Author: Gulf News Week

When Donald Trump strode on to a stage at a campaign rally in Indiana in 2016, he made one thing clear: China was America’s chief economic antagonist.”We can’t continue to allow China to rape our country,” he told a crowd in Fort Wayne. “We have the cards. Don’t forget it.”The anti-China rhetoric didn’t let up – through a decade of rallies, his 2024 campaign and into his second term.Trump arrived back at the White House alongside key allies who made China-bashing a calling card: Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Vice-President JD Vance and senior economic counsellor Peter Navarro – all…

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The casting process for the new James Bond has officially begun, after years of anticipation and speculation about who will take over from Daniel Craig as 007.”The search for the next James Bond is under way,” Amazon MGM Studios said in a statement.Auditions have been taking place in recent weeks, according to Hollywood outlet Variety, and the statement signals the beginning of the end of the long wait for a new James Bond.”While we don’t plan to comment on specific details during the casting process, we’re excited to share more news with 007 fans as soon as the time is…

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A judge has declared a mistrial in the rape case against Harvey Weinstein, after the jury in New York said it was deadlocked and unable to reach a verdict.It marks the third time a New York jury has considered the case against the 74-year-old disgraced film mogul, who remains jailed on other charges.The month-long trial was centred around whether Weinstein raped aspiring actress Jessica Mann in a hotel room more than a decade ago. He was initially convicted of raping her, before the verdict was overturned. A judge declared a mistrial after a second trial last year.Dozens of women have…

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Calls are growing among his MPs for UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to be replaced, while he has said he will “get on with governing”.It is a dramatic turnaround for the man who won a landslide victory two years ago but has since made several U-turns on unpopular policies and faced a series of scandals.Several key government figures have resigned in a sign of growing discontent after the Labour Party lost almost 1,500 councillors in local elections across England last week.Former Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner, former Health Secretary Wes Streeting and Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham are seen…

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A retired French sports teacher is in custody after being caught making sexual propositions online to a 14 year-old girl.Except that the 14 year-old girl was not a 14 year-old girl.She was an AI-generated face and voice being operated by a popular, male influencer, who specialises in the entrapment of paedophiles.The 66-year-old ex-teacher – named as Dominique B – turned himself in to police in eastern France on Tuesday, a day after his conversation with the “girl” was broadcast on several platforms.The visual alteration was not brilliant – the influencer has to cover the bottom of his chin to hide…

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Russia and Ukraine exchanged 205 prisoners of war on Friday, hours after rescue workers ended their search of a destroyed block of flats in Kyiv in which 24 people were killed, including three girls.Most of the Ukrainian prisoners had been held since 2022, said President Zelensky.The swap was part of a short-lived ceasefire ending this week with the launch of massive Russian strikes across Ukraine, including a missile attack that reduced 18 flats to rubble. Among the victims was 12-year-old Lyubava Yakovleva, whose father was killed during the war.Meanwhile, Russian officials said four people, including a child, were killed when…

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French prosecutors say a 15-year-old boy has been killed and a boy of 13 seriously injured in a suspected drugs-related shooting in the western city of Nantes.The attackers were wearing balaclavas and used automatic weapons, according to the country’s Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez.The 13-year-old and a third boy who was also wounded are now out of danger, Nuñez added.”The shots were fired at three young men,” said Nantes prosecutor Antoine Leroy, who believed the attack was a settling of scores in relation to drug offences.”The motives behind this shooting, as the public prosecutor has stated, are very likely linked to…

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The world was waiting for one Drake album. Along came three.The rapper’s dropped his anticipated solo record, Iceman, plus two more – Habibti and Maid of Honour – with 43 songs in total.They include collaborations with artists including Central Cee, 21 Savage and PARTYNEXTDOOR. They are the first albums the Canadian has dropped since his beef with US rapper Kendrick Lamar escalated in 2024. So, is the “iceman” no longer “nice man”, as he raps?Drake’s three new albums are a mixture of musical styles.Iceman is more rap and hip-hop focused, Habibti leans more towards R&B, while Maid of Honour is…

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