Connect with us

Published

on

Two men who allege Michael Jackson sexually abused them when they were boys should not have had their cases dismissed, judges at a US court have said.

Wade Robson and James Safechuck, who claim Jackson abused them for years, will now be allowed to pursue lawsuits against companies owned by the late singer.

It’s the second time the lawsuits – which were brought by Robson in 2013 and Safechuck in 2014 – have been brought back after dismissal.

Both men detailed their claims of abuse in the 2019 HBO documentary Leaving Neverland.

James Safechuck is pictured aged 10 with Jackson
Image:
James Safechuck is pictured aged 10 with Jackson

Robson, now a 40-year-old choreographer, met Jackson when he was five years old. He went on to appear in three Jackson music videos.

His lawsuit alleged that Jackson molested him over a seven-year period.

Safechuck, now 45, said in his suit that he was nine when he met Jackson while filming a Pepsi commercial. He said Jackson called him often and lavished him with gifts before moving on to sexually abusing him.

A three-judge panel from California’s 2nd District Court of Appeal has now found that their lawsuits should not have been dismissed by a lower court.

Michael Jackson died in June 2009

Legal row over duty to protect children

A judge who dismissed the suits in 2021 found that the corporations – MJJ Productions Inc and MJJ Ventures Inc – who were both named as defendants in the case, could not be expected to function like the Boy Scouts or a church where a child in their care could expect their protection.

But the latest decision means that Robson and Safechuck can now validly claim the corporations had a responsibility to protect them.

Jackson, who died in 2009, was the sole owner and only shareholder in both companies.

In their report, the higher court judges wrote: “A corporation that facilitates the sexual abuse of children by one of its employees is not excused from an affirmative duty to protect those children merely because it is solely owned by the perpetrator of the abuse.”

They added: “It would be perverse to find no duty based on the corporate defendant having only one shareholder. And so, we reverse the judgments entered for the corporations.”

‘We remain fully confident Michael is innocent’

Jonathan Steinsapir, attorney for the Jackson estate, said they were “disappointed” by the decision.

Mr Steinsapir told The Associated Press: “Two distinguished trial judges repeatedly dismissed these cases on numerous occasions over the last decade because the law required it.

“We remain fully confident that Michael is innocent of these allegations, which are contrary to all credible evidence and independent corroboration, and which were only first made years after Michael’s death by men motivated solely by money.”

Vince Finaldi, an attorney for Robson and Safechuck, said in an email that they were “pleased but not surprised” that the court overturned the previous judge’s “incorrect rulings in these cases, which were against California law and would have set a dangerous precedent that endangered children throughout state and country. We eagerly look forward to a trial on the merits”.

Click to subscribe to Backstage wherever you get your podcasts

Mr Steinsapir had argued for the defence in July that it does not make sense that employees would be legally required to stop the behaviour of their boss, saying: “It would require low-level employees to confront their supervisor and call them paedophiles.”

He also said the parents of the boys had not expected company staff to monitor Jackson’s actions.

Holly Boyer, another attorney for Robson and Safechuck, countered that the boys “were left alone in this lion’s den by the defendant’s employees. An affirmative duty to protect and to warn is correct”.

In a concurring opinion issued with Friday’s decision, one of the panellists, Associate Justice John Shepard Wiley Jr, wrote that “to treat Jackson’s wholly-owned instruments as different from Jackson himself is to be mesmerised by abstractions. This is not an alter ego case. This is a same ego case”.

The judges did not rule on the truth of the allegations themselves. That will be the subject of a forthcoming jury trial in Los Angeles.

Jackson always denied any allegations he was involved in abusing underage boys.

His Neverland Ranch, in California, was sold in December 2020 for $22m (£16m).

Continue Reading

US

Trump issues Gaza ceasefire ultimatum to Hamas as he warns ‘all hell is going to break out’ if hostages not returned

Published

on

By

Trump issues Gaza ceasefire ultimatum to Hamas as he warns 'all hell is going to break out' if hostages not returned

Donald Trump says the Gaza ceasefire should be cancelled if all remaining Israeli hostages are not returned by noon on Saturday – as he warned Hamas that “all hell is going to break out”.

The US president’s intervention came hours after Hamas has said it will delay the release of more hostages and accused Israel of violating their ceasefire deal.

While signing a series of new executive orders, Mr Trump said he feared many Israeli hostages scheduled for release are already dead.

Referring to his Saturday deadline for the release of hostages, Mr Trump said: “If they’re not here, all hell is going to break out.”

He acknowledged that a decision to end the ceasefire was up to Israel, adding: “I’m speaking for myself. Israel can override it.”

Hours earlier, Mr Trump said Palestinians would not have the right to return under his plan for US “ownership” of Gaza – contradicting officials in his administration who said they would be relocated temporarily.

Trump latest: ‘Palestinians will have no right to Gaza return’

More on Gaza

Widespread destruction seen in Gaza City. Pic: AP
Image:
Widespread destruction seen in Gaza City. Pic: AP

Hamas halts release of hostages

Earlier on Monday, Hamas claimed ceasefire violations had included “delaying the return of the displaced to the northern Gaza Strip, and targeting them with shelling and gunfire”.

Spokesman Abu Obeida said Hamas remained committed if Israel kept to the terms, but that the 15 February handover was postponed “until the occupation commits to and compensates for the past weeks”.

Egyptian security sources told Reuters that mediators now fear the deal will break down.

They said Hamas believes Israel isn’t serious about the ceasefire – which began on 19 January.

The last hostage release took place at the weekend and saw three Israeli men set free. Five Thai citizens released last month were also finally reunited with their families in Bangkok.

They were among about 250 people taken during the 7 October 2023 attack, when 1,200 people were murdered.

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Tears as Thai hostages return home

Five swaps have taken place so far, with 21 hostages and more than 730 Palestinian prisoners released.

Saturday’s exchange was due to involve three more Israelis and hundreds of Palestinians.

Defence minister Israel Katz said any delay in releasing hostages would be “a complete violation” and he had instructed troops to be on highest alert.

The Hostages and Missing Family Forum called on mediating countries to restore the deal, saying “time is of the essence” and citing “the shocking conditions of the hostages released last Saturday”.

Read more:
Trump plan so outrageous it might be part of something bigger
Israeli police confiscate books in raid on Palestinian bookshops

As part of the ceasefire deal, Israeli forces pulled back from a key passage through Gaza on Sunday.

The four-mile-long Netzarim corridor separates northern Gaza from the south, and hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians have now crossed back over.

However, Israel pushed back the withdrawal by a few days in protest at the chaotic release of hostages Arbel Yehud and Gadi Moses.

This may be what Hamas is referencing what it talks of “delaying the return of the displaced”.

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Palestinians return to destroyed Netzarim

There have also been examples of Israeli troops shooting at or near Palestinians approaching Israeli forces after being warned to stay back.

So far, little progress has been made on an extension to the first six-week phase of the ceasefire.

A delegation from Israel has arrived in Qatar for further talks amid concern the deal might collapse before all remaining hostages are freed.

Israel has previously said it will not agree to a complete withdrawal from Gaza until Hamas’s military and political capabilities are eliminated.

Hamas has countered that it will not hand over the final hostages until Israel removes all its troops from Gaza.

Continue Reading

US

Trump imposes 25% tariffs on all steel and aluminium imports

Published

on

By

Trump imposes 25% tariffs on all steel and aluminium imports

Donald Trump has signed two proclamations imposing 25% tariffs on all steel and aluminium imports to the US.

A proclamation is a form of presidential directive to government officials, but they do not carry the force of law, as an executive order would.

However the White House has said the tariffs will take effect from 4 March.

“This is a big deal,” Mr Trump said in the Oval Office as he announced the tariffs. “The beginning of making America rich again.”

He added: “We were being pummelled by both friend and foe alike.”

Read more
Analysis: Trump’s steel and aluminium tariffs target a deeper issue
Trump issues Gaza ceasefire ultimatum to Hamas
Analysis: The country that could benefit most from Trump tariffs

President Donald Trump speaks with reporters as he signs executive orders in the Oval Office at the White House. Pic: PA
Image:
‘We were being pummelled by both friend and foe alike,’ said the US president

The proclamations mean the president has now removed the exceptions and exemptions from his 2018 tariffs on steel to allow for all imports of the metal to be taxed at 25%.

More from US

The new tariff on aluminium is also much higher than the 10% duty he imposed on the material in his first term.

The tariffs are part of an aggressive push by Mr Trump to reset global trade, as he claims that price hikes on the people and companies buying foreign-made products will ultimately strengthen domestic manufacturing.

Outside economic analyses suggest the tariffs would increase costs for the factories that use steel and aluminium, possibly leaving US manufacturers worse off.

Canada, the largest source of steel imports to the US, criticised the move.

Candace Laing, CEO of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, said Mr Trump was destabilising the global economy.

“Today’s news makes it clear that perpetual uncertainty is here to stay,” she said.

Hard to see how tariffs won’t be inflationary



Ed Conway

Economics and data editor

@EdConwaySky

At least part of the idea behind tariffs is to bring some production back to the US, but imposing them will have consequences.

What kinds of consequences? Well, at its simplest, tariffs push up prices. This is, when you think about it, blindingly obvious.

A tariff is a tax on a good entering the country.

So if aluminium and steel are going up in price then that means, all else equal, that the cost of making everything from aircraft wings to steel rivets also goes up.

That in turn means consumers end up paying the price – and if a company can’t make ends meet in the face of these tariffs, it means job losses – possibly within the very industrial sectors the president wants to protect.

So says the economic theory. But in practice, economics isn’t everything.

There are countless examples throughout history of countries defying economic logic in search of other goals.

Perhaps they want to improve their national self-reliance in a given product; perhaps they want to ensure certain jobs in cherished areas or industries are protected.

But nothing comes for free, and even if Donald Trump’s tariffs succeed in persuading domestic producers to smelt more aluminium or steel, such things don’t happen overnight.

In the short run, it’s hard to see how these tariffs wouldn’t be significantly inflationary.

Trump’s war of tariffs

Mr Trump’s proclamations come days after the US imposed a 10% tariff on all goods imported from China.

In return, China imposed 10% tariffs on American crude oil, agricultural machinery, large-displacement cars and pickup trucks.

There will also be 15% tariffs on coal and liquefied natural gas from the US.

US plans to impose 25% tariffs on Mexico and Canada were paused after agreements were reached on border security.

Mexico’s president said she was sending 10,000 National Guard troops to the US border immediately in return for a tariff delay.

Mr Trump said the Mexican soldiers would be “specifically designated” to stop the flow of fentanyl into the US, as well as illegal migrants.

Meanwhile, Canada’s prime minister Justin Trudeau said almost 10,000 frontline personnel “are and will be working on protecting the border”.

He added that his country was appointing a “fentanyl czar”, drug cartels would be listed as terrorists, and there would be “24/7 eyes on the border”.

Continue Reading

US

Trump says Palestinians couldn’t return to Gaza under his redevelopment plan

Published

on

By

Trump says Palestinians couldn't return to Gaza under his redevelopment plan

Donald Trump has said Palestinians would have no right to return to Gaza under his proposal to relocate its population and rebuild the Strip.

The president last week debuted his suggestion to “own” Gaza and shut out Hamas while it’s redeveloped, but has now contradicted officials who had said any relocation would be temporary.

Asked by Fox News if Palestinians could return, he replied: “No, they wouldn’t, because they’re going to have much better housing. In other words, I’m talking about building a permanent place for them.”

Trump latest: President signs more executive orders

Speaking on Monday at the White House, Mr Trump also suggested the current ceasefire in Gaza should end on Saturday if Hamas does not release hostages as planned.

He then went further, saying all the remaining hostages should be released by midday on Saturday, or the ceasefire should be cancelled – and that “all hell is going to break out” if the hostages are not freed then.

But the US president added: “I’m speaking for myself. Israel can override it.”

Hamas said earlier it would delay the release of hostages – accusing Israel of violating the ceasefire.

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

‘I would own this’ – Trump on Gaza

Mr Trump told Fox News his future vision for Gaza was to build multiple “safe communities, a little bit away from where they are, where all of this danger is”, adding the area is currently “not habitable”.

He said he believed he could cut a deal with Jordan or Egypt to take people in.

However, Arab allies – including Egypt and Saudi Arabia – have dismissed the idea of relocating Gaza’s two-million-plus population.

Western countries have also rejected the proposal; an independent state for Palestinians remains the favoured way forward but is a no-go for the Israeli government.

When asked in the media, Palestinians have also rubbished the idea.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has supported Mr Trump’s controversial proposal.

Donald Trump meets with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the Oval Office. 
Pic: Reuters
Image:
Donald Trump meets with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the Oval Office. Pic: Reuters

Much of Gaza lies in ruins due to Israel‘s attempt to wipe out Hamas after its 2023 terror attack that killed around 1,200 people in Israel.

About 250 were also kidnapped, but those still alive have started to be released in recent weeks after a hard-won truce took effect last month.

Since the ceasefire began on 19 January, five swaps have taken place – with 16 Israeli and five Thai hostages released.

In total, Israel has said it will release up to 1,904 Palestinian prisoners in return for 33 Israeli hostages during the deal’s first phase.

Read more:
Trump plan so outrageous it might be part of something bigger
Israeli police confiscate books in raid on Palestinian bookshops

Prospect of no return most offensive part of radical plan

From Donald Trump, it’s a hardened “No”. Asked directly if Palestinians would have the right to return to a redeveloped Gaza, he told Fox News Channel’s Brett Baier: “No, they wouldn’t, because they’re going to have much better housing.”

If the notion of Trump building on Gaza has offended its people, most offensive is the prospect for them of no return. Since Donald Trump first suggested taking and building on Palestinian land, observers in America, the Middle East and all countries in between have been assessing its seriousness.

Everything he’s said since indicates he’s committed both to the project and to ignoring entrenched objections from allies and adversaries alike.

In spite of flat refusals by Jordan and Egypt to resettle Palestinians in those countries, Trump said: “I think I could make a deal with Jordan. I think I could make a deal with Egypt. You know, we give them billions and billions of dollars a year.”

If peace in the Middle East was a matter of money, it would have been solved long ago. Tuesday’s meeting in Washington between Trump and Jordan’s King Abdullah won’t be easy.

In the White House, the Jordanian leader will talk numbers of his own – the hundreds of thousands of Palestinian refugees already living in the Hashemite kingdom and the instability threatened by moving more.

Trump is also due to meet the Egyptian president and the Saudi crown prince in the coming days – it is a chorus of Arab voices to caution an expansionist president at a delicate time, as parties involved in the current conflict work through the phases of a ceasefire deal.

Trump’s plan is radical and it invites fresh-eyed debate over a way forward for the region.

However, it is the property deal that separates a people from their home – again. At the heart of a radical plan, it’s the inherent recklessness.

So far, little progress has been made on an extension to the first six-week phase of the ceasefire.

A delegation from Israel has arrived in Qatar for further talks amid concern the deal might collapse before all remaining hostages are freed.

Continue Reading

Trending