<p>British model Bianca Gascoigne has come out publicly to accuse Mohamed al-Fayed, the&nbsp;late owner of Harrods,&nbsp;of grooming and sexually assaulting her when she was a teenager employed at the luxury department store.</p>

<p>Speaking to Sky News on Monday (Oct 21), the daughter of former footballer Paul Gascoigne recalled how Fayed tried to force her into sexual acts after offering her an apartment room for a night's stay when she was around 16 years of age.</p>

<p><strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/mohamed-al-fayed-was-a-rapist-20-women-come-out-against-father-of-lady-dianas-boyfriend-dodi-al-fayed-760351">Also read: Mohamed Al Fayed was a rapist? 20 women come out against father of Lady Diana's boyfriend Dodi Al Fayed</a></strong><br />
<br />
She said Fayed, who used to be charming and generous to her and family, made a surprise visit to the apartment, and made sexual advances.</p>

<p>She said Fayed turned up at the apartment to her shock. "I was just gobsmacked, I was kind of very shell-shocked, I just didn't really know what to do," she told the channel.</p>

<p>In her telling, Fayad tried to push her hands to his private parts after exposing himself, and at one point pushed her head to his lap.</p>

<p>"And I don't know how but I managed to wiggle away...And I think possibly you know, that him knowing my parents ... I don't know, that might have saved me at that moment. But it was horrific."</p>

<p><strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/over-60-more-women-allege-ex-harrods-owner-al-fayed-of-sexual-abuse-766371">Also read: Over 60 more women accuse ex-Harrods owner Al-Fayed of sexual abuse</a></strong></p>

<p>The 37-year-old model opened up about the ordeal in the wake of scores of complaints against Fayed who died at the age of 94 in 2023.</p>

<p>The sexual assault claims range from misconduct to rape, and lasted over decades.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The current owners of Harrods are settling more than 250 compensation claims from sexual assault survivors including incidents recounted in a BBC documentary, <em>Al Fayed: Predator At Harrods</em>.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Watch: Sean 'Diddy' Combs Accused Of Sexually Assaulting Minor</strong></p>

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<p>The documentary had interviews and stories of several women who faced sexual misconduct over decades from the Egyptian-origin businessman, whose son Dodi was once the boyfriend of Princess Diana. They both died together in a Paris car crash.</p>

<p>Harrods said&nbsp;several former staff came forward after the airing of the documentary which led the luxury department store to facilitate direct settlement processes.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Metropolitan Police have initiated a thorough review of allegations against Fayed.</p>

<p>It is looking into whether to charge him based on allegations made by two out of 21 women who reported abuse from 2005 to 2023.&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


British model Bianca Gascoigne has come out publicly to accuse Mohamed al-Fayed, the late owner of Harrods, of grooming and sexually assaulting her when she was a teenager employed at the luxury department store.

British model Bianca Gascoigne has come out publicly to accuse Mohamed al-Fayed, the late owner of Harrods, of grooming and sexually assaulting her when she was a teenager employed at the luxury department store. Speaking to Sky News on Monday (Oct 21), the daughter of former footballer Paul Gascoigne recalled how Fayed tried to force her into sexual acts after offering her an apartment room for a night's stay when she was around 16 years of age. Also read: Mohamed Al Fayed was a rapist? 20 women come out against father of Lady Diana's boyfriend Dodi Al Fayed She said Fayed, who used to be charming and generous to her and family, made a surprise visit to the apartment, and made sexual advances. She said Fayed turned up at the apartment to her shock. "I was just gobsmacked, I was kind of very shell-shocked, I just didn't really know what to do," she told the channel. In her telling, Fayad tried to push her hands to his private parts after exposing himself, and at one point pushed her head to his lap. "And I don't know how but I managed to wiggle away...And I think possibly you know, that him knowing my parents ... I don't know, that might have saved me at that moment. But it was horrific." Also read: Over 60 more women accuse ex-Harrods owner Al-Fayed of sexual abuse The 37-year-old model opened up about the ordeal in the wake of scores of complaints against Fayed who died at the age of 94 in 2023. The sexual assault claims range from misconduct to rape, and lasted over decades. The current owners of Harrods are settling more than 250 compensation claims from sexual assault survivors including incidents recounted in a BBC documentary, Al Fayed: Predator At Harrods. Watch: Sean 'Diddy' Combs Accused Of Sexually Assaulting Minor × The documentary had interviews and stories of several women who faced sexual misconduct over decades from the Egyptian-origin businessman, whose son Dodi was once the boyfriend of Princess Diana. They both died together in a Paris car crash. Harrods said several former staff came forward after the airing of the documentary which led the luxury department store to facilitate direct settlement processes. The Metropolitan Police have initiated a thorough review of allegations against Fayed. It is looking into whether to charge him based on allegations made by two out of 21 women who reported abuse from 2005 to 2023. (With inputs from agencies)

Mohamed al-Fayed sex abuse: UK model Bianca Gascoigne speaks out; Harrods settling with 250 accusers

<p>After allegations that a Kamala Harris interview for the programme <em>60 minutes</em> was edited creatively by CBS, her Republican rival for White House Donald Trump and several party politicians and commentators are putting pressure on the channel to release the full transcript.</p>

<p>What set tongues wagging was that CBS aired a totally different answer to the same question from what was teased as a <em>60 minutes</em> preview on social media. The clips have now gone viral.</p>

<p><strong>Watch: US Elections: Harris Seeks To Draw Focus On Trump's Health</strong></p>

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<p>The interview fiasco comes amid a media onslaught&nbsp;by Harris, who despite amassing record campaign funds of over a billion dollars, is unable to break into Trump's advantage in opinion polls, particularly in swing states.</p>

<h2><strong>What really happened?</strong></h2>

<p>CBS aired a clip of the exchange between Harris and the host on <em>60 Minutes </em>that aired on October 6. The question was whether the US had any influence over Israel.</p>

<p>Kamala gave a rambling answer which was later described by the Trump camp as a 'word salad'.</p>

<p>"Well Bill, the work that we have done has resulted in a number of movements in that region by Israel that were very much prompted by, or a result of, many things, including our advocacy for what needs to happen in the region," she said.</p>

<p>Oddly, that answer was different from the clip that aired on <em>60 minutes</em>, where she said, "We are not going to stop pursuing what is necessary for the United States to be clear about where we stand on the need for this war to end."</p>

<p>Trump jumped at the opportunity to tarnish Harris, saying&nbsp;<em>60 Minutes</em>&nbsp;sliced&nbsp;her answers to questions, "which were virtually incoherent, over and over again, some by as many as four times in a single sentence or thought.”</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/kamala-harris-releases-medical-report-touts-excellent-health-ahead-of-election-766932">Also read: Kamala Harris releases medical report, touts 'excellent health' ahead of US presidential election</a><br />
<br />
Accusing CBS of making illegal changes to Harris look more presidential, Trump said in a post on Truth Social: “This is a stain on the reputation of 60 Minutes that is not recoverable… It is the very definition of FAKE NEWS! ”</p>

<p>Accusing CBS of 'deceptive editing,' Trump campaign national press secretary Karoline Leavitt called for the full, unedited version of the interview to be released.</p>

<p>"On Sunday, 60 Minutes teased Kamala's highly-anticipated sit-down interview with one of her worst word salads to date, which received significant criticism on social media. During the full interview on Monday evening, the word salad was deceptively edited to lessen Kamala's idiotic response," Leavitt said.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"Why did 60 Minutes choose not to air Kamala's full word salad, and what else did they choose not to air? The American people deserve the full, unedited transcript from Kamala's sit-down interview. We call upon 60 Minutes and CBS to release it. What do they, and Kamala, have to hide?," she asked.</p>

<p>Soon, right-wing media, politicians and commentariat also demanded that CBS release the full transcript. The issue became a full-blown meme on social media.</p>

<p>The New York Post editorial board wrote: "Given how awful Harris looked even after CBS chose to deceive its viewers, this may well be the last serious interview she does before Election Day: The network has a clear duty to the public to share the whole thing."</p>

<p>Writing on X, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham called for addressing the idea that the interview may have been "edited in a favorable way" to help Harris.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Totally agree that Vice President Kamala Harris’ 60 Minutes interview transcript should be released in its entirety. The transcript will speak for itself and there is no reason not to clear the air.<br />
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The idea that <a href="https://twitter.com/KamalaHarris?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@KamalaHarris</a>’ comments may have been edited in a favorable way… <a href="https://t.co/QCPChfjTB1">https://t.co/QCPChfjTB1</a></p>
— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) <a href="https://twitter.com/LindseyGrahamSC/status/1844421241706361124?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 10, 2024</a></blockquote>
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<h2><strong>New polls show Harris struggling against Trump</strong></h2>

<p>The interview fiasco came even as new opinion polls released on Sunday (Oct 13) found that while the race is still tight, some of Trump's positions on issues like illegal migration are giving him the advantage.</p>

<p><strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/polling-nostradamus-who-predicted-win-of-kamala-harris-in-us-elections-says-october-surprise-will-not-765139">Also read: Polling 'Nostradamus', who predicted win of Kamala Harris in US elections, says ‘October surprise’ will not...</a></strong></p>

<p>An ABC News-Ipsos poll showed that Harris' majority is fading as she led Trump 50 per cent to 48 per cent as against 51 and 46 in September.</p>

<p>An NBC News poll showed the Democrat and her Republican contender tied at 48 per cent, as opposed to Harris at five points ahead of Trump in September.</p>

<p>A CBS News-YouGov poll showed that Harris was at 51 per cent and&nbsp;Trump at 48 per cent, which is largely unchanged from September.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


After allegations that a Kamala Harris interview for the programme 60 minutes was edited creatively by CBS, her Republican rival for White House Donald Trump and several party politicians and commentators are putting pressure on the channel to release the full transcript.

After allegations that a Kamala Harris interview for the programme 60 minutes was edited creatively by CBS, her Republican rival for White House Donald Trump and several party politicians and commentators are putting pressure on the channel to release the full transcript. What set tongues wagging was that CBS aired a totally different answer to the same question from what was teased as a 60 minutes preview on social media. The clips have now gone viral. Watch: US Elections: Harris Seeks To Draw Focus On Trump's Health × The interview fiasco comes amid a media onslaught by Harris, who despite amassing record campaign funds of over a billion dollars, is unable to break into Trump's advantage in opinion polls, particularly in swing states. What really happened? CBS aired a clip of the exchange between Harris and the host on 60 Minutes that aired on October 6. The question was whether the US had any influence over Israel. Kamala gave a rambling answer which was later described by the Trump camp as a 'word salad'. "Well Bill, the work that we have done has resulted in a number of movements in that region by Israel that were very much prompted by, or a result of, many things, including our advocacy for what needs to happen in the region," she said. Oddly, that answer was different from the clip that aired on 60 minutes, where she said, "We are not going to stop pursuing what is necessary for the United States to be clear about where we stand on the need for this war to end." Trump jumped at the opportunity to tarnish Harris, saying 60 Minutes sliced her answers to questions, "which were virtually incoherent, over and over again, some by as many as four times in a single sentence or thought.” Also read: Kamala Harris releases medical report, touts 'excellent health' ahead of US presidential election Accusing CBS of making illegal changes to Harris look more presidential, Trump said in a post on Truth Social: “This is a stain on the reputation of 60 Minutes that is not recoverable… It is the very definition of FAKE NEWS! ” Accusing CBS of 'deceptive editing,' Trump campaign national press secretary Karoline Leavitt called for the full, unedited version of the interview to be released. "On Sunday, 60 Minutes teased Kamala's highly-anticipated sit-down interview with one of her worst word salads to date, which received significant criticism on social media. During the full interview on Monday evening, the word salad was deceptively edited to lessen Kamala's idiotic response," Leavitt said. "Why did 60 Minutes choose not to air Kamala's full word salad, and what else did they choose not to air? The American people deserve the full, unedited transcript from Kamala's sit-down interview. We call upon 60 Minutes and CBS to release it. What do they, and Kamala, have to hide?," she asked. Soon, right-wing media, politicians and commentariat also demanded that CBS release the full transcript. The issue became a full-blown meme on social media. The New York Post editorial board wrote: "Given how awful Harris looked even after CBS chose to deceive its viewers, this may well be the last serious interview she does before Election Day: The network has a clear duty to the public to share the whole thing." Writing on X, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham called for addressing the idea that the interview may have been "edited in a favorable way" to help Harris. Totally agree that Vice President Kamala Harris’ 60 Minutes interview transcript should be released in its entirety. The transcript will speak for itself and there is no reason not to clear the air. The idea that @KamalaHarris’ comments may have been edited in a favorable way… https://t.co/QCPChfjTB1 — Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) October 10, 2024 × New polls show Harris struggling against Trump The interview fiasco came even as new opinion polls released on Sunday (Oct 13) found that while the race is still tight, some of Trump's positions on issues like illegal migration are giving him the advantage. Also read: Polling 'Nostradamus', who predicted win of Kamala Harris in US elections, says ‘October surprise’ will not... An ABC News-Ipsos poll showed that Harris' majority is fading as she led Trump 50 per cent to 48 per cent as against 51 and 46 in September. An NBC News poll showed the Democrat and her Republican contender tied at 48 per cent, as opposed to Harris at five points ahead of Trump in September. A CBS News-YouGov poll showed that Harris was at 51 per cent and Trump at 48 per cent, which is largely unchanged from September. (With inputs from agencies)

Kamala Harris interview debacle: Demand grows for full transcript as CBS accused of 'deceptive editing' 

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Mohamed al-Fayed sex abuse: UK model Bianca Gascoigne speaks out; Harrods settling with 250 accusers

Kamala Harris interview debacle: Demand grows for full transcript as CBS accused of 'deceptive editing'