AU URGES DE-ESCALATION AS FIGHTING DISPLACES OVER 180,000 IN SOUTH SUDAN’S JONGLEI STATE. (PHOTO).

Image
 AU urges de-escalation as fighting displaces over 180,000 in South Sudan’s Jonglei state The Chairperson of the African Union Commission called for immediate de-escalation and strict adherence to South Sudan’s 2018 peace agreement, as renewed fighting in Jonglei State displaced more than 180,000 people and raised fears of further civilian harm. In a statement, African Union Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf said he was deeply concerned by the deteriorating security situation in parts of the country, particularly Jonglei, where escalating violence and inflammatory rhetoric have put civilians—including women and children—at heightened risk. South Sudanese authorities estimate the number of displaced in Jonglei at more than 180,000, the United Nations humanitarian agency OCHA said last week. He urged all parties to exercise maximum restraint, de-escalate tensions immediately, and comply fully with the permanent ceasefire and power-sharing arrangements under the agreement, T...

ALEXANDER BROTHERS POISED TO FACE FEDERAL SEX TRAFFICKING CHARGES. (PHOTO)


 Alexander brothers poised to face federal sex trafficking charges

For years, Oren and Tal Alexander cultivated an image built on extreme wealth, glamour, and nonstop access to elite social circles. As prominent figures in ultra-luxury real estate, the brothers were fixtures at exclusive parties and high-end destinations, often photographed traveling by private jet or yacht and surrounded by models and influencers. That public image, federal prosecutors now argue, concealed a far darker reality. According to authorities, the Alexander brothers — along with Oren’s twin, Alon — used their wealth, status, and promises of luxury to systematically lure women into situations where they were drugged, assaulted, and raped over the course of more than a decade. All three brothers were arrested in December 2024 and charged with federal sex trafficking offenses that carry potential sentences ranging from 15 years to life in prison.

Prosecutors allege the brothers operated a coordinated scheme that relied on lavish invitations, alcohol, and controlled substances to incapacitate victims in cities including New York, Miami, Las Vegas, Aspen, the Hamptons, and abroad in the Bahamas. A sweeping federal indictment accuses them of repeatedly using force, intimidation, and drugs to carry out sexual assaults, often in group settings. Authorities say they have identified dozens of alleged victims, with seven expected to testify at trial. Some accusations date back to before the national reckoning over sexual misconduct, and prosecutors argue the passage of time reflects fear, confusion, and the power imbalance between the women and the defendants. In addition to the federal case in New York, Oren and Alon face state charges in Florida, and the brothers are also confronting dozens of civil lawsuits that remain paused while criminal proceedings move forward.

The defense, however, frames the case as a fundamental dispute over consent. Attorneys for the Alexanders argue the encounters were voluntary, describing their clients as wealthy, socially active men who attracted women through nightlife and personal connections. Defense filings insist there was no trafficking, no exchange of sex for anything of value, and no coercion. They contend that the allegations surfaced years later through civil litigation, motivated by financial incentives rather than evidence, and emphasize the lack of contemporaneous police reports, medical records, or forensic findings. The brothers’ legal team characterizes the government’s case as an attempt to criminalize consensual behavior after the fact, fueled by shared narratives among accusers.

Prosecutors counter that text messages, witness testimony, and patterns of behavior demonstrate an organized conspiracy. Court filings reference conversations about obtaining drugs such as MDMA, cocaine, GHB, and prescription sedatives, which authorities say were used to incapacitate women. The government argues that inconsistencies in victims’ memories are consistent with drug-induced trauma and do not undermine the core allegations. One particularly serious claim involves an alleged victim who prosecutors say was 16 years old at the time of a sexual encounter with two of the brothers, a charge that significantly raises the stakes of the case. Another allegation involves a woman who says she was assaulted after being given a drink during a private gathering in Miami, while additional witnesses describe incidents in which victims say they were unable to leave or resist.

Defense attorneys have seized on discrepancies between accounts, pointing to text messages, social media activity, and continued contact between some accusers and the brothers after the alleged assaults. They argue such behavior contradicts claims of non-consensual encounters, while prosecutors respond that trauma responses vary and that denial, fear, and confusion are common among victims of sexual violence. Several women have said they only felt able to come forward after learning others had similar experiences, describing a shared sense of relief that they would not be dismissed or isolated.

The brothers’ parents have publicly defended their sons, stating they believe the evidence presented at trial will clear them and urging the public to reserve judgment. Meanwhile, prosecutors have continued to expand their case, recently adding additional charges related to an alleged assault during a Bahamian trip in 2012. Defense lawyers have asked the court to dismiss portions of the indictment, arguing late changes to charges and challenges verifying key evidence, including disputed birth records tied to age-related allegations. Jury selection is set to begin this week, with testimony expected to stretch over several weeks. As the trial approaches, the case stands to test competing narratives of power, consent, memory, and credibility — and to determine whether the brothers’ carefully curated public image can withstand the weight of the allegations now facing them.


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

SHAKIRA COVERS WOMEN'S HEALTH MAGAZINE,APRIL ISSUE.

INNOSON GIVES OUT BRAND NEW IVM G5 AND SALARY FOR LIFE TO THE MAN WHO PROPHESIED ABOUT HIS VEHICLE MANUFACTURING IN 1979.(PHOTO).

TINUBU ANNOUNCES ARRIVAL OF 4 U.S ATTACK HELICOPTERS. (PHOTO).