Latest news with #Soho
Associated Press
16 hours ago
- Business
- Associated Press
2nd suspect in Manhattan crypto kidnapping and torture case indicted
NEW YORK (AP) — A second man charged in the kidnapping and torture of an Italian man for his Bitcoin has been indicted. A Manhattan grand jury handed up the indictment Friday against William Duplessie, according to Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office. The indictment will remain sealed until his arraignment June 11. Duplessie, 32, faces charges of kidnapping, assault, unlawful imprisonment and criminal possession of a weapon, police have said. His lawyer, in an email, declined to comment on the indictment. Prosecutors say Duplessie and fellow crypto investor John Woeltz, 37, lured the victim to a posh townhouse in Manhattan's Soho neighborhood on May 6 by threatening to kill his family. The man, a 28-year-old Italian national who has not been named by officials, said he was then held captive for 17 days, as the two investors tormented him with electrical wires, forced him to smoke from a crack pipe and at one point dangled him from a staircase five stories high. He eventually agreed to hand over his computer password Friday morning, then managed to flee the home as his captors went to retrieve the device. The grand jury decision followed Duplessie's brief appearance Friday morning in Manhattan court. A judge reminded him a protective order was still in effect, though he didn't name who it was concerning. Duplessie, who is listed as a founder or investor at various blockchain-based companies, was escorted in handcuffs and wore a prison jumpsuit. He didn't address the court. Both Duplessie and Woeltz remain in custody. New York City police are also investigating two detectives who worked security at the upscale Manhattan townhouse where the man says he was kidnapped and tortured. The detectives have been placed on modified leave pending the outcome of the inquiry. A lawyer for the labor union representing NYPD detectives said there's 'absolutely no indication' either officer witnessed any of the alleged illegal activity.
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Nick Knowles, 62, and his fiancée Katie Dadzie, 34, pack on the PDA in snaps as she reveals the countdown to the wedding is ON after celebrating hen do
Nick Knowles ' fiancée Katie Dadzie celebrated the countdown to her big day on Friday as she took to Instagram with a series of loved up snaps. The lingerie brand boss, 34, and DIY SOS star, 62, began dating in 2021 after they met when their children became friends at a play centre before getting engaged in 2023. And after a long engagement their wedding day is drawing ever closer and the pair are looking more in love than ever. Taking to Instagram, Katie shared a series of sweet couple snaps as they packed on the PDA with a cheeky smooch. Katie also shared more memories from her hen do earlier this month as she posed with her friends in Nick Knowles masks. From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the Daily Mail's new showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. Katie also made sure to show off her sparkling engagement ring as she shared a picture of her hand with a orange Haribo ring as her fake wedding ring. She captioned the post: 'AND THE COUNTDOWN IS ON MR KNOWLES!!!' Katie kicked off the wedding celebrations earlier this month at luxury boutique hotel Karma Sanctum as she was joined by close friends Kirsty Shaw-Rayner and Sherene Fuller. The group arrived on a beer bus and then headed through party district Soho wearing Nick Knowles face masks, much to the amusement of Katie, ahead of partying at Karma Sanctum. Katie was later entertained by two buff men dressed as a fireman and policeman as the party carried on into the early hours. The bride-to-be stepped out for her hen night in a white strapless mini-dress and diamante heels with her brunette locks styled in waves. Katie and the TV star have been subject to cruel trolling during their relationship, with critics mocking their age difference and financial setup. Speaking exclusively to MailOnline, about the 'gold digger' jibes, Katie admitted they don't get to her as much as they used to because she and Nick know its not true. She captioned the post: 'AND THE COUNTDOWN IS ON MR KNOWLES!!!' Katie also made sure to show off her sparkling engagement ring as she shared a picture of her hand with a orange Haribo ring as her fake wedding ring She said: 'I think at the start, it was probably more irritating, especially for my family. But now those comments kind of just pass over me because we both know it's not true. 'Nick works hard, he has what he has. I work hard, I have what I have and then we buy each other stuff.' Katie continued: 'We're both really comfortable with where we are with that and you will always get it because there's an age gap. 'I know plenty of people who are together and the same age where someone's using the other one for money and they're not happy. 'So as long as I know it's not true and he knows it's not true, I think that's, that's pretty much all that matters.' Nick has an estimated £7.5 million net worth but Katie has built up an impressive lingerie brand, having launched Boa Boa in 2022. She has proved to be her own best advert for the brand, modelling the skimpy looks to her 102,000 Instagram followers. Katie revealed her battle with endometriosis has impacted the pictures she posts as she is now on a mission to show off her 'real' figure. Endometriosis is a condition where tissue similar to the uterine lining grows outside of the uterus. It can cause pelvic pain, heavy periods, and difficulty getting pregnant. Speaking about how she wants to represent real women Katie shared : 'I've got slightly better at trying to show slightly more real, as in I've put weight on recently so I know I can't just have the better picture of me where I haven't eaten at the start of the morning. 'I've got horrendous endometriosis, so I do bloat terribly but that's the company ethos that it's underwear that's made to fit you regardless of your size.'
Telegraph
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
Russell Brand arrives at court to face rape and sexual assault charges
The second woman to accuse him was allegedly indecently assaulted while working at a television station in 2001. She claims he grabbed her by the arm and attempted to drag her into a male toilet. The third woman, who also worked at a TV company, claims she was raped and sexually assaulted by Brand at a party in Soho in 2004. He is accused of grabbing her breasts before allegedly pulling her into a toilet and orally raping her. The fourth woman alleged she was sexually assaulted and met Brand while working at a radio station in 2004. At the time, he was working for Channel 4 on Big Brother's Big Mouth between 2004 and 2005, the court heard. The woman alleges he grabbed her by the face with both hands, pushed her against a wall, 'kissed her sloppily' and grabbed her chest and buttocks.
GMA Network
a day ago
- Entertainment
- GMA Network
Jessica Soho Celebrates 40 Years in the Industry via Digital Archive
From Accidental Journalist to One of the Nation's Most Powerful Voices From Accidental Journalist to One of the Nation's Most Powerful Voices Jessica Soho Celebrates 40 Years in the Industry via Digital Archive Jessica Soho never planned to be a journalist. She had her sights set on Political Science, with hopes of becoming a lawyer. But the road to law school came with too much math—so she decided to take up journalism instead, mainly because it only required one math subject. 'I am an accidental journalist, motivated firstly by my fear or phobia of Math,' she often says, with her trademark laugh. But after four decades of telling the stories that matter, nothing about her journey seems like an accident. From her first assignments—covering coup attempts, typhoons, and disasters—to high-risk, near-death coverage in the field, Soho has braved danger not for fame, but for truth. And with every step, she raised the bar for journalism in the Philippines. Marking her 40th year in journalism in 2025, GMA Public Affairs launches 'Jessica Soho @40: Telling the Story of Filipinos.' This digital archive, available beginning May 30 on GMA Public Affairs' YouTube channel, celebrates her four-decade legacy of public service and storytelling excellence. It features curated exclusives, landmark reports, and deeply human stories that shaped national conversations and gave voice to the unheard—with new content uploaded weekly. The Power of Stories As a journalist, Soho has witnessed the good and the bad. In 1989, while en route to Pag-asa Island, her plane went missing—only to be found safe days later after an emergency landing in the Spratlys. In 2002, while covering post-war Afghanistan, a landmine exploded just meters away. These moments of danger and resilience highlight the risks journalists face in pursuit of the truth. But not all stories are born out of conflict. Some are rooted in compassion. Others inspire generosity and remind us of our shared humanity. 'Bukod sa mga istorya ng trahedya, giyera, at sakuna, ang isa sa lubos na ipinagmamalaki ko at ng akingteam ay ang mga kuwentong nakapagpabago ng buhay ng marami-rami nating mga kababayan,' Soho shared. There's Ranelyn from Bantayan Island, who was too small for her favorite dress because she was severely malnourished. After her story aired, aid came in droves. Today, she is healthy and back in school. There's Daxen from Antique, who battles a rare condition and found hope through strangers who came forward to help after seeing his story. Raymark from Sultan Kudarat had to abandon childhood and the classroom to work in the fields. After his story reached the public, he was able to return to school—trading his plow for books. Soho and her team also leaned on science, even learning genetics in the process, to establish parenthood in the case of two babies switched at birth. 'Ang 'word on the street' natin ay 'family.' Importante ang pamilya sa atin. Kaya 'pag may nabubuo sa tulong ng aming mga programa—hindi lang sa KMJS kundi pati sa mga dati naming show tulad ng 'Sanay Muling Makapiling' at 'Reunions'—dagdag points tayo kay Lord. Corny pakinggan, pero totoo 'to. Feeling namin para kaming nginingitian ng langit tuwing mayroon kaming nahahanap na nawawala, at nabubuo ulit ang isang pamilyang nawalay sa isa't isa.' These are more than just stories—they are lives transformed. A Filipina Trailblazer A true pioneer in broadcast journalism, Soho has not only blazed a trail but also set new benchmarks for Philippine media on the global stage. She made history in 1999 by winning the country's first-ever George Foster Peabody Award for her groundbreaking reports Kidneys for Sale and Kamao—a distinction she would earn again in 2014 for the coverage of Typhoon Haiyan. She became the first Filipino to be nominated and to win in the New York Festivals (NYF) TV & Film Awards. She holds the distinction of having won all the medal categories at the NYF. This year, her show Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho (KMJS) won a Bronze Tower Trophy at the 2025 New York Festivals TV & Film Awards for its investigative documentary Minahan sa Homonhon Island (Nickel and Dime: The Cost of Mining in Homonhon Island). The same episode was nominated at the 2024 Association for International Broadcasting (AIBs) Awards in London under the Sustainability category. In 2024, her documentary Secret Slaves: The Jessica Soho Special Report on Human Trafficking won Gold at the ContentAsia Awards for Best Current Affairs Programme Made in Asia for Regional Asia and/or International Markets. Her credibility and connection with the public are just as remarkable: she has been named 'Most Trusted TV Host for News and Current Affairs' for 13 consecutive years by the Reader's Digest Trusted Brands Awards. She also became the first UP College of Mass Communication alumna to receive the prestigious Gawad Plaridel Award for Journalism. 'Sa lahat ng mga assignment, trabaho, at programa na ibinigay sa akin, wala akong masasabi sa sarili ko na hindi ko itinodo. 100 percent or more. You're not the story. Ang importante 'yung story.' At a time when truth is under siege, when fake news spreads faster than facts, Soho stands as a rare constant. Credible. Trusted. Still chasing stories—not for clicks or clout—but because she believes the Filipino story is worth telling. 'Aaminin ko, pinanghihinaan din ako ng loob. Pero hindi kasi tamang isuko ang katotohanan. Kailangan itong ipaglaban—lalo na't marami pa tayong dapat bigyan ng linaw at liwanag sa ating bayan,' she said. And she continues to pass it on—speaking to thousands of aspiring writers and journalists at the National Schools Press Conference held last week in Ilocos Sur, reminding them to pursue not just accuracy and balance, but above all, kindness and goodness in their work. 'If I have to live my life all over again, pipiliin ko pa rin maging journalist. Basically, because I love telling stories,' she ended. And perhaps that's the clearest truth of all: Even if she never planned this path, she chose to walk it with purpose. Because for Jessica Soho, every story—big or small—is a chance to do good. And for forty years, she has done just that. Catch 'Jessica Soho @40: Telling the Story of Filipinos' on GMA Public Affairs' YouTube channel starting May 30.
CNA
2 days ago
- Business
- CNA
Man charged in New York with 3-week kidnapping to try to steal Bitcoin
NEW YORK :A grand jury has indicted a 37-year-old cryptocurrency investor accused of kidnapping a business partner in Manhattan's upscale Soho neighborhood for three weeks, shocking him with electric wires, and dangling him over a staircase to try to get him to give up his Bitcoin password, prosecutors said on Wednesday. John Woeltz was arrested on May 23, court records show. According to a criminal complaint filed in Manhattan criminal court, an unnamed man told New York City police that Woeltz and another man, William Duplessie, on May 6 took his electronic devices and passport demanded he give up his password so they could steal his cryptocurrency. Woeltz and Duplessie, 33, have not yet entered pleas. Their lawyers declined to comment. Local media have called Woeltz a cryptocurrency investor and described the alleged victim as an Italian man. Both had ties to a crypto hedge fund in New York, the New York Times reported, citing an internal police report described by a law enforcement official. When the man refused to share his password, Woeltz and Duplessie allegedly began a series of brutal beatings until the man managed to escape weeks later. They tied his wrists, hit him on the head with a gun, and threatened to kill his family, according to the complaints against the two men. Duplessie was arrested on Tuesday and is due in court for a preliminary hearing on Friday. Judges have ordered both men detained. Woeltz is due to be arraigned on June 11.
