FirstUp: Verdict likely in French paedophile surgeon case, China to host Pacific Island leaders... Headlines of the day

The verdict is expected in the case of French paedophile surgeon Joel Le Scouarnec who is accused of raping and abusing 299 children during his career. China is set to host leaders from the Pacific Island nations for talks. In Europe, the Free Balochistan Movement (FBM) has planned protests across multiple cities read more
Courtroom sketch published on March 13, 2020 of former surgeon Joel Le Scouarnec during his trial in Saintes for the rape and sexual assault of four children. File image/AFP
It is set to be a busy Wednesday with several events lined up for the day.
Firstly, verdict is expected in the case of French paedophile surgeon Joel Le Scouarnec, accused of raping and abusing 299 child patients during his career. On the other side of the globe, China will be hosting leaders from the Pacific Island nations for talks.
China is set to launch its Tianwen-2 asteroid probe and sampling mission today. Meanwhile, a series of coordinated protests will be organised by the Free Balochistan Movement (FBM) across multiple cities in Europe today. In India, the Centre has called a high-level meeting of major e-commerce platforms to address the issue of dark patterns.
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Here is all that is set to take place throughout the day.
Verdict expected in French paedophile surgeon Joel Le Scouarnec's case
A verdict is expected in the case of French paedophile surgeon Joel Le Scouarnec today. Le Scouarnec is a French surgeon accused of raping and abusing 299 child patients between 1989 and 2014. He has been on trial since February in Vannes, Brittany, in one of the largest sex abuse cases France has ever seen.
Many of the alleged victims were under anaesthesia during the assaults. He is already serving a 15-year prison sentence following a 2020 conviction for abusing four girls, including his nieces and a neighbour. As the three-month trial concludes, victims and child abuse organisations express frustration over the case's lack of attention and anger at the French government's meagre actions to prevent similar future crimes.
China to host Pacific Island leaders for talks
China is set to host leaders from Pacific Island nations for a summit today in a bid to seek closer ties with the strategic nation, reported news agency AFP. Leaders and diplomats from 11 Pacific Island nations, including Kiribati, Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea and Fiji, are expected to attend the talks in the eastern Chinese city of Xiamen, informed Beijing's foreign ministry.
Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said the countries would discuss 'comprehensive exchanges and cooperation between China and Pacific Island countries, as well as international regional issues of common concern'. He added Beijing 'attaches great importance to its relations with Pacific island countries' and looks forward to 'jointly building a closer China-Pacific island community with a shared future.
China to launch Tianwen-2 asteroid sampling mission
China's Tianwen-2 mission will mark the country's first attempt to survey and sample an asteroid and put it in league with the US, Russia and Japan. The Tianwen-2 mission will focus on investigating Kamo'oalewa, an asteroid that orbits the sun at a distance relatively near Earth, reported The Times Of India.
China will launch Tianwen-2 mission to study and sample an asteroid. Representational image/Reuters
The report further stated that the entire mission could last a decade. If it successfully retrieves and returns samples from the asteroid, it will continue to explore the solar system with a second trip to the main asteroid belt, stated TOI.
Free Balochistan protests planned in Europe
The Free Balochistan Movement (FBM) has planned to hold protests in various places across European cities today. Notably, May 28 marks the 27th anniversary of Pakistan's nuclear tests.
As reported by news agency ANI, these demonstrations seek international acknowledgement of the enduring human, environmental and health consequences stemming from the nuclear detonations conducted in Balochistan's Chagai district in 1998.
A demonstration will be held outside the official residence of the UK prime minister at 10 Downing Street. Another protest will take place at Hamburg Central Station in Germany while in Finland, a march is scheduled starting from the Parliament to Citizen Square in Helsinki. The final one will take place outside the International Court of Justice in the Netherlands.
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Centre to hold high-level meeting with e-commerce platforms
The Union Ministry of Consumer Affairs is slated to conduct a high-level meeting involving key e-commerce and quick commerce platforms. This convocation aims to address the growing concerns surrounding 'dark patterns,' which are defined as deceptive online design tactics that invariably mislead users into making choices they did not originally intend.
The meeting, to be chaired by Union Minister Pralhad Joshi in New Delhi, will see participation from a wide range of companies across sectors like food delivery, pharmacy, cosmetics, travel, fashion, retail and electronics, reported news website Moneycontrol.
Some of the companies are Amazon, Flipkart, 1mg, Apple, BigBasket, Meesho, Meta, MakeMyTrip, Paytm, Ola, Reliance Retail, Swiggy and Zomato.

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