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A total of 51 men were convicted of aggravated rape, attempted rape or sexual assault against Gisele.

Gisele Pelicot is refusing to let the horrors inflicted on her by her twisted husband shape the rest of her life – but her journey to peace has not been easy.

The 73-year-old quickly became a beacon of bravery for survivors of sexual assault across the world when she waived her right to anonymity in a mass rape trial that caused shockwaves. A total of 51 men were convicted of aggravated rape, attempted rape or sexual assault against Gisele.

Her evil husband, Dominique Pelicot, admitted that he had repeatedly drugged and raped her over a decade-long period, inviting vile men he met on the internet to come and assault his unconscious wife. Gisele had no idea what was happening to her throughout the duration of the evil crimes. It was only when Pelicot was arrested for upskirting in a local supermarket and his electronic devices were seized that his horrific actions were uncovered by the police.

Gisèle has now penned a powerful autobiography – titled A Hymn to Life – and is speaking out in the aftermath of the trial that saw her become a feminist hero. As reported by the Mirror, she has revealed in a new interview that the heinous crimes are still impacting her health.

The grandmother got some upsetting news from her doctors just before Christmas. Gisele has contacted HPV as a result of her husband and his co-defendant’s sexual violence. She told the Daily Mail that at her most recent smear test, it was found that she had developed abnormal cells. After a biopsy was taken, Gisele had to have a section of her cervix removed entirely.

Her memoir also reveals how the abuse damaged her health in other ways. In one particularly grim moment, she describes a crown coming loose in her teeth, only to find out later that this injury had been caused by oral rape.

Over the years, Gisele suffered from confusing gynaecological symptoms, including an “inflamed cervix” that saw her repeatedly prescribed with pessaries, but no doctor could ever find the route cause. The memory lapses, caused by her husband drugging her, also caused concern with her doctors, with one thinking she may have had a stroke. Another believed she was developing Alzheimer’s and a third put her symptoms down to anxiety.

The crimes of Dominique and the 50 men who were convicted alongside him have “annihilated” the Pelicot family according to Gisele’s eldest son, David, 51. He and his mother are currently not speaking – with Gisele telling the Mail that relations with two of her children have become incredibly complicated since their father’s trial, that saw him sentenced to 20 years in prison.

“I think he needs time. He’s the eldest,” Gisèle said. “I think that, on top of everything else, they’re men. As men, they have questions. Also, they have their father’s DNA. It’s complicated. I’m giving [David] time to come back to me, if he wants to. I don’t want to be intrusive. I want to give him time to heal.”

Gisele’s daughter, Caroline, 47, was also a victim of Dominique’s crimes – but it is still not known to what extent. She was pictured unconscious in the material recovered by the police on his devices, wearing underwear she did not recognise. Her father was convicted for the photographs but denied abusing his daughter in court.

She has no idea what else may have happened to her, with Gisele telling the Mail “What Caroline is going through is extremely painful. There are these doubts that condemn her to a perpetual hell, and to be condemned to that is appalling.”

After the four-month trial of Dominique and his co-defendants ended, Caroline accused her mother of “abandoning” her, but Gisele explains that she was “exhausted” by the end of the legal proceedings, and that she hopes her daughter gets the answers she deserves from her father.

“You have to understand that such a tragedy doesn’t necessarily bring a family together. It’s a cataclysm that sweeps everything away. Everyone needs to be able to rebuild themselves in their own way,” she explained.

In a sit-down with British Vogue, Gisèle said that she believed Caroline to be severely traumatised from seeing the videos and photos of her mother’s abuse. “My wish is that Caroline’s suffering diminishes with time,” she said. “For her sake and for her family’s, especially her son. Being positive, for me, means fighting against suffering and anger. It doesn’t mean forgetting or forgiving, nor minimising or denying harm and violence. It means fighting so they don’t win, so they don’t destroy all generations.”

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Around one million people missed out on payments last year, according to HMRC

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People are being urged to check whether they qualify for any tax rebates. HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has warned that roughly one million people each year fail to claim back tax they have overpaid.

In a post shared on social media platform X, HMRC urged the public to use its app to verify their status. It said: “Your tax refund could still be waiting.

“Last year, almost one million people didn’t claim back the money they’re owed. Download the HMRC app to check.”

The GOV.UK website explains that HMRC should inform you if you have overpaid tax. If by the conclusion of the tax year (5 April) you have paid either too much or insufficient tax, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) will issue either:

• A tax calculation letter (also known as a P800)
• A Simple Assessment letter

This correspondence should outline the procedure for receiving a refund or paying any tax owed. You’ll only receive a letter if:

• You are employed
• You receive a pension

However, if you’re registered for Self Assessment, your bill will be adjusted automatically if you’ve underpaid or overpaid tax. You will not receive a tax calculation letter or a Simple Assessment letter.

These letters are usually dispatched between June and March of the subsequent tax year.

Why you might have overpaid

You might be owed a refund because you:

• Were put on the wrong tax code, for example because HMRC had the wrong information about your income
• Finished one job, started a new one and were paid by both in the same month
• Started receiving a pension at work
• Received Employment and Support Allowance or Jobseeker’s Allowance

If you think you have paid too much tax and HMRC have not sent you a tax calculation letter, you should claim a refund. You can do this online here, on the app, or by calling 0300 200 3300.

The HMRC app

The HMRC app can be used not only to check if you’re owed any tax but you can use it to:

• Get an estimate of the tax you need to pay
• Make a Self Assessment payment
• Make a Simple Assessment payment
• Set a reminder to make a Self Assessment payment
• Access your Help to Save account
• Use our tax calculator to work out your take home pay after Income Tax and National Insurance deductions
• Track forms and letters you have sent to HMRCX
• Ask HMRC’s digital assistant for help and information
• Update your name
• Update your address
• Save your National Insurance number to your digital wallet
• Check for gaps in your National Insurance contributions and the benefits of paying them
• Check if you can make a payment for gaps in your National Insurance contributions
• Choose to be contacted by HMRC electronically, instead of by letter

To access the app open the app and enter your Government Gateway user ID and password to sign in for the first time. If you do not have a user ID, you can create one via the app.

Following in the footsteps of the immigrants he has long demonised, Robinson said he has now fled his home country “for my safety and the safety of my family”.

Tommy Robinson has been forced to flee the UK after he was informed by police of calls in an Islamic State publication for people to “commit violence” against him.

The far-right activist, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, posted a clip of a phone call from cops to his X account in which an officer told him he had been identified in a magazine called Yalghar, which is reportedly published by ISKP, Islamic State Khorasan Province. As reported by the Mirror, the clip captures the police officer saying officials had received intelligence calling for people “to commit violence against yourself”.

Following in the footsteps of the immigrants he has long demonised, Robinson said he has now fled his home country, “for my safety and the safety of my family”, he said in a statement.

The officer from Bedfordshire Police can be heard telling Robinson in the call: “So we have received intelligence that an Isis publication has stated… are encouraging others to commit violence against yourself.” The force, which covers Robinson’s hometown Luton, confirmed the phone call was legitimate and happened on Thursday.

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Robinson asked in the footage if he could get a copy of the publication, but was told it is likely proscribed material, which people in the UK are banned from possessing under terrorism laws.

The officer goes on to tell Robinson in the call that he is not authorised to carry weapons or “take pre-emptive action” against other people. The officer continued: “Just remind, you know, because of this information, it doesn’t authorise you to carry weapons, anything like that, take any pre-emptive action against others, if you’re aware of any action…”

Alongside the video, the 43-year-old wrote a statement on X today proclaiming himself a “priority target for ISIS ” and saying he had left the country “to work things out” for his own and his family’s safety.

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He wrote: “I have now left the country, I need time to work things out for my safety and the safety of my family. I will probably have to relocate them. I will update you when I can.” A spokeswoman for Bedfordshire Police confirmed the call’s legitimacy in a statement, revealing an individual’s name “appeared in prohibited material”.

She said: “Yesterday, officers contacted a man from Bedfordshire after being made aware that his name appeared in prohibited material produced by a proscribed organisation.

“He was provided with safeguarding advice and support in line with our standard processes.” The professional agitator also took the opportunity to beg for money from his followers, asking for people to “help me and my family” in a post in the replies, which was immediately flooded with calls for Robinson to find safety in Israel.

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Two golfers in Washington, D.C., sued the federal government on Friday to try to prevent the Trump administration from overhauling a more than 100-year-old public golf course, accusing the administration of violating environmental laws and polluting a park that is on the National Register of Historic Places.

The suit is the latest in a series of legal battles challenging President Donald Trump‘s extraordinary efforts to put his mark on public spaces in the nation’s capitol, including shuttering the Kennedy Center.

At the end of last year, a group of preservationists filed a similar lawsuit seeking to prevent the administration from demolishing the East Wing of the White House in order to build a ballroom — a project slated to cost $400.

Trump, who is an avid golfer himself, also plans on renovating a military golf course just outside of Washington that has been used by past presidents going back decades.

The complaint filed against the Department of the Interior on Friday says that the Trump administration’s reconstruction of East Potomac Park — which includes the East Potomac Golf Course — would violate the congressional act that created the park in 1897. The roughly 130-year-old act established the park for the “recreation and the pleasure of the people.”

The golf course, which has since been recognized on the National Register of Historic Places in part for its efforts to racially integrate in the 1940s. Municipal golf courses make up only 18% of courses in America.

“East Potomac Golf Links is a testament to what’s possible with public land and why public spaces matter,” said Washington resident and plaintiff Dave Roberts. “It deserves better than becoming a dumping ground for waste and yet another private playground for the privileged and powerful.”

The lawsuit came after the Trump administration in December ended a lease agreement the nonprofit National Links Trust held for East Potomac and two other golf courses in Washington. The Interior Department said it did so because the nonprofit hadn’t implemented required capital improvements and failed to meet the terms of the lease.

The Interior Department press office said in an email Friday that it doesn’t comment on pending litigation.

However, it said it would “ensure these courses are safe, beautiful, open, affordable, enjoyable and accessible for people visiting the greatest capital city in the world which is in line with President Trump’s agenda.”

The White House also didn’t respond to an emailed request for comment on Friday evening.

Construction on the East Potomac course has already begun, according to the lawsuit. In October, the National Parks Service began dumping debris from the demolition of the East Wing of the White House onto the golf course, the complaint said, raising concerns that the materials could contain contaminants that could pollute the air.

As a result, the plaintiffs argued, the administration of also violated the National Environmental Policy Act by failing to consider the harmful environmental impacts of the project.

The National Links Trust said in December they were “devastated” by the decision to terminate the lease and defended their management of the courses.

They said $8.5 million had gone toward capital improvements at the courses and that rounds played and revenue had more than doubled in their tenure managing the courses. They also added that the termination of the lease jeopardized hundreds of local jobs.

The nonprofit has agreed to keep managing the courses for the time being, but long-term renovations will stop.

The first 18 holes of the East Potomac Park Golf Course were built from 1918 to 1923.

___ Associated Press writer Audrey McAvoy in Honolulu contributed to this report.

Brooklyn Beckham claimed his mother ‘danced very inappropriately’ on him during his wedding to Nicola Peltz but Gordon Ramsay has spoken out about what really happened at the 2022 celebration

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Gordon Ramsay has shed light on the events that unfolded at Brooklyn Beckham’s wedding, including addressing rumours about Victoria’s supposedly ‘inappropriate’ dance moves.

The renowned chef, a close friend of the Beckhams, attended Brooklyn’s 2022 nuptials to Nicola Peltz. Earlier this year, Brooklyn made headlines when he posted a damning statement against his family on Instagram, reports the Mirror..

Among his allegations, he accused his mother of “hijacking” his first dance with his wife to “dance very inappropriately on me”.

This claim sparked widespread speculation about the nature of Victoria’s dancing. However, Gordon has now clarified the situation.

“We were there at the wedding,” he shared with The Sun. “There was nothing salacious. There was nothing inappropriate. Everyone was having fun, having a dance.”

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When asked if Victoria had ‘grinded’ on her son, as suggested by various memes, he firmly denied it. “No! Nothing of the sort. It was fun,” he retorted.

Gordon also mentioned that he hadn’t seen the memes about Victoria but noted that the former Spice Girl possesses a “great sense of humour”. He added that whilst she would be justified in feeling upset about the wedding, she could easily brush off any other nonsense.

Gordon’s wife, Tana, has reportedly been a pillar of support for Victoria during these times. Much like the Beckhams, the Ramsays are also dealing with family drama, as their daughter, Holly, and her husband, Adam Peaty, excluded the Peaty family from their December wedding.

During his wedding speech, Gordon is believed to have included a remark about Tana being a “good mum” to both the bride and groom. Some have interpreted this comment as a subtle jab at Adam’s mother, Caroline, who was amongst the first to have her wedding invitation withdrawn.

The Michelin-starred chef claims he remains in touch with Brooklyn. He revealed that he and the budding photographer-turned-chef have “messaged a little bit” and that their “relationship is solid”.

Gordon expressed his love for Brooklyn, saying his “heart is incredible” whilst cautioning that things can be difficult “when you’re infatuated”.

Gordon acknowledged that it’s easy to “get carried away” but forecast that Brooklyn “will come back” eventually, despite the 26 year old’s claims that he has no intention of making amends with his family. Gordon praised David and Victoria Beckham as “incredible” parents, adding that it was simply “a matter of time” before Brooklyn “understands what his parents mean to him”.

Gordon’s claim that Victoria’s dancing wasn’t inappropriate has been backed by wedding DJ Fat Tony. The DJ clarified that it wasn’t the dancing itself that was unsuitable, but rather the timing.

Speaking on This Morning, he explained: “There was no slut dropping, there was no PVC catsuit, there was no Spice Girls actions. The word inappropriate – why I said it was inappropriate as well, because it was the timing.

“What happened was – basically, Marc Anthony was performing on stage, he then called Brooklyn onto the stage. Everyone is expecting Nicola to go up and do the first dance and then Marc asks the most beautiful woman in the room to come to the stage.

“Then he said: ‘Victoria, come to the stage.’ At that point, Brooklyn is devastated because he thought he was going to do his first dance with his wife.”

Sky News understands Iranian doctor Yaser Rahmani-Rad has been arrested and held after accusing the country’s security forces of arresting injured protesters inside hospitals and removing medical equipment, “because they deserve to die”.

Dr Rahmani-Rad is an internal medicine specialist who was working at the Rasul Akram public hospital in Tehran when he gave Sky News an interview at the end of January.

The regime had regained control of the streets after nationwide protests had threatened to sweep Iran‘s clerical leaders aside. Dr Rahmani-Rad said he was shocked by the ferocity of this crackdown, adding the security forces had taken “full control” of the country’s hospitals.

“If they realise that someone who was injured in the protests has gone to a hospital, or even if they had gone before and managed to escape them, they will arrest that person. By checking security cameras, they track them down, raid the locations, and detain them,” he said.

Iran crackdown: Doctors share disturbing accounts

His colleagues said security personnel had removed patients from ventilators and other life-saving medical equipment inside hospitals.

“They said, ‘let them die, they have no rights, they are against the Islamic system, and they deserve to die’.”

It was a brave thing to speak out. People who criticise the regime in Iran typically request anonymity, but the medic believed the international exposure would help protect him from state forces.

When I contacted Dr Rahmani-Rad the following week, he said he was fine – although he had received a visit from the security forces.

However, these threats did not work. The specialist posted another video on Instagram – on or around 11 February – castigating the regime for inflicting violence on people who could not afford the money required to treat their injuries.

“How could you shoot at these poor souls who don’t have 200,000 or 500,000 tomans (£0.90 to £2.40) to buy antibiotics. I don’t understand it. I genuinely don’t understand it,” he said.

It seems these comments were poorly received. His videos have been stripped from Instagram and the page has been shut down.

Read more from Sky News:
Bangladesh’s historic election
Analysis: Trump and Israel’s tensions
IS detainees moved from Syria to Iraq

Dr Rahmani-Rad’s friends are unable to contact him. I spoke to Dr Keyvan Yahia, a neuroscientist who teaches at Chemnitz Technical University in Germany.

He said: “I hadn’t heard back from him for three days, so I decided to get hold of Yaser through his father. I said, ‘Mr Rahmani, I didn’t hear back from Yaser and given the circumstances, I must assume that something not very well happened to him. Do you have any idea?’”

“He said, ‘yes, on Monday, actually, on Monday, this week, on his arrival at the hospital… he was officially detained and taken into custody’. And he was taken, according to his father, to some undisclosed location. The family have absolutely no idea where he has gone.”

Despite official denials by the regime, doctors have been arrested and detained for providing medical treatment to people involved in the protests.

Sky News understands that a fellow internal medicine specialist, Dr Golnaz Naraghi, was arrested two weeks ago. Her whereabouts was initially unknown, but according to a hospital source, she was transferred to a notorious women’s prison called Qarchak near Tehran.

We previously reported on the arrest of a surgeon called Alireza Golchini, who was charged with ‘waging war against God’ – an offence which carries the death penalty.

Dr Golchini posted a phone number online for people injured in the demonstrations, and performed surgery on approximately 20 protesters.

We understand that he has been released on bail and the charges have been changed.

The surgeon now stands accused of ‘the incitement of protest and rebellion’, alongside providing medical care. He faces the prospect of two to five years in jail.

Welcome to our live coverage of the Winter Olympics. Strap yourselves in, tonight could be the night Team GB finally breaks their medal duck at Milano-Cortina, as Britain’s Matt Weston targets a place on the podium in the skeleton.

Weston underlined his gold medal credentials with near-perfect runs yesterday, setting successive course records as he jumped to the top of the leaderboard.

The 28-year-old, who is a two-time world champion, is Britain’s brightest medal prospect at the Games and after his two statement runs on Thursday, the big question is whether he can continue that fine form in heats three and four tonight.

In a measure of his superiority, Weston was the only slider under 56 seconds as he clocked 55.88secs in heat two, to add to his 56.21secs in run one on the Cortina sliding track.

“I was quite annoyed after the first run. I tried to be a bit too relaxed because I tried to over-compensate for race-day nerves,” said Weston.

“It’s pretty crazy [to be the overnight leader] but I take every run as run one. I will completely reset myself, switch off for a bit and then re-focus on Friday.”

Weston’s teammate, Marcus Wyatt, sits in seventh place on a total time of 1:53.21, 1.12s behind Weston and 0.66s off the medals. Wyatt was also viewed as a major medal prospect, but after losing time in his first two runs, a shot at the podium looks out of reach.

Stay tuned as we bring you live updates from all the skeleton action. 

A protester outside the High Court, central London, where Dame Victoria Sharp, Mr Justice Swift and Mrs Justice Steyn have ruled in favour of Palestine Action’s co-founder Huda Ammori’s challenge over the ban of the organisation as a terror group (Jonathan Brady/PA)

PA Wire

Your elected representatives agreed an increase on a majority vote

Belfast Council has agreed to raise its rates by 4.48 percent for the coming tax year, above the rate of inflation.

At the February full monthly meeting of Belfast City Council, held on Monday (February 3), elected representatives on a majority vote agreed an increase in the district rate of 4.48 per cent for 2026/27. As of December 2025, the UK annual inflation rate, measured by the Consumer Prices Index, was 3.4 percent.

It means there will be a non-domestic rate of 34.2388 percent and a domestic rate of 0.4492 percent, and that the amount raised through the tax rise in 2026/27 will result in an extra £220,388,739 going to the council. Last year the council agreed to an increase in the district rate of 5.99 per cent.

READ MORE: GAA pitches and soccer pitch for Boucher Road approved amid plans for new large scale venue

READ MORE: Sinn Féin and SDLP clash with council officials over controversial GAA pitch

Domestic rates are made up of a regional rate, set by Stormont or the Northern Ireland Office, and a district rate, set by Northern Ireland’s councils, with both parts of the rate funding the respective responsibilities of Stormont and local government.

The district rate is for home and business owners, and pays for multiple public services, including waste management leisure/community centres, parks, building control, environmental health, events and recreation, arts and tourism.

A proposal at the special City Hall meeting by the Alliance Party to raise the rates by the lower amount of 4.25 percent failed, with 13 elected representatives in support, 37 against, and 4 abstaining. A People Before Profit proposal not to raise the rates at all did not receive a seconder, and could not therefore go to the floor for a vote.

Belfast is one of only four out of Northern Ireland’s 11 councils to have raised rates above the UK level of inflation this year. Ards and North Down had the highest rate of 4.74 percent, while Fermanagh and Omagh saw the lowest increase at 1.96 percent.

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