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Israeli airstrike on Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon kills 13

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BEIRUT (BN24) — An Israeli airstrike on a Palestinian refugee camp in southern Lebanon on Tuesday killed 13 people and wounded several others, state media and government officials said. It was the deadliest strike on Lebanon since a ceasefire in the Israel-Hezbollah war a year ago.

The drone strike hit a car in the parking lot of a mosque in the Ein el-Hilweh refugee camp on the outskirts of the coastal city of Sidon, the state-run National News Agency said. The Lebanese Health Ministry said 13 people were killed and several others wounded in the airstrike, without giving further details.

Hamas fighters in the area prevented journalists from reaching the scene, as ambulances rushed to evacuate the wounded and the dead.

The Israeli military said it struck a Hamas training compound that was being used to prepare an attack against Israel and its army. It added that the Israeli army would continue to act against Hamas wherever the group operates.

Hamas condemned the attack in a statement saying the strike hit a sports playground and denying that it was a training compound.

Over the past two years, Israeli airstrikes on Lebanon have killed scores of officials from the militant Hezbollah group as well as Palestinian factions such as Hamas.

Saleh Arouri, the deputy political head of Hamas and a founder of the group’s military wing, was killed in a drone strike on a southern suburb of Beirut on Jan. 2, 2024. Several other Hamas officials have been killed in strikes since then.

Hamas led the Oct. 7, 2023 attack on southern Israel that killed about 1,200 people. That sparked Israel’s offensive on the Gaza Strip that killed tens of thousands of Palestinians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.

A day after the Israel-Hamas war started, Hezbollah began firing rockets toward Israeli posts along the border. Israel responded with shelling and airstrikes in Lebanon, and the two sides became locked in an escalating conflict that became a full-blown war in late September 2024.

That war, the most recent of several conflicts involving Hezbollah over the past four decades, killed more than 4,000 people in Lebanon, including hundreds of civilians, and caused an estimated $11 billion worth of destruction, according to the World Bank. In Israel, 127 people died, including 80 soldiers.

The war ended in late November 2024 with a U.S.-brokered ceasefire. Since then, Israel has carried out scores of airstrikes in Lebanon, saying that Hezbollah is trying to rebuild its capabilities.

Lebanon’s Health Ministry has reported more than 270 people killed and around 850 wounded by Israeli military actions since the ceasefire.

The Ein el-Hilweh refugee camp, established in 1948 following the creation of Israel, is one of the largest Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon. The camp houses tens of thousands of Palestinian refugees and their descendants, living in crowded conditions on the outskirts of Sidon, a major coastal city in southern Lebanon.

The disputed nature of the target reflects the fundamental disagreement over the strike. Israel’s characterization of the site as a Hamas training compound preparing attacks contrasts sharply with Hamas’s claim that the strike hit a sports playground, raising questions about civilian casualties in a densely populated refugee camp.

The restriction of journalist access by Hamas fighters prevented independent verification of the circumstances surrounding the strike and its aftermath. The presence of Hamas security forces controlling access to the scene complicates efforts to assess the nature of the target and casualties.

The designation of this strike as the deadliest since the November 2024 ceasefire underscores the escalation in violence over the past year. The ceasefire agreement, brokered by the United States, was intended to end hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah but has not prevented continued Israeli military operations in Lebanon.

The Lebanese Health Ministry’s casualty figures, showing more than 270 killed and around 850 wounded since the ceasefire took effect, indicate ongoing military operations despite the formal end to the Israel-Hezbollah war. These numbers suggest Israel has continued targeting what it identifies as militant infrastructure and personnel.

The historical context of Israeli strikes on Palestinian faction leaders in Lebanon demonstrates a pattern of targeted operations. The January 2024 killing of Saleh Arouri in Beirut represented a significant escalation, targeting a senior Hamas political figure in Lebanon’s capital rather than in border areas or refugee camps.

The broader regional conflict, which began with Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Israel and expanded to include Hezbollah’s involvement, has created a complex security situation in Lebanon. The country hosts both Hezbollah, a Shiite militant group with significant political influence, and various Palestinian factions including Hamas operating from refugee camps.

The economic toll of the Israel-Hezbollah war, estimated at $11 billion in destruction by the World Bank, has added to Lebanon’s existing financial crisis. The country was already experiencing severe economic collapse before the 2024 conflict, and the additional destruction has further strained recovery efforts.

The casualty disparity between Lebanon and Israel during the 2024 war, with more than 4,000 Lebanese deaths including hundreds of civilians compared to 127 Israeli deaths including 80 soldiers, reflects the intensity and location of the fighting. Much of the combat occurred on Lebanese territory, with Israeli airstrikes targeting Hezbollah positions in civilian areas.

Israel’s stated justification for continued strikes in Lebanon, that Hezbollah is attempting to rebuild its military capabilities, suggests Israeli forces view the ceasefire as a temporary pause rather than a permanent end to hostilities. This interpretation allows for continued military operations under the framework of preventing future threats.

The targeting of Ein el-Hilweh refugee camp, a location with significant civilian population density, raises concerns about the distinction between military targets and civilian areas. Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon have historically been sites where various Palestinian factions maintain presence and influence.

The strike occurring in a mosque parking lot, as reported by the National News Agency, adds another dimension to questions about the appropriateness of the target. Religious sites and their immediate surroundings traditionally receive protected status under international humanitarian law, though this protection can be forfeited if used for military purposes.

The evacuation efforts by ambulances amid Hamas security presence suggests chaotic conditions at the scene following the strike. The combination of casualties requiring medical attention and armed faction control of the area created challenges for emergency response.

Israel’s declaration that it will continue acting against Hamas wherever the group operates indicates a policy of extraterritorial operations not limited by Lebanese sovereignty or the ceasefire agreement with Hezbollah. This approach treats Hamas as a legitimate target regardless of location or diplomatic agreements with other parties.

Congress passes bill to force release of Epstein files after Trump reverses course

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WASHINGTON (BN24) — The House on Tuesday voted overwhelmingly to pass legislation to compel the Justice Department to release all its records related to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, a major victory for lawmakers in both parties who have been leading the push for months.

As the final vote tally, 427-1, was read, several Epstein survivors who were sitting in the House gallery embraced each other and loud cheers went up through the chamber. Rep. Clay Higgins, Republican of Louisiana, was the only lawmaker to vote no.

The measure, which last week secured enough bipartisan support to head straight to the House floor, got another boost over the weekend, when President Donald Trump reversed his position and urged Republicans to support it.

Reps. Thomas Massie, Republican of Kentucky, and Ro Khanna, Democrat of California, the bipartisan duo who co-authored the legislation and successfully forced the vote on the House floor, despite leadership’s objections, had spent the past few days trying to drive up the vote tally.

The near-unanimous vote put enormous pressure on the Republican-controlled Senate to act.

Just hours later, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, Democrat of New York, headed to the floor and requested unanimous consent that the measure be passed in the upper chamber once the bill is sent over from the House.

Not a single senator objected.

It means that once the paperwork is sent from the House to the Senate, the bill will be sent straight to Trump, who has vowed to sign it into law.

The bill would require the attorney general to release in a searchable and downloadable format “all unclassified records, documents, communications, and investigative materials” related to Epstein and his co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell, flight logs or travel records, people and entities connected with Epstein and internal emails, notes and other internal Justice Department communications.

Those records would need to be released “not later than 30 days” after enactment of the law.

The legislation says the attorney general may withhold or redact any information that identifies victims or would jeopardize an active federal investigation.

Ahead of the House vote, Massie, Khanna and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, Republican of Georgia, held an emotional news conference outside the Capitol with more than a dozen Epstein survivors, urging senators to quickly take up the bill.

“You had Jeffrey Epstein, who literally set up an island of rape — a rape island — and you had rich and powerful men, some of the richest people in the world, who thought that they could hang out with bankers, buy off politicians and abuse and rape America’s girls with no consequence,” Khanna told reporters Tuesday.

“Because survivors spoke up, because of their courage, the truth is finally going to come out,” he added. “And when it comes out, this country is really going to have a moral reckoning.”

Massie said he was fine with Speaker Mike Johnson’s efforts to get the Senate to tweak language to protect the identities of victims. Higgins wrote on social media that he would support the bill if that effort is successful, arguing that, as written, it could reveal “thousands of innocent people — witnesses, people who provided alibis, family members, etc.”

“If you want to add some additional protections for these survivors, go for it,” Massie continued, but he warned that such changes should not delay or halt the release of the documents.

“If you do anything that prevents any disclosure, you are not for the people … Do not muck it up in the Senate,” he said.

“We fought the president, the attorney general, the FBI director, the speaker of the House and the vice president to get this win,” Massie said, adding that proponents deserve some “credit” because the administration now backs the legislation. “They are finally on the side of justice.”

Momentum on the Epstein discharge petition had been building in the House, which allowed rank-and-file members to circumvent leadership and force a vote.

All House Democrats were on board, and after half the House signed the discharge petition to force a vote, a deluge of Republicans began announcing they would vote for it.

Trump and the White House had worked behind the scenes to stop the effort, trying to pressure a handful of GOP women to drop off the petition.

But with the writing on the wall, Trump abruptly reversed course Sunday night, posting on Truth Social that House Republicans should vote for the bill. On Friday, Trump directed Attorney General Pam Bondi to investigate Epstein’s ties to prominent Democrats and financial institutions.

Trump, who had supported releasing the Epstein files before his re-election last year, vowed Monday to sign the legislation should it reach his desk, which he said would allow the GOP to turn the page and focus on the economy.

“Some of the people that we mentioned are being looked at very seriously for their relationship to Jeffrey Epstein, but they were with him all the time — I wasn’t. I wasn’t at all,” Trump said in the Oval Office.

“What I just don’t want Epstein to do is detract from the great success of the Republican Party, including the fact that the Democrats are totally blamed for the shutdown,” he continued.

Standing with fellow Epstein survivors Tuesday, Jena-Lisa Jones lashed out at Trump over the new DOJ probe.

“I beg you, President Trump: Please stop making this political,” Jones said. “It is not about you, President Trump. You are our president. Please start acting like it. Show some class, show some real leadership, show that you actually care about the people other than yourself.”

Jones said she voted for Trump. “Your behavior on this issue has been a national embarrassment,” she said.

Asked about the criticism, White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said: “Democrats and the media knew about Epstein and his victims for years and did nothing to help them while President Trump was calling for transparency, and is now delivering on it with thousands of pages of documents as part of the ongoing Oversight investigation.”

A conservative Trump ally in the House told NBC News that Republicans have been widely frustrated with the White House’s dismissive handling of the Epstein saga and have privately encouraged it to shift strategy, which was communicated as recently as Friday, days before Trump reversed position on the issue.

The White House was also warned that there would be mass Republican defections on the House floor.

The Justice Department has already turned over tens of thousands of documents from the Epstein investigation to the House Oversight Committee, which is conducting its own probe and has made many of those records public.

In addition, Democrats on the Oversight Committee released a series of emails last week from Epstein to Maxwell and journalist Michael Wolff that refer to Trump, which Epstein’s estate turned over in response to a subpoena. In one 2019 email, Epstein wrote of Trump, “Of course he knew about the girls as he asked ghislaine to stop,” but he did not accuse Trump of any wrongdoing.

Trump has consistently denied involvement in any of Epstein’s crimes. The two men had socialized in the 1980s and the 1990s, including at a 1992 party at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, where video shows them discussing women. But Trump and Epstein had a falling-out in the 2000s, when Trump accused Epstein of hiring away girls and young women from his resort’s spa. Trump said he banned Epstein from Mar-a-Lago.

In 2008, Epstein pleaded guilty to Florida state charges of soliciting prostitution with a minor. In July 2019, the Justice Department charged him with sex trafficking of minors. A month later, authorities said, Epstein killed himself in his jail cell while he was awaiting trial.

Johnson has argued for months that the Epstein legislation is not needed because the Oversight Committee has been releasing documents to the public. He dodged questions Monday about Trump’s reversal and his conversations with the president.

“He’s never had anything to hide. He and I had the same concern — that we wanted to ensure that victims of these heinous crimes are completely protected from disclosure, those who don’t want their names out there,” Johnson told reporters. “And I’m not sure the discharge petition does that, and that’s part of the problem.”

The overwhelming bipartisan support for the legislation reflects widespread public demand for transparency regarding Epstein’s network and the government’s handling of his case. The 427-1 vote margin represents one of the most lopsided tallies in recent congressional history on a controversial issue.

The discharge petition mechanism, which allows 218 House members to force a vote without leadership approval, proved critical in overcoming resistance from Trump and House leadership. The bipartisan coalition of Massie and Khanna successfully navigated internal opposition to bring the measure to the floor.

The Senate’s unanimous consent passage demonstrates rare bipartisan unity in the upper chamber. Schumer’s immediate action to bring the bill up for passage, and the absence of any objecting senator, ensured rapid movement toward enactment.

The 30-day deadline for release creates urgency for the Justice Department to compile and review materials while allowing time to redact victim identities and protect ongoing investigations as the legislation permits.

The emotional scene in the House gallery, with survivors embracing as the vote was announced, underscored the personal significance of the legislation for those directly affected by Epstein’s crimes. Their presence during the vote represented years of advocacy for accountability and transparency.

Massie’s warning to the Senate not to “muck it up” reflects concern that amendments could delay or weaken the bill’s impact. His willingness to accept victim protection language suggests flexibility on that specific issue while maintaining firm opposition to changes that would prevent disclosure.

The confrontation between survivor Jones and Trump over politicization of the issue highlights tension between survivors seeking truth and political maneuvering around Epstein’s connections to figures across the political spectrum. Jones’s statement that she voted for Trump adds weight to her criticism as coming from within his political coalition.

Trump’s Friday directive to investigate Epstein’s Democratic connections, followed by his Sunday reversal on releasing files, creates a complex political dynamic. The juxtaposition of calling for investigation of Democrats while initially opposing comprehensive file release drew criticism from survivors and lawmakers.

The White House’s behind-the-scenes pressure on GOP women to abandon the discharge petition, and subsequent warnings about mass defections, illustrate the political calculation that led to Trump’s reversal. Republican frustration with the administration’s handling, communicated to the White House as recently as Friday, set the stage for the position change.

Johnson’s argument that the Oversight Committee releases made the legislation unnecessary failed to convince House members who sought comprehensive, mandated disclosure rather than selective releases. His concern about victim protection in the discharge petition language provides political cover for his previous opposition while accepting the bill’s passage.

ChatGPT, X among sites blocked in widespread Cloudflare outage

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ChatGPT and the social media platform X were among the websites blocking some users’ access on Nov 18 as the web security firm Cloudflare worked to address a widespread, worldwide networking outage.

Cloudflare was investigating an issue that “potentially impacts multiple customers”, the San Francisco-based company said on its website.

The same page shows Cloudflare had been experiencing issues with a customer support portal, and had been scheduled to conduct some scheduled maintenance in some areas earlier in the day. At one point, Cloudflare’s own outage status website was not loading.

Cloudflare’s software is used by hundreds of thousands of companies globally, acting as a sort of buffer between their websites and end users and working to protect their sites from attacks that might overload them with traffic.

Cloudflare’s system has gone down – multiple times – before. In July 2019, a bug in Cloudflare’s software caused one part of its network to suck up computing resources from the rest of the company, leading thousands of websites around the world that rely on Cloudflare to go offline for as long as 30 minutes.

During that outage, services including the blogging platform Medium, the video game chat provider Discord, Shopify, music service SoundCloud, Bitcoin trading platform Coinbase and online storage site Dropbox were affected.

In June 2022, Cloudflare suffered an outage that affected traffic in 19 of its data centres handling a significant proportion of its global traffic, also essentially shutting down several major websites and services. The incident lasted for about an hour and a half.

Source: BLOOMBERG

PSG–Mbappé Legal Clash Deepens as Both Sides Seek Massive Payouts

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PARIS (BN24)— The legal confrontation between Paris Saint-Germain and Kylian Mbappé escalated Monday in the French capital as both sides presented sweeping financial demands before an industrial tribunal examining their dispute over unpaid wages and contract obligations. Mbappé, who did not attend the hearing, now seeks more than 260 million euros, arguing that his fixed-term deal with the club should be reclassified as a permanent contract. His claim contends that such a reclassification would entitle him to compensation for unfair dismissal, unpaid salaries, bonuses, and severance, along with damages for moral harassment, undeclared work, and alleged failures by PSG to uphold its duty of good faith and workplace safety.

Representatives for the French forward said in a statement that he is only seeking the rights afforded to any employee under French labor law. Mbappé had previously claimed PSG owed him 55 million euros in unpaid wages and bonuses.

PSG responded with a claim of its own, seeking 440 million euros from the forward. The club argues it suffered a significant financial blow when Mbappé left as a free agent, including what it describes as a 180 million euro “loss of opportunity” to complete a transfer. PSG points to Mbappé’s decision to reject a 300 million euro offer from Saudi club Al-Hilal in July 2023 as evidence of a lost financial windfall. The club said it is also pursuing damages for what it calls breaches of good-faith negotiations, contract performance issues, and harm to its image.

The dispute revisits the tense months leading into the 2023-24 season, when Mbappé was left out of the first team after signaling he would not trigger an extra year on his contract. PSG contends he concealed his decision not to extend between July 2022 and June 2023, limiting the club’s ability to arrange a transfer. The club also said he challenged an August 2023 agreement that laid out a salary reduction should he leave on a free transfer, an arrangement PSG described as necessary to protect its finances after investing heavily in him.

Mbappé’s camp countered that no evidence supports claims he agreed to surrender existing payments. The player also accused PSG of moral harassment, citing what he described as “lofting,” a French term for isolating a player from the senior squad for sporting or disciplinary reasons. His relationship with the club deteriorated sharply after he declined to extend the contract he signed in 2022 a deal considered the most lucrative in PSG history.

After notifying the club he would not renew, Mbappé was excluded from a preseason tour to Japan and South Korea and trained away from the main group. He did not play in PSG’s opening league match before negotiations led to his return. PSG rejected all harassment allegations, saying he played in more than 94 percent of the club’s official matches during the 2023-24 season, with all sporting decisions made by a coach who later won the Champions League. The club maintained that its working environment complied with the Professional Football Charter.

Mbappé left PSG for Real Madrid in the summer of 2024 on a free transfer, departing with a club-record 256 goals scored over seven seasons. The tribunal is expected to issue its ruling next month, marking a critical moment in one of the most consequential legal battles involving a European football star.

Pakistani forces kill 15 militants in raids on their hideouts in northwestern province

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Pakistani security forces killed 15 militants during coordinated raids on two hideouts in the country’s northwest near the Afghan border, the military said Tuesday, describing the operations as part of an ongoing effort to dismantle insurgent networks in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

The military said troops launched the first operation in Dera Ismail Khan district, where intelligence reports indicated the presence of Pakistani Taliban fighters. Ten militants were killed in the raid, according to an official statement. A second operation in North Waziristan — a region long associated with militant activity — left five more fighters dead.

Authorities identified the militants as “Khawarij,” a term the Pakistani government frequently uses for insurgent groups it claims receive backing from elements in Afghanistan and India. Those allegations have been repeatedly denied by Kabul and New Delhi. Officials said those killed were linked to the banned Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP, an insurgent group responsible for deadly attacks across the country.

The Pakistani Taliban maintain ties to Afghanistan’s Taliban, who have grown more assertive in the region since taking control of Kabul in 2021. Many senior TTP leaders are believed to operate from sanctuaries across the border, a reality that has strained diplomatic relations between Islamabad and Kabul and fueled cross-border security concerns.

The military did not report any troop casualties and said operations in the region remain ongoing.

One of 25 abducted Nigerian girls escapes captivity

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One of the 25 schoolgirls abducted during a pre-dawn attack on a boarding high school in northwestern Nigeria has escaped captivity and returned home, the school’s principal said Tuesday, marking the first confirmed escape since the mass kidnapping in Kebbi state.

Gunmen stormed the Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School in the Maga community early Monday, seizing 25 students from their dormitory and killing a staff member. Hours after the attack, one of the abducted girls fled through surrounding forests and made her way home late Monday, according to principal Musa Rabi Magaji.

Another student, who was not among the 25 confirmed abducted, also escaped soon after the gunmen entered the school, Magaji told The Associated Press. “One is part of the 25 abducted and the other one returned earlier,” he said. “They are safe and sound.”

The attack is the latest in a surge of mass school kidnappings across northern Nigeria, where armed gangs have increasingly targeted educational institutions to draw attention and secure ransom payments. 

Security analysts say the groups are made up largely of former herders who have taken up arms after violent clashes with farming communities over dwindling land and water resources. Jihadi factions have also expanded their reach, compounding insecurity in the region.

No group has claimed responsibility for the Kebbi abduction, though residents and analysts say it bears the hallmarks of the gangs that routinely raid schools, villages and major roads for ransom. 

The persistent violence has been fueled by corruption, weak law enforcement, and porous borders that allow weapons to flow freely into remote areas, leaving security forces struggling to respond.

Authorities have not announced any rescue but say search operations are ongoing.

AP

25 schoolgirls abducted, teacher killed after gunmen attack high school in Nigeria

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ABUJA, Nigeria (BN24) — Gunmen abducted 25 schoolgirls and killed a teacher during an early morning attack on a boarding high school in northwestern Nigeria, police said Monday, in the latest assault targeting educational institutions in a region struggling with widespread insecurity.

The attack occurred around 4 a.m. at a girls’ boarding school in the Maga community of Kebbi state’s Danko-Wasagu district. Police spokesperson Nafi’u Abubakar Kotarkoshi said the armed men stormed the dormitories with “sophisticated weapons” and engaged school guards in a brief exchange of gunfire before seizing the students. No group has claimed responsibility and authorities have not identified a motive.

Nigeria continues to face overlapping security crises driven by armed bandit groups that frequently kidnap villagers and travelers for ransom across the northern states. These gangs operate separately from extremist organizations such as Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province, whose attacks are primarily ideologically motivated. The rise in ransom kidnappings has strained security forces and left rural communities vulnerable.

Kotarkoshi said security teams are “combing suspected escape routes and nearby forests” in a coordinated search and rescue mission to recover the girls and locate the attackers.

Attacks on schools have escalated since 2014, when Boko Haram abducted 276 schoolgirls from Chibok, an assault that drew global outrage and marked the beginning of a wave of mass student kidnappings. At least 1,500 students have been kidnapped across northern Nigeria in the years since, as criminal groups increasingly use abductions to finance operations and assert control. In March, more than 130 children were rescued after spending more than two weeks in captivity in Kaduna state.

Nicki Minaj to Address UN on Alleged Christian Genocide in Nigeria Tomorrow

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NEW YORK (BN24)— American rapper Nicki Minaj is expected to take the podium at the United Nations in New York on Tuesday, November 18, to speak at an event centered on allegations of Christian genocide in Nigeria. The appearance marks one of Minaj’s most high-profile public engagements outside the entertainment world, positioning her alongside senior U.S. officials as the issue draws heightened international attention.

Minaj will join U.S. Ambassador to the UN Michael Waltz and Alex Bruesewitz, an adviser to President Donald Trump and the event’s convener. Organizers say the gathering will focus on claims of widespread violence and discrimination against Christian communities in Nigeria, an issue that has been described as genocide by both the Christian Association of Nigeria and the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria.

According to publicly shared event details, the speakers will address the scale of the alleged persecution, discuss testimonies collected from affected regions, and outline the Trump administration’s stated efforts to respond. Those efforts, according to officials, are aimed at pressuring international bodies and strengthening diplomatic engagement to spotlight the claims of targeted violence. Minaj’s participation has drawn widespread reaction, with supporters praising her decision to use her global platform for a humanitarian cause.

Ambassador Waltz publicly commended the rapper ahead of the event, calling her “arguably the greatest female recording artist” and praising her willingness to speak on an issue he described as urgent. Waltz said he was “grateful she’s leveraging her massive platform to spotlight the atrocities against Christians in Nigeria,” adding that he looked forward to discussing the administration’s position alongside her.

Minaj responded with a message of appreciation, emphasizing the personal importance of being entrusted with the opportunity to speak at the UN. She described the invitation as something she does not take for granted, expressing that the responsibility “means more than you know.” The rapper also said she and her fan base, known as the Barbz, “will never stand down in the face of injustice,” adding that she believes their influence “has been given by God” and carries a deeper purpose.

Her appearance has amplified global discussions surrounding the situation in Nigeria, with observers noting that a celebrity of Minaj’s global reach may bring additional attention to the claims. The event is expected to draw significant media coverage as U.S. officials, activists and Minaj outline their concerns and call for international action.

Minaj is scheduled to speak on Tuesday as the United Nations continues to receive reports from advocacy groups detailing alleged attacks on Christian populations across parts of Nigeria. The event will serve as one of the most prominently covered discussions on the issue in recent months.

Bangladesh Sentences Ex-PM Sheikh Hasina to Death for Students Crackdown

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DHAKA, Bangladesh (BN24) — Bangladesh’s former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was sentenced to death in absentia Monday after a special tribunal ruled she ordered a violent suppression of student-led protests last year, a crackdown that left hundreds dead and ultimately brought down her 15-year rule.

The International Crimes Tribunal in Dhaka found the 78-year-old ex-leader guilty of multiple counts of crimes against humanity, including murder, extermination, torture, and other inhumane acts. The court concluded she directed security forces and party activists to unleash lethal fire on protesters who had begun demonstrating over civil service quotas before the movement exploded into a nationwide revolt demanding her resignation.

Prosecutors said the demonstrations spiraled into one of the deadliest periods in Bangladesh’s recent political history. The tribunal heard that more than 800 people were killed in July and August 2024, according to the interim government’s health adviser, while a United Nations report earlier estimated the toll could reach as high as 1,400. Thousands more were wounded, with some 25,000 injured in violence that swept the country and paralyzed public life.

The judges said it was “crystal clear” from evidence and testimony that Hasina had “expressed her incitement” to supporters and “ordered to kill and eliminate the protesting students,” accusing her of failing to halt abuses committed by security forces acting under her authority. The verdict, delivered in a live broadcast, sentenced Hasina not only to death but also to imprisonment until her natural death for additional crimes related to her directives to use helicopters, drones, and live ammunition against demonstrators.

Hasina, who ruled Bangladesh from 2009 until her removal on Aug. 5, 2024, has lived in self-imposed exile in New Delhi since fleeing across the border as protesters overran parts of Dhaka and forced the Awami League government from power. She and former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan, who received the same sentence, were both tried in absentia. A former police chief who cooperated with prosecutors and testified against her was given a five-year prison term.

Hasina sharply rejected the charges in a statement released Monday, calling the judgment “biased and politically motivated.” She argued that she and her government “acted in good faith” in a chaotic environment and claimed they were attempting to limit casualties rather than provoke them. “To characterize what happened as a premeditated assault on citizens is simply to misread the facts,” she said.

Her lawyers have criticized the proceedings, saying they lacked due process and violated fair-trial standards. They appealed to the United Nations Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial executions last week, warning of serious irregularities. Hasina cannot formally appeal the ruling unless she surrenders or is arrested within 30 days, an unlikely scenario given India’s refusal so far to extradite her despite requests from Bangladesh’s interim government.

The tribunal’s judgment triggered immediate political fallout. Her Awami League party called for a nationwide shutdown on Tuesday, while supporters and detractors clashed in parts of Dhaka. In several neighborhoods, police used batons and stun grenades to disperse crowds as authorities deployed soldiers, paramilitary forces, and border guards around sensitive sites, including the Supreme Court and the tribunal building.

Interim government leader and Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus welcomed the ruling, saying it affirmed that “no one, regardless of power, is above the law.” He condemned Hasina’s use of lethal force against students and minors, saying their only weapons had been “their voices.” Her longtime political rival, Khaleda Zia of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, also hailed the verdict, describing it as the symbolic end of “all forms of dictatorship on this country’s soil.”

The tensions have strained relations with India. Bangladesh’s Foreign and Home Affairs ministries publicly urged New Delhi to extradite Hasina and Khan, calling it a treaty obligation and warning that granting them asylum would be “demeaning to justice.” India acknowledged the verdict but did not respond to the extradition demand, saying only that it remained committed to supporting peace and stability for the Bangladeshi people.

As the courtroom erupted with cheers when the death sentence was read, Justice Golam Mortuza Mozumder admonished spectators to maintain decorum. Outside, families of those killed and injured in last year’s uprising waited for hours, seeking closure in a country still reeling from political upheaval, Islamist mobilization, and human rights concerns.

Crowds later gathered near the Dhanmondi home of Hasina’s father, independence leader Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, now a museum. Some brought excavators to continue demolition work begun during earlier unrest, lighting fires as police struggled to disperse them well into the night.

The student protests that sparked Hasina’s downfall began with anger over a quota system for government jobs that critics said unfairly favored Awami League loyalists. The government’s attempt to crush the demonstrations instead intensified the movement, transforming what started as a youth-driven grievance into a national revolt that ended one of the longest uninterrupted political reigns in Bangladesh’s history.

The tribunal’s ruling now sets the stage for renewed political turmoil ahead of elections planned for February, leaving the country at a critical crossroads as it confronts the legacy of a deadly crackdown that reshaped its future.

Acting FEMA Administrator David Richardson Resigns Amid Hurricane Season Controversy

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WASHINGTON (BN24)— Acting Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator David Richardson resigned Monday, multiple sources familiar with the matter confirmed, ending a brief and turbulent tenure at the nation’s primary disaster response agency.

Richardson had been temporarily appointed in May after former Acting Administrator Cam Hamilton was effectively removed by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. In addition to leading FEMA, Richardson also managed the department’s office for countering Weapons of Mass Destruction, though it is unclear whether he will continue in that position. FEMA officials have not yet announced who will replace him.

Richardson’s leadership came under scrutiny following an internal all-hands meeting in June, in which he reportedly told staff he was unaware that hurricane season had begun. The remark was widely criticized and raised questions about FEMA’s preparedness. A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said Richardson was joking and emphasized that the agency remained focused on hurricane season readiness.

During a White House press briefing, press secretary Karoline Leavitt was asked whether President Donald Trump was still confident in Richardson. Leavitt said the administration took hurricane season preparations seriously and dismissed concerns over Richardson’s comments as “jokes that were made and leaks from meetings.”

The controversy followed an internal FEMA review conducted in mid-May, which concluded that the agency was not fully ready for the 2025 hurricane season. DHS officials denied claims of unpreparedness, saying the agency’s plans and resources remain in place. “Despite meanspirited attempts to falsely frame a joke as policy, there is no uncertainty about what FEMA will be doing this hurricane season,” a DHS spokesperson said.

Richardson’s resignation drew immediate criticism from Democratic lawmakers. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., questioned why Richardson had not already been dismissed, while Senator Ed Markey of Massachusetts labeled him “incompetent” and warned that the public could be at risk.

FEMA has faced ongoing challenges under Richardson’s short tenure, including questions about staffing, disaster readiness, and communication with state and local emergency agencies. The agency is entering the peak of the Atlantic hurricane season, a period that historically brings severe storms and flooding to the U.S. coastline.

Officials have not indicated whether Richardson will continue in any capacity at DHS, and the agency has not released a timeline for naming a permanent FEMA administrator. The resignation adds uncertainty as communities brace for potential disasters in the months ahead.

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