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Son of former Libyan dictator Muammar al-Qaddafi killed by masked men, reps say
Seif al-Islam al-Qaddafi, the son of the late Libyan dictator Muammar al-Qaddafi, was reportedly killed by "four masked men," according to his team.
The 53-year-old was killed in the town of Zintan, which is located southwest of the country's capital, Tripoli, according to The Associated Press, which cited Libya’s chief prosecutor’s office. The office said he was shot to death, but did not provide other details, according to the AP. Additionally, the outlet said that Khaled al-Zaidi, a lawyer for Seif al-Islam, confirmed his death on Facebook.
The "masked men" allegedly stormed Seif al-Islam's home and killed him in a "cowardly and treacherous assassination," the AP reported, citing Seif al-Islam's team. The team also claimed in its statement that the assailants closed the CCTV cameras at the house "in a desperate attempt to conceal traces of their heinous crimes," according to the AP.
JET CRASH CARRYING LIBYA’S TOP GENERAL TRIGGERS AIRSPACE SHUTDOWN OVER NATO CAPITAL
Born in 1972, Seif al-Islam was the second-born son of longtime dictator al-Qaddafi. He was educated at the London School of Economics, where he studied for a Ph.D.
Seif al-Islam, who was seen by many as Libya's face to the West, has been described as the most influential man in the country, despite the fact that he did not hold an official position. He led the talks on Libya abandoning weapons of mass destruction and negotiated compensation for the loved ones of those killed in the 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103, Reuters reported.
Muammar al-Qaddafi, who ruled Libya since 1969, was toppled and killed in a NATO-backed popular uprising in 2011. The uprising led to a civil war, and the country has since become divided between rival armed groups and militias, the AP noted. In late 2011, Seif al-Islam was captured by fighters while trying to flee to Niger and was later released in June 2017 when one of Libya's rival governments granted him amnesty, according to the AP.
In November 2021, Seif al-Islam announced his candidacy in the country's presidential election, but was eventually disqualified by Libya's High National Elections Committee, the AP reported.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Iranian media claims drone shot down by US was conducting surveillance in a 'routine and lawful mission'
The Iranian drone shot down by the U.S. military over the Arabian Sea was conducting surveillance as part of a "routine and lawful mission over international waters," Iranian media is claiming.
The Tasnim News Agency, which is affiliated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), cited a source Wednesday as saying that the drone operated by the IRGC successfully transmitted reconnaissance photos to its command center before suffering a loss of communication.
The source added that the drone was carrying out a "routine and lawful mission over international waters," engaging in surveillance and imaging duties.
The U.S. military had shot down the unmanned Iranian drone Tuesday after it "aggressively approached a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier with unclear intent," a U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) spokesman previously told Fox News.
"USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) was transiting the Arabian Sea approximately 500 miles from Iran’s southern coast when an Iranian Shahed-139 drone unnecessarily maneuvered toward the ship," Capt. Tim Hawkins added.
"The Iranian drone continued to fly toward the ship despite de-escalatory measures taken by U.S. forces operating in international waters," CENTCOM also said. "An F-35C fighter jet from Abraham Lincoln shot down the Iranian drone in self-defense and to protect the aircraft carrier and personnel on board."
IRANIAN GUNBOATS UNSUCCESSFULLY ATTEMPT TO BOARD OIL TANKER AS TRUMP BUILDS MILITARY PRESENCE
Hawkins said no U.S. service members were injured and no U.S. equipment was damaged during the incident.
USS Abraham Lincoln is in the Middle East after President Donald Trump said last week that, "A massive Armada is heading to Iran."
Hawkins also told Fox News on Tuesday that, "During a separate incident hours later in the Strait of Hormuz, IRGC forces harassed a U.S.-flagged, U.S.-crewed merchant vessel lawfully transiting the international sea passage."
Hamas terrorists use ambulances, schools, hospitals in violation of US-brokered ceasefire, IDF official says
FIRST ON FOX: Amid the recent start of phase two of the U.S.-brokered ceasefire between Hamas and the Jewish state, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) claim that Hamas has violated the deal through its misuse of ambulances, hospitals and schools to regain control of the northern Gaza Strip.
The IDF provided Fox News Digital with exclusive video footage of what it alleges is Hamas operatives using an ambulance to transport terrorists and weapons from the "inner yard of the Yemen Al-Saeed Hospital" to various checkpoints in northern Gaza.
"You see an armed suspect going into the ambulance with a Kalashnikov. The ambulance is connecting the dots for us. We passed the information to the American headquarters of the footage of the militants," an IDF official said of the video shared with Fox News Digital.
GAZA’S RAFAH BORDER CROSSING PARTIALLY REOPENS UNDER CEASEFIRE DEAL
The first phase of the agreement required that Hamas return all hostages held in Gaza. The second core part involves the disarming of Hamas, the U.S. and EU-designated terrorist movement.
An IDF spokesperson told Fox News Digital, "There are disturbing developments over the last few weeks. We see the return of Hamas to the front line, to the yellow line."
The yellow line separates IDF-controlled territory in Gaza, which is estimated to be 53%, from the enclave area not under Israeli control.
"Hamas has returned to schools, hospitals and kindergartens and is turning them into military bases. A Hamas commander is in charge of each school in Jabalia in northern Gaza," the IDF official claimed.
They continued, "We have seen Hamas with Kalashnikovs and, over the past few weeks, Hamas has been using ambulances. We have tracked over several weeks that Hamas uses ambulances to do checks in Jabalia. It is a big change. We see the confidence of Hamas using ambulances. It is a symbol for Hamas that it is gaining confidence and rebuilding itself, a sign of a potential raid on our bases in the future."
The city of Jabalia was the scene of intense combat for the IDF during the over two-year war with Hamas. In May 2024, Fox News Digital reported the IDF secured the bodies of seven hostages from Jabalia. Hamas turned the "civilian area into a fortified combat compound," the IDF said at the time about Jabalia.
When asked about the number of Hamas fighters in Jabalia in January 2026, the IDF official told Fox News Digital, "There are 3,000 Hamas operatives in Jabalia. 75,000 citizens have returned to Jabalia."
HAMAS CONFIRMS FIVE LEADERS KILLED INCLUDING 'MASKED SPOKESPERSON' IN MAJOR BLOW TO TERROR GROUP
The official said, "In the Jabalia refugee camp there are still functioning tunnels. We are working on destroying tunnels inside of the yellow line and are at an advanced stage of clearing tunnels."
Fox News Digital has reported extensively during the war on Hamas’ use of hospitals as military centers. The IDF operation against Kamal Adwan Hospital in Gaza resulted in the capture of roughly 100 suspected Hamas terrorists.
Shortly before the ceasefire came into effect in Oct. 2025, the IDF showed international reporters a Hamas terrorist tunnel adjacent to the Jordanian Field Hospital in Gaza City. The IDF said that Hamas terrorists were in the hospital and Jordanian medical personnel cooperated with Hamas. The state of Jordan denied the links to Hamas at its field hospital.
The IDF official said, "At the Yemen Al-Saeed Hospital, a Hamas commander with the rank of lieutenant colonel controls the hospital. We have notified the Americans. The freedom of action of IDF is limited. Hamas is violating the ceasefire. We have footage of Yemen Al-Saeed Hospital that we used to see before Oct. 7. Hamas places citizens in the hospital. The ambulance with Hamas goes through major crossroads."
Hamas invaded parts of southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, and murdered over 1,200 people and kidnapped more than 250 individuals.
The IDF official, along with many U.S. and Israeli counter-terrorism officials, have placed large question marks over the possibility of disarming one of the world’s worst and most ideologically committed Islamist terrorist movements.
Hamas officials have stressed over the last week and since the ceasefire started that it will not disarm. The senior Hamas official, Moussa Abu Marzouk, told the Qatari government-controlled outlet Al-Jazeera last week that the Hamas agreement to abandon its weapons "never happened, not for a single moment did we talk about the surrender of weapons, or any formula about destroying, surrendering, or disarmament."
The IDF official said, "There is a lot of belief in phase two and it will include disarming Hamas. I am very pessimistic in this matter. Hamas will not give away its weapons, and it will put on a show. Hamas might have civilians give away weapons. The game will be how good the show is." The official added, "We have indications from the ground level that there is no process of full disarmament by Hamas. We have intelligence that Hamas operatives know that no full disarmament is planned."
When asked about disarming Hamas, Brig. Gen. Yossi Kuperwasser (res.), a former head of research in the IDF's Military Intelligence Directorate, told Fox News Digital, "Hamas is not willing to disarm but may be ready to give up some heavy weapons."
Fox News Digital efforts to reach the Hamas spokesman were not successful.
Iran bleeds $1.56M every hour from internet blackout restrictions amid economic crisis: analyst
Iran is losing an estimated $1.56 million every hour because of its state-imposed internet blackout, draining its struggling economy and disrupting life for more than 90 million people, according to an internet privacy analyst.
The prolonged disruptions originated amid spiraling protests through January with losses he claimed were continuing even after partial connectivity was restored.
"The current blackout is costing Iran an estimated $37.4 million per day, or $1.56 million every hour," Simon Migliano, head of research at PrivacyCo, told Fox News Digital. "The full internet blackout itself cost Iran more than $780 million, and the subsequent strict filtering continues to have a significant additional economic impact."
"Iran has already drained $215 million from its economy in 2025 by disrupting internet access," the internet privacy and security analyst added.
IRAN WILL RETALIATE 'WITH EVERYTHING WE HAVE' IF US ATTACKS, SENIOR DIPLOMAT WARNS
Migliano said his estimates were calculated using the NetBlocks COST tool, an economic model that measures the immediate impact on a nation’s gross domestic product when its digital economy is forced offline.
The model assesses direct losses to productivity, online transactions and remote work, drawing on data from the World Bank, the International Telecommunication Union, Eurostat and the U.S. Census Bureau.
Iranian authorities abruptly cut off communications on the night of Jan. 8 amid widespread protests against the clerical regime.
While officials later restored much of the country’s domestic bandwidth, as well as local and international phone calls and SMS messaging, the population is largely unable to freely access the internet because of heavy state filtering.
"The recent 579% surge in VPN demand reflects a scramble for digital survival," Migliano said before describing how even when access is briefly restored, the internet remains "heavily censored and effectively unusable without circumvention tools such as VPNs."
"We can see spikes showing that as soon as connectivity returned, users immediately sought VPNs to reach sites and services outside the state-controlled network, including global platforms such as WhatsApp and Telegram that remain otherwise inaccessible," he added.
IRAN REGIME OPENED FIRE WITH LIVE AMMUNITION ON PROTESTERS, DOCTOR SAYS: ‘SHOOT-TO-KILL’
"Sustained demand — averaging 427% above normal levels — indicates Iranians are stockpiling circumvention tools in anticipation of further blackouts," Migliano said.
"The usual strategy is to download as many free tools as possible and cycle between them. It becomes a cat-and-mouse game, as the government blocks individual VPN servers and providers rotate IP addresses to stay ahead of the censors," he added.
Iran’s minister of information and communications technology, Sattar Hashemi, acknowledged the economic toll caused by the blackout tactics.
He said recent outages were inflicting roughly "5,000 billion rials" a day in losses to the digital economy and nearly 50 trillion rials on the wider economy, according to Iran International.
"Iran’s three-week internet blackout may have been lifted, but connectivity remains severely disrupted still," Migliano claimed.
"Access is still heavily filtered. It is restricted to a government-approved ‘whitelist’ of sites and apps and the connection itself remains highly unstable throughout the day," he added.
Musk calls Spanish PM a ‘tyrant’ after Spain announces sweeping social media crackdown
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced sweeping plans at the World Government Summit in Dubai to hold social media executives criminally liable and curb platform algorithms, prompting a sharp and profane response from X owner Elon Musk.
Sánchez laid out five measures in a speech, with implementation set to begin next week.
"Dirty Sánchez is a tyrant and traitor to the people of Spain," Musk wrote on X, using an explicit insult and a poop emoji.
Sánchez framed the proposals by describing social media as a lawless digital ecosystem, arguing that platforms have become a "failed state" where disinformation, hate speech and criminal activity flourish without accountability.
BIG TECH'S TOBACCO MOMENT IS HERE — AND THE TRUTH ABOUT HARMING KIDS IS OUT
Sánchez also appeared to take aim at Musk directly, criticizing the X owner for amplifying what he described as false claims about Spain’s immigration policy and allowing harmful content to spread on the platform.
"Just last week, the owner of X, a migrant himself, used his personal account to amplify disinformation about the sovereign decision by my government, the regularization of 500,000 migrants that live, work and contribute to the success of our country," Sánchez said.
Under the plan, Spain would first amend its laws to hold platform executives criminally liable for failing to remove illegal or hateful content, exposing executives to potential prosecution.
GRAHAM LEADS BIPARTISAN DEMAND FOR TECH REFORM VOTE TO 'BRING SOCIAL MEDIA COMPANIES TO HEEL'
Sánchez said governments must stop turning "a blind eye to the toxic content shared under their watch."
Second, Spain would make the algorithmic manipulation and amplification of illegal content a new criminal offense, targeting both disinformation actors and the platforms whose systems promote their content for profit.
"Disinformation doesn’t appear by itself," Sánchez said. "It is created, promoted and spread by certain actors."
Third, Sánchez announced the creation of a "hate and polarization footprint," a system to track and quantify how platforms fuel division and spread hate, which would serve as the basis for future legal and financial penalties.
"For too long, hate has been treated as invisible and untraceable," Sánchez said. "Spreading hate must come at a cost."
Fourth, Spain will ban access to social media for children under 16, requiring mandatory age-verification systems that Sánchez said must function as real barriers, not simple check boxes.
"Today, our children are exposed to a space they were never meant to navigate alone," Sánchez said, describing social media as a realm of "addiction, abuse, pornography, manipulation [and] violence."
Finally, Sánchez said his government will work with public prosecutors to investigate alleged violations by Grok, TikTok and Instagram, vowing zero tolerance and warning that Spain would defend its digital sovereignty against foreign interference.
"We are fighting back," he said. "And we will continue to do so."
Leaked documents expose Khamenei's secret deadly blueprint for crushing Iran protests
Leaked documents from the Iranian regime reveal a coordinated plan by its security apparatus, approved by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, to violently suppress nationwide protests using force, surveillance and internet shutdowns.
Excerpts of the documents, reviewed by Fox News Digital, show that Iran’s Supreme National Security Council developed the strategy after the 2019 nationwide protests that came amid fuel price hikes and economic collapse.
At a National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) press briefing Tuesday covering the regime’s pre-planned orders behind the protests and mass killings, Alireza Jafarzadeh, deputy director of the Washington office, said the documents "were obtained from within the regime" and later cited The People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (MEK) as having gained access to them.
"This Directive by the National Security Council was obtained by the network in Iran of the MEK, which has access to sources within the regime," he confirmed to Fox News Digital.
"These documents show the regime's efforts to prevent the resurgence of the uprising and, if it occurred, to suppress it," Jafarzadeh added before stating that there are "clear operational plans allocated to the IRGC to use lethal force to kill as many people as needed to stay in power."
The first document, classified "top secret," was issued Mar. 3, 2021, with the regime codifying four escalating law enforcement and security conditions. The regime defined how unrest would be handled and which authorities would be in command at each stage.
Initial law enforcement and non-armed security situations placed command authority with Iran’s national police force, with support from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the Intelligence Ministry (VAJA).
In the most severe category, designated an "armed security situation," full command authority rapidly shifted to the IRGC.
"For now, this compilation should be communicated for two years," Khamenei wrote before ordering the blueprint implemented nationwide.
The secret guidelines became the blueprint for crushing the January 2026 protests, which erupted amid soaring inflation, currency collapse and anger toward clerical rule.
According to the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), at least 6,854 people have been killed during the protests, with 11,280 cases under investigation.
Internal regime assessments cited in other leaked files describe three phases of the 2026 uprising: an initial law enforcement phase, followed by a non-armed security phase and finally an armed security situation beginning Jan. 8 when authority shifted fully to the IRGC that played the command role and carried out armed killings.
The documents specify that during armed security situations, the IRGC operated with support from other security bodies, while Iran’s Ministry of Communications was ordered to impose internet restrictions, including full shutdowns.
A second classified document, compiled in 2024 by the IRGC’s Sarallah Headquarters, reveals how far the regime went to prepare for dissent.
The 129-page "Comprehensive Security Plan of Tehran" details extensive surveillance and repression measures, identifying members of the opposition MEK and family members of executed dissidents as "level number one" enemies subject to monitoring and control.
"It also shows how far the regime is prepared to go to kill as many people as needed, which they did in January 2026. However, these killings further convinced the people that there is only one way to end the killings, and that is to overthrow the regime," Jafarzadeh added.
"There are more people, especially young ones, who have joined the ranks of the organized force to confront the IRGC and liberate the nation," he said.
Lawmakers question whether US moving fast enough to capitalize on Hezbollah's weakened state
A House Foreign Affairs Middle East and North Africa Subcommittee hearing on Tuesday underscored what lawmakers and witnesses repeatedly described as a "historic" but "narrowing" opportunity to weaken Hezbollah and restore Lebanese state sovereignty, while exposing sharp disagreement over whether current U.S. policy is moving fast or forcefully enough.
Opening the hearing, Chairman Mike Lawler, R-NY., said Lebanon is "at a crossroads" following the Nov. 2024 Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire, arguing the moment offers "an unprecedented opportunity" to help Lebanon "break free of the shackles of Iran’s malign influence." He warned, however, that progress has been uneven, saying implementation of the Lebanese Armed Forces’ has been "haphazard at best."
The ranking member, Rep. Brad Sherman, D-Calif., struck a more confrontational tone toward the administration, warning that Hezbollah is already rebuilding and that U.S. policy risks squandering the moment.
WALTZ HAILS ‘NIGHT-AND-DAY’ MIDDLE EAST SHIFT AS TRUMP’S GAZA PLAN RESHAPES REGION
"There is a historic opportunity in Lebanon to disarm Hezbollah and remove its grip on the Lebanese state," he said. "That window of opportunity, however, is narrow. Hezbollah is working hard to rebuild, rearm and to reconstitute itself."
He criticized cuts to non-security assistance and faulted comments by a Trump administration envoy who described Hezbollah as "a political party that also has a militant aspect to it," arguing such language "sent the wrong signals" at a critical moment.
David Schenker, senior fellow at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy, testified that while Hezbollah has been weakened militarily, the pace of disarmament remains slow and obstructed.
"The LAF has a presence in the south that it didn’t have prior to November 2024," Schenker said. "But they are not in control. Hezbollah still controls the region."
Schenker said the obstacle is no longer capability but political will. "At this point, the question of disarmament is not a matter of capability but of will," he told lawmakers, warning that Hezbollah continues to thrive amid corruption and a cash-based economy.
ISRAEL-HEZBOLLAH BORDER TENSIONS RISE AS TERROR GROUP REARMS, RESISTS US-BACKED CEASEFIRE
Hanin Ghaddar, senior fellow at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy, said that even full weapons surrender would not dismantle Hezbollah’s power.
"Hezbollah is not sustained by weapons alone," Ghaddar said. "It survives through an economic and political ecosystem that protects cash flows, penetrates state institutions and enables military rebuilding."
She warned that Lebanon’s unregulated cash economy has become Hezbollah’s most durable asset. "Weapons can be collected, but money keeps flowing," Ghaddar said. "Disarmament without dismantling the cash economy… will not be durable."
TRUMP ADMIN PRESSURES LEBANON TO DISARM HEZBOLLAH AS ENVOY CALLS NATION ‘FAILED STATE’
All three witnesses emphasized U.S. support should be tied to measurable performance such as progress on disarmament of Hezbollah and economic reform.
Schenker called for renewed sanctions against corrupt Lebanese officials, saying, "We should be sanctioning leaders right now… who are obstructing reform."
Dana Stroul, director of research and senior fellow at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy, warned that Washington’s approach remains incomplete.
"For the past year, U.S. policy has focused on Hezbollah disarmament, which is critical, but on its own is only a partial strategy," Stroul said.
She cautioned that upcoming parliamentary elections could either "strengthen or undermine the anti-Hezbollah government," calling it the "worst-case outcome" if Hezbollah-aligned politicians retain power.
Ghaddar said Hezbollah’s weakening has shifted Lebanese public discourse. "The mythology of resistance has shattered," she said. "Peace is no longer taboo."
She argued that normalization with Israel would raise the political cost of Hezbollah’s rearmament and help lock in reform. "Without a credible peace horizon, disarmament and economic reform will be temporary. With one, they become structural," Ghaddar said.
London police launch criminal investigation into former UK ambassador to US with alleged Epstein ties
Police in the United Kingdom announced a criminal investigation Tuesday into Peter Mandelson, Britain's former ambassador to the United States, after the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) released millions of court documents related to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.
Metropolitan Police Cmdr. Ella Marriot in London said following the DOJ documents dump, the Met received "a number of reports" into alleged misconduct in public office, including a referral from the UK government.
"I can confirm that the Metropolitan Police has now launched an investigation into a 72-year-old man, a former Government Minister, for misconduct in public office offenses," Marriot wrote in a statement.
RESURFACED PHOTO LINKS MAMDANI TO EPSTEIN-CONNECTED PUBLICIST AT NEW YORK CITY EVENT
"The Met will continue to assess all relevant information brought to our attention as part of this investigation and won’t be commenting any further at this time," she added.
Mandelson resigned Sunday from the governing Labour Party amid allegations he received $75,000 in payments from Epstein and shared sensitive government information after the 2008 financial crisis.
HOUSE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE TO SUBPOENA LES WEXNER, 2 OTHERS IN EPSTEIN INVESTIGATION
Prime Minister Keir Starmer abruptly fired Mandelson from his ambassadorial position in September following the release of emails between Mandelson and Epstein.
Starmer on Monday requested an urgent review of Mandelson’s communications with Epstein while he was in office.
The House of Lords announced on Tuesday Mandelson is stepping down.
"He will cease to be a member tomorrow," the House of Lords told Fox News Digital. "We have no comment on any possible police investigation."
Epstein died by suicide in 2019 while in federal custody.
He was awaiting trial on charges including sex trafficking of minors and conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of minors.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Two convicted of terrorism in Denmark for grenade attack near Israeli Embassy
Two Swedes were convicted in a Danish court of terrorism and attempted murder for detonating two hand grenades near the Israeli Embassy in Copenhagen in October 2024.
The younger of the two men, who is 18 years old, was sentenced to 12 years in prison, while his older accomplice, aged 21, was sentenced to 14 years, according to The Associated Press, which cited Swedish news agency TT. The two men, who have not been identified, were said to be acting on behalf of a criminal gang, the AP reported.
The attack occurred on Oct. 2, 2024, when the two threw hand grenades towards the Israeli Embassy in Copenhagen. The grenades detonated on the terrace of a residential building, which was inhabited by a family with children, according to the AP. No one was injured in the blasts. The nearby Jewish school, Carolineskolen, was closed when the attack took place.
AMERICANS WARNED BY US EMBASSY IN ISRAEL TO PREPARE FOR ‘CRISES’ AMID IRAN TENSIONS
The two men admitted to throwing the grenades, but denied being ideologically motivated, saying they did it for money, the AP reported.
IRAN-DIRECTED PLOT TO ASSASSINATE ISRAEL’S AMBASSADOR TO MEXICO THWARTED, OFFICIALS REVEAL
The Danish court was reportedly split on whether the two should be convicted of terrorism. Two judges and four jurors concluded that they were guilty, while one judge and two jurors disagreed, according to the AP, which cited TT.
At the time of the attack, Israel's war in Gaza had been ongoing for nearly a year following Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, massacre that left 1,200 dead and resulted in the taking of 251 hostages. Throughout the war, Jerusalem faced international scrutiny as world leaders debated whether the Israel Defense Forces' actions in Gaza were excessive.
The war ended in October 2025 with a peace deal brokered under the Trump administration.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Iran pushes for Friday nuclear talks in Oman amid rising tensions with US forces: source
Iran has requested that nuclear talks with the United States be held in Oman on Friday, a source familiar with the discussions told Fox News, as Tehran pushes for changes to the structure of renewed negotiations.
The request comes as Axios reported that Iranian officials are also pressing to limit the talks to a bilateral U.S.-Iran format, excluding other Arab and regional countries — a move that could complicate U.S. diplomatic efforts in the region.
The State Department has not publicly confirmed whether any talks are scheduled or what format they would take.
TRUMP SAYS IRAN ALREADY HAS US TERMS AS MILITARY STRIKE CLOCK TICKS
Reuters reported Monday that Tehran is examining the possibility of renewed nuclear talks with the United States, with Turkey emerging as a potential venue and regional mediators, including Saudi Arabia and Qatar, playing an active role, after President Donald Trump said he was hopeful a deal could be reached to avert military action against Iran.
Trump has reportedly been weighing his options on a possible military strike on Iran amid widespread protests and violent crackdowns inside the country. Trump announced last week that a "massive Armada is heading to Iran," led by the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Tuesday that talks between the U.S. and Iran are still scheduled, confirming special envoy Steve Witkoff remains engaged in diplomatic discussions.
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"Oh, look, I just spoke with special envoy Witkoff. And, these talks as of right now are still scheduled. President Trump is always wanting to pursue diplomacy first, but obviously it takes two to tango. You need a willing partner to achieve diplomacy. And that's something that special envoy Witkoff is intent on exploring and discussing," Leavitt said.
Leavitt added that Trump continues to keep military options on the table.
"As always, though, of course, the president has a range of options on the table with respect to Iran. As commander in chief, I think they learned that quite well last year with the strike in Operation Midnight Hammer, which was wildly successful and obliterated their nuclear capabilities. But those talks will continue later this week as far as we're concerned. Right now," she said.
The news comes after six Iranian gunboats unsuccessfully attempted to halt a U.S.-flagged oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, The Wall Street Journal reported.
The security firm Vanguard Tech told its clients on Tuesday that the Iranian vessels were armed with .50-caliber guns, and they ordered the oil tanker to turn off its engines and prepare to be boarded. Instead, the tanker sped up and was ultimately escorted to safety by a U.S. Navy vessel, according to the Journal.
In addition, the U.S. military shot down an unmanned Iranian drone Tuesday after it "aggressively approached a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier with unclear intent," a U.S. Central Command spokesman told Fox News. No U.S. service members were injured and no U.S. equipment was damaged during the incident.
Fox News’ Anders Hagstrom and Greg Norman contributed to this report.
Iran's president strikes softer tone on nuclear talks after Trump's warning that 'bad things would happen'
The Iranian president, who just days ago accused President Donald Trump of provoking unrest and trying to "tear this country apart," is now striking a softer tone regarding talks about its nuclear program, following a warning from Trump.
Trump said at the White House on Monday that the U.S. is talking with Iran and that he would "like to see a deal negotiated."
"And if we could work something out, that'd be great," Trump added. "And if we can't, probably bad things would happen."
Masoud Pezeshkian then took to X on Tuesday and wrote, "In light of requests from friendly governments in the region to respond to the proposal by the President of the United States for negotiations: I have instructed my Minister of Foreign Affairs, provided that a suitable environment exists — one free from threats and unreasonable expectations — to pursue fair and equitable negotiations, guided by the principles of dignity, prudence, and expediency."
IRAN RAMPS UP REGIONAL THREATS AS TRUMP CONSIDERS TALKS
"These negotiations shall be conducted within the framework of our national interests," Pezeshkian also said.
Axios has reported that U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff will meet Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Istanbul on Friday. However, a source familiar with the matter told Fox News on Tuesday that Iran wants to move the discussions to Oman.
Pezeshkian told state television on Saturday that Trump, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and European leaders "rode on our problems, provoked, and were seeking — and still seek — to fragment society," according to Reuters.
IRAN STAGES KHAMENEI PHOTOS TO MASK CRACKS IN IRGC, OPPOSITION GROUPS SAY
"They brought them into the streets and wanted, as they said, to tear this country apart, to sow conflict and hatred among the people and create division," Pezeshkian reportedly added about the anti-government protests and deadly crackdown that recently swept through Iran. "Everyone knows that the issue was not just a social protest."
Then in a series of posts on X on Tuesday, Iran Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said, "The United States wants to devour Iran; the Iranian nation and the Islamic Republic prevent this," and, "Iran stands firm and will continue to stand firm, and — God willing — will put an end to the United States’ mischief and harassment."
"The recent sedition was orchestrated by Zionists & the US. I was informed through a certain channel that the CIA & Mossad deployed all of their resources into the field!" Khamenei also claimed, without providing any evidence.
Trump said last week that "time is running out for Iran."
In a Truth Social post last Wednesday, Trump wrote, "A massive Armada is heading to Iran."
"It is moving quickly, with great power, enthusiasm, and purpose. It is a larger fleet, headed by the great Aircraft Carrier Abraham Lincoln, than that sent to Venezuela. Like with Venezuela, it is, ready, willing, and able to rapidly fulfill its mission, with speed and violence, if necessary. Hopefully, Iran will quickly 'Come to the Table' and negotiate a fair and equitable deal — NO NUCLEAR WEAPONS — one that is good for all parties. Time is running out, it is truly of the essence!" the president warned.
Russia launches record missile barrage against Ukraine one day before peace talks set to resume in Abu Dhabi
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Tuesday that Russia carried out a large-scale overnight attack on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure using a record number of ballistic missiles, one day before peace talks with Moscow and Washington are set to resume in Abu Dhabi.
Zelenskyy said the attack involved more than 70 missiles — among them 32 ballistic and 28 cruise — as well as more than 450 attack drones that targeted eight regions, including Kyiv, Kharkiv, Dnipro, Sumy, Vinnytsia, Odesa and Zaporizhzhia.
Ukraine’s State Emergency Service said five people were injured and three more were rescued in Kharkiv after a drone strike caused a fire in a residential high-rise building.
"The Russian army exploited the U.S. proposal to briefly halt strikes not to support diplomacy, but to stockpile missiles and wait until the coldest days of the year, when temperatures across large parts of Ukraine drop below -20°C (-4°F)," Zelenskyy wrote on X.
RUSSIA, UKRAINE TO DISCUSS TERRITORY AS TRUMP SAYS BOTH SIDES 'WANT TO MAKE A DEAL'
The large-scale strikes came after President Donald Trump said Russian President Vladimir Putin had agreed to pause attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure for one week, as freezing temperatures caused widespread power and heating outages.
Trump announced the weeklong pause Thursday, but Russia resumed its attacks several days before the period was set to expire, striking a maternity ward in Zaporizhzhia and a bus of Ukrainian miners, leaving 12 people dead.
The White House did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Residents took to subway and metro stations on Monday to hide underground as air raid alerts sounded throughout the night.
"With temperatures dropping to -25°C (-13°F), Russia knowingly yet again aims to leave hundreds of thousands of people, including children and the elderly, without heating or electricity," said Yulia Svyrydenko, Ukraine’s prime minister.
"This is an attempt to freeze civilians into surrender. Thanks to Ukraine’s air defense forces, the majority of missiles and drones were intercepted," she added.
Zelenskyy said the work of his negotiating team will be "adjusted accordingly" as his country prepares for another round of meetings in the United Arab Emirates with U.S. and Russian officials on Wednesday and Thursday.
U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff met with his Russian counterpart Kirill Dmitriev in Florida on Saturday and said the discussions were constructive, amid ongoing hostilities in Ukraine.
"We are encouraged by this meeting that Russia is working toward securing peace in Ukraine and is grateful for @POTUS’s critical leadership in seeking a durable and lasting peace," Witkoff wrote on X.
US military shoots down Iranian drone approaching USS Abraham Lincoln in Arabian Sea, official says
The U.S. military shot down an unmanned Iranian drone Tuesday after it "aggressively approached a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier with unclear intent," a U.S. Central Command spokesman told Fox News.
"USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) was transiting the Arabian Sea approximately 500 miles from Iran’s southern coast when an Iranian Shahed-139 drone unnecessarily maneuvered toward the ship," Capt. Tim Hawkins added.
"The Iranian drone continued to fly toward the ship despite de-escalatory measures taken by U.S. forces operating in international waters," CENTCOM also said. " An F-35C fighter jet from Abraham Lincoln shot down the Iranian drone in self-defense and to protect the aircraft carrier and personnel on board."
Hawkins said no U.S. service members were injured and no U.S. equipment was damaged during the incident.
IRANIAN GUNBOATS UNSUCCESSFULLY ATTEMPT TO BOARD OIL TANKER AS TRUMP BUILDS MILITARY PRESENCE
Hawkins also told Fox News on Tuesday that, "During a separate incident hours later in the Strait of Hormuz, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) forces harassed a U.S.-flagged, U.S.-crewed merchant vessel lawfully transiting the international sea passage."
"Two IRGC boats and an Iranian Mohajer drone approached M/V Stena Imperative at high speeds and threatened to board and seize the tanker," the CENTCOM spokesman said. "Guided-missile destroyer USS McFaul (DDG 74) was operating in the area and immediately responded to the scene to escort M/V Stena Imperative with defensive air support from the U.S. Air Force. The situation de-escalated as a result, and the U.S.-flagged tanker is proceeding safely."
IRAN RAMPS UP REGIONAL THREATS AS TRUMP CONSIDERS TALKS
The USS Abraham Lincoln is in the Middle East after President Donald Trump said last week that, "A massive Armada is heading to Iran."
"It is moving quickly, with great power, enthusiasm, and purpose. It is a larger fleet, headed by the great Aircraft Carrier Abraham Lincoln, than that sent to Venezuela. Like with Venezuela, it is, ready, willing, and able to rapidly fulfill its mission, with speed and violence, if necessary," Trump said in a post on Truth Social. "Hopefully, Iran will quickly 'Come to the Table' and negotiate a fair and equitable deal — NO NUCLEAR WEAPONS — one that is good for all parties. Time is running out, it is truly of the essence!"
UK govt-backed review says Britain’s national parks feel ‘white’ and unwelcoming
Authorities overseeing some of Britain’s most famous countryside landscapes are launching targeted outreach programs aimed at ethnic minority communities, after a government-commissioned review warned rural areas are widely perceived as a "white" and unwelcoming space.
"The countryside is seen by both black, Asian and minority ethnic groups and white people as very much a ‘white’ environment," the report stated, "We are all paying for national landscapes through our taxes, and yet sometimes on our visits it has felt as if National Parks are an exclusive, mainly white, mainly middle‑class club, with rules only members understand and much too little done to encourage first time visitors."
Critics say the initiative reflects misplaced government priorities. Michael McManus, director of research at the Henry Jackson Society, told Fox News Digital: "At a time of low growth, high taxes and stretched public services, it’s astonishing that ministers are spending time and money worrying about the ‘whiteness’ of the countryside. Government exists to grow the economy and fix real problems, not to indulge in culture war distractions that deliver nothing for working people."
The initiatives stem from the 2019 Landscapes Review, commissioned by the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) and led by author Julian Glover. The review concluded that England’s protected landscapes often feel disconnected from large parts of the population.
LIZ PEEK: TRUMP DECLARES WAR ON WOKE—AND THIS BELOVED MUSEUM IS IN HIS CROSSHAIRS
The review also criticized the leadership of protected landscapes, arguing that governance bodies do not reflect the country they serve. "Of the almost 1,000 people on National Park and AONB boards today, the great majority are male… and a tiny fraction are of black, Asian or minority ethnicities," the report said, calling that imbalance "wrong for organizations which are funded by the nation to serve everyone."
Following the review, organizations representing National Landscapes, formerly known as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, have published updated management plans outlining steps to attract more diverse visitors. According to individual plans published between 2024 and 2025, and as reported by U.K. outlets including LBC and GB News, the measures apply to landscapes including the Cotswolds, the Chilterns, the Malvern Hills and others.
AMERICAN HISTORY WON'T BE DISPLAYED 'IN A WOKE MANNER' AT SMITHSONIAN, TRUMP SAYS
Under those plans, the Chilterns National Landscape will launch targeted outreach programs in Luton and High Wycombe, areas with large Muslim populations. One barrier cited in follow-up research was concern among some visitors about unleashed dogs in rural areas.
The Cotswolds National Landscape referenced the DEFRA findings directly, saying it is seeking to broaden its appeal to reach "the widest demographic."
In its own management strategy, the Malvern Hills National Landscape said many minority communities lack a generational connection to the countryside because parents and grandparents "did not always feel welcome in it." The plan added that while many white English visitors value solitude, ethnic minority visitors may be more inclined toward group or family-based activities.
Other landscapes raised similar concerns. Nidderdale National Landscape in North Yorkshire warned that ethnic minority visitors may worry about how they will be received in unfamiliar rural settings. Dedham Vale, Surrey Hills, and Suffolk and Essex Coast Heaths said they aim to identify and address barriers limiting access for under-represented groups, including people without English as a first language.
Together, the plans signal a broader shift in how Britain’s publicly funded countryside is managed, as landscape authorities face growing pressure to demonstrate cultural relevance to a changing society, even as critics warn the focus risks sidelining economic priorities and traditional conservation goals.
Fox News Digital reached out to the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs in England for comment but did not receive a response before publication.
Who is the populist conservative president-elect in Costa Rica?
Laura Fernández Delgado declared victory in the Costa Rican presidential election on Sunday after preliminary results showed her Sovereign People’s Party leading the national vote with just over 48% support.
The National Liberation Party followed in second place with approximately 33% of the vote, according to the latest official tally from Costa Rica’s Supreme Electoral Tribunal, which oversees and certifies national elections.
"Change will be deep and irreversible," Fernández said at her victory party in San Jose, according to a translation of her remarks from Reuters.
A former government minister, she is the handpicked successor of outgoing President Rodrigo Chaves, who is constitutionally prohibited from seeking re-election.
COSTA RICA SWINGS RIGHT AS VOTERS EMBRACE TOUGH-ON-CRIME LEADER AMID SURGING VIOLENCE
Fernández, 39, is set to become Costa Rica’s second female president, after Laura Chinchilla, who served from 2010 to 2014.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Monday congratulated Fernández on her victory in Costa Rica’s presidential election, emphasizing the United States’ commitment to working closely with her incoming administration.
"Under her leadership, we are confident Costa Rica will continue to advance shared priorities to include combatting narco-trafficking, ending illegal immigration to the United States, promoting cybersecurity and secure telecommunications, and strengthening economic ties," Rubio said.
Reuters reported that Fernández, who is married and has a young daughter, has built her political profile around conservative Catholic values and a strong emphasis on family, helping her gain traction among Costa Rica’s expanding evangelical electorate.
She has publicly expressed admiration for Nayib Bukele, the president of El Salvador, and his tough stance on crime, signaling openness to enhanced security measures in violence-prone areas.
Fernández has also said she would complete construction of a maximum-security prison modeled on El Salvador’s CECOT facility as part of a broader strategy to address serious crime.
The president-elect is scheduled to be sworn in on May 8.
Fox News' Emma Bussey contributed to this report.
Australian teen swims 2.5 miles for hours to save family swept out to sea
A 13-year-old boy swam for hours through rough ocean waters to save his family after they were swept out to sea off Australia’s coast, a heroic effort police say saved his mother and two younger siblings.
Austin Appelbee recalled ditching his life jacket so it wouldn’t restrict his swimming before he set off alone on a nearly four-hour-long, 2.5-mile (4-kilometer) swim that saw him battle huge waves until he ultimately reached shore and triggered a rescue that saved his mother, Joanne Appelbee, 47, his brother Beau, 12, and his sister Grace, 8, police said.
"The waves are massive, and I have no life jacket on.… I just kept thinking, ‘Just keep swimming, just keep swimming,’" Austin said on Tuesday. "And then I finally I made it to shore, and I hit the bottom of the beach and I just collapsed."
The family, visiting from Perth, was using rented kayaks and paddle boards near Quindalup in Western Australia around midday Friday when strong winds and rough seas dragged them farther from shore. Austin initially tried to paddle for help on an inflatable kayak, but abandoned it when it began taking on water.
LA DEPUTIES CAUGHT ON CAMERA RACING INTO FOGGY OCEAN TO RESCUE DISORIENTED PARAGLIDERS
A search helicopter later found Joanne and the two younger children clinging to a paddleboard while wearing life jackets around 8:30 p.m. They had drifted about nine miles (14 kilometers) from shore and spent up to 10 hours in the water, police said.
"The actions of the 13-year-old boy cannot be praised highly enough — his determination and courage ultimately saved the lives of his mother and siblings," said Police Inspector James Bradley.
Joanne Appelbee said sending her eldest son for help was the hardest decision she has ever made.
MOTHER JUMPS INTO WATER TO SAVE 4-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER WHO FELL BETWEEN CRUISE SHIP AND DOCK
"One of the hardest decisions I ever had to make was to say to Austin: ‘Try and get to shore and get some help,’" she told Australian Broadcasting Corp.
She said the group tried to stay positive as conditions worsened, but fear set in as night approached and help had not yet arrived.
"We kept positive, we were singing, and we were joking and … we were treating it as a bit of a game until the sun started to go down and that’s when it was getting very choppy. Very big waves," she said.
By the time rescuers arrived, all three were shivering, and Beau had lost feeling in his legs due to the cold, his mother said.
"I have three babies. All three made it. That was all that mattered," she said.
All four family members were medically evaluated and did not require hospitalization.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Trump to host Colombia’s Petro as drug trafficking expected to dominate high-stakes talks
Relations between President Donald Trump and Colombian President Gustavo Petro have swung sharply from open confrontation to cautious engagement over the past year, setting the stage for a pivotal White House meeting scheduled for Tuesday.
Once considered a model partnership in the Western Hemisphere, U.S.–Colombia ties are now being tested by deep disagreements over drug policy, security cooperation and migration.
Speaking to reporters ahead of the visit, President Donald Trump suggested the tone between the two leaders has shifted in recent weeks, while underscoring that drug trafficking will dominate the talks.
"I mean, he’s been very nice over the last month or two," Trump said during a press availability. "They were certainly critical before that. But somehow after the Venezuelan raid, he became very nice. He changed his attitude. Very much so."
LATIN AMERICA FRACTURES OVER TRUMP’S MADURO CAPTURE AS REGIONAL ALLIES SHIFT RIGHT
Trump said he is looking forward to meeting Petro in person, while making clear that narcotics remain a central concern. "He’s coming in. We’re going to be talking about drugs because tremendous amounts of drugs come out of his country," Trump said. "And I look forward to seeing him. We’re going to have a good meeting."
Colombia has long been one of Washington’s closest partners in South America, particularly on counternarcotics and security. Bilateral cooperation expanded dramatically under Plan Colombia beginning in 2000, with U.S. military and law-enforcement assistance playing a central role in Colombia’s fight against insurgent groups and drug trafficking networks. That cooperation helped stabilize the country and eventually led the United States to designate Colombia a major Non-NATO ally. U.S. officials and analysts say that foundation has eroded in recent years amid diverging priorities and growing mistrust.
Tensions first erupted in January 2025, when Petro initially refused to allow U.S. deportation flights carrying Colombian nationals to land. The standoff prompted Trump to threaten tariffs, travel bans and visa restrictions before Colombia reversed course and agreed to accept the flights. The episode marked the first major rupture between the two leaders following Trump’s return to office.
Relations deteriorated further in September 2025, when Petro traveled to New York for the United Nations General Assembly, participated in protests and publicly urged U.S. soldiers to "disobey the orders of Trump." The remarks prompted the U.S. State Department to revoke Petro’s visa on Sept. 27, 2025. The following month, the Trump administration announced punitive measures targeting Petro and members of his inner circle, citing concerns about drug trafficking and security cooperation.
Colombian officials denounced the moves as politically motivated. Trump publicly labeled Petro a "drug leader," suspended U.S. aid and threatened additional punitive measures, pushing relations to what observers described as their lowest point in decades.
TRUMP WARNS 'SICK' SOUTH AMERICAN LEADER, REITERATES 'WE NEED GREENLAND' FOR NATIONAL SECURITY
Signs of de-escalation emerged last month when the two leaders spoke by phone for the first time since the diplomatic breakdown. Trump later described the call as a "great honor," saying he appreciated Petro’s tone and looked forward to meeting him in person. Both sides agreed to restart dialogue on contentious issues, including counternarcotics, migration and trade. Colombia subsequently resumed U.S. deportation flights as part of broader efforts to stabilize relations, paving the way for Tuesday’s face-to-face meeting.
Melissa Ford Maldonado, director of the Western Hemisphere Initiative at the America First Policy Institute, said the visit highlights how much is now at stake for both countries.
"Colombia remains the most important U.S. partner in South America, but that status is conditional, and lately it’s been under real strain, largely because of President Gustavo Petro’s tolerance for criminal networks that threaten both Colombian sovereignty and American security," Maldonado told Fox News Digital.
TRUMP SIGNALS LONG ROAD AHEAD IN VENEZUELA IN HIS BOLDEST INTERVENTIONIST MOVE YET
She said the Trump administration’s objectives heading into the meeting are likely focused on restoring what she described as "real cooperation" on counternarcotics and security after years of drift.
"Counternarcotics and security cooperation will likely dominate the conversation," Maldonado said, pointing to record cocaine production and what she described as growing tolerance within parts of the Colombian state for criminal networks. She argued that Washington has increasingly treated Colombia as failing to meet U.S. expectations in the fight against illegal drugs.
Maldonado said the administration has signaled it is no longer willing to accommodate governments it believes enable narco-criminal ecosystems.
"What to watch going forward is whether Colombia chooses to course-correct or continues drifting toward the model next door, which blurred the line between the state and organized crime," she said. "Colombia earned its status as a major Non-NATO Ally through decades of sacrifice. That trust has been badly damaged, but it is not beyond repair if Colombia demonstrates genuine resolve against cartels, rejects political cover for criminal groups and realigns clearly with the United States on hemispheric security."
She added, "This visit should make one thing unmistakable: the United States wants a strong, sovereign Colombia. It is in America’s best interest. However, it will not tolerate ambiguity when it comes to narco-terrorism, regional security or the safety of the American people," Maldonado said.
Costa Rica swings right as voters embrace tough-on-crime leader amid surging violence
Costa Ricans have elected conservative populist Laura Fernández as their next president, according to preliminary results, making her the latest right-leaning leader to win office in Latin America.
With results from 96.8% of polling places counted, Fernández of the Sovereign People’s Party won 48.3% of the vote, the Supreme Electoral Tribunal reported.
Her closest challenger, economist Álvaro Ramos of the National Liberation Party, trailed with 33.4%, the Associated Press reported.
Ramos conceded the race on election night, with Fernández, 39, to begin her four-year term in May.
TRUMP-BACKED CANDIDATE ASFURA WINS HONDURAS PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION
A former government minister, Fernández is the chosen successor of outgoing President Rodrigo Chaves, who is constitutionally prohibited from seeking re-election.
She campaigned on continuing Chaves’ populist agenda, which reshaped Costa Rican politics by arguing against traditional parties and promising tougher action on crime.
Fernández served as minister of national planning and later as minister of the presidency, giving her a central role in Chaves’ administration.
LATIN AMERICA FRACTURES OVER TRUMP’S MADURO CAPTURE AS REGIONAL ALLIES SHIFT RIGHT
Crime had dominated the campaign in Costa Rica amid sharp rises in homicides, gang activity and drug trafficking by cartels.
The murder rate had increased by 50% over the last six years, according to reports.
Fernández pledged a hard-line security strategy, including increased cooperation with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and tougher measures against organized crime.
She has also floated controversial proposals inspired by El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele.
This included construction of a special prison for gang leaders, the Associated Press reported.
MARCO RUBIO EMERGES AS KEY TRUMP POWER PLAYER AFTER VENEZUELA OPERATION
"My hand won’t shake when it comes to making the decisions we need to restore peace in Costa Rican homes," Fernández said during the campaign.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio congratulated Fernández in a statement Monday.
"Under her leadership, we are confident Costa Rica will continue to advance shared priorities to include combating narco-trafficking, ending illegal immigration to the United States, promoting cybersecurity and secure telecommunications, and strengthening economic ties," Rubio said.
"I hope that we can immediately lower the flags of whichever political party and start working only in favor of the Costa Rican flag," Fernández said after the result.
"I believe the Costa Rican people expect nothing less of us," she added.
Italy rocked by anarchist-led riots as over 100 police injured, Meloni condemns violence
Violent clashes broke out during a large protest in Turin, Italy, over the weekend as anarchist and leftists attacked police, prompting Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni to strongly condemn the unrest and vow a firm response.
Videos from the scene showed demonstrators dressed in black confronting police, with footage appearing to capture objects being thrown at officers and police lines forced backward. Images from Reuters showed riot police surrounded by red smoke during clashes linked to a march in support of the Askatasuna social center, which authorities recently evicted. Experts say the building had been occupied by far-left activists for decades.
Italian authorities said 108 security personnel were injured in the violence. Protesters hurled bottles, stones, homemade incendiary devices and smoke bombs, set fire to rubbish bins and a police armored vehicle, and used street furniture and uprooted lampposts as weapons, European media reported.
Commenting on the violence, U.S. and Europe analyst Matthew Tyrmand told Fox News Digital, "It’s not that dissimilar to what you see in the U.S. at times," he said. "Think about Seattle, or Cop City in Atlanta or Portland. It’s the same odd coalition of leftist groups, anarchists, pro-Palestinian groups and random individuals coming together."
INSIDE THE CHAOS OF BLOODY BERKELEY AS PROTESTERS GO WILD DURING TURNING POINT USA EVENT
Meloni responded forcefully, warning that violence against police and threats to public order would not be tolerated. In a post on X, the prime minister shared photos from a hospital visit with injured officers and described the confrontations in stark terms.
"This morning I went to the Le Molinette hospital in Turin to bring, on behalf of Italy, my solidarity to two of the officers who were injured in yesterday’s clashes," Meloni wrote, adding: "Against them: hammers, Molotov cocktails, nail-filled paper bombs, stones launched with catapults, blunt objects of every kind, and jammers to prevent the police from communicating."
Quoting one officer, Meloni added: "They were there to kill us." She went on to say: "These are not protesters. These are organized criminals. This is attempted murder."
Dr. Lorenzo Vidino, director of the program on extremism at George Washington University, told Fox News Digital that while the images were shocking, the violence itself was not unprecedented. "Torino in particular is a hotbed of anarchist and hardcore communist groups," Vidino said. "But we’ve had this in many other places in Italy, and it happens throughout Europe."
LAPD ARRESTS VIOLENT AGITATORS AFTER PROTESTS ERUPT OUTSIDE FEDERAL DETENTION CENTER IN LOS ANGELES
Vidino said the unrest followed what he called the recent "liberation" of Askatasuna, a building occupied for decades by far-left activists, which he described as a catalyst for a broader reaction.
"What you have here is a network of not just Italian but European anarchists and communists, with some pro-Palestinian groups," he said. "It’s a fairly well-established coalition of groups, and they routinely engage in this sort of violence. Antifa is also part of this coalition. It’s one of the umbrella movements in what happened in Torino."
Vidino also pointed to links between the groups involved and a previous attack on the offices of La Stampa, one of Italy’s most prominent newspapers, which he described as a turning point for authorities.
"Storming the offices of a major newspaper crossed a red line," Vidino said.
ITALY’S MELONI REBUKES TRUMP REMARKS ON NATO’S ROLE IN AFGHANISTAN
On Monday, Meloni said she chaired a meeting at Palazzo Chigi to assess what she called "serious episodes of violence against the police forces" and to determine measures to guarantee public safety.
Tyrmand said the clashes reflect Italy’s long history of militant left-wing activism.
"Italy has a long history of hardcore leftist organizing," he said. "They’re cut from the same cloth. Marxist movements are truly of their genesis."
"When a right-wing leader like Meloni comes into power, they get especially ginned up," he added. "Violence is their modus operandi. I expect it will be quelled because Meloni is a tough figure."
He added that the tactics and alliances mirror those seen during U.S. street protests and encampments.
"It’s the same dynamics," Vidino said. "A permanent presence of these networks that mobilize quickly around symbolic causes."
Rising ISIS threats to US homeland drive AFRICOM airstrikes against terrorists in Somalia
FIRST ON FOX: The U.S. is mounting an increasing blitz of air attacks and military missions against Islamist terrorists in Somalia to reduce the threat of jihadi attacks on the U.S. homeland.
The terrorists are said to be mainly affiliated with Islamic State (ISIS) or al Qaeda. This is according to U.S. Army Lt. Gen. John Brennan, the second highest-ranking officer at U.S. Africa Command, who talked exclusively last week to Fox News Digital.
Brennan, a former U.S. Special Forces leader who served in Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan, confirmed, "There's ISIS-inspired threats. They plot against the United States homeland as well as Europe. So that's kind of the nexus of the threat."
AFTER TRUMP STRIKES ISLAMIST TERRORISTS, US GENERAL TRAVELS TO NIGERIA WITH MILITANTS 'ON THE RUN'
"So think," Brennan said, "American citizens on social media get recruited to do bad things inside America. And then there's ISIS lead and ISIS resource cells that are capable of larger-scale attacks. We've stopped, over the history since 9/11, a lot of those from happening, because of what we do overseas, so we're playing the away game."
He continued, "When you give a terrorist organization that has resourcing like ISIS time and space to plot and plan, those ISIS and terrorist-led attacks can happen. If they're on the run, and they're constantly worried about surviving, they can't be as effective at planning and plotting."
The U.S., with strikes and intelligence capabilities, is on an aggressive campaign to smash terror’s hold on Somalia, and stop the country from being what the State Department described in 2017 as "a terrorist safe haven".
In 2025, U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM), working with Somali and other partners, carried out 124 airstrikes on ISIS-Somalia (Islamic State) and al-Shabab jihadi terrorists and their facilities in Somalia, 12 times the amount of missions flown under the Biden administration in 2024.
In the first month of 2026, the U.S. has staged another 26 attacks – 2½ more than the 10 that were carried out in the whole of 2024.
The focus of Islamist terror has moved from the Middle East to Africa, and specifically to Somalia, Brennan told Fox News Digital. "The caliph — absolute leader — of the global ISIS network, Abdulqadir Mumin, is a Somali, and he is in the (Somali) Golis Mountains along with a lot of his key leaders. And from that location they direct terrorist activities, not just across Africa. He is directing global ISIS operations that go to the Far East, Europe and the U.S."
President Donald Trump, referring to Somalia in February 2025, posted on his Truth Social account, "The message to ISIS and all others who would attack Americans is that ‘WE WILL FIND YOU, AND WE WILL KILL YOU!’"
Asked by Fox News Digital this week whether U.S. forces are hunting the ISIS leader Mumin, Brennan replied, "Yes, absolutely. We want to make sure he has no safe space anywhere. History has shown that the ISIS caliph ends up getting killed by us at some point."
"We’re on no. 4 right now," he added. The most notorious, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, was hunted down in Syria.
In Somalia, the Islamic State is represented by ISIS-Somalia. "We've had a lot of success targeting that network, ISIS-Somalia," he said.
"We've taken large swathes of terrain back — our partners have. We've just enabled with intel sharing ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance) and fires — airstrikes. About well over half the territory that ISIS Somalia once maintained up in Puntland — an autonomous state in North-Eastern Somalia — is now under the control of the Puntland Defense Forces."
"They've conducted a massive amount of clearing operations, taking back terrain, capturing a great number of ISIS operatives, as well as a lot of their material. But again, our main mission is to secure the homeland — make sure that none of this threat migrates back to our shores. I think we've been pretty successful at that and if the PDF can continue what they're doing, ISIS Somalia may cease to exist before too long. That's our ultimate goal," he said.
SOMALIS LIVE IN CONSTANT FEAR, DANGER AS DISTURBING REALITY HOVERS OVER THEIR DAILY LIVES
Al-Shabab, the local al Qaeda affiliate, is, however, still a problem in Somalia. He said, "In the south you have al-Shabab, and that threat has definitely morphed over the last year or so, as they are coordinating with the Houthis."
"Not as much (an) external operations threat," the general continued, "but in fact, al-Shabab is, I think, the strongest, largest, most well financed part of the al Qaeda global franchise and their desire is to take over Mogadishu and turn Somalia into an al Qaeda caliphate."
The U.S. role in Somalia in 2026 is increasingly "remote advise and assist," with most of the Somali troops using their own ground assault vehicles, Brennan said, adding that on occasion they provide them "with a ride to work" — transporting them to raids on U.S. helicopters and providing airstrike support.
AFRICOM provides advanced intelligence capabilities. Brennan said, "We've given them tools that allow them to see what the ISR aircraft are seeing. We can show them things on a moving map that they're carrying on their chest."
Ambassador Robert Scott, a senior career diplomat who was brought in by the State Department in 2023 to serve as deputy to the commander for civil-military engagement with AFRICOM, told Fox News Digital that governments around Somalia have been able to share the burden with AFRICOM — "not only Kenya and Ethiopia and Uganda, but also Somaliland, Puntland especially (and) also Jubaland. So (we are) finding partners who are willing to engage in the fight against both ISIS and al Shabab. I think it's been very effective."
Brennan also says the U.S. military activity in Somalia could lead to huge trade potential. "There's natural resources in Somalia that, because of the security situation, the Somalis have not benefited from," he added. "Now the Somalis are realizing they may have critical minerals."
"There's LNG (liquified natural gas) off the coast of Mogadishu, so that our biggest weapon system, if you will, from an African perspective, is our private sector economy. If we can get that in there with private sector investment similar to other countries in Africa, that is a guarantor of security."
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