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DIPLOMACY

Bahrain envoy hits back over maid sex claims

Bahrain's ambassador to France on Wednesday denied "unfounded allegations" he had groped a former domestic worker in his exclusive Paris residence.

Naser Al Belooshi’s statement came the day after French authorities launched an initial investigation into complaints made by a 44-year-old female former worker.

A judicial source has said the alleged sexual harassment occurred from July 2010 to October 2011, with the woman saying she was fired soon after, along with her husband.

The alleged victim also said the ambassador’s son had threatened her with a gun in September 2010.

A police source told AFP on Monday the husband had also filed a complaint.

“His Excellency Naser Al Belooshi, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Bahrain to France, forcefully refutes the inaccurate and unfounded allegations of assault that former domestic workers have made against him and his son,” the embassy said in a statement.

The statement added that the ambassador was available to French investigators “to shed light on these false accusations.”

The ex-worker said the incidents took place at the ambassador’s home in the swish Paris suburb of Neuilly.

The plaintiff initially accused her employer of raping her on more than one occasion but later told investigators she had thwarted those attempts.

The initial enquiry is to determine the veracity of the allegations. It could lead to charges, the appointment of an investigating judge, or no further action.

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DIPLOMACY

Berlin police investigate ‘Havana syndrome’ sicknesses at US embassy

Police in Berlin have opened an investigation into unexplained sicknesses that have been affecting staff at the US embassy in the German capital.

The US embassy in Berlin.
The US embassy in Berlin. Photo: dpa-Zentralbild | Jens Kalaene

The investigation, which Berlin’s city authorities confirmed to Der Spiegel last week, comes after at least two members of staff at the embassy reported symptoms that correspond to the so-called Havana syndrome, an unexplained sickness that has been affecting US diplomats and spies across the globe since 2016.

The US embassy has reportedly handed over evidence to Berlin’s state detective agency.

The first cases were reported in Havana, the Cuban capital, where dozens of diplomats reported suffering nausea and headaches. There have since been cases reported in Vienna, Moscow and Singapore.

US authorities suspect that the condition is caused by a sophisticated attack using concentrated microwaves.

The fact that many of the diplomats and CIA agents affected were working on Russian affairs has led them to believe that Moscow is somehow involved – a charge that the Kremlin denies.

As far as this so-called ‘syndrome’ is concerned, US President Joe Biden has vowed to find out “the cause and who is responsible.”

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