Headline

Diddy Accused By Dozens Of Children In Fresh Sexual Assault Lawsuit

Published

12 months ago

October 2, 2024

More than 100 people, including dozens of children, who say they were victims of rape, sexual assault and sexual exploitation at the hands of Sean “Diddy” Combs are to sue the US rap star, a lawyer said Tuesday.

The latest legal action will heap further pressure on a man who once bestrode American pop culture, but who has long been dogged by accusations of violent abuse of women, and who is now sitting in jail on criminal charges.

“The biggest secret in the entertainment industry, that really wasn’t a secret at all, has finally been revealed to the world,” Texas-based attorney Tony Buzbee said as he announced plans by 120 people, including 25 minors, to take civil action.

“The wall of silence has now been broken, and victims are coming forward.”

Combs was indicted last month on three criminal counts that allege he sexually abused women and coerced them into drug-fueled sex parties using threats and violence.

Allegations have been building against the Grammy Award-winner since last year, when singer Cassie, whose real name is Casandra Ventura, alleged Combs subjected her to more than a decade of coercion by physical force and drugs as well as a 2018 rape.

A spate of similarly lurid lawsuits since have painted a picture of Combs as a violent man who used his celebrity status to prey on women.

Combs has pleaded not guilty to the criminal charges. He has been jailed awaiting trial.

– Pattern of abuse –

At a press conference in Houston, Buzbee said more than 3,000 people had come forward with allegations against Combs, and he appealed for anyone else who might have been a victim to come forward.

He said much of the abuse Combs and members of his entourage are alleged to have carried out followed a pattern.

“I would say 90 percent of the cases, these individuals were drugged,” he told reporters.

“One individual who was 22 years at the time she was assaulted, said that… when you were handed a drink — and now we know that the drink is laced with something — if you refused to drink it, you were kicked out of the party.”

Buzbee described instances of repeated rape of teenagers, allegedly carried out by Combs and his associates.

He said alleged abuse of minors often took place in the context of a promise of fame and fortune in the music industry.

– Fears of retribution –

One boy, who was just nine years old at the time, was taken to New York to audition for Combs’ label Bad Boy Records.

“This individual was sexually abused, allegedly by Sean Combs and several other people at the studio, in the promise to both his parents and to himself of getting a record deal,” Buzbee said.

“Another incident, an individual, 15 years old at the time, flown to New York City to attend a party, was drugged and then taken into a private room, allegedly in the presence of Mr. Combs, where this female individual, a minor, was raped, and then other individuals took turns raping her.”

Buzbee praised the courage of those who had come forward despite fears of retribution or backlash from their own communities.

“I expect that through this process, many powerful people, many dirty secrets will be revealed.

“We know what we are potentially up against, and as is always the case in situations like this, when a celebrity is involved, people can be downright mean and nasty. ”Diddy accused by 120 alleged victims in fresh sexual assault lawsuit

Headline

Saudi Arabia’s Grand Mufti Is Dead

Published

13 hours ago

September 23, 2025

Editor

The Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia, Sheikh Abdulaziz, has died at the age of 82.

According to a statement from the Royal Court, the revered cleric passed away on Tuesday morning.

Born in Mecca in November 1943, Sheikh Abdulaziz rose to become one of the most influential religious authorities in the Kingdom.

He served as head of the General Presidency of Scholarly Research and Ifta, as well as the Supreme Council of the Muslim World League.

Headline

Antitrust Trial: US Asks Court To Break Up Google’s Ad Business

Published

2 days ago

September 22, 2025

Editor

Google faces a fresh federal court test on Monday as US government lawyers ask a judge to order the breakup of the search engine giant’s ad technology business.

The lawsuit is Google’s second such test this year, following a similar government demand to split up its empire that was shot down by a judge earlier this month.

Monday’s case focuses specifically on Google’s ad tech “stack” — the tools that website publishers use to sell ads and that advertisers use to buy them.

In a landmark decision earlier this year, Federal Judge Leonie Brinkema agreed with the US Department of Justice (DOJ) that Google maintained an illegal grip on this market.

Monday’s trial is set to determine what penalties and changes Google must implement to undo its monopoly.

According to filings, the US government will argue that Google should spin off its ad publisher and exchange operations. The DOJ will also ask that after the divestitures are complete, Google be banned from operating an ad exchange for 10 years.

Google will argue that the divestiture demands go far beyond the court’s findings, are technically unfeasible, and would be harmful to the market and smaller businesses.

“We’ve said from the start that DOJ’s case misunderstands how digital advertising works and ignores how the landscape has dramatically evolved, with increasing competition and new entrants,” said Lee-Anne Mulholland, Google’s Vice President of Regulatory Affairs.

In a similar case in Europe, the European Commission, the EU’s antitrust enforcer, earlier this month fined Google 2.95 billion euros ($3.47 billion) over its control of the ad tech market.

Brussels ordered behavioral changes, drawing criticism that it was going easy on Google as it had previously indicated that a divestiture may be necessary.

This remedy phase of the US trial follows a first trial that found Google operated an illegal monopoly. It is expected to last about a week, with the court set to meet again for closing arguments a few weeks later.

The trial begins in the same month that a separate judge rejected a government demand that Google divest its Chrome browser, in an opinion that was largely seen as a victory for the tech giant.

That was part of a different case, also brought by the US Department of Justice, in which the tech giant was found responsible for operating an illegal monopoly, this time in the online search space.

Instead of a major breakup of its business, Google was required to share data with rivals as part of its remedies.

The US government had pushed for Chrome’s divestment, arguing the browser serves as a crucial gateway to the internet that brings in a third of all Google web searches.

Shares in Google-parent Alphabet have skyrocketed by more than 20 percent since that decision.

Judge Brinkema has said in pre-trial hearings that she will closely examine the outcome of the search trial when assessing her path forward in her own case.

These cases are part of a broader bipartisan government campaign against the world’s largest technology companies. The US currently has five pending antitrust cases against such companies.

AFP

Headline

Google Faces Court Battle Over Breakup Of Ad Tech Business

Published

2 days ago

September 22, 2025

Editor

Google faces a fresh federal court test on Monday as US government lawyers ask a judge to order the breakup of the search engine giant’s ad technology business.

The lawsuit is Google’s second such test this year after the California-based tech juggernaut saw a similar government demand to split up its empire shot down by a judge earlier this month.

Monday’s case focuses specifically on Google’s ad tech “stack” — the tools that website publishers use to sell ads and that advertisers use to buy them.

In a landmark decision earlier this year, Federal Judge Leonie Brinkema agreed with the US Department of Justice (DOJ) that Google maintained an illegal grip on this market.
Monday’s trial is set to determine what penalties and changes Google must implement to undo its monopoly.

Google will argue that the divestiture demands go far beyond the court’s findings, are technically unfeasible, and would be harmful to the market and smaller businesses.

In a similar case in Europe, the European Commission, the EU’s antitrust enforcer, earlier this month fined Google 2.95 billion euros ($3.47 billion) over its control of the ad tech market.
Brussels ordered behavioral changes, drawing criticism that it was going easy on Google as it had previously indicated that a divestiture may be necessary.

The trial begins in the same month that a separate judge rejected a government demand that Google divest its Chrome browser, in an opinion that was largely seen as a victory for the tech giant.

That was part of a different case, also brought by the US Department of Justice, in which the tech giant was found responsible for operating an illegal monopoly, this time in the online search space.
Instead of a major breakup of its business, Google was required to share data with rivals as part of its remedies.

The US government had pushed for Chrome’s divestment, arguing the browser serves as a crucial gateway to the internet that brings in a third of all Google web searches.
Shares in Google-parent Alphabet have skyrocketed by more than 20 percent since that decision.

Judge Brinkema has said in pre-trial hearings that she will closely examine the outcome of the search trial when assessing her path forward in her own case.

These cases are part of a broader bipartisan government campaign against the world’s largest technology companies. The US currently has five pending antitrust cases against such companies.