Representatives of Conor McGregor have denied allegations the former UFC champion sexually assaulted a woman at a basketball match last week. The Irish mixed martial arts star has been accused of the assault in a bathroom at game four of the NBA Finals in Miami on June 9. A statement from McGregor’s lawyer Barbara Llanes said: “The allegations are false. Mr McGregor will not be intimidated.” The NBA and Miami Heat said they were investigating the allegations that Mr McGregor assaulted a woman in a bathroom after the match. A statement from the Miami Heat, who were facing the Denver Nuggets in the finals, said: “We are aware of the allegations and are conducting a full investigation. Pending the outcome of the investigation, we will withhold further comment.” UFC said it would “allow the legal process to play out” before making any additional comments. In a statement, the mixed martial arts organisation said: “The organisation is aware of the recent allegations regarding Conor McGregor and will continue to gather additional details regarding the incident.” The complainant’s lawyer said her client had provided Miami police with the clothes she was wearing at the time. The incident is alleged to have happened on the same night Mr McGregor injured a mascot in a promotional stunt. A Heat employee inside the costume of the team’s mascot Burnie required medical attention after two punches from the fighter during a stoppage during the third quarter. The team said he received pain medication and was recovering. Mr McGregor, who was booed by many in the crowd, was at the match to perform the promotional piece for a pain-relief spray and hit the mascot with left hook, punching him again after he had hit the floor. He then tried to apply the spray while Heat staff dragged the mascot off the court. Mr McGregor has not fought since injuring his left leg in a loss to Dustin Poirier in July 2021. His last win came in January 2020.

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A Utah mother of three on trial for allegedly murdering her husband in 2022 with a poisoned cocktail said she had normal explanations for taking so-called “exotic vacations” after the death, according to court documents. A month before she was arrested, Kouri Richins emailed officials in Summit County to explain a series of trips to Salt Lake City, Spain and Mexico, according to the documents obtained by the New York Post. “You asked about any exotic vacations I have taken since Eric’s passing. I went on two trips last year. One, my kids tried out at a soccer camp in SLC [Salt Lake City] to qualify to play in Spain in June and both my kids made it. So yes, I took them to Spain in October 2022. I have attached their invitation letters,” read one message. “I took my kids and my mom came with us in August of 2022 to Mexico. As I hope you understand, the months prior to this since Eric’s death have been hard to deal with,” she said elsewhere. “Eric and I went to Mexico every year, sometimes twice. We traveled A LOT. We have taken the boys to Mexico a few times,” she continued. Ms Richins was arrested on 8 May and charged with first-degree murder and possession of a controlled substance, with prosecutors alleging she killed her husband by spiking a Moscow mule cocktail with a lethal dose of fentanyl. The Utah woman wrote a children’s book about dealing with grief and went on local television to promote its release weeks before she got arrested. “It was right up until the end that she was carrying on as though nothing had happened, and that she was a victim, and she was a martyr and promoting her book,” lawyer and Richins family spokesman Greg Skordas told The Independent. Her defence has argued in court that she is not guilty and there is “no substantial evidence to support the charges,” Fox 13 reported. Ms Richins was denied bond by a Utah court as her trial progresses. Eric Richins was remembered as a dedicated father, local businessman and coach of youth sports. “He spent countless hours coaching and teaching the boys to ‘play aggressive’ and ‘give it their all!’” according to an obituary. “Eric truly cared about every single child he coached and wanted the absolute best for all of them.” Both members of the marriage have suggested, directly or through their representatives, that the other was having an affair. In the months before Richins’s death, the couple appeared to be manoeuvring for control of the family finances, with Eric changing his will and life insurance policies, while Kouri allegedly attempted to alter Eric’s life insurance partner and benefits related to his stone masonry business. Read More Author charged with husband’s poisoning murder sobs in court as she’s denied bail How Kouri Richins turned from grieving widow to accused killer by poison: ‘It wasn’t necessarily unexpected’ Utah mother charged with poisoning husband was more than $2m in debt, new documents reveal

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Huawei Technologies Co.’s Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou made a profit of more than HK$11 million ($1.4 million)

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German police are investigating an incident which took place Wednesday, 15 June, in which an American man allegedly sexually assaulted then threw two women over the edge of a steep gorge near Germany’s famous Neuschwanstein castle. Here’s what we know. What happened? On Wednesday afternoon, two American women, aged 21 and 22, were forced off a steep ledge at the Marienbrücke, a pedestrain bridge with sweeping views of the castle, which sits above a high river gorge. “The two tourists met the man on a hiking tour east of the Marienbrücke,” Chief Public Prosecutor Thomas Hörmann told German tabloid Bild. “The man then steered the two under a pretext to a trail that was difficult to see, which leads to a viewpoint,” Bavarian police said in a statement. Once out of sight, the 30-year-old assailant reportedly tried to attack the women, going after the younger woman first, prompting the 22-year-old to try and defend her, police said. “The younger of the two women was attacked by the suspect,” police spokesman Holger Stabik told the AP. “The older one tried to rush to her aid, was then choked by the suspect and subsequently pushed down a slope. ” After that, the man made an “attempted sexual offence” on the 21-year-old and pushed her over the ledge as well, DW reports. Who are the victims? Officials haven’t released the names of those involved in the incident. On Thursday, a spokesperson for the US Embassy did not confirm or deny whether those involved in the attack are Americans. “The U.S. Consulate in Munich is monitoring the situation closely and is in contact with authorities. Due to privacy considerations, we are unable to comment further at this time,” officials told The Daily Beast. How were they rescued? Due to the harsh terrain around the gorge, specially trained members of the Alpine Task Force were involved in the attempted rescue of both women. Witness Eric Abneri, a recent business graduate from the University of Pittsburgh who witnessed the incident, said he and friends arrived at the scenic overlook as a helicopter arrived and they saw rescuers lower themselves down to the victims. “I’m honestly absolutely stunned someone is still alive from this. It is like falling from the top of an absolute cliff,” he said. Mr Abneri described it as “a very, very difficult rescue because of those cliffs and because the helicopter came mere feet above the tree line at the top of the hill.” “They did an unbelievable job,” he said. Who is the alleged attacker? Bavarian police said the attacker was a 30-year-old US national, DW reports. Bystander video posted online showed police leading away a handcuffed, bearded man in a T-shirt, jeans and a baseball cap. How was suspect captured? The suspect was caught after a massive police operation involving 25 emergency vehicles on Wednesday afternoon and taken to a police station in nearby Fuessen. Are police pressing charges? The American suspect is in a German correctional facility, as officials investigate the attack as a potential sexual offence, murder, and attempted murder. “The allegation is not yet established,” prosecutor Thomas Hörmann told DW. Kempten criminal police are leading the investigation, and are asking those with knowledge of the incident to get in contact with them. What is Neuschwanstein castle? Neuschwanstein castle, nestled near the Austrian border, was built by King Ludwig II of Bavaria, with construction beginning in 1869. The towering estate is one of Germany‘s most popular tourist attractions and is said to have been the inspiration for various Disney castles Read More American woman dead after man ‘throws two tourists off bridge’ at German fairytale castle

A prosecutor has issued a public plea urging Missouri Governor Mike Parson not to pardon a former police detective over the fatal shooting of a Black man. Eric DeValkenaere was convicted in 2021 of involuntary manslaughter and armed criminal action in the December 2019 death of 26-year-old Cameron Lamb. DeValkenaere, a former Kansas City police officer, was sentenced in 2022 to six years in prison but has remained free on bond as his appeal is reviewed. After reports emerged earlier this week that Gov Parson is considering a pardon in the case, Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker warned in a public letter that the greater long-term effect of the potential pardon would be the “erosion of our public safety system as fair and just.” “Pardons are political actions by design, not devised for the innocent but for the guilty,” wrote Ms Peters Baker in the letter addressed to Gov Parson. “I imagine you might view a pardon as a way to support police. But I expect this extreme action for the only KCPD officer convicted of fatally shooting a black man will ignite distrust, protests, and public safety concerns for citizens and police.” Ms Peters Baker accused Gov Parson of “being lobbied” into the decision and of “using a political action to subvert the rule of law.” According to the prosecutor, no one from the governor’s office has reached out to the family members of the victim. Lamb family members and loved ones also gathered on the steps of the Jackson County Courthouse on Tuesday, asking the governor to speak with them before making a final call. “Governor, if you pardon DeValkenaere, you will create more tension in the city and we will be left to pick up the pieces,” Reverend Emmanuel Cleaver said during the Tuesday rally, according to KCTV. In a statement to KCTV, the governor’s office accused Ms Peter Baker of “political games ... for her re-election bid.” “Governor Parson is grounded in his faith and believes in second chances,” spokesperson Kelli Jones said, noting the 538 the governor has issued. “He has created more workforce training opportunities for offenders, brought the landmark Reentry 2030 program to assist offenders, and started the first law enforcement academy at a historically black college.” During a bench trial in 2021, a judge said DeValkenaere and his partner violated Lamb’s constitutional rights because they had no probable cause to believe he had committed a crime, had no warrant for Lamb’s arrest and had no search warrant or consent to be on the property. The convicted officer shot Lamb as the victim was backing up a truck into a garage and within seconds of arriving where Lamb lived. The officers had followed him after reports of several traffic violations. DeValkenaere testified that he shot Lamb because he believed his partner’s life was in danger. Meanwhile, Lamb’s family has said he was not armed and that a gun found at the scene was planted. In a motion filed last year with the Missouri Court of Appeals, DeValkenaere’s attorneys argued that DeValkenaere and his partner had probable cause to be on Lamb’s property and to arrest him for the traffic violations, The Kansas City Star reported. Read More Daniel Penny indicted in Jordan Neely subway death as ex-marine’s arraignment set for 28 June How Republicans and right-wing media turned Jordan Neely’s killer into a hero Grand jury votes to indict Daniel Penny in subway killing of Jordan Neely