French prosecutors seek 20 years for Dominique Pelicot in mass rape case
The 71-year-old Frenchman drugged his wife and invited dozens of strangers to rape her over a nine-year period. Prosecutors in France have demanded the maximum 20-year prison sentence for a man who organised the mass rape of his then-wife for almost a decade. Dominique Pelicot knocked his wife Gisele Pelicot unconscious with drugs and invited dozens of strangers to abuse her in their family homes in Paris and the southern town of Mazan between 2011 and 2020. The 71-year-old admitted to all charges against him in a trial that has scandalised France and drawn worldwide attention to the issue of sexual violence. Forty-nine other men have also been put on trial for participating in the abuse. Prosecutors are expected to announce what sentences they will seek against the co-accused over the next two days. Prosecutors have rejected arguments made by many of the men, aged between 21 and 68 at the time of the assaults, that they believed they were participating in a consensual fantasy or were not in their right mind. Gisele Pelicot carries flowers as she leaves the court in Avignon, France, on November 25, 2024 [Alexandre Dimou/Reuters] Footage played in court over recent weeks, part of some 20,000 videos and pictures recorded by Dominique Pelicot, showed Gisele lying motionless while men assaulted her. “The accused are trying to shirk responsibility by saying they thought Gisele Pelicot consented,” public prosecutor Laure Chabaud told the packed court in the city of Avignon. “But it’s not possible, today, in 2024, to consider that,” Chabaud added. Chabaud said that while 20 years is the maximum sentence that can be handed to Dominique, it is “too little in view of the seriousness of the acts that were committed and repeated”. Prosecutors also said they were seeking a 17-year sentence for Jean-Pierre Marechal. The 63-year-old – who Dominique met on a now-shuttered chatroom of men soliciting rape material – has also admitted to drugging his own wife in order for both men to rape her. Sentencing for the accused is expected to take place at the trial’s conclusion around December 20. Gisele could have demanded the trial be kept behind closed doors, but instead asked for it to be made public. The 71-year-old said she hoped it would help other women speak up and tackle stigma for survivors of sexual violence. The trial has triggered rallies in support of Gisele in France, and spurred a debate on whether to update the country’s rape law, which currently makes no mention of a requirement that sex involve consent. Instead, prosecutors are required to prove a perpetrator’s intent to rape using “violence, coercion, threat or surprise”. Adblock test (Why?)
Imran Khan supporters breach lockdown in Pakistan’s Islamabad
Supporters seeking the release of Pakistan’s jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan broke through a ring of shipping containers locking down the capital, Islamabad, battled police, and ignored a government threat to respond with gunfire. Police used tear gas to disperse the crowds on Tuesday, with reports of several people killed in clashes. Dozens more were injured, including journalists who were attacked by Khan’s supporters, who also beat a videographer covering the protests for The Associated Press news agency and broke his camera. Shortly after midnight, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi threatened security forces would respond with live fire if protesters fired weapons at them. “If they again fire bullets, the bullet will be responded with the bullet,” he said. Khan, who has been in jail for more than a year and faces more than 150 criminal cases, remains popular. His Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party says the cases are politically motivated. Authorities say only the judiciary can order the release of Khan, who was ousted in 2022 through a no-confidence vote in parliament. He has been imprisoned since his first conviction in a corruption case in August 2023 and sentenced in several other cases. Khan’s supporters were about 10km (6.2 miles) from their destination, the city’s Red Zone where key government buildings are located. Naqvi said the PTI rejected a government offer to rally on the outskirts of Islamabad. In a bid to foil the protest, police have arrested more than 4,000 supporters of Khan since Friday and suspended mobile and internet services in some parts of the country. On Thursday, a court prohibited rallies in the capital and Naqvi said anyone violating the ban would be arrested. Travelling between Islamabad and other cities has become nearly impossible because of shipping containers blocking the roads. All educational institutions remain closed. The PTI relies heavily on social media to demand Khan’s release and uses messaging platforms such as WhatsApp to share information, including details of events. Adblock test (Why?)
Ronaldo scores two goals as Al Nassr win AFC Champions League tie in Qatar
Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor, Qatar – On a cool, late autumn night in Qatar, thousands of football fans converged upon the Al Bayt Stadium to catch a glimpse of one of the biggest sporting icons on the planet – Cristiano Ronaldo. The Portuguese superstar, 39, and his Saudi football club Al Nassr were in town to face Qatar’s Al Gharafa Sports Club in an Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League Elite Group B match on Monday. Despite the stadium’s 50-kilometre (31 miles) distance from Qatar’s capital Doha, the late 7pm (16:00 GMT) weeknight kickoff and the competition’s relatively lower appeal to the average football fan in these parts, the event drew a staggering 37,000 spectators, or 12 percent of the entire population of the Gulf state. Football fans at the AFC Champions League Elite Group B match between Al Gharafa SC of Qatar and Al Nassr FC at the Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor, Qatar [Hafsa Adil/Al Jazeera] ‘Ronaldo, can I have your shirt?’ Among them were a few thousand loyal Al Gharafa fans and a few hundred travelling supporters backing the visiting team – but a large majority were unaligned spectators who simply turned up for a rare glimpse of Ronaldo, who is, undoubtedly, one of the most recognisable, charismatic and iconic sports personalities of the 21st century. Foremost among the fans were waves of children of varying ages, nationalities and footballing loyalties. Replica Ronaldo jerseys from his various football clubs – from Al Nassr to Real Madrid and Manchester United, as well as his national team Portugal – were common across the vast stands at Al Bayt Stadium, worn by kids and adults alike. “I have been a Ronaldo fan my whole life, so I came to see him and ask him for his shirt,” Noufil Abdel Malik told Al Jazeera before kickoff. Malik, just 12, had secured a seat behind the Al Nassr bench and held up a sign asking for Ronaldo’s shirt. Noufil Abdel Malik holds up a sign for Al Nassr forward Cristiano Ronaldo before kickoff [Hafsa Adil/Al Jazeera] Ronaldo’s double-goal performance sparks frenzy While none of the fans were lucky enough to have Ronaldo’s shirt thrown at them, the Al Nassr captain gave the spectators value for money, putting on a clinical match-winning display with two goals as his Saudi club prevailed with a 3-1 victory on the night. The result brought Al Nassr on the brink of qualification for the competition’s round of 16. The Saudi Pro League club need two points from their final three group games to progress in the competition. After the win, Ronaldo said that his fans, especially the younger ones, served as a huge source of motivation to continue playing the world game, despite the evergreen star striker turning 40 on February 5. “It’s still my motivation to make my fans happy, especially kids as I have a few kids of my own at home,” Ronaldo told Al Jazeera in his post-match comments. “The passion that children have is genuine. They love football so I just try to do my best [for them]. Score goals and make my team win.” Young fans of the Portuguese forward were present in their thousands at the AFC Champions League Elite match [Hafsa Adil/Al Jazeera] ‘Being in Qatar is always good’ The match marked Ronaldo’s return to Qatar for the first time since the FIFA World Cup 2022, where he led Portugal to the quarterfinals. The 1.87m forward admitted his return was a happy one as he added to his tally of a world record 915 senior career goals for club and country. “Being back in Qatar is always good,” he said. “To see the passion that people have for the club, for football and for me. I am happy that I was able to score two goals tonight and I am going back to Saudi Arabia a really happy man.” Arshveer Singh, an eight-year-old Ronaldo fan, was one of the thousands of young supporters who came to Al Bayt Stadium dressed in Al Nassr’s blue and yellow kit with Ronaldo’s name and famous number seven emblazoned on the back. “When I found out last week that Ronaldo will be in Qatar, I asked my dad to bring me here,” Singh said. “I am thrilled to watch him play live.” Eight-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo fan Arshveer Singh at the Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor, Qatar [Hafsa Adil/Al Jazeera] ‘At least 35,000 came to see only Ronaldo’ Even younger fans, many of whom probably stayed up well past their bedtime, watched on in a daze as Ronaldo flaunted his trademark celebration as the sound of “siu” (roughly translated to “yes” in the Portuguese language) reverberated around the stadium. Five-year-old Shahem al-Salem showed no signs of sleepiness even at 9pm – the excitement of watching the Ronaldo experience from a few metres away keeping the kindergarten student awake. “I don’t think I’ll go to school tomorrow,” he remarked shyly while glancing at his father, who nodded along happily. Shahem al-Salem was thrilled to see Cristiano Ronaldo play live for the first time at the Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor, Qatar [Hafsa Adil/Al Jazeera] For a match involving a Qatari club playing at home, the crowd was unabashedly supportive of the visiting team and for most of the game, it seemed that neither the local fans nor the organisers seemed to take offence. “Ronaldo has the power to bring people out of their homes and fill up stadiums no matter where he plays,” said Abdallah Abdel Razeq, an 18-year-old Lebanon national, after the match. “I can assure you that out of the 37,000 people in the stadium, at least 35,000 came only to see him.” Football fan Abdallah Abdel Razeq (right) and his cousins after the match at the Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor, Qatar [Hafsa Adil/Al Jazeera] Adblock test (Why?)
Lithuania investigates deadly plane crash near Vilnius Airport
[unable to retrieve full-text content] A DHL cargo plane crashed near Lithuania’s Vilnius Airport, killing one crew member.
Israel intensifies attacks on Lebanon but claims ceasefire deal ‘close’
Israel’s military launched air attacks across Lebanon on Monday, unleashing explosions throughout the country and killing at least a dozen people, even as officials claimed they were nearing an agreement on a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. Israeli attacks hit commercial and residential buildings in Beirut on Monday as well as in the port city of Tyre, where 12 people were killed – adding to the more than 3,700 people in Lebanon who have been killed by Israeli attacks in this two-month war. Israeli officials said they targeted areas known as Hezbollah strongholds. They issued evacuation orders for Beirut’s southern suburbs, and attacks landed across the city, including metres from a Lebanese police base and the city’s largest public park. Al Jazeera’s Zein Basravi, reporting from Beirut on Monday, said Israeli attacks across Lebanon in recent days were “more powerful, more destructive, more frequent and happening more often without warning – leaving people no time to get out of the way of Israeli missiles and drones”. The barrages came as the Israeli ambassador to the United States said a ceasefire deal to end fighting between Israel and Lebanese group Hezbollah could be reached “within days”. Ambassador Mike Herzog told Israeli Army Radio on Monday that there remain “points to finalise” and any deal requires agreement from the government. But he said, “We are close to a deal”. Israeli officials said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s security cabinet was set to convene on Tuesday to discuss a proposed ceasefire. Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, said Israel would maintain an ability to strike southern Lebanon under any agreement. Lebanon has previously objected to wording that would grant Israel such a right. The US has pushed for a deal to end over a year of hostilities between Iran-backed Hezbollah and Israel, which erupted in parallel with Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza and has drastically escalated over the last two months. In Beirut, Elias Bou Saab, Lebanon’s deputy parliament speaker, told the Reuters news agency there were “no serious obstacles” left to start implementing a US-proposed ceasefire with Israel, “unless Netanyahu changes his mind”. He said the proposal would entail an Israeli military withdrawal from south Lebanon and regular Lebanese soldiers deploying in the border region, long a Hezbollah stronghold, within 60 days. A sticking point on who would monitor compliance with the ceasefire had been resolved in the last 24 hours with an agreement to set up a five-country committee that includes France and is chaired by the US, he said. But Bou Saab also accused Israel of ramping up its bombardment in order to pressure Lebanon to make concessions in indirect ceasefire negotiations with Hezbollah because “we are close to the hour that is decisive regarding reaching a ceasefire”. After previous hopes for a ceasefire were dashed, US officials cautioned that negotiations were not yet complete and noted that there could be last-minute hitches that either delay or destroy an agreement. “We have made significant progress with getting towards a resolution,” US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters. “But we are not done yet. Nothing is final until everything is final.” The French presidency reported “significant progress” in talks on a ceasefire and urged Israel and Hezbollah to “seize this opportunity”. One far-right member of Netanyahu’s security cabinet, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, said he would oppose it. He said on X that a deal with Lebanon would be a “big mistake” and a “missed historic opportunity to eradicate Hezbollah”. But hostilities continue to intensify despite the reported diplomatic progress. Over the weekend, Israel carried out powerful attacks, one of which killed at least 29 people in central Beirut, while Hezbollah unleashed one of its biggest rocket salvos yet on Sunday, firing 250 missiles into Israel. Lebanon’s Health Ministry said Israeli attacks since October 2023 have killed 3,768 people in Lebanon and forced more than one million people from their homes. Hezbollah strikes have killed 45 civilians in northern Israel and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. At least 73 Israeli soldiers have been killed in northern Israel, the Golan Heights and in combat in southern Lebanon, according to Israeli authorities. Al Jazeera’s Basravi said that in past conflicts with Israel, there had been a surge of violence on both sides of the border, followed by a cessation. “People are clinging to the hope that this is that moment,” he said. Adblock test (Why?)
One killed, dozens injured as supporters of Imran Khan protest in Pakistan
Supporters of the former prime minister are marching to the capital, Islamabad, demanding his release from jail. At least one police officer has been killed and dozens of people injured in Pakistan as supporters of jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan have clashed with security forces outside the capital, Islamabad, officials and Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party say. Authorities enforced a security lockdown for the past two days in the country after Khan called for the march on parliament and a sit-in to demand his release. On Monday, one police officer was shot and killed, at least 119 others were injured and 22 police vehicles were torched in clashes just outside Islamabad and elsewhere in Punjab province, provincial police chief Usman Anwar said. Two officers were in critical condition, he added. The PTI said scores of its workers have also been injured in the rally so far. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said those responsible for the death of the police officer would face justice. Speaking at the funeral of Constable Muhammad Mubashir in Rawalpindi, Naqvi said it’s not the first time police officers have been killed during political protests. “Last time too they assaulted … our personnel who were martyred, and today we had to have another funeral again,” Naqvi told the media. “Those who called the protesters, they will be held responsible for this death. We will not spare anybody, and there will be cases registered against all of them.” The protest march, which Khan has described as the “final call”, is one of many his party has held to seek his release since he was jailed in August last year. His party said the jailed leader’s third wife, Bushra Bibi, and a key aide, Ali Amin Gandapur, who is the chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, led the march that arrived just outside Islamabad on Monday night. “Physically, it has been very challenging to constantly travel in this cold, but our spirits are high, and we look forward to reach our destination later tonight,” PTI leader Asim Arbab told Al Jazeera on arriving at the entry point to Islamabad. Islamabad shut down In response to the PTI’s calls for protests in Islamabad, the government imposed measures such as shutting down the city’s entry and exit points and enforcing internet blackouts. Shipping containers were used to block major roads and streets in the city, and police and paramilitary personnel patrolled in riot gear. Officials and witnesses said all public transport between cities and terminals had also been shut down in the eastern province to keep away the protesters, and gatherings in Islamabad have been banned. All schools in the capital and the adjacent city of Rawalpindi, which were closed on Monday, will also remain closed on Tuesday, authorities said. Naqvi said security forces showed “extreme restraint” in confronting the protesters, some of whom he said had fired live rounds while police used rubber bullets and fired tear gas canisters. “It is easy to respond a bullet with a bullet,” he said. But Khan’s party accused the government of using excessive violence to block the protesters and said hundreds of its workers and leaders had been arrested. “They are even firing live bullets,” one of Khan’s aides, Shaukat Yousafzai, told Geo News. Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif told Geo News TV that the government had held talks with PTI leaders to calm down the situation, “but it didn’t yield any results.” Sayed Zulfi Bukhari, a senior PTI leader and close aide to Khan, categorically rejected Asif’s assertion and said no kind of negotiations had occurred with the government. “We have entered Islamabad, and there is no need for us to talk to the government,” he told Al Jazeera. “Our demands are not unreasonable at all, and it is something that every citizen of Pakistan should ask for.” Adblock test (Why?)
Flooding in Gaza compounds hardship of people displaced by Israeli attacks
Heavy rains have flooded tent encampments of displaced Palestinians across the Gaza Strip, adding misery to communities already devastated by 13 months of war, as Israeli forces stepped up attacks in the enclave. Downpours overnight inundated tents and in some places washed away the plastic and cloth shelters used by displaced people in the enclave, most of whom have been uprooted several times during the war between Israel and Hamas. Some placed water buckets on the ground to protect mats from leaks and dug trenches to drain water away from their tents. “We left the north and survived the bombings. We left after the siege. But now the rain and cold are killing us. I’ve been sick for three days,” Ahmad, a displaced resident of Jabalia, northern Gaza, told Al Jazeera in a tent camp in Yarmouk Stadium in Gaza City. “We were affected by the rain. Our children were soaked. Our clothes got wet and we have nothing to protect ourselves, just the tent,” said Um Mohammad Marouf, a displaced Beit Lahiya resident. Many tents used in the early stages of Israel’s war in Gaza have now worn out and no longer offer protection. The price of new tents and plastic sheeting has also shot up beyond the means of displaced families. On Monday, Gaza’s Government Media Office said in a statement that about 10,000 tents were either washed away or damaged due to the storm, appealing for international help to provide displaced families with tents to shield them against the rain and cold. “According to government field assessment teams, 81 percent of the displaced persons’ tents are no longer usable. Out of 135,000 tents, 110,000 are completely worn out and urgently need replacement,” it said. Reporting from Deir el-Balah, in central Gaza, Al Jazeera’s Hani Mahmoud said many tent sites are near the coast and are not designed to withstand “these horrific conditions”, especially as colder weather approaches. “The rising tide has damaged many of these tents, leaving people with little hope and no dry clothes to protect themselves,” he said. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) has warned that half a million people across the besieged enclave are at risk in areas hit by flooding. “The situation will only get worse with every drop of rain, every bomb, every strike,” the agency said on X. Meanwhile on Monday, Israeli attacks intensified across the enclave. In Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, an Israeli air attack killed at least four people, medics said, while tanks deepened their incursions in Beit Hanoon, Beit Lahiya, and Jabalia – the largest of the enclave’s eight historic refugee camps. Medics said seven Palestinian people were also killed by two Israeli air attacks in Jabalia. Residents in Gaza said Israeli planes also dropped new leaflets on Beit Lahiya ordering remaining residents to leave the northern city for the south, saying the area would come under attack and providing them with a map. Palestinian people say Israel appears determined to depopulate the area permanently to create a buffer zone along the northern edge of Gaza. Israel has repeatedly denied this accusation. Israel’s war in Gaza has killed at least 44,235 Palestinians and wounded 104,638 since October 7, 2023. An estimated 1,139 people were killed in Israel during the Hamas-led attacks that day and more than 200 were taken captive. Adblock test (Why?)
Could protests by Imran Khan supporters lead to more political instability?
Security forces seal off Islamabad as demonstrators demand former Pakistani prime minister be released from jail. Pakistan is witnessing arguably the biggest protest since February’s disputed elections. Security forces have been deployed to stop Imran Khan’s supporters from marching into the capital. They are demanding the former prime minister be released from jail and the government resign. Can the government in Islamabad survive? Could Khan be freed? Presenter: Bernard Smith Guests: Azeema Cheema – political economy specialist and founding director of the Pakistani think tank Verso Consulting Hassan Akbar – Pakistan fellow at the Woodrow Wilson Center who previously worked in national security and strategic policy for the Pakistani government and in the private sector Fahd Humayun – visiting scholar at the Center for International Security and Cooperation at Stanford University Adblock test (Why?)
Pakistan’s capital in lockdown as Imran Khan supporters protest
NewsFeed Supporters of ex-Pakistani Prime Minister Iman Khan are descending on Islamabad, demanding an end to what they say is political persecution of the popular political leader. Published On 25 Nov 202425 Nov 2024 Adblock test (Why?)
In Uruguay, a presidential run-off focused on ‘democratic coexistence’
Political violence marred Mexico’s elections this year. And in Venezuela’s presidential race, protests accompanied a contested result and widespread allegations of electoral fraud. But in Uruguay on Sunday, a much more muted presidential election unfolded. Located on the southern Atlantic coast, north of Argentina, Uruguay was one of several Latin American countries holding high-stakes presidential elections this year. And unlike some of its counterparts, critics say Uruguay serves as a model for democratic stability in the region. Sunday’s election was a run-off, pitting the top two presidential contenders from the October 27 general election against one another. The early favourite was Yamandu Orsi, the candidate for the left-wing Broad Front coalition. In the October vote, he notched 44 percent support — well short of the 50 percent needed to avoid a run-off. Coming in second place on October 27 was Alvaro Delgado of the ruling National Party, a conservative group. While he only received 27 percent of the vote in the first round, he is likely to benefit from the 20 percent of voters who cast their ballot for the third-place candidate, fellow conservative Andres Ojeda of the Colorado Party. Both Orsi and Delgado advanced to Sunday’s run-off with strong support, making the outcome a nail-biter. Orsi, a 57-year-old history teacher, has the support of former President Jose Mujica, a former leftist rebel fighter who survived torture under Uruguay’s military dictatorship in the 1970s and ’80s. Mujica has since become a beloved figure on the left: He was dubbed the “world’s poorest president” during his time in office, from 2010 to 2015, for his humble lifestyle. Orsi’s Broad Front coalition was in power until the 2019 election, which saw the rise of the conservative National Party. It was the first conservative victory in nearly 15 years. But outgoing President Luis Lacalle Pou is prevented by law from seeking a second consecutive term. Running instead for his party is the 55-year-old Delgado, a former veterinarian. Both Delgado and Orsi have emphasised strengthening Uruguay’s economy. Orsi, who campaigned with the slogan “We know how to achieve”, has emphasised measures to raise wages for low-income workers. Delgado, meanwhile, has focused on streamlining Uruguay’s bureaucracy and forging trade deals with partners like China. Both men have pledged to respect the results of the election and work together, no matter the outcome. “We must value what we have: democratic coexistence,” said the head of the Broad Front coalition, Fernando Pereira. Meanwhile, Ojeda — the third-place candidate knocked out in the first round of voting — remarked to local media about the calm accompanying Uruguay’s election. “If I had brought a foreigner here and I didn’t tell him that there was an election, he wouldn’t have noticed,” Ojeda said. Adblock test (Why?)