
Singer Chris Brown pleads not guilty to 2 further charges over London nightclub assault case
The singer, wearing a light brown suit, pleaded not guilty to assault causing actual bodily harm to Abraham Diaw at the Tape nightclub in the swanky London neighborhood of Mayfair in February 2023. He also denied having an offensive weapon–a bottle–in a public place during the short hearing at Southwark Crown Court. Around 20 fans sat in the public gallery behind the dock for Friday's hearing, with several gasping as the singer of 'Go Crazy,' 'Run It,' and 'Kiss Kiss' walked into the courtroom. Co-defendant–Brown's friend and fellow musician–Omololu Akinlolu, 39, also denied actual bodily harm on Friday.
The 2023 attack was caught on surveillance camera in front of a club full of people, prosecutors said. Brown was released in May on bail of 5 million pounds (6.75 million) which allowed him to start his Breezy Bowl XX tour. Following a series of dates in Europe, he's set to return to North America at the end of July to play in Miami before moving across the US, with a two-night stop in Toronto along the way. Brown, who rose to stardom as a teen in 2005, won his first Grammy for best R&B album in 2011 for F.A.M.E.. He earned his second in the same category for 11:11 (Deluxe) earlier this year.
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Arab News
10 hours ago
- Arab News
Britain seeks a crackdown on social media ads of human traffickers
LONDON: Britain says people who advertise fake passports or people-smuggling services on social medial could face up to five years in prison, in the government's latest effort to deter migrants from crossing the English Channel in small boats. The government said Sunday that anyone convicted of creating online materials intended to break UK immigration law will face prison time and a large fine. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said the aim was to stop the 'brazen tactics on social media' used by smuggling gangs. 'Selling the false promise of a safe journey to the UK and a life in this country — whether on or offline — simply to make money, is nothing short of immoral,' she said. Assisting illegal immigration to the UK is already a crime, but officials believe a new offense — part of a border security bill currently going through Parliament — will give police and prosecutors more powers to disrupt gangs that send migrants on perilous journeys across one of the world's busiest shipping lanes. Prime Minister Keir Starmer has said the crime gangs are a threat to global security and should be treated like terror networks. Since taking office a year ago, Starmer's center-left Labour Party government has adopted powers to seize the assets of people-smugglers, beefed up UK border surveillance and increased law-enforcement cooperation with France and other countries to disrupt the journeys. Despite that, more than 25,000 people have reached Britain by boat so far this year, an increase of 50 percent on the same period in 2024. Small boat crossings have become a potent political issue, fueled by pictures of smugglers piling migrants into overcrowded, leaky inflatable boats on the French coast. Opposition parties say the government's plans aren't working — though the government argues the problems built up during 14 years when the Conservative Party was in power, The Conservatives say Starmer should not have scrapped the previous government's contentious and expensive plan to send migrants arriving by boat on a one-way trip to Rwanda. 'This is a panicked attempt to look tough after months of doing nothing,' Conservative immigration spokesman Chris Philp said. The government says it will take time to clear a backlog of applications that has left thousands of migrants stuck in temporary accommodation — often hotels — without the right to work. The hotels have become flashpoints for tension, attracting protests fueled by a mix of local concern, misinformation and anti-immigrant agitation.


Arab News
10 hours ago
- Arab News
2 arrested after fatal stabbing of student in Cambridge, victim reported as Saudi
LONDON: Two men have been arrested following the fatal stabbing of a student in a park in the English city of Cambridge on Friday night. Police were called to the Mill Park area of the city at 11:27 p.m. on Aug. 1 following reports of violence. A 20-year-old man was found with serious injuries and was pronounced dead at 12:01 a.m. on Saturday. Though authorities in the UK have not yet officially identified the victim, reports in Saudi media from Al-Ekhbariya and Al-Arabiya on Sunday said the victim was a Saudi national named Mohammed Al-Qasim. A 21-year-old man from Cambridge has been arrested on suspicion of murder, while a 50-year-old man, also from Cambridge, has been arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender, a Cambridgeshire Police statement said. Both remain in custody at Thorpe Wood Police Station, the statement added. 'We would like to thank the public for their support and assistance following our appeal,' said Detective Inspector Dale Mepstead from the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Major Crime Unit. 'The investigation remains ongoing, and we continue to urge anyone with information who has not yet come forward to contact us.' Arab News has contacted the constabulary for further information. EF International Language Campuses Cambridge, where the victim was studying, confirmed his death in a statement. 'We are deeply saddened at the death of one of our adult students,' the language school said. 'We are working closely with the local police, who are investigating the incident and have confirmed they made arrests. 'At this time, we understand the attack was carried out by a member of the public in an isolated incident. 'The safety and wellbeing of our students is our top priority. We are providing support to all students and staff affected by this tragic event and have organized counselling sessions. 'Our thoughts are with the student's loved ones during this incredibly difficult time and we have offered our full support. We will not be commenting further while the investigation is ongoing.' Cambridgeshire Police have asked anyone with information to contact them via the web chat service at or by calling 101 and quoting Operation Brackley.


Arab News
20 hours ago
- Arab News
UK threatens jail for people smugglers who advertise on social media
LONDON: People smugglers who use social media to promote their services to migrants seeking to enter Britain illegally could face five years in prison under plans announced by the government. Prime Minister Keir Starmer's Labour government is under huge political and public pressure to cut the number of migrants arriving illegally in small boats from France. More than 25,000 people have made the crossing so far this year. Analysis by the Interior Ministry showed around 80 percent of migrants arriving on small boats had used social media during their journey to find or communicate with people smugglers. Under a new offense, which will be added to legislation already passing through parliament, individuals who post online to advertise services that facilitate a breach of immigration laws will face fines and prison sentences of up to five years. It is already an offense to facilitate illegal immigration to Britain, but the government said its latest plan would give law enforcement agencies another option to disrupt the criminal gangs that profit from organizing the crossings. Last month, the government launched a new sanctions regime allowing it to freeze assets, impose travel bans and block access to the country's financial system for individuals and entities involved in enabling irregular migration.