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4 Canadian soldiers killed, dozens injured after fast-moving fire erupts at military base
Canadian officials said Sunday that four service members were killed and dozens more injured after a fast-moving fire swept through soldiers conducting live-fire training at a military base in Alberta.
The deadly fire erupted Saturday at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright, where a sudden shift in powerful winds sent flames sweeping toward troops training in the area, according to The Associated Press.
Officials said 39 people were hospitalized, including 19 in critical condition. Eight others were listed as stable, while 12 were being treated for less serious injuries.
Maj. Gen. Wade Rutland, commander of the Edmonton-based 1st Canadian Division, said military officials had been aware of the fire for hours but believed it was contained enough for training to continue, AP reported.
"The fire was a kilometer away when the wind shifted. That is not normal for a fire to move a kilometer in 36 seconds," Rutland said.
Investigators have not yet determined what sparked the fire.
Those killed were identified by the military as Sgt. Morgan Wong and Privates Shaun Farrell, Aidan Goulding and Hayden Lykkemark, AP reported.
Wong was a member of the Loyal Edmonton Regiment, while the three others belonged to the 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry. All four were serving with the Edmonton-based battalion.
Prime Minister Mark Carney called the blaze one of the worst peacetime tragedies to strike Canada's armed forces on home soil, according to Reuters.
WATCH: VIRGINIA COPS CRAWL THROUGH BURNING HOUSE TO SAVE MAN TRAPPED IN FIRE
"I cannot recall such an incident in my short time for sure as a minister, but I cannot recall an incident like this in recent memory," Canadian Defense Minister David McGuinty told reporters.
The 39 injured people were being treated at hospitals in Wainwright, Edmonton, Red Deer and Calgary.
Air ambulances from Edmonton and Saskatoon were also sent to the base Saturday to help transport patients.
Several hospitals across Alberta activated a "Code Orange," an emergency designation used for mass-casualty incidents, as medical personnel prepared to treat the wounded.
Military and civilian firefighters battled the flames through the night as intense winds fueled the fire.
MARINE CORPS OSPREY CATCHES FIRE DURING EXERCISE IN NORTH CAROLINA; 4 INJURED
The fire crossed the base perimeter into the surrounding area, but officials said no evacuation orders were issued. By Sunday, local authorities said the blaze was not expected to spread beyond its existing boundaries.
Carney announced that flags would fly at half-staff on federal buildings nationwide in honor of those killed and injured.
He also praised emergency crews who battled the flames through the night.
Fox News Digital's Michael Sinkewicz, Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Canadian PM Carney says 4 service members killed, dozens injured in military base fire
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced Sunday that four service members were killed and dozens more seriously injured after a fire broke out during military training at a base in Alberta, calling it one of the country's worst peacetime military tragedies on domestic soil.
The deadly fire erupted Saturday at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright, where fierce winds fueled flames that spread beyond the installation and into surrounding rural areas. Canadian military officials said there were no indications of terrorism, though the cause remained under investigation.
Carney said in a televised address that the families of the four service members killed had been notified and that the situation was still evolving.
The prime minister said those affected included reservists and soldiers from Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, one of Canada's oldest military regiments. Personnel had traveled from bases across the country to participate in training exercises at Wainwright.
Canadian Defense Minister David McGuinty initially confirmed fatalities and injuries but did not provide a casualty count, Fox News Digital previously reported.
"I cannot recall such an incident in my short time for sure as a minister, but I cannot recall an incident like this in recent memory," McGuinty told reporters.
The exact number of injured service members remained unclear Sunday, with victims receiving treatment at hospitals in Wainwright, Edmonton, Red Deer and Calgary.
Several hospitals across Alberta activated a "Code Orange," an emergency designation for mass-casualty incidents, as medical personnel scrambled to treat the wounded.
"This number of patients would overwhelm the city of Edmonton," Dr. Warren Thirsk, an emergency department physician at Royal Alexandra Hospital, told CBC News. "It is more patients than any of us want to count right now. It's a disaster."
MARINE CORPS OSPREY CATCHES FIRE DURING EXERCISE IN NORTH CAROLINA; 4 INJURED
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police said officers responded to reports of a fire in a training area at the base shortly after 4 p.m. Saturday. Firefighters battled intense winds, with gusts reaching up to 62 mph, as flames spread beyond the installation.
By late Saturday, local officials said the fire was being held and that property and critical infrastructure were protected. No evacuation order had been issued for nearby residents.
McGuinty said the RCMP was involved in investigating the incident, describing the situation as "very, very active and delicate."
Carney announced that flags would fly at half-staff on federal buildings nationwide in honor of those killed and injured. He also praised emergency crews who battled the flames through the night.
Fox News Digital's Michael Sinkewicz and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Where's Macron? French leader blasted for attending concert as riots escalated
French President Emmanuel Macron is facing criticism over his decision to attend a Celine Dion concert Friday night, on the eve of nationwide demonstrations that descended into violence, leaving hundreds of emergency personnel injured and nearly 1,800 people arrested.
Macron and his wife, Brigitte, were spotted at Dion’s concert at the Plenitude Arena in Nanterre, west of Paris, according to French media reports. The couple reportedly arrived and left discreetly and were among roughly 35,000 spectators at the performance.
The concert came after Macron spent Thursday and Friday in Brussels attending a European Council meeting. During a news conference in Brussels on Friday, he called for "calm and respect" ahead of Saturday’s planned demonstrations, saying the right to protest must be exercised with respect for people and property.
By Saturday, demonstrations over rising living costs, school conditions and declining public services had escalated into clashes with police, fires, looting and attacks on public buildings in several cities.
VIOLENCE ERUPTS AT FRANCE PROTESTS AS MACRON WARNS UNREST IS BEING EXPLOITED
French authorities said Sunday that nearly 1,800 people had been arrested nationwide, including 855 in the Paris region. More than 500 police officers, gendarmes and firefighters were injured, according to Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez. One protester died after suffering cardiac arrest during demonstrations in Paris, authorities said.
In Limoges, a fire that authorities said was deliberately set at the city hall caused significant damage to the historic building. Shops were looted in Paris, Bordeaux, Marseille, Lyon and other cities, while public buildings were vandalized or targeted by fires.
Authorities estimated that more than 550,000 people participated in demonstrations across France. Organizers put the figure at roughly 800,000.
Macron condemned the destruction Saturday evening, writing on X that those responsible for damaging property, attacking public buildings and looting businesses would face prosecution and punishment. He also expressed support for law enforcement and warned against efforts to undermine French institutions.
His statement came after violence had spread through several major cities, raising questions about the government's preparations for the demonstrations and its ability to contain the unrest.
The hostilities began as a month-long student movement over school conditions and teacher shortages in working-class suburbs before broadening into a larger protest movement against inequality, public spending cuts and the rising cost of living.
Government officials have blamed violent groups and looters for the destruction. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu attributed the unrest to the "ultra-left" and criminals, while opposition leaders criticized the government's handling of the violence ahead of next year’s presidential election.
Right-wing leader Marine Le Pen condemned the looting and destruction, while left-wing leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon defended the protesters’ broader grievances and criticized the government’s handling of the demonstrations. Mélenchon accused Lecornu of "playing with fire," according to reports.
The violence also left businesses facing extensive damage and mounting financial losses. Carrefour CEO Alexandre Bompard told French television that 50 of the retailer’s stores were damaged, including 20 that were looted, with losses estimated in the tens of millions of euros, according to Reuters.
The mayors of Paris, Marseille and Lyon have requested a meeting with the prime minister to discuss the damage. Local officials in Marseille and Bordeaux have announced or proposed emergency assistance for affected businesses.
Macron is scheduled to address the nation at 8 p.m. local time Sunday, or 2 p.m. Eastern, after meeting with senior government officials. His speech will come as France begins a nationwide cleanup effort and authorities prepare prosecutions for those arrested.
The address will mark a critical test for Macron as his government faces mounting pressure over the scale of the destruction, the police response and the economic grievances that fueled the demonstrations.
Meloni condemns ‘gangs of thugs’ after protests turned violent across Italy
Italy, like France, witnessed a day of protests on Saturday — several turning violent — as some Italian politicians blamed the extreme left for the lawlessness. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni took to social media to condemn the unrest and back law enforcement.
Meloni wrote on X: "Once again, the women and men of the Law Enforcement Forces have had to face the violence of criminals who, even through organized groups, exploit demonstrations to seek confrontation and sow chaos," she posted.
She added, "Because they were there to safeguard the safety of citizens, workers, merchants and all the people who have the right to live [in] their city without fear and without seeing it laid to waste and set ablaze by gangs of thugs," she continued. "We stand with you."
VIOLENCE ERUPTS AT FRANCE PROTESTS AS MACRON WARNS UNREST IS BEING EXPLOITED
Her Sunday morning post came after scenes of violence between protesters and police, the most visible being outside Milan’s historic Cathedral, known as the Piazza del Duomo.
The Associated Press reported 50 demonstrators, including minors, were detained and at least two police officers were hurt in a protest that required water cannons to disperse the crowd, quoting the LaPresse news agency. Rioters looted stores and smashed windows inside Milan’s Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, one of Italy’s most famous 19th‑century arcades.
Meloni had already laid blame for the protests on Saturday night, posting: "Thugs who exploit demonstrations to sow chaos, attack those who ensure security and hold entire cities hostage… Demonstrating is a right. Setting our cities ablaze is not."
She added a message to her political opponents: "I renew my request to the opposition: do not be ambiguous about this. Unequivocally condemn these acts of violence and issue a clear appeal for every mobilization to be peaceful."
Il Sole 24 news site quoted Francesco Filini, MP for Meloni's Fratelli d’Italia and national program coordinator, as saying: "It is no longer tolerable that every time left-wing extremists take to the streets, scenes of organized destruction unfold. We are not dealing with mere demonstrators, but with organized groups that plan violence."
Saturday's demonstrations were organized by the Confederazione Generale Italiana del Lavoro, or CGIL, Italy’s oldest labor union with over 5 million members, often connected to Italian political parties on the left.
Meloni posted she had "great respect for the thousands" who protested peacefully and calling participation "the foundation of any healthy democracy… we cannot ignore what happened in other Italian squares."
She noted that in Milan "stones were thrown at the Law Enforcement Forces, officers were injured, damage and violence occurred that forced the interruption of the procession. In Turin, people were stopped carrying cobblestones and window-breaking hammers. In Bologna, the disorders led to the precautionary closure of the railway station."
"In the face of scenes like these, the rejection must be unanimous," Meloni posted. "Any hesitation becomes justification. Silence is not acceptable."
ITALY ROCKED BY ANARCHIST-LED RIOTS AS OVER 100 POLICE INJURED, MELONI CONDEMNS VIOLENCE
Milan’s center-left mayor, Giuseppe Sala, told the Associated Press, "The reasons for the protests were understandable. The violence against law enforcement and serious damage to the city are not justifiable."
Reuters reported some 56 police officers were injured in the protest in Bologna, citing the police union, and the interior ministry says about 100 officers were hurt and around 30 arrests were made in the demonstration in Turin.
Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Pope Leo welcomed back as he delivers Angelus prayer days after lung cancer surgery
Pope Leo XIV made a remarkable return to the Vatican on Sunday, appearing before thousands of Catholic faithful in St. Peter's Square just five days after undergoing surgery to remove a cancerous tumor from his lung.
The 71-year-old pontiff delivered his traditional Angelus prayer from a window overlooking the square, marking his first official engagement since being discharged Saturday from Rome's Gemelli hospital, where doctors removed the lower lobe of his right lung.
Leo thanked the faithful for their prayers and support throughout his hospitalization, saying his recent health struggles had brought him closer to those suffering from illness. He also expressed gratitude to the doctors, nurses and hospital staff who cared for him following the operation.
POPE LEO XIV DISCHARGED FROM HOSPITAL, WILL RETURN TO VATICAN AFTER SURGERY TO REMOVE LUNG CANCER
The first American-born pope said he planned to gradually resume his regular activities with God's help and the continued prayers of the faithful.
During his Angelus address, Leo reflected on one of Jesus' best-known teachings, "Give therefore to the emperor the things that are the emperor's, and to God the things that are God's," urging Christians to live with integrity and resist hypocrisy.
His return came sooner than expected after doctors initially anticipated a hospital stay of approximately one week following Tuesday's surgery.
As he departed the hospital on Saturday, the pope told a reporter in English that he was doing "much better."
Claire Holland, visiting from Jacksonville, Fla., told The Associated Press she felt "very blessed" to witness the pope's return.
"I think there have been millions and millions of prayers. And he is a strong determined man, and I am so happy that he is feeling well enough to do this," Holland said.
POPE LEO UNDERGOES BLOOD TESTS, X-RAY FOLLOWING CANCER SURGERY, VATICAN SAYS
The surgery marked the first major health crisis of Leo's 17-month pontificate. Doctors confirmed that the tumor was adenocarcinoma, the most common form of lung cancer.
Doctors are conducting further testing on the tumor and surrounding lymph nodes to determine the extent of the disease and whether additional treatment, including chemotherapy, immunotherapy or targeted therapy, may be necessary.
The pope is scheduled to visit Uruguay, Argentina and Peru from Nov. 6 through Nov. 17, a demanding itinerary that includes a dozen flights and two helicopter rides to high-altitude destinations.
His surgeon, Dr. Stefano Margaritora, told Vatican News on Saturday that the pope appears well enough to go on the trip.
"The Holy Father has put his heart and soul into his recovery," Margaritora said, adding that he expected Leo to recover fully from the surgery "in another 10 days or so."
"As for a long trip involving air travel in about three weeks, I would say there are no clinical reasons why it should not take place," Margaritora said.
Fox News’ Courtney Walsh and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
European Parliament votes to confront Muslim Brotherhood, 'Islamist entryism' in overwhelming vote
Following the sanctioning of foreign Muslim Brotherhood groups by the Trump administration, the European Parliament recently took its own action against the transnational radical Islamist group.
As Europe begins to respond to the threat of radical Islam across the continent, an overwhelming majority of the European Parliament voted for a resolution that condemned the Muslim Brotherhood and its actions.
European Parliament member Céline Imart of France, who sponsored the resolution, called the vote "a historic victory because it is a European first. For the first time, Europe has voted on a text that tackles Islamist entryism and the Muslim Brotherhood."
EUROPE’S LEFT COURTS MUSLIM VOTERS AS ANTI-ISRAEL POLITICS RESHAPE CONTINENT
Imart posted on X that she had "broken a taboo that Europe has been dragging around like a chain: this victory signifies a major doctrinal shift in the institutions… We were able to transcend partisan divides on a major issue for our societies and our youth."
Lorenzo Vidino, director of the program on extremism at George Washington University, told Fox News Digital that, "This is something that the French and the Austrian governments have been pushing for almost a decade," noting a growing consensus across Europe that wants action.
The resolution was led by the European People’s Party, or EPP, a center-right coalition that is the largest group in the European Parliament. "The voting does reflect a gap between the right and the left," said Vidino, "with the right voting almost entirely in favor of the resolution, and a good part of the left, although with some notable exceptions, voting against it."
As part of her post on X, Imart made it a point to thank "the negotiators from the other groups with whom I had the pleasure of working - excluding the socialists and the far left, who boycotted the text."
Vidino said, "The Brotherhood remains something that is seen through the political lenses of our own political debates, where it shouldn't be... because it's a challenge to our societies."
A press release on the resolution issued by the European Parliament's news website stated that Islamist entryism targets "democratic institutions, the rule of law, equality between women and men and fundamental freedoms." It stressed that Muslim citizens must be protected from discrimination as "a democratic obligation," while "warning against treating organized Islamist networks as representative interlocutors."
The release also stated, "While Europe must remain free, open and faithful to its principles, it can ‘no longer fund, consult or legitimize networks that use its language, procedures and funding to weaken its values from within,’" but "MEPs stress that anti-discrimination policies must not be used to shield Islam from criticism or legitimize organized Islamist networks."
The resolution was slammed by ENAR, a pan-European anti-racism network, which released a statement following its passage. "ENAR condemns in the strongest possible terms the racist and Islamophobic resolution "on the need for an EU strategy to counter Islamist entryism and the influence of the Muslim Brotherhood network" proposed by the European People’s Party (EPP) and passed by the European Parliament today, including its targeting of ENAR and its members like FEMYSO through sham allegations and falsehoods seeking to associate our network with the Muslim Brotherhood. ENAR categorically rejects these claims."
It added in part, "This resolution is a stain on the European Parliament and marks a profoundly shameful day in Europe’s history. A Parliament that should defend democracy, equality and fundamental rights has instead given institutional legitimacy to a racist politics of suspicion that casts Muslim communities, Muslim-led civil society, organizations combating Islamophobia, and those who defend their rights as inherently suspect."
Edmund Fitton-Brown, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), told Fox News Digital "This resolution is where the pushback begins against Islamist entryism in Europe. It is admirably clearly worded. The task of converting it into binding legislation begins now and will be difficult."
The former UK ambassador to Yemen, Fitton-Brown added, "Europe regularly imagines that "legal", "non-violent" Islamism is in conflict with, and a potential antidote to, violent Islamist terrorism. It is not, it is a gateway to it, it creates the climate for it, and the two are pursuing the same goals, only via different tactics."
He added, "Europe fails to prioritize subversion as a threat, whereas during the Cold War it understood that threat and took serious measures to counter it. Europe also seeks to appease Islamist entryism by adopting hostile policies towards Israel, and sometimes by passing blasphemy-adjacent and anti-"Islamophobia" laws, thinking they are protecting the Muslim community. In fact, the main victims of these laws are liberal Muslims trying to escape the confines of their community and enjoy Western freedoms."
Asked about the differences between Europe and the U.S. approach to the Brotherhood, Vidino said the European way is "a bit more nuanced" than that of the U.S., where the Trump administration has designated the Muslim Brotherhood and 4 of its branches as terrorist organizations. He says Europe sees the Muslim Brotherhood "mostly through the lenses of entryism, of subversion, of a group that destroys the fabrics of society… a matter of a threat to democracy, but a lot of the activities of the Brotherhood might be legal if taken individually."
While noting that numerous security services across Europe have been warning about the Muslim Brotherhood for some time, Vidino says the resolution "sets the tone. It gives a political push," suggesting agencies and governments "might feel more legitimized in seeing the Brotherhood in negative ways."
"I'm a bit skeptical on whether this resolution would have a major tangible impact," Vidino added. "Islamist groups are very good at camouflaging their activities." While there is "no organization that calls itself Muslim Brotherhood in Europe," he said if and when funding is pulled from an Islamist organization by the EU, "They will make a fuss… They fight back. They have an ability to also leverage what could be a crisis, but turn it to their advantage by playing the victim card and the Islamophobia card."
As part of the resolution, the European Council was asked to assess whether entities or individuals linked to the Muslim Brotherhood should be added to the EU list of terrorist organizations. It called for full traceability of EU funding and a European Commission overview of EU funds awarded to people or entities suspected of links to the Muslim Brotherhood or political Islam.
It also welcomed initiatives by member states to draw up national lists of hate preachers and calls for the establishment of such a list at EU level, while also calling for stronger scrutiny of foreign funding and transnational partnerships, particularly involving actors linked to Qatar or Turkey and greater use of Schengen tools and EU databases.
"This vote is a victory, but it is also a starting point," Imart said. "The Commission and the Council must now take action, and I will make sure they do."
Fatalities, injuries reported at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright in Alberta after 'incident' that sparked fire
Canadian officials confirmed fatalities and injuries following a serious incident that sparked a major fire at one of the country's busiest military bases Saturday.
Canadian Defense Minister David McGuinty confirmed the incident at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright in Alberta, a major Army training installation.
He did not immediately specify how many people were killed or injured.
"I’m saddened to share that there have been both fatalities and injuries as a result of an incident on the base," McGuinty told reporters.
McGuinty said the fire was still burning Saturday evening.
"I cannot recall an incident like this in recent memory," he added.
The municipality of Wainwright said the fire had spread beyond the military base's perimeter into the surrounding area.
However, local officials said no evacuation orders had been issued.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney addressed the incident in a post on X.
"A serious incident creating a major fire has occurred at CFB Wainwright, in Alberta," Carney wrote. "Our thoughts are with all the brave women and men affected."
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith described the incident in a post on X as a "significant and tragic fire" that affected military personnel at the base.
The Canadian Armed Forces, Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and local emergency personnel were responding to the incident, according to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC).
"The Canadian Armed Forces, the Department of National Defence, partners across the federal government, including public safety, are working with the government of Alberta and municipal governments to mobilize all necessary support," McGuinty said.
Canadian Forces Base Wainwright is located roughly 130 miles east of Edmonton and had approximately 1,310 military and civilian personnel stationed there in 2021, according to census figures cited by Reuters.
The nearby town of Wainwright has a population of approximately 6,600.
It was not immediately clear what caused the incident.
Reuters contributed to this report.
Limoges Town Hall 'largely lost' after far-left rioters set historic building on fire amid French unrest
A historic building in the French town of Limoges, about three hours south of Paris, has been "largely lost" after it was set on fire by rioters as demonstrations continue across France.
The Limoges Town Hall was built in 1883, and was made a historic landmark in 1975.
"The roof has collapsed onto lower floors, except the west wing, and two-thirds of the exterior has already disappeared," the local prefect, Maurice Barate, told the AFP news agency.
MASSIVE FIRE DESTROYS 400-YEAR-OLD FOOD MARKET, LEAVING HISTORIC LANDMARK IN RUINS
Barate called it "a deliberate act by hooligans," adding that it was a "catastrophe for heritage."
The destruction came as far-left anti-government protests and violent clashes entered their fourth week in the European country over the cost of living.
On Saturday, outgoing President Emmanuel Macron wrote on social media: "There is no place for violence in our republic."
FRANCE EXPLODES AGAIN AS STUDENTS RIOT OVER EDUCATION
"Those who have broken, attacked the prefectures as well as businesses, looted even our town halls, will be prosecuted and punished," he added translated from French. "To the law enforcement forces, guarantors of the right to demonstrate, I express the support of the Nation. We will all stand united against the sowers of chaos, who seek only to bring down our institutions and prevent those who peacefully express their demands from doing so."
Macron leaves office in six months.
GRETA THUNBERG JOINS MASSIVE FRENCH STUDENT PROTESTS AS CARS BURN, POLICE FIRE TEAR GAS
Around 400 people were arrested on Saturday, according to Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez, as more than a half million people took part in more than 100 marches across the country.
Masked groups also attempted to break into city halls in Lille and Calais and a police station in Brest, the interior minister reported, along with violence in Rennes, Toulouse, Montpellier and Grenoble, among other cities.
BEHIND FRANCE'S STUDENT RIOTS: COMMUNISTS, UNIONS AND A GLOBAL PROPAGANDA NETWORK
Nuñez blamed the unrest on "extremely violent, radical far-left groups."
While many of the protests were without violence, many have descended into riots. Police used tear gas and water cannons on Saturday to disperse violent groups in Paris, where people wearing hoods and masks threw fireworks and other objects at officers in the Place de la République.
Three men get 158 years each for murdering American and Australian surfers, dumping bodies in Mexican well
Three men in Mexico received 158-year prison sentences Friday for the murders of Australian surfers Callum and Jake Robinson and their American friend Carter Redd Rhoad.
A federal judge in the town of Ensenada, Baja California sentenced Jesús Gerardo García, Irineo Francisco and Ángel Jesús each to 158 years and nine months in prison for murder, robbery with violence and vehicle theft with violence.
An accomplice of García's — Ary Gisell Silva Raya — was also convicted of aggravated robbery with violence and vehicle theft with violence and sentenced to 20 years in November after agreeing to an abbreviated trial.
AMERICANS WARNED POPULAR TRAVEL ROUTES THIS SUMMER COULD CARRY CRIME AND KIDNAPPING RISKS
García, Francisco and Jesús were convicted last week of killing the Robinson brothers and Rhoad, which authorities said was carried out in order to steal the tires from the deceased men's truck.
"The attackers pull out a gun they were carrying and kill the person who initially resisted the robbery, then on the other two," Baja California prosecutor María Elena Andrade said, according to a report from The Associated Press.
THREE WOMEN FOUND DEAD IN POPULAR AMERICAN TOURIST HOT SPOT AS LOCAL POLICE SEARCH FOR CLUES
Mexican authorities found the trio's bodies in a well in the state of Baja California in May 2024.
The three men traveled to Punta San José, about 50 miles from where their bodies were found in Ensenada, for a surfing trip in April 2024.
MEXICAN SPORTS JOURNALIST ROBBED AT GUNPOINT DURING LIVE REPORT
The parents of the Robinsons attended the sentencing, telling reporters the moment marked a significant conclusion to the tragic two years since their sons' deaths.
"Today’s guilty verdict is a significant moment in our long and painful journey to seek justice for our beautiful sons, Callum and Jake, and their friend Carter Rhoad, whose lives were so cruelly taken from them in 2024," Matin Robinson said.
POPULAR CRUISE LINE'S GIANT BEACH PARK BLOCKED BY MEXICO AFTER LOCAL BACKLASH ERUPTS
The deaths captured international attention and rocked the local economy, which authorities said was heavily reliant on tourism.
Antonio Otañez, president of the Baja California surfers association, said he was happy to see justice served but admitted the incident led to a "major drop" in tourism.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Former US ambassador says South Korea prosecuted him over speech made on American soil
A former U.S. diplomat appeared in court in South Korea Friday facing charges of defamation against President Lee Jae Myung for comments made on American soil in a case that has left him stranded in the Asian country.
Morse Tan's troubles began after he delivered a talk in June 2025 at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., and responded to a question where he brought up the South Korean leader's alleged involvement in a crime as an adolescent.
Since visiting the country in May, Tan has not been allowed to leave due to the case against him, having been charged under the Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection, etc., and the Criminal Act.
Tan issued his remarks about Lee’s alleged juvenile crimes at a National Press Club event titled: "Report on Election Fraud in the June 3 South Korean Presidential election." In response to a question about President Lee and other issues, Tan responded by citing allegations from a few years back that Lee was involved in a gang rape and murder when he was a teenager. He added that Lee, now 62, was sent to a juvenile detention center and did not complete junior high and high school.
SOUTH KOREAN PRESIDENT JUMPS TO INVEST IN MILITARY AFTER TRUMP CUTS JOINT EXERCISES
South Korean prosecutors say the criminal allegations against Lee are unsubstantiated, according to the Korea JoongAng Daily. The outlet wrote that they said Lee had not "been prevented from attending middle or high school due to such a criminal record."
Another South Korean news outlet, KBS World reported that "the prosecution previously verified that there was no record of Lee’s being incarcerated at a juvenile detention center and concluded that the rumors about his incarceration were false."
Asia Business Daily reported that Tan's attorney said that "Even if jurisdiction is recognized, the statements did not present false information, and Tan was not aware that they were false," adding, "He had no intention to defame."
Tan told Fox News Digital on Friday that he "pleaded not guilty because I believe that Lee Jae Myung is guilty" during his hearing at the Seoul Central District Court.
Tan, who has taught constitutional law and served as the dean of Liberty University’s law school, told Fox News Digital his "protected speech is about as protected as it gets." He said South Korea’s prosecutor invoked "criminal defamation, a dubious category which does not exist in the U.S.," to prosecute him.
A spokesperson for the South Korean Embassy in Washington, D.C. told Fox News Digital, "This case is being handled in accordance with the relevant laws and regulations, established principles and due process in the Republic of Korea and the restriction on departure is also imposed and reviewed accordingly."
Tan says he is disappointed that the U.S. Ambassador to South Korea, Michelle Steel, a former Republican congresswoman from California, has not publicly commented on Tan’s legal case — both Steel and Tan are Korean-Americans.
A U.S. State Department spokesperson declined to comment on the specifics of the case.
"The Trump Administration has no higher priority than the safety and security of Americans," the spokesperson told Fox News Digital. "Due to privacy and other considerations, we have nothing further to share at this time."
Tan said the case against him violated his due process rights, and the South Korean judicial system lacks jurisdiction to bring the case. He added that the second charge against him involves his July 2025 talk in South Korea, where he "raised some issues as questions" involving the president. "This is political lawfare. This is a persecution, not a prosecution," he said.
TRUMP SHOULD PRESS XI ON CHINA’S PERSECUTION OF BELIEVERS AT HOME AND ABROAD
Tan believes the motivation for seeking to criminalize his free speech stems from the South Korean government’s view of him as a "threat" and an outspoken critic of Lee’s alleged appeasement policy toward the North Korean communist regime.
"People consider me to be leading a movement against the communizing of South Korea," Tan said.
Tan accused the present government of being aligned with North Korean and Chinese communist regimes "against the U.S. and the Korean people."
Tan points to bias against him by South Korean authorities, who he says prohibited him from attending the funeral of his grandmother, while it allows South Korean prisoners to attend funerals for family members.
KBS World reported that the "Police, who had initially decided not to hand over Tan’s case to the prosecution, launched a reinvestigation at the prosecution’s request."
National Review Online also reported that the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency Cyber dismissed a complaint about Tan’s alleged defamatory statements in April 2026, declaring "no right to prosecute."
According to South Korean law, Tan could face a prison term if found guilty.
Violence erupts at France protests as Macron warns unrest is being exploited
Violent clashes broke out across France on Saturday as demonstrations entered a fourth week. Earlier in the week, President Emmanuel Macron made some of his most direct comments yet on the protests as he enters his final six months in office.
In his weekly cabinet meeting, Macron "stressed that young people have legitimate concerns," government spokeswoman Maud Bregeon told the AFP, "but these are being exploited for political purposes and turned into urban violence." Bregeon added that Macron called on his ministers to come up with "concrete responses" to the unrest within weeks.
This comes as a national day of protest over rising costs of living and additional student grievances led to violence in Paris and other major cities today. While many of the protests were without violence, police used tear gas and water cannons to disperse violent groups in the capital, where people wearing hoods and masks threw fireworks and other objects at officers in the Place de la République. The interior ministry reported assaults on police, looting and damage to public buildings, saying there have been at least 272 arrests nationwide.
FRANCE EXPLODES AGAIN AS STUDENTS RIOT OVER EDUCATION
French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu took a more direct approach than Macron, saying the student movement has been "instrumentalized by the allies of France Unbowed (LFI)... for electoral reasons." The left-wing LFI’s presidential candidate, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, even participated in one of the Paris protests this week, while LFI councilors, deputies, and mayors have joined student blockades in multiple cities.
Elections to replace the term-limited Macron are set for April and May, and opposition parties have seized upon the ongoing unrest. Leading candidate Marine Le Pen, of the conservative National Rally party, has voiced support for the police, blaming students for any violence.
BEHIND FRANCE'S STUDENT RIOTS: COMMUNISTS, UNIONS AND A GLOBAL PROPAGANDA NETWORK
Meanwhile, students, unions, rights groups and parents have accused the police of using excessive force against the students.
According to the AFP, the interior ministry has opened internal investigations into 36 allegations of police officer violence against demonstrators. But the national police union, Alliance Police Nationale, says it has filed a lawsuit against the government for "putting lives in danger" over what it called "contradictory orders" given to officers deployed in the protests.
The Alliance says officers felt "betrayed, abandoned, left to fend for themselves" by their political leaders because of their "unclear instructions" and what they said were public expressions of "empathy towards the rioters."
"This is the country of the French Revolution. Everyone boasts about it," police officer and union representative Walid Hrar told The Associated Press. "Some political parties don’t hesitate to say that we need to disobey the law. That’s what Robespierre and other revolutionaries taught us in 1789."
FRANCE IS DEVOURING ITSELF AS SCHOOL RIOTS REVEAL A CRISIS FAR BIGGER THAN BROKEN CLASSROOMS
"France always tends to react rather than anticipate," he added. "In other words, we’re always going to extremes."
On the sidelines of Friday’s European Council summit in Brussels, Macron again called for calm, saying, "There is a constitutional right to protest and to express oneself. But this right comes with the need to respect. Respect for people, respect for property, and therefore a commitment not to insult or destroy."
Lecornu told Parliament that 937 police officers and 149 teachers and school staff have been injured since the protests began, while the French justice ministry reports that nearly 8,000 people have been arrested.
Protests have also spread to neighboring Belgium. Several hundred mostly young people protested in Brussels today, according to Reuters, clashing with police in protests at least partly inspired by what is going on in France. A similar protest occurred in the French-speaking city of Liege. Student groups say they are protesting rising education costs and reforms they say will make higher education less accessible.
Belgian Interior Minister Bernard Quintin posted on X that what is happening in his country: "is no longer mere protest! It is pure and simple violence, organized and repeated to destabilize our society… All necessary means will be used to restore order in the face of the rioters."
Small solidarity events have also taken place in neighboring Luxembourg and the French-speaking parts of Switzerland, but they have been peaceful with no arrests reported. Student protests also occurred in India this week over education issues there, but they do not appear to be linked to the protests in France.
French authorities have expressed hope that the protest movement will ease in coming days as schools nationwide are closed until Nov. 2 due to the Toussain, or All Saints’, holiday.
The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
'Vast majority' of Iran's attempted attacks on Strait of Hormuz are unsuccessful, CENTCOM spokesman says
The "vast majority" of Iran's attempted attacks on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz are "unsuccessful" as the key waterway remains open for transit, U.S. Central Command Spokesperson U.S. Navy Capt. Tim Hawkins told Fox News Digital this week.
Hawkins spoke after CENTCOM said the GFS Pride, a Singapore-flagged, Cyprus-owned container ship was hit by an Iranian projectile in the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday and sunk while being towed ashore due to a fire on board the ship.
"The vast majority of Iran's attempted attacks on innocent civilian mariners transiting an international waterway, being the Strait of Hormuz, they are unsuccessful. As a matter of fact, the U.S. military has assisted in providing coordinated protection for thousands of ships that have safely transited," Hawkins said. "That translates to about 97% of the ships that have sought to transit the Strait of Hormuz have done so successfully without being hit by an Iranian projectile.
"But let's be clear here, what the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of Iran is doing is unjustified and it's also unsuccessful because they are not achieving their objective of closing the Strait of Hormuz," he added. "It is open, it is available for transit, and we've seen that transit continue this very day."
In an update Friday from CENTCOM Commander Adm. Brad Cooper, he said, "In recent days and months, we have seen the IRGC continually attack merchant ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz, and in many cases kill innocent civilian mariners.
"The International Maritime Organization reports that more than 20 civilian mariners have been killed by Iran's attacks against commercial shipping since February," Cooper continued.
"Over the last seven days alone, about 400 merchant ships have sailed through the Strait. U.S. forces have also assisted Gulf partners in shipping over 100 million barrels of crude oil during the same period, adding to the more than 1.3 billion barrels of crude we have helped regional allies ship through the Strait in recent months," he added.
Hawkins also told Fox News Digital that he thinks "every American should be proud of American service members who are serving across the Middle East, in particular focusing on doing two things at once as it relates to Iran.
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"And one is helping maintain flow through the Strait of Hormuz in the form of commercial vessels despite Iran's unjustified aggression," Hawkins said, noting that thousands of ships have crossed through the waterway over the last few months, "in addition to more than 1 billion barrels of crude oil.
"At the same time that they are encouraging traffic flow in support of international shipping, they are maintaining a steel wall blockade against Iran. There have been no exports or imports to Iran without U.S. permission in the form of allowing humanitarian ships to go through," Hawkins continued. "So that shows the precision, dedication, and professionalism of our troops who are executing this complex mission — not just one — but two at the same time."
More than 50,000 U.S. service members are currently stationed across the Middle East, according to Hawkins.
"They are highly vigilant, they are highly dedicated, and they're serving with courage and bravery. And they're doing so alongside our regional allies and partners. It shouldn't be forgotten that we continue to stand shoulder to shoulder with our Gulf allies and partners to help them defend their airspace from unjustified and unwarranted attacks from Iran, and we have been highly successful in working together, and will continue to do that," he said.
Fox News' Liz Friden contributed to this report.
Pope Leo XIV to be discharged from hospital and return to Vatican after surgery to remove lung cancer
Pope Leo XIV will be discharged from Gemelli Hospital in Rome on Saturday following surgery to remove a cancerous node in his lung, according to a statement from the Holy See.
"Following the doctors’ assessment this morning, Pope Leo XIV will be discharged today from Gemelli Hospital, where he was hospitalized for surgery on his right lung," the statement read.
"He will leave the hospital in the early afternoon and return to the Vatican. Tomorrow, he will lead the Angelus prayer from the window of the papal apartment," the statement added.
The pope received blood tests and a chest X-ray Saturday, both of which confirmed he is well enough to return to the Vatican, according to Vatican News.
The pope will celebrate mass in a room on the 10th floor of Gemelli Hospital before returning to the Vatican, according to the Holy See press office.
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Pope Leo underwent thoracic surgery to remove the node on Tuesday. Following the successful surgery, doctors diagnosed him with lung adenocarcinoma, a form of lung cancer.
"The Pope was in the operating room approximately three hours, while the operation itself lasted about 90 minutes. The doctors said it was successful and there were no complications," a statement from the Holy See press office read.
"Pope Leo awoke normally after surgery and, following a brief period of observation, returned to his room on the hospital’s 10th floor," Vatican News added in a statement.
While recovering, Pope Leo called Russian President Vladimir Putin and urged him to call for a ceasefire in the Ukrainian city of Oleshky.
POPE LEO XIV SEEN FOR FIRST TIME SINCE LUNG CANCER SURGERY AMID MAJOR RECOVERY MILESTONE
"During the conversation, the Holy Father expressed his deep concern about the grave humanitarian situation in the city of Oleshky, in the Kherson region, and called for a ceasefire to allow the delivery of food and medical assistance and the voluntary and safe evacuation of the civilian population," a statement from the Vatican read.
"Finally, the Holy Father reaffirmed the Holy See’s commitment to promoting dialogue and peace," the statement added.
Russia has controlled the southern Ukrainian city since May and has not allowed any humanitarian food deliveries in the city. Oleshky also has no electricity, gas or running water, and the hospital is barely functional, according to previous Fox News Digital reporting.
Fox News Digital contacted the Holy See for further comment.
Fox News Digital's Brie Stimson contributed to this report.
ChinaAid raises alarm over imprisoned Chinese pastor's health as family seeks answers
The founder of Christian human rights organization ChinaAid is raising concerns over the health of an imprisoned Chinese pastor who may be suffering from advanced liver cancer, as his family continues to face restrictions on visitation adn access to medical information.
Rev. Dr. Bob Fu, founder and president of ChinaAid, told Fox News in an interview that reports concerning Pastor Wang Yi's health are "very worrying," citing information received from multiple sources inside China.
Wang, the founding pastor of Early Rain Covenant Church in Chengdu, has been imprisoned since December 2018 and is serving a nine-year sentence on charges of inciting subversion of state power and illegal business operations.
Although Fu believes that reports of advanced liver cancer are credible, he acknowledged that his organization has not been able to independently confirm the diagnosis.
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Fu said ChinaAid was "not able to really independently verify" the reports, citing restrictions on access to Wang and the absence of an independent medical examination.
The organization first publicly raised concerns about Wang's condition on Sept. 28, calling on Chinese authorities to provide his family with access to him and disclose information about his medical treatment.
During the interview, Fu revealed that authorities reportedly provided information by telephone about medical examination they claimed had been conducted on Oct. 1.
According to Fu, prison officials cited medical information indicating Wang was in good health. However, his family has not been permitted a new in-person visit to independently assess his condition.
Fu said that despite repeated letters from Wang's wife and relatives requesting access, "no meeting had been granted at all," since the latest health concerns emerged.
The pastor's church has also expressed uncertainty about his condition.
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In an Oct. 3 open letter, Early Rain Covenant Church acknowledged the reports but said it could not determine whether Wang had fallen ill. The church called on prison authorities to permit regular family visits, correspondence and telephone calls, as well as provide information about any necessary medical care.
According to the church, Wang's family has been permitted fewer than five visits during nearly eight years of imprisonment.
Fu likewise described severely restricted visitation, saying meetings have been brief and closely monitored by authorities. He alleged that discussions concerning Wang's health or religious beliefs have resulted in visits being abruptly terminated.
"Two years, not a single letter for his wife," Fu said, describing the restrictions on communication.
"That's not acceptable. That's even a violation of its own law."
Wang was arrested on Dec. 9, 2018, during a crackdown on Early Rain Covenant Church, an independent Protestant congregation operating outside China's state-regulated religious systems.
In December 2019, a Chinese court sentenced him to nine years in prison. The U.S. State Department condemned the conviction at the time, describing the prosecution as connected to Wang's peaceful advocacy for religious freedom and calling for his release.
The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom currently lists Wang as a religious prisoner of conscience and has documented reports of medical neglect.
Fu also raised concerns about the treatment of Wang's wife Jiang Rong, who was detained during the initial crackdown.
He said Jiang had previously been subjected to residential surveillance at a police-arranged location, rather than being allowed to remain in her own home, and described the lasting emotional consequences of her treatment.
Fu said he believes the severity of the reports warrants immediate action, particularly given the limited access to Wang.
He called on the Chinese authorities to permit Wang's wife, son and elderly parents to meet with him privately, allow an independent medical examination in the presence of legal counsel, and release his medical records, including information concerning medications administered during his imprisonment.
Fu also expressed concern about reports of mistreatment of other prisoners of conscience, including allegations of forced medication and serious physical and psychological harm. Those allegations were discussed as part of his broader concerns about the treatment of detainees in China, rather than as established evidence of what has happened to Wang.
The ChinaAid president urged the Trump administration to raise Wang's case directly with Chinese officials during upcoming diplomatic engagements.
"I really want to see the Trump administration to continue to speak up forcefully," Fu told Fox News, calling for the names of individual prisoners of conscience to be included in high-level discussions.
He pointed to the July release of Pastor Ezra Jin Mingri, who was reunited with his family after President Donald Trump raised his case with Chinese President Xi Jinping during a May visit to Beijing.
Fu believes that example demonstrates the potential importance of direct diplomatic intervention, although the circumstances of Jin's release do not establish that such pressure would produce the same result in Wang's case.
Trump and Xi are expected to attend upcoming international summits, including the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation leader's meeting in Shenzhen, China, in November and the G-20 summit in Miami in December.
Fu urged U.S. leaders not to allow trade and security negotiations to overshadow concerns about religious freedom, human rights and the treatment of prisoners.
"I think it's time to hold them accountable," Fu said.
In a statement to Fox News, Chinese Embassy spokesperson Liu Chang said the embassy had no information to provide regarding Wang's specific case.
The spokesperson defended China's religious policies, saying the government protects freedom of religious belief under Chinese law and does not interfere in religious groups' internal affairs.
Liu added that China prohibits illegal activities carried out under the guise of religion and opposes foreign interference in its domestic affairs.
The embassy did not directly address questions about Wang's reported medical condition, family visitation or the possibility of an independent medical examination.
The U.S. State Department did not respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment by publication time.
Recovering from lung surgery, Pope Leo urges Putin to agree to ceasefire in Russian-held Ukraine city
Pope Leo XIV called Russian President Vladimir Putin while recovering from surgery in the hospital to urge him to call a ceasefire in the city of Oleshky in Ukraine.
"During the conversation, the Holy Father expressed his deep concern about the grave humanitarian situation in the city of Oleshky, in the Kherson region, and called for a ceasefire to allow the delivery of food and medical assistance and the voluntary and safe evacuation of the civilian population," the Vatican said in a statement.
"Finally, the Holy Father reaffirmed the Holy See’s commitment to promoting dialogue and peace."
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The situation in Oleshky is dire with no humanitarian food deliveries allowed in the Russian-controlled city since May. It also has no electricity, gas or running water, and the hospital is barely functional.
The pope was diagnosed with lung cancer Tuesday and underwent a procedure to remove the lower lobe of his right lung.
The 71-year-old remained in the hospital recovering on Friday but seemed to be doing well.
Along with the call, he held Mass in a makeshift hospital chapel, and the Vatican released the first images of him since his surgery, which showed him standing at an altar.
POPE LEO XIV SEEN FOR FIRST TIME SINCE LUNG CANCER SURGERY AMID MAJOR RECOVERY MILESTONE
His doctors said he showed "continued improvement."
"His post-operative recovery allows him to carry out his normal daily activities completely on his own," a medical update signed by his personal physician, Luigi Carbone, and the head of thoracic surgery at Gemelli, Dr. Stefano Margaritora, said.
The pope is expected to deliver his traditional Angelus prayer service on Sunday either from the hospital or the Vatican.
He is also still expected to travel to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru starting Nov. 6 as planned.
The Kremlin blames Ukraine for the situation in Oleshky with Putin giving the pope a "detailed explanation regarding the Kyiv regime’s responsibility for the difficult humanitarian situation there," the Kremlin said.
Putin also supports "the Vatican’s intention to help create conditions for ensuring the safety of the local population and facilitating the delivery of essential supplies," the Kremin added.
Autistic teen lured to fake Snapchat meetup, brutally beaten by group of teens: report
Three teenage boys were charged after a 15-year-old boy with autism was beaten and robbed near a train station in Australia in a violent attack captured on video as other teenagers watched.
The assault happened Oct. 5 in Stawell, a town in the Australian state of Victoria, after the victim was reportedly lured to the area through a Snapchat meetup arranged with two girls, according to Australian news outlet news.com.au.
Video of the attack shows several teenagers punching and kicking the boy, knocking him to the ground and repeatedly striking him as he attempts to get away. One attacker demands the victim hand over his shoes before the group allows him to leave.
Victoria Police announced Tuesday that detectives had charged one 14-year-old boy and two 15-year-old boys after an investigation.
Detectives from the Northern Grampians Crime Investigation Unit executed four search warrants in the region before arresting the teenagers, police said.
All three face charges of affray, robbery, recklessly causing injury and theft. They are expected to appear in a children's court at a later date.
Police said a fourth boy who was not present when the search warrants were served would be interviewed as part of the ongoing investigation.
The victim, who also has epilepsy, suffered soft tissue injuries and possible head injuries, according to news.com.au. His mother told the outlet doctors were conducting additional scans to determine whether he had bleeding in his brain.
"I’m just lucky to have him alive. … He’s having nightmares," she said.
The boy has since returned home but is afraid to go outside, his mother told the outlet.
Superintendent Dan Davison acknowledged the concern the attack had caused in the Stawell community and said police had been working to identify those responsible.
"Since last Monday, local uniform police and detectives have been working tirelessly to identify those involved and hold them to account, and this important work will continue," Davison said in a news release.
"There is never any excuse for violence in our community, and we will not accept it in any form.
"Detectives are continuing to investigate the matter, and while we are treating it as an isolated incident, additional patrols will take place across Stawell to ensure our community not only is safe but feels safe."
Police said additional patrols would be deployed throughout Stawell as detectives continued investigating the assault.
Houthis emerge as global threat beyond Iran control amid Saudi strikes, former envoy warns
The Houthis are increasingly operating independently of Tehran, posing a "clear and very present danger" on the international stage as the terror group rearms and sharpens its strike capabilities, a former U.S. envoy warned Thursday.
The warning came amid deadly missile and drone attacks on Saudi Arabia in recent days and growing threats to global shipping routes and critical Middle East infrastructure in the run-up.
Turki al-Maliki, spokesperson for the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen, also confirmed Thursday that Houthi attacks on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh had killed 17 and injured 333 others from Oct. 7-11.
Speaking at a news conference in Riyadh, al-Maliki said the Oct. 10 attack involved 10 drones, missiles and other projectiles.
"King Khalid International Airport has been subjected to 20 attacks since (Oct. 1)," he noted.
Tim Lenderking, who served as U.S. special envoy for Yemen from 2021 to 2025 and was posted to Saudi Arabia from 2013 to 2016, said Saudi officials had warned more than a decade ago that the Houthis would become a major threat, a prediction he says has now materialized.
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"The Saudis were very clear to our leaders that they viewed the Houthis as a major threat," Lenderking said of his time in the kingdom a decade ago.
At the time, he said, the group was "quietly building up their capability, burnishing their narrative of why they sought to lead Yemen as a messianic group, as a group from northern Yemen, with an agenda, with a mission."
The Houthis had emerged as a religious and political movement in Yemen in the 1990s, but their ties to Iran developed into a military partnership after 2014, when Tehran expanded its assistance and training during Yemen's civil war.
"The Houthis don't really need the Iranians anymore," Lenderking, a former acting assistant secretary for Near Eastern affairs at the U.S. State Department, continued, adding it was still "a very important relationship that "enabled the Houthis to become the powerful force that they are."
Lenderking, now a distinguished diplomatic fellow at the Middle East Institute (MEI), said, over time, the Houthis had developed their own "homegrown indigenous capability" as they capitalized on any disunity across the Gulf region.
Saturday's missile and drone attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh raised concerns that President Donald Trump could be drawn into a broader regional conflict as Saudi Arabia seeks U.S. assistance.
Asked whether the U.S. would defend Saudi Arabia against further attacks, Trump said, "You'll find out soon."
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Speaking at an MEI briefing, Lenderking said the Houthis' sophisticated weapons and targeting capabilities have transformed the group from a regional insurgency into an international security threat.
"They have the capability to hit around the region, including up into the northern reaches of the Red Sea. So, this is a regional problem, and given the fact that the Houthis control the west coast of Yemen," Lenderking said.
"It's an international problem now."
Lenderking cited the precision of the Riyadh airport attack as evidence of the Houthis' growing capabilities compared with earlier strikes during the Gaza conflict.
"They can hit things better. Now, they are hitting Terminal Four of Riyadh Airport, very specifically. It's a clear and very present danger," he said.
The Houthis reportedly launched multiple drones followed by cruise and ballistic missiles that traveled more than 620 miles to Riyadh, prompting an investigation into possible Saudi air defense failures, according to The Associated Press, citing regional officials.
Saudi forces intercepted two more ballistic missiles targeting Riyadh on Monday. On Tuesday, a Houthi strike caused damage to Aramco's headquarters in Dhahran, sparking a fire that spread across several floors, Reuters reported.
Lenderking said the Houthis have built extensive weapons supply chains, smuggling networks and domestic financing operations that allow them to sustain attacks without relying solely on Tehran.
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"They get a lot of supplies off the open market through the internet, through commercial exchanges. They have a very well entrenched smuggling network, from big boats onto small boats, onto tiny boats, on the pack animals, on people's backs.
"They are able to move things undetected through government terrain, even through various borders and with a lot of wide open space there. They are constantly moving, building, resupplying, restocking, innovating."
The group's self-sufficiency also extends to financing. Lenderking said the Houthis generate revenue through black-market oil sales, taxation and extortion while also forcing families to provide recruits, allowing the group to continue fighting even if Iranian assistance is cut off.
"They have had support from Iran over the years, so they have money in the bank from that," Lenderking said.
"They relied on sales of black market oil in the past. They extort Yemeni transport companies, businesses. They tax people in areas that they control. They force many families to offer up a son to fight on the front lines."
The Houthis' expanding arsenal has raised concerns about potential Chinese involvement in their weapons supply networks.
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Yemen's government has accused the rebels of seeking Chinese components for medium-range ballistic missiles, raising concerns about the group's access to advanced military technology.
"There is a Chinese connection here that's very detrimental," Lenderking warned, adding that front companies have helped the group obtain weapons through commercial channels.
Lenderking warned that the Houthis could also target Saudi energy facilities, pipelines and desalination plants, infrastructure critical to the kingdom's economy and water supply.
"The Houthis have hit pipelines," he said. "They have diesel plants and other energy infrastructure in their sights."
Attacks on such facilities could disrupt global energy markets, maritime commerce and regional stability.
The Houthis also control Yemen's western coastline along the Red Sea, a vital shipping corridor connecting Europe and Asia.
With the rebels now capable of striking targets hundreds of miles away, Lenderking warned that the threat extends far beyond Yemen's borders.
"One blast at Riyadh Airport is a huge statement," the expert said.
"That's why I come back to the fact that this is an international conflict," he said, adding that "immediate action is required."
Albania rioters clash with police for Socialist government as European unrest spreads
Clashes between police and protesters who are against Albania's Socialist government erupted in the country's capital for the third consecutive day Thursday as Prime Minister Edi Rama vowed he will not resign.
Rioters in Tirana were seen throwing rocks at a police cordon outside Albania's Education Ministry, prompting law enforcement to respond with tear gas and water cannons, according to The Associated Press.
The clashes followed riots on Wednesday when protesters attacked government buildings, banks and businesses, leaving 89 people injured, including 61 police officers.
"As for calls for my resignation, governments are changed through democratic elections. We had elections last year, not a revolution," Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama told Reuters on Thursday.
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"My responsibility is to listen, address legitimate concerns and keep Albania moving forward," he added. "The alternative would be a betrayal of the Albanians who gave me a strong mandate to complete negotiations on European Union membership."
Thursday's protests included student groups seeking education reforms, as well as others staging a broader anti-government movement opposed to a major development project linked to President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, the AP reported.
The so-called flamingo movement is calling for the resignation of Rama over allegations of widespread corruption. The movement earned the name after protesters used signs depicting the pink bird.
"The message from the streets is clear: Albanians have had enough. Public patience with Edi Rama’s socialist government has come to an end," Agim Nesho, former Albanian Ambassador to United States, told Fox News Digital on Thursday.
"The wheels are coming off Edi Rama’s socialist government. After 13 years in power, his administration faces mounting accusations of corruption, misuse of public funds, and political favoritism," Nesho said. "Meanwhile, poverty, unemployment, inadequate public services, and the mass exodus of young Albanians seeking better opportunities in Europe have fueled widespread anger. Critics argue that, as with other failed socialist governments, the political elite has benefited while ordinary citizens have been left struggling to make ends meet."
An EU delegation in Albania called late Wednesday for a proportionate response from authorities, expressing concern at "the violent escalation at the protest in Tirana."
Rama won his fourth term as prime minister last year, running on a platform centered around Albania joining the EU, which it hopes to achieve as early as 2028, according to Reuters.
Student organizers told Reuters that the protests are over higher education costs, a lack of financial support, conditions at universities and job prospects after graduating.
The prime minister said to the news agency that he is ready to discuss the cost of education, but added, "Attacking institutions, destroying public property and threatening public safety have nothing to do with the legitimate demands of students."
"Corruption must be confronted and, as the EU itself has recently reaffirmed, Albania is tackling it as never before," Rama also said. "Perhaps some forces, at home and abroad, do not want Albania to succeed as a forerunner for EU membership. But I will not allow violence to derail Albania's European future."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
'Not wanted': Irish hotel reportedly cancels 70 rooms reserved for antisemitism conference attendees
A Dublin hotel declined to host an international event focused on combating antisemitism and subsequently withdrew approximately 70 rooms reserved for delegates after its general manager questioned whether the Israel Defense Forces would be involved, according to a Jewish community leader who attended the meeting.
Maurice Cohen, chairman of the Jewish Representative Council of Ireland, told Fox News Digital that he and an event organizer met with representatives of the Herbert Park Hotel, including its general manager, on May 7 to explain the gathering and discuss arrangements.
The event was connected to this week's Special Envoys and Coordinators Combating Antisemitism Conference, which brought Jewish leaders, diplomats and government officials responsible for confronting antisemitism to Dublin, Ireland.
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Cohen said organizers had received written confirmation that approximately 70 rooms were being held for participants.
During the meeting, Cohen explained that the event would bring together Jewish community representatives, diplomats and government officials, many of whom were not Jewish. He said the manager’s demeanor appeared to change before she asked whether the IDF would be involved.
"I was completely taken aback by that question," Cohen told Fox News Digital. "I said, ‘What would the IDF have to do with a conference on antisemitism?’"
Cohen said the hotel did not answer. The general manager told him she would need to consult the hotel’s owners before deciding whether the event could proceed.
On May 8, one day after the meeting, organizers received an email stating that the hotel could not accommodate their "event," Cohen said. Two to three days after the May 7 meeting, organizers followed up by asking whether the approximately 70 rooms reserved for delegates remained available.
The hotel then informed them that the rooms were no longer available and claimed they had automatically been released one week before the meeting, according to Cohen. He said the hotel never mentioned that during the discussion with management.
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"Why would you hold a meeting seven days after the rooms had been canceled without mentioning them?" Cohen said. "To my mind, that excuse was a retrospective excuse."
Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, told Fox News Digital, "If the reports from Dublin are accurate, this is a disgraceful example of the very antisemitism the conference was organized to combat."
"Seventy rooms had been booked. Seventy people had been welcomed as guests," Cohen said during an Oct. 13 address at Ireland’s Department of Foreign Affairs. "The only thing that changed was what they were understood to be."
The experience was personal for Cohen, who said he had attended meetings, New Year’s Eve celebrations and his mother’s birthdays at the hotel through her 93rd birthday.
"How quickly does the word ‘Jewish’ change a conversation?" Cohen asked during his address.
The disputed hotel cancellation is the latest episode to raise concerns among Jewish leaders about antisemitic discrimination in Ireland. The country has no official state mechanism dedicated to tracking antisemitic incidents, leaving community organizations to document cases and prompting concerns that many experiences are never formally recorded.
Ireland’s Jewish community numbers only about 2,200 people. Against that backdrop, the Jewish Representative Council of Ireland recorded 143 self-reported antisemitic incidents through its first six-month reporting initiative, including verbal abuse, threats, vandalism and discrimination. The council cautioned that the findings represent only a partial picture because antisemitism is often underreported.
Cohen said the atmosphere for Ireland’s small Jewish community has deteriorated since the Oct. 7 Hamas terrorist attacks, describing the wider climate facing Jewish and Israeli people in Ireland as "ambient antisemitism."
Fox News Digital sent questions to the Irish government asking whether it condemns the hotel’s reported actions and whether any review or investigation is being considered. The office of Prime Minister Micheál Martin, the government departments responsible for foreign affairs and justice, and the Irish Embassy in Washington, D.C., were contacted for comment. None had responded at the time of publication.
In an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital in September, Martin said, "We have no toleration for antisemitism, none."
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"It’s all around us," Cohen told Fox News Digital. "If you say you’re Israeli, you may not get into certain places. The narrative is so one-sided."
When Fox News Digital reached the Herbert Park Hotel directly by phone and asked about Cohen’s account, the decision to reject the event and the subsequent release of approximately 70 rooms, a hotel representative responded, "No comment."
Cohen said the hotel’s management should speak directly with Jewish community representatives and receive training on contemporary antisemitism.
"They need training on what antisemitism is," Cohen told Fox News Digital. "They need to be cognizant of the fact they are promoting antisemitism. They need to understand why they’re so wrong."
Cohen said several Irish lawmakers and civil servants contacted him personally after his Oct. 13 address, though he had not seen a broader public condemnation from the Irish government.
"I, like most people, don’t want to be in a place where I’m not wanted," Cohen said.
Fox News Digital also reached out to the owners of the hotel through its corporate entity but did not receive a response by the time of publication.
UN inquiry member says some genocide claims against Israel unverified as Gaza reports population growth
The allegations of genocide against Israel took more hits this week following the reported admission by a senior member of the U.N. Commission of Inquiry on Israel that claims had not been independently verified. This comes as the Palestinian Ministry of Health data shows Gaza’s population grew in 2025.
Critics say the accusations fueled antisemitism around the world and that those pushing the genocide claims — including major international media outlets — need to be made accountable for their words.
In September 2025, the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem and Israel (COI) released a report stating that Israel had committed genocide in Gaza since October 2023. In the report, the COI cited an article from the Guardian stating that 83% of Gazans killed in the conflict were civilians.
Following the release of data from the COI commissioner, Chris Sidoti, in an interview last week reported by JNS and posted on X was asked whether the COI had independently established that the remainder of Palestinians said to be killed in the fighting were civilians, Sidoti said, "No, we didn’t because we don’t have that information … We literally do not know, nor does anybody else know, including the IDF, how many militants were there."
The former chair of the committee, Navanethem "Navay" Pillay, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize last week.
The Palestinian MOH Health Information Unit recently released statistics on overall mortality in Gaza for 2025. This is the first update to include non-violent deaths since 2022, prior to the outbreak of conflict following the terror attacks of Oct. 7, 2023.
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The MOH reported that 24,650 deaths were registered in 2025, with 18,085 (73.4%) being males and 6,565 (26.6%) being females. 70.1% of deaths, or 17,286 cases, were attributed to direct targeting in the war.
The MOH also reported 50,227 live births in 2025. Fox News Digital reached out to officials at the ministry but did not get a response by press time.
Elliot Malin, president at Stratos Council, told Fox News Digital that the MOH data is further evidence against accusations of genocide. With the number of live births in 2025 far greater than the number of deaths, Malin says it is "very hard for us to infer the intent of Israel was to destroy Palestinians in Gaza to a substantial portion."
"We’re not seeing a population under threat. We are seeing that it is actually able to sustain itself," Malin said. He took issue with the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) declaration last year that famine had reached Gaza in the summer of 2025. Malin said that "if the population is sustaining and growing through this, what they call a famine, it indicates that there is enough caloric intake to sustain the population."
Gabriel Epstein, senior policy associate at Israel Policy Forum, also told Fox News Digital that widespread allegations of genocide are not supported by the MOH report. First, the report "absolutely" demonstrates population growth in 2025, according to Epstein, who added it would "be surprising" if the population of Gaza, "one of the youngest…in the world," was not growing.
While he says that it is impossible to discern the actual rate of population growth given factors like emigration and immigration, Epstein said that "the argument that we would need to make to say that there was negative population growth in 2025 would be to more than double the number of both violent and non-violent deaths."
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Andrew Fox, senior associate fellow at the Henry Jackson Society, told Fox News Digital that "the data now shows that there was no famine in Gaza." He said that the allegations play into "the ages-old blood libel of Jews killing children and undoubtedly stoked the global fires of antisemitism. Agencies and the media who shared these false allegations have blood on their hands."
Epstein said that the latest MOH data is strong proof against the statements from external organizations who used estimates and ratios of non-violent deaths from other conflict zones to suppose that the MOH’s ongoing count of the death toll in Gaza was inaccurate, and that deaths had likely reached multiple hundreds of thousands. These estimated figures were largely used to drive the narrative that Israel was committing genocide in Gaza. He said that current MOH figures "really eliminate the possibility that there is a much higher death toll driven by non-violent or non-trauma deaths."
He noted that comparing the latest report with ongoing MOH data on overall casualties throughout the war shows that the MOH was not "missing the vast, vast majority of [malnutrition-related] deaths you would have needed to be missing to justify the IPC’s assessment" that famine had reached parts of Gaza in summer 2025.
The IPC did not respond to Fox News Digital’s questions about how new information impacts its prior declaration of famine.
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In the MOH’s favor, Epstein said that the current tranche of figures supports a real attempt at honest accounting from the health organization, which was accused of inflating civilian casualties — particularly those of women and children — during the early days of the war.
In its latest report, however, the MOH does not distinguish how many terrorists were among those killed in the conflict. In fact, it states that "The number of deaths among males was approximately 4.9 times the number of deaths among females within this group — attributed principally to the direct targeting of working-age men during military operations."
A spokesperson from the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) told Fox News Digital that, "The IDF targets terrorists and military objectives, not civilians based on their age or gender. The fact that more military-age men are disproportionately among those eliminated is consistent with the fact that terrorist organizations are predominantly composed of men in this age group. It does not demonstrate that the IDF targets individuals because they are men or of a certain age."
The spokesperson added that, "Targets are selected based on their military nature or an individual’s involvement in terrorist organizations or participation in hostilities, in accordance with international law and IDF directives. Unlike Hamas, which deliberately targets Israeli civilians, the IDF takes all feasible precautions to mitigate harm to civilians and operates under a structured targeting framework designed to ensure the identification of lawful military objectives."
Epstein also pushed back against the MOH claim that working-aged men are being purposefully targeted. Epstein said that "military-aged men aren't appearing disproportionately because the IDF was targeting military-aged men as such, but because the vast majority of militants come from that range." He said that "Gaza is unique in how heavily militarized its male population is."
Epstein added that available 2025 data does not support the claim that the IDF acted with the intent to cause harm to the population. Not only do the Oct. 7, 2023 attacks and hybridization of civilian and military structures in Gaza provide a rationale for military targeting, Epstein emphasized that the IDF has taken numerous mitigation measures to avoid civilian casualties.
Requests for comment to the Palestinian Ministry of Health were not returned by press time.
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