott for Beijing Olympics

Authored by reuters.com

PARIS, Dec 9 (Reuters) - France will not follow the lead of some other Western governments and launch a diplomatic boycott of the Winter Olympics in Beijing although human rights abuses in China must be condemned, the education minister said on Thursday.

"As for a diplomatic boycott...France will not do it," Education Minister Jean-Michel Blanquer said on BFM TV.

Sports Minister Roxana Maracineanu would attend the Beijing Olympics, he said. »