An ex-Goldman Sachs executive testifying in an embezzlement trial against another banker revealed that a Malaysian media CEO he had an affair with blackmailed him into buying her a $10 million home in London.

Tim Leissner, 52, who pleaded guilty to taking part in Malaysia‘s 1MDB corruption scandal in 2018, told prosecutors at Roger Ng’s trial on Tuesday that he had a decade-long affair with Rohana Rozhan, MEASAT Broadcast executive and former CEO of Astro Malaysia Holdings.

Leissner testified that Rozhan threatened to reveal his involvement in Ng’s alleged $4.5 billion scheme with the Malaysian government to embezzle money from the 1MDB account in 2013 if he did not siphon $10 million from the fund to buy her a London home, Bloomberg reported.  

‘Ms. Rozhan was very upset that I was ending our relationship to be with my future wife, with Kimora,’ Leissner told prosecutors, referring to his estranged wife, model and reality TV star Kimora Lee Simmons, 46.  

‘If I didn’t buy her a house, she would tell the authorities about my involvement in the 1MDB scandal. She was threatening to expose me. At the time, 2013, I was very fearful of that.’ 

Former Goldman Sachs executive Tim Leissner (center) testified that he was in a decade-long affair with Rohana Rozhan, MEASAT Broadcast executive and former CEO of Astro Malaysia Holdings. He said the media CEO threatened to expose his involvement in Malaysia’s 1MDB corruption scandal if he did not buy her a $10 million house in London

Rohana Rozhan (above) was in a relationship with Leissner from 2003 to 2013, according to Leissner’s testimony. He said their relationship was an open secret

Rozhan has a London address listed under her name at 42 Montpelier Street (pictured). It is currently unknown if this is the home Leissner paid $10 million for

Agnifilo told jurors that Leissner (pictured with Kimora) ‘uses people’ and has had an ‘illicit’ relationship with Jasmine Loo

Leissner was called to testify last week against Ng, Goldman’s former head of investment banking in Malaysia, who is charged with conspiring to launder money and to violate an anti-bribery law. 

Leissner agreed to cooperate with the government’s investigation and testify against his former associate for a reduced sentence, forfeiting $43million. 

Prosecutors said that Ng, 49, received $35 million in kickbacks for helping embezzle $4.5 billion in funds from 1MDB in a ‘brazen’ scam.

The pair allegedly worked with Malaysian financier Jho Low to divert the money to fund their lavish lifestyle.

NG has pleaded not guilty to the charges. 

Leissner added that he informed his then-boss Richard Gnodde, head of Goldman Sachs’ Asia business, about his relationship with Rozhan, Bloomberg reported.

Gnodde had allegedly told Leissner to ‘be careful about relationships with clients,’ as Astro was one of the businesses Goldman Sachs was working with in Malaysia. 

Leissner said their relationship, which spanned from 2003 to 2013, was an open secret. 

‘Pretty much everybody in our Southeast Asia territory knew it,’ he testified. 

Rozhan, who resigned from Astro in 2019, could not be immediately reached for comment. 

During Tuesday’s testimony, Leissner also revealed that he and Ng tried to set up jobs at Goldman Sachs for three children of former Malaysian’ prime minister Najib Razak, who was ousted in 2018 for his alleged involvement in the 1MBD scandal.

Leissner told prosecutors that in 2009, Razak spoke with the Goldman Sachs bankers, along with then CEO- Lloyd Blankfein, at the Four Seasons hotel in New York, asking them to help find positions for three of his five children at the company, Bloomberg reported.

Leissner did not name which of Razak’s kids were part of the proposed deal, only that one daughter had eventually gotten a job at TPS Inc., suggesting it was Nooryana Najwa Najib, who was hired at the company in 2014.

Leissner added that Low was involved in the attempts to get Razak’s children hired as he read an email between him and Ng in the courtroom on Tuesday.

‘Just met PM’s three children with Jho at his apartment,’ Leissner read from the message he allegedly received from Ng. ‘We’ll work on getting them to join GS.’

Leissner replied to Ng: ‘Sounds good my friend. Get them in.’

He said they passed along a daughter’s resume to Goldman Sachs’ office in London, but a company official rejected their request for the daughter to be hired.

‘He basically told me he would not support this so we dropped it,’ Leissner told prosecutors.

He also told the court that he and Ng came up with the codenames ‘Friend’ and ‘PMO,’ which referred to the Prime Minister’s Office, for Low as they worked to secure Goldman Sachs’ ties in Malaysia and the 1MBD account.

Leissner said Low was ‘essential’ to their business because he was a ‘key decision-maker’ in advising Razak and had fed Goldman bankers insider information on how the government was choosing who it would partner with on the 1MBD, Bloomberg reported.

Goldman was competing with JPMorgan Chase, UBS and other major banks for business with the Malaysian government.

Prosecutor Drew Rolle asked Leissner if their information from Low was ‘like having the answers to a test ahead of time.’

‘Yes,’ Leissner said. ‘Because we wrote them.’

Goldman Sachs declined to comment on Leissner’s testimony. 

Roger Ng (left, pictured alongside his lawyer Marc Agnifilo), Goldman’s former head of investment banking in Malaysia, is charged with conspiring to launder money and to violate an anti-bribery law to fund his lavish lifestyle

In total, Goldman Sachs will have to pay out more than $5 billion in fines in the scandal, in which former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak (above) and his cronies looted billions from 1Malaysia Development Berhad, a supposed government investment fund. Leissner said Razak had requested Goldman Sachs hire three of his fire children

Billions of dollars were looted from the sovereign wealth fund in a fraud that allegedly involved former prime minister Najib Razak and his associates

Tuesday’s testimony was the latest reveal into Leissner’s person life after Ng’s defense attorney claimed the ex banker was a ‘double bigamist’ who ‘uses women.’ 

Leissner, was allegedly ‘married to two different women at the same time, twice,’ attorney Marc Agnifilo claimed last week.

Leissner has been reportedly married three times, though the dates, and marriage and divorce records are not available.

He was allegedly married to an unidentified first wife before meeting and later marrying Judy Chan, a former analyst at Goldman and the daughter of a coal-mining business owner in China. Leissner has also tied the knot with Simmons. 

He met Simmons, who was previously married to hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons, in business class on a flight from Hong Kong to Kuala Lumpur.

The couple reportedly exchanged vows in 2013 – around the time his relationship with Chan fell apart – and had a son, Wolfe, who was born in 2015.

Leissner has been married twice; first to Judy Chan (pictured) a former analyst at Goldman and the daughter of a coal-mining business owner in China

Agnifilo told jurors that Leissman ‘uses people’ and has had an ‘illicit’ relationship with Jasmine Loo, the general counsel at 1MDB, The New York Post reported.

She has since fled Malaysia and is wanted by authorities.

The defense attorney said Leissner and Loo developed a ‘dark trust because of their illicit, intimate romantic relationship’.

Agnifilo said: ‘Leissner uses women, he uses false intimacy, and now he’s trying to use my client to get him to do his jail time.’

If convicted, Ng faces decades behind bars for the alleged embezzlement to fund his lavish lifestyle.  

The ex-banker’s attorneys denied the allegations, arguing that US prosecutors scapegoated Ng for ‘corporate-wide’ failures at Goldman that enabled the colossal fraud. 

The pair allegedly worked with Malaysian financier Jho Low (pictured) to divert the money to fund their lavish lifestyle

‘Roger is 100% innocent,’ defense attorney Marc Agnifilo told the jury. ‘We’re about to actually have a trial of an innocent man.’

The defense argued Ng’s only role was introducing Low to ‘far more involved’ superiors at Goldman who escaped prosecution. The attorney also claimed his client warned company management not to trust Low. 

Among the purchases made from the record heist were a vast superyacht called Equanimity, jewels, and even financing for the hit 2013 movie The Wolf of Wall Street, starring Leonardo DiCaprio. 

The vague details of Tim Leissner’s marriage history 

Tim Leissner was accused of bigamy during Roger Ng’s money laundering trial. The accusation has prompted questions about the banker’s vaguely detailed personal life.

The former Goldman Sachs employee is currently married to model Kimora Lee Simmons. 

The pair had a secret wedding. The exact date and location of that ceremony remains unknown, as a marital records search did not yield any results.

The couple was, however, pictured in Saint Barthélemy in December 2013 sporting rings on their left hands. Page Six alleged they may have had a Caribbean wedding during that time. 

Leissner and Kimora Lee Simmons share a son, Wolfe, who was born in 2015. They also adopted Gary, then 10, in January 2020.

The couple has since become estranged, although it is unclear when they split.

There was speculation they were separating in January 2020 after Leissner was ‘seen canoodling with a mystery woman.’ US Magazine reported at the time that news of the interaction ‘seemed to spread rapidly to Kimora.’

Before marrying Kimora Lee Simmons, Leissner was married to Judy Chan, who currently runs Grace Vineyard, China’s first family-owned winery.

Chan and Leissner met at Goldman when she was working as a junior analyst. It is unclear when exactly they got married, but Bloomberg Quint reported that the feast ‘included suckling pigs with electric lights flashing in their eye sockets.’

Reports suggest Chan and Leissner divorced in 2013 although divorce records were not readily accessible.

Chan was using her married name in Grace Vineyard promotional materials in 2012. She appears to have begun using her maiden name in 2013.

Authors Tom Wright and Bradley Hope, in their novel Billion Dollar Whale, report that Leissner married Chan after divorcing his first wife.

Information regarding his alleged first wife’s identity was not disclosed.

Agnifilo told jurors Leissner should not be trusted, claiming the witness secretly recorded co-conspirators in the scheme, but he never found anything incriminating about his client Ng.

Federal prosecutor Brent Wible alleges Ng secretly agreed with Leissner and Low to take hundreds of millions of dollars raised for three bond deals tied to 1MDB that had been intended for development projects in Malaysia. 

Low, the accused mastermind behind the scheme, was indicted in the US alongside Ng in 2018. 

He has not been arrested by US or Malaysian authorities and his US lawyer did not respond to a request for comment.

Prosecutors say Goldman earned $600 million in fees from the deals, and that around $4.5billion of the funds raised was embezzled.

Goldman paid a nearly $3billion fine and arranged for its Malaysian subsidiary to plead guilty in US court. 

Leissner said on the stand Wednesday that Ng was Goldman’s lead banker on 1MDB and had cultivated a relationship with Malaysian financier Jho Low starting in 2008, who was the key intermediary between the bank and 1MDB.

Bringing in 1MDB business to Goldman, which ultimately sold $6.5 billion in bonds for the fund and reaped $600 million in fees, ‘instantaneously made us heroes’ within the bank, Leissner said.

‘My greed and ambition took over,’ Leissner said, adding that the fallout from his actions had destroyed his life.

He also said bankers at Goldman were expected to be hired on every one of their clients’ deals, and that missing one was considered ‘unacceptable.’

Agnifilo has countered that Leissner, who has not yet been sentenced, has lied to prosecutors about Ng’s involvement in a bid to lighten his punishment. 

He spent much of his opening statement attacking Leissner’s credibility, portraying him as a socialite with expensive taste. 

Before marrying Kimora Lee Simmons, Leissner was married to Judy Chan, who currently runs Grace Vineyard, China’s first family-owned winery.

Chan and Leissner met at Goldman when she was working as a junior analyst. It is unclear when exactly they got married, but Bloomberg Quint reported that the feast ‘included suckling pigs with electric lights flashing in their eye sockets.’

Reports suggest Chan and Leissner divorced in 2013 although divorce records were not readily accessible.

Chan was using her married name in Grace Vineyard promotional materials in 2012. She appears to have begun using her maiden name in 2013.

Authors Tom Wright and Bradley Hope, in their novel Billion Dollar Whale, report that Leissner married Chan after divorcing his first wife.

Information regarding his alleged first wife’s identity was not disclosed in the book and records of a first marriage cannot be found.

Leissner and Simmons met in business class on a flight from Hong Kong to Kuala Lumpur. Their initial encounter is said to have begun with an argument and ended in a marriage proposal.

They wed in 2013, however, the exact date and location of the ceremony remains unknown as a marital records search did not yield any results.

The couple was pictured in Saint Barthélemy in December 2013 sporting rings on their left hands. Page Six alleged they may have had a Caribbean wedding during that time. 

She gave birth to his son, Wolfe, in 2015. They also adopted Gary, then 10, in January 2020. 

The couple has since become estranged, although it is unclear when they split.

There was speculation they were separating in January 2020 after Leissner was ‘seen canoodling with a mystery woman’. Us Weekly reported at the time that news of the interaction ‘seemed to spread rapidly to Kimora’. She was also said to be ‘been spending a lot of time away from Los Angeles’ during that time. 

Leissner and Simmons were living in an $11million Los Angeles mansion but sold the home last year. Leissner still resides in the City of Angels.

Before marrying Simmons, Leissner was married to Judy Chan, who currently runs Grace Vineyard, China’s first family-owned winery.

Chan and Leissner met at Goldman when she was working as a junior analyst. It is unclear when exactly they got married, however Bloomberg Quint reported the feast ‘included suckling pigs with electric lights flashing in their eye sockets.’

Reports suggest Chan and Leissner divorced in 2013 although divorce records were not readily accessible.

Chan was using her married name in Grace Vineyard promotional materials in 2012. She appears to have begun using her maiden name in 2013.

Authors Tom Wright and Bradley Hope, in their novel Billion Dollar Whale, report that Leissner married Chan after divorcing his first wife. Information regarding his alleged first wife’s was not disclosed. 

Kimora, a former model, was married for ten years to Russell Simmons – the founder of hip-hop label Def Jam Recordings – before they divorced in 2008. They have two children. 

Malaysian socialite Jho Low (right) – the other key player in the scheme – remains at large and is believed to have been granted asylum abroad. In 2012, he threw a lavish 31st birthday bash attended by DiCaprio (left), Kim Kardashian and other celebrities. Low and DiCaprio are pictured at The Wolf of Wall Street World Premiere in Paris in December 2013

Malaysian socialite Low, who maintains his innocence, became well known in the New York City and Los Angeles club scenes. 

In 2012, he threw a lavish 31st birthday bash attended by DiCaprio, Kim Kardashian and other celebrities – a fête described by The Wall Street Journal as the ‘wildest party [Las] Vegas ever saw.’ 

Pop star Britney Spears is said to have jumped out of a birthday cake to serenade Low.  

He also dated Miranda Kerr, who was forced to surrender $8million in jewelry he gave her amid the 1MDB inquiry. 

Biden’s Justice Department TERMINATES Trump’s National Security Program to Combat Chinese Espionage Following Complaints of Discrimination against Asian-American Professors and Failed to Prosecute Scholars

from Rob Creeley, senior US political reporter for Dailymail.Com

Published: 21:57 GMT, 23 February 2022 | Updated: 22:13 GMT, 23 February 2022

The Ministry of Justice is giving up China An initiative, a national security program designed to tackle China’s economic espionage in the United States after a series of lawsuits collapsed amid complaints that it fueled suspicion of Chinese Americans.

It was launched by the Trump administration three years ago amid fears of theft of intellectual property in research universities.

Matthew Olson, assistant attorney general for national security, announced a change in strategy on Wednesday.

He said it was followed by a lengthy month-long review that found it was preventing universities from attracting the best talent.

Instead, he said the work would continue as part of a broader strategy that includes espionage from Iran and North Korea.

“Anything that gives the impression that the Ministry of Justice applies different standards based on race or ethnicity, harms the department and our efforts and harms the public,” he told reporters.

“I believe that the Chinese initiative is driven by genuine national security concerns. But I also mean that the department must maintain the trust of the people we serve.

Matthew Olsen, assistant chief prosecutor for national security, said on Wednesday that the justice ministry was ending its “chinese initiative” following the collapse of high-ranking cases and that his conversion to one nationality means racist

In one of the most high-profile cases, the department dropped its case against Gang Chen, a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology who was accused of failing to reveal ties to the Chinese government in a grant application.

The program was created in 2018 under the leadership of then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions as a way to thwart China’s aggressive efforts to steal American intellectual property and spy on American industry and research.

The Ministry of Justice has said it is responsible for major lawsuits, and its website lists nearly 60 cases, including hacking and false statements in grant applications.

But cases have also been withdrawn or dismissed by judges.

In January, for example, the department dropped its case against Gang Chen, a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Chen was arrested on January 14, 2021, one of the last days of former President Trump.

He was accused of failing to disclose ties with the Chinese government in applications for grants to the Ministry of Energy in 2017. Chen denied the allegations.

Prosecutors dropped the case a year later when it became clear that the Ministry of Energy had said that Chen was not obliged to provide the information in his form.

In an interview with New York Times after the charge was dropped, he said it was difficult to celebrate the outcome.

“We’re all losers, aren’t we?” He said. “My reputation has been ruined.”

“My students, my doctoral students changed their careers. They changed to other groups.

“MIT, the country, the United States, we are losing. I can’t calculate the loss. This loss cannot be calculated.

His example was not the only one.

In September, a federal judge dismissed allegations against a professor at the University of Tennessee, accused of hiding his connection to a Chinese university while receiving grants from NASA.

But administration officials say the threat from China remains.

FBI Director Christopher Ray said in a speech last month that the threat came from China

was more “brazen” than ever, with the FBI opening new cases to counter Chinese intelligence operations every 12 hours.

“I’m not taking any tools from the table here,” Olson said. In a speech at the Antonine Scalia Law School at George Mason University, he noted that despite the diverse set of threats, “it is clear that the Chinese government stands apart.”

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An embarrassing video shows the moment when a student with special needs was beaten by a much older boy in his Texas school, as it is alleged that three employees were standing and watching.

Alarming footage taken by a security camera at Marine Jones High School in Aldin shows an unidentified student standing over the much younger Sekai, 11, who is nonverbal and has autism, as well as learning difficulties, scares and eventually beatings. on the boy as he stood frightened by the wall.

The footage shows three school officials watching the attack – which took place on January 25th – as it continues, doing nothing to stop it.

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Sixth-grader Sekai, 11, was beaten by another student at his Texas school while “three employees were standing and watching,” his grandmother said.

Footage from a security camera at Marine Jones High School in Aldin shows an unidentified student standing over the much younger Sekai, 11, who is nonverbal and autistic, intimidating and eventually hitting the boy as he faces a wall.

Footage shows three school staff – seen on the left in the image – watching the attack on January 25 as it continues, doing nothing to stop it.

The attacking student, who appears to be much older than the sixth-grader with special needs, can be seen pushing a visibly shaken Sekai against the wall and finally toward the floor, kicking him while down.

As the boy tries to stand up, the older student, who also has special needs, according to the school, punches him in the face, causing a 4-foot, 85-pound Sekai to double in pain.

The boy then struck three more blows against the still unperturbed Sekai, who according to his grandmother and guardian, 61-year-old Veda Kavit, has the abilities of a four- or five-year-old due to his condition.

At this point, while Sekai is crumpling on the floor in clear pain, one of the employees, a paraprofessional – an assistant who has to watch over students with special needs – according to the school, is recklessly trying to stop the attack by holding out his hand to the enraged student. after watching the commotion as he leaned against the wall with his hand on his hip.

The main attacker then walked away from the still-deposed Sekai, at which point another paraprofessional, who had watched the attack and done nothing, approached the enraged student and patted him on the back, apparently trying to calm him down.

In the graphics, the attacking student punches Sekai in the face, causing a 4-foot-7-inch-tall, 85-pound student to roll over in pain as officers continue to watch.

The boy then punched three more fists against the still unperturbed Sekai, who according to his grandmother and guardian has the abilities of a 4- to 5-year-old due to his condition.

After the child crumpled on the floor in clear pain, one of the officers who watched the attack – and did nothing – approached the other student in a friendly manner, ignoring the still-removed Sekai

Talking to the boy while Sekai writhes on the floor while the other two employees are still trying not to come to the boy’s aid, the employee seemingly lets the boy pass him.

The worker did so after Sekai crawled behind his feet in an apparent attempt to seek refuge from the boy’s pressure to keep him from continuing the attack.

The unnamed boy then kicks a crawling cut three times in the head while the three officers watch and do nothing.

Sekai’s tormentor then moved away from the student with special needs as he lay motionless on the floor in a fetal position, with the employee who had previously tried to talk to him wrapping his arm around his back in a friendly, reassuring way.

All the while, Sekai lies motionless on the floor while the staff and students stand idle.

All the while, Sekai lies motionless on the floor while the staff and students stand idle

A third employee, also a paraprofessional, also watched the attack as she stood behind a wheelchair-bound child she apparently cared for.

Now Cavit – who took custody of Sekai after his parents died when he was a baby – is campaigning for the immediate dismissal of employees.

She says she met with district officials and asked for the assistants to be fired.

However, in a statement from the school district confirming the incident, the employees revealed that the employees were still employed at the school and that an investigation into the incident had already been carried out,

Now, Sekai’s grandmother and guardian, Veda Kavit (pictured) – who took custody of Sekai after his parents died when he was a baby – is fighting for the immediate dismissal of employees.

They said “appropriate administrative action” had been taken against the employees.

“Aldine ISD is aware of an incident that occurred between two students from the SLC (Structured Classroom) on January 25 at Jones High School,” said district officials.

“An inspection was carried out immediately and appropriate administrative actions were taken against the employees. Aldine ISD takes these situations seriously, as the safety and security of our students and staff will always be our top priority, ”said the district.

But Cavit is not happy with the region’s response.

“Those adults in this video were just standing there. They did not try to help my child get up from the ground, “Cavitt said, adding that school officials sent her the graphic video. “They did not offer him any help. They didn’t even check to see if he was injured.

After watching the video, Cavitt said she was outraged by the staff’s inaction.

“I was a crazy black woman. Frankly, I was angry, “said Sekai’s grandmother, Veda Kavit. “My heart just fell to the floor. If I were in the same situation, I, as a parent, as a mother, as a human being, could not just stand by and watch a brutal attack.

Cavitt said Sekai missed two days of school as a result of the attack. She says he is being evaluated by medical professionals to see the extent of his injuries

But staff are still employed at the school, officials said, something Cavit wants to change.

“I need them removed,” Cavitt told local KPRC-TV about the attack after sharing the footage on social media. “They have to get rid of them.” They have no purpose here. They have no purpose here. They can’t do their job.

“I still fight for him every day.”

Cavitt said Sekai missed two days of school as a result of the attack. She says he is being evaluated by medical professionals to see the extent of his injuries.

Cavitt, along with several local activists, have since held a rally in front of the school to take action against the staff.

She says she serves as his protector because he has no ability to do so.

“I am his voice.” “I am his voice and I will take care of any of his injustices, they will be heard,” she said.

“He is loved. He is so attached. He loves to hug and … just passionate, very, very affectionate.

Candice Houston, president of the Aldine ISD Teachers’ Union and a candidate for state representative, said in a statement that unidentified employees may have been reluctant to act for fear of losing their jobs.

School officials said an investigation into the incident had already been carried out and that “appropriate administrative action” had been taken against the staff.

“Paraprofessionals get very little money, so when they have to make that decision, they probably thought about their livelihood, because one wrong step, one wrong move, they can be fired just for no reason,” said the union leader.

– However, this is not a reason not to interfere.

“Mardi Gras’ first parade doesn’t disappoint”: A fascinating last Instagram post of a NOLA student five days before her body was dumped in hospital after she disappeared with an Uber driver

• 21-year-old Siaa Jordan Whitestone was dumped in front of the Eastern Hospital in New Orleans on Saturday at 6.54.
• She had not been seen alive since 1 a.m. when she left her apartment with an Uber driver, with whom she returned home, then returned with
• Uber will not name the driver and no arrests have been made
• One of her friends claims to have heard the driver on the phone at 1.30 in the morning ask Siya if she likes to party.
• The cause of Siya’s death remains a mystery, and her body has not yet been returned to her family in South Carolina.
• Six days earlier, she posted a series of photos after attending her first Mardi Gras parade
• She had just moved to Louisiana to study in college when she died

from Jennifer Smith, chief reporter for Dailymail.Com

Published: 20:26 GMT, 23 February 2022 | Updated: 22:26 GMT, 23 February 2022

The NOLA student, whose lifeless body was found dumped in hospital on Saturday morning, five hours after she disappeared with Uber After partying in the evening, the driver celebrated Mardi Gras and shared a captivating finale Instagram publication for participation in her first parade.

21-year-old Siaa Jordan Wetstone was dumped in front of the Eastern Hospital in New Orleans on Saturday morning at 6.54.

It is unknown who left her or the cause of her death. She was pronounced dead on the spot.

Shining, a devout Christian student, had spent the previous night at a Mardi Gras parade after attending much of the weekly celebration and then visiting her boyfriend’s apartment.

At 1 a.m., she returned to her own apartment via Uber.

Her roommate Reese White says she brought the Uber driver to the apartment with her, announcing that he was her “new friend.” She then left home with her husband, and this was the last time she was seen alive.

Ciaya Jordan posted a series of photos on Instagram last week after attending her first Mardi Gras parade. She died on Saturday after going to a second parade, then to a party and later disappeared with her Uber driver

One of her friends claims that at 1.30 am he talked to her on the phone and overheard an Uber driver asking her, “Do you like partying?”

Police are still investigating, but have not yet been arrested. Uber will not identify the driver or say whether he was interviewed by police or them.

He has stopped taking any other trips pending the outcome of the police investigation.

Six days before she was found dead, Siaya attended her first Mardi Gras parade with her boyfriend and their best friends.

She hadn’t lived in New Orleans since August, after moving from her native South Carolina to college.

On Instagram, she excitedly shared photos from the evening and wrote below them: “Well, my first Mardi Gras parade did not disappoint me.”

The 21-year-old business student returned home to her apartment at 1 a.m. to change her shirt, then went out with her Uber driver. Her roommate tells her that she brought the man inside with her

Ciaya was shown last weekend at a Mardi Gras parade with her boyfriend on the left and her best friends on the right.

Ciaya’s roommate Reese White said she got home with the Uber driver at 1 a.m. and then returned with him

Siaia’s body was left in front of a hospital in New Orleans East at 6:54 a.m. Saturday

Her stepfather, Chris Ferran, told DailyMail.com on Wednesday that the family is now working to bring her body home to South Carolina and that he does not want to interfere in the investigation until then.

‘In this moment. I want to wait for an official police report and an investigators’ report before making any statement about events.

A friend called Wetstone while she was in the car and said he heard the Uber driver ask the UNO student, “Do you like partying?”

“At this point, I will answer all questions, as long as it does not interfere with the investigations that may follow.

“Right now, my concern is to get Siya back home so we can put our angel to rest,” he said.

Uber will not comment on the identity of the driver or whether other complaints have been made against him in the past.

“Our thoughts are with Siya Wetstone’s family as they mourn the loss of their daughter,” the company said.

“We are ready to help law enforcement with their investigation,” a spokesman said.

Ciaya Reese’s roommate previously told the local 4WWL network that she tried to stop her from leaving their apartment with the driver.

“She came home around 1, something she said she was changing her shirt,” she said, adding that the Uber driver had entered the house with her.

“She said, ‘This is my friend. I just met him. ” I said, “You have to stop getting in the car with strangers,” but she said he was her Uber driver. I tried to convince her before she left to stay at home, “she added.

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One week after he went viral over his reckless reaction to a photographer who broke his spine in the Los Angeles Rams Super Cup rally, quarterback Matthew Stafford now says he regrets his answer – or lack thereof.

“Yes, I mean, it obviously happened very quickly, suddenly and unexpectedly, and I’d like to have a better response right now,” Stafford told his wife Kelly in her podcast The Morning After.

NFL photographer Kelly Smiley was seen in a viral video last week walking backwards and falling from a six-foot scene outside LA Memorial Colosseum, where the post-parade rally took place. Smiley was taking a picture of the couple on Kelly Stafford’s cell phone just before the incident.

Although he fell off the screen, a group of concerned onlookers, including Kelly, were spotted hurrying to Smiley’s attention.

Stafford himself was not one of them.

Apparently full of heroism, after leading Rams in a winning 79-yard drive against Cincinnati Bengals in the Super Bowl LVI, Stafford seemed to say “oh my God” and immediately turned when Smiley fell to the ground.

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A week after he went viral over his reckless reaction to a photographer who broke his spine in a Los Angeles Rams Super Bowl rally, quarterback Matthew Stafford (left) now says he regrets his response or lack thereof. “Yes, I mean, it obviously happened very quickly, suddenly and unexpectedly, and I’d like to have a better response right now,” Stafford told his wife Kelly (right) in her podcast The Morning After.

Kelly Smiley, who filmed the event, was seen in a video accidentally leaving the stage in front of the Coliseum of the Los Angeles Memorial, where the rally took place after the parade. Quarterback Matthew Stafford is seen in black on the left side of the frame

Although she fell off the screen, a group of concerned onlookers, including Stafford’s wife, Kelly (right, in blue), were spotted rushing to Smiley’s attention.

Later on Instagram, Smiley showed the brace she was given in the hospital, writing that she was “feeling good” but “spending the night in the trauma (sic) center”

Smiley later revealed on social media that she had suffered a fracture of the spine, which infuriated Stafford’s apparent lack of interest in her well-being.

But talking to her husband in her podcast, Kelly Stafford claims that public perceptions of the incident are distorted.

“We can’t help but talk about what happened,” she told her husband. “There was a photographer who came down from the back of the stage, asked if we wanted a picture, and I said yes, because looking back at my camera, I literally have zero from Matthew and me. ‘

“When she offered, she stepped back and fell,” Kelly Stafford continued. “It was a terrible, terrible moment. Matthew looked at me and said, “Check it out, please,” and turned.

Initially, Smiley – who says on her website that she works as a photo editor for the NFL, NBA and NHL – said she only suffered broken equipment.

Stafford wrote on Twitter after his visit to the emergency room, saying: “Unfortunately I broke my spine.”

Kelly Smiley (left, right), a photographer filming the Rams Super Bowl celebration in Los Angeles on Wednesday, says she suffered a spinal fracture falling from the team’s stage in front of quarterback Matthew Stafford, who walked away instead of offering help. Later on Instagram, Smiley showed the brace she was given in the hospital, writing that she was “feeling good” but “spending the night in the trauma (sic) center”

Kelly Stafford said she went to Smiley and “she can see she’s fine.”

Kelly Stafford later said the couple “followed her” after the parade.

Matthew actually looked at me and said, “Hey, are you going to contact the Aries, ask how she is?”

According to Kelly Stafford, the Aries told the couple “we think she’ll be fine” and they agreed to send her flowers.

But Smiley’s diagnosis was far from right.

“We wake up the next day, it’s not good,” Kelly Stafford continued.

“What a gentleman.” Fathers do better in educating your sons. Men to be better mentors. #BeKindAlways #MatthewStafford she broke her spine while doing her job. We hope that the water you drink is SALTY “, tweets Petra Malusklava.

Initially, Smiley – who says on her website that she works as a photo editor for the NFL, NBA and NHL – said she only suffered broken equipment. Later, on Instagram, Smiley showed her back brace, which was placed in the hospital, writing that she was “feeling good” but “spending the night in the tram center (sic)”.

“Unfortunately, I broke my spine,” she wrote in the post.

Kelly said her husband contacted Smiley via text message, but so far his immediate withdrawal in response to the fall has gone viral.

Kelly Stafford said the quarterback had sent an SMS to Smiley, but his reaction had already gone viral by this time.

“I did not apologize to her for that, but I am glad that she is doing well overall,” he said on Tuesday. “It’s one of those things you try to train your reactions to be a little better next time.”

Another tweeted: “I sincerely hope that you will recover from this unfortunate fall. Matthew Stafford could (sic) be more sympathetic and ask if he was okay or call the security guard, but instead he drank from his water bottle and left as if nothing had happened.

@ Waffles1975 said the incident “shows everything you need to know about Matthew Stafford’s character right there”

Smiley, who will inevitably be burdened with medical bills after a broken spine, also had the support of another user, Christopher Carly, who said: “I hope Matthew Stafford can find a little spare in his 60.5 contract million dollars received by young ladies GoFundMe.

“Trying to figure out how obviously intoxicated Matthew Stafford will help this lady,” writes @PostinMonkey

Rams announced last week that the team would cover Smiley’s medical expenses and help her replace her broken cameras.

Matthew was sharply criticized on social media, with many criticizing him for his classless behavior.

“What a gentleman.” Fathers do better in educating your sons. Men to be better mentors. #BeKindAlways #MatthewStafford she broke her spine while doing her job. We hope that the water you drink is SALTY “, tweets Petra Malusklava.

Another tweeted to Smiley: “I sincerely hope you recover from this unfortunate fall. Matthew Stafford could (sic) show more empathy and ask if you were okay or call the security guard, but instead he drank from his water bottle and left as if nothing had happened #Classless. ‘

User @ Waffles1975 said the incident “shows everything you need to know about Matthew Stafford’s character right there.”

Smiley also had the support of another user, Christopher Carly, who tweeted: “I hope Matthew Stafford can find some spare amount in his $ 60.5 million contract he gets on the young lady’s GoFundMe.”

However, some defended him, saying he could not help because he was drunk.

“Trying to figure out how obviously intoxicated Matthew Stafford will help this lady,” wrote another Twitter user.

Matthew Stafford raises a bottle to cheer on Rams fans attending Wednesday’s rally in LA

The University of Virginia (UVA) is conducting a test to see if the famous parasite drug ivermectin can actually cure COVID-19.

Ivermectin has become a common name in the United States after it was falsely advertised by some conservative and vaccine advocates as a potential treatment for Covid.

Often called “horse deworming agent”, the medicine is approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use by humans in the treatment of parasite-related conditions, but is not considered to have antiviral properties.

The UVA team will test the drug together with fluvoxamine, a depression drugs that some also speculate may cure the virus.

The researchers say their goal with this study is potentially to fill the gaps left by the limited supply of some Covid treatments.

UVA researchers conducted a study with 15,000 people to determine whether ivermectin was effective in treating Covid’s symptoms. Previous surveys conducted elsewhere have found that it is not, despite rumors on social media (file photo)

Paxlovid is effective against the virus, but the drug is in short supply worldwide, leading many to look for potential alternatives while Pfizer solves production problems.

“While we have some great new drugs for COVID-19 in outpatients, supplies are limited and it is still important to find potential new treatments,” said Dr. Patrick Jackson, who led the study. WTOP.

“Because the drugs we study are cheap and widely available, they could have a huge global impact if we find them effective in treating COVID.”

The study will include 15,000 people, all over the age of 30 who have tested positive for the virus in the past ten days.

Previous studies of this type have already refuted the idea that ivermectin is effective in the treatment of Covid. Malaysian study joined the ranks last week, indicating that the drug had no effect on 490 patients with Covid.

The source of claims that ivermectin can cure the virus is a legitimate, peer-reviewed, Australian study that shows that the drug can inhibit virus replication in the laboratory.

The doses used in the study were so concentrated that they would not be safe for human use, and the findings were reproduced only in the laboratory and not in humans.

“In this study, they showed that ivermectin can inhibit cell cultures [Covid] replication, but the concentrations required for this effect were in a range called the micromolar range – very high concentrations compared to what you would find in the plasma of a treated person or animal, which would be 20 to 50 times lower, “said Dr. Timothy Geary, a leading expert on parasites at McGill University in Montreal, told DailyMail.com when the drug first became known in August.

“At high concentrations in cell culture, many compounds can have all sorts of effects, but when you look at what we would call pharmacological levels – what we actually see and treat patients with – it’s much higher than [what would be used in humans]

“So the standard doses of ivermectin we use for humans will never reach levels that would be effective against the virus based on this one study.”

However, repeated warnings from healthcare professionals not to abuse the drug to treat the virus remain unheeded.

Some prominent non-experts have also advertised the anti-parasite drug in recent months, such as podcast Joe Rogan and NFL quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

There are several drugs that actually do what some believe ivermectin does.

Merck, who also developed ivermectin, introduced molnupiravir, a pill that a person can take when infected with Covid to reduce the chance of hospitalization or death from the virus.

There are some concerns that the way the drug works may accidentally trigger a mutation in new variants of Covid, but some doctors are reluctant to use it.

Pfizer’s Paxlovid is considered the gold standard for Covid antiviral pills, although the company is struggling with production, which has led to shortages in much of the world.

Monoclonal antibodies are also effective treatments after infection, but the Omicron variant has managed to avoid some of the available treatments and, even when effective, is very resource-intensive.

As a result, delivering these drugs to poorer and less resourceful nations in the developing world can be a challenge.

Soon, Americans may have another option for a vaccine against Covid that will hit the market, and this is a more conventional injection that people may be more familiar with.

The pharmaceutical giant Sanofi, based in Franceand GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), based in the United Kingdom, have submitted a joint application to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for authorization for two doses COVID-19 vaccine and booster.

The vaccine is a protein-based vaccine, making it similar to the flu vaccine and other vaccines Americans received in their youth, rather than the new mRNA vaccines developed by Pfizer and Moderna.

Clinical trials have also shown promise for stroke, showing nearly 60 percent effectiveness in preventing symptomatic Covid infection and 100 percent effectiveness against hospitalization or death caused by the virus.

Like Novavax – which is also seeking authorization for a protein-based vaccine from the FDA – GSK and Sanofi are arriving late in the market after facing problems in preparation for the application, but could be major players in future deployments. Covid’s annual amplifiers.

After delays due to human error at the start of the trials, GSK and Sanofi have finally applied for FDA approval for their protein-based vaccine against COVID-19. This is a two-dose injection and companies are also planning a booster (photo file)

The shot showed great effectiveness in clinical trials, showing 100% effectiveness in preventing hospitalization or death from the virus. The booster was also very effective, increasing the antibody levels of mRNA vaccine recipients by up to 30-fold

“The evolving epidemiology of COVID-19 demonstrates the need for different vaccines,” said Roger Connor, president of GSK.

“We are confident that this vaccine can play an important role as we continue to tackle this pandemic and prepare for the post-pandemic period.”

Differences between mRNA and protein vaccines

• mRNA vaccines became popular during the COVID-19 pandemic, when Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna released two-dose vaccines

Vaccines supply the body with materials to create its own viral protein. The immune system then destroys this protein and makes viral antibodies

mRNA photos are easier to develop and cheaper to make, but more expensive to transport

• Protein vaccines are the standard in America, and the 16 vaccines scheduled in the United States for humans before the age of 18 are all protein vaccines.

Staff is more durable, more resilient to future options and easier to store and transport

The shots work by exposing a person to dead viral proteins, generating antibodies when the immune system destroys him.

The companies have provided phase 3 data from the FDA test and say they plan to release the full results of the test to the public by the end of the year.

During the study, the vaccine was found to be 57.9% effective against symptomatic Covid infection. This is standard for available vaccines during the current Omicron-powered jump.

Where the vaccine really impresses is its ability to prevent the worst possible results from the virus.

Participants who received two doses of the vaccine were 75 percent less likely to suffer from severe Covid infection than their peers. None of the study members who received the stroke needed to be hospitalized or died as a result of a Covid infection.

Enhancement injection has also been shown to be effective when combined with popular mRNA vaccines such as Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna jabs.

Sanofi and GSK report that receiving their booster after taking a two-dose regimen of jab mRNA can increase antibody levels 18 to 30-fold.

“We are very pleased with these data, which confirm our strong science and the benefits of our vaccine against COVID-19,” said Thomas Triumph, Sanofi’s executive vice president, in a statement.

“There is no other global Phase 3 efficacy study during this period with so many variants of concern, including Omicron, and these efficacy data are similar to the latest clinical data from authorized vaccines.”

Human mistake at the beginning of the vaccine trial, it postponed the companies by several months because the scientists conducting the trial misdiagnosed the wrong doses.

As a result, the whole process had to be restarted, which allowed the two pharmaceutical giants to be overtaken by Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson.

Coincidentally, Novavax, which is also launching a protein-based vaccine that will compete directly with this one, has also faced many setbacks over the past year and until recently was unable to provide data for FDA approval.

However, health experts are excited about the prospect of a protein-based vaccine.

While mRNA jabs are easier to develop and cheaper to produce, they also have some drawbacks.

The virus can mutate more easily to evade the protection provided by vaccines – such as the Omicron variant – and vaccines must also be stored at extremely low temperatures, making vaccine delivery worldwide expensive and resource-intensive. .

Protein-based injections are thought to be more resistant to mutations and can be stored under standard cooling.

Efficacy is also expected to last longer than these injections, making the need for frequent boosters less likely.

Americans are also more aware of these photos, which could help quell the remaining population fluctuations about the vaccine.

“Many people are reluctant to be immunized. calls them anti-waxers, but I think a lot of those 20 percent [of unvaccinated Americans] are people who have completely immunized themselves and their children against [other viral diseases]. They’re just a little nervous about the mRNA vaccine, “Dr. Cody Meissner, chief FDA adviser and head of pediatrics at Tufts Children’s Hospital, told DailyMail.com.

“They may be more likely to be immunized with a more standard protein vaccine.”

Explosions were reported in the southern Ukrainian city of Mariupol in the early hours of Thursday, as the US Secretary of State said he believed a Russian invasion would take place tonight, and The united nations The Security Council shall hold an extraordinary meeting.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called on Vladimir Putin to stop his tanks.

“If surgery is really being prepared, I have only one thing to say from the bottom of my heart,” Guterres said.

“President Putin, stop your troops from attacking Ukraine. Give peace a chance. Too many people have already died.

Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the US ambassador to the United Nations, said she spoke with President Joe Biden minutes earlier and he expressed strong support for the Ukrainian government.

“Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine is inevitable,” said Thomas Greenfield.

“Tonight we see Russia closing the airspace, moving troops to Donbass.

“We ask Russia to stop. Send your troops back to their barracks and your planes back to their ports. Send your diplomats.

Footage shared on social media shows residential complexes in Mariupol – 50 miles from the Russian border – booming with the sound of what some reports say was shelling.

In Nikolaev, 400 miles east of Mariupol, residents reported sounds of a fierce exchange of gunfire.

U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said Wednesday night that he expects Putin to invade overnight.

Ukrainian authorities announced widespread cyberattacks against state institutions on Wednesday night.

Linda Thomas-Greenfield, US ambassador to the United Nations, was seen addressing the Security Council on Wednesday night

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urges Vladimir Putin to “give peace a chance”

@POTUS keeps a close eye on events in Ukraine and will continue to receive regular updates from Jake Sullivan, his national security adviser. He also spoke with his UN ambassador, Linda Thomas Greenfield, ahead of tonight’s UN Security Council meeting.

– Jen Psaki (@PressSec) February 24, 2022

The UN Security Council is holding an extraordinary meeting Wednesday night

Putin is thought to be planning a full-scale invasion of Ukraine after recognizing two areas in the east of the country as independent earlier this week. The rebels already hold part of this territory (in dark red), but Putin has recognized a much wider region (shadow red) amid fears that he will now try to seize it.

US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken was asked on Wednesday night if he expected Putin to launch a full-scale invasion of Ukraine overnight, and said yes.

Blinken was asked by Leicester Holt on NBC News if he thought there would be a full-scale invasion from Russia “before tonight is over.”

Blinken replied, “Yes. Unfortunately, Russia is positioning its forces in the end point of readiness beyond Ukraine’s borders – north, east, south.

“Everything seems to be fine so that Russia can launch a major aggression against Ukraine.”

Blinken added: “I can’t set a date or an exact time, but everything is in place so that Russia can move forward.”

Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky addressed the nation on Wednesday night, saying he had tried to contact Vladimir Putin to discuss the situation, but Putin refused to accept his call.

“I initiated a telephone conversation with the President of the Russian Federation. The result: silence, “Zelenski said.

Zelensky said he wanted to address the Russian people – acknowledging that he knew the speech would not be shown in the country – but warned that the “spark” for the invasion could come at any time.

“You have been told that this flame will liberate the people of Ukraine, but the Ukrainian people are free.

“You were told we were Nazis, but how can a nation support Nazis who gave more than eight million lives to defeat Nazism?”

Zelensky also rejected Moscow’s claim that Ukraine was a threat to Russia.

“The people of Ukraine and the government of Ukraine want peace,” Zelensky said, adding that a Russian invasion would cost tens of thousands of lives.

Zelensky added that there are now 200,000 Russian troops stationed near Ukraine’s borders.

Zelensky said Russia’s people had lied about Ukraine and called on them to help stop a possible war.

“Who can stop (the war)? people. These people are among you, I’m sure, “he said.