Feed aggregator

President Donald Trump appeared to take a swipe at Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy by reiterating his call for elections, despite Ukraine's wartime prohibition against them. 

The remarks come as Washington works to secure a deal to end the Russia-Ukraine war.

"They haven’t had an election in a long time," Trump told Politico. "You know, they talk about a democracy, but it gets to a point where it’s not a democracy anymore."

It's not the first time that Trump has called for Ukraine to hold elections. In February, Trump sparked controversy when he referred to Zelenskyy as a "dictator without elections" in a Truth Social post.

PUTIN CALLS TRUMP’S PEACE PLAN A ‘STARTING POINT’ AS HE WARNS UKRAINE TO PULL BACK OR FACE 'FORCE'

"He refuses to have elections, is very low in Ukrainian polls and the only thing he was good at was playing Biden 'like a fiddle.' A dictator without elections, Zelenskyy better move fast or he is not going to have a country left," Trump wrote.

A few days after the post, Zelenskyy visited the White House, where he had an infamous clash with Trump and Vice President JD Vance. The three men sparred over the war as Zelenskyy attempted to paint it as a possible threat to the U.S., something Trump and Vance rejected.

UKRAINIAN OFFICIAL YERMAK RESIGNS AS CORRUPTION PROBE ENCIRCLES ZELENSKYY

On Tuesday, Zelenskyy said that after speaking with European leaders, he was ready to present a peace proposal to the U.S.

"We are working very actively on all components of potential steps toward ending the war. The Ukrainian and European components are now more developed, and we are ready to present them to our partners in the U.S. Together with the American side, we expect to swiftly make the potential steps as doable as possible," Zelenskyy wrote on X. "We are committed to a real peace and remain in constant contact with the United States."

Zelenskyy said the end of the war depended on Russia's willingness to "take effective steps to stop the bloodshed."

The peace deal is not the only issue on Zelenskyy's plate. He's also facing turbulence on the home front after a recent political scandal. Andriy Yermak, the head of the office of the president of Ukraine, resigned late last month after his home was raided by anti-corruption investigators. Upon Yermak's resignation, Zelenskyy thanked him for "always presenting the Ukrainian position in the negotiation track exactly as it should be."

Fox News Digital reached out to Zelenskyy's office and the White House for comment.

Fox News Digital's Alex Nitzberg and Fox News' Simon Owen contributed to this report.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen are in talks with a reluctant Belgium over what to do with billions of dollars in frozen Russian assets held in the country.

According to the Belgian government, at least €197 billion (approximately $224 billion) of sanctioned Russian assets are held in Euroclear, a Brussels-based financial institution. The European Commission wants to seize these assets and transfer them to Ukraine as part of a €165 billion financial package for Ukraine (approximately $190) to help pay its bills and fund the war effort.  

Prime Minister Bart De Wever is concerned that taking Russia’s assets could be interpreted as an act of war by Russia and provoke Russian President Vladimir Putin to retaliate against Belgium.

EU OFFICIAL WARNS 'IMPUNITY' FOR RUSSIA WOULD MARK 'HISTORIC MISTAKE OF HUGE PROPORTIONS'

Dmitry Medvedev, the deputy head of the country's Security Council, even threatened Brussels and its European allies in an inflammatory post on X.

"If the crazy EU does steal frozen Russian assets for a "reparations loan," we may view it as a casus belli with all the relevant implications for Brussels & Co.," the former Russian president said.

EU leaders are up against a tight clock, as Ukraine is projected to run out of funds for the war in April and EU leaders will convene on Dec.18 to make a final decision on how to support Ukraine’s budgetary needs for the next two years.

Key European leaders have traveled back-and-forth to Belgium to convince the government to sign on to the reparation proposal. The plan has widespread support within the European Union, but Belgium’s prime minister has so far stood in the way.

"Belgium’s particular situation regarding the use of the frozen Russian assets is undeniable and must be addressed in such a way that all European states bear the same risk. We agreed to continue our discussions with the aim of reaching a consensus at the European Council meeting on December 18," von der Leyen posted on X after meeting with Merz and De Wever.

Merz said after the meeting that Belgium’s concerns were legitimate and must be heard.

RUSSIA UNLEASHES MAJOR DRONE, MISSILE ATTACK ON UKRAINE AS US DIPLOMATIC TALKS CONTINUE

"What we decide now will determine Europe's future: Belgium's particular vulnerability in the issue of utilizing the frozen Russian assets is indisputable and must be addressed in such a way that all European states bear the same risk," Merz said on X. 

Robert Kremzner, an associate analyst with the New Lines Institute and an expert in Russian gray zone warfare, said Russia has a number of ways it can target Belgium that fall below the threshold of open hostilities.

"Russia has been very active in using something called gray zone warfare, which sees Russia undertaking hostile actions against other nations that are below the threshold of war, and thus not that easy to respond to," Kremzner told Fox News Digital.

He said some examples include information warfare, cyberattacks, election interference, GPS spoofing, cutting undersea cables, and increasingly arson attacks and assassinations.

The Belgian government, along with Euroclear, are looking for financial guarantees from fellow EU member states before committing to supporting the plan. De Wever fears that Belgium will ultimately be held responsible and be forced to pay back the assets that are seized in the event a sanctions deal is negotiated with Russia as a way to end the war in Ukraine.

The European Commission said it put in place safeguards to protect Member States and financial institutions from possible retaliatory measures from Russia. 

If Belgium remains recalcitrant, von der Leyen could resort to the EU’s Article 122 emergency powers, which would allow the commission to move forward with the proposal on a majority-rule basis.

Fox News Digital reached out to the Belgian government and Euroclear but did not hear back before publication.

Honduras’ attorney general is calling for the arrest of former President Juan Orlando Hernández, who was recently pardoned by President Donald Trump. 

Johel Antonio Zelaya Alvarez said Monday that he ordered Honduran authorities and asked Interpol to execute a 2023 arrest order against Hernández for alleged fraud and money laundering charges. Hernandez, who in 2024 was sentenced to 45 years for allegedly helping to move tons of cocaine into the U.S., was released from federal prison in the U.S. a week ago.

"We have been lacerated by the tentacles of corruption and by the criminal networks that have deeply marked the life of our country," Zelaya said, according to a translation of a post he wrote on X.  

Zelaya included a photo of the two-year-old order signed by a Honduras Supreme Court magistrate that says that it must be executed "in the case that the accused is freed by United States authorities." 

FORMER HONDURAN PRESIDENT RELEASED FROM US PRISON AFTER TRUMP PARDON

Dozens of Honduran officials and politicians were implicated in the so-called Pandora case in which Honduran prosecutors alleged government funds were diverted through a network of nongovernmental organizations to political parties, including Hernández's 2013 presidential campaign, according to The Associated Press.  

Hernández went from supposed U.S. ally in the war on drugs to the subject of a U.S. extradition request shortly after he left office in 2022, the AP added. He was detained and sent to the U.S. by current President Xiomara Castro of the social democrat LIBRE party. 

A lawyer for Hernández, Renato Stabile, told the AP in an email that, "This is obviously a strictly political move on behalf of the defeated Libre party to try to intimidate President Hernandez as they are being kicked out of power in Honduras. It is shameful and a desperate piece of political theatre and these charges are completely baseless." 

Hernández was freed after Trump announced he was issuing him a "full and complete pardon" following his conviction of conspiring with drug traffickers to import more than 400 tons of cocaine into the U.S. 

FORMER WORLD LEADER THANKS TRUMP FOR PARDON: ‘YOU CHANGED MY LIFE’

Trump said Hernández was "treated very harshly and unfairly," implying that his trial was politically motivated or over-prosecuted. 

Hernández was convicted in New York on charges of conspiring to import cocaine into the U.S. and two related weapons offenses after a two-week trial. 

Hernández portrayed himself as a hero of the anti-drug trafficking movement who teamed up with American authorities under three U.S. presidential administrations to reduce drug imports, according to the AP. But the judge said trial evidence proved the opposite and that Hernández employed "considerable acting skills" to make it seem that he was an anti-drug trafficking crusader while he deployed his nation’s police and military, when necessary, to protect the drug trade. 

Hernández later thanked Trump for pardoning him, writing on social media that he was "wrongfully convicted."

"My profound gratitude goes to President @realDonaldTrump for having the courage to defend justice at a moment when a weaponized system refused to acknowledge the truth. You reviewed the facts, recognized the injustice, and acted with conviction. You changed my life, sir, and I will never forget it," Hernández wrote on X. 

Fox News Digital’s Ashley Carnahan, Michael Dorgan, Bradford Betz and The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

As the West African country of Mali teeters on becoming the first nation on the continent to be ruled by an al Qaeda–linked terror organization, a State Department spokesperson warned American citizens to leave or not travel there.

On the situation in Mali, the spokesperson told Fox News Digital, "Do Not Travel for any reason due to crime, terrorism, kidnapping, unrest and health risks," while cautioning, "U.S. citizens should avoid travel to Mali, and those currently in Mali should depart immediately."

The U.S. embassy in Mali also posted on their website, "U.S. citizens should depart using commercial aviation, as overland routes to neighboring countries may not be safe for travel due to terrorist attacks along national highways." 

It also warned Americans not to try to travel outside the capital city. "The U.S. Embassy in Bamako is rarely able to provide emergency services or support to U.S. citizens outside the capital," noting the information was still relevant as of Monday.

NIGER FALLOUT UNDER BIDEN LEAVES US TROOPS ‘BLIND’ IN BATTLE WITH TERROR GROUPS

A former senior military official with detailed knowledge of the situation has told Fox News Digital that the situation in Mali has made a threat to the U.S. homeland "increasingly likely."

Islamist JNIM fighters have surrounded its capital, Bamako, preventing fuel tankers from reaching the city and setting fire to some vehicles. The Malian army has tried to break the blockade by mounting armed convoys for the trucks, but JNIM has attacked several of these.

Maj. Gen. Kenneth P. Ekman, a retired Air Force general, told Fox News Digital he believes Mali’s success at keeping JNIM at bay is important — for Washington. Ekman was a key player for the U.S. military in Mali, Niger and other Sahel countries as the Department of Defense’s West Africa Coordination Element lead for U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) until he retired earlier this year.

"The U.S. still has security interests in West Africa," he said. "An external operations threat to the American homeland is intolerable, increasingly likely and far more difficult to detect given the dearth of remaining U.S. forces and intelligence assets in the region."

He continued, "This threat also affects the safety and security of U.S. diplomats and their families in Bamako, Ouagadougou, Niamey (Niger) and other West African nations."

US DRAMATICALLY ESCALATES SOMALIA AIRSTRIKES AS TRUMP ADMIN TARGETS ISIS, AL QAEDA TERRORISTS

U.S. and French troops were asked to leave Mali a year ago by the military junta that controls the country, which brought in the Russian Wagner/Afrika Corps mercenary group instead — the Kremlin’s private army. The Russians, reportedly more interested in extracting the region’s minerals, have not, Mariam Wahba told Fox News Digital, "been very helpful." Wahba is a research analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD).

Referring to the risk of the al Qaeda-linked group taking over Mali’s capital city, Ekman said, "Both Bamako and Ouagadougou (capital of neighboring Burkina Faso) are at risk."

He continued, "JNIM seems to be gaining momentum and appears to have both expanded objectives and greater resolve."

"During and after the 2024 withdrawal of American forces from Niger, the U.S. (under the Biden administration) also chose to forego keeping those forces in the region," the former major general added. "Resultantly, the U.S. surrendered its ability to monitor and respond to the activities and growth of Sahel terrorist organizations, come to the assistance of U.S. embassies under threat, and solve crises like the October kidnapping of an American missionary."

The missionary, a pilot, was kidnapped in Niger on Oct. 21 and has not been heard from since.

JNIM has been designated both a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) by the State Department.

"The Malian army is fighting an irregular and asymmetric enemy," Wahba said, adding, "They are jihadists, at the end of the day, and the government is having trouble out-predicting them. If this continues, Bamako may fall in days or weeks."

Mali’s fight with an al Qaeda terror group is on the administration’s threat radar. Last month, Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau flew to Bamako and met with the junta’s foreign minister, Abdoulaye Diop, "to discuss our shared security interests in the region."

Caleb Weiss, senior analyst at the Bridgeway Foundation and editor at the FDD’s Long War Journal, told Fox News Digital he is worried strict Sharia Muslim law will be enforced by the terrorists in Mali, stating JNIM, "Al Qaeda’s branch in West Africa, is putting intense economic and social pressure on Bamako, likely in hopes that the military junta there will concede in some fashion."

Weiss continued, "The regime in Bamako is absolutely overstretched, and its allies in Russia’s Wagner/Afrika Corps are proving to be ineffective."

"JNIM is also consolidating its position in other areas of Mali, in which they are allowed to enforce Sharia for an end to a blockade, siege or violence in general. It’s possible this is what they are seeking with Bamako as well. JNIM is far less likely to accept anything but a Mali governed by its strict interpretation of Sharia law," he said.

Ekman said things could have been different: "Whatever access and relationship other U.S. government agencies are able to develop in countries like Mali will likely fall short of what the U.S. could have achieved in redistributing its military capabilities as they exited Niger."

An extensive organ-harvesting ring has been uncovered in Nigeria after weeks of covert surveillance, local officials have said.

In a statement shared on X, the Imo State Police Command said their investigation was launched after reports of a worrying spate of kidnappings near a hotel and mortuary in Ngor Okpala.

According to police, intelligence-led investigations went on to identify a man called High Chief Stanley Oparaugo, also known as "Morocco," as the suspected leader of the criminal network and who is now on the run and wanted, per reports.

52 CATHOLIC SCHOOL STUDENTS IN NIGERIA KIDNAPPED BY GUNMEN IN LATEST ATTACK: REPORT

Oparaugo is alleged to own Jessy Best Hotel in Ihitte Okwe and the nearby mortuary known as Ugwudi.

Police said victims were said to have been lured into the hotel before being robbed and abducted, with families also forced to pay ransom. 

Authorities said some people who paid never saw their loved ones again.

The Command said abducted victims were then taken from the hotel to the mortuary, where they were allegedly killed and their organs harvested for sale.

GUNMEN ATTACK CHURCH IN NIGERIA, KILLING TWO AND KIDNAPPING OTHERS

When officers raided the Jessy Best Hotel, it was abandoned, but at the mortuary they found decomposed and mutilated corpses.

Police spokesperson Henry Okoye said more than 100 bodies had been found.

"A hotel and a private mortuary owned by the suspect, allegedly used by kidnappers and violent criminals, were inspected," he said in a statement.

TRUMP ADMIN TARGETS ANTI-CHRISTIAN VIOLENCE WITH NEW VISA CRACKDOWN POLICY FOLLOWING NIGERIA ATTACKS

"At the mortuary, decomposed and mutilated corpses were discovered in unhygienic conditions, raising suspicions of illegal organ-harvesting activities."

He added that the suspect’s residence was also searched and "crucial exhibits" were recovered, with forensic teams documenting evidence for the ongoing investigation.

"Maximum security has been deployed along the Owerri–Aba Expressway. The Command assures travelers during the holidays of its commitment to their safety," he added.

Nigeria has seen a rising amount of crime with kidnappings and abductions. 

As reported by Fox News Digital, the government of Nigeria also secured the release of the 100 schoolchildren who were abducted, according to local media.

Those children were taken from St. Mary's School in Papiri, Niger state, on Nov. 21. 

The news came as Christians face ongoing persecution in Nigeria, leading President Donald Trump to declare the West African nation a "country of particular concern."

Two teenage asylum seekers from Afghanistan have been jailed after admitting to the rape of a 15-year-old girl in a U.K. park, officials have confirmed.

According to police, the victim had been in Leamington in Warwickshire with friends on May 10 when they met Jan Jahanzeb and Israr Niazal.

The teenage girl began talking with them before they asked her to join them on a walk.

They then led her to a park area known as Newbold Comyn, where they raped her, Warwickshire police confirmed in a statement released online.

STATE DEPARTMENT WARNS UK OVER GROOMING GANG HANDLING: 'UNSPEAKABLE ABUSE'

Following the attack, the teenager managed to flag down a passerby, who contacted local police.

Detectives launched an investigation using CCTV footage and photographs the victim had taken on her phone earlier in the day.

Officers were able to identify and arrest the two 17-year-old suspects.

Jahanzeb and Niazal were charged with rape and later appeared before the youth court in Coventry, where they admitted the offense.

FRANTIC MANHUNT LAUNCHED AFTER ASYLUM SEEKER WHO SEXUALLY ASSAULTED TEEN ACCIDENTALLY FREED FROM PRISON

At their sentencing hearing at Warwick Crown Court on Monday, the judge lifted reporting restrictions that had previously prevented the pair from being named because of their age.

It was also confirmed in court that both are Afghan asylum seekers. 

Jahanzeb was sentenced to 10 years and eight months, while Niazal received nine years and 10 months.

Both will begin their terms in a Young Offenders’ Institution and will be transferred to an adult prison at a later stage.

They were also placed on the Sex Offenders’ Register for life and handed indefinite restraining orders.

DUBLIN PROTESTERS CLASH WITH POLICE, BURN VEHICLE AFTER MIGRANT ACCUSED OF SEXUALLY ASSAULTING IRISH GIRL

U.K. Detective Chief Inspector Richard Hobbs praised the victim for her courage in coming forward.

"This was a hugely traumatic incident, and I can’t speak highly enough of the victim for the bravery she has shown," he said in a statement.

He added that the investigation had been handled by specially trained officers who had supported the victim from the outset.

"Jahanzeb and Niazal went out of their way to befriend the victim with the intention of raping her. The length of their sentence reflects the severity of their crime and the need to protect the public from them," he added.

DCI Hobbs said he hoped the case would reassure other victims of sexual violence that they would be listened to and supported if they report offenses.

"We will always investigate thoroughly and sensitively, and do everything in our power to bring offenders to justice," he added.

First lady Melania Trump and Ukraine's Olena Zelenska have joined a campaign exposing Russia’s billion-dollar operation to abduct and indoctrinate Ukrainian children, its spokesperson said.

While labeling Russia's "calculated" attempts to strike at his country's future, Maksym Maksymov of Bring Kids Back UA said the two first ladies’ contrasting roles make the organization's messaging even stronger.

"Together, they help ensure that no abducted child is forgotten, but apart, one speaks from the center of the crisis and the other carries the message to the world," Maksymov told Fox News Digital.

Melania Trump’s recent work helped bring visibility to cases that saw seven Ukrainian children reunited with their parents. In October, the mom-of-one supported another eight.

FIRST LADY MELANIA TRUMP ANNOUNCES 8 UKRAINIAN CHILDREN REUNITED WITH FAMILIES AFTER BEING TAKEN INTO RUSSIA

"Melania Trump uses her voice as a mother and a public figure with compassion to draw global attention to children who might otherwise be forgotten," Maksymov said.

"When she speaks, people listen, and she chose to use that influence to highlight the suffering of Ukrainian children directly to the person responsible for their abductions. That takes courage," he added. "Melania acknowledges their pain, elevates the urgency of bringing these children home, and reinforces a simple truth: that children belong with the people who love them, and their return must be unconditional."

MELANIA TRUMP NAMED FOX NATION’S ‘PATRIOT OF THE YEAR’ FOR GLOBAL CHILDREN’S ADVOCACY WORK

Meanwhile, Olena Zelenska, he said, is involved on the ground.

"Our first lady, Olena Zelenska, has been a steady and essential presence in this work. She visits hospitals, shelters, schools and churches across Ukraine, meeting children who have lived through trauma no child should ever experience," Maksymov explained.

In fact, in response to the work of the organization, Ukraine has since criminalized the deportation of children, their forced militarization and the obstruction of their return. 

Sanctions were also imposed on individuals involved in abductions and illegal adoptions.

It was Melania Trump who also previously wrote a "peace letter" to Russian President Vladimir Putin, telling him "it is time" to protect children and future generations around the globe, Fox News Digital reported in August.

UKRAINE’S STOLEN CHILDREN CRISIS LOOMS LARGE AS NATO MEETS ON RUSSIA’S WAR

President Donald Trump then hand-delivered the message to the Russian leader before their summit in Alaska that month.

But ever since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, the illegal removal of children continues to be a concern.

According to Bring Kids Back UA, launched by Zelenska, nearly 20,000 children have been reported taken, although Maksym stresses that "each case requires individual verification because Russia blocks access, hides information and often alters children’s identities."

So far, he said, "Ukraine has fully verified 9,221 cases," but thousands more remain unaccounted for.

One example of Russia’s coercive system, he said, is the case of Bohdan Yermokhin, whose experience Ukrainian officials describe in detail.

DEM SENATOR SAYS MELANIA TRUMP IS AMERICA'S 'SECRET WEAPON' AGAINST PUTIN'S 'WAR CRIMINALITY'

"One case that shows both the cruelty of this crime and the resilience of these children is this story." 

After being taken to Russia, "he was pressured to give up his Ukrainian identity and exposed to propaganda aimed at reshaping how he saw his own country."

His ordeal highlights what Maksym said is Russia's deliberate "abduction of Ukrainian children as part of a strategy to erase their identity and mold them into something they are not." 

"Russia is spending billions on systems that militarize and indoctrinate these children rather than return them," Maksym claimed.

"Ukraine’s position is clear. Every abducted child must be returned unconditionally. There can be no peace while even one child remains in Russia’s hands," he said. "War has taken away their childhood. Children live with bombings, displacement, fear, and the loss of everything familiar. This is calculated. It is systematic, and it is aimed at Ukraine’s future."

The Israel Defense Forces and Israel Security Agency have exposed what they describe as a secret Hamas money-exchange network operating in central Turkey "under Iran’s direction," according to documents and statements released this week.

According to the intelligence released by the IDF and ISA, exiled Gazans based in Turkey have used the country’s financial infrastructure to move large sums of money for Hamas, with transfers totaling hundreds of millions of dollars.

The agencies say the network operates in cooperation with the Iranian regime, transferring funds to Hamas and its senior officials and, according to Israel, helping the group rebuild its capabilities outside Gaza.

TRUMP FACES MIDDLE EAST TEST AS NETANYAHU BALKS AT ERDOGAN’S GAZA TROOP HOPES

The newly exposed documents include records of currency transfers amounting to hundreds of thousands of dollars, which officials say represent only a small portion of the overall activity.

According to the Israeli security agencies, the network receives, stores, and transfers Iranian funds from within Turkey.

The IDF and ISA identified three Gazan operatives working in Turkey whom they say are central to the network: Tamer Hassan, described as a senior official in Hamas’s finance office in Turkey operating directly under Khalil al-Hayya, and currency exchangers Khalil Farwana and Farid Abu Dair.

Israel says Iran’s backing has remained constant and that Hamas continues to rebuild its operational capabilities beyond the borders of the Gaza Strip.

UN UNDER FIRE AS USAID INVESTIGATORS PROBE HAMAS DIVERSION OF AID TO GAZA

The timing of the IDF and ISA revelations comes amid an ongoing U.S. debate over Turkey’s regional role and its relationship with Hamas. Fox News has previously reported that Turkey has hosted Hamas figures for years and has sought a leading role in postwar Gaza, even as the Trump administration weighs whether to allow Turkish troops to participate in a U.S.-backed stabilization mission.

Sinan Ciddi, a Turkey expert at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told Fox News Digital that Ankara’s political protection of Hamas — paired with its hostility toward Israeli military actions — has created a permissive sanctuary that Israeli pressure alone cannot shut down. 

Ciddi argues the presence of Turkish-based operatives shows how Hamas has diversified its financial footprint to evade sanctions and border controls. Ciddi added that for Israel, "this is not just a financial concern but a strategic warning signal", arguing that Iran is embedding itself deeper into Turkey’s economic ecosystem and enabling a regional proxy to regenerate and project forces. If left unchecked, he warned, "the network could fuel future attacks and expand Hamas’s influence across the region, undermining Israel’s war aims and long-term security."

In a recent interview with Fox News Digital, Gonul Tol, senior fellow at the Middle East Institute and author of "Erdoğan’s War: A Strongman’s Struggle at Home and in Syria," said Turkey’s aggressive Gaza posture is deeply tied to Erdoğan’s domestic political survival and his longstanding support for Islamist movements across the region.

"The primary goal there is domestic politics," she said. "Erdoğan has always framed himself as the champion of the Palestinian cause, and by his most conservative constituency, he’s often pushed to take a strong stance against Israel."

IRAN SMUGGLED $1B TO HEZBOLLAH THIS YEAR DESPITE US SANCTIONS, TREASURY OFFICIAL SAYS

But Tol noted that Erdoğan has also been pragmatic behind the scenes, particularly in his dealings with Washington. "People in his circle say the Hamas leadership had been asked to leave Turkey quietly. They are doing everything not to anger the Trump administration," she said.

She added that Erdoğan even pushed Hamas to accept Trump’s Gaza proposal, noting that it included provisions that did not favor the organization.

Israeli officials have long argued that Turkey’s permissive environment has allowed Hamas to operate external networks, including financial arms backed by Iran, and say the newly released intelligence underscores the risks of allowing Turkey deeper involvement in Gaza’s future.

In announcing the findings, the IDF and ISA warned individuals and institutions against engaging with the exposed network or any other financial arms linked to Hamas, saying such interactions risk contributing to terrorist financing and aiding Hamas’s attempts to reconstitute its infrastructure abroad.

The Turkish Embassy did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

A Chicago man studying in London has been found guilty of murdering his on-and-off girlfriend after prosecutors said he stabbed and choked her, then called his father to secure a lawyer before alerting police.

Joshua Michals, 26, started a casual relationship with 31-year-old Zhe Wang shortly after he began attending Goldsmiths University in 2023, the Metropolitan Police said Monday.

In March 2024, Michals phoned police to report a "serious incident" at Wang’s home, saying he had already left the property. Officers arrived to find Wang with two stab wounds to her face, and a post-mortem later determined she had suffered sustained neck compression.

Michals was arrested that night but refused to answer questions about their relationship or what happened.

FLORIDA TEENS IN CUSTODY AFTER 14-YEAR-OLD GIRL FOUND SHOT TO DEATH, BURNT: SHERIFF

Investigators examining his phone found months of messages in which Wang repeatedly asked Michals to get tested for sexually transmitted diseases — a "growing source of tension" between them, police said. Michals later claimed he acted in self-defense during an argument about STDs.

REPEAT OFFENDER WITH VIOLENT PAST ACCUSED OF MURDERING WOMAN DURING HOME INVASION

Prosecutors countered that Michals "flew into a rage" after meeting Wang at her home and killed her. They told the court that Michals called his father after the slaying, obtained details for a lawyer, and returned to his own home before contacting authorities nearly four hours later.

During Michals' arrest, police said, officers found bloodstained clothes on his property. The DNA was later confirmed to match Wang.

"Michals carried out a brutal and savage attack on Zhe, who was described by her friends as a quiet and gentle woman enjoying her studies in London," Detective Inspector Claire Guiver said. "We are pleased the jury has seen through his claims that he killed Zhe by accident when she tried to attack him with a knife."

The Trump administration has reportedly ordered U.S. consular officers to apply heightened scrutiny to H-1B visa applicants and reject anyone found to have participated in "censorship or attempted censorship" of protected speech in the United States, according to an internal State Department cable.

Reuters reported that the directive, sent to all U.S. missions on Dec. 2, instructs consular officers to review resumes, LinkedIn profiles and any publicly available information to determine whether an applicant — or family members traveling with them — previously worked in areas including misinformation, disinformation, content moderation, fact-checking, compliance or online safety. 

According to the cable cited by Reuters, officers should "pursue a finding that the applicant is ineligible" if they uncover evidence the individual was "responsible for, or complicit in, censorship or attempted censorship of protected expression in the United States."

LABOR UNIONS SUE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION OVER SOCIAL MEDIA MONITORING OF VISA HOLDERS

While the directive applies to all visa categories, the cable calls for special scrutiny of H-1B applicants because they "frequently work in the technology sector, including in social media or financial services companies involved in the suppression of protected expression." The vetting requirements apply to both new and repeat applicants.

Reuters also reported that the cable, not previously disclosed, instructs consular officers: "You must thoroughly explore their employment histories to ensure no participation in such activities."

A senior State Department official told Fox News Channel's Gillian Turner, "While we do not comment on allegedly leaked documents, make no mistake, the Administration has made clear that it defends Americans' freedom of expression against foreigners who wish to censor them. We do not support aliens coming to the United States to work as censors muzzling Americans. In the past, the President himself was the victim of this kind of abuse when social media companies locked his accounts. He does not want other Americans to suffer this way. Allowing foreigners to lead this type of censorship would both insult and injure the American people."

OVERWEIGHT FOREIGNERS SEEKING VISAS MAY BE REJECTED TO SAVE HEALTHCARE COSTS, TAXPAYER EXPENSE

The move comes as the administration intensifies its criticism of censorship in Europe. Vice President JD Vance responded on Dec. 4 to reports of a potential EU fine against X, posting on his official account: "Rumors swirling that the EU commission will fine X hundreds of millions of dollars for not engaging in censorship. The EU should be supporting free speech, not attacking American companies over garbage."

Further underscoring the administration's determination to fight censorship, Undersecretary of State Sarah Rogers posted a video on X responding to a European member of parliament stating she was "revisiting some remarks for which people in Europe and also the U.K. have been investigated or arrested or jailed by their governments over the past few years," and listed examples from Germany, the U.K. and Sweden."

She stated in part, "A German woman notoriously received a harsher jail sentence than a convicted rapist after the woman called the rapist ‘a disgraceful pig.'"

The administration has already tightened vetting procedures for student visas by instructing officers to screen applicants’ social-media activity for posts hostile to the United States. President Donald Trump also imposed new H-1B fees in September as part of a broader immigration overhaul. The enhanced censorship-related screening represents the latest step in the administration’s effort to tie U.S. visa policy to its free-speech agenda.

Fox News Channel's Gillian Turner and Reuters contributed to this report.

President Donald Trump said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has yet to read the updated peace plan to end the war with Russia amid several rounds of talks between U.S. and Ukrainian officials in Miami.

"I’m a little bit disappointed that President Zelenskyy hasn’t yet read the proposal, that was as of a few hours ago," Trump told reporters at the Kennedy Center on Sunday. "His people love it, but he hasn’t."

"Russia, I guess, would rather have the whole country when you think of it, but Russia is, I believe, fine with it, but I’m not sure that Zelenskyy is fine with it," Trump added.

Zelenskyy said Saturday that he held a "long and substantive phone call" with U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, and the trio covered many points, including how to end Russia’s war and how to ensure Moscow will not invade again.

PUTIN CALLS TRUMP’S PEACE PLAN A ‘STARTING POINT’ AS HE WARNS UKRAINE TO PULL BACK OR FACE 'FORCE'

The Ukrainian leader said he was waiting for members of his negotiating team to brief him in person on the latest round of talks.

Rustem Umerov, the head of the Ukrainian delegation and secretary of Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council, said Monday that he and Ukraine’s military chief of general staff, General Andriy Hnatov, would brief Zelenskyy on the latest developments, including the takeaways from Witkoff and Kushner’s five-hour meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Putin arrived in New Delhi last week for a state visit with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and gave an interview to the India Today news channel, where he said the negotiations with the Americans were long but productive.

EX-CIA STATION CHIEF WARNS PUTIN USING TALKS TO GAIN LEVERAGE AS UKRAINE DELEGATION MEETS TOP TRUMP OFFICIALS

"Sometimes we said, yes, we can discuss this, but with that one we cannot agree," said Putin, according to a transcript of the conversation released by the Kremlin.

The Russian leader stuck to his maximalist demands in the interview, arguing his war will only end when his country takes Ukraine's eastern Donbas or Ukrainian troops withdraw.

Zelenskyy is set to meet with European leaders in London Monday to discuss the U.S.-led peace plan. His arrival comes amid a new wave of Russian drone and missile barrages that have targeted Ukraine’s civilian and energy infrastructure.

Zelenskyy said in the last week alone, Russia launched more than 1,600 drones, roughly 1,200 guided aerial bombs, and nearly 70 missiles of various types against Ukraine.

Hundreds of rare books were damaged when a pipe burst inside the Louvre’s Egyptian antiquities library, a setback that comes just weeks after the museum was rocked by a brazen jewel heist.

The museum’s deputy administrator, Francis Steinbock, told BFM TV that the flooding happened in one of the three rooms housing the Egyptian antiquities library.

"We have identified between 300 and 400 works, the count is ongoing," he said, adding that "no precious books" were lost. Many of the damaged items were periodicals and archaeology journals regularly used by Egyptologists.

Steinbock said staff were still assessing the full number of damaged books and had begun drying those soaked in the flooding, including dehumidifying them page by page with Buffard paper and modifying plants.

FOUR MORE ARRESTED IN LOUVRE JEWEL HEIST, AUTHORITIES SAY

The art site La Tribune de l'Art blamed the burst pipe on deteriorating infrastructure, reporting that the department had long sought funding to protect its collection. Steinbock acknowledged the issue had been known for years and said repairs were scheduled for September 2026.

The leak underscores the museum’s aging infrastructure just weeks after thieves stole crown jewels in a brazen daytime heist that exposed glaring security gaps at the museum.

A four-person team stormed the Louvre’s Apollo Gallery in broad daylight on Oct. 19, stealing jewels valued at 88 million euros ($102 million) in less than eight minutes.

AMERICANS MUST PAY HIGHER FEE FOR A TICKET TO THE WORLD'S MOST VISITED MUSEUM

Police arrested and charged four men suspected of being a part of the robbery crew in the subsequent weeks. A woman was also arrested, though she has denied involvement through her lawyer.

The stolen items have not been recovered. They include a diamond-and-emerald necklace Napoleon gave to Empress Marie-Louise, jewels tied to 19th-century Queens Marie-Amélie and Hortense, and Empress Eugénie’s pearl-and-diamond tiara.

The emerald-set imperial crown of Napoleon III’s wife, Empress Eugénie, containing more than 1,300 diamonds, was later found outside the museum.

Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Thailand carried out airstrikes along its disputed border with Cambodia late Monday as both governments blamed each other for triggering the latest round of violence, raising new doubts about the stability of a Trump-brokered ceasefire.

Thai military officials said Cambodian troops opened fire in several areas along the frontier, resulting in the death of one Thai soldier and injuring others. The Thai army said civilians in nearby communities were being evacuated as the situation intensified. Maj. Gen. Winthai Suvaree told The Associated Press that Cambodian troops fired first into Thai territory and that aircraft were used to strike "military targets in several areas to suppress Cambodian supporting fire attacks."

Cambodia rejected that account. Defense Ministry spokesperson Maly Socheata told AP that Thai forces attacked first and said Cambodia did not retaliate during the initial confrontation. The ministry urged Thailand to halt its military actions.

Footage posted by Cambodia’s Education Ministry showed students leaving schools near the border as families rushed to retrieve their children.

TRUMP THREATENS HAMAS IF GAZA CEASEFIRE COLLAPSES AS JD VANCE TO VISIT ISRAEL

The escalation follows a smaller exchange of fire on Sunday. Thailand said Cambodian forces wounded two of its soldiers before Thai troops responded for roughly 20 minutes. Cambodia claimed Thailand initiated that encounter as well and said it did not return fire.

Tensions have persisted despite an October ceasefire negotiated by U.S. President Donald Trump, which brought an end to five days of fighting in July that killed dozens of soldiers and civilians. That agreement showed signs of strain last month when several Thai soldiers were injured by land mines in contested areas, leading the Thai government to announce it would suspend implementation of parts of the deal.

Both sides have continued to blame one another for ceasefire violations, even as the truce calls for cooperation on mine removal and steps to stabilize the border.

Thailand and Cambodia have a long history of conflict dating back to rival kingdoms that fought over influence for centuries. In the modern era, disputes have centered on French colonial-era border maps, which Thailand argues are inaccurate.

Despite the October agreement, neither country has reached a resolution to the underlying territorial dispute, and regional observers warn that renewed clashes could draw the two nations closer to a wider conflict without renewed diplomatic engagement.

Police arrested a 31-year-old man Sunday at a London airport following a robbery in which 21 people — including a 3-year-old child — were pepper-sprayed and required medical treatment, officials said.

The morning incident happened at Heathrow Airport’s parking garage when a group of four men stole a woman’s suitcase in an elevator and sprayed an irritant at her, the Metropolitan Police said. 

"A woman was robbed of her suitcase by a group of four men, who sprayed a substance believed to be pepper spray in her direction," Commander Peter Stevens said in a statement, adding that passengers in the elevator and surrounding area were also affected.

Police said the suspects then fled the elevator following the incident. They appeared to be three young men dressed in all black with their heads covered, The Associated Press (AP) reported, citing a witness.

'TRAGEDY AVERTED' AT ATLANTA AIRPORT AS POLICE ARREST MAN WITH AR-15 ALLEGEDLY THREATENING TO 'SHOOT IT UP'

Video captured a swarm of officers rushing to the scene of the assault, visibly carrying large firearms as they navigated the multi-story parking garage.

Authorities said the victim and the suspects knew each other, and investigators are not treating the case as a terrorism-related incident.

"At this stage, we believe the incident involved a group of people known to each other, with an argument escalating and resulting in a number of people being injured," Stevens said.

CONVICTED FELON FEDERALLY CHARGED AFTER THREATENING ATLANTA AIRPORT WHILE ARMED WITH AR-15 RIFLE 

"We are not treating this incident as terrorism," he added. "I understand the public’s concerns and would like to thank those in the area for their cooperation this morning."

Officials said the 31-year-old is being held on suspicion of assault, and that authorities are searching for the other suspects who escaped.

Ambulance crews treated victims at the scene and transported five to the hospital. Their injuries are not believed to be life-threatening, according to the authorities.

The incident led to hours of travel delays for passengers arriving at and departing from the airport, the AP reported, but operations have since returned to normal, according to the airport in a post on X.

Fox News Digital reached out to the Metropolitan Police and Heathrow Airport for more information. 

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.

There may be a surprising reason behind the mysterious blue dogs that were recently spotted roaming the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone.

Photos taken earlier this year showed several dogs with bright blue fur wandering the site of the 1986 nuclear disaster in Ukraine, fueling widespread speculation online, including theories of radiation exposure and mutations.

However, a scientific advisor for the organization that cares for the strays says those ideas could not "be further from the truth."

"The blue dye likely came from a tipped over port-a-potty where the dogs were rolling around in the poop, as dogs are prone to do," Timothy Mousseau of the University of South Carolina was quoted saying on the Dogs of Chernobyl Facebook account.

RADIOACTIVE WASP NEST DISCOVERED BY WORKERS AT FORMER NUCLEAR BOMB SITE

Mousseau noted this behavior is similar to how some dogs are drawn to cat litter boxes.

"The blue coloration was simply a sign of the dog's unsanitary behavior!" Mousseau said. "As any dog owner knows, most dogs will eat just about anything, including feces!"

Despite the social media speculation, the dogs' blue fur does "not reflect any kind of mutation or evolutionary adaptation to radiation," he added.

UKRAINE BLAMES RUSSIA FOR DRONE ATTACK ON CHERNOBYL'S PROTECTIVE SHELL, ZELENSKYY SAYS DAMAGE 'SIGNIFICANT'

Dogs of Chernobyl, the program that cares for the roughly 700 dogs in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone and is affiliated with the nonprofit Clean Futures Fund (CFF), first shared images of the blue-tinted dogs in October.  

At the time, the group had been unable to capture the animals to determine the source of their unusual coloring.

"We are on the ground catching dogs for sterilization, and we came across three dogs that were completely blue," Dogs of Chernobyl posted to Instagram. "We are not sure exactly what is going [on]. … We do not know the reason, and we are attempting to catch them so we can find out what is happening."

HOW THE WILD DOGS OF CHERNOBYL SURVIVE — AND WHAT HUMANS COULD LEARN FROM THEM

Many dogs were left behind following the Chernobyl nuclear plant explosion, when more than 120,000 evacuees were told to leave immediately, according to CFF.

"The evacuees were not allowed to bring anything that they could not carry, and their pets had to be left behind," the CFF website notes. "They were told they would return in 3 days, but they were never allowed to return. Their pets became abandoned."

Timothy Mousseau did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.

New Zealand police have retrieved a pricey diamond-encrusted Fabergé pendant after a bizarre six-day wait that ended only when the suspected thief passed the egg naturally in custody, according to reports.

The recovery came after officers kept a continuous watch over the 32-year-old man, who allegedly swallowed the rare $19,000 piece during a theft at Partridge Jewelers in downtown Auckland on Nov. 28, according to The Associated Press.

KNICKS STAR ROBBED OF $185K IN WATCHES AND JEWELRY AT MANHATTAN HOTEL IN SEPTEMBER: REPORT

The man was arrested inside the store before he could leave, and police soon determined he had swallowed the egg, prompting what became a round-the-clock monitoring effort as authorities waited for the item to reappear naturally, without medical intervention.

NYPD SEARCHES FOR SUSPECT IN NEARLY $10K ROBBERY AT TOM BRADY'S CARDVAULT STORE IN NEW YORK

"Given this man is in Police custody, we have a duty of care to continue monitoring him given the circumstances of what has occurred," Inspector Grae Anderson said earlier this week, The Associated Press reported.

The limited-edition piece is modeled after the Fabergé egg featured in the 1983 James Bond film "Octopussy," and only 50 were produced.

Crafted from 18-karat gold, painted with green enamel and set with 183 diamonds and two sapphires, the roughly 3.3-inch locket opens to reveal an intricate "18ct yellow gold octopus nestled inside, adorned with white diamond suckers and black diamond eyes," according to the store’s description.

THIEVES DISGUISED AS CONSTRUCTION WORKERS STEAL $3.2M IN VALUABLES FROM NYC HOME IN BROAD DAYLIGHT

The man, who has not been publicly named, appeared in court on Nov. 29 but did not enter a plea to the theft charge.

He has remained in custody since, with officers stationed beside him throughout the wait for the pendant’s return.

He is scheduled to appear again in Auckland District Court on Monday.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov’s threats against Ukraine following a drone strike echo a 2022 plot to infiltrate Kyiv and target President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, a former Ukrainian government official has said.

The leader's latest threat came after a Ukrainian drone reportedly struck a high-rise building near Kadyrov’s home in Grozny on Nov. 5.

The strike prompted the Chechen strongman to vow retaliation in an online video post, according to Reuters.

"This new threat would just be another assassination threat for Zelenskyy. The Chechens are really serious about revenge," a former government official told Fox News Digital.

RUSSIAN CRUISE MISSILES HIT US COMPANY IN MASSIVE UKRAINE STRIKE AMID TRUMP’S PEACE PUSH

"But in Kyiv they are not panicking about this like they were in 2022," the former official said under condition of anonymity.

"Zelenskyy is now better protected, feels more powerful and is less fragile," they said.

The recent Ukrainian strike, reported by Reuters, hit the 28-story Grozny-City tower that sits roughly 830 meters from Kadyrov’s home.

TRUMP EYES NEW SANCTIONS ON PUTIN AFTER LARGEST-EVER DRONE ATTACK

Kadyrov, who is loyal to Russia, later allegedly confirmed the attack in a Telegram post, stating there were no casualties, but he condemned the strike as making "no tactical sense." 

He also warned that retaliation was imminent.

"Starting tomorrow and in the course of the week, the Ukrainian fascists will be feeling a stern response," he threatened.

Unlike Ukraine’s strike, he added, "we will not be making a cowardly strike on peaceful targets," per Reuters.

Ukrainian attacks have hit sites in Chechnya before now, including a police barracks and a training academy. Chechen units were also deployed during Russia’s 2022 invasion and were among the Kremlin’s most loyal forces.

RUSSIA LAUNCHES MASSIVE DRONE AND MISSILE BARRAGE ON UKRAINE HITTING KYIV, OTHER TARGETS THROUGHOUT COUNTRY

At the time of the 2022 invasion, the official said there was intense anxiety in Kyiv.

"At the beginning of the large-scale invasion in 2022, Chechens were sent to Kyiv to murder top politicians," the former official said.

"This included Volodymyr Zelenskyy and top politicians from the government and security services and Parliament, and many other agencies.

"Zelenskyy and Yermak were very scared," they claimed. "They were calling from the office, asking some people in the military and security service to secure the metro station in Kyiv."

The source said one metro station in Kyiv was a potential infiltration route for the Chechens into Zelenskyy’s presidential bunker.

RUSSIAN ATTACK ON UKRAINE LEAVES 25 DEAD IN TERNOPIL AFTER MASSIVE OVERNIGHT STRIKES

At the time, the station in Kyiv that was deep underground and near the presidential bunker, was viewed as the most vulnerable entry route, the source said.

"They were afraid that Chechens would get to the bunker through this metro station, but in the end the Chechens were killed before they reached Kyiv.

"They tried to reach Kyiv, somehow downtown, somehow via the river, but it's quite a complicated way to get there," the former official said.

Meanwhile, with the Nov. 5. Grozny strike landing so close to his home, Kadyrov, already one of Putin’s most aggressive enforcers, is signaling a harsher stance as attacks reach inside Russian territory.

The Moscow Times reported that the drone struck a building that houses regional government offices, including the Chechen Security Council and agencies connected to tourism and religious affairs.

Despite the rhetoric, the former Ukrainian official claimed Zelenskyy is unfazed this time around.

"These days, Zelenskyy isn’t afraid of Kadyrov's actions against him or the Ukrainian people. Zelenskyy is feeling very powerful right now," they added.

Fox News Digital has reached out to Zelenskyy's office for comment.

The government of Nigeria has secured the release of the 100 schoolchildren who were abducted last month, according to local media.

The children were taken from St. Mary's School in Papiri, Niger state, on Nov. 21. The release was announced by local broadcaster Channels Television on Sunday.

The news comes as Christians continue to face persecution in Nigeria, which has led President Donald Trump to declare the West African nation a "country of particular concern."

In November, the BBC reported that as many as 303 children were kidnapped from the school, citing the superior general of the Missionary Sisters of Our Lady of Apostles (OLA), Mary Barron.

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION EXPANDS EFFORTS TO STOP CHRISTIAN VIOLENCE IN NIGERIA WITH AID THREAT

The nun said the students were "tiny," and as young as 6 years old. 

According to Barron, 50 of the students escaped over that weekend.

"They said they walked and walked, because they knew they couldn't walk back to the school, so they just kept walking until they found something familiar," she said.

ALL 24 KIDNAPPED NIGERIAN SCHOOLGIRLS RESCUED AFTER ARMED ATTACK IN KEBBI, PRESIDENT SAYS

Two hundred fifty-three students and 12 teachers are currently in captivity. It is unclear how many will be held after the release goes through.

Soon after the kidnappings, Trump told Fox News Radio that the Nigerian government had "done nothing" to stop the killings.

"I’m really angry about it," he said on Nov. 23. "What’s happening in Nigeria is a disgrace."

At the time, War Secretary Pete Hegseth met with Nigerian national security advisor Nuhu Ribadu and discussed cutting off aid to Nigeria if it "continues to allow the killing of Christians."

"Hegseth emphasized the need for Nigeria to demonstrate commitment and take both urgent and enduring action to stop violence against Christians and conveyed the Department’s desire to work by, with, and through Nigeria to deter and degrade terrorists that threaten the United States," the Pentagon said in a statement.

Reuters and Fox News Digital's Rachel Wolf, Stephen Sorace and Anders Hagstrom contributed to this report.

EXCLUSIVE: A spokesperson for Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro announced that the School District of Philadelphia needs to address the mushrooming spread of antisemitism in classrooms.

The alleged anti-Jewish climate in the nation’s eighth-largest school district in the city, nicknamed the City of Brotherly Love, has recently sparked a congressional investigation into its education system that is reportedly infected with hatred of Jews and Israel.

Shapiro’s spokesperson, Rosie Lapowsky, told Fox News Digital that, "Governor Shapiro takes a back seat to no one on these issues, and as he has repeatedly spoken out about, antisemitism and this kind of hateful rhetoric is unacceptable and has no place in Pennsylvania — especially not in our classrooms. This is a matter the Governor has made clear the district needs to take very seriously."

PHILADELPHIA SCHOOLS PARTNER WITH MUSLIM ADVOCACY GROUP FOR GUIDES ON 'AMERICAN JEWS' AND TEACHING 9/11

Fox News Digital conducted interviews with parents and teachers from the School District of Philadelphia (SDP) and presented the findings, along with a November House Committee on Education and the Workforce investigation notice into antisemitism in Philadelphia public schools to the governor’s office.

The House Committee on Education and the Workforce is probing "whether there was or is a hostile environment against Jewish K-12 students," according to its letter obtained by Fox News Digital.

The congressional letter stated, "The Committee is deeply concerned that SDP is failing to uphold its obligations under Title VI. Since October 7, 2023, the Committee has received allegations that SDP is rife with antisemitic incidents, including allegations of teachers spreading antisemitism in the classroom and SDP approving antisemitic walkouts that isolate Jewish students."

The letter continued that "Because of these alleged failures, SDP entered into a federally mandated corrective action plan with the U.S. Department of Education in December 2024: however, according to press and whistleblower reports, antisemitic incidents have continued to proliferate since the plan."

YC STUDENTS EXPOSE 'EXTREMIST' PROFESSORS FOSTERING CAMPUS ANTISEMITISM AT MAJOR UNIVERSITIES

Fox News Digital obtained messages and a document from a private Signal phone messaging group for Philadelphia Educators for Palestine. The group formulated a "Grounding Commitments" document that defends all Palestinian "resistance." Critics say much of Palestinian resistance includes violence and also terrorism.

According to the Philadelphia Educators for Palestine, "All resistance is righteous. We reject any false equivalence between the violent systems that oppress us and our responses to them."

Signal text messages stated the anti-Israel group has recruited school children to advance their anti-Jewish state agenda. According to district policy, educators should not be communicating with students on social media platforms. "In order to maintain a professional and appropriate relationship with students, District employees should not communicate with students who are currently enrolled in District schools on personal social media sites," states SDP policy.

Fox News Digital reached out to Philadelphia Educators for Palestine for a comment.

TEACHER UNION SENDS MAP ERASING ISRAEL TO ITS MILLIONS OF MEMBERS FOR 'INDIGENOUS PEOPLE'S DAY'

Mika Hackner, director of research at the North American Values Institute, told Fox News Digital, "This is a shocking example of public school teachers knowingly misusing their position, and going against their own district's policies, to encourage political activism in their students. Inviting high schoolers into a private Signal chat and involving them in discussions and events which promote political violence is just beyond the pale. The School District of Philadelphia must take appropriate action."

Multiple Jewish parents and teachers spoke to Fox News Digital on the condition of anonymity out of fear of retribution from anti-Israel teachers and the School District of Philadelphia.

One Jewish parent said, "There are teachers and administrators who are perpetuating Jew-hate," adding that "[Ismael] Jimenez uses his public social media to create Jew-hate." Ismael Jimenez is the director of social studies curriculum for the SDP.

The congressional letter also references Jimenez as an SPD senior administrator who "has been widely condemned by Jewish advocacy groups in light of his ‘pattern of denying the Jewish connection to the Land of Israel, refusing to speak about peace or coexistence, and downplaying the lived experiences of Jewish people in the face of violence. In a recent example, after the murder of two Israeli embassy workers and the antisemitic firebombing attack in Colorado, the senior administrator wrote, ‘The groups who align themselves with American savageness should not be surprised when the savageness is turned on you."

NATION'S LARGEST TEACHERS UNION VOTES TO SEVER TIES WITH ANTI-DEFAMATION LEAGUE OVER ISRAEL SUPPORT

According to the congressional letter, "Today, SDP employs numerous educators who allegedly promote antisemitic content in their classrooms. One such teacher has allegedly threatened Jewish parents and students online. She and other Philadelphia educators also allegedly use lessons from an effort called Teaching Palestine, whose class materials rationalize terrorist violence and advocate for the destruction of Israel."

The congressional letter highlights the actions of the teachers and the administrator. One who was allegedly "Threatening Jewish parents and students" was identified as Kaziah Ridgeway. Other teachers allegedly used lessons from "Teaching Palestine," according to social media posts and the letter. 

A Philadelphia school teacher told Fox News Digital that the prevailing situation in SDP is "being complacent and encouraging pro-Palestinian bias in the district. There is no prescription to counter antisemitism in school."

Shelly Robinson, a Philadelphia school teacher who retired in 2021 and taught at Northeast High School, the largest high school in Pennsylvania, told Fox News Digital, that at one at multicultural fair, "there was a map on stage at school and there was no Israel." Robinson, who graduated from Northeast and has deep contacts to the school, said a "Muslim student group started selling buttons stating ‘From the River to the Sea’ after Oct. 7. Things got really bad for Jewish teachers at Northeast after Oct. 7."

The Anti Defamation League described the saying as "an antisemitic slogan commonly featured in anti-Israel campaigns and chanted at demonstrations."

The U.S.-designated terrorist organization Hamas invaded Israel on October 7, 2023, and slaughtered over 1,200 people, including more than 40 Americans.

Robinson recalled a professional development trainer who told a student group called "No Place for Hate" that they "should stop promoting white heroes named Shakespeare and Einstein, and said we should promote refugees."

When Robinson noted that the German physicist Albert Einstein was a refugee who fled Nazi Germany, the development specialist for teachers said, "But he was a Jew." Robinson said, "I started to see what was going on in the school district and had been going on for 20 years."

Jimenez and Ridgeway, who are also reportedly members of Philadelphia Educators for Palestine, declined to respond to Fox News Digital press queries.

While Shapiro readily called out the situation, other leaders in the state preferred to pass the buck.

Leah Uko, a spokesperson for Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker, told Fox News Digital that "This is a matter with the School District of Philadelphia, not City government. We have no comment."

A spokesperson for Dr. Tony Watlington, superintendent of the School District of Philadelphia, told Fox News Digital that "It is the policy of the School District of Philadelphia to refrain from commenting on active investigations."

A fire tore through a nightclub in Arpora, in the Indian coastal state of Goa on Sunday, killing 25 people and injuring six others.

Goa’s Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said on X that he’s ordered a magisterial inquiry into the incident and that all six injured are in stable condition.

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the incident "deeply saddening." 

"My thoughts are with all those who have lost their loved ones. May the injured recover at the earliest. Spoke to Goa CM Dr. Pramod Sawant Ji about the situation. The State Government is providing all possible assistance to those affected," said Modi.

FIRE TEARS THROUGH HONG KONG HOUSING COMPLEX, KILLING AT LEAST 36 WITH HUNDREDS MISSING

The Press Trust of India (PTI), the country’s largest independent news agency, reported that police initially pointed to a cylinder blast as the possible cause, but a surviving tourist told the agency that firecrackers set off during a dance routine likely ignited the blaze.

A woman identified as Riya, a tourist from New Delhi, told PTI that firecrackers were going off when the dancers were performing.

"The fire must have been caused due to this. There was a stampede-like situation," she said.

SEVERAL FEARED DEAD IN A STAMPEDE OUTSIDE A CRICKET STADIUM IN INDIA

Another tourist, Fatima Shaikh, told PTI that more than 100 people had been on the dance floor at the Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub when the fire broke out, and some fled toward the kitchen, where they became trapped along with staff members.

"There was a sudden commotion as the flames started erupting. We rushed out of the club only to see that the entire structure was up in flames," she said.

A preliminary inquiry, according to PTI, indicated the fire began on the first floor, where congestion and narrow exits kept people from escaping.

"Some of them rushed to the ground floor and got trapped there," said Sawant. "We will take action against the club management and also against the officials who allowed it to operate despite flouting safety norms. This is an unfortunate incident during the peak tourist season."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.