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Egypt Hosts Hamas for Ceasefire Talks Amid Gaza Aid Looting Crisis

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Egypt Hosts Hamas for Ceasefire Talks Amid Gaza Aid Looting Crisis

Hamas leaders convened with Egyptian security officials on Sunday in Cairo as part of renewed efforts to broker a ceasefire in Gaza, according to two Hamas sources. Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu prepared for security discussions with his cabinet, two Israeli officials reported.

This marks Hamas’ first visit to Cairo since the United States announced its collaboration with Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey to revive negotiations for a Gaza ceasefire that could include a hostage deal. U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan expressed optimism on Sunday, stating on CNN, “I think we may have a chance to make progress.” However, he refrained from predicting a timeline, citing multiple failed negotiations in the past.

Hamas has consistently tied any ceasefire agreement to an end of Israel’s military campaign, while Israel maintains that operations will continue until Hamas no longer governs Gaza or poses a threat to Israeli citizens. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar indicated progress toward a potential hostage deal but reaffirmed Israel’s conditions for ending the conflict. “We will know in the coming days,” Saar stated during a conference hosted by Israel Hayom.

Conflict and Aid Crisis Deepen

As fighting escalated, UNRWA, the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees, announced a suspension of aid deliveries through the Kerem Shalom crossing after armed groups in Gaza looted food from a convoy. “This difficult decision comes at a time hunger is rapidly deepening,” UNRWA head Philippe Lazzarini said in a statement.

The agency criticized Israel, accusing it of failing to protect aid workers and supplies as the occupying power, while also blaming Israeli-imposed restrictions for making relief efforts “unnecessarily impossible.” Israel’s COGAT, the military body overseeing aid transfers, denied obstructing humanitarian operations, attributing delays to inefficiencies within the U.N.

Ongoing Violence in Gaza

Since Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing about 1,200 people and taking over 250 hostages, Gaza has been engulfed in conflict. More than 44,400 Palestinians have died, and nearly all of Gaza’s population has been displaced, according to Gaza health officials.

Israeli airstrikes on Sunday killed at least 20 people, including children, as bombardments and ground operations intensified across the enclave. Medics reported fatalities in Nuseirat, Gaza City, Khan Younis, and Rafah. Northern Gaza residents accused Israeli forces of clearing neighborhoods to establish a buffer zone through forced evacuations and bombings, a claim Israel denies.

The Israeli military reported killing hundreds of Hamas militants in northern Gaza, with 30 Israeli soldiers killed during two months of combat. Hamas has not disclosed its casualty figures.

Hostages and Detentions

Two Palestinian detainees from Gaza died in Israeli custody, according to advocacy groups. Israeli authorities did not comment on the reports. Negotiations for a hostage exchange remain a focal point of ceasefire discussions.

As Egypt mediates the latest talks, the region waits to see whether diplomacy can halt the escalating humanitarian and security crisis.

Bangladesh High Court Acquits Tarique Rahman in 2004 Grenade Attack Case

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Bangladesh High Court Acquits Tarique Rahman in 2004 Grenade Attack Case

Bangladesh’s High Court on Sunday overturned the 2018 conviction of Tarique Rahman, son of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, in connection with a deadly grenade attack at a 2004 political rally. The decision acquits Rahman and 48 others, marking a major legal and political shift amid the country’s ongoing political unrest.

The grenade attack targeted a rally held by Sheikh Hasina, then opposition leader and now Bangladesh’s exiled prime minister, killing 24 people and injuring around 300. The 2018 verdict sentenced Rahman to life imprisonment and condemned 19 others to death, sparking accusations from Zia’s Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) of politically motivated prosecutions.

A two-member High Court judge panel declared the trial and verdict “illegal” on Sunday, defense lawyer Shishir Monir confirmed. “As a result, all defendants have been acquitted,” he said.

Rahman, currently in self-exile in London, serves as acting chairperson of the BNP. If his party secures victory in the next election, Rahman could emerge as Bangladesh’s next leader. The High Court ruling comes as the nation grapples with political instability following Sheikh Hasina’s flight to India in August during a mass uprising that left hundreds dead.

Hasina’s Awami League party condemned the acquittals, stating in a social media post that the court ruling wasn’t “Yunus’ Kangaroo court” and vowed that “the people of Bangladesh will hold the attackers accountable.” Nobel Peace laureate Muhammad Yunus, who leads the interim government, has struggled to maintain order amid mob violence and allegations of systemic targeting of minority groups, including Hindus.

The interim government, which has yet to announce a timeline for the next elections, faces pressure from the BNP to hold polls soon. The Jamaat-e-Islami party, a former coalition partner of the BNP, has urged Yunus to enact reforms before any elections are held.

Meanwhile, Sheikh Hasina faces charges of crimes against humanity related to deaths during the summer’s student-led protests. The interim government has sought Interpol’s assistance to secure Hasina’s extradition from India, though it remains unclear whether Indian authorities will comply with such a request.

The attorney general’s office has the option to appeal the acquittals to the Supreme Court, leaving open the possibility of further legal battles as Bangladesh’s political future hangs in the balance.

40 Injured as Georgia’s EU Decision Sparks More Violence

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40 Injured as Georgia’s EU Decision Sparks More Violence

Georgian officials reported 44 people hospitalized Sunday after a third night of protests against the government’s decision to suspend European Union membership talks, as tensions escalate in the former Soviet republic.

Twenty-seven protesters, 16 police officers, and one media worker required medical attention after demonstrators clashed with authorities outside parliament Saturday night. Protesters threw stones and launched fireworks while police responded with water cannons and tear gas. Demonstrators burned an effigy of Bidzina Ivanishvili, the Russian-made billionaire founder of the ruling Georgian Dream party.

Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze warned Sunday that “any violation of the law will be met with the full rigor of the law,” while denying that Georgia had abandoned European integration. “The only thing we have rejected is the shameful and offensive blackmail,” he said, following the European Parliament’s criticism of Georgia’s recent election as neither free nor fair.

President Salome Zourabichvili told The Associated Press Saturday that Georgia was becoming a “quasi-Russian” state under Georgian Dream’s control. “We are not demanding a revolution. We are asking for new elections, but in conditions that will ensure that the will of the people will not be misrepresented or stolen again,” she said.

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas and enlargement commissioner Marta Kos expressed “serious concerns about the continuous democratic backsliding” and urged authorities to respect peaceful protest rights. The opposition claims Russia helped rig October’s parliamentary election to keep Georgia in its orbit.

The EU granted Georgia candidate status in December 2023 but suspended accession talks and cut financial support after Georgia passed a “foreign influence” law seen as anti-democratic. Kobakhidze confirmed that Georgia’s U.S. ambassador David Zalkaliani has resigned amid the crisis.

Associated Press

Belgium Implements Groundbreaking Labor Rights for Sex Workers

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Belgium Implements Groundbreaking Labor Rights for Sex Workers

Belgium introduces unprecedented labor protections for sex workers Sunday, allowing them to sign formal employment contracts and access benefits on par with other professions, marking what advocates call a “revolution” in workers’ rights.

A demonstration organized by the UTSOPI collective to protest against the closure of sex work activities, Sunday 07 March 2021, in Brussels. BELGA PHOTO NICOLAS MAETERLINCK (Photo by NICOLAS MAETERLINCK/Belga/Sipa USA) (Newscom TagID: sipaphotoseleven507518.jpg) [Photo via Newscom]

The legislation, following Belgium’s 2022 decriminalization of sex work, provides access to health insurance, paid leave, maternity benefits, unemployment support, and pensions. It also establishes fundamental rights including workers’ ability to refuse clients, choose their practices, and stop services at any time.

“This is an incredible step forward,” said Isabelle Jaramillo, coordinator of advocacy group Espace P, which helped draft the legislation. “It means their profession can finally be recognized as legitimate by the Belgian state.”

The law requires employers to obtain state authorization and meet strict requirements, including clean criminal records without sexual assault or human trafficking convictions. Workplaces must provide clean linens, condoms, hygiene products, and emergency buttons. While independent sex work remains legal, unregulated third-party hiring faces prosecution.

“Under the previous legislation, hiring someone for sex work automatically made you a pimp, even if the arrangement was consensual,” Jaramillo explained. “Now, they’ll have to apply for state authorization to hire employees.”

Critics argue the legislation cannot fully address industry stigma and risks, particularly for undocumented workers. “There’s still a lot of work to be done,” Jaramillo said, noting the need for improved police and judicial training to protect vulnerable workers.

While Germany and the Netherlands have legalized sex work, Belgium’s labor protections are the most comprehensive in Europe.

Simone Gbagbo, Ex-Wife of Former Ivory Coast President, Announces 2025 Presidential Run

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Simone Gbagbo, Ex-Wife of Former Ivory Coast President, Announces 2025 Presidential Run

Simone Gbagbo, the former first lady of Ivory Coast, has declared her candidacy for the nation’s 2025 presidential election. Known as the “Iron Lady,” Gbagbo aims to bring modernization and prosperity to the West African nation.

“I have agreed to be a candidate in the presidential election of October 2025,” Gbagbo, 75, announced during the inaugural convention of her political movement, the Movement of the Capable Generations, held in Moossou, near Abidjan. She vowed to transform the Ivory Coast into a prosperous and modern country, emphasizing unity and resilience.

Gbagbo, the ex-wife of former President Laurent Gbagbo, gained prominence during the country’s turbulent political history. Laurent Gbagbo was the first former head of state to be tried at the International Criminal Court (ICC) for crimes against humanity. He was acquitted in 2019. Their divorce was finalized in 2023 after Laurent Gbagbo requested it following his return to Abidjan in 2021.

Simone Gbagbo was arrested in 2011 during the political crisis following Laurent Gbagbo’s refusal to concede defeat in the 2010 presidential election. The conflict left over 3,000 people dead. In 2015, she was sentenced to 20 years in prison for undermining state security but was granted amnesty in 2018 as part of a national reconciliation effort.

Gbagbo’s entry into the 2025 race adds another layer of competition to an already crowded field. Other contenders include former Prime Minister Pascal Affi N’Guessan and ex-Trade Minister Jean-Louis Billon. Laurent Gbagbo is ineligible to run due to a 20-year jail sentence related to bank looting charges.

Simone Gbagbo’s campaign seeks to position her as a leader capable of fostering development and elevating the Ivory Coast on the global stage. She emphasized her vision for a transformed Africa that is “developed, equipped, indispensable, strong, and respected by all.”

The 2025 election is expected to be a pivotal moment for the Ivory Coast, with significant implications for its political landscape and regional influence.

US-Israeli Hostage Appeals to Trump in New Hamas Video Released

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US-Israeli Hostage Appeals to Trump in New Hamas Video Released

Hamas released a video Saturday showing captured Israeli-American soldier Edan Alexander pleading with President-elect Donald Trump to secure his freedom, as his mother called for Israel to negotiate with the militant group.

Israeli-American soldier Edan Alexander pleading with President-elect Donald Trump to secure his freedom

The 3-1/2-minute video shows the pale 20-year-old seated against a wall in a dark space, addressing his family, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and Trump. Alexander was taken to Gaza during Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel.

“The video gives us hope, but it also shows how difficult it is for Edan and for the other hostages, and how much they are crying out and praying for us to rescue them,” his mother, Yael Alexander, said at a Tel Aviv rally demanding the hostages’ release. She urged Israeli leaders to end the war and negotiate with Hamas.

Netanyahu called the video “cruel psychological warfare” in a statement, saying he told Alexander’s family Israel was working tirelessly to free the hostages. About half of the 101 foreign and Israeli hostages still held in Gaza are believed to be alive.

The video’s release coincides with Hamas leaders’ expected arrival in Cairo for ceasefire talks with Egyptian officials, exploring a potential deal exchanging hostages for Palestinian prisoners. The Biden administration, which leaves office January 20, said it is working “around the clock” to free U.S. citizens held by Hamas.

“We have a critical opportunity to conclude the deal to release the hostages, stop the war, and surge humanitarian assistance into Gaza,” White House National Security Council spokesperson Sean Savett said. “This deal is on the table now.”

The Hostages Families Forum urged both the outgoing Biden and incoming Trump administrations to intensify efforts for a hostage release, warning that “the hostages’ lives hang by a thread.”

Indian Tycoon Responds to US Charges as International Projects Face Review, Pledges Compliance with Investigations

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Indian Tycoon Responds to US Charges as International Projects Face Review, Pledges Compliance with Investigations

Indian billionaire Gautam Adani defended his business empire Saturday, pledging “absolute commitment to world-class regulatory compliance” in his first public comments since U.S. prosecutors charged him with fraud and operating a multimillion-dollar bribery scheme.

“This is not the first time we have faced such challenges. What I can tell you is that every attack makes us stronger,” Adani, 62, told an awards ceremony in Jaipur, calling such obstacles “the price of pioneering.”

The November 20 indictment by New York prosecutors charges Adani and seven associates with securities fraud and wire fraud, alleging they concealed that his company’s massive solar energy project was facilitated by approximately $265 million in bribes to government officials.

The scandal has triggered international fallout for Adani’s business interests. Kenya’s president canceled multimillion-dollar airport modernization and energy deals, while Sri Lanka is reviewing the group’s planned $440 million investment in wind power and port development. Bangladesh is also reassessing an electricity supply agreement.

The Adani Group, India’s largest operator of coal mines and infrastructure developer, denied the U.S. Department of Justice and Securities and Exchange Commission allegations as “baseless.” Adani, perceived as close to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has faced previous accusations of crony capitalism and receiving preferential treatment in government contracts, which his group consistently denies.

“In today’s world negativity spreads faster than facts,” Adani said Saturday. “And as we work through the legal process, I want to reconfirm our absolute commitment to world-class regulatory compliance.”

Analysts attribute Adani’s rapid rise partly to his alignment with Modi government priorities. His conglomerate operates multiple ports and airports, employs tens of thousands, and aims to become the world’s largest renewable energy player by 2030, despite its fossil fuel origins.

Russian Police Launch Overnight Raids on Moscow Clubs Under Anti-LGBTQ+ Laws

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Russian Police Launch Overnight Raids on Moscow Clubs Under Anti-LGBTQ+ Laws

Russian police raided several Moscow nightclubs and arrested a travel agency director early Saturday in an enforcement sweep targeting alleged “LGBT propaganda,” one year after the Supreme Court banned the “international LGBT movement,” state media reported.

Security forces targeted at least three venues overnight, including the Arma nightclub, where social media videos showed riot police ordering club-goers to sit on the dance floor. At the Mono gay club in central Moscow, footage captured patrons being led out with hands above their heads toward waiting police vans.

The interior ministry reported raiding another club on Skladochnaya Street, identified by Interfax news agency as Inferno Night, for allegedly “propagandizing the ideology of the banned LGBT movement” and illegal alcohol sales.

Authorities also arrested the 48-year-old director of “Men Travel” agency for allegedly “preparing a trip for supporters of non-traditional sexual values to go to Egypt for the New Year holidays,” according to state-run TASS news agency.

The crackdown comes amid what rights groups describe as an unprecedented campaign against LGBTQ+ people in Russia, where authorities have arrested LGBTQ+ bar owners and prosecuted those promoting LGBTQ+ rights. The Kremlin has intensified conservative rhetoric since launching its Ukraine offensive nearly three years ago, framing the conflict as a struggle against Western values.

Biracial Children of British Soldiers Fight for Recognition in Kenya

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Biracial Children of British Soldiers Fight for Recognition in Kenya

In the shadow of Britain’s $44 million military training program in Kenya, dozens of biracial children born to local mothers and British soldiers struggle with identity and recognition, as a Kenyan lawyer prepares to take their cases to British courts.

Twenty-six-year-old Louise Gitonga, born after his mother’s brief relationship with a British soldier, exemplifies their struggle. “I have an identity crisis that has driven me to alcoholism,” the unemployed Gitonga told The Associated Press at his home in Nanyuki. “Everywhere I pass, people call me a white man. Others call me an albino. These names cause me a great deal of pain and hurt.”

Lawyer Kelvin Kubai represents 10 such children, including seven under 18, hoping to secure British citizenship and support. He’s raised $4,600 for DNA testing to help identify fathers and plans to take some children to Britain next year. “What we are bringing in the UK court is not just the issue of rape, it is the issue of these children who happen to be prisoners of an identity they did not chose for themselves,” Kubai said.

The agreement allowing 10,000 British forces to train annually in Kenya was renewed in 2021, despite persistent allegations of sexual abuse. The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights has documented over 200 rape cases involving British troops between 1983 and 2003, though Britain’s defense ministry dismissed them as “not genuine.”

Jenerica Namoru, 29, represents a rare case where a British soldier’s name appears on their child’s birth certificate, though she says he refuses to provide support. “At times, they even blocked me from entering the gate,” she said of attempts to seek help at British Army Training Unit Kenya offices.

The British High Commission says it “cooperates fully with local child support authorities where there are claims relating to paternity,” though mothers and civil society groups report little assistance.

These cases span generations. David Mwangi Macharia, 68, nicknamed “British” for his light skin, dropped out of primary school due to discrimination. He now works as a night guard and part-time mason, struggling to find acceptance in either community.

Marion Mutugi, a commissioner with Kenya’s human rights commission, says relationships between soldiers and local women range from consensual to transactional to forced. She accuses British authorities of interfering with investigations and intimidating human rights defenders.

The most prominent case remains that of Agnes Wanjiru, killed in 2012 after an evening with British soldiers. Despite a 2019 inquest concluding she was murdered by British soldiers, no suspects have been charged, though Kenya’s parliament recently revived investigations.

Credit: AP

Designer Claims Life-Threatening Assault by Imprisoned Music Mogul, Diddy

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Designer Claims Life-Threatening Assault by Imprisoned Music Mogul, Diddy

Fashion designer Bryana “Bana” Bongolan has filed a $10 million lawsuit against Sean “Diddy” Combs, alleging the imprisoned music mogul sexually assaulted her and dangled her over a 17th-floor balcony in a 2016 incident that left her fearing for her life.

The lawsuit, filed November 27 in Los Angeles Superior Court, details a terrifying encounter following what prosecutors have termed one of Combs’ “freak offs.” Bongolan claims she was sleeping in Cassie Ventura’s apartment when Combs, allegedly intoxicated, began “violently” banging on the door. After getting her girlfriend to hide in the bathroom, Bongolan retreated to the balcony where, according to the lawsuit, Combs allegedly groped her breasts before lifting her over the railing.

“He immediately lifted her up higher and higher over the 17th floor balcony of Ms. Ventura’s apartment with only Combs’ grip keeping her from falling to her death,” the lawsuit states. The assault allegedly ended only when Ventura emerged screaming from her locked bedroom, prompting Combs to pull Bongolan back and slam her onto patio furniture.

The incident was previously referenced in Ventura’s own lawsuit against Combs, which he settled for $30 million in November 2023. Ventura described seeing Combs lift a woman over the balcony “like a child.”

Bongolan met Combs in 2014 while working with Ventura at Diamond Supply Co., a Los Angeles skate shop. She designed Bad Boy Entertainment jackets, album covers, music videos, and a clothing line for Ventura, but claims she “experienced violence and abuse firsthand in professional settings.” The lawsuit alleges she witnessed Combs’ abuse of Ventura, including black eyes and bruises, and once saw the couple throwing knives at each other during an argument.

The designer claims Combs threatened her directly, once screaming “I’m the motherf**king devil” during a photoshoot and declaring “You have no idea what I could do to you. I could kill you.”

Bongolan’s suit joins approximately 30 other legal actions against Combs, who remains in Brooklyn’s notorious detention center awaiting a May 2025 trial on racketeering and sex trafficking charges. He has pleaded not guilty but been denied bail twice over concerns about witness tampering.

According to prosecutors, Combs organized “freak offs” where sex workers were allegedly coerced and intimidated into performing nonconsensual acts while he recorded them. Federal agents reportedly found 1,000 bottles of lubricant and baby oil, narcotics, and three AR-15s with defaced serial numbers during raids of his Los Angeles and Miami Beach homes.

The lawsuit claims the balcony incident “violated Ms. Bongolan’s fundamental dignity, bodily autonomy, and sense of safety” but she “refuses to allow this fear to control the rest of her life” and seeks to hold Combs accountable.

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