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Ex-Olympic Swim Champion Agnel To Appear In French Court For Alleged Rape

French prosecutors have requested that double Olympic swimming champion Yannick Agnel appear before a criminal court for alleged rape and sexual assault of a minor, judicial sources said Friday.

The public prosecutor’s office requested that the swimmer be brought before the departmental criminal court for rape of a minor under the age of 15 and sexual assault of a minor under the age of 15 in 2016, with both charges pertaining to the same victim, judicial sources said.

The investigating judge must issue their final order before the end of April, the same sources added.

The judge can either issue an order of dismissal — partial or total — or referral to the correctional court or to the criminal court.

(FILES) France’s Yannick Agnel prepares to compete in the 200m freestyle B final during the Open de France swimming competition in Bellerive-sur-Allier on July 3, 2016. The Mulhouse public prosecutor’s office has requested the referral of former Olympic champion swimmer Yannick Agnel to the criminal court for suspected sexual assault and rape of a minor under the age of 15, it was learned on March 7, 2025 from a judicial source. (Photo by Thierry Zoccolan / AFP)

The investigation began in the summer of 2021 following a complaint from a swimmer who trained with Agnel in Mulhouse between 2014 and 2016.

The swimmer is suspected of having had a relationship with the teenager while he was staying with her parents.

At the time, he was 24-years-old while she was only aged 13. The investigation led to the swimmer being indicted on December 11, 2021.

Agnel, now 32, has always insisted the relationship was consensual and loving.

The public prosecutor at the time, Edwige Roux-Morizot, considered that “the facts constitute rape and sexual assault due to the age difference, because the justice system considers that there is genuine moral duress”.

Last July, Agnel went to the office of the investigating judge in Mulhouse for a confrontation that he had requested with his accuser, now aged 21.

Agnel came to international prominence at the&nbsp, 2010 European championships when he won gold in the 400-metre freestyle setting a new French and championships record.

Two years later he starred at the London Olympics when he took gold in the 200m freestyle and the 4x100m freestyle as well as silver in the 4x200m freestyle.

He collected gold medals in the same two events in the 2013 world championships.

These £55 suede loafers are the perfect alternative to the sold-out viral M&S pair

With suede still dominating as spring’s top trend, it’s no surprise that some of our favourite pieces have continued to be a sell out. One item that seems to have been top of everyone’s list is Marks &amp, Spencer’s sold out brown suede loafers, which cost £55 and have been sold out consistently ever since they launched.

If you’ve desperately been eyeing them up but didn’t manage to get your hands on them then you’re in luck. We’ve spotted this very similar pair of Lillian Penny Loafer Flat Shoes in Brown from Schuh, and you can snap them up for the exact same price.

READ MORE: M&amp, S ‘ viral suede loafers now come in a backless version ready for spring

READ MORE: Frankie Bridge’s sunglasses are an affordable alternative to £345 YSL pair

Just like the coveted M&amp, S pair, Schuh’s Lillian Penny Loafers come in a rich chocolate brown colour and are made from 100% suede, which makes them durable and comfortable to wear. They have a slip on design, with a classic oval toed silhouette and tab details over the front.

The flat rubber soles also give plenty of flexibility, so you can spend all day walking around in them without your feet aching. Plus, unlike the sold out Marks &amp, Spencer’s pair, you can still snap up the Lillian Penny Loafers in all sizes from a UK3 to a UK8.

The loafers are still available in all sizes (Schuh)

One reason brown suede loafers have been at the top of everyone’s list this season is because of how versatile they are. The perfect balance of smart and casual, you can just as easily pair yours with straight leg jeans and a T-shirt for running errands as you can with a pair of trousers and a shirt for work.

The chocolate brown shade is also universally flattering on all skin tones, and works with just about any colour. Whether you stick to neutrals like beige, navy and black or opt for brighter hues like red, pink and butter yellow (another top colour to watch this season).

If you want some other colours to pick from, Ariat’s Selene Driving Shoes, £90, come in a choice of four different shades and prints, tan, pink, olive and leopard print. They also have a slightly softer, more flexible design and come in sizes from 3 to 8.5 with half sizes available throughout.

For a luxury pick, or if you need larger sizes, Massimo Dutti’s Split Suede Penny Loafers are £149 and have a similar silhouette to the Schuh pair. With a penny strap across the front and low black rubber sole, the men’s loafers come in sizes 6 to 11.

Grand National favourite added to Gold Cup line-up

Getty Images

Cheltenham Festival 2025

Dates: 11-14 March Venue: Cheltenham Racecourse Races: 13: 20-17: 20 GMT Feature races: 16: 00

Grand National favourite Inothewayurthinkin has been added as a supplementary entry for the Cheltenham Gold Cup on Friday.

The seven-year-old, trained by Gavin Cromwell for owner JP McManus, will bid to deny Galopin Des Champs a hat-trick in the race.

Fact To File and L’Homme Presse have been withdrawn, along with Conflated, Grangeclere West, Grey Dawning and Hewick.

That leaves 10 potential contenders for the Gold Cup, with the McManus-owned Fact To File set to run in Thursday’s shorter Ryanair Chase.

L’Homme Presse’s absence leaves his Venetia Williams ‘ stablemate Royale Pagaille and The Real Whacker, for Patrick Neville, as the only British-trained runners, with the remainder from Ireland.

Inowthewayurthinkin won the Kim Muir Chase at Cheltenham last year before a Grade One victory at Aintree.

He was fourth behind Galopin Des Champs in the Irish Gold Cup last month and has been added to the English showpiece, which has a first prize of £350, 000, at the cost of £25, 000.

Inowthewayurthinkin is rated about a 7-1 chance by bookmakers for the Gold Cup, for which the 2023 and 2024 winner Galopin Des Champs is the 1-2 favourite.

Galopin Des Champs is bidding to become the first triple winner since Best Mate in 2004 and only the second after Arkle in the 1960s.

Other hopefuls include King George VI Chase winner Banbridge and another McManus entry, Corbetts Cross.

Inothewayurthinkin is about a 7-1 favourite for the Grand National at Aintree on 5 April – 22 days after the Gold Cup.

Only one horse – Golden Miller in 1934 – has won both races in the same season.

Related topics

  • Horse Racing

Grand National favourite added to Gold Cup line-up

Getty Images

Cheltenham Festival 2025

Dates: 11-14 March Venue: Cheltenham Racecourse Races: 13: 20-17: 20 GMT Feature races: 16: 00

Grand National favourite Inothewayurthinkin has been added as a supplementary entry for the Cheltenham Gold Cup on Friday.

The seven-year-old, trained by Gavin Cromwell for owner JP McManus, will bid to deny Galopin Des Champs a hat-trick in the race.

Fact To File and L’Homme Presse have been withdrawn, along with Conflated, Grangeclere West, Grey Dawning and Hewick.

That leaves 10 potential contenders for the Gold Cup, with the McManus-owned Fact To File set to run in Thursday’s shorter Ryanair Chase.

L’Homme Presse’s absence leaves his Venetia Williams ‘ stablemate Royale Pagaille and The Real Whacker, for Patrick Neville, as the only British-trained runners, with the remainder from Ireland.

Inowthewayurthinkin won the Kim Muir Chase at Cheltenham last year before a Grade One victory at Aintree.

He was fourth behind Galopin Des Champs in the Irish Gold Cup last month and has been added to the English showpiece, which has a first prize of £350, 000, at the cost of £25, 000.

Inowthewayurthinkin is rated about a 7-1 chance by bookmakers for the Gold Cup, for which the 2023 and 2024 winner Galopin Des Champs is the 1-2 favourite.

Galopin Des Champs is bidding to become the first triple winner since Best Mate in 2004 and only the second after Arkle in the 1960s.

Other hopefuls include King George VI Chase winner Banbridge and another McManus entry, Corbetts Cross.

Inothewayurthinkin is about a 7-1 favourite for the Grand National at Aintree on 5 April – 22 days after the Gold Cup.

Only one horse – Golden Miller in 1934 – has won both races in the same season.

Related topics

  • Horse Racing

Anna Kendrick’s 3-word answer about working with Blake Lively has people ‘obsessed’

Anna Kendrick was seen giving a short answer when she was asked a cryptic question about co-star Blake Lively while walking the red carpet for the 2025 SXSW Film &amp, TV Festival.

Hollywood stars Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively were seen posing on the red carpet on March 7 in Austin, Texas for the premiere of their newest film, Another Simple Favour at the 2025 SXSW Film &amp, TV Festival.

The movie is a sequel to 2018’s A Simple Favour, again directed by Paul Feig with Kendrick and Lively starring as the leads. The movie is Lively’s first release since It Ends With Us, which was released the summer of 2024, which saw the actress get into a lawsuit with the movie’s director, Justin Baldoni. Lively, 37, accused Baldoni, 41, of sexual harassment. He countersued Lively and her husband Ryan Reynolds, 48, for £321 million, accusing them of trying to destroy his reputation and career. They both deny the allegations.

And the lawsuit drama seems to be trying to follow her into the press for her latest film, Another Simple Favour, with Kendrick being asked about her opinion about working with Lively again. While interacting with fans during the premiere, one fan asked: “What does it mean to be working with Blake again”?

Kendrick, who walked past the fan to continue taking photos with others, simply replied: “Oh, you know…”, leaving it at that.

People were quick to make the short clip go viral on social media, with many going on to call Kendrick ‘ iconic ‘ by her short answer that left them even more ‘ obsessed ‘ by the American actress.

Later, Kendrick was faced with another question, which some believe was alluding to Lively’s legal battle. “How does it feel like the movie is being impacted kind of by everything happening around going on in the world”? the reporter asked.

While the question could refer to Blake’s ongoing legal drama with Baldoni, some are also wondering if it refers to the political turmoil currently going on in the USA and the rest of the world, as US president Donald Trump has been involved in heated discussions with Ukrainian President Zelenskyy, while also announcing high tariffs on goods imported from both Canada and Mexico.

In response to the question, Kendrick quickly replied: “Why what happened? I did Ayahuasca and the last year of my life has just gone”. She then changed the subject back to the movie premiere as she added: “But I’ve heard the movie’s amazing”.

Ayahuasca is a a plant-based psychedelic that affects all the senses, altering a person’s thinking, sense of time and emotions, according to Healthline. People have since praised Kendrick for her response, with many fans taking to social media to share their thoughts on her response.

“Anna Kendrick couldn’t have answered this better”, one person said. A second commentator wrote: “Anna Kendrick mastering the art of saying a lot without saying anything at all”.

Others went on to express their love for the actress, saying they’re ‘ obsessed ‘ with her and her ‘ Oscar winning evasion’-esque answer.

“She heard the question and mentally clocked out immediately”, another social media user said, while another added: “She’s a freakn ‘ national treasure”.

The two actresses are believed to be in a feud of their own, as it is believed they fell out when they filmed A Simple Favour in 2018, while others insist nothing went down but scurrilous rumours.

However the rumours have once again become a topic of discussion as they started promoting the sequel, Another Simple Favour, which saw Lively give ‘ savage ‘ comments about Kendrick in a resurfaced interview.

Israeli attacks on Gaza kill three as Hamas, Egypt hold ceasefire talks

Israeli attacks on Gaza have killed three Palestinians and wounded several in the southern governorate of Rafah as Hamas and Egyptian officials meet in Cairo for talks on the future of a precarious ceasefire.

On Saturday morning, an Israeli drone targeted a group of people east of Rafah city, killing two Palestinians. &nbsp, Our colleagues on the ground reported that one person was also killed by Israeli fire in at-Tannour, also east of Rafah.

Since Friday night, Rafah has been the target of intense Israeli attacks from tanks and drones with shelling impacting residential areas, including al-Jnaina, ash-Shawka and Tal as-Sultan, the Palestinian news agency Wafa reported.

According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, at least 48, 453 Palestinians have been killed and 111, 860 wounded by Israeli attacks since October 7, 2023.

At the same time, the head of the enclave’s Government Media Office reported on Saturday in marking International Women’s Day that 12, 316 women have been killed throughout the war.

“Women’s Day coincides with the continuation of the Israeli siege and the prevention of aid as women live in catastrophic humanitarian conditions and suffer from starvation and thirst”, Salama Maarouf said.

At least 2, 000 women and girls have been permanently disabled due to amputations, according to government data.

Ceasefire talks

Amid the ongoing attacks, a Hamas delegation arrived in the Egyptian capital, Cairo, on Friday to discuss the Gaza ceasefire.

According to the AFP news agency, two senior Hamas members are part of a high-level delegation that is expected to talk to Egyptian officials on Saturday about the next phase of the ceasefire.

Reporting from Gaza City, Al Jazeera’s Hind Khoudary said Palestinians are waiting for any news about the deal.

“We know that the first phase of the ceasefire ended on March 1, and Israel and Hamas agreed on a truce for a week. Today, that truce comes to an end”, Khoudary reported. &nbsp, “Palestinians are very anxious and stressed that the second phase of the ceasefire hasn’t taken effect yet. People here are waiting for any news from these negotiations and feel that this ceasefire is fragile”.

As Palestinians wait for news of the ceasefire, the Israeli blockade of humanitarian aid is putting immense pressure on people already struggling to get by.

“This blockade is suffocating Palestinians. They are saying they never imagined that a ceasefire and Ramadan would come and that they would not be able to cook their favourite dishes”, Khoudary explained, adding that community kitchens are now running out of stock.

At the end of February, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said humanitarian aid would no longer enter Gaza in retaliation for Hamas not accepting Israel’s proposal for phase one of the ceasefire to be extended.

Meanwhile, more than 50 freed Israeli captives urged Netanyahu to fully implement the Gaza ceasefire and secure the release of those still held in Gaza.