Author: Gulf News Week

Warning: contains details of alleged sexual offences and misconductFrench star Patrick Bruel has fiercely denied allegations he sexually assaulted a number of women during his 50-year career as a singer and actor.Bruel, 67, has in recent weeks been the subject of a wave of accusations – some of which are now being examined by prosecutors with a view to possible court action.Among his latest accusers is the well-known TV and radio presenter Flavie Flament, who alleges the singer drugged and raped her at his Paris home in 1991, when she was 16 and he 32. “Nor have I ever drugged,…

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A high-level people smuggler identified in a BBC investigation has been arrested in Iraqi Kurdistan.A network run by Kardo Jaf, who operates under the alias Kardo Ranya, is believed to have transported thousands of illegal migrants in small boats across the English Channel into the UK in recent years.He was arrested on suspicion of human trafficking offences by officers of the Kurdistan Regional Security Agency and remains in custody as investigations continue.The 28-year-old Iraqi Kurd had operated for several years under a number of aliases. By keeping his real name a closely guarded secret, Jaf made it more difficult for…

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The country’s preparedness and health monitoring measures are continuously evaluated and reviewed in line with approved standards, authorities saidUAE’s top health authorities have confirmed readiness to address any health developments or emerging situations, particularly those related to Ebola. The country’s preparedness and health monitoring measures are constantly reviewed in line with approved standards, the National Emergency, Crisis and Disaster Management Authority, and Ministry of Health and Prevention noted. Bahrain, Jordan suspend travel from some African countriesOn Tuesday, Bahrain imposed a 30-day travel suspension on foreigners arriving from South Sudan, the DRC and Uganda due to the ongoing Ebola outbreak.Jordan has also…

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Just a month before US elite troops forcibly removed Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro from power, the former president of another country in the region – who had been found guilty of very similar drug trafficking charges – found himself in the opposite situation: pardoned and freed from jail.The ex-president of Honduras, Juan Orlando Hernández, was serving a 45-year sentence in an American prison when US President Donald Trump granted him a “full and complete pardon”, prompting an outcry among human rights groups and victims across Central America.Speaking to the BBC from the US, Hernández says he is “thankful and just…

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Surrey Police says it is investigating two separate allegations of “non-recent child sexual abuse” following the US release of the files related to the convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein. The force says that one relates to locations in Surrey and Berkshire in the mid 1990s to 2000. The other relates to the mid to late 1980s in west Surrey.No arrests have been made, it added.In a statement, police said it took “all reports of sexual offending seriously and will work to identify any reasonable lines of enquiry to verify information or establish corroborating evidence”.It said it has become aware of a…

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The suspension will be effective for 30 days starting Tuesday, according to the country’s state news agencyBahrain said on Tuesday it is suspending the entry of foreign travellers arriving from South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda due to the ongoing Ebola outbreak.The suspension will take effect for 30 days starting Tuesday, according to the state news agency.Bahrain has become the first GCC country and one of the few globally to introduce travel restrictions linked to Ebola as a precautionary step to protect public health and prevent the virus from entering the Kingdom.Jordan has also suspended the…

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The son of Mango founder Isak Andic has been arrested in connection with his father’s death. Jonathan Andic, 43, was detained by Catalan police on Tuesday as part of a renewed investigation into the death of the fashion tycoon, which was initially treated as an accident but was later reopened. Isak, 71, died in December 2024 after falling from a ravine while walking in the Montserrat mountains near Barcelona with his son. There have been conflicting media reports about whether they were alone or if other family members were present.Jonathan has previously denied responsibility for his father’s death.Getty ImagesIsak Andic…

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