‘We will not wait’: Mamdani kicks off housing plans after inaugural party
New York, United States – Sprawling crowds, a seven-block-long party and chants to “tax the rich” in the world’s wealthiest city marked Zohran Mamdani’s public inauguration as New York City mayor on Thursday, as the metropolis welcomed a new year with a new leadership. Political inaugurations are usually more stolid affairs. But, as he had in his campaign for the mayoralty, Mamdani flipped the script with his swearing-in events. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list In act one, just after midnight, as the ball dropped in Times Square to ring in 2026, Mamdani took the oath of office in a small ceremony on the steps of the landmark New York City Hall subway station. New York State Attorney General Letitia James administered the oath as Mamdani stood beside his wife, Rama Duwaji, on a staircase inside the transit hub, which has not been used for passenger service since 1945. He used a historic Quran borrowed from the New York Public Library for his swearing in, and a second one that belonged to his grandfather. The public celebration arrived later, on New Year’s Day, when Mamdani repeated the oath on the steps of City Hall before a crowd that spilled across the surrounding plaza and into the streets. Despite the blistering cold, tens of thousands of supporters streamed into Lower Manhattan to watch the new mayor – along with the city’s comptroller, Mark Levine, and Public Advocate Jumaane Williams – formally assume office. National political heavyweights, including Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, flanked the city’s new leadership and delivered speeches outlining the progressive movement’s governing ambitions in New York and the national reverberations the race has already sent to lawmakers across the country. Advertisement “The most important lesson that can be learned today is that when working people stand, when they don’t let them [the ultra-wealthy] divide us up, there is nothing that we cannot accomplish,” Sanders said before swearing in Mamdani. While guests and the press gathered inside the City Hall grounds, the city staged a seven-block-long public block party – a new twist on the traditionally ticketed inauguration format. In addition to a closed event capped at a few thousand attendees, anyone willing to RSVP and endure the frigid air and blustering winds after a night of snowfall could try their luck at getting in. And many did, bundled New Yorkers shuffled through security checkpoints, hoping to glimpse the swearing-in of a 34-year-old democratic socialist now charged with running the largest city in the United States, streaming on large monitors stationed throughout the surrounding area outside City Hall. Some supporters told Al Jazeera they waited in line for hours, and many never made it through the checkpoints in time. While crowds cheered and horns blasted in solidarity from a distance, a handful of protesters lingered behind police barricades. The block party in and of itself was symbolic in its effort to reach more New Yorkers who have normally been left out of the political process, Democratic strategist Nomiki Konst told Al Jazeera. “It was a way of opening up something that hasn’t been accessible for anybody, you know, that wasn’t part of the inner circle of New York politics and media,” Konst told Al Jazeera. “It was an opportunity to give back to the people who helped him get into office.” New Yorkers gathered in a first-of-its-kind inauguration open to the general public [Andy Hirschfeld] A message of unity and affordability Mamdani, Williams and Levine spoke about unity for all New Yorkers, delivering remarks in English, Spanish, Hebrew and Greek, and appearing alongside faith leaders of several different faiths, including Islam, Christianity and Judaism. “We have three swearings-in. One by a leader using a Quran, one by a leader using a Christian Bible, and one using a Hebrew Bible. I am proud to live in a city where this is possible,” Levine said after taking the oath of office. Mamdani echoed that sentiment. “We will draw this city closer together. We will replace the frigidity of rugged individualism with the warmth of collectivism. If our campaign demonstrated that the people of New York yearn for solidarity, then let this government foster it,” Mamdani said in his address. Advertisement “We will deliver nothing less as we work each day to make this city belong to more of its people than it did the day before.” But the core message, voiced repeatedly by Mamdani, Levine, Williams, Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez, was the same one that defined the campaign: that the ultra wealthy should pay higher taxes. “Demanding that the wealthy and large corporations start paying their fair share of taxes is not radical. It is exactly the right thing to do,” Sanders said, as supporters chanted, “Tax the rich.” One of Mamdani’s core promises was to raise the corporate tax rate in New York City from 7.25 percent to 11.5 percent, equivalent to that of neighbouring New Jersey, as well as a 2 percent increase in taxes on those who make more than $1m a year. Any tax plan would need the approval of the governor to move forward. “This movement came out of eight-and-a-half million somewheres – taxi cab depots and Amazon warehouses, DSA [Democratic Socialists of America] meetings and curbside domino games. The powers that be had looked away from these places for quite some time – if they’d known about them at all – so they dismissed them as nowhere. But in our city, where every corner of these five boroughs holds power, there is no nowhere and there is no no one,” Mamdani said. Housing policy has been central to that affordability message for Mamdani. One of his signature campaign promises was to freeze the rent on the city’s rental stabilised apartments, which represent about half of the city’s rental housing stock. “Those in rent-stabilised homes will no longer dread the latest rent hike – because we will freeze the rent,” Mamdani said in his remarks. Only hours later, Mamdani introduced
Kim Jong Un’s potential heir makes public visit to N Korean founder’s tomb
Kim Ju Ae’s first public visit to the Kumsusan Mausoleum added to speculation she may become the next in line. Published On 2 Jan 20262 Jan 2026 Click here to share on social media share2 Share North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s daughter, Ju Ae, who is widely speculated to be his potential successor, made her first public visit to the Kumsusan Mausoleum in Pyongyang alongside her parents, state media images show. Photographs released by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on Friday captured the family paying respects to Ju Ae’s grandfather and great-grandfather, Kim Jong Il and Kim Il Sung, the founder of the North Korean state. Analysts say that propaganda surrounding the Kim family’s “Paektu bloodline” has allowed its members to dominate daily life in the isolated country and maintain power for decades. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list Over the past three years, Ju Ae has appeared more frequently in state media, prompting speculation from analysts and South Korea’s intelligence services that she may be positioned as the country’s fourth-generation leader. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and his daughter Ju Ae inspect a training of the Korean People’s Army at an undisclosed location in North Korea [File: KCNA via KNS/AFP] Photographs show Ju Ae accompanying her father, mother Ri Sol Ju, and senior officials on the visit on January 1, standing between her parents in the main hall of the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun. Ju Ae was first publicly introduced in 2022 when she accompanied her father to the launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile. Believed to have been born in the early 2010s, she also took part in this year’s New Year celebrations, and in September made her first public overseas visit, travelling to Beijing with her father. Advertisement The visit to the mausoleum coincided with key dates and anniversaries, reinforcing the dynastic narrative of the nuclear-armed state. North Korean media have referred to her as “the beloved child” and a “great person of guidance” – or “hyangdo” in Korean – a term traditionally reserved for top leaders and their designated successors. Prior to 2022, Ju Ae’s existence had only been indirectly confirmed by former NBA player Dennis Rodman, who visited the North in 2013. North Korea’s leaders have never formally announced their successors, instead signalling transitions gradually through public appearances and expanding official responsibilities. Meanwhile, Kim Jong Un has pledged to further increase production of missiles and artillery shells, describing them as a “war deterrent” amid heightened military readiness from the United States and South Korea. Adblock test (Why?)
Flights from Aden airport in Yemen halted amid latest tensions
STC separatists accuse Saudi Arabia of requiring flights to UAE to land in Jeddah; Saudi source rejects claim. By News Agencies Published On 2 Jan 20262 Jan 2026 Click here to share on social media share2 Share Flights from Aden international airport in Yemen were halted on Thursday amid continuing tensions between the Southern Transitional Council (STC) separatist group and the Saudi Arabia-backed internationally recognised government in Yemen. Reuters news agency reported that all flights were suspended at the airport on Thursday, although further details of flight operations and possible resumptions remained unclear. Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list The STC has formally been a part of the Saudi-led coalition that, since 2015, has been fighting the Houthi takeover of large parts of Yemen. But the STC also seeks to carve out a separate nation in southern Yemen, and in December, expanded its military operations in Hadramout and al-Mahra provinces that border Saudi Arabia, setting off a rapid escalation in tensions. Saudi Arabia has accused the United Arab Emirates – also a part of the anti-Houthi coalition – of arming the STC and of encouraging the separatist group to expand into Hadramout and al-Mahra, which Riyadh has said threatens its national security. The UAE has denied those allegations, insisting that it supports Saudi Arabia’s security. However, while the UAE has since agreed to demands from Yemen’s Riyadh-backed Presidential Leadership Council and Saudi Arabia to withdraw its troops from Yemen, the STC has refused to pull back from Hadramout and al-Mahra. On Thursday, the STC-aligned Transport Ministry within the internationally recognised government claimed that the stoppage at the airport was a result of Saudi Arabia imposing new requirements mandating that flights to and from Aden airport undergo inspection in Jeddah. Advertisement The ministry said it was “shocked” by the move, adding that Saudi authorities later clarified the restriction only applied to flights operating between Aden and the United Arab Emirates. A Saudi source denied to the Reuters news agency that it was involved in restricting flights, saying Yemen’s internationally recognised government, led by the Presidential Leadership Council, was behind the requirement for UAE-bound flights. Yemeni presidential adviser, Thabet al-Ahmadi, confirmed to Al Jazeera that it had imposed a requirement that applied to one flight route departing from Aden airport. He said the move was meant to prevent STC money smuggling. Al-Ahmadi said the government did not support a complete halt to flights, adding it wanted to ensure air traffic continued unimpeded. Earlier this week, the UAE announced it was voluntarily withdrawing its remaining “counterterrorism” forces from Yemen. That came after Riyadh struck what it claimed to be a UAE-linked weapons shipment in the southern port city of Mukalla. On Wednesday, Rashad al-Alimi, the head of the internationally recognised government in Yemen, warned that any moves by the STC to further entrench their position in the provinces would have severe consequences. The STC has, however, remained defiant, saying it would remain in the provinces. However, STC spokesperson Mohammed al-Naqeeb said the group was coordinating its movements with the Homeland Shield forces, which had been the main security force in the provinces prior to the STC offensive. The Homeland Shield is affiliated with the Yemeni government and the Saudi-led coalition. Yemen has been embroiled in a civil war since Houthi forces took control of the capital Sanaa in 2014. The group continues to control large swaths of the country’s northwest, with the STC and government contesting the southern and eastern flanks. Adblock test (Why?)
Enzo Maresca leaves Chelsea after just 18 months as manager
Maresca exits the club midway through a turbulent season with the team winning just one Premier League game in December. By News Agencies Published On 1 Jan 20261 Jan 2026 Click here to share on social media share2 Share Chelsea have parted ways with Enzo Maresca, a dramatic fall from grace for the Italian who was named Manager of the Month for November before the club won just one of their last seven league games, causing them to fall out of the Premier League title race. “Chelsea Football Club and head coach Enzo Maresca have parted company,” the club said in a statement on Thursday. Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list Maresca, who joined Chelsea in 2024 after steering Leicester City to Premier League promotion, leaves 18 months to the day since he was tasked with reviving the club’s fortunes after two years of failing to qualify for the Champions League. He eventually guided the London side to UEFA Champions League qualification with a fourth-placed finish, the Conference League trophy and the Club World Cup title in his first season with a young but expensively built squad. Poor run of form However, a poor run of form in December and an uncharacteristic outburst from the Italian prompted the club hierarchy to take action and part ways with the 45-year-old manager. “With key objectives still to play for across four competitions including qualification for Champions League football, Enzo and the club believe a change gives the team the best chance of getting the season back on track,” the Chelsea statement said. Chelsea were as high as third in November and were among the title contenders, high on confidence after they had also crushed Barcelona 3-0 in the Champions League at Stamford Bridge. But they have since slipped to fifth in the league to sit 15 points behind leaders Arsenal at the halfway stage of the season. Chelsea star Cole Palmer shakes hands with Maresca, left, after being substituted during what turned out to be the Italian’s last match in charge of the club against Bournemouth at Stamford Bridge, London, UK, on December 30, 2025 [Andrew Boyers/Action Images via Reuters] ‘Worst 48 hours’ Last month, Maresca voiced frustration over issues behind the scenes, saying he felt he had a lack of support from the club, describing a period after a 2-0 win over Everton as “the worst 48 hours” of his tenure. Advertisement The Italian did not clarify what he meant by the comment, but the damage seemed to have been done as Chelsea’s league form nosedived. Although Chelsea beat Cardiff City to reach the League Cup semifinals, they picked up only two points in their last three Premier League games. Off the pitch, there was also the unwelcome distraction of rubbishing links to the Manchester City job as Maresca pointed out that he was committed to Chelsea, where he had a contract until 2029. But Tuesday’s 2-2 home draw with Bournemouth – where fans chanted, “You don’t know what you’re doing” when he substituted playmaker Cole Palmer while they also booed at the final whistle – proved to be his final match in charge. The club did not say who would take charge before Sunday’s match against second-placed Manchester City. Adblock test (Why?)
Somali president: Israel deal with Somaliland tied to hosting Palestinians
NewsFeed In an exclusive interview, Somalia’s president Hassan Sheikh Mohamud told Al Jazeera that the breakaway region of Somaliland has agreed to accept displaced Palestinians being relocated there in exchange for recognition. Somaliland officials have rejected the allegations. Published On 1 Jan 20261 Jan 2026 Click here to share on social media share2 Share Adblock test (Why?)
Gabon government sacks Aubameyang, suspends national team at AFCON 2025
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and one other played banned after Gabon eliminated from Africa Cup of Nations group stage. By News Agencies Published On 1 Jan 20261 Jan 2026 Click here to share on social media share2 Share Gabon’s government has suspended the national team, sacking the coach and kicking star forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang off the squad in the wake of three defeats at the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) finals. Gabon’s acting Sports Minister Simplice-Desire Mamboula on Wednesday announced the suspension of the national team on television after they finished last in their group and were eliminated from the tournament in Morocco. Recommended Stories list of 2 itemsend of list “Given the Panthers’ disgraceful performance at the Africa Cup of Nations, the government has decided to dissolve the coaching staff, suspend the national team until further notice, and exclude players Bruno Ecuele Manga and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang,” Mamboula said after a 3-2 loss to the Ivory Coast in Marrakesh. Gabon, coached by former defender Thierry Mouyouma, had already been eliminated after losing their opening pair of Group F fixtures to Cameroon and Mozambique, but in their final outing were 2-0 up over the defending champions before conceding three goals and going down to a second-string Ivorian lineup. Neither Aubameyang nor veteran defender Ecuele Manga played on Wednesday, with Aubameyang having returned to his French club Olympique de Marseille for treatment on a thigh injury. The former African Footballer of the Year responded on social media, saying on X: “I think the team’s problems are much deeper than the individual I am.” Aubameyang, at 36, had likely played his last game for Gabon in their defeat by Mozambique, as was also likely the case with the 37-year-old former Cardiff City defender Ecuele Manga. Advertisement Disbanding the national team used to be a common reaction in Africa to disappointing results, but since world football’s governing body FIFA has taken a hard stance against government interference in the running of football associations, it has been a rare occurrence. Adblock test (Why?)
How is Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill changing US taxes and healthcare in 2026?
Residents in the United States are set to experience significant changes to the country’s tax code, healthcare system and government benefits at the start of 2026. That’s because, on Thursday, certain provisions of President Donald Trump’s signature tax and spending package are scheduled to take effect. Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list Known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), the package was signed into law in July, amid bipartisan pushback. Fiscal conservatives feared it would add to the country’s deficit, while critics on the left warned that the changes it heralded would leave millions of US citizens without health insurance or food assistance. Notably, the OBBBA passed without extensions to the COVID-era healthcare subsidies that are slated to expire on Thursday. Democrats have warned that, without those subsidies, health insurance premiums purchased under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) are set to skyrocket. What changes should Americans expect heading into 2026, and how will they be affected? We break down the new policies for the start of the new year. What is the One Big Beautiful Bill Act? Even before Trump took office for a second term in January 2025, he floated the idea of creating one sweeping bill that would capture many aspects of his platform. “Members of Congress are getting to work on one powerful Bill that will bring our Country back, and make it greater than ever before,” he wrote on January 5. That idea became the foundation for the OBBBA, which Trump signed into law on July 4, the Independence Day holiday. Advertisement It contains hundreds of provisions, ranging from policies that incentivise fossil fuel production to the permanent adoption of Trump’s 2017 tax cuts. Democrats, including Representative Melanie Stansbury of New Mexico, rallied against the passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act earlier this year, outside the US Capitol [Rod Lamkey, Jr/AP Photo] What changes are coming to the price of healthcare? Prices are set to increase for US citizens who get their health insurance through the Affordable Care Act’s marketplace, an online exchange that helps connect households and small businesses with insurance plans. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act did not extend the ACA healthcare subsidies put in place as part of the 2021 American Rescue Plan Act, under then-President Joe Biden. Those subsidies expire on December 31. “The healthcare issue is a big one because people typically have their health insurance premium deducted from their account on the first, second, or third of the month,” said Daniel Hornung, the former deputy director of the National Economic Council during the Biden administration. “So, in the next few days, we’re likely to see people in many cases have their health insurance premiums double.” Why hasn’t Congress extended the healthcare subsidies? Congress has been in gridlock over the issue of whether to extend the ACA subsidies. Democrats refused to pass budget legislation in September until Congress acted to extend the healthcare subsidies. But Republican leaders said they would only vote on the subsidies after the budget legislation was signed. That impasse led to a 43-day government shutdown, the longest in US history. The gridlock ended when a handful of Democrats broke ranks with their party members to pass the budget legislation, on the understanding that there would be a December vote to extend the subsidies. But rival proposals from Democrats and Republicans to address the subsidies both failed earlier this month. The expiration takes effect on New Year’s Day, but Congress does not return from recess until January 5. How many people will be affected by the subsidies’ expiration? Approximately 2.2 million Americans are projected to lose healthcare coverage because of the increased cost, according to analysis from the Congressional Budget Office. Hornung, the former Biden administration official, said that many more stand to be affected by healthcare premium increases. “We’re talking about roughly 20 million or so Americans who are on the ACA exchanges, either the national exchanges or the state exchanges, so that’s a major issue,” Hornung said. Critics fear changes in 2026 will reduce accessibility to programmes like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which provides food to low-income households [File: Kaylee Greenlee/Reuters] What are the new work requirements for federal food assistance? Under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, there are new work requirements to qualify for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Programme (SNAP) benefits, which help low-income households afford groceries. Advertisement Able-bodied adults between the ages of 18 and 64 must now work or participate in school or a training programme for at least 80 hours per month to remain eligible. The policy applies to new applicants and renewals, beginning on January 1. For current SNAP recipients, implementation timing varies by state. Some states have already notified existing beneficiaries of the pending changes, while others will begin enforcement later. In New York, for example, the new rules are not expected to take effect until March 2026. Critics have told Al Jazeera that the new rules may place an additional burden on service-industry workers, many of whom have irregular schedules that make it difficult to guarantee 80 hours every month. How will inheritances be affected? Among the changes is an expanded estate tax exemption. Under the new policy, individuals inheriting an estate worth less than $15m are exempt from the federal estate tax. For couples, that threshold is $30m. Prior to the 2017 law, the cap for untaxed estate inheritances was about $5.5m ($7.2m in 2025, adjusted for inflation) for individuals and $11m ($14m when adjusted for inflation) for couples. Critics point out that the higher thresholds allow significant generational wealth transfers without taxation. As a result of the new provision, fewer than 1 percent of taxpayers ever face the estate tax. How will deductions change during the US tax season? January 1 will make several provisions of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act — tax cuts enacted during Trump’s first term — permanent. Many of these provisions benefit higher-income households. One of the 2017 provisions that has
A marriage of three: Will Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso bloc reshape the Sahel?
“Bienvenue a Bamako!” The fixer, the minder and the men linked to the Malian government were waiting for us at the airport in Bamako. Polite, smiling – and watchful. It was late December, and we had just taken an Air Burkina flight from Dakar, Senegal across the Sahel, where a storm of political upheaval and armed violence has unsettled the region in recent years. Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list Mali sits at the centre of a reckoning. After two military coups in 2020 and 2021, the country severed ties with its former colonial ruler, France, expelled French forces, pushed out the United Nations peacekeeping mission, and redrew its alliances Alongside Burkina Faso and Niger, now also ruled by military governments backed by Russian mercenaries, it formed the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) in September 2023. Together, the regional grouping withdrew from the wider Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) bloc, accusing it of serving foreign interests rather than African ones. This month, leaders from the three countries converged in Bamako for the Confederal Summit of Heads of State of the AES, the second such meeting since the alliance was formed. And we were there to cover it. The summit was a ribbon-cutting moment. Leaders of the three countries inaugurated a new Sahel Investment and Development Bank meant to finance infrastructure projects without reliance on Western lenders; a new television channel built around a shared narrative and presented as giving voice to the people of the Sahel; and a joint military force intended to operate across borders against armed groups. It was a moment to celebrate achievements more than to sign new agreements. Advertisement But the reason behind the urgency of those announcements lay beyond the summit hall. In this layered terrain of fracture and identity, armed groups have found room not only to manoeuvre, but to grow. Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), an al-Qaeda affiliate, has expanded from rural Mali, launching attacks across the region and reaching the coast of Benin, exploiting weak state presence and long-unresolved grievances. As our plane descended toward Bamako, I looked out at an endless stretch of earth, wondering how much of it was now under the control of al-Qaeda affiliates. From the airport, our minders drove us fast through the city. Motorbikes swerved around us, street hawkers peddled their wares, and Malian pop blared from speakers. At first, this did not feel like a capital under siege. Yet since September, armed groups have been operating a blockade around Bamako, choking off fuel and goods, the military government said. We drove past petrol stations where long queues stretched into the night. Life continued even as fuel grew scarce. People sat patiently, waiting their turn. Anger seemed to have given way to indifference, while rumours swirled that the authorities had struck quiet deals with the very fighters they claimed to be fighting, simply to keep the city moving. Motorcycles line up near a closed petrol station, amid ongoing fuel shortages caused by a blockade imposed by al Qaeda-linked fighters in early September, in Bamako, Mali [Stringer/Reuters] ‘To become one country, to hold each other’s hand’ Our minders drove us on to the Sahel Alliance Square, a newly created public space built to celebrate the union of the three countries and its people. On the way, Malian forces sped past, perhaps toward a front line that feels ever closer, as gunmen linked to JNIM have set up checkpoints disrupting trade routes to the capital in recent months. In September 2024, they also carried out coordinated attacks inside Bamako, hitting a military police school housing elite units, nearby neighbourhoods, and the military airport on the city’s outskirts. And yet, Bamako carries on, as if the war were taking place in a faraway land. At Sahel Alliance Square, a few hundred young people gathered and cheered as the Malian forces went by, drawn by loud music, trivia questions on stage and the MC’s promise of small prizes. The questions were simple: Name the AES countries? Name the leaders? A microphone was handed to the children. The alliance leaders’ names were drilled in: Abdourahamane Tchiani of Niger. Ibrahim Traore of Burkina Faso. Assimi Goita of Mali. Repeated again and again until they stuck. Advertisement Correct answers won a prize: a T-shirt stamped with the faces of the alliance leaders. Moussa Niare, 12 years old and a resident of Bamako, clutched a shirt bearing the faces of the three military leaders. “They’ve gathered together to become one country, to hold each other’s hand, and to fight a common enemy,” he told us with buoyant confidence, as the government’s attempt to sell the new alliance to the public appeared to be cultivating loyalty among the young. France out, Russia in While Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger went through separate political transitions, the paths that brought them into a shared alliance followed a similar pattern. Between 2020 and 2023, each country saw its democratically elected leadership removed by the military, the takeovers framed as necessary corrections. In Mali, Colonel Goita seized power after months of protest and amid claims that President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita had failed to curb corruption or halt the advance of armed groups. In Burkina Faso, the army ousted President Roch Marc Christian Kabore in early 2022 as insecurity worsened; later that year, Captain Traore emerged from a counter-coup, promising a more decisive response to the rebellion. In Niger, soldiers led by General Tchiani detained President Mohamed Bazoum in July 2023, accusing his government of failing to safeguard national security and of leaning too heavily on foreign partners. What began as separate seizures of power have since become a shared political project, now expressed through a formal alliance. The gathering in Bamako was to give shape to their union. One of the key conclusions of the AES summit was the announced launch of a joint military battalion aimed at fighting armed groups across the Sahel. This follows months of escalating violence, as regional armies assisted
Four reasons why Benjamin Netanyahu may not want a Gaza ceasefire to hold
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reached the end of his latest trip to the United States and appears to have gained what he wants from President Donald Trump. Trump hailed Netanyahu after their meeting on Monday, calling him a “hero” and saying Israel – and by extension its prime minister – had “lived up to the plan 100 percent” in reference to the US president’s signature Gaza ceasefire. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list That is despite reports emerging last week that US officials were growing frustrated over Netanyahu’s apparent “slow walking” of the 20-point ceasefire plan – imposed by the US administration in October – suspecting that the Israeli prime minister might be hoping to keep the door open to resuming hostilities against the Palestinian group Hamas at a time of his choosing. Under the terms of that agreement – after the exchange of all captives held in Gaza, living and dead, aid deliveries into the enclave and the freezing of all front lines – Gaza would move towards phase two, which includes negotiations on establishing a technocratic “board of peace” to administer the enclave and the deployment of an international security force to safeguard it. US President Donald Trump, right, called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a ‘hero’ during his visit to Trump’s Florida estate on December 29, 2025, saying he had lived up to Trump’s ceasefire plan ‘100 percent’ [Jonathan Ernst/Reuters] So far, Netanyahu has not allowed in all of the required aid that Gaza desperately needs and is also maintaining that phase two cannot be entered into until Hamas returns the body of the last remaining captive. He has also demanded that Hamas disarms before Israel withdraws its forces, a suggestion fully endorsed by Trump after Monday’s meeting. Advertisement Hamas has repeatedly rejected disarmament being forced upon it by Israel, and officials have said that the question of arms was an internal Palestinian matter to be discussed between Palestinian factions. So is Netanyahu deliberately trying to avoid entering the second phase of the agreement, and why would that be the case? Here are four reasons why Netanyahu might be happy with things just as they are: He’s under pressure from his right Netanyahu’s ruling coalition is, by any metric, the most right wing in the country’s history. Throughout the war on Gaza, the support of Israel’s hardliners has proven vital in shepherding the prime minister’s coalition through periods of intense domestic protest and international criticism. Now, many on the right, including National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, oppose the ceasefire, protesting against the release of Palestinian prisoners and insisting that Gaza be occupied. Netanyahu’s defence minister, Israel Katz, has also shown little enthusiasm for honouring the deal his country committed to in October. Speaking at a ceremony to mark the expansion of the latest of Israel’s illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank, Katz claimed that Israel’s forces would remain in Gaza, eventually clearing the way for further settlements. Katz later walked his comments back, reportedly after coming under pressure from the US. Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz [Menahem Kahana/AFP] He doesn’t want an international force in Gaza Allowing an international force to deploy to Gaza would limit Israel’s operational freedom, constraining its military’s ability to re-enter Gaza, conduct targeted strikes or pursue Hamas remnants within the enclave. So far, despite the ceasefire, Israeli forces have killed more than 400 people in the enclave since agreeing to halt fighting on October 10. Politically, agreeing to an international stabilisation force, particularly one drawn from neighbouring states, would broaden what Israel has often seen as a domestic war into an international conflict with many of the strategic, diplomatic and political decisions over that conflict being made by actors outside of its control. It could also be framed domestically as a concession forced by the US and international community, undermining Netanyahu’s repeated claims of maintaining Israeli sovereignty and strategic independence. “If Netanyahu allows a foreign military force into Gaza, he immediately denies himself a large degree of his freedom to operate,” Israeli political analyst Nimrod Flaschenberg said from Berlin. “Ideally, he needs things to remain exactly where they are but without alienating Trump.” Smoke rises from an Israeli strike on Gaza’s Bureij refugee camp on October 19, 2025, in one of the near-daily attacks Israel has carried out since the ceasefire went into effect [Eyad Baba/AFP] He wants to resist any progress towards a two-state solution While not explicitly mentioning a two-state solution, the ceasefire agreement does include provisions under which Israel and the Palestinians commit to a dialogue towards what it frames as a “political horizon for peaceful and prosperous co-existence”. Advertisement Netanyahu, however, has been arguing against a two-state solution since at least 2015 when he campaigned on the issue. More recently, at the United Nations in September, he branded the decision to recognise a Palestinian state “insane” and claimed that Israel would not accept the establishment of a Palestinian homeland. Israeli ministers have also been at work ensuring that the two-state solution remains a practical impossibility. Israel’s plan to establish a series of new settlements severing occupied East Jerusalem – long considered the future capital of any Palestinian state – from the West Bank would make the establishment of a feasible state impossible. This isn’t just an unfortunate consequence of geography. Announcing the plans for the new settlements in August, Smotrich said the project would “bury the idea of a Palestinian state”. Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich holds a map near the settlement of Maale Adumim showing a land corridor known as E1, in which Israel plans to build thousands of settler homes and which Smotrich says would ‘bury the idea of a Palestinian state’ [Menahem Kahana/AFP] A resumption of war would benefit him Netanyahu faces numerous domestic threats, from his own corruption trial to the potentially explosive issue of forcing conscription on Israel’s ultra-religious students. There is also the public reckoning he faces for his own failures before and during the Hamas-led attacks on southern
Disney to pay $10m over alleged breaches of US child privacy laws
Settlement comes after US Federal Trade Commission accused the entertainment giant of unlawfully collecting children’s data. Published On 31 Dec 202531 Dec 2025 Click here to share on social media share2 Share Disney has agreed to pay $10m to settle allegations that it breached child privacy laws in the United States, authorities have said. A federal court approved the settlement to resolve allegations brought by the US Federal Trade Commission, the Department of Justice said on Tuesday. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list The order also requires Disney to operate its YouTube channel in accordance with data-protection rules and establish a programme to ensure future compliance. Disney had agreed to settle the claims brought by the US antitrust watchdog in September. The civil case stems from allegations that Disney collected children’s personal data without parental consent via its videos on YouTube. Antitrust officials alleged that Disney had wrongly designated more than 300 YouTube videos, including content from The Incredibles, Toy Story, Frozen, and Mickey Mouse, as not being aimed at children. YouTube requires content creators to designate videos as “Made for Kids” or “Not Made for Kids” to comply with the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Rule. Under the rule, companies in the US are prohibited from collecting data from children below 13 without parental notification. Other major companies that have paid settlements under the rule, which has been amended several times since its enactment in 2000, include Google and Microsoft. Disney did not immediately respond to a request for comment. “The Justice Department is firmly devoted to ensuring parents have a say in how their children’s information is collected and used,” Assistant Attorney General Brett A Shumate said in a statement. Advertisement “The Department will take swift action to root out any unlawful infringement on parents’ rights to protect their children’s privacy.” Disney, which has its headquarters in Burbank, California, is one of the world’s largest entertainment companies, with revenue for the fiscal year 2025 reaching $94.4bn. Adblock test (Why?)