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UN Welcomes Trump-Brokered DRC–Rwanda Deal, But Keeps Its Distance

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December 2, 2025 – The United Nations is cautiously welcoming a new peace agreement between the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Rwanda, signed in Washington today under the heavy branding of President Donald Trump – but it pointedly notes that the UN was not directly involved in the talks.

At the UN’s regular press briefing, the spokesperson was pressed on whether the White House had cut New York out of a process where the UN has had “a longstanding role on the ground.”

“This is not an agreement that we are directly involved in,” the spokesperson said, adding that UN colleagues in the region had been “in contact with the US,” and that the organisation welcomes “this positive development towards peace and stability in the Great Lakes.”

The UN went out of its way to stress complementarity, highlighting the African Union’s mediation role, the involvement of Togo’s President Faure Gnassingbé and Qatar, and the continuing work of UN peacekeepers and political missions in support of both the new Washington process and the earlier Doha track. What matters, the spokesperson said, is not “the configuration,” but whether there is “actually peace on the ground.”

In Washington, the optics told a different story: President Trump flanked by Rwanda’s Paul Kagame and the DRC’s Félix Tshisekedi at the newly rebranded Donald J. Trump Institute for Peace, celebrating the so-called Washington Accords for Peace and Prosperity as a “historic” breakthrough that ends decades of bloodshed in eastern Congo.

According to U.S. and international reporting, the accord commits Rwanda to withdraw its forces and halt support for the M23 rebel group, while Kinshasa pledges to neutralise the FDLR and other militias operating near the Rwandan border. The agreement also folds in earlier frameworks signed in June, and is paired with bilateral economic deals giving the United States preferred access to critical minerals – cobalt, tantalum, lithium and other resources that have long fuelled conflict in the region.

Trump and his allies are framing the deal as proof he can deliver in months what multilateral diplomacy has struggled with for decades. A recent White House article touting his Ukraine summit casts the DRC–Rwanda track as part of a broader record of “cleaning up” global wars and restoring “peace through strength.”

But even as the leaders signed in Washington, fighting between Congolese forces and M23 rebels continued around key eastern cities, and rights advocates warned that economic interests risk overshadowing justice and accountability for atrocities informed a report from Reuters and the Associated Press (AP).

That tension – between Trump’s highly personalised, bilateral style and the slower, rules-based multilateralism of the UN – was on display in the briefing room. Journalists pushed the UN to say whether it should have been more closely consulted. The spokesperson refused to bite, repeating that every peace effort has its own shape, and suggesting the UN will judge the Washington Accords not by the ceremony, but by whether guns go quiet in North Kivu and Ituri.

For now, the UN is standing slightly to the side of the cameras, signalling that it won’t compete with Washington’s moment – but it also won’t take ownership of a deal it didn’t design.

Angle by Deandrea Hamilton. Built with ChatGPT (AI). Magnetic Media — CAPTURING LIFE.

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Bahamas News

New GPS Evidence Prompts Fresh Search for Missing American Woman in Abaco

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ABACO, BAHAMAS — Nearly two months after American sailor Lynette Hooker vanished in waters off Abaco, investigators are preparing to conduct a new search based on GPS and navigation data that reportedly challenges the account originally provided by her husband.

The case, which first drew international attention in early April, began when Brian Hooker told authorities that his wife was swept away after falling from an inflatable dinghy during rough conditions in waters near Elbow Cay.

Initial search efforts involving Bahamian and U.S. authorities covered extensive areas of the Sea of Abaco but failed to locate the missing Michigan woman.

Now, according to multiple U.S. media reports, investigators have obtained electronic navigation and GPS data that appears to place the couple’s dinghy in a different location from where searchers initially concentrated their efforts.

The new information has prompted authorities to reopen search operations and seek permission for divers to examine a more targeted area of the Sea of Abaco.

Unlike the broad search that followed Hooker’s disappearance, the renewed effort is expected to focus on a relatively shallow section of water, reportedly about 25 feet deep. Investigators believe the location may offer a better opportunity to recover evidence and potentially answer lingering questions surrounding the disappearance.

The latest development marks a significant shift in the investigation.

What began as a maritime search-and-rescue operation has evolved into a complex multinational investigation involving Bahamian authorities, the United States Coast Guard and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Brian Hooker was detained and questioned by Bahamian authorities following his wife’s disappearance but was later released without charges. While investigators have never publicly accused him of a crime, reports indicate he remains a person of interest as authorities continue to examine the circumstances surrounding the case.

Hooker has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing and has maintained that his wife accidentally fell overboard.

The investigation has intensified in recent weeks. U.S. authorities have reportedly seized the couple’s sailboat, Soulmate, transporting the vessel to Florida for forensic examination. Investigators are said to be reviewing onboard electronics, digital records and other potential evidence as part of the ongoing inquiry.

The case has also attracted attention from Lynette Hooker’s family, who have continued to press for answers and support efforts to locate her.

The renewed search comes after Brian Hooker returned to the United States following the disappearance. Reports indicate he cited family reasons, including concerns about his mother’s health, for leaving The Bahamas.

For investigators, however, the focus now appears fixed on the newly identified search area and the electronic evidence that led them there.

Whether the latest operation produces answers remains to be seen. But nearly eight weeks after Lynette Hooker disappeared in the waters of Abaco, authorities believe new technology and new information may finally provide a clearer picture of what happened that night.

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US President Leads Rededication of United States; Theme is One Nation Under God 

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USA, May 22, 2026 – Thousands gathered on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. on Sunday for “Rededicate 250,” a large-scale prayer and patriotism event tied to America’s upcoming 250th anniversary celebrations in 2026.

The day-long gathering centered on faith, national unity and what organizers described as a call to “rededicate” the United States to God and country under the theme, “One Nation Under God.”

Hosted under the Freedom 250 banner, the event featured worship music, public prayers, patriotic tributes and speeches from high-profile political and religious figures. Organizers said the rally was designed to inspire Americans to reflect on the nation’s founding principles and spiritual heritage ahead of the semiquincentennial celebrations next year.

Multiple media outlets reported that thousands attended the event, though no official crowd estimate was immediately released. Giant screens, patriotic imagery and religious symbols lined the National Mall as participants waved American flags, sang hymns and joined in collective prayer.

A recorded message from former U.S. President Donald Trump was aired during the program, while several conservative leaders and evangelical figures also addressed the crowd. Scripture readings and references to America’s Christian roots featured heavily throughout the presentations.

One of the most talked-about moments came in a recorded message from former U.S. President Donald Trump, who appeared seated behind what appeared to be the historic Resolute Desk as he delivered a scripture reading and message to attendees. Trump read from 2 Chronicles 7:14, the often-quoted biblical passage which states: “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray… then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” The verse was used to reinforce the event’s central theme of national prayer, repentance and renewal.

The event also drew criticism from opponents who argued it blurred the line between religion and politics, with some activists raising concerns about Christian nationalism and the increasing role of faith-based references in public life.

Still, supporters defended the gathering as a peaceful and constitutionally protected expression of faith, patriotism and freedom of assembly.

Angle by Deandrea Hamilton. Built with ChatGPT (AI). Magnetic Media — CAPTURING LIFE.

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Former Cuban Leader Raul Castro Indicted in U.S. Over 1996 Shotdown  

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USA, May 22, 2026 – Nearly 30 years after one of the deadliest confrontations between Cuba and the United States, the U.S. government now wants former Cuban leader Raúl Castro brought to American soil to stand trial over the 1996 shootdown of two civilian aircraft.

To make that happen, U.S. prosecutors formally indicted the 94-year-old former president and longtime defense minister on May 20, accusing him of helping direct the military operation which killed four men connected to the Miami-based humanitarian group “Brothers to the Rescue.”

The indictment was announced by Acting U.S. Attorney Hayden O’Byrne in Miami and includes charges of:

  • conspiracy to commit murder,
  • destruction of aircraft,
  • murder of U.S. nationals,
  • and murder in international airspace.

Also named in the indictment are former Cuban Air Force chief Rubén Martínez Puente, pilots Lorenzo Alberto Pérez-Pérez and Francisco Pérez-Pérez, along with several senior Cuban military officers accused of participating in or authorizing the mission.

U.S. officials allege the Cuban fighter jets deliberately targeted the unarmed civilian planes while they were flying in international airspace on February 24, 1996. Cuba has long insisted the aircraft repeatedly violated Cuban airspace and posed a national security threat.

The attack killed Carlos Costa, Pablo Morales, Mario de la Peña and Armando Alejandre Jr., all linked to the anti-Castro exile group which conducted flights searching for Cuban migrants at sea.

While Castro is highly unlikely to ever appear in a U.S. courtroom, the indictment signals Washington’s renewed hardline posture toward Havana and reopens painful wounds from one of the Cold War era’s most controversial incidents in the Caribbean region.

Angle by Deandrea Hamilton. Built with ChatGPT (AI). Magnetic Media — CAPTURING LIFE.

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