This courtroom sketch shows Ghislaine Maxwell arriving at court in New York with two US marshals for her trial on charges of sex trafficking. AFP
This courtroom sketch shows Ghislaine Maxwell arriving at court in New York with two US marshals for her trial on charges of sex trafficking. AFP
This courtroom sketch shows Ghislaine Maxwell arriving at court in New York with two US marshals for her trial on charges of sex trafficking. AFP
This courtroom sketch shows Ghislaine Maxwell arriving at court in New York with two US marshals for her trial on charges of sex trafficking. AFP

Ghislaine Maxwell trial: jury to see interiors of notorious Palm Beach estate


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Jurors in the sex abuse trial of Ghislaine Maxwell are expected on Friday to see a law enforcement videotape of the interior of a Florida estate where prosecutors say she and financier Jeffrey Epstein exploited underage victims when the pair lived there together.

The video was shot during a 2005 raid at the Palm Beach home, which was decorated with nude photos and paintings of young women — decor that federal prosecutors in Manhattan claim is proof of a sexualised atmosphere encouraged by Ms Maxwell, Epstein's “partner in crime".

Prosecutors have alleged the British socialite groomed teenage girls by taking them on shopping trips and movie outings, talking to them about their lives and encouraging them to accept financial help from Epstein.

The government also says she helped to create a sexualised atmosphere by talking with the girls about sex and encouraging them to give Epstein massages. A woman identified as “Jane” gave evidence this week that she had sexual interactions with Epstein at age 14 with Ms Maxwell in the room and sometimes participating.

Ms Maxwell denies the allegations against her, and her lawyers say prosecutors are going after her because they cannot try Epstein. She was Epstein’s one-time girlfriend and, later, employee.

On Friday, former Epstein housekeeper Juan Patricio Alessi returned to the witness box to face cross-examination over his evidence that “Jane” and another woman who has accused Epstein of sexually abusing her as a teenager were frequent visitors to the Palm Beach mansion, where Ms Maxwell was “the lady of the house".

Juan Alessi, who worked full-time for Jeffrey Epstein from 1991 to 2002, is cross-examined by defence lawyer Jeffrey Pagliuca during the trial of Ghislaine Maxwell. Reuters
Juan Alessi, who worked full-time for Jeffrey Epstein from 1991 to 2002, is cross-examined by defence lawyer Jeffrey Pagliuca during the trial of Ghislaine Maxwell. Reuters

A lawyer for the British socialite sought to discredit Mr Alessi — who worked for Epstein from 1990 to 2002 — by confronting him with a deposition from a civil case that the defence says was inconsistent with his trial evidence.

Mr Alessi claimed on Friday that none of the many young women who visited the Florida house alerted him to any misconduct.

“I wish they would have because I would have done something,” he said.

AUSTRALIA SQUAD v SOUTH AFRICA

Aaron Finch (capt), Shaun Marsh, Travis Head, Chris Lynn, Glenn Maxwell, D'Arcy Short, Marcus Stoinis, Alex Carey, Ashton Agar, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Adam Zampa

Multitasking pays off for money goals

Tackling money goals one at a time cost financial literacy expert Barbara O'Neill at least $1 million.

That's how much Ms O'Neill, a distinguished professor at Rutgers University in the US, figures she lost by starting saving for retirement only after she had created an emergency fund, bought a car with cash and purchased a home.

"I tell students that eventually, 30 years later, I hit the million-dollar mark, but I could've had $2 million," Ms O'Neill says.

Too often, financial experts say, people want to attack their money goals one at a time: "As soon as I pay off my credit card debt, then I'll start saving for a home," or, "As soon as I pay off my student loan debt, then I'll start saving for retirement"."

People do not realise how costly the words "as soon as" can be. Paying off debt is a worthy goal, but it should not come at the expense of other goals, particularly saving for retirement. The sooner money is contributed, the longer it can benefit from compounded returns. Compounded returns are when your investment gains earn their own gains, which can dramatically increase your balances over time.

"By putting off saving for the future, you are really inhibiting yourself from benefiting from that wonderful magic," says Kimberly Zimmerman Rand , an accredited financial counsellor and principal at Dragonfly Financial Solutions in Boston. "If you can start saving today ... you are going to have a lot more five years from now than if you decide to pay off debt for three years and start saving in year four."

THE%20SPECS
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THE SPECS

Engine: 3.5-litre V6
Transmission: six-speed manual
Power: 325bhp
Torque: 370Nm
Speed: 0-100km/h 3.9 seconds
Price: Dh230,000
On sale: now

Surianah's top five jazz artists

Billie Holliday: for the burn and also the way she told stories.  

Thelonius Monk: for his earnestness.

Duke Ellington: for his edge and spirituality.

Louis Armstrong: his legacy is undeniable. He is considered as one of the most revolutionary and influential musicians.

Terence Blanchard: very political - a lot of jazz musicians are making protest music right now.

The biog

Profession: Senior sports presenter and producer

Marital status: Single

Favourite book: Al Nabi by Jibran Khalil Jibran

Favourite food: Italian and Lebanese food

Favourite football player: Cristiano Ronaldo

Languages: Arabic, French, English, Portuguese and some Spanish

Website: www.liliane-tannoury.com

In numbers: China in Dubai

The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000

Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000

Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000

Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000

Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent

The years Ramadan fell in May

1987

1954

1921

1888

The Voice of Hind Rajab

Starring: Saja Kilani, Clara Khoury, Motaz Malhees

Director: Kaouther Ben Hania

Rating: 4/5

The specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo

Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm

Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm

Transmission: 9-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh117,059

Zimbabwe v UAE, ODI series

All matches at the Harare Sports Club:

1st ODI, Wednesday, April 10

2nd ODI, Friday, April 12

3rd ODI, Sunday, April 14

4th ODI, Tuesday, April 16

UAE squad: Mohammed Naveed (captain), Rohan Mustafa, Ashfaq Ahmed, Shaiman Anwar, Mohammed Usman, CP Rizwan, Chirag Suri, Mohammed Boota, Ghulam Shabber, Sultan Ahmed, Imran Haider, Amir Hayat, Zahoor Khan, Qadeer Ahmed

Updated: December 03, 2021, 8:06 PM`