In defamation trial,&nbsp;actor Johnny Depp, who was&nbsp;on the witness stand again, has rubbished former wife Amber Heard's testimony on Wednesday, media reports said. Depp said the claims of the abuse levelled against him by her were "unimaginably brutal, cruel and false."&nbsp;Depp and his attorneys refuted the testimony of Heard on Wednesday that he had physically and sexually abused her several times in their relationship, before and during the marriage. &nbsp;&nbsp;

The couple got divorced in 2017. To describe accounts of Heard, Depp said, "Horrible, ridiculous, humiliating, ludicrous, painful, savage. Unimaginably brutal, cruel and false. All false. No human being is perfect. But I have never in my life committed sexual battery, physical abuse."&nbsp; &nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/hollywood/news-kate-moss-testifies-for-johnny-depp-refutes-amber-heards-claim-of-being-pushed-down-the-staircase-by-actor-482142" hreflang="en">Kate Moss testifies for Johnny Depp, refutes Amber Heard's claim of being pushed down the staircase by actor</a>

"No matter what happens. I did get here and I did tell the truth and I have spoken up for what I’ve been carrying on my back, reluctantly, for six years," Depp said. &nbsp;

WATCH WION LIVE HERE

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During cross-examination, the attorneys of Heard asked Depp about text messages, which were retrieved from his phone. A message to an assistant had described genitals of a woman as being "RIGHTFULLY MINE. I NEED. I WANT. I TAKE." &nbsp;Depp has denied writing these texts. The actor said his phone may have been used by someone else or the message was altered. &nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

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In defamation trial, actor Johnny Depp, who was on the witness stand again, has rubbished former wife Amber Heard's testimony on Wednesday, media reports said. Depp said the claims of the abuse levelled against him by her were "unimaginably brutal, cruel and false.

In defamation trial, actor Johnny Depp, who was on the witness stand again, has rubbished former wife Amber Heard's testimony on Wednesday, media reports said. Depp said the claims of the abuse levelled against him by her were "unimaginably brutal, cruel and false." Depp and his attorneys refuted the testimony of Heard on Wednesday that he had physically and sexually abused her several times in their relationship, before and during the marriage. The couple got divorced in 2017. To describe accounts of Heard, Depp said, "Horrible, ridiculous, humiliating, ludicrous, painful, savage. Unimaginably brutal, cruel and false. All false. No human being is perfect. But I have never in my life committed sexual battery, physical abuse." Also Read: Kate Moss testifies for Johnny Depp, refutes Amber Heard's claim of being pushed down the staircase by actor "No matter what happens. I did get here and I did tell the truth and I have spoken up for what I’ve been carrying on my back, reluctantly, for six years," Depp said. WATCH WION LIVE HERE During cross-examination, the attorneys of Heard asked Depp about text messages, which were retrieved from his phone. A message to an assistant had described genitals of a woman as being "RIGHTFULLY MINE. I NEED. I WANT. I TAKE." Depp has denied writing these texts. The actor said his phone may have been used by someone else or the message was altered. (With inputs from agencies) You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. ×

Defamation trial: Depp rubbishes Heard's testimony, calls abuse claims 'unimaginably brutal, cruel and false'

In a strange development, an increasing proportion of female elephants in Mozambique's Gorongosa National Park have been born without tusks. As per scientists, this is an evolutionary response to the brutal killing of elephants for their ivory tusks during the country's 15-year civil war.

In a strange development, an increasing proportion of female elephants in Mozambique's Gorongosa National Park have been born without tusks. As per scientists, this is an evolutionary response to the brutal killing of elephants for their ivory tusks during the country's 15-year civil war. Experts working in the park started noticing the phenomenon after the war ended in 1992. Field data and analysis of old video footage found that the proportion of tuskless female elephants increased more than threefold between 1972 and the year 2000. Ryan Long, an associate professor of wildlife sciences at the University of Idaho said that this was the period during which the elephant population tumbled from roughly 2,000 to about 250 individuals. According to a study published in the journal Science, scientists have now developed a better understanding of the genetic basis for the tusklessness and why it only appears to affect female elephants. As per the analysis, the tuskless females were five times more likely to survive during the 28-year period than their tusked female counterparts. In Gorongosa, in the 1970s, 18.5 per cent of the female elephants did not have tusks, while three decades later 5 per cent did. Also read | Polar bears return to Pacific Arctic for first time in 20 years Long, an author of the study was quoted by CNN as saying, "Evolution is simply a change in heritable characteristics within a population over successive generations, and based on the results of our study, the shift toward tusklessness among female elephants at Gorongosa fits this definition perfectly." "The fact that it occurred so rapidly is rare indeed, and is a direct function of the strength of selection," he said via email. "In other words, it happened so quickly because tuskless females had a MUCH higher probability of surviving the war, and thus a MUCH greater potential for passing their genes on to the next generation." As a part of the study, the researchers took blood samples of 18 female elephants, with and without tusks. They also sequenced their genomes. It was then revealed that the females with no tusks had a genetic variation in a very specific region of the X-chromosome. This plays a role in tusk development. The exact genetic and developmental mechanism that leads to tusklessness in females has not yet been understood.

Elephants without tusks? The mammal evolves due to brutal poaching

The security camera video was shocking in its brutality. A 65-year-old Filipino immigrant was walking down a street near Times Square when a man, in broad daylight, suddenly kicked her in the stomach.

She crumpled to the sidewalk. He kicked her once in the head. Then again. And again. He yelled an obscenity at her, according to a police official, and then said, “You don’t belong here.”

As the violent scene unfolded in Manhattan, three men watched from the lobby of a nearby luxury apartment building. When the woman struggled to stand up, one of the men, a security guard, closed the front door to the building.

Even as reports of anti-Asian hate crimes have escalated in recent weeks, the video released by police officials Monday evening touched a fresh nerve. The sheer brazenness of the attack — combined with the seeming indifference of the bystanders — caused another wave of fear for many Asian Americans already worn down by a steady drumbeat of assaults.

“This feels like an emergency happening in real time over weeks,” said Chris Kwok, a board member of the Asian American Bar Association of New York. “People are in a state of panic. Everybody is on edge.”

As the video went viral online, the attack provoked a torrent of condemnations from public officials and seemed to underscore the difficulty the government faces in curbing unprovoked assaults against Asian Americans.

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio called Monday’s attack “absolutely disgusting and outrageous” and urged New Yorkers to intervene when they see assaults. Gov. Andrew Cuomo said it was “horrifying and repugnant” and ordered the state police to help investigate. Andrew Yang, who is seeking to become New York City’s first Asian American mayor, said he was heartbroken by the frequency of the attacks and advised Asian Americans to walk outside in pairs.

In Washington, President Joe Biden announced a slate of new initiatives Tuesday to combat anti-Asian prejudice, including publishing more frequent data on hate crime incidents and taking steps to encourage people to report them.

Video footage from other recent anti-Asian attacks has often shown bystanders frozen in place, appearing paralyzed by the violence they were witnessing. Some Asian Americans said the attack this week in Manhattan sent a chilling message: Even if assaulted on a busy street in broad daylight, they may be left to fend for themselves.

“When I look at the video, the inaction is what’s heartbreaking,” said Mon Yuck Yu, a health advocate for immigrants in New York. “If you are being attacked, the community will not be standing for you.”

The victim of Monday’s attack in Manhattan was identified as Vilma Kari, according to a police official. Kari’s daughter said her mother, who had immigrated to the United States from the Philippines decades ago, was overwhelmed and not ready to talk. She declined to comment further.

At Kari’s apartment Tuesday, a man who opened the door said Kari was still in the hospital recovering from a fractured pelvis. The man declined to give his name.

The police released a photo and video of a man wanted in the attack. He had not been arrested as of Tuesday evening.

Reports of anti-Asian hate crimes have risen sharply during the pandemic, often triggered by people falsely blaming Asian Americans for spreading the coronavirus, according to police departments across the country.

In a memo released to Justice Department employees Tuesday, Attorney General Merrick Garland said the department would make hate crime prosecutions a priority and would provide additional help to local law enforcement agencies in their efforts to investigate bias crimes.

The problem is particularly pressing in New York City, which saw the sharpest increase last year in reported anti-Asian hate crimes of any major city, according to an analysis of police data by a center at the California State University, San Bernardino.

The New York Police Department has received 33 reports of anti-Asian hate crimes this year, already surpassing the 28 reported last year. One reason for the increase was that more victims appear to be reporting attacks than in the past, a senior police official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss ongoing investigations.

Anti-Asian hate crimes have long been underreported because of factors that include language barriers and distrust of the police, according to community advocates.

Last week, the New York Police Department announced that it would begin deploying undercover officers to neighborhoods with large Asian populations in response to the rising attacks. All unprovoked attacks on people of Asian descent will now be referred for investigation as possible hate crimes, police officials said.

The Police Department said the victims of these attacks were predominantly middle-aged men and women who were alone on the streets or on public transit. Their assailants tended to be homeless and have a history of prior arrests and behavioral or emotional difficulties, the police said.

Across the country, most of the anti-Asian attacks documented over the past year took place inside stores or on public streets, and bystanders rarely intervened, according to Cynthia Choi, the co-founder of Stop AAPI Hate, an organization that tracks incidents of violence and discrimination against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.

In another video that went viral this week, a man was beaten and choked on a subway train in Brooklyn in what appeared initially to be another anti-Asian hate crime. The video, posted on social media, showed fellow riders shouting at the attacker to stop without stepping into the fight.

On Tuesday, however, a law enforcement official said that police now believe the victim was Hispanic and the violence may have started when he called his attacker, who was Black, a racial slur.

Police were also investigating another incident Monday night as a possible hate crime. In that case, an Asian woman was waiting in a subway station in Manhattan and noticed that someone had set her backpack on fire.

At a news conference Tuesday, de Blasio urged people to call police immediately if they witnessed an attack and to “shout out what’s happening” to disrupt the violence. “Even just that act of drawing attention and not just letting it go on is powerful,” he said.

In some instances, bystanders who tried to stop attacks have been injured or worse. Last month, an Asian man was stabbed to death in the Sunset Park neighborhood of Brooklyn, after he tried to stop the attempted robbery of another Asian man, the authorities said.

In another incident last week, a bystander tried to step in when a 26-year-old homeless man threatened an older Asian couple in Gravesend, Brooklyn. The homeless man punched the bystander and spit at him, calling him an anti-Chinese racial slur, according to prosecutors. The assault has been charged as a hate crime.

The attack Monday took place in front of 360 W. 43rd St., a luxury apartment building in Manhattan owned by the Brodsky Organization. The company said in a statement that the building employees who witnessed the attack have been suspended pending an investigation.

In a lengthy email to residents of Brodsky buildings that was obtained by The New York Times, the company wrote: “Like so many, we were disturbed when watching the video and witnessing what appears to be a lack of action and empathy on the part of the lobby staff and delivery person in the video.”

Kyle Bragg, the president of 32BJ SEIU, the union representing staff members, issued a statement saying the door staff immediately called for help, urging the public “to avoid a rush to judgment” until the investigation had concluded.

On Tuesday afternoon, a police van parked outside the building on West 43rd Street played a video of the assault on a loop on screens facing the entryway. A reward poster with photos of the man sought by the police was wrapped around a no-parking sign at the curb.

Residents of the building expressed disappointment that the staff in the lobby did not do more to help the victim of the assault.

“I’m not asking them to fight,” said Devin Setyawan, who works in finance and recently moved into the building. “But when you see someone on the ground who clearly needs help, as a human, your instinct isn’t to close the door.”

The security camera video was shocking in its brutality. A 65-year-old Filipino immigrant was walking down a street near Times Square when a man, in broad daylight, suddenly kicked her in the stomach.

The security camera video was shocking in its brutality. A 65-year-old Filipino immigrant was walking down a street near Times Square when a man, in broad daylight, suddenly kicked her in the stomach. She crumpled to the sidewalk. He kicked her once in the head. Then again. And again. He yelled an obscenity at her, according to a police official, and then said, “You don’t belong here.” As the violent scene unfolded in Manhattan, three men watched from the lobby of a nearby luxury apartment building. When the woman struggled to stand up, one of the men, a security guard, closed the front door to the building. Even as reports of anti-Asian hate crimes have escalated in recent weeks, the video released by police officials Monday evening touched a fresh nerve. The sheer brazenness of the attack — combined with the seeming indifference of the bystanders — caused another wave of fear for many Asian Americans already worn down by a steady drumbeat of assaults. “This feels like an emergency happening in real time over weeks,” said Chris Kwok, a board member of the Asian American Bar Association of New York. “People are in a state of panic. Everybody is on edge.” As the video went viral online, the attack provoked a torrent of condemnations from public officials and seemed to underscore the difficulty the government faces in curbing unprovoked assaults against Asian Americans. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio called Monday’s attack “absolutely disgusting and outrageous” and urged New Yorkers to intervene when they see assaults. Gov. Andrew Cuomo said it was “horrifying and repugnant” and ordered the state police to help investigate. Andrew Yang, who is seeking to become New York City’s first Asian American mayor, said he was heartbroken by the frequency of the attacks and advised Asian Americans to walk outside in pairs. In Washington, President Joe Biden announced a slate of new initiatives Tuesday to combat anti-Asian prejudice, including publishing more frequent data on hate crime incidents and taking steps to encourage people to report them. Video footage from other recent anti-Asian attacks has often shown bystanders frozen in place, appearing paralyzed by the violence they were witnessing. Some Asian Americans said the attack this week in Manhattan sent a chilling message: Even if assaulted on a busy street in broad daylight, they may be left to fend for themselves. “When I look at the video, the inaction is what’s heartbreaking,” said Mon Yuck Yu, a health advocate for immigrants in New York. “If you are being attacked, the community will not be standing for you.” The victim of Monday’s attack in Manhattan was identified as Vilma Kari, according to a police official. Kari’s daughter said her mother, who had immigrated to the United States from the Philippines decades ago, was overwhelmed and not ready to talk. She declined to comment further. At Kari’s apartment Tuesday, a man who opened the door said Kari was still in the hospital recovering from a fractured pelvis. The man declined to give his name. The police released a photo and video of a man wanted in the attack. He had not been arrested as of Tuesday evening. Reports of anti-Asian hate crimes have risen sharply during the pandemic, often triggered by people falsely blaming Asian Americans for spreading the coronavirus, according to police departments across the country. In a memo released to Justice Department employees Tuesday, Attorney General Merrick Garland said the department would make hate crime prosecutions a priority and would provide additional help to local law enforcement agencies in their efforts to investigate bias crimes. The problem is particularly pressing in New York City, which saw the sharpest increase last year in reported anti-Asian hate crimes of any major city, according to an analysis of police data by a center at the California State University, San Bernardino. The New York Police Department has received 33 reports of anti-Asian hate crimes this year, already surpassing the 28 reported last year. One reason for the increase was that more victims appear to be reporting attacks than in the past, a senior police official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss ongoing investigations. Anti-Asian hate crimes have long been underreported because of factors that include language barriers and distrust of the police, according to community advocates. Last week, the New York Police Department announced that it would begin deploying undercover officers to neighborhoods with large Asian populations in response to the rising attacks. All unprovoked attacks on people of Asian descent will now be referred for investigation as possible hate crimes, police officials said. The Police Department said the victims of these attacks were predominantly middle-aged men and women who were alone on the streets or on public transit. Their assailants tended to be homeless and have a history of prior arrests and behavioral or emotional difficulties, the police said. Across the country, most of the anti-Asian attacks documented over the past year took place inside stores or on public streets, and bystanders rarely intervened, according to Cynthia Choi, the co-founder of Stop AAPI Hate, an organization that tracks incidents of violence and discrimination against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. In another video that went viral this week, a man was beaten and choked on a subway train in Brooklyn in what appeared initially to be another anti-Asian hate crime. The video, posted on social media, showed fellow riders shouting at the attacker to stop without stepping into the fight. On Tuesday, however, a law enforcement official said that police now believe the victim was Hispanic and the violence may have started when he called his attacker, who was Black, a racial slur. Police were also investigating another incident Monday night as a possible hate crime. In that case, an Asian woman was waiting in a subway station in Manhattan and noticed that someone had set her backpack on fire. At a news conference Tuesday, de Blasio urged people to call police immediately if they witnessed an attack and to “shout out what’s happening” to disrupt the violence. “Even just that act of drawing attention and not just letting it go on is powerful,” he said. In some instances, bystanders who tried to stop attacks have been injured or worse. Last month, an Asian man was stabbed to death in the Sunset Park neighborhood of Brooklyn, after he tried to stop the attempted robbery of another Asian man, the authorities said. In another incident last week, a bystander tried to step in when a 26-year-old homeless man threatened an older Asian couple in Gravesend, Brooklyn. The homeless man punched the bystander and spit at him, calling him an anti-Chinese racial slur, according to prosecutors. The assault has been charged as a hate crime. The attack Monday took place in front of 360 W. 43rd St., a luxury apartment building in Manhattan owned by the Brodsky Organization. The company said in a statement that the building employees who witnessed the attack have been suspended pending an investigation. In a lengthy email to residents of Brodsky buildings that was obtained by The New York Times, the company wrote: “Like so many, we were disturbed when watching the video and witnessing what appears to be a lack of action and empathy on the part of the lobby staff and delivery person in the video.” Kyle Bragg, the president of 32BJ SEIU, the union representing staff members, issued a statement saying the door staff immediately called for help, urging the public “to avoid a rush to judgment” until the investigation had concluded. On Tuesday afternoon, a police van parked outside the building on West 43rd Street played a video of the assault on a loop on screens facing the entryway. A reward poster with photos of the man sought by the police was wrapped around a no-parking sign at the curb. Residents of the building expressed disappointment that the staff in the lobby did not do more to help the victim of the assault. “I’m not asking them to fight,” said Devin Setyawan, who works in finance and recently moved into the building. “But when you see someone on the ground who clearly needs help, as a human, your instinct isn’t to close the door.”

Brutal attack on Filipino woman sparks outrage: ‘Everybody is on edge’

Islamabad: Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has convened a special Cabinet meeting in Lahore on Friday to discuss the &quot;deteriorating situation&quot; in violence-hit Kashmir and chalk out a &quot;future course of action&quot; on the issue. 
&quot;The Cabinet will discuss the oppressive actions of Indian security forces against innocent civilians and the overall situation in Kashmir after the brutal assassination of Burhan Wani,&quot; the Prime Minister&#39;s Office said in a statement. 
The meeting at Governor House in Lahore will discuss the &quot;rapidly deteriorating situation&quot; in Kashmir and the Prime Minister will chalk out a &quot;future course of action&quot; on the issue, it said. 
The statement also noted that on the directions of the Prime Minister, the foreign office summoned the Indian high commissioner to the foreign office and conveyed the &quot;strong concerns of the Pakistani government and people on rapidly deteriorating human rights situation in Kashmir and increasing oppression by Indian security forces.&quot; 
It said that a detailed briefing was also given to ambassadors of all permanent members of UN security council of UN &quot;regarding atrocities of the security forces.&quot; 
India had asked Pakistan to refrain from interfering in its internal affairs after Sharif issued a statement expressing &quot;shock&quot; at the killing of Hizbul commander Burhan Wani. 
Sharif today said the &quot;voice and struggle&quot; of the people of Kashmir cannot be suppressed through use of &quot;brutal force and human rights abuses&quot;. 
He said this during a meeting with PoK Parliament Special Committee Chairman and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazal (JUI-F) President Maulana Fazlur Rehman in Lahore. 
During the meeting, Rehman apprised the Prime Minister on his recent talks with separatist leaders over the &quot;human rights violations&quot; by Indian military and paramilitary forces in Jammu and Kashmir. 
Rehman said the &quot;Kashmiri leadership looks towards Pakistan in difficult times&quot;, according to an official statement. 
Sharif said, &quot;The government and people of Pakistan respect the sentiments of their Kashmiri brethren and will continue to support the Kashmir cause at each and every forum internationally come what may.&quot; 
&quot;The resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute is only possible by the realisation of the right to self-determination of the people of Jammu and Kashmir, as per the UNSC resolutions, through a fair and impartial plebiscite under UN auspices,&quot; Sharif said. 
Meanwhile, Foreign Secretary also briefed the Islamabad-based Ambassadors of the member countries of the OIC Contact Group on Jammu and Kashmir (Azerbaijan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Niger) over the situation in the Valley. 
In the meeting, Pakistan called on the OIC member states to raise their voice against &quot;the blatant human rights violations&quot; of Kashmiri Muslims. 
The Foreign Secretary also briefed the Ambassadors of the European Union over the situation and emphasised the need for a fair and transparent inquiry against individuals responsible for these killings.&nbsp; 
 
(PTI)

It will discuss the 'oppressive actions of Indian security forces' and the overall situation after the 'brutal assassination of Burhan Wani'

Islamabad: Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has convened a special Cabinet meeting in Lahore on Friday to discuss the "deteriorating situation" in violence-hit Kashmir and chalk out a "future course of action" on the issue. "The Cabinet will discuss the oppressive actions of Indian security forces against innocent civilians and the overall situation in Kashmir after the brutal assassination of Burhan Wani," the Prime Minister's Office said in a statement. The meeting at Governor House in Lahore will discuss the "rapidly deteriorating situation" in Kashmir and the Prime Minister will chalk out a "future course of action" on the issue, it said. The statement also noted that on the directions of the Prime Minister, the foreign office summoned the Indian high commissioner to the foreign office and conveyed the "strong concerns of the Pakistani government and people on rapidly deteriorating human rights situation in Kashmir and increasing oppression by Indian security forces." It said that a detailed briefing was also given to ambassadors of all permanent members of UN security council of UN "regarding atrocities of the security forces." India had asked Pakistan to refrain from interfering in its internal affairs after Sharif issued a statement expressing "shock" at the killing of Hizbul commander Burhan Wani. Sharif today said the "voice and struggle" of the people of Kashmir cannot be suppressed through use of "brutal force and human rights abuses". He said this during a meeting with PoK Parliament Special Committee Chairman and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazal (JUI-F) President Maulana Fazlur Rehman in Lahore. During the meeting, Rehman apprised the Prime Minister on his recent talks with separatist leaders over the "human rights violations" by Indian military and paramilitary forces in Jammu and Kashmir. Rehman said the "Kashmiri leadership looks towards Pakistan in difficult times", according to an official statement. Sharif said, "The government and people of Pakistan respect the sentiments of their Kashmiri brethren and will continue to support the Kashmir cause at each and every forum internationally come what may." "The resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute is only possible by the realisation of the right to self-determination of the people of Jammu and Kashmir, as per the UNSC resolutions, through a fair and impartial plebiscite under UN auspices," Sharif said. Meanwhile, Foreign Secretary also briefed the Islamabad-based Ambassadors of the member countries of the OIC Contact Group on Jammu and Kashmir (Azerbaijan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Niger) over the situation in the Valley. In the meeting, Pakistan called on the OIC member states to raise their voice against "the blatant human rights violations" of Kashmiri Muslims. The Foreign Secretary also briefed the Ambassadors of the European Union over the situation and emphasised the need for a fair and transparent inquiry against individuals responsible for these killings. (PTI)

Pakistan PM calls special Cabinet meeting on Friday to discuss Kashmir situation

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