Tara Reade, who accused Biden of sexual assault, says she has ‘defected’ to Russia at event with Kremlin spy
Tara Reade, who accused Joe Biden of sexually assaulting her in 1993, has defected to Russia. The former Senate aide appeared in a bombshell interview on Russian state TV on Tuesday alongside accused Kremlin spy Maria Butina and said she was feeling “at home” in Moscow. Ms Reade, 59, who worked in Mr Biden’s office decades ago, said she made the “very difficult” decision to move to the Russian capital because she no longer felt safe in the US. “I am still kind of in a daze a bit but I feel very good. I feel very surrounded by protection and safety,” she said. “And I just really so appreciate Maria [Butina] and everyone who’s been giving me that at a time when it’s been very difficult to know if I am safe or not.” “You have US and European citizens looking for safe haven here. And luckily, the Kremlin is accommodating. So we’re lucky,” she was quoted as saying by state-owned news agency Sputnik. Ms Reade previously accused Mr Biden of sexually assaulting her in 1993 when she was a staff assistant and had called for him to drop out of the 2020 presidential race. She worked as Mr Biden’s aide in 1993. There have also been some media reports about inconsistencies in her allegations against Mr Biden. Ms Reade’s educational background had been called into question years ago. The president had previously denied the sexual assault allegations against him. “To my Russian brothers and sisters, I am sorry right now that American elites are choosing to have such an aggressive stance,” she said in the interview. “Just know that most American citizens do want to be friends and hope that we can have unity again.” “I am enjoying my time in Moscow, and I feel very at home,” she said. “I just didn’t want to walk home and walk into a cage or be killed, which is basically my two choices,” she added. She also said she took her time to decide for herself. “I’m not an impulsive person. I really take my time and sort of analyse data points. And from what I could see based on the cases and based on what was happening and sort of the push for them to not want me to testify, I felt that while [the 2024] election is gearing up and there’s so much at stake, I’m almost better off here and just being safe.” “My dream is to live in both places, but it may be that I only live in this place and that’s OK,” she added. In 2020, a high-profile lawyer of the #MeToo era, Douglas H Wigdor, had dropped Ms Reade as a client. Read More Ahead of House debt ceiling vote, Biden shores up Democrats and McCarthy scrambles for GOP support Debt limit agreement clears first hurdle despite Republican anger. Here’s what happens next UN court issuing appeal ruling in long-running trial of 2 Serbs accused of crimes in Balkan wars The Body in the Woods | An Independent TV Original Documentary The harrowing discovery at centre of The Independent’s new documentary
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Revitalized Alonso gives Spaniards hope of ending winning drought at home in F1
It’s been nearly a decade since there was this much hype surrounding the Spanish Grand Prix
1970-01-01 08:00
Aitana Bonmatí aims for 2nd Women's Champions League title with Barcelona
Barcelona midfielder Aitana Bonmatí learned when she was the only girl playing on her village’s soccer team that she would have to fight for the game she loved
1970-01-01 08:00
'Her star is still shining bright’: Tina Turner's backup singer PP Arnold pays heartfelt tribute to late music legend, calls her 'guardian angel'
PP Arnold, 76, who lives in the UK, worked with the Turners years ago and reportedly witnessed Tina and Ike’s tumultuous relationship
1970-01-01 08:00
Hollywood's War on Weight: From Mindy Kaling to Rebel Wilson, how stars changed their body positivity tune
People have questioned celebrities who urge people to embrace bodies of all shapes and sizes, only to later lose weight themselves
1970-01-01 08:00
Anti-LGBTQ disinformation surges online in East Africa
Anti-LGBTQ bills in Kenya and Uganda have unleashed an unprecedented wave of online disinformation targeting the community, with experts accusing political leaders of spreading falsehoods...
1970-01-01 08:00
From Diane Keaton to Noor Alfallah, Al Pacino's dating history as legend prepares to welcome 4th child at 83
Al Pacino never took wedding vows with any of his stunning girlfriends, albeit he does have children with more than one of them
1970-01-01 08:00
Intel Cedes Spotlight at Global Tech Gala to AI Darling Nvidia
When Asia’s biggest computing and electronics show kicked off this week, one name was conspicuously absent: Intel Corp.
1970-01-01 08:00
'The Godfather’ couple: Diane Keaton was ‘mad’ for Al Pacino before she gave him ultimatum that ended it all for them
Al Pacino and Diane Keaton apparently enjoyed a true Hollywood love tale, when they first met on the set of ‘The Godfather’
1970-01-01 08:00
Russia’s former president says UK officials are ‘legitimate military targets’
British public officials are a “legitimate military target” because of the UK’s support for Ukraine, former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev has warned. Mr Medvedev, deputy chairman of Vladimir Putin’s security council, claimed the UK’s support for Kyiv amounted to an “undeclared war” against Russia. His comments came after Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said Ukraine had the right to “project force beyond its borders” into Russia to resist Mr Putin’s invasion. The Ukrainian authorities have denied launching the drone attack which hit Moscow on Tuesday, but there has been an escalation in incidents within Russia either by Kyiv’s military or local groups opposed to the war. In response to the Foreign Secretary, Mr Medvedev said: “The goofy officials of the UK, our eternal enemy, should remember that within the framework of the universally accepted international law which regulates modern warfare, including the Hague and Geneva Conventions with their additional protocols, their state can also be qualified as being at war. “Today, the UK acts as Ukraine’s ally, providing it with military aid in the form of equipment and specialists, i.e., de facto, is leading an undeclared war against Russia,” he continued. “That being the case, any of its public officials (either military, or civil, who facilitate the war) can be considered as a legitimate military target.” UK defence officials believe the incursions into Russia are causing the redeployment of Moscow’s forces. The intelligence briefing from the Ministry of Defence said: “Since the start of May 2023, Russia has increasingly ceded the initiative in the conflict and is reacting to Ukrainian action rather than actively progressing towards its own war aims. “During May 2023, Russia has launched 20 nights of one-way-attack uncrewed aerial vehicle and cruise missile attacks deep inside Ukraine. “Russia has had little success in its likely aims of neutralising Ukraine’s improved air defences and destroying Ukrainian counter-attack forces. On the ground, it has redeployed security forces to react to partisan attacks inside western Russia.” Read More Russia-Ukraine war – live: Another drone attack destroys oil refinery as border town hit ‘Putin’s only response is violence’: How Russia is expected to react to the drone attack on Moscow New US aid package for Ukraine will total about $300 million and include munitions for drones Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live
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'We have been through so much': Alec Baldwin undergoes hip surgery with support from wife Hilaria
Alec Baldwin underwent the hip replacement surgery after the filming of 'Rust' was completed
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Kate Silverton reveals why she left BBC news career to become child therapist
Former BBC newsreader Kate Silverton has opened up about swapping her successful news career for becoming a qualified child therapist. In 2021, Silverton left her role as a newsreader because she was inspired by her “love” for child psychology. “My academic background is in child psychology, and becoming a mum really inspired me too,” she told the PA news agency. She continued: “My journey has really been decades long, both in understanding more about children’s mental health, and as a parent really benefiting from all the interviews and access to advice that I was given by incredible people.” The 52-year-old, who currently works in a primary school supporting young children with complex needs, admitted that when she competed in BBC’s ballroom dancing competition Strictly Come Dancing in 2018 (she was paired with professional dancer Aljaž Škorjanec and finished eighth), it was with a view of leaving journalism to train as a child therapist. “My interest has been long-held, and I’ve now qualified, and it’s absolutely my life’s passion. So I’ll be using journalism and all my presenting experience to raise awareness around children’s mental health and really to support parents. “I’ve had an incredible life in journalism [presenting BBC News at One and BBC Breakfast, among other high-profile TV and radio roles], and many, many years that have been really fulfilling. I think you’re always drawing upon the experiences you’ve picked up before, but as a mum especially, for me, this is now where home is, and will become my life’s work.” Silverton’s two children, Clemency, 11, and Wilbur, eight, are now aged 11 and eight, and were conceived naturally after Silverton and her husband, Mike Heron, tried IVF but it wasn’t successful. She continued to work as a journalist after Clemency was born, but took two years off when she had Wilbur in 2014. “I was freelance, but it got to the point where I thought I can’t physically do this – you know, I’m an older parent as well,” she said. “I had to make a judgement call – and I can only ever speak for myself, there’s no judgement for others. But I took two years out because I just couldn’t see any other way of doing everything, and doing it the way I hoped to. “It’s really, really hard for parents now, and I say to a lot of the parents I speak to in my clinical work, ‘Please, please, please do not berate yourself, we are living in a very challenging time’. We’re pulled in so many ways, we’re still doing a lot of work at home, and we’re expected to be present either at work, and/or at home. “So there’s no easy answer. But I think we owe it to our children to start asking, is this really working for us as parents? And is it working for our children?” Silverton, who is currently working on her second parenting book, added that she sees her career change as a “second act” in her life. “Ultimately, I thought I don’t want to be doing this, I don’t want to be in the newsroom on a Saturday night when my children are at home with my husband,” she said. With additional reporting from PA. Read More James Middleton says Prince George, Prince Louis and Princess Charlotte are ‘lucky’ A tennis court, walled gardens and a moat: Inside Brightwell Manor, Boris and Carrie Johnson’s new home Al Pacino, 83, is expecting his fourth child with girlfriend Noor Alfallah Kate Silverton on swapping her BBC news career to work as a child therapist Menopause and menstruation guidance launched for workplaces to support employees Watching Love Island this year? How to avoid comparing your body to what’s on screen
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