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The family of a 3-year-old American orphan who is expected to be among the 50 hostages released by Hamas after reaching a deal with Israel said they are hoping to see her safely home by her fourth birthday on Friday.

Abigail Mor Idan, 3, was snatched by the terrorist group after fleeing her south Israel home where her father Roy Edan, 43, a photojournalist, and mother, Smadar Edan, were murdered on Oct. 7.

The one thing that we all hold on to is that hope now that Abigail comes home, she comes home by Friday, the toddlers aunt Liz Hirsh Naftali told CNN Tuesday night. 

Friday is her 4th birthday. We need to see Abigail come out and then we will be able to believe it.

Naftali, who lives in Los Angeles, added that she and her family watched the news all day on Tuesday amid the hostage negotiations and we are still at this place where we havent seen, we dont know any details about any of the hostages.

And so I hope that starting tomorrow, we will start to learn more about the hostages, and we will start to see children, women be the first group that is released. 4 Abigail Mor Idan, 3, was snatched by the terrorist group after fleeing her south Israel home where her father Roy Edan, 43, a photojournalist, and mother, Smadar Edan, were murdered on Oct. 7.Courtesy of family

The toddler was reportedly in her fathers arms when he and her mother were shot and killed by Hamas.

She crawled out from under her fathers body full of his blood and fled to a neighbors home, where she was later kidnapped by Hamas, Hirsh Naftali told NBC News last week.

Her siblings, ages 6 and 10, who witnessed their parents murder, escaped unharmed by hiding in a closet for 14 hours, she said.

For our family, we have spent the last seven weeks worrying, wondering, praying, hoping, Abigails aunt told CNN Tuesday. 4 Israel and Hamas have negotiated a deal to release hostages held by the terrorist organization in exchange for an unspecified number of Palestinian prisoners.ABIR SULTAN/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock 4 Abigail is among the three American hostages who are expected to be released under the deal brokered on Tuesday, along with two women.ABIR SULTAN/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

She said she hopes the young girl is with the mother that was taking care of her at the time with her own three kids.”

And I hope that Abigail is being taken care of and left [alone] and that the deal will follow through and these hostages will be back home with their families in the next couple of days.”

Abigail is among the three American hostages who are expected to be released under the deal brokered on Tuesday, along with two women.

Todays deal should bring home additional American hostages, and I will not stop until they are all released, President Biden said in a statement.

A senior administration official also told CNN, We are determined to get everybody home, noting, The way the deal is structured, it very much incentivizes the release of everybody. 4 The temporary cease-fire would be most beneficial to Gaza, where Israels relentless airstrikes have reportedly killed more than 11,000 people and made it difficult to get aid in the territory.IDF

Under the terms of the deal, Hamas agreed to release 50 women and children in exchange for a temporary cease-fire in Gaza and Israels release of an unspecified number of Palestinian prisoners, all of whom are also women and children.

Egypt’s state-run Qahera TV channel said the truce would take place at 10 a.m. local time Thursday.

The temporary cease-fire would be most beneficial to Gaza, where Israels relentless airstrikes have reportedly killed more than 11,000 people and made it difficult to get aid in the territory where many Palestinians have no access to clean food and water or electricity and medicine.

If Hamas agrees to release more of the 240 Israeli hostages then the cease-fire could be extended longer, the senior official told CNN.

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Entertainment

Sexual assault civil trials against Kevin Spacey set for next year

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Sexual assault civil trials against Kevin Spacey set for next year

Kevin Spacey is set to face civil trials at the High Court later next year, over separate lawsuits filed by three men who have accused him of sexual assault.

A man called Ruari Cannon, who has waived his right to anonymity, and two other claimants who have not, alleged they were abused by the Hollywood actor at times between 2000 and 2015.

They are taking legal action at the High Court against Spacey, while Mr Cannon is also bringing action against London’s Old Vic theatre. The actor was artistic director there between 2004 and 2015.

Spacey, 66, has denied allegations of wrongdoing. He has formally denied two of the claims and is yet to file a defence to the court in the third, which was submitted in September.

In 2023, Spacey was acquitted of nine sex offences relating to four men in a criminal trial.

At a preliminary hearing for the civil cases at the High Court on Wednesday, Mrs Justice Lambert set a provisional three-week window for all three to be heard there in October 2026.

She said it is still to be determined whether the claims are heard in a single trial, or in three consecutive trials.

Lawyers had made arguments for and against hearing the cases together.

Elizabeth-Anne Gumbel KC, representing Mr Cannon and the other two claimants, known as LNP and GHI, said in written submissions that hearing the cases together would prevent Spacey and witnesses from having to give evidence more than once.

William McCormick KC, representing Spacey, said the case brought by the man known as LNP should be heard in the county court, separate from that of Mr Cannon and the third man.

Kevin Spacey pictured in Venice in August 2025. Pic: Invision/AP
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Kevin Spacey pictured in Venice in August 2025. Pic: Invision/AP

In written submissions, he said: “On a rational analysis, the only common feature is Kevin Spacey.

“The fact that he met, or in the case of Cannon, is said to have met, each claimant in the context of his work at the Old Vic takes matters no further.

“The circumstances of the alleged assaults are markedly different and occur many years apart.”

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Business

Budget 2025: Are you a winner or loser?

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Budget 2025: Are you a winner or loser?

👉 Listen to Sky News Daily on your podcast app 👈

Will you be better or worse off than you were before Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced her tax and spending plans in her long-awaited budget?

From the minimum wage and scrapping of the two-child benefit cap to ISA caps and tax threshold freezes, Niall looks at how the budget will impact you with personal finance expert Iona Bain.

Producers: Tom Gillespie and Araminta Parker
Editor: Wendy Parker

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Politics

Budget 2025: What Rachel Reeves didn’t say

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Budget 2025: What Rachel Reeves didn't say

👉Listen to Politics at Sam and Anne’s on your podcast app👈

Has the chancellor done enough to save the government after weeks of official and unofficial briefings of the “most trailed budget in history”?

We knew Rachel Reeves was taking taxes to an all-time high before she was even on her feet in the Commons – thanks to the full budget being published by mistake on the Office for Budget Responsibility’s website – but what else was announced, and what didn’t she say?

Sam and Anne break down the budget and talk about:

• The smorgasbord of tax rises – taking it to an all-time high

• Britain’s economic outlook and downgrading of growth

• The opposition’s response to “the worst chancellor in history”

• A potential rebellion from her own MPs

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