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“That ’70s Show” star Danny Masterson could get as much as 30 years to life in prison at his sentencing Thursday for the rapes of two women two decades ago. Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Charlaine F. Olmedo is set to sentence the 47-year-old actor after ruling on a defense motion for a new trial that she’s very likely to reject, and after hearing impact statements from the victims. A jury of seven women and five men found Masterson guilty of two counts on May 31 after seven days of deliberations. Both attacks took place in Masterson’s Hollywood-area home in 2003, when he was at the height of his fame on the Fox network sitcom “That ’70s Show.” The jury could not reach a unanimous verdict on a third count, an allegation that Masterson also raped a longtime girlfriend. The verdict came in a second trial after a jury failed to reach verdicts on three counts of forcible rape in December and a mistrial was declared. Prosecutors alleged that Masterson used his prominence in the Church of Scientology — where all three women were also members at the time — to avoid consequences for decades after the attacks. The women blamed the church for their hesitancy in going to police about Masterson. They testified that when they reported him to Scientology officials, they were told they were not raped, were put through ethics programs themselves, and were warned against going to law enforcement to report a member of such high standing. “They were raped, they were punished for it, and they were retaliated against,” Deputy District Attorney Reinhold Mueller told jurors at the trial. “Scientology told them there’s no justice for them.” The church said in a statement after the verdict that the “testimony and descriptions of Scientology beliefs” during the trial were “uniformly false.” “The Church has no policy prohibiting or discouraging members from reporting criminal conduct of anyone — Scientologists or not — to law enforcement,” the statement said. Masterson did not testify, and his lawyers called no witnesses. The defense argued that the acts were consensual, and attempted to discredit the women’s stories by highlighting changes and inconsistencies over time, which they said showed signs of coordination between them. The women whose testimony led to Masterson’s conviction said that in 2003, he gave them drinks and that they then became woozy or passed out before he violently raped them. Olmedo allowed prosecutors and accusers to say directly in the second trial that Masterson drugged the women, while only allowing the women to describe their condition in the first. Masterson was not charged with any counts of drugging, and there was no toxicology evidence to back up the assertion. The issue could be a factor in a planned appeal from the defense of Masterson’s conviction. The Associated Press does not typically name people who say they’ve been sexually abused. Masterson starred with Ashton Kutcher, Mila Kunis and Topher Grace in “That ’70s Show” from 1998 until 2006. He had reunited with Kutcher on the 2016 Netflix comedy “The Ranch,” but was written off the show when an LAPD investigation was revealed the following year. While that investigation began before a wave of women shook Hollywood with stories about Harvey Weinstein in October 2017, the conviction and sentencing of Masterson still represents a major #MeToo era success for Los Angeles prosecutors, along with the conviction of Weinstein himself last year.

Ani Kirakosyani found out she was pregnant a month after the blockade of Nagorno-Karabakh began. Food, fuel and medical supplies in the disputed territory are running low and officials there say they reported the first death from malnutrition last month.

A bizarre mystery is unfolding in Texas after five children were found alone in their home after their parents were allegedly kidnapped. San Antonio police officers were called to the home in the city’s Southwest Side neighbourhood at around 6am on Wednesday. The children, all under the age of 17, were inside and unharmed. The children reportedly told police that unknown suspects had broke into their house and “forcefully” taken the parents, who are both in their late 30s. The two male suspects reportedly showed up to the house with guns. “Suspects kicked down the door, entered the home, took the adults and fled the scene,” Ricardo Guzman, from the San Antonio Police Department, told KSAT. “We located about five juveniles all inside the home, no injuries, they were unharmed.” The house, located in the 3100 block of Mission Bell, has been taped off while they search and investigate around the property. The police are currently calling the crime a “kidnapping”. Texas law states this is a third-degree felony which could see the suspects in state prison between two to ten years and/or a fine of up to $10,000. The police say they still have a lot of unanswered questions such as why this kidnapping happened and where the couple is right now. According to KSAT, the police said in an earlier statement that the suspects were driving a white SUV. The motive of the suspects is still unknown, police said. Read More Eleven-year-old girl charged with felony for reporting friend missing in YouTube challenge prank Carlee Russell’s ex speaks out about kidnapping hoax: ‘I was mad, I was sad’ Andrea Vazquez – latest: Murder suspect Gabriel Esparza’s attorney says he’s scared as DA vows to seek justice

The manhunt for convicted killer Danelo Cavalcante has now entered its eighth day with details beginning to emerge about how he managed to escape from prison in Pennsylvania. Cavalcante, 34, escaped from Chester County Prison days after he was sentenced to life without parole for stabbing his ex-girlfriend Deborah Brandao, 31, to death in front of her two small children. He is also wanted for a 2017 murder in Brazil. Authorities said during a press conference on Wednesday that he broke out by climbing onto a prison building roof from one of the exercise yards. Newly released surveillance video shows Cavalcante crawling up a wall at the prison before he disappears from the frame. Police said that he later managed to jump down to an area of the prison that had less surveillance. A tower officer tasked with observing the site failed to report the incident and Cavalcante’s escape was only noticed later during a head count. He was last spotted near Chandler Road, Pennsbury Township, on Tuesday evening. Local and federal law enforcement searched the area for hours but did not locate the fugitive. Members of the public are urged to secure their homes from the dangerous killer. Read More Danelo Cavalcante’s escape from Pennsylvania prison captured in newly released video How did Danelo Cavalcante manage to slip past Pennsylvania authorities twice? Father reveals terrifying moment escaped murderer Danelo Cavalcante broke into his home Danelo Cavalcante killed his girlfriend in front of her children. Now he’s on the run after a prison break

At least 13 people have died and several remain missing across Greece, Turkey and Bulgaria as torrential rain and severe flooding batter southern Europe.

Rescuers are searching for the couple after torrential rains swept away their holiday home.

Provides an overview of Azerbaijan, including key dates and facts about this state in the Caucasus.

Kilmeade was especially unhappy with Congressman Gaetz's strategy to impeach Biden with no planning

Julie Fujishima admits for the first time that rampant sexual abuse took place in her uncle's agency.

Two women and a man, aged in their 50s and 60s, have been taken to Letterkenny University Hospital.

Children are migrating through Latin America and the Caribbean in record numbers, driven by gang violence, poverty, instability and climate change, the United Nations reported Wednesday.

A draft law sparks debate with locals calling it excessive and questioning how it would be enforced.