Students at the Islamic University of Gaza have returned to in-person classes for the first time in two years, navigating a campus transformed into a site of mass displacement and utter devastation as a result of Israel’s genocidal war on the besieged Palestinian enclave.

This Gaza City university, which reopened following October’s ceasefire, now hosts about 500 displaced families sheltering inside buildings reduced to hollow shells by Israel’s relentless assault.

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Tents dot the grounds where lecture halls once stood, a stark illustration of Gaza’s dual crises of homelessness and educational collapse.

“We came here after being displaced from Jabalia because we had nowhere else to go,” said Atta Siam, one of those seeking refuge on campus. “But this place is for education. It’s not meant to be a shelter – it’s a place for our children to study.”

The partial resumption of classes has rekindled hopes for thousands of students, despite conditions that bear little resemblance to a functioning university.

UNESCO estimates more than 95 percent of higher education campuses across Gaza have been severely damaged or destroyed since the war began in October 2023.

First-year medical student Youmna Albaba said she had dreamed of attending a properly equipped university.

“I need a place where I can focus, that is fully qualified in every way,” she said. “But I haven’t found what I imagined here. Still, I have hope because we are building everything from scratch.”

Buildings across Gaza have been destroyed by Israel’s bombardment [Al Jazeera Screengrab]

What human rights groups and United Nations experts have termed “scholasticide” – the systematic obliteration of an education system – has left more than 750,000 Palestinian students without schooling for two consecutive academic years, according to the Gaza-based organisation Al Mezan Center for Human Rights.

Recent figures paint a devastating picture – 494 schools and universities have been partially or completely destroyed, with 137 reduced to rubble. The toll includes 12,800 students killed, along with 760 teachers and educational staff, and 150 academics and researchers, Al Mezan reported in January.

Isra University, which had been Gaza’s last remaining functioning university, was demolished by Israeli forces in January 2024.

At the Islamic University, professors are improvising with whatever resources remain amid power cuts, shortages of equipment and inadequate learning environments. Dr Adel Awadallah described covering exposed walls with plastic sheets to accommodate as many students as possible. “We’ve borrowed motors to generate electricity to operate the university equipment,” he said.

With only four classrooms operational, thousands of students are depending on these makeshift arrangements to continue their education.

UN experts warned in April 2024 that the scale of destruction may constitute a deliberate effort to dismantle Palestinian society’s foundations.

“When schools are destroyed, so too are hopes and dreams,” their statement read, calling the pattern of attacks systematic violence against educational infrastructure.

The challenges extend beyond physical destruction. Families struggling to secure food, water and medicine find supporting children’s education nearly impossible.

Remote learning initiatives by the Ministry of Education and UNRWA have been undermined by electricity blackouts, internet outages and ongoing displacement.

Yet students persist. Despite the trauma of more than two years of Israeli bombardment and the loss of family members, they have consistently identified returning to school as a top priority, a chance to reclaim normalcy and their futures.

As Youmna Albaba, the medical student, put it, “Despite all this, I am happy because I attend lectures in person. We are building everything from scratch.”

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Britain’s energy system operator has predicted that this year’s Christmas Day could be the greenest yet.

If the weather remains mild and windy for the rest of December, the National Energy System Operator (Neso) has said it could record the lowest carbon intensity – the measure of how much carbon dioxide is released to produce electricity – recorded on the network for 25 December.

Craig Dyke, a director at Neso, said the electricity grid had run at a record peak of 97.7% zero carbon earlier this year, on 1 April.

“This Christmas, there’s the possibility we’ll see the lowest ever carbon intensity on the network on the big day itself,” he said.

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The company responsible for keeping the lights on, which was bought by the government from National Grid last year, said the greenest Christmas Day so far was in 2023, when it recorded a carbon intensity of 30m grams of carbon dioxide. That was five times less than the emissions in 2018.

Last year, more than 40% of electricity generation on Christmas Day came from renewables. It stood at 1.7% in 2009. Earlier this month, wind turbines generated enough electricity “to light up nearly 3bn strings of 100-bulb LED fairy lights” at one point.

Neso said an extra 2GW of wind and 3GW of solar power came on to the network in 2025, taking Britain’s total renewables capacity to an historic high of 53GW. Greater capacity, combined with lower than average energy demand for the time of year, should mean emissions are lower on the 25 December.

While power may be greener this Christmas, heightened consumption at the end of the year can have a damaging impact on the environment. UK households have already thrown away an estimated 168m light-up Christmas items and other “fast tech” gifts over the past year, according to research by Material Focus.

Meanwhile, separate research found that 1.1bn of all types of electric products and 450m batteries are thrown away irresponsibly each year.

A greener Christmas this year comes as the government tries to transition away from fossil fuels to net zero by 2050. Analysis by Neso earlier this year found the UK already spends about 10% of its gross domestic product on investments related to net zero, and forecast that these costs would climb over the coming years and remain higher than they are today until the 2030s.

It forecast that costs could peak at about £460bn by 2029 in its most ambitious scenario, before beginning to decline to about 5% of GDP by 2050 or roughly £220bn a year. In the “falling behind” scenario, which is based in a future in which Britain misses its net zero target and ignores the cost of climate damage, the total costs are about £350bn lower.

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The ongoing war in Sudan is the most neglected global crisis in 2025, a survey among 22 global aid organizations concluded this week. The war-torn country also ranked first in “The top 10 crises the world can’t ignore in 2026” by the International Rescue Committee.

Throughout 2025, the situation in the African country has continued to deteriorate since the war began in April 2023. At the time, the generals of the Sudanese Armed Forces, or SAF, and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, or RSF, fell out over the integration of the paramilitary forces into the national army. Since then, oil- and gold-rich Sudan, with its vast agricultural lands, has turned into what the UN and other aid organizations call the world’s largest humanitarian and displacement crises.

According to the UN, some 14 million people remain displaced within Sudan and in neighboring countries.

The estimated death tally ranges between 40,000 and 250,000 people. More accurate or updated figures remain out of reach as fighting continues, satellite-based internet communication is curbed, and many aid organizations and observers have left the country.

“The Sudan crisis should be front page news every single day,” Save the Children humanitarian director Abdurahman Sharif said in a statement. 

The UN World Food Program (WFP) announced that they will cut support for civilians in Sudan to the bare minimum from January 2026 onwardsImage: Zohra Bensemra/REUTERS

New hotspot: Kordofan

Fighting between the RSF and SAF meanwhile is concentrated on the region of Kordofan, where the Sudanese army holds control of several cities that are surrounded by the paramilitary RSF.

Kordofan is also the last region that separates army-held territories in the north and the center, including Sudan’s capital Khartoum, and RSF-controlled areas in Sudan’s western Darfur region and parts of the south.

“Most recently, violence in Kordofan has escalated dramatically,” Jan Sebastian Friedrich-Rust, executive director of the German section of the NGO Action against Hunger, confirms.

“The siege of communities in Dilling and Kadugli [in South Kordofan] is blocking access to vital humanitarian aid,” he told DW, explaining that people have nothing left to eat and there is no access to medicine.

“Famine has been already declared in [Darfur’s] el-Fasher and Kadugli, and 20 other locations in Darfur and Kordofan are at acute risk of famine by January 2026,” he said.

The dire situation is also reflected in the latest Sudan update by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC). As of mid-December, the IPC estimated that 21.2 million people — nearly half of Sudan’s population — face acute food insecurity.

This number is likely to increase given that the United Nations World Food Program (WFP) announcedlast Friday that from January onwards, it needs to reduce rations in Sudan to “the absolute minimum for survival” due to a lack of funding.

“If the world does not urgently step up, diplomatically, financially, and morally, an already catastrophic situation will deteriorate further with millions of Sudanese and their neighbors paying the price,” Mamadou Dian Balde, the UN Refugee Agency’s Regional Director for Eastern and Southern Africa, warned in a statement this week.

Fighting in Kordofan has prompted several thousand people to flee while the remaining population is starvingImage: REUTERS

Civilians ‘at the heart of warfare’

Action Against Hunger’s Friedrich-Rust also worries that Kordofan is about to turn into a second el-Fasher, where the RSF committed mass atrocities during their takeover in November.

Meanwhile, Yale University’s Humanitarian Research Lab (HRL), which uses satellite imagery to monitor atrocities, warned in a new report that the RSF militia “destroyed and concealed evidence of its widespread mass killings.”

Of the 150 clusters of objects consistent with human remains the HRL had initially identified, nearly 60 are no longer visible. Instead, eight earth disturbances appeared near the sites of mass killing, the HRL said.

“The reality is that both parties to the conflict and their allies haven’t just failed to protect civilians, but the targeting of civilians is at the heart of their warfare,” Philippe Dam, Human Rights Watch’s EU Director for Advocacy, told DW.

“Although the majority of sexual violence, attacks on hospitals, aid workers, and the use of explosive weapons in densely populated areas pertain to the responsibility of the RSF, also the SAF commits massive violations against civilians,” he said.

For example, the SAF have stepped up mass detentions against those suspected of having collaborated or supported the RSF, Dam told DW on Thursday.

These detentions appear to be extremely arbitrary as those targeted also include humanitarian workers, he warned.

“We have also received reports of numerous deaths in SAF-run prisons and we see the re-emergence of death penalty sentences,” Dam said, raising alarm. 

In his view, it is high time for the EU to step up its actions, to take robust measures and address the crimes which are continuing to be committed by both sides.

“I find it shocking that the RSF leader General Mohammed Dagalo, popularly known as Hemedti, has not yet been sanctioned by the EU despite the clear links between his responsibility and the crimes committed that we and others could identify,” Dam said.

He also appealed on the EU to address the backers of the conflict. While the SAF is mainly backed by Egypt, the RSF is allegedly supported by the United Arab Emirates, even though Abu Dhabi denies any involvement.

EU help not enough

In December, the EU started airlifting 100 tons of humanitarian aid to the Sudanese region of Darfur. The air bridge will end in January 2026 and costs €3.5 million ($4.1 million), which is funded by the EU’s humanitarian budget, the commission said.

Action Against Hunger’s Jan Sebastian Friedrich-Rust welcomes the initiative, but warned that this was no more than a drop in the ocean.

He said that the end of USAID, and cuts in foreign aid by European countries, including Germany, have forced life-saving programs, like local soup kitchens, to close.

“The need for aid is enormous, but so far only 35% of the financial resources required for humanitarian aid have been made available,” he told DW.

Analyst: Ethnic cleansing imminent in Sudan’s el-Fasher

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Edited by Ben Knight

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NEED TO KNOW

• A 33-year-old mom of three from Australia is currently dealing with life-threatening complications after undergoing plastic surgery in Da Nang, Vietnam
• Chloe Mowday scheduled a nose job and blepharoplasty overseas while vacationing with her husband and 5-year-old son, with plans to also travel to Disneyland in Hong Kong and Universal Studios in Singapore while abroad
• Her brother, Rod, tells PEOPLE that Chloe is currently on life support while the family try to use an air ambulance to bring her home

A woman who traveled abroad for plastic surgery is now dealing with life-threatening complications.

Chloe Mowday, a 33-year-old mom of three from Perth, Australia, got a rhinoplasty and a blepharoplasty, cosmetic surgeries for the nose and eyelids, respectively, in Da Nang, Vietnam, about a month ago. Following the surgeries, Chloe experienced severe complications that resulted in her going to an intensive care unit.

According to her brother Rod, Chloe — who was on vacation with her husband, Josh, and youngest son Elijah at the time of her surgeries — scheduled her “day” surgeries to include the rhinoplasty and blepharoplasty by a local plastic surgeon. She was kept temporarily for recovery but eventually sent back to her hotel.

Chloe Mowday in the hospital.

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“From then, she just went downhill and started to feel strange,” Rod tells PEOPLE of his sister’s condition starting shortly after she returned to her hotel. She was having trouble breathing at the time, and Rod says they were later told she was dealing with sepsis and toxic shock syndrome.

She was rushed to a hospital, where she “died” on the way, but Rod says medical professionals were able to resuscitate her.

Chloe was put into an induced coma by doctors and given medication. Her blood pressure also dipped so low that her “hands and feet turned black,” Rod says, adding that she’s now dealing with a “flesh-eating bacteria” around the surgical site.

“She has some necrotic tissue around the surgical site now that blood couldn’t get to, so that’s part of the infection,” he further explains. Chloe remains in the ICU on life support in Vietnam, however, she is now awake and aware of her surroundings.

“She can’t talk still. She can’t move her legs,” Rod explains. “We had a game of charades because she can move her eyes. So that’s how I was getting some kind of answers from her.”

Since Chloe landed in the hospital, Rod and the family have been asking for donations on GoFundMe to cover an air ambulance to bring her back to Australia and the medical bills that are piling up. Rod tells PEOPLE he’s already sourced a hospital ICU back in Perth for her to be taken to upon her return.

The family is also working with the local Vietnam police on an investigation into the plastic surgeon who performed Chloe’s procedures. Rod says Josh has spent “hours” meeting with investigators already, and the family is hopeful that they can find justice for what happened. At this time, they are unable to speak on the investigation and the doctor in question.

Josh and Elijah remain in Vietnam with Chloe, because, as Rod says, they went to Vietnam as a family and will “come home as a family.” Rod has been back and forth to visit several times and is now awaiting word that Chloe can come back to Australia. The eight-hour direct flight will be “risky” in her current state, but the family just wants her to be able to come home and get treatment.

“She has a very long road, ahead” Rod says.

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The long-awaited Epstein files were released on Friday, shedding new light on the inner world of the convicted sexual predator.

The Department of Justice posted the documents on its website, organizing the material into four datasets.

The trove includes images from Epstein’s homes, including rooms adorned with nude photographs and distinctive bright blue carpeting. However, the DOJ did not provide any context for the images of people included in the files.

Other records detail Epstein’s associations with high-profile figures such as Michael Jackson, Sir Mick Jagger, Kevin Spacey and other famous individuals.

Former president Bill Clinton features prominently in the files, appearing in photographs smiling at parties and swimming with women. He has since issued a blistering response, denying having any knowledge of Epstein’s crimes.

More than 600,000 pages related to the pedophile have now been released this year, prompting the Trump administration to describe itself as the ‘most transparent in history’ following Friday’s disclosure.

An initial review indicates the documents released today originate from three separate investigations into Jeffrey Epstein’s crimes against young women.

Many of the files appear to stem from a 2005 police investigation in Palm Beach, Florida, followed by a federal probe that culminated in Epstein’s controversial 2008 plea deal.

Others relate to a later investigation launched by Manhattan prosecutors in 2019 – a case that was never finished after Epstein died in jail while awaiting trial.

Being named or pictured in the files is not necessarily an indication of wrongdoing in relation to Epstein. 

This is a developing story… More pictures will be added. 

Bill Clinton is seen with his arm around Michael Jackson. The pair pose with Diana ross and a redacted woman

The files include pictures of what appeared to be a male dancer taking off his clothes

Jeffrey Epstein posing alongside Michael Jackson in an undisclosed location

Sir Mick Jagger and the former US president have their picture taken with a woman

Billionaire Richard Branson is seen alongside Epstein, with two women pictured behind

Epstein pictured blowing out birthday candles with British politician Peter Mandelson

Epstein is seen at an undisclosed location, watching people meditate 

Clinton features prominently in the files, seen here relaxing in what appears to be a hot tub

Sarah Ferguson pictured sitting on a couch with a redacted woman

Epstein had erotic images all throughout his home, including the bathroom

Pictured is an erotic device found among Epstein’s belongings 

Multiple erotic toys were found among the late pedophile’s belongings including penis-shaped soap

A photograph of two woman without shirts features in the released files 

Two unidentified young women pose in bikinis, with one smoking a cigarette

Clinton, wearing a red hoodie, is pictured with an unknown woman

A hanging art installation is pictured in the release from Epstein’s estate

A dress-up nurse hat and stethoscope were among the items found in the predator’s home

Epstein had multiple costumes and wigs among his erotica

An erotic book on Epstein’s desk entitled ‘Erotica Universalis’

Clinton, Sir Mick and Epstein smiling at what appears to be a dinner party

Kevin Spacey (second from the right, next to Clinton) was also pictured in the files, seen here in the Churchill War Rooms in London. Ghislaine Maxwell is wearing a cream blouse

In one image shared Friday, Clinton was seen with his hands on the shoulders of Kevin Spacey

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor is seen lying across women at a black-tie event with Maxwell

Clinton and Epstein smile in a photo taken at an undisclosed location

Epstein is pictured with broadcast journalist Walter Cronkite

Magician David Copperfield posed in robes with Ghislaine Maxwell

Epstein bundled up and smiling next to what appears to be French model scout Jean-Luc Brunel

The files included framed pictured from Epstein’s estate, one of which appeared to be of Donald Trump and Melania

Clinton swims in a pool with Maxwell and an unidentified woman

Many of the images were of unidentified women, whose faces have been redacted

There were also shocking notes released in the files, details of which were also redacted

A man who appears to be actor Chris Tucker was also seen in the newly release documentsf

Former president Clinton poses with an unknown woman

Clinton, Spacey and others huddled around a desk at the War Rooms in central London

Pictured from the inside of Epstein’s home included an Israel Defense Forces shirt

Among his belongings was a battered instructional book Massage for Dummies

Epstein is seen on the phone in sweatpants and a sweatshirt with a suggestively shaped cake

A younger Epstein posed with a cigar and multiple women

Convicted sex trafficker Maxwell is seen outside Number 10 Downing Street

Pictures of Epstein’s home revealed what appeared to be a portrait of Clinton in a dress

Epstein in a framed photo posing with check signed by Trump

Epstein poses shirtless with what appears to be a child’s foot in frame

A massage table with lotion next to it and nude women on the walls are seen in Epstein’s home

Epstein is pictured in a robe and a birthday hat eating a salad

A framed caricature drawing in Epstein’s home of himself and friends boarding a plane

Pictured is an unidentified woman lounging on a pool float

A man who appeared to be comedian Chris Tucker poses at a table

A scrapbook included photos of multiple women and the words ‘Once upon a time… there was a clueless little girl’

Scrapbook images included pictures of Trump

The context in which the pictures were taken is unknown, as is the date of the photographs

Images taken from his estate included cameras, with one seen in the top right of a bedroom 

Pictures of nude women were featured in a scrapbook in Epstein’s home

The women appeared lounging on sun chairs and by the pool

Images framed in Epstein’s home included a photo of Pope John Paul II

 A list of names written on Epstein’s stationary

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There is one area of the UK which seems to have more ghostly sightings than any other – and one spirit in particular

Cannock Chase in Staffordshire isn’t new to ghostly sightings and paranormal reports, but one particular spirit has been known to operate in the area, scaring passersby and fascinating supernatural enthusiasts.

Since the 1980s, there have been reports of encounters with the soul of a young girl with entirely black eyes and a giggly, mischievous personality. For years, author and self-declared “seasoned paranormal investigator” Lee Brickley has compiled experiences, third-party testimonies, and released four books chronicling what he calls the “spooky goings-on” of Cannock Chase – including his own encounter with the girl. She appeared about a hundred metres in front of me. She stared right at me for about thirty seconds, then vanished without a trace”, he said.

Lee Brickley has dedicated years to paranormal research(Image: BirminghamLive)

During the pandemic, two teenagers – Kylie and Ben, both 17 – were camping in Birches Valley when, at around midnight, they heard movement outside their tent, followed by the sound of a child’s giggle. They left the tent and saw something in between the trees. Kylie recounted: “I knew instantly that we were dealing with the real thing because it moved in ways humans simply can’t move.”

Ben shone his torch at the figure and said the giggling grew louder, sounding as if it came from all directions. The child then reportedly crouched down, stood back up and ran into the woods. In the morning, the couple reported finding strange stick formations dangling from tree branches and neatly spaced piles of stones around the tent. Lastly, when walking back to their car, Kylie remembers seeing a black-eyed child looking at them from behind a tree.

The YouTube channel Furious Otter published a video of a drone shot over the forest, in which they claim to have caught the black-eyes-girl on camera. What can be clearly seen is a figure appearing to wear loose white fabric, moving in the woods. More recently, Birmingham Live reports a dog walker contacted Lee after an intense experience with the same entity.

Near Castle Ring, he was walking his dog when he started feeling an overwhelming “sense of impending doom””, as his dog became frantic. He felt something tugging his coat and looked back to be faced with a pale little girl with “completely black eyes” wearing rags.

“The thing is, she had completely black eyes, and something about her just didn’t seem right. Like she wasn’t human, her clothes were in rags. She giggled in a way that hurt my ears and sent chills down my spine, and then she skipped off into the trees. I was terrified, and so was the dog. We left straight away””, he described.

According to Lee, this encounter is particularly notable for involving physical contact, which is, according to him, extremely rare and “raises numerous questions about the nature of these sightings and the possible dangers they pose.” He also highlights other entities that are tied to the place. In the past, he had seen what appeared to be a man in an old soldier’s uniform walking into the German War Cemetery and disappearing seconds later.

The Paranormal Database has also listed multiple accounts of phenomena that occurred in Cannock Chase, including shambling dark figures crossing the mound at Castle Ring, reports of a tall, dark creature with red eyes in the park, and demonic legends of Gabriel Hounds that seem to glide over the moorlands on stormy nights.

“I tend to believe that Cannock Chase is somewhat of a paranormal portal area where beings and entities from the next world can migrate into our own,” explained Lee. “I believe the woods are haunted with many spirits of the dead, but there are also lots of monster sightings that happen here, and I think those creatures come from another, much darker place.”

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Bangladesh is observing a national day of mourning ahead of the funeral of Sharif Osman Hadi, a prominent leader of its 2024 student-led uprising, after his death triggered two days of protests across the country.

Police wearing body cameras were deployed across the capital city, Dhaka, on Saturday as Hadi’s funeral was scheduled to begin at 2pm (08:00 GMT) at the South Plaza of Bangladesh’s parliament house, known locally as Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban.

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The Bangladeshi flag was flown at half-mast at all public and private buildings to mark the day of mourning.

Although protests had largely cooled off by Saturday, media continued to report previously unknown incidents of violence as cultural institutions, newspapers and political buildings reeled from arson attacks and mob rushes earlier in the week in the latest turbulent chapter in the nation’s recent history.

Daily newspaper Prothom Alo reported that the home of Anisul Islam Mahmud, president of the National Democratic Front party and chairman of a faction of the Jatiya Party, was vandalised and set on fire at about midnight Friday in Chattogram, Bangladesh’s second-largest city.

Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, the country’s main state-sponsored cultural centre, announced it would suspend all programming and exhibitions, newspaper The Daily Star said. The group cited security risks following arson attacks on Thursday on two of its organisations’ buildings.

Both Prothom Alo and The Daily Star were also targets of ambushes that trapped dozens of employees inside and forced them onto the roof as flames engulfed the building of the latter. The publications pledged to keep publishing online, however.

Hadi, the 32-year-old spokesperson for Inquilab Moncho, or Platform for Revolution, died in hospital in Singapore on Thursday after being shot in the head more than a week ago by masked attackers.

Inqilab Moncho urged people on Facebook to participate in the leader’s funeral on Saturday after earlier calling on its followers to refrain from carrying out acts of violence.

Aside from being Inqilab Moncho’s spokesperson, Hadi was planning to stand as a member of parliament for the Dhaka-8 constituency in the Bijoynagar area of the city in the upcoming elections, slated for February 2026.

But on December 12, he was shot in the head by two assailants on a motorcycle that drew up alongside the battery-powered auto-rickshaw he was travelling in.

After three days of treatment at Dhaka Medical College Hospital, Hadi was transferred to Singapore General Hospital for treatment of brain stem damage. He died on Thursday evening, kicking off Bangladesh’s latest round of mass protests.

Although several arrests were made in connection with his death, “the killer may have – at least, from speculations made by police and others – escaped to India through the border”, Al Jazeera’s Tanvir Chowdhury reported from Dhaka. Hadi and Inqilab Moncho were outspoken critics of India.

The prospect of the killer’s flight – along with frustrations over the harbouring of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina by India – created “a strong anti-India sentiment” in the crowds that began pouring into the streets in the cities of Dhaka, Rajshahi, Chittagong and Gazipur on Thursday evening.

Demonstrators torched the home of Hasina’s assassinated father Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, bulldozed the office of her party, the Awami League and blocked various highways. Groups also attacked the Indian Assistant High Commission in Chittagong, while the Prothom Alo and Daily Star newspapers were reportedly attacked for pro-India sympathies.

Bangladesh’s interim government, which has been led by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus since Hasina’s ousting in August 2024, “strongly and unequivocally” condemned the violence, including what it referred to as the “lynching of a Hindu man in Mymensingh”.

By Friday afternoon, as Hadi’s body was repatriated from Singapore, protesters poured into Dhaka’s Shahbag Square and called for the extradition of all those linked to Hadi’s death, and Hasina.

They said protests would continue until “Sheikh Hasina and all those responsible for killings are returned”, one activist told Al Jazeera.

In November, Hasina was sentenced to death by hanging after she was found guilty of crimes against humanity for ordering a deadly crackdown against the student-led uprising that ousted her. The United Nations says that 1,400 protesters were killed and thousands were injured in the weeks of violence, as her government desperately sought to cling to power.

Shaina Begum, the mother of 20-year-old student Sajjat Hosen Sojal, who was shot and whose body was burned by the police hours before the student-led uprising forced Hasina to resign and flee the country, told Al Jazeera after the verdict, “I cannot be calm until she [Hasina] is brought back and hanged in this country.”

Hundreds of families who lost loved ones in the protests wonder if the deposed prime minister will ever face justice.

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Shooting hares in England will be banned for most of the year as part of sweeping changes to animal welfare law.

At the moment, it is legal to shoot the animals during their breeding season, with pregnant hares left to bleed out, and leverets – their young – often orphaned as a result.

Ministers are also expected to announce the implementation of a ban on trail hunting, where hounds follow a scent rather than pursue a live animal. This was a manifesto commitment, and the new animal welfare strategy that will be announced on Monday is understood to outline a planned legislative pathway to the ban.

Campaigners have long said the rules need to be tightened because foxes are still often torn to shreds by dogs who are following an artificial fox scent and run into the path of a live animal.

The nature minister, Mary Creagh, said: “Brown hares are a cherished part of our countryside, an iconic British species, and it’s simply wrong that so many are shot during breeding season. I am determined to stop the decline of this wonderful animal.”

It is hoped that the animal welfare package, to be announced in full, will also raise the spirits of Labour MPs and voters after months of party infighting, continuing rises in the cost of living, and a prolonged slump in the polls.

Previous polling showed 79% of the public thought the law on foxhunting should be tightened to stop trail hunts from accidentally killing foxes. Labour sources said their polling showed 85% of the public believed there was a moral duty to protect animal welfare.

The new close season will ban hare hunting during the breeding months of February to October to protect mothers and the young. At present, hares are shot for their meat, for fun, and because some landowners in the countryside believe it is overpopulated with the animals.

However, the claim that the countryside is overpopulated with hares is dubious. Brown hare populations in England and Wales have declined by 80% over the past century.

George Eustice, the former Conservative environment secretary, tried while in post to implement a close season for hares but was blocked by No 10.

He told the Guardian: “The first principle of conservation is to protect species during their breeding season, so it is excellent news that the government will now create a modern close season on the shooting of hares. Every year, approximately 200,000 hares are killed in organised, commercial shoots during February and March and this has a devastating impact on the orphaned leverets, which are left to starve to death.

“Even the Victorians recognised the need for a close season but the 1892 act was based on a ban on sales, so no longer works. The current government deserves credit for finally getting this important change done.”

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The US Department of Justice has released thousands of files related to its investigations into the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

The partial release includes images of Epstein’s properties, photos of high-profile figures such as Bill Clinton and Michael Jackson, along with audio files and other documents.

The documents were made public under the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which requires the Department of Justice to release all of its files on the late sex offender.

The BBC’s Nada Tawfik breaks down what’s in the latest release.

Video by Blanca Estrada

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NEED TO KNOW

• Lola Young was seen spending time with Lily Allen and Olivia Rodrigo at Allen’s London holiday party on Friday, Dec. 19
• The appearance marked Young’s first public outing since she announced a career hiatus in September
• Young is taking a break from performing and touring after she collapsed onstage at the All Things Go festival in N.Y.C. on Sept. 27

Lola Young stepped out at Lily Allen’s Christmas party alongside Olivia Rodrigo, three months after she collapsed onstage and announced a hiatus from performing.

Young, 24, wore an all-leather black outfit to the party on Friday, Dec. 19, complete with a plunging neckline halter top, micro shorts and tall leather boots. She completed the look with chunky silver chain-link jewelry. The sighting is the British singer-songwriter’s first public appearance in months, following her collapse on stage while performing at the All Things Go music festival in New York City on Sept. 27.

Three days later, the Grammy-nominated singer told fans she was taking a break from performing.

“I’m going away for a while. It pains me to say I have to cancel everything for the foreseeable future,” Young wrote in a Sept. 30 Instagram post. “Thank you for all the love and support.”

Young canceled a full line-up of tour dates scheduled through June, including a U.K. tour that was set to begin on Oct. 6 for 10 dates across 13 days. She was then set to play more than 20 shows across North America through December.

Lily Allen, Lola Young and Olivia Rodrigo.

Dave Benett/Getty

Young wrote that she was so “so sorry to let anyone down” who had purchased a ticket to see her perform, and that “it hurts me more than you know.” She added that fans will “obviously” be entitled to a full refund.

“I really hope you’ll give me a second chance once I’ve had some time to work on myself and come back stronger,” she wrote. “Love you all, Lola x.”

Musical guest Lola Young performs on Wednesday, September 24, 2025.

Todd Owyoung/NBC via Getty 

The “Not Like That Anymore” singer was spotted alongside Rodrigo, 22, at the holiday party. The “vampire” singer wore a vintage inspired black lace mini dress over a cream-colored slip, completing the look with black Mary Janes.

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Meanwhile, the “West End Girl” musician, 40, donned a red-and-white Mrs. Claus-inspired lingerie look, paired with fuzzy white platform heels. Allen hosted the party at Stingfellow’s in London almost a week after she took the Saturday Night Live stage at Studio 8H in New York City on Saturday, Dec. 13, and performed her songs “Madeline” and “Sleepwalking” from her latest album, West End Girl. 

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