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Al Jazeera
2 days ago
- Al Jazeera
Barca star Lamine Yamal faces probe into dwarf entertainers at birthday
Barcelona star Lamine Yamal is facing an investigation regarding the presence of a group of people with dwarfism as entertainers at his 18th birthday party last weekend, Spain's Ministry of Social Rights told the AFP news agency. The winger celebrated with a private event in Olivella, about 50km (30 miles) west of Barcelona, which the ministry asked the prosecutor's office to investigate after a complaint from the Association for People with Achondroplasia and Other Skeletal Dysplasias with Dwarfism (ADEE). Yamal turned 18 on Sunday, the day after his party on Saturday night, which many of his teammates attended along with celebrities from the music world, including Bizarrap and Bad Gyal. 'The ADEE has filed a complaint, so this ministry has asked the prosecutor's office to investigate to see if the law has been violated and, therefore, the rights of people with disabilities,' the Social Rights Ministry told AFP on Tuesday. ADEE 'publicly denounces the hiring of people with dwarfism as part of the entertainment' and said it would take legal action because it 'perpetuates stereotypes, fuels discrimination and undermines the image and rights' of people with disabilities. Guests were not permitted to film at the event, but a video emerged of a group of people with dwarfism heading into the party. 'No one disrespected us. We were allowed to work in peace,' one of the performers told Catalan radio station RAC1 on the condition of anonymity, adding that four performers were in the group. 'We're normal people who dedicate ourselves to what we love doing in an absolutely legal way. … 'For a couple of years, these people [the ADEE] have wanted to harm us. They want to prevent us from doing what we like, but they have not offered any work or training to those who are affected. … 'All this fuss has come about purely because it was Lamine Yamal's party.' The performer said they dance, deliver drinks and do magic tricks to entertain guests at the events they work at. Yamal is a candidate to win the Ballon d'Or after helping Barcelona to a domestic treble of La Liga, the Copa del Rey and Spanish Super Cup last season. The Spain international has scored 25 goals for the club in 106 appearances, having made his debut at just 15 years old in 2023. Yamal's representatives did not respond to a request for comment.


Al Jazeera
4 days ago
- Al Jazeera
Feminist icon Gisele Pelicot awarded France's top civic honour: Report
Gisele Pelicot, who has been internationally hailed after testifying against her husband and dozens of other men who raped her, has been awarded France's top civic honour. Pelicot, 72, was named knight of the Legion of Honour on a list announced before France's July 14 national day, the AFP news agency reported on Sunday. She was among 589 people named for the honour, which recognises merit-based national service. Pelicot refused to remain anonymous and publicly testified at a trial in 2024 against her former husband, Dominique Pelicot, who drugged her and arranged for her to be raped by dozens of men over a decade. His co-conspirators tried to claim they were unaware that the acts were not consensual and blamed the husband. Gisele Pelicot at the time called it a 'trial of cowardice' and asserted there was no excuse for abusing her when she was unconscious. Her testimony gripped the world and led to Dominique Pelicot and 50 co-defendants being found guilty in the mass-rape case. Lauded for her courage in exposing the case, which forced a change in France's rape law, she has since been named among the world's most influential people in international lists. Gisele Pelicot has not spoken further since the trial. She is focusing on writing a book, scheduled for release in 2026, that delves into her perspective of the ordeal, according to her lawyer. Writers, artists and international figures are also on the Legion of Honour list. Singer, music producer and clothing designer Pharrell Williams, writer Marc Levy, actor Lea Drucker, singer Sylvie Vartan, and Holocaust survivor and educator Yvette Levy are some of the other recipients.


Al Jazeera
07-07-2025
- Al Jazeera
Germany breaks world record for largest string orchestra
Germany breaks world record for largest string orchestra NewsFeed Germany shattered the world record for largest string orchestra as 1,353 musicians performed Beethoven's 'Ode to Joy.' The intergenerational event brought together players of all ages, beating the previous record set in Hong Kong in 2018. Video Duration 01 minutes 07 seconds 01:07 Video Duration 01 minutes 30 seconds 01:30 Video Duration 02 minutes 11 seconds 02:11 Video Duration 01 minutes 28 seconds 01:28 Video Duration 02 minutes 27 seconds 02:27 Video Duration 02 minutes 19 seconds 02:19 Video Duration 01 minutes 36 seconds 01:36