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Biden says he will talk to Netanyahu as Israel pummels Sunni terror targets in Beirut
President Biden said on Sunday that he intended to talk to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu imminently, shortly before the Israel-Hamas war intensified in Lebanon.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) launched an airstrike on the Lebanese capital of Beirut on Sunday evening, marking the first time the Israeli military implemented an airstrike on the central part of the city amid the yearlong Israel-Hamas war.
Speaking from Dover Air Force Base earlier that afternoon, Biden confirmed to reporters that he planned to speak with Netanyahu. The conversation took place hours before the airstrike began.
"Yes, I will be talking to him," the Democrat said. "And I'll tell you what I say to him when I talk to him."
ISRAELI MILITARY SAYS HEZBOLLAH LEADER HASSAN NASRALLAH KILLED IN BEIRUT STRIKE
When asked about avoiding an "all-out war" in the Middle East, Biden said the U.S. has "to avoid it."
"We really have to avoid it," Biden said. "We have already taken precautions relative to our embassies and personnel who want to leave."
"And, but, we're not there yet, but we're working like hell with the French and many others to avoid [more] war."
The Associated Press first reported the airstrike on Sunday evening, citing witnesses in central Beirut. The airstrike came the same weekend that the IDF systematically targeted Hezbollah, a Lebanese terrorist group that supports Hamas.
The IDF had only targeted south Beirut, a Hezbollah stronghold, before Sunday's strikes. Dozens of people in Lebanon were killed by the IDF over the weekend, including Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.
The Israeli military also confirmed that Nabil Kaouk, the deputy head of Hezbollah’s Central Council, was eliminated by IDF forces.
Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for further comment.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Lithuanian FM warns Russia can do 'so much damage to its neighbors'
Lithuanian Foreign Affairs Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis shared with Fox News Digital his perspective as someone on the border of the Ukraine invasion, including concerns Russia can do "so much damage" even as its power wanes.
"In 2014, before the first war in Ukraine, people in the U.S. and … Western leaders would say ‘Russia is going down, it’s on its way down, its regional power – it's not a global power anymore, its influence is waning,’" Landsbergis said. "But on its way down, it can do so much damage to its neighbors."
"It’s not the right assessment," he added, saying that even if Russia were declining as much as Western leaders think, the death "convulsions" of such a great power could "last for decades."
"Who knows when or how it would stop … it’s a very difficult thing to imagine, to predict," he said.
Lithuania has remained one of the most vocal nations in Eastern Europe throughout Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, even before the 2014 invasion of Crimea. Part of that has been to proudly embrace NATO’s role on the continent.
While Lithuania fell far below the 2% required expenditure on defense in 2014, by 2021 – a full year before the invasion of Ukraine started – Lithuania had met the requirement and only continued increasing its defense expenditure.
Lithuania in 2023 hit 3.2% expenditure, making it one of the highest-spending (by percent of GDP) members of NATO after only Poland, the U.S., Greece and Estonia.
Landsbergis used this – and the general increase in defense spending among NATO members over the past two years – to argue that European countries have proven their ability to "muster strength" and stand up to a power of Russia’s size.
HUNGARIAN FM RECALLS STRONG TRUMP ADMIN ‘EXPERIENCE,’ CLAIMS ‘OUR HOPE IS ALL’ ON FORMER PRESIDENT
"Even the biggest critics should have to admit that more than $100 billion, now … I mean, it’s huge. Nobody really could have predicted that Europe would be able to do that," Landsbergis said.
"The question is: Is that enough? And does that forbid such action against your neighbor like Ukraine to be repeated in the future?" he said. "This is where we see a problem that Europe needs to grow because every industry in Europe needs to step up with its spending towards defense."
When pressed on whether Europe lacks clear leadership or has stagnated in recent years, Landsbergis disagreed but acknowledged that the union has room to improve.
"The union is structured with 27 members and each with a veto, right?" Landsbergis noted. "It's difficult to have a smooth process that doesn't require a lot of debate or consensus building."
"This is the way that we are currently at this juncture. There's talk about the need for reform," he added. "I think that it … will be happening. Europe has to adapt to the new requirements of this age and time, and maybe the principles change as well."
Israeli Air Force strikes Houthi targets in Yemen with 'extensive' operation
The Israeli Air Force is conducting strikes against Iran-backed Houthi targets in Yemen on Sunday, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed.
The IDF said in a statement that its air force struck Houthi targets in Yemen approximately 1,800 kilometers from Israel.
The Israeli military described "an extensive, intelligence-based aerial operation" involving dozens of IAF aircraft, including fighter jets, midair refueling aircraft, and intelligence aircraft, striking "military targets belonging to the Houthi terrorist regime in the Ras Isa and Hudaydah areas of Yemen."
The IDF said targets included power plants and a seaport used to import oil, "which were used by the Houthi terrorist regime to transfer Iranian weapons to the region, in addition to military supplies and oil."
The operation was conducted in response to recent attacks by the Houthis against Israel, the IDF said.
"Over the past year, the Houthis have been operating under the direction and funding of Iran, and in cooperation with Iraqi militias in order to attack the State of Israel, undermine regional stability, and disrupt global freedom of navigation," the IDF said. "The IDF is determined to continue operating at any distance – near or far – against all threats to the citizens of the State of Israel."
The campaign against the Houthis in Yemen comes amid already heightened tensions in the region after Israeli strikes outside Beirut, Lebanon, killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.
Houthi leader Adul Malik al-Houthi vowed revenge for Nasrallah's killing, according to Tazpit Press Service (TPS), an international Israeli news agency.
"We will move toward escalation and developing our military performance," al-Houthi reportedly said.
As the one-year anniversary of the Israel-Hamas war approaches, Houthis have continued a campaign to target ships traveling through the Red Sea as U.S.-led airstrikes earlier this month pounded their positions in Yemen. That's imperiled a waterway that typically sees $1 trillion of trade pass through it, as well as crucial shipments of aid to war-torn Sudan and Yemen, according to The Associated Press.
Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who reportedly has gone into hiding in his country, has also warned of potential retaliation from Iran and its terrorist proxies in response to Nasrallah's killing.
White House national security spokesman John Kirby said on ABC's "This Week" on Sunday that Hezbollah's command structure "has been nearly decimated," after Israel destroyed thousands of the terror group's missiles and drones over the last few days. On Sunday, however, Israeli air defenses reported downing two drones coming from Lebanon.
TPS reported that the two unmanned aircraft "crossed from Lebanese territory into Israeli waters and were intercepted by a missile and an IDF (Israel Defense Forces) combat helicopter."
In a statement on Saturday, the Pentagon press secretary, Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder, said Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin "stressed that the United States is determined to prevent Iran and Iranian-backed partners and proxies from exploiting the situation or expanding the conflict."
ISRAELI FORCES SAY HEAD OF HAMAS IN SOUTHERN SYRIA KILLED IN STRIKE
"Secretary Austin made clear that should Iran, its partners, or its proxies use this moment to target American personnel or interests in the region, the United States will take every necessary measure to defend our people," Ryder added. "The United States retains the capability to deploy forces on short notice. The Department of Defense continues to maintain a significant amount of capability in the region and to dynamically adjust our force posture based on the evolving security situation."
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He said Austin "directed that the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group (CSG) remain in the US Centcom theater and that the USS Wasp Amphibious Ready Group/Marine Expeditionary Unit (ARG/MEU) will continue to operate in the Eastern Mediterranean." The afloat posture, Ryder said, "is complemented by DoD’s elevated fighter and attack squadron presence, including F-22, F-15E, F-16, and A-10 aircraft, and we will further reinforce our defensive air-support capabilities in the coming days."
Fox News’ Yael Rotem-Kuriel and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Iran's Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in hiding with extra security following Hezbollah leader's death: report
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has moved into hiding and remains at a secure location within the country, sources told Reuters.
The decision came in response to Israel's strikes outside Beirut on Friday that killed the leader and founding member of the Iran-backed terrorist group Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah.
Two sources also told Reuters that Iran reached out to Hezbollah and other proxy forces in the region to determine what action to take in response to Nasrallah's killing.
In a statement Saturday, Khamenei said, "The fate of this region will be determined by the forces of resistance, with Hezbollah at the forefront."
ISRAELI FORCES SAY HEAD OF HAMAS IN SOUTHERN SYRIA KILLED IN STRIKE
While announcing five days of public mourning, Khamenei called Nasrallah "the flag-bearer of resistance" in the region.
"The blood of the martyr shall not go unavenged," Khamenei said, according to Reuters.
Iranian media reported on Saturday that the Israeli strikes outside Lebanon's capital also killed the Iranian Revolutionary Guards' deputy commander, Abbas Nilforoushan.
Israel has killed several other top Hezbollah commanders in Beirut, especially in the past two weeks, in addition to the attack that killed Nasrallah.
Earlier this month, thousands of explosives hidden in pagers and walkie-talkies used by Hezbollah detonated, killing at least a dozen people and injuring thousands, according to officials in Lebanon. Israel is widely believed to be behind the attack but has neither confirmed nor denied responsibility.
Reuters cited one Iranian security official as revealing that the Revolutionary Guards is carrying out a large scale operation to inspect all communications devices.
Most of the devices were made in Lebanon or imported from China and Russia, the official said, as Iran is conducting a thorough investigation centered on mid- and high-ranking members of the Revolutionary Guards.
Iran is considering the possibility of infiltration by Israeli agents, including Iranians paid by Israel, the official told Reuters.
In response to Nasrallah's death, hundreds of protesters took to the streets of Tehran, waving Hezbollah flags and chanting, "Death to Israel," and, "Death to Netanyahu the murderer," the Associated Press reported.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian partially blamed the United States for Nasrallah's killing, given that Washington has been providing weapons to Israel.
"The Americans cannot deny their complicity with the Zionists," he said in a statement aired by state media, according to Reuters.
ISRAEL TARGETS HEZBOLLAH LEADER NASRALLAH IN STRIKE ON BEIRUT HEADQUARTERS
Hezbollah started firing rockets on Israel in support of Gaza on Oct. 8, a day after Hamas terrorists launched an unprecedented attack on Israel, killing some 1,200 people and taking another 250 as hostages.
Since then, the two sides have been engaged in escalating cross-border strikes. Iran's proxies include Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, Houthis in Yemen, as well as other forces operating in Iraq. The Houthis have been launching missiles at Israel and ships in the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea along the Yemeni coast following the Oct. 7 attacks.
In his first public remarks since Nasrallah's killing, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel’s targeting of Nasrallah was "an essential condition to achieving the goals we set."
"He wasn’t another terrorist. He was the terrorist," Netanyahu said.
Netanyahu said Nasrallah’s killing would help bring displaced Israelis back to their homes in the north and would pressure Hamas to free Israeli hostages held in Gaza. But with the threat of retaliation high, he warned the coming days would bring "significant challenges" and warned Iran against trying to strike.
Iran’s U.N. Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani wrote a letter to the heads of the United Nations and the Security Council on Saturday calling for an emergency council meeting over the attack that killed Nasrallah.
"Using U.S.-supplied thousand-pound bunker busters," he wrote, Israel killed Nasrallah and Nilforoushan, among others.
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He warned Israel not to attack any of its diplomatic or consular premises, or its representatives, according to the AP.
"Iran will not hesitate to exercise its inherent rights under international law to take every measure in defense of its vital national and security interests," Iravani wrote.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
IDF announces death of another senior Hezbollah official following Nasrallah death
Israel's military says it has killed yet another high level member of Hezbollah with an airstrike on Sunday.
The IDF says the strike killed Nabil Kaouk, the deputy head of Hezbollah’s Central Council, though they did not offer details on where the strike took place. The claim comes just days after an IDF strike killed Hezbollah's leader, Hassan Nasrallah.
Israel and Hezbollah have continued to fire barrages of missiles and rockets toward one another as they appear to be on the brink of all-out war.
Hezbollah began its offensive immediately after Hamas' Oct. 7 massacre in Israel, in which some 1,200 Israelis were killed or captured. Israel has responded by launching its own airstrikes and massing forces at its northern border with Lebanon.
Israel was forced to evacuate some 60,000 citizens who were living near the border with Lebanon. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed that the campaign against Hezbollah will not stop until those citizens can return safely to their homes.
ISRAEL TARGETS HEZBOLLAH LEADER NASRALLAH IN STRIKE ON BEIRUT HEADQUARTERS
Meanwhile, Hezbollah says it will only cease its hostilities once Israel has agreed to a cease-fire in Gaza, a deal that has proven almost impossible in recent months.
Hundreds of thousands of people have likewise been driven from their homes in Lebanon. The government estimates that around 250,000 are in shelters, with three to four times as many staying with friends or relatives, or camping out on the streets, Environment Minister Nasser Yassin told The Associated Press.
Israel has killed a slew of top Hezbollah and Hamas commanders with airstrikes throughout the conflict.
On Friday, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin told reporters, "The United States was not involved in Israel’s operation," noting there was "no advance warning," from the Israelis about the strike on Nasrallah.
Netanyahu cut short his trip to New York following his speech to the United Nations General Assembly where he warned Hezbollah about Israel’s right to go on the offensive.
"As long as Hezbollah chooses the path of war, Israel has no choice, and Israel has every right to remove this threat and return our citizens to their home safely and that's exactly what we're doing," he said.
The IDF later released a graphic suggesting that nearly all of Hezbollah's top commanders have been killed.
The Associated Press contributed to this report
European officials dismiss claim world leaders 'are laughing' at Trump, praise his 'strong message'
UNITED NATIONS, N.Y. — Foreign ministers from European nations with close U.S. ties reacted to Vice President Kamala Harris’ claim world leaders are "laughing" at former President Trump, dismissing the claim.
During September’s presidential debate, Harris said, "World leaders are laughing at Donald Trump. I have talked with military leaders, some of whom worked with you, and they say you're a disgrace."
When asked about this quote, foreign ministers in attendance at the United Nations High-Level Week stressed they have no view one way or the other on the U.S. election and will work with whomever wins.
"We are friends of America," Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said, noting Italy and the U.S. are "two sides of the same coin." "If Trump will be the new president of America, we will work with him as we worked with him when he was president of America."
ISRAELI MILITARY SAYS HEZBOLLAH LEADER HASSAN NASRALLAH KILLED IN BEIRUT STRIKE
"We worked well with Biden, with Bush, with Reagan, with Clinton, with Obama," Tajani added. "For us, the transatlantic relations are the key strategy of our foreign policy, Europe and America."
Foreign ministers of Lithuania and the Czech Republic stressed that they will not interfere in the election by stating a preference, instead saying they "leave it to the American citizens to decide."
"My role is not to comment on such a political statement," Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky said.
However, Lipavsky praised Trump’s "strong" message of defense spending, which he hoped Europe would continue to embrace in the face of Russian aggression against Ukraine.
INVESTIGATOR REVEALS CHINA TRIED TO SMUGGLE DRONES TO LIBYA DISGUISED AS COVID AID
"The point is that Donald Trump had, at his time, one strong message for Europe, and that message was quite resonating and is resonating more now because he was saying spend more on your defense," Lipavsky said.
"My government is spending more on our defense," he added. "We want to reach those 2% of GDP, will be reaching them this year, and we will continue next year. So, (if) Donald Trump would be a president with this message, ‘Please spend 2%," we would be OK."
Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis highlighted the "very long history" between the two countries, saying that the relationship is "more than politics."
Instead, he reiterated the message that whoever wins the election will need to focus on the same message of defense spending that Trump pushed during his first administration.
Prior to the Trump administration, only a few members of NATO had upheld their commitment to spend 2% of GDP on defense, but that number rose sharply due to Trump’s insistence and hard-line stance over the issue.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in June reported that 23 of the 32 member states have hit the minimum spending requirement, which helped improve the bloc’s ability to support Ukraine and, potentially, deter Russian aggression beyond its current ambitions.
No European nation, though, has touted the success of Trump’s first term and expressed hopes for a strong second term as has Hungary. Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjártó revealed his government would have "huge expectations" for a new Trump administration.
"We have huge expectations because we do believe that many of the major crises which give us a lot of concern can be resolved by an administration of President Trump," Szijjártó said, noting he speaks as the longest-serving foreign minister in NATO with 10 years under his belt.
HUNGARIAN FM RECALLS STRONG TRUMP ADMIN ‘EXPERIENCE,’ CLAIMS ‘OUR HOPE IS ALL’ ON FORMER PRESIDENT
"I didn't really see anyone laughing at Trump," Szijjártó said. "What I've seen many having fear. I've seen many being afraid of a U.S. president being honest, not a hostage by the liberal mainstream, representing a patriotic position, speaking clearly about America first."
Trump and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán have done little to hide their rosy friendship, with Trump invoking the Hungarian leader as a "strong man of Europe" who speaks well of the former president.
Orbán proved this is a mutual dynamic when he chose to leave the NATO summit in Washington, D.C., earlier this year to instead meet with Trump in Mar-a-Lago in Florida to discuss foreign relations.
"Under President Trump, everything was under control," Szijjártó said. "Since President Trump has left office, the whole global security situation is deteriorating. So, I mean, these are experiences."
"If we base it on our experience, we say yes, from a perspective of U.S.-Hungary relations, I think President Trump would bring another impetus, freshness, dynamism to this relationship. And I think if President Trump is elected, I think the world has a good chance to become a more peaceful place compared to the current situation."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
A far-right party is looking for a historic election win in Austria
Austria's far-right Freedom Party could win a national election for the first time when Austria votes on Sunday, tapping into voters' anxieties about immigration, inflation, Ukraine and other concerns following recent gains for the hard right elsewhere in Europe.
Herbert Kickl, a former interior minister and longtime campaign strategist who has led the Freedom Party since 2021, wants to become Austria's new chancellor. He has used the term "Volkskanzler," or chancellor of the people, which was used by the Nazis to describe Adolf Hitler in the 1930s. Kickl has rejected the comparison.
But to achieve that, he would need a coalition partner to command a majority in the lower house of parliament.
And a win isn't certain, with recent polls pointing to a close race. They have put support for the Freedom Party at 27%, with the conservative Austrian People's Party of Chancellor Karl Nehammer on 25% and the center-left Social Democrats on 21%.
Still, Kickl has achieved a turnaround since Austria's last election in 2019. In June, the Freedom Party narrowly won a nationwide vote for the first time in the European Parliament election, which also brought gains for other European far-right parties.
In the 2019 election, its support slumped to 16.2% after a scandal brought down a government in which it was the junior coalition partner. Then-vice chancellor and Freedom Party leader Heinz-Christian Strache resigned following the publication of a secretly recorded video in which he appeared to offer favors to a purported Russian investor.
The far right has tapped into voter frustration over high inflation, the war in Ukraine and the COVID pandemic. It also been able to build on worries about migration.
"You don’t really feel safe in your own country anymore. But then you’re being branded as right-wing just because you think about safety of your own people, the kids and women," Margot Sterner, 54, said at a Freedom Party campaign event this month.
In its election program, the Freedom Party calls for "remigration of uninvited foreigners," and for achieving a more "homogeneous" nation by tightly controlling borders and suspending the right to asylum via an "emergency law."
Gernot Bauer, a journalist with Austrian magazine Profil who recently co-published an investigative biography of the far-right leader, said that under Kickl’s leadership, the Freedom Party has moved "even further to the right," as Kickl refuses to explicitly distance the party from the Identitarian Movement, a pan-European nationalist and far-right group.
Bauer describes Kickl’s rhetoric as "aggressive" and says some of his language is deliberately provocative.
The Freedom Party also calls for an end to sanctions against Russia, is highly critical of western military aid to Ukraine and wants to bow out of the European Sky Shield Initiative, a missile defense project launched by Germany.
The leader of the Social Democrats, a party that led many of Austria's post-World War II governments, has positioned himself as the polar opposite to Kickl. Andreas Babler — who is also mayor of the town of Traiskirchen, home to the country's biggest refugee reception center — has ruled out governing with the far right and labeled Kickl "a threat to democracy."
While the Freedom Party has recovered, the popularity of Nehammer's People’s Party, which currently leads a coalition government with the environmentalist Greens as junior partners, has declined since 2019.
During the election campaign, Nehammer portrayed his party, which has taken a tough line on immigration in recent years, as "the strong center" that will guarantee stability amid multiple crises.
But it is precisely these crises, ranging from the COVID-19 pandemic to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and resulting rising energy prices, that have cost the conservatives support, said Peter Filzmaier, one of Austria’s leading political scientists.
Under their leadership, Austria has experienced high inflation averaging 4.2% over the past 12 months, surpassing the EU average.
The government also angered many Austrians in 2022 by becoming the first European country to introduce a coronavirus vaccine mandate, which was scrapped a few months later without ever being put into effect. And Nehammer is the third chancellor since the last election, taking office in 2021 after predecessor Sebastian Kurz — the winner in 2019 — quit politics amid a corruption investigation.
But the recent flooding caused by Storm Boris that hit Austria and other countries in Central Europe brought back the topic of the environment into the election debate and helped Nehammer slightly narrow the gap with the Freedom Party by presenting himself as a "crisis manager," Filzmaier said.
The People’s Party is the far right’s only way into government.
Nehammer has repeatedly excluded joining a government led by Kickl, describing him as a "security risk" for the country, but hasn't ruled out a coalition with the Freedom Party in and of itself, which would imply Kickl renouncing a position in government.
The likelihood of Kickl agreeing to such a deal if he wins the election is very low, Filzmaier said.
But should the People’s Party finish first, then a coalition between the People’s Party and the Freedom Party could happen, Filzmaier said. The most probable alternative would be a three-way alliance between the People’s Party, the Social Democrats and most likely the liberal Neos.
Pope gets an earful from Belgian king and abuse victims over scandals and failures to respond
On a brutal day for Pope Francis, the king of Belgium, its prime minister and the rector of the Catholic university that invited him here all ripped into the institution he heads for a spectrum of sins: for covering up cases of clergy sex abuse and being far behind the times on embracing women and the LGBTQ+ community in the church.
And that was all before Francis met with the people most harmed by the Catholic Church in Belgium — the men and women who were raped and molested by priests as children. Seventeen abuse survivors spent two hours with Francis on Friday evening, telling him of their trauma, shame and pain and demanding reparations from the church.
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Through it all, Francis expressed his remorse, begged forgiveness and promised to do everything possible to make sure such abuses never occur again. "This is our shame and humiliation," he said in his first public remarks on Belgian soil.
Francis has visited countries with wretched legacies of church wrongdoing before. He made a sweeping apology to Irish abuse survivors in 2018 and traveled to Canada in 2022 to atone for the church-run residential schools that traumatized generations of Indigenous peoples.
But it is hard to think of a single day where the leader of the 1.3-billion strong Catholic Church had been subjected to such strong, public criticisms from a country's highest institutional figures — royalty, government and academia — over the church’s crimes and its seemingly tone-deaf responses to the demands of today’s Catholics.
Luc Sels, the rector of Leuven Catholic University, the 600th anniversary of which was the official reason for Francis’ trip to Belgium, told the pope that the abuse scandals had so weakened the church’s moral authority that it would do well to reform if it wants to regain its credibility and relevance.
"Wouldn’t the church be a warmer place if women were given a prominent place, the most prominent place, also in priesthood?" Sells asked the pope.
"Wouldn’t the church in our region gain moral authority if it were not so rigid in its approach to gender and diversity issues? And if it did, like the university does, open its arms more to the LGBTQ+ community?" he asked.
The comments certainly reflected the views of European social progressives. But they also reflected the reform-minded church that Francis has embraced, to a degree, in seeking to make the universal church more relevant and responsive to Catholics today.
The day began with King Philippe welcoming Francis to Laeken Castle, the residence of Belgium’s royal family, and citing the abuse and forced adoption scandals in demanding the church work "incessantly" to atone for the crimes and help victims heal.
He was followed by Prime Minister Alexander De Croo, who was also allowed to speak in an exception to typical Vatican protocol. He used the opportunity of a face-to-face public encounter to demand "concrete steps" to come clean with the full extent of the abuse scandal and put victims’ interests over those of the church.
"Victims need to be heard. They need to be at the center. They have a right to truth. Misdeeds need to be recognized," he told the pope. "When something goes wrong we cannot accept cover-ups," he said. "To be able to look into the future, the church needs to come clean on its past."
It was one of the most pointed welcome speeches ever directed at the pope during a foreign trip, where the genteel dictates of diplomatic protocol usually keep public remarks outrage-free.
But the tone underscored just how raw the abuse scandal still is in Belgium, where two decades of revelations of abuse and systematic cover-ups have devastated the hierarchy’s credibility and contributed to an overall decline in Catholicism and the influence of the once-powerful church.
Overall, victims welcomed the words from both church and state. Survivor Emmanuel Henckens said that "to an extent they went to the crux of the evil. He said it was no longer possible to look the other way."
But another abuse survivor, Koen Van Sumere, said it was now essential for the church to provide victims with substantial financial settlements.
"If you want to move toward forgiveness and reconciliation it is not sufficient to only say ‘I am sorry’ but you have to bear the consequences it entails and you should compensate the damages," Van Sumere said. He said so far what the Belgian church had paid out "amounted to alms" and that the settlement he received for his abuse didn’t even cover the costs of his therapy.
The victims, 17 of whom met with Francis at the Vatican residence Friday evening, had penned an open letter to him demanding a universal system of church reparations for their traumas. In a statement after the meeting, the Vatican said Francis would study their requests.
"The pope was able to listen and get close to their suffering, expressed gratitude for their courage, and the feeling of shame for what they suffered as children because of the priests to whom they were entrusted, noting the requests made to him so that he could study them," said a statement from the Vatican spokesman.
Revelations of Belgium’s horrific abuse scandal have dribbled out in bits over a quarter-century, punctuated by a bombshell in 2010 when the country’s longest-serving bishop, Brugge Bishop Roger Vangheluwe, was allowed to resign without punishment after admitting he had sexually abused his nephew for 13 years.
Francis only defrocked Vangheluwe earlier this year, in a move clearly designed to remove a lingering source of outrage among Belgians before his visit.
In September 2010, the church released a 200-page report that said 507 people had come forward with stories of being molested by priests, including when they were as young as 2. It identified at least 13 suicides by victims and attempts by six more.
Victims and advocates say those findings were just the tip of the iceberg and that the true scope of the scandal is far greater.
In his remarks, Francis insisted that the church was "addressing firmly and decisively" the abuse problem by implementing prevention programs, listening to victims and accompanying them to heal.
But after the astonishing dressing-down by the prime minister and king, Francis went off-script to express the shame of the church for the scandal and voice his commitment to ending it.
"The church must be ashamed and ask for forgiveness and try to resolve this situation with Christian humility and put all the possibilities in places so that this doesn’t happen again," Francis said. "But even if it were only one (victim), it is enough to be ashamed."
The prime minister, king and pope also referred to a new church-related scandal rocking Belgium, over so-called "forced adoptions," which echoed earlier revelations about Ireland’s so-called mother and baby homes.
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After World War II and through to the 1980s, many single mothers were forced by the Belgian church to offer their newborns up for adoption, with money changing hands.
Francis said he was "saddened" to learn of these practices, but said such criminality was "mixed in with what was unfortunately the prevailing view in all parts of society at this time."
‘American Gothic’, famous piece by artist Grant Wood, is displayed to visitors at the Art Institute of Chicago
"American Gothic" is a famous piece of artwork by Iowa-born Grant Wood.
The painting by Wood depicts a man and a woman standing in front of a house.
The man, a farmer, wears overalls, with a pitchfork in his hand, looking straight at the viewer, where the woman's head is turned slightly with a stern look on her face.
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Though there is a clear age gap between the man and the woman in the painting, the relationship between them is unknown. The painting could depict a husband and wife, or a father and his daughter.
To create his famous work, Wood used his sister Nan, and his dentist, Dr. B.H. McKeeby, as models for the pair standing in front of the house in the painting, according to Britannica. The two posed separately as Wood worked on the painting.
The house in the background of the painting was inspired by one Wood saw in Eldon, Iowa, according to the Art Institute of Chicago's website.
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The house was built in the Carpenter Gothic style, one that was popular in the 1880s.
The painting was completed by Wood in 1930. Upon completion, Wood submitted it to the Art Institute of Chicago, where it was accepted into a major show, according to the art institute.
Wood won the Norman Wait Harris Bronze Award for his painting and won $300 as his prize.
The painting has remained at the Art Institute of Chicago to this day. When it was first put on display, it quickly grew in popularity.
Much of the public interest in the painting came from viewers trying to fill in the blanks of the story. Not much is known of the background story of the painting, so many have made their own guesses.
One popular belief of the painting is that it was meant to be a satirical take on the Midwest, according to the Art Institute of Chicago. Wood repeatedly rejected this throughout his life, according to Britannica.
The Art Institute of Chicago says on its website that Wood wanted to "convey a positive image of rural American values, offering a vision of reassurance at the beginning of the Great Depression."
North Korea expands list of crimes punishable by death: report
North Korea is expanding its list of crimes punishable by death, according to reports.
Supreme leader Kim Jong Un's regime expanded the list of offenses warranting the death penalty from 11 to 16 via revisions of criminal law, according to Yonhap News Agency.
New offenses warranting execution as a punishment include: anti-state propaganda and agitation acts, illegal manufacturing, and the illicit use of weapons are included in the new codes.
KIM JONG UN PROMISES TO 'STEADILY STRENGTHEN' NORTH KOREA'S 'NUCLEAR FORCE'
The legal modifications were codified via multiple amendments between May 2022 and December 2023, according to a report from the Korea Institute for National Unification (KINU).
The tightening of the criminal code is intended to strengthen the Kim regime's grip on the population through its continued monopolization of the marketplace and military.
Earlier this month, North Korea promised to refine its weapons development and strengthen its nuclear capabilities.
NORTH KOREA'S KIM JONG UN REPORTEDLY ORDERED DOZENS OF OFFICIALS EXECUTED AFTER DEADLY FLOODS
Kim Jong Un made the comments Monday at a state event celebrating the country's 76th anniversary.
"The obvious conclusion is that the nuclear force of the DPRK and the posture capable of properly using it for ensuring the state's right to security in any time should be more thoroughly perfected," the dictator said.
"DPRK" is an abbreviation for North Korea's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
Kim Jong Un warned that the United States' increased involvement in the region has forced the regime to pursue more powerful weapons as a deterrence mechanism.
"The DPRK will steadily strengthen its nuclear force capable of fully coping with any threatening acts imposed by its nuclear-armed rival states and redouble its measures and efforts to make all the armed forces of the state, including the nuclear force, fully ready for combat," the supreme leader said.
The 14th Supreme People's Assembly, the unicameral legislative body of the country, amended the national constitution last year to enshrine nuclear weaponization as a core principle.
Israeli military says Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah killed in Beirut strike
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed the leader of the Hezbollah terrorist organization Hassan Nasrallah died in its strike Friday against the group’s headquarters in Lebanon.
"This is not the end of our toolbox. The message is simple, anyone who threatens the citizens of Israel - We will know how to reach them," the IDF's Chief of the General Staff, Ltf. Herzi Halevi said of the elimination of Nasrallah.
The IDF attacked the Iran-backed terror proxy’s headquarters in southern Beirut, revealing that they had targeted Nasrallah. A Hezbollah media relations official initially claimed he was "fine and well," but the Israelis confirmed his death early the next morning.
At least two other people were killed and dozens were wounded, Lebanon’s health ministry said.
On Friday, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin told reporters, "The United States was not involved in Israel’s operation," noting there was "no advance warning," from the Israelis.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu cut short his trip to New York following his speech to the United Nations General Assembly where he warned Hezbollah about Israel’s right to go on the offensive.
"As long as Hezbollah chooses the path of war, Israel has no choice, and Israel has every right to remove this threat and return our citizens to their home safely and that's exactly what we're doing," he said.
After his speech the prime minister’s office released a picture showing the Israeli leader in his New York hotel approving the operation against the terror chief.
ISRAEL TARGETS HEZBOLLAH LEADER NASRALLAH IN STRIKE ON BEIRUT HEADQUARTERS
Rich Goldberg, a senior adviser at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told Fox News Digital that Nasrallah’s death would prove a significant victory for Israel due to his close ties to Tehran.
"People don't appreciate that Nasrallah took over for Soleimani as senior strategist for Khamenei," Goldberg explained.
"Nasrallah had operational control of Lebanon and Syria: This is not just a strategic game-changer for Hezbollah, Lebanon and Syria, it's a strategic game-changer for Tehran," Goldberg explained. "We should assume that the IRGC is effectively in charge behind the scenes. Khamenei clearly had made a decision in recent weeks to avoid inviting Israeli strikes inside Iran."
"The calculus that led to that decision hasn't changed," Goldberg added. "Should Khamenei decide he's feeling lucky tonight and order a direct attack, we should reset all our assumptions about what Israel is willing to do inside Iran."
Israeli forces say head of Hamas in southern Syria killed in strike
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) announced Saturday morning that it eliminated the head of the Hamas terrorist network in southern Syria.
The Israeli Air Force struck Ahmad Muhammad Fahd following intelligence conducted by the IDF.
Fahd was responsible for carrying out terror attacks against IDF troops and Israel from the area of southern Syria, including by firing projectiles toward the Golan Heights area, according to the IDF.
ISRAEL TARGETS HEZBOLLAH LEADER NASRALLAH IN STRIKE ON BEIRUT HEADQUARTERS
He was eliminated while planning to carry out an "imminent" terror attack, the IDF said.
The IDF noted that it is continuing to work to eliminate Hamas terrorists, regardless of their location.
The IDF also said it was calling up three reserve battalions for operational activities and to strengthen the defense in the Central Command.
Fox News' Yonat Friling contributed to this report.
Israeli forces take out head of Hamas in southern Syria
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) announced Saturday morning that it eliminated the head of the Hamas terrorist network in southern Syria.
The Israeli Air Force struck Ahmad Muhammad Fahd following intelligence conducted by the IDF.
Fahd was responsible for carrying out terror attacks against IDF troops and Israel from the area of southern Syria, including by firing projectiles toward the Golan Heights area, according to the IDF.
ISRAEL TARGETS HEZBOLLAH LEADER NASRALLAH IN STRIKE ON BEIRUT HEADQUARTERS
He was eliminated while planning to carry out an "imminent" terror attack, the IDF said.
The IDF noted that it is continuing to work to eliminate Hamas terrorists, regardless of their location.
The IDF also said it was calling up three reserve battalions for operational activities and to strengthen the defense in the Central Command.
Fox News' Yonat Friling contributed to this report.
Fate of Hezbollah chief unknown after he was targeted in Israeli strike, 2 Hezbollah leaders killed
The fate of Hezbollah's leader Hassan Nasrallah is unknown following the Israeli Defense Forces' "targeted attack" against the central headquarters of Hezbollah in Beirut, Lebanon.
Fox News has learned the target of the attack was Nasrallah, but Hezbollah has since claimed that he is "fine and well" following the strike.
"His Eminence the Secretary-General is fine and well and was not in the targeted location," Hezbollah Media Relations Officer Hajj Muhammad Afif said on Iranian television.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has not provided an official status update on Nasrallah's whereabouts.
ISRAEL TARGETS HEZBOLLAH LEADER NASRALLAH IN STRIKE ON BEIRUT HEADQUARTERS
Elijah J. Magnier, a Brussels-based veteran and a senior political risk analyst, said that the group's normal practice "is that they either want him to be in a safe place, and they are moving him, or he is dead, and they want to wait until they find his body."
On Friday night, the IDF announced that two of Hezbollah's leaders – Muhammad Ali Ismail and Hussein Ahmad Ismail – were killed in the strike.
"Muhammad Ali Ismail, the Commander of Hezbollah’s Missile Unit in southern Lebanon, and his deputy, Hussein Ahmad Ismail, were eliminated in a precise IAF strike," the IDF announced in a X post.
The Israeli agency said that Ali Ismail was responsible for "directing numerous terrorist attacks" and "the firing of rockets towards Israeli territory and the launch of a surface-to-surface missile towards central Israel on Wednesday."
The IDF's announcement of the elimination of the two terrorist leaders came after Ibrahim Muhammad Qabisi, Head of Hezbollah's Missiles and Rockets Force, as well as other senior commanders of this unit, were previously killed.
WATCH:
Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh previously said that the U.S. was not involved in this operation and had no advance warning.
"Minister [Yoav] Gallant spoke with Secretary Austin as the operation was already underway," Singh said. "This operation has happened within the last few hours. We are still assessing the event."
The Pentagon also declined to speculate on whether the Hezbollah leader was still alive.
Fox News Digital's Michael Dorgan, Fox News' Trey Yingst and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Virginia FAA contractor allegedly spied for Iran, shared private info on US airports, energy industry: DOJ
A former Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) contractor was indicted Friday for acting as an illegal agent for the Iranian government, the Department of Justice said.
According to a DOJ release, from at least December 2017 through June 2024, 42-year-old Abouzar Rahmati allegedly met with Iranian government officials and acted on their behalf.
Rahmati, a naturalized U.S. citizen and resident of Great Falls, Virginia, previously was an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) 1st Lt., a branch of the Iranian Armed Forces, from June 2009 to May 2010. The IRGC is a designated terrorist group by the U.S. government.
After being discharged from the IRGC, the indictment alleges that Rahmati lied to the U.S. government regarding his military service with the IRGC in order to gain employment as a U.S. contractor.
3 HACKERS WITH TIES TO IRAN INDICTED IN PLOT AGAINST TRUMP CAMPAIGN: DOJ
In Aug. 2017, prosecutors allege that Rahmati began communicating with a senior Iranian government official with whom he had previously attended college.
Four months later, Rahmati traveled to Iran and met with intelligence operatives. During the meetings, he agreed to obtain and provide them with information on the U.S. solar energy industry.
Following the initial meetings, Rahmati got to work as a spy for the Iranian government. Prosecutors said that he eventually became a contractor for FAA’s National Airspace System (NAS), which allowed him to be privy to sensitive information.
Authorities alleged that in April 2022, Rahmati downloaded private documents related to the FAA and the NAS power and electrical architecture and passed them along to Iran's government.
He also gave the Government of Iran additional information relating to solar energy, solar panels, the FAA, U.S. airports, and U.S. air traffic control.
"As alleged, the defendant conspired with Iranian officials and intelligence operatives, even lying to obtain employment as a U.S. government contractor only to then share sensitive government materials with Iran," Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division said. "When undisclosed agents of Iran or any other foreign government seek to infiltrate American companies or government agencies, the Justice Department will use every available tool to identify them and bring them to justice."
Rahmani made his initial appearance in the District of Columbia on Friday afternoon.
Prince Charles, Princess Diana's wedding venue, St. Paul’s Cathedral in London, survived bombs during WWII
St. Paul's Cathedral in London has been the site of many historic moments, including the wedding of Prince Charles and the late Princess Diana Spencer in July 1981.
The cathedral's safety has been a concern many times throughout its history, especially after it was damaged in bomb raids during World War II. St. Paul's Cathedral remarkably stood among the destruction.
There were several bomb raids in and around the cathedral during WWII.
CHURCH IN SYRIA WIDELY CONSIDERED OLDEST IN THE WORLD; DURA-EUROPOS IS A HISTORICAL LANDMARK
During "The Blitz," a German bombing campaign on British cities, London was bombed 57 nights in a row, according to the St. Paul's Cathedral website. During this time, there were over a million buildings partially damaged or destroyed.
Many bombings happened around or in the cathedral, including on Dec. 29, 1940.
On that night, the Daily Mail's chief photographer, Herbert Mason, was on the roof of the newspaper's building, looking around at the destruction below and smoke filling the air.
Through the smoke, he saw St. Paul's Cathedral still standing tall among all the surrounding destruction as a shining light in the city.
CHURCH OF ENGLAND APPEARS TO STOP USING THE WORD ‘CHURCH’ TO SOUND MORE ‘RELEVANT’: STUDY
"Suddenly, the shining cross, dome and towers stood out like a symbol in the inferno. The scene was unbelievable. In that moment or two, I released my shutter," Mason said of the moment, according to the cathedral's website.
The photo, "St. Paul Survives," is still famous today.
On that night, 28 small explosive devices fell on and around the cathedral, hitting the dome and destroying the Chapter House located nearby, according to the St. Paul's Cathedral website.
Two months before, a 500-pound bomb went off in the Apse and Quaire, according to the source, and the cathedral suffered another direct hit in April 1941.
8 TOP-TIER EXPERIENCES TO ADD TO YOUR LONDON BUCKET LIST
In September 1940, another bomb landed in the south-west tower but didn't explode and was carefully removed for safe detonation.
There are several places throughout the cathedral where bomb damage remains to this day, according to the website for St. Paul's Cathedral.
Many years later, the cathedral was the setting for Prince Charles and Princess Diana's wedding.
St. Paul's Cathedral was a unique choice for the wedding ceremony because most in the royal family chose Westminster Abbey as their place to be wed.
Prince Charles and Princess Diana's July 1981 wedding was the first for an heir to the throne to be held at St. Paul's Cathedral in 480 years, according to the cathedral's website.
St. Paul's Cathedral was chosen as the wedding venue for its large size and the long route to the cathedral, Clarance House and Buckingham Palace, allowing more opportunities for public viewing.
There were 3,500 in attendance at the royal wedding, according to the cathedral's website, with another 350 million watching from home.
Today, St. Paul's Cathedral continues to be a holy place for worship and the setting of many royal events. It's a staple of the city, with its famous unmistakable dome among London's buildings. It's also one of London's popular tourist attractions, with millions visiting each year.
US warships come under attack in Red Sea as nearly two dozen incoming missiles and drones shot down
Three U.S. warships came under attack Friday off the coast of Yemen by Iran-backed Houthi rebels, who have disrupted commercial shipping in the region, but no one was hurt, officials said.
The warships shot down nearly two dozen incoming missiles and drones while transiting a narrow entrance into the Red Sea. None of the vessels was hit, and no sailors on board were hurt, a U.S. official told Fox News.
The USS Stockdale and USS Spruance, along with a littoral combat ship, the USS Indianapolis, were transiting the Bab al-Mandab Strait when the naval warships came under attack from a barrage of incoming ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and drones, the officials said.
EXTREMISTS RISE IN NEW PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY GOVERNMENT AS BIDEN THREATENS ISRAEL OVER GAZA WAR
"We did see a complex attack launched from the Houthis that ranged from cruise missiles and waves," Pentagon deputy press secretary Sabrina Singh told reporters Friday. "My understanding is that those were either engaged in, shot down or failed."
The Stockdale and Spruance are part of the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier strike group that recently arrived in the Middle East from the Pacific.
U.S. forces have struck back at Houthi militants on multiple occasions for nearly a year. The rebel group has routinely attacked commercial and military vessels at sea over Israel's war against Hamas.
The number of commercial ships passing through the Red Sea has dropped by 90% since the attacks began after the Oct. 7, 2023, massacre in Israel. Since then, U.S. forces in Iraq and Syria have come under attack dozens of times. In January, three American soldiers were killed in Jordan.
The Houthis recently attacked a Greek-flagged oil tanker, which carried four times the amount of oil that spilled from the Exxon Valdez in Alaska's Prince William Sound in 1989. No major oil spill occurred, and officials said the fires on board the vessel were contained.
The ship was towed into port after being adrift in the Red Sea for days with flames visible on deck.
During her debate with former President Trump, Vice President Harris claimed, "As of today, there is not one member of the United States military who is in active duty in a combat zone in any war zone around the world, the first time this century."
At the time of Harris's comments, elite American commandos had just conducted a raid into western Iraq, days prior, to kill ISIS leaders. A number of soldiers were wounded, including one who took shrapnel to his leg, which required surgery.
The USS Dwight D. Eisenhower aircraft strike group returned to Norfolk, Virginia, in July after dropping 420 bombs on Houthi targets in Yemen. Warships in the strike group fired 155 interceptor missiles to shoot down incoming Houthi missiles and drones.
At least 135 Tomahawk cruise missiles were fired into Yemen from American warships, and fighter jets aboard the ship launched 60 air-to-air missiles to shoot down incoming Houthi drones.
Israel strikes Hezbollah headquarters in Beirut, IDF says
The Israeli Defense Forces carried out a "precise strike" on the central headquarters of Hezbollah in Beirut, Lebanon, the IDF announced Friday.
IDF spokesperson Rear admiral Daniel Hagari said the headquarters were intentionally built under residential buildings "as part of Hezbollah's strategy of using Lebanese people as human shields."
Video and images show plumes of smoke rising over Beirut following the Israeli strikes.
Fox News has learned the target of the strike on Beirut was Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.
Hezbollah's al-Manar television reported that four buildings were destroyed and there were many casualties in the multiple strikes, which marked a major escalation of Israel's conflict with the heavily armed, Iran-backed Hezbollah.
HOW A US-BACKED UN RESOLUTION FAILED TO STOP HEZBOLLAH TERROR TAKEOVER: 'BIPARTISAN FAILURE'
Security sources in Lebanon said the attack targeted an area where top Hezbollah officials are usually based. It was the heaviest attack in Beirut in almost a year of conflict between Hezbollah and Israel.
"On Oct. 8, Hezbollah started attacking Israel after almost a year of Hezbollah firing rockets, missiles and suicide drones at Israeli civilians," Hagari said.
"After almost a year of Israel warning the world and telling them that Hezbollah must be stopped, Israel is doing what every sovereign state in the world would do if they had a terror organization that seeks their destruction on their border, taking the necessary action to protect our people so that Israeli families can leave their homes safely and securely."
This is a breaking news story. Please check back for details.
Trump meets Ukraine's Zelenskyy at Trump Tower, says Russia's war must end with 'fair deal'
Former President Donald Trump met with the president of Ukraine at Trump Tower in New York City on Friday, saying he has a "very good relationship" with Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
"It's very important to share our plan, all of our steps on how we can strengthen Ukraine," Zelenskyy said. He explained to reporters that he decided to meet with both Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris because "after November, we don't know who Americans [will decide to] be the president."
Speaking with Fox News after the meeting, Trump said, "We both want to see this end and we both want to see a fair deal made. And it's got to be fair. And I think that'll happen at the right time. I think it's going to happen."
Neither Trump nor Zelenskyy publicly explained details of a potential deal.
ZELENSKYY WARNS VANCE'S PLAN TO GIVE RUSSIA SEIZED LAND WILL LEAD TO 'GLOBAL SHUTDOWN'
"It’s an honor to have the president with us, and he’s been through a lot" Trump said of Zelenskyy's visit, at one point saying "[Zelenskyy has] gone through hell, his country has gone through hell."
The meeting at Trump Tower comes just after Zelenskyy met with Harris in Washington, D.C.
Harris and Zelenskyy gave a joint address at the White House on Thursday, where she pledged unwavering support for the Ukrainian effort and criticized Trump's consideration of negotiated peace at the cost of some captured regions of the country.
VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY'S VANCE CRITICISMS COULD COME BACK TO HAUNT HIM, REPUBLICANS WARN
"In candor, I share with you, Mr. President, there are some in my country who would, instead, force Ukraine to give up large parts of its sovereign territory, who would demand that Ukraine accept neutrality and would require Ukraine to forego security relationships with other nations," Harris said.
Zelenskyy affirmed on Friday after meeting with Trump that the former president shares the "common view that the war in Ukraine has to be stopped."
"He’s going through a tremendous amount," Trump said on Friday. "We’re going to have a discussion and see what we can come up with."
A brief exchange between the two leaders highlighted the high stakes of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the U.S.'s role in ending the conflict.
"We have a very good relationship. I also have a very good relationship, as you know, with President Putin," Trump said. "And I think if we win we're going to get [the war] resolved very quickly."
"I hope we have more good [sic] relations," Zelenskyy interjected, emphasizing his desire to have a stronger relationship with the U.S. than Russia.
"It takes two to tango, and we will," Trump responded.
Netanyahu calls Mideast conflicts choice between 'blessing or a curse,' warns about Israel's 'long arm'
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu underscored the conflicts in the Middle East as a choice between "a blessing or a curse," as he warned Iran’s "tyrants" about Israel’s ability to defend and avenge itself.
"If you strike us, we will strike you," Netanyahu said. "There is no place in Iran that the long arm of Israel cannot reach, and that’s true of the entire Middle East: Far from being lambs led to the slaughter, Israel’s soldiers have fought back with incredible courage and with heroic sacrifice."
Netanyahu took the podium in front of a partially empty General Assembly, with some delegates walking out, but those who gathered to hear him offered raucous applause ahead of his speech. Seemingly absent from the speech was the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who was hosting a global health security event on the sidelines of UNGA.
He revealed that he almost did not attend the U.N. High-Level Week, but he felt a need to "set the record straight," which included laying out the choice the world faces.
Netanyahu brought several families with loved ones held hostage by Hamas terrorists in Gaza to New York and once again called for their freedom, noting that, "I'll say this one more time, we remain focused on our sacred mission, bringing our hostages home. And we will not stop until that mission is complete."
THE ONLY THING NETANYAHU CAN DO IS EXUDE STRENGTH IN THE FACE OF HIS ENEMIES: ELIZABETH PIPKO
"Israel seeks peace," Netanyahu said. "Israel yearns for peace. Israel has made peace and will make peace again – yet, we face savage enemies who seek our annihilation, and we must defend ourselves against those savage murderers."
Netanyahu framed the issue as a choice between "a blessing or a curse," with Iran’s "unremitting aggression" as the "curse" against the "blessing" of reconciliation between Arab nations and Israel.
"A normalization deal between Saudi Arabia and Israel seemed closer than ever. But then came the curse of Oct. 7," Netanyahu said. "Thousands of Iranian-backed Hamas terrorists from Gaza burst into Israel in pickup trucks, on motorcycles. And they committed unimaginable atrocities."
The prime minister hammered again on Iran’s aggression, warning that if left unchecked, it will "endanger every single country in the Middle East and many, many countries in the rest of the world."
HEZBOLLAH STORES WEAPONS AMONG CIVILIANS IN LEBANON, US SAYS ITS NOT SHARING INTEL WITH IDF
"Iran seeks to impose its radicalism well beyond the Middle East," Netanyahu warned. "That's why it funds terror networks on five continents. That's why it builds ballistic missiles for nuclear warheads to threaten the entire world."
"For too long, the world is appeasing Iran. It turns a blind eye to its internal repression. It turns a blind eye to its external aggression," he added. "Well, that appeasement must end, and that appeasement must end now."
Netanyahu called on the U.N. Security Council to "snap back" sanctions against Iran and do everything in the organization’s power to "ensure that Iran never gets nuclear weapons."
However, he lamented that the organization has an apparent bias against Israel and in favor of the Palestinians, citing the "automatic majority" of countries that will vote in favor of any policy that hurts Israel.
"For the Palestinians, this U.N. House of darkness is home court," Netanyahu said. "They know that in this swamp of antisemitic bile, there's an automatic majority willing to demonize the Jewish state on anything in this anti-Israel, flat Earth society. Any false charge, any outlandish allegation can muster a majority."
"It's always been about Israel, about Israel's very existence, and I say to you, until Israel, until the Jewish state is treated like other nations, until this antisemitic swamp is drained, the U.N. will be viewed by fair-minded people everywhere as nothing more than a contemptuous force," he added.
Fox News' David Hammelburg contributed to this story.
