A New York court has overturned Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 conviction for rape, ordering a new trial in the landmark “MeToo” case.

The state’s highest court found the judge at the trial prejudiced the ex-movie mogul with “egregious” improper rulings, including a decision to let women testify about allegations that weren’t part of the case.

In a 4-3 decision, the ruling by the Court of Appeals will mean a painful chapter in reckoning with sexual misconduct by powerful figures looks likely to be reopened.

It was an era that began in 2017 with a flood of allegations against Weinstein dating back to the 1970s.

Weinstein’s accusers could again be forced to relive their traumas on the witness stand.

The 72-year-old former film producer has been serving a 23-year sentence in a New York prison for sexually assaulting ex-production assistant Mimi Haleyi in 2006 and raping former aspiring actress Jessica Mann in 2013 following the landmark 2020 trial.

However, he will remain behind bars as he was sentenced last year in Los Angeles to 16 years in prison for raping and sexually assaulting an actress in a Beverly Hills Hotel.

The Los Angeles conviction is not affected by today’s decision in New York.

Manhattan district attorney Alvin Bragg – who is already involved in a hush money trial against former president Donald Trump – will now decide whether Weinstein will receive a retrial.

A spokesperson for Mr Bragg said in an email: “We will do everything in our power to retry this case, and remain steadfast in our commitment to survivors of sexual assault.”

Douglas Wigdor, a lawyer who represented eight of Weinstein’s accusers said today’s decision was a “major step back in holding those accountable for acts of sexual violence,” adding: “It will require the victims to endure yet another trial.”

Once considered the most powerful man in Hollywood, Weinstein was accused by dozens of women claiming he bullied, pressured, coerced, or overpowered them while demanding sexual favours.

Gwyneth Paltrow, Salma Hayek, Lupita Nyong’o and Ashley Judd were some who accused Weinstein of sexual harassment, while actresses Asia Argento and Rose McGowan were among others who accused him of raping them.

He was also accused of reaching settlements to keep the stories quiet.

Weinstein had admitted his behaviour had “caused a lot of pain”, but maintains his innocence throughout saying any sexual activity was consensual.

The glut of allegations sparked #Metoo, a movement where alleged victims of sexual assault increasingly publicised their experiences, and many came forward against high-profile figures, especially in the entertainment industry.

Weinstein co-founded the entertainment company Miramax in 1979 whose hit movies included Pulp Fiction, Flirting with Disaster and Shakespeare in Love.

He was ousted from his own firm, The Weinstein Company, in 2017 after the New York Times reported nearly 30 years of rape and sexual harassment allegations towards him.

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Chaos engulfed campuses across the United States as pro-Palestinian student protests spread to universities across the length and breadth of this country. 

A movement which started at Columbia University on the east coast has now spread to the north, south and west.

At the University of Southern California in Los Angeles at least 93 people were arrested during a volatile three-hour standoff between protesters and the police.

One young woman, wearing an Arab scarf, threw a bottle of water at officers and was tackled to the ground before being handcuffed and taken to a waiting police van.

Others, who had formed a protest circle after police issued a dispersal order, were handcuffed one by one and frogmarched off campus by Los Angeles police officers.

The day had started relatively peacefully as hundreds of students gathered on the main lawn on campus.

Police did intervene to remove a number of tents that had been erected, but people holding signs which called for a ceasefire in Gaza soon filled the space.

As classes finished for the day, police issued a dispersal order, telling protesters over a loudspeaker that they had 10 minutes to clear the area or they would be arrested.

A group of at least 50 students remained, linking arms and chanting, “free, free, Palestine”. Some used a black marker pen to scribble on their arms the number of a helpline to call from prison.

“Are you scared of being arrested?” I asked one young woman. “No,” she replied. “I think the children in Gaza are more scared than me.”

I asked another why she feels so passionate about taking a stand on a war unfolding more than seven thousand miles away. “We know that we’re on the right side of this right now,” she said, “and if we’re not going to do this, then who is?”

The students here say they have two core aims. They are demanding that their university cuts all financial ties with Israel and that their country stops sending them weapons.

Amid the peaceful chants are potentially inflammatory songs about the state of Israel.

I asked one young man if he is concerned Jewish students may feel threatened and isolated on their own campus.

“None of the chants or anything that we’ve said is inherently antisemitic,” he said, “nor is the call for the liberation of Palestine inherently antisemitic”.

Read more:
More than 100 arrested as campus protests spread

As night fell, police here concluded that the best way to end today’s standoff was with more force.

My team watched as an officer pushed one young man to the floor and another woman was pushed back with a police baton.

They may have brought the protests to an end today but there is every chance they will erupt again in the days to come.

A dolphin has been found shot dead on a beach, prompting officials to offer a reward for information.

A member of the public discovered the bottlenose dolphin at the beach near New Orleans, Louisiana, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said.

The aquatic mammal was recovered by Audubon Aquarium Rescue, which carried out a necropsy that revealed “multiple bullets lodged in the carcass, including in the brain, spinal cord, and heart”.

“The animal appeared to have died from the trauma, which occurred at or near the time of death,” the NOAA added.

The NOAA is now offering a reward of $20,000 (£16,000) for information leading to a criminal conviction or the assessment of a civil penalty, following the discovery on 13 March.

Harassing, harming, killing, or feeding wild dolphins is prohibited in the US under the Marine Mammal Protection Act.

People found to have violated the laws can be prosecuted civilly or criminally, with sentences of up to a year in prison and $100,000 (£80,000) in fines.

Scientists say bottlenose dolphins are highly intelligent, and have been observed to demonstrate self-awareness, problem-solving, empathy, innovation, teaching skills, grief, joy and playfulness.