Ecuador’s Labor Ministry suspended Vice President Veronica Abad from office Saturday, citing her refusal to leave her post as ambassador to Israel for Turkey amid Gaza security concerns, a move that could impact President Daniel Noboa’s re-election bid next year.
The ministry’s resolution, dated Friday but released Saturday, accuses Abad of committing a “serious” disciplinary offense by failing to comply with foreign ministry orders to relocate before September 1. The suspension removes her from office until April without pay, just months before the country’s elections are set to begin in January.
“This behavior will go down in history as an abuse of power above the Constitution, the law and rights,” said Damian Armijos, Abad’s legal representative, on X, formerly Twitter. Armijos noted that an appeal had been filed but rejected.
The suspension could complicate Noboa’s electoral prospects, as Ecuadorian law requires him to maintain his vice president in office to participate in the campaign. Abad and Noboa have reportedly maintained a tense relationship.
Abad could not be reached immediately for comment.
Republicans stood on the verge of capturing control of the U.S. House of Representatives Saturday, needing just five more victories to secure a congressional trifecta alongside their Senate majority and President-elect Donald Trump’s return to the White House.
Edison Research reported Republicans have won 213 seats in the 435-member House, including Representative Dan Newhouse’s projected victory in Colorado’s 3rd congressional district. Democrats have claimed 205 seats, with Representative Greg Stanton’s re-election in Arizona among their wins, leaving them needing 13 of the remaining 17 seats to prevent a Republican sweep.
The final House races, predominantly in Western states known for slower vote counting, include nine Republican-held seats and eight Democratic incumbencies. Fourteen of these contests were considered competitive before the November 5 election.
A Republican House majority, combined with their Senate control and Trump’s presidential victory, would position the party to advance an ambitious agenda of tax cuts, spending reductions, energy deregulation, and enhanced border security measures when the new administration takes office in January.
Meanwhile, Senate Republicans prepare to select new leadership next week, with Senators John Thune, John Cornyn, and Rick Scott competing for the top position. Senators Bill Hagerty and Rand Paul have endorsed Scott over the more senior candidates Thune and Cornyn.
Cornyn, responding to the leadership race Saturday, promised an aggressive confirmation schedule for Trump’s cabinet if elected majority leader. “No weekends, no breaks. Democrats can cooperate in the best interest of the country, or continue the resistance, which will eventually be ground down,” he posted on X, formerly Twitter.
Ukraine struck Moscow with 34 drones Sunday in the largest attack on the Russian capital since the war began, forcing the diversion of dozens of flights from three major airports and highlighting the growing role of unmanned weapons in the conflict.
Russia’s defense ministry said it thwarted the attack, claiming its air defenses destroyed all incoming drones over Moscow while intercepting another 36 drones across western Russia during a three-hour period. One person was reported injured in the Moscow region.
“An attempt by the Kyiv regime to carry out a terrorist attack using airplane-type drones on the territory of the Russian Federation was thwarted,” the ministry said in a statement. The federal air transport agency reported at least 36 flights were diverted from Domodedovo, Sheremetyevo, and Zhukovsky airports before operations resumed.
The assault on Moscow, home to 21 million people in its metropolitan area, came as Russia launched what Ukraine described as a record overnight barrage of 145 drones, with Kyiv claiming to have shot down 62. Ukrainian forces also reported attacking an arsenal in Russia’s Bryansk region, where local officials confirmed 14 drones were intercepted.
The escalation in drone warfare has emerged as a defining feature of the 2½-year conflict, with both sides developing increasingly sophisticated unmanned weapons and countermeasures. Moscow has established multiple layers of electronic “umbrellas” over the capital, including advanced systems protecting strategic buildings and complex air defenses around the Kremlin.
The attacks coincide with major changes in the war’s trajectory, as Russian forces report their fastest advances since the conflict’s early days and President-elect Donald Trump prepares to take office in January. Trump, who has claimed he could achieve peace in Ukraine within 24 hours, reportedly joined a congratulatory call between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and Tesla CEO Elon Musk, whose Starlink satellite services are crucial to Ukraine’s defense efforts.
Despite the attack’s scale, Moscow showed few signs of alarm Sunday. Residents continued their regular activities as church bells rang across the capital, which has prospered during the conflict due to increased defense spending.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has sought to shield Moscow from the war’s impact, has labeled Ukrainian drone strikes on civilian infrastructure as “terrorism” and promised retaliation. Both sides have increasingly weaponized commercial drones while ramping up domestic production, with soldiers reporting heightened fear of the unmanned weapons.
Scottish artist Andy Scott, renowned for creating Scotland’s iconic Kelpies, has unveiled his latest monumental steel sculpture: a towering loon with a 98-foot wingspan outside Minnesota United’s Allianz Field, igniting discussions about public art’s role in community development.
“The Calling,” commissioned by club owner Bill McGuire, stands 36 feet tall and celebrates Minnesota’s state bird while marking the latest chapter in Scott’s career, which began in Glasgow nearly two decades ago. The project reunited Scott with fellow Glasgow School of Art graduate Chris Dyson, whose fabrication company Dyson and Womack constructed the piece using traditional shipbuilding techniques.
“You’re going to think this is a bit daft, but the only thing I knew about the loon back then was that it had been sampled on various dance tracks I used to listen to back in the Sub Club in Glasgow in the early 90s,” Scott told reporters, describing his initial connection to the project.
The sculpture, comprising 65 steel pieces assembled over 10 days, has drawn mixed reactions from the Midway neighborhood, an area still recovering from the protests following George Floyd’s murder and COVID-19’s economic impact. Local resident Dan Wade sees the artwork as part of the stadium’s potential to drive development: “As the stadium develops, I think we’ll see that change.”
However, local artist Fox Willis criticized both the artwork and its commissioning. “From a social perspective – as a poor community member who is passionate about housing and hunger justice – I am honestly appalled,” Willis wrote, arguing the commission should have gone to a local artist to reinvest in the community.
Scott, who has created approximately 90 public artworks, acknowledges such criticism while defending his approach. “With public art – you’re never going to please all the people all the time,” he said. “But as an artist I try. I aim for a wide-ranging appeal. I leave it to others to do the abstract and esoteric stuff.”
The project echoes Scott’s work on the Kelpies, the 100-foot-tall, 300-tonne horse sculptures in Falkirk, Scotland, completed a decade ago. Both projects employed similar construction techniques, with Dyson noting, “There’s no technology which will allow you to create that scale. It has to be done by hand.”
Community response has largely been positive, with residents bringing deck chairs to watch the installation process. Scott sees parallels between the project and his previous work in Falkirk, suggesting both serve as catalysts for regional improvement.
“Some are making good observations about the city and how it needs help in other directions,” Scott acknowledged, “but they’re putting it in the context that was intended that it’s about enhancing that environment and other social issues aren’t really the remit of the artist so let’s see it as a catalyst for onward improvement.”
Chelsea welcomes Arsenal to Stamford Bridge Sunday afternoon for a pivotal London derby, with both teams looking to strengthen their Champions League credentials amid concerns over key players’ fitness.
Enzo Maresca’s Chelsea, fresh from an 8-0 Conference League demolition of Armenian side FC Noah on Thursday, sits fourth in the Premier League on 18 points, ahead of Arsenal on goal difference. The Blues enter the match on an eight-game unbeaten home run across all competitions, though they’ve failed to keep a Premier League clean sheet at Stamford Bridge this season.
Arsenal arrives following consecutive 1-0 defeats at Newcastle United and Inter Milan, with Mikel Arteta’s side struggling for offensive inspiration. The Gunners have slipped to fifth place, seven points behind leaders Liverpool, though they’ve won their last six London derbies by a combined score of 22-3.
Team News:
Chelsea sweats over the availability of Cole Palmer, the league’s most productive player with 12 goal involvements, after he sustained an injury against Manchester United last weekend. Jadon Sancho remains doubtful with illness, while Omari Kellyman is sidelined with a hamstring injury.
Arsenal’s key midfielder Declan Rice faces a late fitness test for a suspected broken toe, though Martin Odegaard’s return from an ankle injury bolsters their creativity. Kai Havertz requires assessment following a midweek head collision, while Riccardo Calafiori, Takehiro Tomiyasu, and Kieran Tierney remain out.
Probable Lineups:
Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Sanchez; Gusto, Fofana, Colwill, James; Caicedo, Lavia; Madueke, Palmer, Neto; Jackson
The match kicks off at 4:30 p.m. local time (11:30 a.m. ET) at Stamford Bridge, where Arsenal is unbeaten in their last five visits, including last season’s 2-2 draw.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has discovered thousands of hours of surveillance footage documenting Hamas interrogators systematically torturing Palestinian civilians in Gaza, with recordings showing prisoners chained to ceilings, beaten with canes, and subjected to various forms of abuse.
The footage, apparently captured inadvertently by CCTV cameras inside a Hamas military base in northern Gaza and recovered during an Israeli raid earlier this year, shows incidents dating from 2018 to 2020. A senior Israeli military source told The Mail on Sunday that the footage, discovered in March, required months to analyze.
The videos reveal prisoners hooded with sacks, suspended from ceilings, and beaten on their feet while guards casually observe the abuse. In one sequence, an interrogator reclines in a chair while a prisoner hangs by his arms from the ceiling. Another shows a hooded man in chains barely able to touch the ground with one foot before being choked by his captor.
Hamza Howidy, 27, a former detainee who fled Gaza, described his experience after being arrested for protesting against Hamas. “They would torture you until you broke and say whatever it is they wanted,” he told The Mail on Sunday. “I could hear my fellow protesters scream in the next room.” Howidy, who escaped to Europe via Egypt in September, said his family paid for his release but was warned he would be “a dead man walking” if he returned.
According to human rights organizations and former detainees, Hamas has targeted various groups for torture, including political opponents, suspected Israeli collaborators, gay men, and those accused of adultery. Amnesty International documented similar patterns of abuse in a 44-page report following the 2014 Israel-Hamas war.
A former Israeli intelligence officer identified as Guy C said Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, killed by the IDF last month, was “obsessed with finding collaborators and held thousands against their will.” The officer detailed extreme methods of torture, including melting plastic on skin and electrocution.
“Extreme torture has been a fundamental component of Hamas’ governance strategy to ensure they deter people and instil fear in those who speak out,” said Ahmed Fouad Alkharib, a Palestinian fellow at the Atlantic Council think-tank.
The footage aligns with previous accounts from Gaza residents who fled, including testimony from LGBTQ+ individuals who escaped to Egypt or Israel. One man, identified only as Abdul, described being repeatedly tortured after Hamas discovered his sexuality, including being beaten on his feet while tied up and forced to swear on the Quran to “not be gay again.”
While the videos cannot be independently verified, they correspond with long-standing documentation by human rights organizations of Hamas’s treatment of civilians under their control in Gaza.
Liverpool strengthened their grip on the Premier League summit Saturday with a hard-fought 2-0 victory over Aston Villa at Anfield, capitalizing on Manchester City’s earlier defeat to Brighton.
Darwin Nunez provided the breakthrough early in the first half, displaying unusual composure to round the goalkeeper and finish after Liverpool countered from a Villa corner. Mohamed Salah sealed the victory with five minutes remaining, taking advantage of a favorable bounce before coolly finishing on the break.
Villa threatened throughout, creating several promising opportunities. Jacob Ramsey saw an early shot blocked before Leon Bailey headed over Youri Tielemans’ cross. The visitors came closest through back-to-back corners, with Amadou Onana and Diego Carlos both forcing sharp saves from Liverpool goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher.
Morgan Rogers squandered Villa’s best chance after the break, shooting wide after driving into the box. Liverpool’s Nunez nearly doubled his tally with a header from Andy Robertson’s cross, while Cody Gakpo drove wide after cutting in from the left with 20 minutes remaining.
The match descended into a physical battle before Salah’s late strike secured the points, earning him player of the match honors as Liverpool extended their advantage atop the table following City’s setback at Brighton.
Manchester City’s crisis deepened Saturday as Brighton & Hove Albion scored twice in the final 12 minutes to secure a 2-1 victory, condemning Pep Guardiola’s champions to their fourth consecutive defeat across all competitions.
Erling Haaland had given City an early lead, but Joao Pedro equalized in the 78th minute before setting up Matthew O’Riley for the winner, dealing another blow to City’s Premier League title defense and offering encouragement to Arne Slot’s league-leading Liverpool.
The defending champions controlled early proceedings at the Amex Stadium, with Brazilian winger Savinho forcing a crucial save from Brighton goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen before Haaland broke through. The Norwegian striker’s clinical finish gave City the advantage they held until the late collapse.
Brighton, unbeaten at home in the league this season, persistently threatened through Danny Welbeck and Kaoru Mitoma before Pedro capitalized on City’s failure to clear their lines, scoring from close range. The Portuguese forward then turned provider, finding O’Riley who calmly slotted home to complete the comeback.
The defeat follows losses to Sporting CP in the Champions League, Bournemouth in the Premier League, and Tottenham in the League Cup, marking City’s longest losing streak under Guardiola. Brighton held firm through nine minutes of added time to secure a victory that further dents City’s hopes of a fifth consecutive Premier League title.
Pedro earned player of the match honors for his goal and assist that transformed the game’s complexion in the closing stages.
Qatar announced Saturday it has suspended its crucial mediation role between Hamas and Israel, citing frustration with both parties’ unwillingness to negotiate a Gaza cease-fire deal in good faith, as violence continues across the region.
The decision, confirmed by Qatar’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed bin Mohammed al-Ansari, comes after the Biden administration urged Qatar two weeks ago to expel Hamas’s political office from Doha, deeming its continued presence no longer useful for peace negotiations.
“Qatar will resume those efforts with its partners when the parties show their willingness and seriousness to end the brutal war and the ongoing suffering of civilians,” al-Ansari said through the state-run Qatar News Agency.
A diplomatic source briefed on the matter said Qatar informed both sides it cannot continue mediation “as long as there is a refusal to negotiate a deal in good faith” and warned Hamas it must leave if unwilling to engage in serious negotiations. A senior Hamas official acknowledged awareness of Qatar’s decision but said “no one told us to leave.”
The suspension of talks coincides with continued violence across the region. Israeli forces struck command centers in Beirut’s southern suburbs and other locations in Lebanon, while Palestinian health officials reported at least 16 people killed Saturday in Gaza strikes, including attacks on a school-turned-shelter in Gaza City and the courtyard of central Gaza’s main hospital.
Hamas maintains its position requiring a complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and end to the war before any cease-fire deal, while Israel demands the return of all hostages taken in Hamas’ October 7 attack and insists on maintaining a military presence in Gaza.
An Egyptian official familiar with the negotiations said Qatar would likely resume its mediator role if both sides demonstrate “serious political willingness” to reach an agreement. The official spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the discussions.
Should Hamas leadership need to relocate, Iran, Turkey, and Lebanon emerge as potential destinations given the group’s existing relationships in those countries. The Israeli prime minister’s office declined to comment on the developments.
The diplomatic setback occurs as humanitarian conditions in Gaza continue to deteriorate. While Israel announced the first delivery of aid in weeks to the territory’s northern region, Israeli strikes persist. A pregnant woman and child were among those killed in Gaza City, according to the Health Ministry, while an attack on Khan Younis in southern Gaza left seven dead, Nasser Hospital reported.
The family of Mackenzie Michalski, a 31-year-old American nurse practitioner from Portland, Oregon, mourned their daughter’s death at a candlelight vigil Saturday night, as Hungarian authorities held a suspect who confessed to killing her during her vacation in Budapest.
“There was no reason for this to happen,” Bill Michalski, the victim’s father, told The Associated Press at the vigil, wearing a baseball cap his daughter had given him. “I’m still trying to wrap my arms around what happened… I don’t know that I ever will.”
Michalski, who had previously visited Budapest and called it her “happy place,” was reported missing November 5 after last being seen at a central Budapest nightclub. Police surveillance footage showed her with a 37-year-old Irish citizen, identified only as L.T.M., at several clubs that night.
The suspect, arrested November 7, confessed to killing Michalski during what he claimed was an accidental death during an “intimate encounter” at his rented apartment, according to police. Investigators said he attempted to cover up the crime by cleaning the apartment and concealing her body in a wardrobe before purchasing a suitcase to transport it.
Police said the suspect drove approximately 90 miles southwest of Budapest to Lake Balaton, disposing of the body in a wooded area near Szigliget. Before his arrest, he had searched online for information about disposing of bodies, police procedures in missing person cases, and whether pigs eat dead bodies, as well as researching wild boars in the Lake Balaton area and the competence of Budapest police.
Crime scene photographs released by authorities showed a rolling suitcase, clothing including fleece-lined boots, and a handbag containing Michalski’s credit card at the disposal site. The suspect later guided police to the location.
“The history, she just loved it and she was just so relaxed here,” her father said of his daughter’s connection to Budapest. “This was her city.”
A Facebook group administrator described “Kenzie” as “a beautiful and compassionate young woman.” Her parents had traveled to Hungary to assist in the search but learned of her death while en route.
