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

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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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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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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.

Nigerian Agency Arrests Brazil-Based Businessman in Cocaine Smuggling Case

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Nigeria’s National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) arrested a 59-year-old businessman who allegedly attempted to smuggle 700 grams of cocaine in his stomach through Lagos’ main airport, officials said Sunday.

Ezeokoli Sylva, who had lived in Brazil for 35 years, was apprehended Friday at the E-Arrival hall of Murtala Muhammed International Airport after arriving on an Ethiopian Airlines flight from São Paulo via Addis Ababa.

NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi said body scanning revealed foreign objects in Sylva’s stomach. Under observation, the suspect expelled 29 wraps that tested positive for cocaine.

“In his statement, the suspect claimed he operates an African store in Brazil where he sells provisions, shoes, and clothes,” Babafemi said. “He added that he bought the illicit consignment in São Paulo to resell in Nigeria to raise substantial capital to boost his business.”

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Trump Defense Pick’s Mother Questioned Son’s Treatment of Women in 2018 Email-CNN

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The mother of Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Defense, wrote a scathing email to her son in 2018 criticizing his treatment of women, The New York Times reported Friday, adding new complications to his expected confirmation battle.

According to the Times, Penelope Hegseth told her son there are “many” women whom he has “abused in some way” and urged him to “get some help.” The email emerged as the former Fox News host faces scrutiny over a 2017 sexual assault allegation.

“I have no respect for any man that belittles, lies, cheats, sleeps around and uses women for his own power and ego. You are that man (and have been for years) and as your mother, it pains me and embarrasses me to say that, but it is the sad, sad truth,” Penelope Hegseth wrote in the April 30, 2018 email, sent during her son’s divorce from his second wife.

Penelope Hegseth told the Times Friday she wrote the email “in anger, with emotion” and immediately apologized, saying her characterization “has never been true.” Trump communications director Steven Cheung called the report “despicable,” describing it as “an out-of-context snippet of an illegally-obtained private email exchange.”

The revelation comes as Hegseth, who has no prior government experience, faces questions about a sexual assault allegation from October 2017 in Monterey, California. While no charges were filed, Hegseth later paid the accuser in a confidential settlement agreement. His attorney Timothy Parlatore said Hegseth settled to protect his Fox News job during the “Me Too” movement.

Sen. Markwayne Mullin, who serves on the Senate Armed Services Committee that would hold confirmation hearings, defended Hegseth, telling CNN he “absolutely” believes the nominee’s account that the encounter was consensual. Mullin noted Hegseth wasn’t charged and said the police report supports his version of events.

Hegseth recently told Republicans on a prayer call that “the battle is just beginning” as he faces confirmation challenges, saying his family has received “an outpouring of support” since Trump’s announcement. “That’s the reason why we can endure the attacks and the onslaughts,” he said.

Grandfather Shot Dead in Holiday Music Dispute

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A 72-year-old grandfather was fatally shot on Thanksgiving Day during an argument over loud music at a gated apartment complex, according to the Broward County Sheriff’s Office.

Hureleyon McLean was killed around 3:30 p.m. Thursday at Somerset Drive apartments after confronting a downstairs neighbor who had complained about music volume from McLean’s unit, authorities said.

“He was playing his music, and the guy said he was playing it too loud,” McLean’s wife Rose told NBC South Florida. “So my husband, he went down to him.” She reported hearing a single gunshot and finding her husband “lying face down in the blood.”

The widow said the alleged shooter showed no remorse and threatened her life. “He wasn’t sorry. He was just standing, looking at me with his gun in his hand,” she told WSVN. “And I go up to him and say, ‘Why did you shoot my husband? Why?’ And he said to me, ‘If I didn’t shut my mouth, he would shoot me, too.'”

The suspect remained at the scene and cooperated with investigators, claiming self-defense, police said. The case will be referred to the Broward County State Attorney’s Office following the investigation to determine potential charges.

Thanksgiving Turkey Frying Leads to $3M Connecticut Mansion Blaze

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A $2.8 million mansion burned to the ground Thursday afternoon after a turkey-frying attempt in the garage sparked a massive blaze during Thanksgiving celebrations, Connecticut fire officials said.

The 10,000-square-foot home burst into flames around 3:40 p.m., with firefighters responding to an automatic alarm followed by multiple 911 calls. About 25 holiday guests escaped without injury, though the house was later deemed uninhabitable.

“When we arrived, the whole garage end of the house was on fire – like a third of the house,” Connecticut’s Weston Volunteer Fire Department Chief John Pokorny told CT Insider. “It accelerated really rapidly.”

Intense heat kept firefighters from approaching the blaze directly. A water supply line was briefly interrupted when a vehicle drove over it, complicating the response. Fire crews battled the inferno for 16 hours with assistance from neighboring departments, facing dangerous conditions and structural collapse that prevented aggressive firefighting tactics.

“Really, the issue was the fire had progressed so much by the time we arrived on scene,” Pokorny said. By Friday, only a partially burned exterior deck remained identifiable among the ruins of charred wood and furniture, according to photos published by Weston Today.

While officials believe the fire started from turkey frying in the garage, they have not announced an official cause. Firefighters remained on scene Friday extinguishing hotspots in the debris. “You get pieces of debris and it’s burning underneath and the water from the top just doesn’t get to it,” Pokorny explained.

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Trump Taps Son-in-Law’s Father as French Ambassador

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President-elect Donald Trump announced Tuesday he will nominate Charles Kushner, a wealthy New Jersey real estate developer and father of his son-in-law Jared Kushner, as the next U.S. ambassador to France.

Trump praised the Kushner Companies founder on Truth Social as “a tremendous business leader, philanthropist, and dealmaker” who “will be a strong advocate representing our Country and its interests.” He noted Jared Kushner’s White House work on “Operation Warp Speed, Criminal Justice Reform, and the Abraham Accords.”

Kushner, 70, was convicted in 2005 of illegal campaign contributions, tax evasion and witness tampering in a case prosecuted by then-U.S. Attorney Chris Christie. As part of a plea agreement, he admitted to orchestrating a scheme involving a prostitute to retaliate against his brother-in-law, resulting in a two-year prison sentence.

Trump pardoned Kushner in 2020 along with 25 others. Kushner’s son Jared, who married Trump’s daughter Ivanka in 2009, served as a senior advisor during Trump’s first administration.

“Together, we will strengthen America’s partnership with France, our oldest Ally, and one of our greatest!” Trump wrote of the appointment.

Activists Report Mexico Disperses Two US-Bound Migrant Caravans

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Migrants walk in a caravan during U.S. Presidential election day, in an attempt to reach Mexico's northern border, in Tapachula, Mexico November 5, 2024. REUTERS/Daniel Becerril

Mexican immigration authorities have broken up two migrant caravans heading toward the United States, offering some travelers bus rides to southern cities and others transit papers, activists said Saturday.

Rights activist Luis García Villagrán characterized the actions as part of “an agreement between the president of Mexico and the president of the United States,” following President-elect Donald Trump’s threat to impose 25% tariffs on Mexican products unless the country stems migrant flow.

The first caravan, which began November 5 in Tapachula near the Guatemalan border with about 2,500 people, had reached Tehuantepec in Oaxaca state after walking 270 miles. Immigration officials there offered free transportation to southern and central Mexican cities.

“They took some of us to Acapulco, others to Morelia, and others from our group to Oaxaca city,” said Bárbara Rodríguez, who left Venezuela after recent contested elections. Officials said migrants “voluntarily accepted” rides to areas with medical assistance for immigration status review.

A second group of about 1,500 migrants, departing November 20, reached Tonala, Chiapas, about 140 miles into their journey before authorities offered 20-day transit visas for travel across Mexico.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum wrote Wednesday that “migrants and caravans are taken care of before they reach the border,” following a call with Trump. No caravan has reached the U.S. border intact since 2018-2019, when larger groups received partial bus transportation north.

Kosovo Detains 8 After ‘Terrorist’ Attack on Power Infrastructure

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Kosovo police arrested eight people Saturday following an explosion at a canal supplying water to two main power plants, recovering a large weapons cache in raids as tensions escalated with neighboring Serbia.

Interior Minister Xhelal Svecla announced the arrests during a live-streamed press conference, calling the Friday evening blast a “terrorist act” by Serbia, an accusation Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic immediately rejected as “baseless.”

Police Commander Gazmend Hoxha said investigators determined attackers used 15-20 kilograms of explosives. In subsequent raids at 10 locations, authorities seized more than 200 military uniforms, six shoulder-fired rocket launchers, and various weapons and ammunition. Most suspects allegedly belong to Civilna Zastita (Civil Protection), which Kosovo has designated a terrorist organization.

The explosion has heightened tensions between the Balkan neighbors, particularly in Kosovo’s Serb-majority north where the blast occurred. Kosovo, which declared independence in 2008 following a guerrilla uprising, remains unrecognized by Serbia, and northern Serbs still consider Belgrade their capital.

Kosovo’s Security Council held emergency talks Saturday, activating armed forces to prevent similar attacks. Security was already elevated after recent hand grenade attacks on a police station and municipality building in the north.

NATO, which has maintained peacekeepers in Kosovo since 1999, condemned the attack and deployed personnel to secure the canal and surrounding area. While power supplies remained largely intact, some areas lost drinking water access. Energy Minister Artane Rizvanolli said Kosovo is coordinating with Albania for additional electricity while water trucks serve affected regions.

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