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UK journalist wins £80k damages after being hired ‘to smear’ UAE and Egypt critics

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UK journalist wins £80k damages after being hired ‘to smear’ UAE and Egypt critics

A journalist has been awarded over £80,000 in damages against a London-based investigative website and its CEO – a press freedom campaigner – after claiming she was duped into joining the organisation only to find out that it was a propaganda vehicle for the UAE and Egypt.

Jane Cahane said she was told in her job interview by Mohamed Fahmy, who was imprisoned in Egypt for over a year for disseminating “false news” in a case that caused a public outcry, that the Investigative Journal (TIJ) was a publication of independent investigative journalism.

But Cahane, who was editor-in-chief between December 2018 and July 2019, said TIJ received funding from the UAE and pursued an agenda intended to further the interests of the Gulf state and Egypt.

In the particulars of her claim, Cahane said Fahmy was “assisted and directed” by representatives or agents of the UAE and, in June 2019, met with the authoritarian Egyptian president, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, under whose regime Fahmy was imprisoned , “to discuss TIJ’s editorial line and content”.

After neither TIJ nor Fahmy presented a defence, a judgment in default, seen by the Guardian, was entered and Cahane was awarded £80,735.92 for fraudulent and/or negligent misrepresentation plus costs.

Sitting at the high court in London, senior master Fontaine said in her written judgment: “This was a particularly difficult and sensitive area relating to journalism and the funding of journalism for purposes that were alleged to be political rather than independent and relates to alleged funding from Middle-Eastern sources … the reputation of the claimant as a journalist of integrity was at stake and for her that concern was likely to have been as important as the financial claim that she has made, and that has to be appropriately reflected [in the remedy].”

Fahmy, a Canadian citizen, hit the headlines when he was convicted in Egypt in 2014 alongside two fellow Al Jazeera English journalists, Egyptian national Baher Mohamed and Australian Peter Greste. He was sentenced to seven years in jail for endangering national security and supporting the Muslim Brotherhood, despite independent observers saying there was no credible evidence.

Fahmy, who has also worked for CNN, the LA Times, and BBC, was awarded a prize by the Canadian Committee for World Press Freedom during the trial. He was later represented by Amal Clooney and he and his colleagues were all pardoned in 2015. In 2019, he was a speaker at the Foreign Office’s inaugural international media freedom conference in London.

Cahane had previously worked on travel website Culture Trip and renewable energy news title Recharge before joining TIJ.

Her particulars of claim said that her job description at the TIJ stated she would “work with leading journalists and a team of editors to help create and manage a top-tier, investigative online publication”. But she said the reality was different. “At no time has TIJ covered, nor did the defendants intend TIJ to cover, a wide range of topics and a diversity of viewpoints from an independent and objective standpoint,” the document stated.

“Articles, reports and social media content published by TIJ have focused and focus primarily on aggressively targeting, attacking and smearing those perceived to be opponents of the United Arab Emirates and the Arab Republic of Egypt, including particular countries such as Turkey, Qatar and Iran and particular organisations such as the Muslim Brotherhood.”

At the time of going to press TIJ’s website was not working. The court heard that the company is going into liquidation, while Companies House says it has not filed accounts due in October last year. The journal and Fahmy are jointly and severally liable for the sums owed to Cahane.

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Policeman remanded for allegedly raping teenager inside Lagos office

An Ogba Magistrate Court in Lagos State, on Tuesday, ordered the remand of 56-year-old policeman Owolabi Akinlolu at the Maximum Correctional Centre Kirikiri for allegedly raping a 17-year-old girl in his office.

Owolabi, a Deputy Superintendent of Police at the Ogudu Police Station in Lagos, allegedly raped the survivor in his office after promising to help recover her phone, which was stolen by one-chance robbers while she was returning from Ikeja with her grandmother and siblings.

Akinlolu reportedly summoned the teenager to his office on June 29, claiming they had apprehended the suspect who had stolen her phone two weeks earlier.Upon arriving at the police station, the senior police officer allegedly locked his office door behind him and raped the teenager.

In July 2024, the survivor’s mother, Mrs Aramide Olupona, accused the police of attempting to cover up the case, revealing that the suspect’s wife and family had pleaded with her to drop the charges, as Akinlolu was set to retire in December 2024.

At the Magistrate Court 11 on Tuesday, the prosecution counsel, backed by a seven-paragraph affidavit, urged the court to remand the defendant, stating that the offence of defilement violates Section 137 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.In response to the prosecution’s request, Magistrate O.O. Fagboun ordered the defendant’s remand at the Maximum Correctional Centre and adjourned the case until March 11, 2025, for trial and further proceedings. Punch

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Saudi Arabia releases new 2025 Hajj rules, bans children, updated visa policies

Saudi Arabia has announced new changes to the 2025 Hajj pilgrimage, including a new restriction barring children from participating.

The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah stated that the move aimed to protect children from potential dangers posed by heavy crowds during the pilgrimage.

The decision is part of broader efforts to ensure a safer and more seamless Hajj experience.

According to the ministry, the large crowds during Hajj pose serious risks to children, making this precautionary measure necessary.

Additionally, priority for the 2025 Hajj will be given to first-time pilgrims to allow more Muslims the opportunity to undertake this religious obligation at least once in their lives.

● Changes in visa regulations

Starting February 1, 2025, Saudi Arabia will issue only single-entry visas for pilgrims from 14 countries, including India, to prevent unauthorized Hajj participation.

Authorities noted that unauthorized pilgrimages had contributed to overcrowding at key sites, making crowd management and safety more challenging.

The updated visa policy aims to improve the overall Hajj experience by controlling the number of attendees.

Saudi authorities continue to refine Hajj regulations to make the pilgrimage safer and more organized.

Pilgrims are encouraged to register through official channels and follow the new guidelines to avoid complications.

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia had also introduced significant changes to its visa policy, effective February 1, 2025, limiting travellers from 14 countries to single-entry visas.

This move aims to address concerns over unauthorized Hajj pilgrims entering the country on long-term visit visas.

● Affected Countries

The new regulations target travellers from the following nations: Algeria, Bangladesh, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Jordan, Morocco, Nigeria, Pakistan, Sudan, Tunisia, and Yemen. As part of the policy shift, the Saudi government has indefinitely suspended the one-year multiple-entry visas for tourism, business, and family visits from these countries.

●¡Hajj registration and new payment options

Saudi citizens and residents can register for the 2025 Hajj season via the Nusuk app or the official website. Applicants are required to verify their personal details and register their travel companions.

A new instalment-based payment plan has also been introduced for domestic pilgrims. Payments can be made in three stages: a 20% deposit within 72 hours of booking, followed by two 40% instalments due by Ramadan 20 and Shawwal 20. The ministry clarified that reservations will only be confirmed once the final payment is received.

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Troops rescue three kidnap victims in Plateau

Troops of Operation Safe Haven (OPSH), have successfully rescued three kidnapped victims along the Barkin Ladi-Mangu road in Mairana village, Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau State.

Intelligence sources said the rescue operation was carried out on Tuesday, February 11, 2025, following intelligence on the abduction.

The sources said that the victims were kidnapped at approximately 7:45 a.m. on February 11, 2025.

In response, troops from Sector 8 of Operation Golden Peace swiftly mobilized to the scene, where they discovered a red Ford Space Bus parked along the roadside.

Troops immediately conducted a search operation in the surrounding bushes, leading to the successful rescue of the three victims unharmed.

The kidnappers had abandoned them and fled upon sighting the advancing security personnel.

The victims were reunited with their vehicle and continued their journey safely. Meanwhile, efforts are ongoing to apprehend the fleeing criminals.

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