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NOTE: The following article contains content that some might find disturbing. Please read at your own discretion. Conor McGregor , former UFC champion and one of the biggest names in mixed martial arts fighting, has been ordered to pay more than 250,000 Euros (approximately C$360,000) to a woman who accused him of raping her at a hotel in Dublin in 2018. McGregor, whose civil case played out in Ireland’s high court, must hand over the funds damages to Nikita Hand , who also goes by Nikita Ní Laimhín. Hand previously said McGregor “brutally raped and battered” her on Dec. 9, 2018. The assault happened after a night of partying left her heavily bruised and suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, she said. McGregor testified that he never forced the woman to do anything against her will and said she fabricated the allegations after the two had consensual sex. His lawyer had called Hand a gold digger. Speaking outside the court after the two-week trial, Hand thanked her family and a member of the rape crisis centre, who sat at her side during the course of the trial, reports The Guardian. Referring to her daughter, she said: “I want to show Freya and every other girl and boy that you can stand up for yourself if something happens to you, no matter who the person, is and justice will be served. “To all the victims of sexual assault, I hope my story is a reminder that no matter how afraid you might be, speak up, you have a voice, and keep on fighting for justice.” McGregor was mobbed by cameras as he left court but did not comment. He later said on the social platform X that he would appeal the verdict and the “modest award.” During the trial, Hand’s lawyer told jurors that the fighter was angry about a fight he had lost in Las Vegas two months earlier and took it out on his client. “He’s not a man, he’s a coward,” lawyer John Gordon said in his closing speech. “A devious coward and you should treat him for what he is.” Gordon said his client never pretended to be a saint and was only looking to have fun when she sent McGregor a message through Instagram after attending a Christmas party. He said Hand knew McGregor socially and that they had grown up in the same area. She said he picked her and a friend up in a car and shared cocaine with them, which McGregor admitted in court, on the way to the Beacon Hotel. Hand said she told McGregor she didn’t want to have sex with him and that she was menstruating. She said she told him “no” as he started kissing her but he eventually pinned her to a bed and she couldn’t move. McGregor put her in a chokehold and later told her, “Now you know how I felt in the octagon where I tapped out three times,” referring to a UFC match when he had to admit defeat, she said. Hand had to take several breaks in emotional testimony over three days. She said McGregor threatened to kill her during the encounter and she feared she would never see her young daughter again. Eventually, he let go of her. “I remember saying I was sorry, as I felt that I did something wrong and I wanted to reassure him that I wouldn’t tell anyone so he wouldn’t hurt me again,” she testified. She said she then let him do what he wanted and he had sex with her. A doctor and paramedic who treated Hand following the rape testified, confirming multiple injuries consistent with her claims. The paramedic said she had never seen that intensity of bruising before. Hand also alleged that another man, James Lawrence, who joined the party, sexually assaulted her. The jury found that Lawrence did not assault Hand. McGregor has not fought since a July 2021 TKO loss to Dustin Poirier . It’s been more than eight years since he most recently held a UFC title, which was stripped from him for failure to defend. Hand’s lawyer told the court that his client took the civil court case primarily to be vindicated, after public prosecutors said a criminal conviction was unlikely due to insufficient evidence. On X, McGregor wrote that he was disappointed jurors didn’t see all the evidence the prosecutors had reviewed. — with files from The Associated Press If you or someone you know is experiencing abuse or is involved in an abusive situation, please visit the Canadian Resource Centre for Victims of Crime for help. They are also reachable toll-free at 1-877-232-2610.
Georgia loses QB Carson Beck (arm) during SEC title gameBreyten Breytenbach, who died Sunday, was one of South Africa's most honoured writers, who found beauty in his Afrikaans language but was horrified at the white supremacy imposed by his government. The poet, author and painter had not lived in South Africa for decades, leaving in the early 1960s to settle in Paris, where he became a global voice against apartheid. What was intended to be a short and secret trip back in 1975 led to him spending seven years in jail, two in solitary confinement, after he was betrayed and arrested. French president Francois Mitterrand helped secure his release in 1982 and he returned to France to become a citizen. He travelled back to South Africa regularly, according to his daughter Daphnee Breytenbach, who confirmed his death to AFP. "My father, the South African painter and poet Breyten Breytenbach, died peacefully on Sunday, November 24, in Paris, at the age of 85," she said. "Immense artist, militant against apartheid, he fought for a better world until the end." Breytenbach was born in the small Western Cape town of Bonnievale in 1939 at a time when Afrikaans was emerging with a distinct identity as a language, having been derided as "kitchen Dutch". When in 1964 Breytenbach published his first volume of poetry -- "Die ysterkoei moet sweet", or The Iron Cow Must Sweat -- Afrikaans was not just ascendent but had given the name "apartheid" to South Africa's brutal system of racial segregation. With Afrikaners in power, their language became ever more associated with the regime. "I'd never reject Afrikaans as a language, but I reject it as part of the Afrikaner political identity. I no longer consider myself an Afrikaner," he said in an interview with The New York Times the following year. In his language and politics, Breytenbach pushed back against the strictures of the country in which he was born. He travelled around Europe in his early 20s, eventually settling in 1962 in Paris, where he met his wife, Yolande Ngo Thi Hoang Lien, who was born in Vietnam and raised in France. She was refused a visa to visit South Africa in the late 1960s as she was considered "non-white" by the apartheid system. Breytenbach returned to the country in the early 1970s on a false passport to deliver money to the anti-apartheid struggle and meet white activists. But he was discovered and sentenced to nine years in prison, serving seven. Of his more than 50 books, most are in Afrikaans. His acclaimed 1984 prison memoir, "The True Confession of an Albino Terrorist", is in English. In the book, he recalls the horrors of hearing fellow inmates being hanged, often for political crimes. "Very often –- no, all the time really –- I relive those years of horror and corruption, and I try to imagine, as I did then with the heart an impediment to breathing, what it must be like to be executed. What it must be like to be. Executed," he wrote. His path crossed once, briefly, with another famous inmate. Nelson Mandela was for a time transferred from Robben Island to Pollsmoor prison in Cape Town, where Breytenbach was serving his time. The writer was tasked with preparing new prison clothes for the future president. Breytenbach eventually turned to painting to portray surreal human and animal figures, often in captivity, with his art displayed in Johannesburg, Brussels, Amsterdam, Hong Kong and Paris. His literature gathered several prizes, including the international Zbigniew Herbert International Literary Award (2017), the Mahmoud Darwish Literature Prize (2010) and the Van der Hoogt prize for Dutch literature (1972). "His poems are rich in metaphors and are a complex mixture of references to Buddhism, Afrikaans idiomatic speech, and memories of the South African landscape," according to the Hague-based Writers Unlimited foundation. For all his activism, when democracy arrived in 1994, the older and gray-bearded Breytenbach did not return to embrace the new South Africa. He wrestled with the failings of the democratic government, even with Mandela, despairing at what he called in Harpers magazine in 2008 the "seemingly never-ending parade of corrupt clowns in power at all levels". Breytenbach also taught at the University of Cape Town, the Goree Institute in Dakar and New York University. zm-gs-br/lhd/js
The Australian government has withdrawn a bill that would have fined online platforms up to 5 percent of their global revenue if they failed to stop the spread of misinformation. The bill, which was backed by the Labor government, would have allowed the Australian Communications and Media Authority to create enforceable rules around misinformation on digital platforms. In a statement , Communications Minister Michelle Rowland said the bill would have “ushered in an unprecedented level of transparency, holding big tech to account for their systems and processes to prevent and minimise the spread of harmful misinformation and disinformation online.” However, she said “based on public statements and engagements with Senators, it is clear that there is no pathway to legislate this proposal through the Senate.” When a revised version of the bill was introduced in September, Elon Musk, the owner of X (formerly Twitter), criticized it in a one-word post : “Fascists.” Shadow Communications Minister David Coleman was a vocal opponent of the bill, arguing that it would prompt platforms to suppress free speech in order to avoid fines. With the bill now seemingly dead, Coleman posted that it was a “shocking attack on free speech that betrayed our democracy” and called on the prime minister to “rule out any future version of this legislation.” Rowland’s statement, meanwhile, called for Parliament support on “other proposals to strengthen democratic institutions and keep Australians safe online,” including legislation targeting deep fakes, enforcement of “truth in political advertising for elections,” and AI regulation. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is also pursuing a plan to ban social media for children under 16 .
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Pathstone Holdings LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Shopify Inc. ( NYSE:SHOP – Free Report ) (TSE:SHOP) by 3.8% during the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 68,800 shares of the software maker’s stock after buying an additional 2,487 shares during the period. Pathstone Holdings LLC’s holdings in Shopify were worth $5,514,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of SHOP. Oliver Lagore Vanvalin Investment Group increased its position in Shopify by 100.0% during the second quarter. Oliver Lagore Vanvalin Investment Group now owns 400 shares of the software maker’s stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 200 shares during the last quarter. Cultivar Capital Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Shopify during the 2nd quarter valued at about $33,000. Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. bought a new position in shares of Shopify in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Rosenberg Matthew Hamilton lifted its holdings in Shopify by 41.3% in the 3rd quarter. Rosenberg Matthew Hamilton now owns 455 shares of the software maker’s stock worth $36,000 after purchasing an additional 133 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. bought a new stake in Shopify during the second quarter worth approximately $39,000. Institutional investors own 69.27% of the company’s stock. Analysts Set New Price Targets SHOP has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. DZ Bank lowered shares of Shopify from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Thursday. JMP Securities boosted their target price on shares of Shopify from $80.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock a “market outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 13th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on Shopify from $90.00 to $120.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 13th. Piper Sandler boosted their price objective on Shopify from $67.00 to $94.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 13th. Finally, Morgan Stanley raised their target price on Shopify from $80.00 to $85.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, August 8th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seventeen have issued a hold rating, twenty-three have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $94.95. Shopify Stock Up 0.5 % NYSE SHOP opened at $106.96 on Friday. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $85.50 and its 200 day simple moving average is $72.15. Shopify Inc. has a one year low of $48.56 and a one year high of $115.62. The firm has a market cap of $138.02 billion, a PE ratio of 99.96, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.09 and a beta of 2.36. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.09, a current ratio of 7.10 and a quick ratio of 7.10. About Shopify ( Free Report ) Shopify Inc, a commerce company, provides a commerce platform and services in Canada, the United States, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Asia Pacific, Australia, China, and Latin America. The company’s platform enables merchants to displays, manages, markets, and sells its products through various sales channels, including web and mobile storefronts, physical retail locations, pop-up shops, social media storefronts, native mobile apps, buy buttons, and marketplaces; and enables to manage products and inventory, process orders and payments, fulfill and ship orders, new buyers and build customer relationships, source products, leverage analytics and reporting, manage cash, payments and transactions, and access financing. Featured Articles Want to see what other hedge funds are holding SHOP? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Shopify Inc. ( NYSE:SHOP – Free Report ) (TSE:SHOP). Receive News & Ratings for Shopify Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Shopify and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .Rachel Reeves' tax raid unveiled in her first Budget has caused a collapse in businesses' confidence in Britain, damning survey reveals By CALUM MUIRHEAD Published: 22:01 GMT, 8 December 2024 | Updated: 22:28 GMT, 8 December 2024 e-mail 30 View comments Rachel Reeves ’ tax raid unveiled in October’s Budget has triggered a collapse in businesses’ confidence in Britain, a new survey has shown. It came as recruitment firms warned businesses were taking on fewer workers as they digested higher bills caused by the Chancellor’s spending plans. A report from consultancy firm BDO showed that business optimism across the UK had plummeted to its lowest level in two years as owners were forced to confront the prospect of rising costs and ongoing challenges in the jobs market. Businesses suffered a double whammy in October when Reeves unveiled plans to hike National Insurance contributions for employers and introduce an inflation-busting increase in the minimum wage . Bosses have warned the measures will lead to job losses, shop closures and price hikes as they struggle to pay the additional costs. Following the Budget, BDO reported that its optimism index for businesses had dropped to 93.49 in November, its lowest since January 2023 when firms were grappling with surging inflation and political turmoil sparked by the aftermath of Liz Truss ’s mini-Budget. BDO said the fall was ‘likely to reflect businesses’ immediate reaction to announcements in the Autumn Budget,’ noting that confidence had dropped particularly sharply in the services industry, which includes retailers and other consumer-based firms. Retail bosses have been among the fiercest critics of the Chancellor’s planned tax hikes, with the heads of M&S , Sainsbury’s, Amazon UK and Next among those warning the measures will lead to higher prices and job losses. Rachel Reeves visiting Leeds Corn Exchange last Friday. The Chancellor's Budget has triggered a collapse in businesses' confidence in the UK, a survey has shown A report from consultancy firm BDO showed that business optimism across the UK had plummeted to its lowest level in two years (file photo) Adil Mehboob-Khan, the boss of high-end London department store Liberty, joined the chorus on Sunday when he said the government’s hammering of high street stores was making British businesses ‘less competitive.’ He also hit out at the Chancellor’s previous statements not to raise taxes on working people but then introduce measures that would hit their spending power anyway. ‘It’s a bit of a stretch to make a statement that you won’t increase taxes, then you increase a tax that people may not perceive as a tax because it doesn’t hit their compensation directly,’ Mehboob-Khan told the Telegraph. BDO also highlighted that according to its trackers, the UK’s economic output had shrunk last month for the first time this year. It blamed the reversal on ‘reduced customer confidence, declining staff numbers and rising input costs’ as pessimism about the economy persisted into the winter months. The bleak figures came as recruitment agencies reported that businesses were looking to take on less staff as they digested the impact of Labour’s tax raid on their spending plans. The Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) said firms were reassessing staffing needs and putting a pause on recruitment activity and that as a result placements of staff into jobs last month fell at its fastest rate for more than a year. ‘It should be a surprise to no one that firms took the time to reassess their hiring needs in November after a tough Budget for employers,’ said REC head Neil Carberry. He added: ‘The real question now is whether businesses will return to the market as they go into next year with greater certainty about the path ahead.’ The bleak numbers came as businesses are looking at taking on less staff in light of Labour's tax raids (file photo) Read More EXCLUSIVE Rachel Reeves: We can't boost the UK's defence spending without making cuts elsewhere The Government has been facing a barrage of criticism from multiple parts of the UK about the Chancellor’s Budget plans. Last week, Treasury Minister James Murray was at the receiving end of a bitter backlash to the Budget in Darlington, County Durham, when the owners of a patisserie said small businesspeople were ‘crying around their kitchen tables’ trying to cope with extra taxes and increases to the minimum wage. In November, Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey said businesses were right to warn of potential job cuts as a result of the Budget. And last week he said the planned hike in National Insurance risked keeping interest rates higher for longer, leaving mortgage holders and other borrowers facing more pain in the form of higher repayments. Rachel Reeves Share or comment on this article: Rachel Reeves' tax raid unveiled in her first Budget has caused a collapse in businesses' confidence in Britain, damning survey reveals e-mail Add comment