While You Were Sleeping: 5 stories you might have missed, Nov 26
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox
A Red Cross vehicle believed to be carrying hostages abducted by Hamas militants arrives at the Rafah border.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Hamas lets go 13 Israeli, seven foreign hostages
Hamas said on Nov 25 that it had released 13 Israeli and seven foreign civilians it had been holding hostage in the Gaza Strip, as part of a second swop in exchange for Palestinian prisoners that came after an hours-long unexpected delay.
Hamas’ armed wing said it had handed over the hostages to the Red Cross.
The handover came hours later than expected after the militant group accused Israel of violating the exchange agreement, claims denied by Israeli officials.
The unexpected delay on Nov 25 evening had caused heartache for relatives as Qatari and Egyptian mediators scrambled to address the Islamist group’s concerns that Israel was interfering in the selection of prisoners for release and was not allowing aid to reach civilians in northern Gaza during the four-day truce.
Dutch far-right politician Wilders vows: ‘I will be PM’
REUTERS
Veteran Dutch anti-Islam politician Geert Wilders on Nov 25 vowed to be prime minister of the Netherlands eventually, following an election in which his party won the most seats.
In a long post on X, formerly Twitter, that expressed frustration at other parties for their apparent unwillingness to cooperate with his Freedom Party (PVV), Mr Wilders said he would “continue to moderate” his positions if necessary to gain power.
“Today, tomorrow, or the day after, the PVV will be part of government and I will be prime minister of this beautiful country,” Mr Wilders wrote.
Brazilian who intervened in Dublin attack says he’s no hero
AFP
A Brazilian delivery driver branded a hero for helping subdue a knife-wielding assailant suspected of attacking children outside an Irish school told AFP on Nov 25 that he acted “like every parent would”.
A five-year-old girl sustained serious injuries and remains in hospital following the stabbing attack, which then sparked the worst night of rioting in Ireland’s capital Dublin for nearly two decades.
Authorities say that unconfirmed reports circulating on social media that the stabbings were carried out by an “illegal immigrant” ultimately sparked the disorder, which saw vehicles burned and stores looted.
Ukraine unveils monument to soldier gunned down
REUTERS
A Ukrainian soldier who was posthumously awarded a medal after a widely shared video showed him declaring “Glory to Ukraine” before apparently being shot dead, was commemorated with a statue in his northern hometown on Nov 25.
The video shared in March showed a man the military later named as Oleksandr Matsievskiy, a sniper with a unit from the region of Chernihiv, saying “Slava Ukraini,” a phrase more than a century old that has become a popular expression of resistance to Russia’s February 2022 invasion.
Standing smoking a cigarette in a wooded area, carrying no visible weaponry, Matsievskiy is then seen slumping to the ground, apparently struck repeatedly by unseen shooters. Kyiv blamed “brutal and brazen” Russians for his death, as did his mother Paraska Demchuk, 68.
Liverpool hold Manchester City, as Arsenal go top
REUTERS
Trent Alexander-Arnold’s late equaliser rescued Liverpool in their 1-1 draw at title rivals Manchester City, as Arsenal snatched top spot in the Premier League with a dramatic 1-0 win at Brentford on Nov 25.
Alexander-Arnold struck 10 minutes from the end of a tense summit meeting at the Etihad Stadium after Haaland’s landmark strike looked like extending City’s record home winning run.
City had won their previous 23 games on home turf in all competitions, but Liverpool’s escape act gave Arsenal the chance to leapfrog both of them into pole position.
