At least 15 men in Gisèle Pelicot rape and assault trial appeal against convictions

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Court found 51 men guilty including Dominique Pelicot, who was given a 20-year prison sentence

At least 15 of the men found guilty of raping or sexually abusing Gisèle Pelicot have appealed against their convictions and will be given a second trial.

All 51 men, including her ex-husband, Dominique Pelicot, were convicted and given prison sentences of between three and 20 years before Christmas after a trial lasting three and a half months. Dominique Pelicot was sentenced to 20 years.

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‘Dubious’ use of the Freedom of Information Act stopping access to files on Prince Andrew, researchers say

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Biographer says government departments give contradictory refusals to requests and accuses them of ‘cover up’

Researchers have called for greater transparency from the Foreign Office over the files it holds on the Duke of York. Officials responding to freedom of information requests have given a variety of reasons why the files cannot be released.

Andrew Lownie, an author who is researching a biography of Prince Andrew, was told that the files could not be made public until 2065, and implied there was a general rule that papers relating to members of the royal family must remain closed until 105 years after their birth.

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South Koreans stage mass rally to demand removal of Yoon Suk Yeol

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Hundreds of thousands gather in central Seoul to protest against president suspended over martial law declaration

Hundreds of thousands of South Koreans flooded central Seoul on Saturday in the latest wave of protests demanding the removal of the country’s suspended president, Yoon Suk Yeol, a day after parliament voted to impeach his acting replacement.

Organisers claimed that more than 500,000 people participated in the rally, which took place amid a large police presence.

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Germany Says Latest Undersea Cable Cut a ‘Wake-up Call’ – The Moscow Times

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  1. Germany Says Latest Undersea Cable Cut a ‘Wake-up Call'  The Moscow Times
  2. Has Russia’s Shadow Fleet, Built to Evade Sanctions, Added Sabotage to Its List?  The New York Times
  3. Russia-linked cable-cutting tanker seized by Finland ‘was loaded with spying equipment’  Lloyd's List
  4. Russian tanker tugged to shore for suspected Baltic Sea sabotage was ‘loaded with spy equipment’  Yahoo! Voices
  5. Finland Moves Eagle S Tanker Closer to Land as Probe Intensifies  Bloomberg
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UN authorises new mission against al-Shabaab in Somalia

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Resolution allows deployment of 12,626 personnel – but it is unclear if Ethiopia will stay part of peacekeeping force amid territory dispute

The UN has authorised a new African peacekeeping mission to continue its fight against Somalia’s al-Shabaab, the insurgent group affiliated with al-Qaida, but there are doubts about whether troops from neighbouring Ethiopia will remain part of the deployment.

The UN security council adopted a resolution on Friday allowing the deployment of up to 12,626 personnel to support the Somali government’s nearly two decades-long fight against al-Shabaab.

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Trump versus trade: the global economic outlook for 2025 in five charts

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Unpredictable change will sweep through America, while old problems, from war to inflation, are likely to afflict other countries

The global economy is entering the new year with rising geopolitical tensions looming over its prospects, as the world’s leading central banks attempt to cut interest rates after the worst inflation shock in decades.

Donald Trump’s second term in the White House is expected to dominate the economic agenda. Global trade tensions are on the horizon as the president-elect threatens to impose sweeping tariffs on US imports.

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‘We have to change our attitude’: wildlife expert says rhino horn trade must be legalised

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Call for illicit market to be taken out of hands of criminals as numbers continue to fall drastically due to poaching

International trade in rhino horns should be legalised, a leading wildlife expert has urged.

Writing in the research journal Science, Martin Wikelski argues only carefully monitored, legitimate transactions in horns can save the world’s remaining species of rhinoceros.

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Afghan Taliban forces hit ‘several points’ in Pakistan in response to air strikes, Kabul says – FRANCE 24 English

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  1. Afghan Taliban forces hit 'several points' in Pakistan in response to air strikes, Kabul says  FRANCE 24 English
  2. Afghan Taliban hit ‘several points’ in Pakistan in retaliation for attacks  Al Jazeera English
  3. Days After Pak Air Strikes, Soldier Killed In Clashes With Afghan Troops  NDTV
  4. Taliban hint at shielding anti-Pakistan militants in Afghanistan as 'guests'  VOA Asia
  5. Afghan Taliban strike targets inside Pakistan  DW (English)
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Horrifying details emerge after ‘poison’ Christmas cake led to the deaths of three people – LADbible

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  1. Horrifying details emerge after 'poison' Christmas cake led to the deaths of three people  LADbible
  2. 3 Family Members Die After Eating Homemade Christmas Cake, 3 Others Ill  PEOPLE
  3. Three relatives dead after eating same Christmas cake — months after baker’s husband died from food poisoning  New York Post
  4. Did she kill him too? Late husband of woman who made 'arsenic-laced' Christmas cake that killed her two sister  Daily Mail
  5. Homicide probe over 3 deaths from ‘arsenic-laced Christmas cake’ as cops find ‘mysterious white liquid’ in...  The Sun
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Last major health facility in north Gaza ‘out of service’ after Israeli attack

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Gaza officials say staff at Kamal Adwan hospital, including its director, have been detained as WHO reports Israeli forces burned and destroyed key departments

The last major health facility in northern Gaza has been put out of service, the World Health Organization has said, and its director detained according to Gaza officials after an Israeli military operation targeting sites near the Kamal Adwan hospital.

“Initial reports indicate that some key departments were severely burnt and destroyed during the raid,” the WHO said in a statement on X.

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