British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell pleaded not guilty on Friday to federal sex trafficking charges in the case accusing her of helping the late financier Jeffrey Epstein recruit and sexually abuse girls.Maxwell (59) entered her plea through her lawyer before US district judge Alison Nathan in Manhattan.The charges had been included in an eight-count indictment unveiled on March 29th. It was the first time Ms Maxwell had faced a judge in person since her arrest last July.Prosecutors have accused Ms Maxwell of grooming and paying a girl who, starting at age 14, gave Epstein nude massages and...…British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell pleaded not guilty on Friday to federal sex trafficking charges in the case accusing her of helping the late financier Jeffrey Epstein recruit and sexually abuse girls.Maxwell (59) entered her plea through her lawyer before US district judge Alison Nathan in Manhattan.The charges had been included in an eight-count indictment unveiled on March 29th. It was the first time Ms Maxwell had faced a judge in person since her arrest last July.Prosecutors have accused Ms Maxwell of grooming and paying a girl who, starting at age 14, gave Epstein nude massages and...WW…

Indonesia's navy is searching for a submarine with 53 people on board that went missing on Wednesday and is seeking help from neighbouring Australia and Singapore in the hunt, the Indonesian military chief has said.The German-made submarine, KRI Nanggala-402, was conducting a torpedo drill in waters north of the island of Bali but failed to relay the results as expected, a navy spokesman said."We are still searching in the waters of Bali, 60 miles [96km] from Bali, [for] 53 people," military chief Hadi Tjahjanto told Reuters in a text message.The military chief confirmed that assistance in...…Indonesia's navy is searching for a submarine with 53 people on board that went missing on Wednesday and is seeking help from neighbouring Australia and Singapore in the hunt, the Indonesian military chief has said.The German-made submarine, KRI Nanggala-402, was conducting a torpedo drill in waters north of the island of Bali but failed to relay the results as expected, a navy spokesman said."We are still searching in the waters of Bali, 60 miles [96km] from Bali, [for] 53 people," military chief Hadi Tjahjanto told Reuters in a text message.The military chief confirmed that assistance in...WW…

A South Korean court has dismissed a lawsuit against Japan to compensate women forced to work in its second World War-era brothels.The ruling represents a boost for Tokyo after a series of Korean court rulings awarding damages sent relations plummeting between the two countries.The Seoul Central District Court ruled on Wednesday that Japan had sovereign immunity in the case brought on behalf of 21 plaintiffs, including 11 women forced to work in the brothels, and, as a foreign state, was not liable to pay compensation in a South Korean civil suit.The court said in its decision that...…A South Korean court has dismissed a lawsuit against Japan to compensate women forced to work in its second World War-era brothels.The ruling represents a boost for Tokyo after a series of Korean court rulings awarding damages sent relations plummeting between the two countries.The Seoul Central District Court ruled on Wednesday that Japan had sovereign immunity in the case brought on behalf of 21 plaintiffs, including 11 women forced to work in the brothels, and, as a foreign state, was not liable to pay compensation in a South Korean civil suit.The court said in its decision that...WW…

Myanmar’s ousted ambassador to the UK, who has been locked out of his embassy in London by the Myanmar military, has urged the British government to refuse to recognise the junta’s envoys and send them back to Myanmar.In a move that has implications for Myanmar’s network of diplomats across the world, the ambassador was locked out of his London embassy on Wednesday by his deputy, Chit Win, at the behest of the Myanmar military which seized power on February 1st.“We believe the UK government would not back those who are working for the military junta and we also would like to urge the UK...…Myanmar’s ousted ambassador to the UK, who has been locked out of his embassy in London by the Myanmar military, has urged the British government to refuse to recognise the junta’s envoys and send them back to Myanmar.In a move that has implications for Myanmar’s network of diplomats across the world, the ambassador was locked out of his London embassy on Wednesday by his deputy, Chit Win, at the behest of the Myanmar military which seized power on February 1st.“We believe the UK government would not back those who are working for the military junta and we also would like to urge the UK...WW…

AstraZeneca cut its supply forecast of Covid-19 vaccine to the European Union in the first quarter to about 30 million doses, a third of its contractual obligations and a 25 per cent drop from pledges made last month, a document seen by Reuters shows.The shortfall is a further blow to EU’s vaccination plans already being hampered by repeated delays in supply and a slow rollout in some nations.The AstraZeneca document, shared with EU officials and dated March 10th, shows that the company now expects to deliver 30.1 million doses by the end of March, and another 20 million in April.On...…AstraZeneca cut its supply forecast of Covid-19 vaccine to the European Union in the first quarter to about 30 million doses, a third of its contractual obligations and a 25 per cent drop from pledges made last month, a document seen by Reuters shows.The shortfall is a further blow to EU’s vaccination plans already being hampered by repeated delays in supply and a slow rollout in some nations.The AstraZeneca document, shared with EU officials and dated March 10th, shows that the company now expects to deliver 30.1 million doses by the end of March, and another 20 million in April.On...WW…

A US recovery turbocharged by president Joe Biden’s stimulus package will help power a faster than expected global economic upswing that risks leaving Europe behind, according to OECD forecasts.The Paris-based organisation said it now expects global output to rise above pre-pandemic levels by mid-2021 after major economies showed greater resilience at the end of 2020, and as evidence of vaccine efficacy grows and governments add extra demand stimulus.It raised its world growth forecast for 2021 to 5.6 per cent from 4.2 per cent and more than doubled its prediction for the US to 6.5 per...…A US recovery turbocharged by president Joe Biden’s stimulus package will help power a faster than expected global economic upswing that risks leaving Europe behind, according to OECD forecasts.The Paris-based organisation said it now expects global output to rise above pre-pandemic levels by mid-2021 after major economies showed greater resilience at the end of 2020, and as evidence of vaccine efficacy grows and governments add extra demand stimulus.It raised its world growth forecast for 2021 to 5.6 per cent from 4.2 per cent and more than doubled its prediction for the US to 6.5 per...WW…

Pope Francis appealed for peaceful coexistence in Iraq on Sunday as he prayed for the country’s war dead amid the ruins of four demolished churches in Mosul that suffered widespread destruction in the war against Islamic State.The Pope travelled to northern Iraq on the final day of his historic visit to minister to the country’s dwindling number of Christians, who were forced to leave their homes en masse when IS militants overtook vast swathes of northern Iraq in the summer of 2014.Few have returned in the years since Islamic State, also known as Isis, was routed in 2017, and Pope Francis...…Pope Francis appealed for peaceful coexistence in Iraq on Sunday as he prayed for the country’s war dead amid the ruins of four demolished churches in Mosul that suffered widespread destruction in the war against Islamic State.The Pope travelled to northern Iraq on the final day of his historic visit to minister to the country’s dwindling number of Christians, who were forced to leave their homes en masse when IS militants overtook vast swathes of northern Iraq in the summer of 2014.Few have returned in the years since Islamic State, also known as Isis, was routed in 2017, and Pope Francis...WW…

In Japan, convenience is king and getting tested for Covid-19 can be highly inconvenient. Part of a solution, as it is for a range of daily necessities in Tokyo, has become the humble vending machine.Eager to conserve manpower and hospital resources, the government conducts just 40,000 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests a day, a quarter of its capacity, restricting them to people who are quite symptomatic or have had a high chance of being infected.That’s led to the public to rely heavily on private clinics or buying PCR tests by other means.Vending machines selling test kits offer...…In Japan, convenience is king and getting tested for Covid-19 can be highly inconvenient. Part of a solution, as it is for a range of daily necessities in Tokyo, has become the humble vending machine.Eager to conserve manpower and hospital resources, the government conducts just 40,000 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests a day, a quarter of its capacity, restricting them to people who are quite symptomatic or have had a high chance of being infected.That’s led to the public to rely heavily on private clinics or buying PCR tests by other means.Vending machines selling test kits offer...WW…

The EU and China are close to reaching a long-awaited business investment deal as Brussels seeks to level the playing field for European companies operating in the Chinese market.During a meeting with national ambassadors in Brussels on Monday, the European Commission reported progress on talks with Beijing, including on the core remaining issue of workers' rights in China. No objections were raised and a formal announcement by the commission that the deal has been reached is expected this week, according to EU diplomats.“The commission reported on recent positive developments in the...…The EU and China are close to reaching a long-awaited business investment deal as Brussels seeks to level the playing field for European companies operating in the Chinese market.During a meeting with national ambassadors in Brussels on Monday, the European Commission reported progress on talks with Beijing, including on the core remaining issue of workers' rights in China. No objections were raised and a formal announcement by the commission that the deal has been reached is expected this week, according to EU diplomats.“The commission reported on recent positive developments in the...WW…

 Sir, – As we approach the end of this turbulent US presidency, Michael McDowell (“Is democracy in the US still sound and resilient?”, Opinion & Analysis, December 23rd) points to an inconvenient truth – but for the pandemic, Donald Trump would have been re-elected.President Trump has presided over an administration which changes personnel weekly, with inevitable results. As commander-in-chief, he has denigrated his own military and its war dead. In his self-proclaimed capacity as a stable genius, he has advocated bleach as an antidote to Covid-19 (arguing, not unreasonably, that...… Sir, – As we approach the end of this turbulent US presidency, Michael McDowell (“Is democracy in the US still sound and resilient?”, Opinion & Analysis, December 23rd) points to an inconvenient truth – but for the pandemic, Donald Trump would have been re-elected.President Trump has presided over an administration which changes personnel weekly, with inevitable results. As commander-in-chief, he has denigrated his own military and its war dead. In his self-proclaimed capacity as a stable genius, he has advocated bleach as an antidote to Covid-19 (arguing, not unreasonably, that...WW…