Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro on Sunday attended a public demonstration in Sao Paulo to protest against his ongoing Supreme Court trial in the South American country.

A couple of thousand people gathered on Paulista Avenue, one of the city’s main locations, in a demonstration that Bolsonaro, before the event, called “an act for freedom, for justice.”

Bolsonaro and 33 allies are facing trial over an alleged plot to overturn the 2022 presidential election results and remain in power.

They were charged with five counts related to the plan.

The former president has denied the allegations and claims that he’s the target of political persecution.

He could face up to 12 years in prison if convicted.

“Bolsonaro, come back!” protesters chanted, but the former president is barred from running for office until 2030.

Brazil’s Superior Electoral Court ruled last year that he abused his political power and made baseless claims about the country’s electronic voting system.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said “many opportunities have opened up” following Israel’s military operations in Iran, including the possibility of bringing home the remaining hostages held in Gaza.

Speaking at a Shin Bet security agency facility in southern Israel on Sunday, Netanyahu said, “As you probably know, many opportunities have opened up now following this victory. Firstly, to rescue the hostages. Of course, we will also need to solve the Gaza issue, defeat Hamas, but I believe we will accomplish both missions.”

Netanyahu’s comments mark one of the first times he has clearly prioritized the return of the hostages over the defeat of Hamas.

For months, Netanyahu has prioritized the defeat of Hamas in Gaza and talked about a “total victory.” At the beginning of May, he called defeating Hamas the “supreme objective,” not freeing the hostages.

His comments Sunday mark a potentially significant change in how he has talked about Israel’s goals in the war. He has repeatedly faced criticism from the families of hostages, opposition politicians and large segments of the Israeli public for not clearly placing the return of the hostages as Israel’s primary goal.

Reacting to his comments Sunday, the Hostages Families Forum Headquarters called for a single comprehensive deal to bring back all 50 hostages and end the fighting in Gaza.

“What is needed is release, not rescue. This difference of one word could mean the difference between salvation and loss for the hostages,” the forum said in a statement.

Elsewhere in his speech, Netanyahu also said “wider regional opportunities are opening up,” an apparent reference to efforts to expand the Abraham Accords that saw Israel normalize relations with several Gulf states.

Pressure builds for ceasefire

The comments by Netanyahu come amid increasing pressure on Israel from US President Donald Trump to make a ceasefire deal. Since the end of the conflict with Iran, negotiators have been pushing to restart stalled negotiations with Hamas in Gaza.

Netanyahu held a high-level meeting on Gaza Sunday evening, according to two Israeli sources, meeting with some of his closest advisers, including Minister for Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer, Defense Minister Israel Katz and others, to discuss the latest on Israel’s military operation in the Palestinian enclave.

Dermer is scheduled to hold meetings with the Trump administration in Washington, DC, on Monday.

Trump has made clear his desire to secure a ceasefire deal to end the war in Gaza and bring home the 50 hostages held by Hamas, at least 20 of whom are still alive.

In a post on social media early Sunday morning, Trump pushed Israel to “MAKE THE DEAL IN GAZA. GET THE HOSTAGES BACK!!!”

Trump had earlier thrown his support behind Netanyahu, calling his ongoing trial on corruption charges a “POLITICAL WITCH HUNT” – the second time the president had called for an end to the prosecution of the long-time Israeli leader.

With the conclusion of the operation in Iran – and Trump’s sudden foray into Israel’s legal system – Netanyahu has requested to postpone his upcoming trial sessions this week.

After twice rejecting the requests, the court granted the delay following a confidential session in which the judge said there had been a change to the “evidentiary structure” compared to the previous requests.

A proposal for peace, but killings continue

The latest proposal from US envoy Steve Witkoff calls for a 60-day ceasefire and the release of 10 living hostages and 18 deceased hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.

During this period, the two sides would enter negotiations for a comprehensive ceasefire agreement that would end the war, which is a key demand from Hamas as part of any deal.

Hamas has sought stronger guarantees around a permanent ceasefire. Until now, Israel had refused to agree to a permanent end to the conflict as it pursued its war goals of destroying Hamas’ ability to govern and the disarmament of Gaza. But Israel’s success in its military operations against Iran have potentially created a new window to pursue negotiations, an opportunity on which negotiators are trying to capitalize.

More than 56,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli strikes and military operations since the beginning of the war, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, which does not differentiate between militants and civilians. That number includes more than 17,000 children, the ministry said.

On Sunday, Israeli strikes on Jabalya al-Balad and Jabalya Al-Nazaleh killed at least 15 people, according to emergency workers in Gaza.

One of the houses that was hit was “full of displaced Palestinians, the majority of which were children,” Afana said.

Hong Kong pro-democracy political party League of Social Democrats announced on Sunday it had disbanded due to immense political pressure, the latest casualty in a years-long crackdown that has already quieted much of the city’s once-vocal opposition.

Following massive anti-government protests in 2019, many leading activists were prosecuted or jailed under a 2020 national security law imposed by Beijing. Dozens of civil society groups dissolved. Media outlets critical of the government shuttered.

The League of Social Democrats was the only pro-democracy party that still staged small street protests from time to time and held street booth activities to carry on its advocacy despite the risks.

Its chairperson, Chan Po-ying, said the disbandment decision was made after careful deliberation, especially taking into account the consequences to its members and comrades. Chan refused to elaborate on the pressure but said she was proud to say that the party had still contributed to the city’s pro-democracy movement in these few years.

“We have stayed true to our original aspirations and haven’t let down to the trust placed in us by those who went to prison,” she said. “While we are now forced to disband and feel an ache in our conscience, we have no other choice,” she said.

Protests became rare under Beijing’s grip

Hong Kong, a former British colony, will mark the 28th anniversary of returning to Chinese rule on July 1. The city used to hold annual pro-democracy protests that day and other various demonstrations demanding better policies.

But those were ceased after most organizing groups were disbanded and the leading activists were jailed. Critics say the drastic political changes under the security law reflect that the freedoms Beijing promised to keep intact in 1997 are shrinking.

The Beijing and Hong Kong governments insist the law is necessary for the city’s stability. A Chinese official overseeing Hong Kong affairs in 2023 said protests are not the only way for people to express their views, signaling Beijing’s stance toward demonstrations in the city.

In April, Hong Kong’s biggest pro-democracy party, the Democratic Party, also voted to give its leadership the mandate to move toward a potential disbandment. Party veterans told The Associated Press that some members were warned of consequences if the party didn’t shut down. A final vote is expected at a later date.

Chan said she believed the “one country, two systems” principle, which Beijing uses to govern Hong Kong, has already ended, pointing to the Chinese government’s imposition of the security law and introducing the idea of “soft resistance,” a term officials use to refer to underlying security risks.

“One country, two systems has already (become) one country, one system,” she said.

A party known for confrontational tactics

Founded in 2006, the League of Social Democrats was a left-wing political party that opposed what it called collusion between government and business, upheld the principle that people have a say and was firmly committed to the interests of underprivileged residents.

It was widely known for its more aggressive tactics when fighting for change. Its members have thrown bananas, eggs and luncheon meat at officials or pro-Beijing lawmakers as a protest gesture. Its party platform said the group advocated non-violent resistance but would not avoid physical confrontations – a stance that set it apart from older, traditional pro-democracy groups.

It once had three lawmakers in office. Its longest-serving lawmaker, Leung Kwok-hung – Chan’s husband – was disqualified from the legislature due to his manner of taking his oath in office in 2017.

Members arrested and jailed over activism

On the streets, the group’s activism led to the arrests and jailing of its members from time to time.

Last year, Leung and prominent LGBTQ+ activist Jimmy Sham, a former party leader, were sentenced to nearly seven years and more than four years over their roles in an unofficial primary election under the sweeping security law. Sham was freed from prison last month.

In recent years, the party has had limited political influence, no longer holding any seats in the legislature or local district councils. Even a bank ceased to provide bank account services to the group.

But it continued to stage small protests from time to time, despite sometimes those activities leading to arrests. On June 12, Chan and other members were fined after being found guilty over their street booth activities.

Undeterred by their convictions, they kept pressing on and protested against the ruling outside the court.

Chan wiped away tears during Sunday’s press conference and chanted slogans with other members at the end.

She said she doesn’t believe that democracy will come in the near future.

“Moving forward is not at all easy,” she said. “I hope everyone can become like an ember, a flying spark – still carrying light, keeping that light alive, no matter how small it may be.”