Pelicot’s riveting account of her ordeal refuses to conform to any agenda but her own It is a mark of the power and honesty of Gisèle Pelicot’s memoir, A Hymn to Life – a seemingly impossible writing project in which the author must reconcile herself with horrors of which she has no recollection – that in the first 40 pages, the person I felt most angry towards was Pelicot herself. Her ex-husband,...
Pelicot’s riveting account of her ordeal refuses to conform to any agenda but her own It is a mark of the power and honesty of Gisèle Pelicot’s memoir, A Hymn to Life – a seemingly impossible writing project in which the author must reconcile herself with horrors of which she has no recollection – that in the first 40 pages, the person I felt most angry towards was Pelicot herself. Her ex-husband, Dominique, who will almost certainly be in jail for the rest of his life for drugging and raping his wife and recruiting 50 men over the internet to do likewise, takes his place among the monsters of our age. In his absence, the reader may experience a version of what happened in Gisèle Pelicot’s own family – namely, the misdirection of anger towards her. I have read enough books by female survivors of male sexual violence to say with confidence that Hymn to Life is unique. Pelicot – she decided to keep her married name in the interests of giving those of her grandchildren who share it a way to be proud rather than ashamed – was 67 when her husband of almost 50 years was arrested in 2020 for upskirting women in a supermarket in Carpentras, a small town in the south-east of France near the couple’s retirement home in the village of Mazan. When the police investigation uncovered a cache of videos and photos in which an unconscious Pelicot was shown being sexually assaulted by scores of men, she entered a nightmare. Continue reading...
London police say criminal gangs are using Snapchat to offer cash rewards of up to £380 for stolen iPhones Gangs are recruiting children to go out to steal smartphones before they head to school, using Snapchat to offer rewards of up to £380 for the latest Apple iPhones, police have revealed. The Metropolitan police said they were deploying new resources including drones and Surron ebikes to chase...
London police say criminal gangs are using Snapchat to offer cash rewards of up to £380 for stolen iPhones Gangs are recruiting children to go out to steal smartphones before they head to school, using Snapchat to offer rewards of up to £380 for the latest Apple iPhones, police have revealed. The Metropolitan police said they were deploying new resources including drones and Surron ebikes to chase suspects as they step up their fight against phone snatching. Continue reading...
Ireland’s data protection watchdog has launched an investigation into X over concerns about sexualized images created and published using the Grok AI chatbot. The probe will determine whether billionaire Elon Musk ’s social media platform has complied with its obligations regarding the processing of European Union users’ personal data, according to a statement by the Dublin-based Data Protection C...
Ireland’s data protection watchdog has launched an investigation into X over concerns about sexualized images created and published using the Grok AI chatbot. The probe will determine whether billionaire Elon Musk ’s social media platform has complied with its obligations regarding the processing of European Union users’ personal data, according to a statement by the Dublin-based Data Protection Commission on Tuesday. The investigation has been initiated under the Data Protection Act. It follows the January announcement by the European Commission to investigate X over concerns it failed to prevent Grok from spewing out deepfake images “that may amount to child sexual abuse material.” There has been political and public outrage in recent months after X users have increasingly prompted Grok to alter pictures people post of themselves, without their consent, including by undressing them. Read More: Musk’s X Probed by EU Over Grok’s Spread of Sexual Deepfakes It has lead to widespread condemnation of Grok and increased regulatory scrutiny. Users in several jurisdictions flagged the AI chatbot for generating sexualized imagery and posting it to X. Rebukes came from regulators and child safety advocates, including the UK communications regulator Ofcom. The DPC has been engaging with X since media reports first emerged about the alleged ability for users to generate sexualized images of real people, including children, Deputy Commissioner Graham Doyle said. The watchdog has commenced a “large-scale inquiry” to examine the platforms compliance with “fundamental obligations under the GDPR,” he added.
Topshop and Topman clothing is set to go on sale at John Lewis Partnership Plc on Tuesday, marking the brands’ first large-scale appearance on British high streets in five years. The labels will be sold across 32 John Lewis department stores for Topshop and seven for Topman, according to a statement. The clothing has been available online via Asos Plc , which bought the brands out of administratio...
Topshop and Topman clothing is set to go on sale at John Lewis Partnership Plc on Tuesday, marking the brands’ first large-scale appearance on British high streets in five years. The labels will be sold across 32 John Lewis department stores for Topshop and seven for Topman, according to a statement. The clothing has been available online via Asos Plc , which bought the brands out of administration in 2021 for £295 million ($402 million) following the collapse of Philip Green ’s retail empire Arcadia Group. Topshop was a huge success under Green in the 2000s, with stores in more than 30 countries and collaborations with high-profile celebrities including Kate Moss . But it struggled to compete with faster, cheaper rivals including Zara and H&M, and collapsed in 2020 during the Covid pandemic. Asos has been working on a complex turnaround plan under Chief Executive Officer Jose Antonio Ramos Calamonte . The company sold a 75% stake in the Topshop and Topman brands to Denmark’s Holch Povlsen family, the owner of retailing group Bestseller A/S , for £135 million in 2024 — a move seen as paving the way for their potential return to high streets in the UK. The brands’ clothing is sold in Nordstrom department stores in the US. Last year, it became available at the independent luxury department store Liberty London , following a Topshop relaunch event that featured a catwalk in Trafalgar Square with model Cara Delevingne. John Lewis, too, has been looking to freshen its appeal under Chairman Jason Tarry and Managing Director Peter Ruis . The employee-owned retailer, which reported widening losses in September, is under pressure from Marks & Spencer Group Plc and Next Plc after both increased their range of third-party brands.
North Korea appears to be recasting the human cost of its involvement in Russia’s war in Ukraine as a carefully staged display of loyalty and leadership, with analysts pointing in particular to the unveiling of a new housing district in Pyongyang for families of fallen soldiers as a central part of that effort. Several observers argue that leader Kim Jong-un is seeking not only to recast battlefie...
North Korea appears to be recasting the human cost of its involvement in Russia’s war in Ukraine as a carefully staged display of loyalty and leadership, with analysts pointing in particular to the unveiling of a new housing district in Pyongyang for families of fallen soldiers as a central part of that effort. Several observers argue that leader Kim Jong-un is seeking not only to recast battlefield losses as patriotic sacrifice but also to head off potential unease before a key party congress...
Six months ago, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was fending off verbal attacks from US President Donald Trump , trying to regain the upper hand over Pakistan after an armed conflict, and facing questions about his economy’s prospects. Two months into the new year, he’s secured major trade pacts with the European Union and the US, will host several foreign leaders in the coming weeks who want t...
Six months ago, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was fending off verbal attacks from US President Donald Trump , trying to regain the upper hand over Pakistan after an armed conflict, and facing questions about his economy’s prospects. Two months into the new year, he’s secured major trade pacts with the European Union and the US, will host several foreign leaders in the coming weeks who want to clinch their own deals, is riding a wave of popular support following key state elections, and his top officials expect economic growth will beat the government’s own forecasts. This week, Modi will have an opportunity to showcase not only India’s global ambitions but also his own resurgence when he takes the stage at a high profile artificial intelligence summit in New Delhi. In attendance at the India AI Impact Summit will be more than a dozen heads of state, including from France and Brazil, and some of the most influential leaders in the tech world — from OpenAI’s Sam Altman to Sundar Pichai of Alphabet Inc. to Anthropic PBC ’s Dario Amodei. For Modi, the summit is a chance to gain a stronger foothold in the AI race as well as channel the global spotlight on the country as it seeks to shake off a turbulent year. Nearly two years into his third term as prime minister, Modi is looking for a reset politically and to reassert India’s position as a rising economic power. The AI conference “provides a great stage for the prime minister to project his image as a developer or a modernizer — someone who has a vision of future for India,” said Swaran Singh, professor at the School of International Studies at Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi. “And he’s good at utilizing such opportunities.” For much of last year, Modi appeared on the back foot. Tensions with nuclear-armed neighbor Pakistan came to a head in May in an armed clash. Trump complicated matters when he claimed he halted the conflict, an assertion Modi and his officials strongly rejected but Pakistan welcomed. ...
Explore the exciting world of Clear Secure (NYSE: YOU) with our contributing expert analysts in this Motley Fool Scoreboard episode. Check out the video below to gain valuable insights into market trends and potential investment opportunities! *Stock prices used were the prices of Dec. 17, 2025. The video was published on Feb. 16, 2026. Continue reading
Explore the exciting world of Clear Secure (NYSE: YOU) with our contributing expert analysts in this Motley Fool Scoreboard episode. Check out the video below to gain valuable insights into market trends and potential investment opportunities! *Stock prices used were the prices of Dec. 17, 2025. The video was published on Feb. 16, 2026. Continue reading
Two months into the new year, he’s secured major trade pacts with the European Union and the US, will host several foreign leaders in the coming weeks who want to clinch their own deals, is riding a wave of popular support following key state elections, and his top officials expect economic growth will beat the government’s own forecasts. This week, Modi will have an opportunity to showcase not on...
Two months into the new year, he’s secured major trade pacts with the European Union and the US, will host several foreign leaders in the coming weeks who want to clinch their own deals, is riding a wave of popular support following key state elections, and his top officials expect economic growth will beat the government’s own forecasts. This week, Modi will have an opportunity to showcase not only India’s global ambitions but also his own resurgence when he takes the stage at a high profile artificial intelligence summit in New Delhi. In attendance at the India AI Impact Summit will be more than a dozen heads of state, including from France and Brazil, and some of the most influential leaders in the tech world — from OpenAI’s Sam Altman to Sundar Pichai of Alphabet Inc. to Anthropic PBC’s Dario Amodei.
Brentford coach praises non-league side’s advances Manager John Rooney proud of Macclesfield’s efforts Keith Andrews made a beeline for the Macclesfield dressing room after Brentford’s fourth-round FA Cup victory at Moss Rose and told John Rooney and his players they had been immense against his Premier League charges. The Brentford head coach said footballing journeys like the one Macclesfield ha...
Brentford coach praises non-league side’s advances Manager John Rooney proud of Macclesfield’s efforts Keith Andrews made a beeline for the Macclesfield dressing room after Brentford’s fourth-round FA Cup victory at Moss Rose and told John Rooney and his players they had been immense against his Premier League charges. The Brentford head coach said footballing journeys like the one Macclesfield have enjoyed since their rebirth “fills my heart” as he waxed lyrical about the true test his team were given by the National League North outfit. Continue reading...
Why Your Personal Data Are Floating Around On The Darknet, Which Just Keeps Growing Authored by Chris Summers via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours), In June 2025, police in Europe shut down a darknet marketplace for drugs called Archetyp Market, which had more than 600,000 users, and the following month the FBI announced that Operation Grayskull had led to the sentencing of 18 offenders to a total o...
Why Your Personal Data Are Floating Around On The Darknet, Which Just Keeps Growing Authored by Chris Summers via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours), In June 2025, police in Europe shut down a darknet marketplace for drugs called Archetyp Market, which had more than 600,000 users, and the following month the FBI announced that Operation Grayskull had led to the sentencing of 18 offenders to a total of 300 years for offenses relating to child sexual abuse material on the darknet. An undated image of a bald researcher at security company DBI searching the darknet at an undisclosed location. DBI The FBI maintains a Joint Criminal Opioid and Darknet Enforcement team, and in May 2025 it announced that 270 people had been arrested globally as part of Operation RapTor and that hundreds of pounds of fentanyl had been seized as part of an operation targeting drug traffickers on darknet websites. But experts say the darknet—sometimes known as the dark web —keeps growing and is home to millions of megabytes of personal data , which are used by cybercriminals and ransomware gangs. “You would be amazed how much personal data is drifting around on the darknet just from breach notifications,” Bob Erdman, associate vice president of research and development at cybersecurity company Fortra, based in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, told The Epoch Times. “It seems like every month you get a new breach notification from some company or website you’ve interacted with, and all those little pieces keep getting assembled to build a profile of you, and then get resold to someone who’s either going to try [to] attack you or try and use you to attack somebody else,” Erdman said. Darknet Generation Gap “When I speak with older Americans, many are shocked by the types of data on the darknet and how often it’s exposed or traded,” Chris Nyhuis, CEO at Vigilant, an Ohio-based cybersecurity firm and a human trafficking investigator, told The Epoch Times in an email. “ For younger more technical generations t...
Three people, including the suspect, were fatally shot during a Rhode Island youth hockey game on Monday, authorities said. Pawtucket Police Chief Tina Goncalves told reporters that three other victims are hospitalised in critical condition. “We have three deceased. The suspect, and then we have two victims, and then we have three at the hospital,” said Goncalves. “It appears that this was a targe...
Three people, including the suspect, were fatally shot during a Rhode Island youth hockey game on Monday, authorities said. Pawtucket Police Chief Tina Goncalves told reporters that three other victims are hospitalised in critical condition. “We have three deceased. The suspect, and then we have two victims, and then we have three at the hospital,” said Goncalves. “It appears that this was a targeted event, that it may be a family dispute,” she said. Goncalves did not provide details about the...
Messages from ex-wife of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor to sex offender, sent after his conviction, came to light last month Six companies linked to Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, are being wound down in the wake of revelations about her relationship with Jeffrey Epstein. According to Companies House, an application to strike off each company was filed after new details about Fe...
Messages from ex-wife of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor to sex offender, sent after his conviction, came to light last month Six companies linked to Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, are being wound down in the wake of revelations about her relationship with Jeffrey Epstein. According to Companies House, an application to strike off each company was filed after new details about Ferguson’s contact with Epstein came to light in the millions of documents released by US authorities as part of the Epstein files. Continue reading...