NETHERLANDS: Dutch police have detained four men in a major investigation into allegations of drugging and sexually abusing women they knew then sharing videos of the abuse, in a case that has echoes of French woman Gisele Pelicot’s ordeal.

The suspects, whose identities were not released in line with Dutch privacy rules, were detained after police searched several houses across the Netherlands over two days last week, police said in a statement on Thursday.

SRI LANKA: A fire at a nursing home in western Sri Lanka killed 12 residents and injured eight others, police said today.

The fire started late on Wednesday at the home in Anguruwatota town. Fifty-one residents were rescued, police spokesman Fredrick Wootler said.

The director of the home was arrested on suspicion of causing deaths through negligence. An investigation is under way.

SOUTH KOREA: South Korea’s ruling Democratic Party won a majority of races in Wednesday’s local elections but lost the crucial Seoul mayoral contest, according to official results today.

President Lee Jae Myung’s Democratic Party won 12 of the 16 mayoral and provincial gubernatorial posts up for grabs. The right-wing Peoples Power Party won four, including the Seoul mayoral race.

GAZA: At least nine Palestinians were killed overnight today in Israeli air attacks in Gaza, according to local hospitals.

The nine people were killed in at least four separate Israeli attacks in Gaza City, according to Shifa Hospital, which received the bodies.

Israeli forces have killed more than 936 people since October’s ceasefire took effect, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.

The Israeli military did not immediately comment on the strikes.