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Indian Express
4 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Who is Ghislaine Maxwell, Jeffrey Epstein's former girlfriend who is in federal spotlight again?
Ghislaine Maxwell, at the centre of national attention again despite being sentenced to 20 years in jail, represents much more than the image of a fallen socialite. Once a fixture of elite parties in New York and London, she was convicted three years ago for aiding Jeffrey Epstein's sexual abuse of underage girls. This week, Todd Blanche, the US Deputy Attorney General, met with her for several hours over two days. What emerged from those conversations is unknown, but Blanche later wrote on social media that the Justice Department 'will share additional information about what we learned at the appropriate time.' His visit comes amid renewed political pressure over the federal government's handling of the Epstein case — a pressure intensified by President Donald Trump's refusal to answer questions about the disgraced financier. Maxwell's attorney, David Oscar Markus, said there were no discussions with the government about a presidential pardon, but added: 'The President this morning said he had the power to do so. We hope he exercises that power in the right and just way.' Maxwell, 63, was born into British privilege as the youngest daughter of Robert Maxwell, the Czech-born media tycoon whose empire included The Daily Mirror and publisher Macmillan. After her father died in 1991 under mysterious circumstances, falling from his yacht, Ghislaine relocated to New York City. In the US, Maxwell entered elite social circles and was seen at major public events. She attended Chelsea Clinton's wedding and was photographed in 2000 with Donald Trump, Melania Trump, and Epstein. According to CNN, she was also seen at the Clinton Global Initiative summit, though Chelsea Clinton's spokesperson, Bari Lurie, said Maxwell was invited because she was dating a friend of Clinton's. She was photographed at a memorial service soon after, seated beside a man who would come to define her public legacy: Jeffrey Epstein. Their relationship was at times romantic, though she later worked for him in various roles, managing his household staff and personal affairs. As investigators would later allege, her proximity to Epstein extended far beyond domestic management. According to federal prosecutors, between 1994 and 2004, Maxwell helped Epstein groom and traffic girls as young as 14. Court documents and trial testimony portrayed her as a recruiter, someone who could set victims at ease by offering the reassurance of an approving adult woman. The abuse, prosecutors said, occurred in a well-oiled system: Maxwell would invite girls on shopping trips, pay for travel, and promise educational assistance. She would undress in front of the girls, discuss sexual topics, and normalize the idea of giving Epstein massages that turned sexual. She sometimes participated. In exchange, the victims were paid in cash and, in some cases, pressured to bring in more girls. Maxwell's attorneys claimed that her accusers' memories had been shaped and distorted by lawyers pursuing civil suits. But in December 2021, a jury convicted her on multiple federal charges, including sex trafficking and conspiracy. She was sentenced in 2022. Maxwell has long insisted she had no knowledge that Epstein, who died by suicide in a Manhattan jail in 2019 while awaiting trial, was sexually abusing minors. Virginia Giuffre, one of the most vocal Epstein survivors, said she was recruited by Maxwell as a teenager while working at Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort. Giuffre later sued Maxwell for defamation after Maxwell dismissed her claims as 'obvious lies.' The case was settled in Giuffre's favor. Giuffre also filed a lawsuit against Prince Andrew of Britain, alleging he had sexually abused her at Epstein's homes. He denied the charges, but settled the suit in 2022. Maxwell is currently appealing her conviction to the US Supreme Court, arguing that a 2008 non-prosecution deal Epstein struck with Florida prosecutors should have shielded her from federal charges. The Justice Department has urged the Court to reject that claim. Despite her incarceration, Maxwell remains a person of interest to federal investigators and to members of Congress. The House Oversight Committee voted this week to subpoena her for a deposition. Blanche, in a statement posted to social media, left open the possibility that Maxwell could assist in identifying others who may have committed crimes against Epstein's victims. 'If Ghislaine Maxwell has information about anyone who has committed crimes against victims,' he said, 'the FBI and the DOJ will hear what she has to say.' Her attorney, Markus, said only that Maxwell would 'always testify truthfully.' Maxwell did not take the stand during her own trial, but she has given two long depositions in previous civil cases. In them, she dismissed the idea that Epstein's homes were filled with minors. 'As far as I'm concerned, everyone who came to his house was an adult professional person,' she said at the time. The testimony of four women proved damning, and Maxwell was ultimately convicted on five of six charges. (With input from New York Times, The Washington Post, CNN, AP)
Daily Mirror
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
MAFS thrown into chaos as producers 'struggle to cast new contestants'
The thirteenth series of Married at First Sight Australia is soon to begin filming Casting for the new series of Married at First Sight Australia opened months ago, but it seems producers are struggling to find suitable singles to appear in the show. TV insiders have claimed that several spots remain empty on MAFS Australia, with some candidates even pulling out at the last minute. "They're still scrambling for both brides and grooms," a source told Daily Mail Australia. "Honestly, they're desperate. There's a real sense of panic among the producers who know they have to deliver a standout cast to keep viewers hooked after this year's season was so controversial." The Daily Mirror has reached out for comment. Channel Nine's new vetting process has also added to producers' casting problems. It is claimed that the network is "not messing around" when it comes to thorough background checks this time around. A source said, "Channel Nine isn't messing around when it comes to background checks this year. They don't want anyone with a criminal record - not even someone who's faced court and been found not guilty. "It's about protecting the brand at all costs. But they're not playing it safe. They still want drama, chaos, headlines - they just don't want to give critics any more ammunition." The claims come as production company EndemolShine Australia put out a casting call on Instagram in recent weeks. A post shared to the MAFS Instagram account read: "Looking for love or know someone who is? DMs are OPEN." Series 12 of Married at First Sight Australia began airing back in January, before later landing on E4 in the UK. The show features couples who marry despite having met one another before walking down the aisle. Experts match the singletons before the show begins. Due to legal requirements in Australia, participants are not legally married on the show but take part in an unofficial commitment ceremony. On MAFS Australia, the experts are relationship advisors John Aiken and Mel Schilling, along with sexologist Alessandra Rampolla. The couples meet at the altar, spends their wedding night in a hotel, and then heads on a honeymoon together. After returning, they live together and each week take part in a commitment ceremony, during which they can choose to stay or leave their marriage. The series then concludes with one final commitment ceremony, during which the couples must make a lasting decision about the future of their marriage. Married at First Sight is available to watch on Channel 4.
Daily Mirror
04-07-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mirror
Actually, it is the patronising, tone-deaf MPs who need reminding we are human
Hang on a minute. Five minutes ago, Chancellor Rachel Reeves was ready and willing to balance the government's books on the back of the poor and the weakest in our society. The Daily Mirror was among the platforms with a conscience highlighting the ordinary working - and in some cases middle - class people whose tears will never be seen in the public domain. They continue to include people suffering from stress, anxiety, the people whose children with ADHD can't get an education because they are wrongly characterised as trouble instead of traumatised. Who sees their tears? Who weeps for them outside the campaigners working tirelessly to keep them in the news agenda? Do the tears and the subsequent puffy eyes of the Chancellor really cancel out the concern for them? Does the justified concern we have for Rachel Reeves really outweigh the mounting worry for millions struggling to access the services they need and the others at the mercy of more welfare cuts? Yes, a nation we go weak at the knees for a tear or two. Weep in public and you instantly become a national treasure. From Paul Gascoigne at the 1990 World Cup, through Andy Murray in 2012, crying before he finally conquered Wimbledon, to Denise Welch who sobbed announcing her marriage split on Loose Women. But honestly, spare me the vomit-inducing hypocrisy from disingenuous politicians reminding us that MPs are human when they are more than willing to push through policy they know will leave our lives - and others' - in pieces. On one side of the Despatch box we have a government whose many positive things they have done since taking office a year ago have been eclipsed by what many perceive as a betrayal of the voters who installed them in office. On the Opposition benches, the Tories whose lack of humanity is extensively documented going back 14 years. And even they are now having to go some to match Reform. So actually, it is the politicians who need reminding that we are human. It is the politicians whose word salads when families are burning, starving and being brutalised to death in the Middle East, speak volumes. It is the politicians with form for trying take from the poor to give to the rich. Even at a basic level, it is hard for the government to send out the 'be kind' message when a PM trumpets the number of women in his government while his Chancellor is crying behind him. Reeves is the woman who guffawed, slapped her thigh and couldn't stop laughing behind Sir Keir Starmer when the PM, defending himself against criticism of his dog whistle, 'Island of Strangers' speech, humiliated Welsh MP Liz Saville Roberts in the House. None of that means she deserved her difficult moment on Wednesday. All of it means we all have a duty to be kind, to think of others and to mindful of when it next could be us. Kemi Badenoch is a vicious, mendacious, nasty piece of work with form for ignoring the sisterhood to kick a colleague when she is down. Four years ago she tried and failed to embarrass an outstanding young female journalist on a rival newspaper when the writer had quite correctly approached her to clarify issues over a video campaign promoting the coronavirus vaccine programme. But was the Tory leader really the aggressor in this situation? It was only after Badenoch remarked that Reeves appeared miserable that the Chancellor's tears began to flow. Handed the chance to go in again, Badenoch would only point out that Starmer hadn't backed his Chancellor, not that her quivering bottom lip was dancing all over the place and that mascara was getting ready to run. The Tory leader has form for showing herself to be devoid of empathy, sympathy and emotional intelligence. But she actually declined the chance to in harder, to avail herself of an open goal in what would easily have been even more unedifying scenes. And here's the thing. What was Reeves doing in the Chamber if she was struggling with 'a private matter' that serious? Nobody would have begrudged her the opportunity to leave to address it. The theatre of politics would have survived had she attended to the matter instead of engaging in the performative Punch and Judy which so often, actually demeans our political system. Why did none of her government colleagues on the front bench, seeing her distress, immediately move to support her? Sadly, her continued presence in the Chamber meant Badenoch had to keep her in the Tory crosshairs - as it was the Chancellor's work on the line. Liz Kendall, the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions had been the highest profile of the politicians raising the alarm. Millions of words had been written and spoken voicing fear at what had already been characterised as a betrayal of the very people that had voted for this Labour government. A week ago the Treasury had been briefing there would be no u-turn. The issue was so serious that, yes, Reeves's colleagues were openly briefing against her. Now this. There is a view that the Chancellor was feeling the emotional effects of an earlier exchange with the Speaker, caught on camera. But then, in the next breath, we are told by those who have known her since her student days that she is a tough political operator. Anyone who has operated in business - and the £3billion hit taken by the markets provided a stark reminder that this was very much business - will know that you simply cannot show what could be perceived as weakness in the field. As someone who has fought my own battles in the workplace, my mantra has always been to keep a lid on vulnerability. Breathe out in private. Many of the people who will defend your right to show it in our supposed enlightened era will be the same ones jumping onto their private WhatsApp groups to give you both barrels there. The reality too, is that whatever the truth, political images act as a brutal metaphor for the bigger political picture. Ask Ed Miliband who never recovered from his bacon sandwich face. Ask Rishi Sunak, soaked outside no.10 during his General Election announcement or another former PM, Theresa May who wept as she prepared to exit stage left.
Daily Mirror
04-07-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Unofficial Open Championship Preview 2025
Having completed the Grand Slam with his dramatic Masters win in April, Rory McIlroy heads home to Northern Ireland bidding to claim a second Open title. In 2019, under huge expectation from the crowd, he missed the cut when the tournament was last held at Royal Portrush - which is just 60 miles from where he was born. This time, he will be looking to make amends on the course he knows so well by getting his hands on the Claret Jug. The Daily Mirror have produced a special edition looking ahead to the 2025 Open, with features on all the leading contenders including McIlroy, Shane Lowry - who won the event the last time it was held on the course - world No.1 Scottie Scheffler, Bryson DeChambeau, defending champion Xander Schauffele and Robert MacIntyre amongst others. We look at the players who are bidding to end a 33-year drought since the last Englishman lifted the famous trophy, look back at the victories of Tom Watson and Max Faulkner as well as the many magical moments from down the years. There is a hole-by-hole guide to the course, and we examine how Royal Portrush managed to finally bring The Open back to Northern Ireland. And there is a tricky quiz to test your knowledge of The Open. Click HERE to buy online and have it delivered directly to your door, or you can purchase it in participating supermarkets, high street retailers and independent newsagents in the UK, Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland from July 9, 2025. Online postage and packaging costs apply.
Daily Mirror
27-06-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mirror
Putin breaks sanctions to beef up deadly drone war on Ukraine
Russian forces are using banned European and American components to make 'Kamikaze drones' fitted with AI technology more deadly in their war on Ukraine, it has been claimed. Iranian Shahed-136 Geran 2 drones are fitted with original Tehran explosives and engines but Russian mini-computers are used in them for accuracy in targeting. The new variant of drones have anti-jamming devices making them tough to disable by ground troops and AI technology to help with targeting of soldiers and civilians. And Ukrainian weapons experts have discovered banned-US, German, Swiss and even Taiwanese components added to the drones. Despite years of sanctions against importing weapons components or dual purpose items it means Russia is still able to smuggle items in for their war. It is believed sanctions-busting middle-dealers are using 'third parties' to bypass sanctions through eastern European businesses with access to Russia. One hybrid drone was downed on June 17 in the Ukrainian region of Sumy where Ukrainian experts were able to take it apart. They discovered the addition of the Russian 'Nvidia Jetson Orin' minicomputer, which helps the AI enhance the drone and video processing. It is believed these additions to the First Person View - FPV - drone make it easier for the pilot driving it to direct the weapon to its target. One Ukrainian source said: 'We've been aware for some time that components from some European countries are being used by the Russians. These are strictly banned by sanctions against Moscow and yet they are still getting through the system illegally. 'And they are being used for deadly purposes and increasingly are becoming more sophisticated.' In the past The Daily Mirror has revealed how sanctions have had an effect on Russia's ability to fight the war. At one stage it was unable to provide tanks with the correct optical devices meaning it reduced commanders' ability to aim their guns as well. This reduced effective targeting from seven miles to four miles. Ukrainian forces have halted Russia's advance into northern Sumy region and have stabilised the front line near the border with Russia, Ukraine's top military commander said. Col. Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi, commander in chief of Ukraine's armed forces, said Ukrainian successes in Sumy have prevented Russia from deploying about 50,000 Russian troops, including elite airborne and marine brigades, to other areas of the front line. Russian forces have been slowly grinding forward at some points on the 620-mile front line but their losses have been catastrophic, daily losing hundreds of troops. Recruitment has become increasingly difficult for Russian commanders because of the ferocity of fighting in Ukraine. More than 20,000 Russian soldiers have been prosecuted for refusing to fight in Ukraine, a Russian independent media outlet Mediazona reported on June 26. As of late May Mediazona documented 20,538 such cases since September 2022 - when the Kremlin announced a first wave of partial mobilisation, compared to 10,025 cases reported as of June 2024. Of these, 18,159 were cases of soldiers going AWOL, 1,369 cases of failure to comply with an order, and 1,010 cases of desertion. According to Mediazona, 17,721 of the accused have already been sentenced. Ukraine's air force said that Russia deployed 41 Shahed and decoy drones across the country overnight, wounding five people. It said that 24 drones were either intercepted or jammed.
