Jury selection in the high-profile trial of US TV actor Jussie Smollett begins on Monday, nearly three years after he claimed he was the victim of a racist and homophobic attack. Mr Smollett, 39, claimed in January 2019 that he was attacked by two men who yelled pro-Donald Trump slogans and tied a noose around his neck. Authorities accused him of staging the attack on himself as a publicity stunt. He has denied any wrongdoing.

Authorities allege that Mr Smollett paid two brothers $3,500 (£2,630) to carry out the attack to promote his career because he was “dissatisfied with his salary”. Mr Smollett has claimed that the payment was for one of the brothers to work as a personal trainer. The former Empire show actor was indicted by a special prosecutor in Illinois last year on six counts of lying to police.(BBC)…[+]