World News
Cops drop murder probe after coroner rules man’s bloody stabbing death was freak accident
A British man who was believed to have been murdered after he was found slumped over on a blood-soaked bench last year actually passed out drunk on a knife in his own bag, officials said this week.
Authorities initially believed Robert Brown, 57, was stabbed to death after he was found on Aug. 1, 2025, in Northampton, England, according to reports from the Northampton Chronicle and Echo.
FARAGE'S REFORM UK BEATS OUT ESTABLISHMENT PARTIES IN 'EARTHQUAKE' ELECTIONS
Three people were eventually arrested in connection with his death and later released. A coroner on Thursday ruled Brown's death a "tragic accident."
Investigators believe Brown, who authorities said had alcohol dependence issues, fell into a deep sleep and put his weight on his bag, resulting in the knife piercing his body.
The blade penetrated the bag and all three layers of Brown's clothing, slashing his arm and leaving him to bleed out as he slept, authorities said.
Brown's alcoholism made him vulnerable to blood loss, experts said at a court hearing.
Northamptonshire Police dropped the murder inquiry in February, saying Brown's death was likely self-inflicted. Investigators noted that there was no apparent motive to murder Brown.
"We have reviewed the extensive amount of information gathered as part of the investigation, including all forensic submissions, and can confirm the evidence does not support the hypothesis that his death was a homicide," police said at the time.
Ukraine launches what appears to be one of its largest drone attacks against Russia: report
As the brutal war between the two nations continues to rage, Ukraine conducted a significant nighttime assault against a dozen Russian regions, Russian-held Crimea as well as the surrounding seas, Russia's Ministry of Defense indicated on Friday, according to The Associated Press, which reported that the effort appeared to be one Ukraine's largest drone attacks since Russia's full-scale invasion several years ago.
The ministry reported that the country's air defenses intercepted a whopping 660 Ukrainian drones, according to the outlet, which noted that the prior largest Ukrainian assault during the past year included 556 drones last month on May 17.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin indicated that 47 Ukrainian drones were taken out as they headed for the capital city, according to the report.
'PURE HELL' IN MOSCOW AS UKRAINIAN DRONES STRIKE MAJOR REFINERY SUPPLYING CAPITAL'S FUEL MARKET
The AP reported that Ukraine's air force indicated that the nation's defenses stopped 174 of 189 Russian drones overnight, though four out of seven Iskander-M ballistic missiles breached air defenses and hit various places.
But even as the years-long war between the two countries drags on, the bitter enemies engaged in a prisoner swap, according to the AP, which reported that officials said 160 individuals from each side were going home on Friday.
RUSSIA PREPARING HYBRID ATTACKS ON NATO'S EASTERN FLANK, INTELLIGENCE WARNS
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted in a Friday post on X, "We continue bringing Ukrainians home from Russian captivity. Today, 160 servicemembers were released from captivity. All of them had been held captive since 2022."
"Among those released today are servicemembers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the State Special Transport Service, National Guard warriors, and border guards. They defended Ukraine in Mariupol and at Azovstal, as well as in the Donetsk, Luhansk, Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, Kyiv, Chernihiv, and Sumy sectors," he continued.
FUNERALS, BEAUTY QUEENS AND BOMBS: THE UKRAINIAN CITY THAT WON'T LET PUTIN WIN
"I thank our entire team, which works every day to bring our people back. Special gratitude to all our units on the frontline who replenish Ukraine’s 'exchange fund' and, through their courage, make it possible for us to bring people home. We remember everyone who remains in captivity. We are checking every name. We must bring everyone back – both military personnel and civilians," Zelenskyy added.
The Associated Press contributed to this report
$600 million worth of heroin, meth and other seized drugs set on fire in Burma
Video emerged Friday showing hundreds of millions of dollars' worth of heroin, methamphetamine and other confiscated illegal drugs being set on fire in Burma .
More than 50 combined tons of those drugs, as well as opium, ketamine, marijuana and crystal meth – estimated to be worth $600 million – were set ablaze in the southeast Asian country to mark the United Nations' International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, according to The Associated Press.
This year, the street value of drugs destroyed was more than double last year's total, said Police Lt. Col. Aung Myat Soe of Yangon's Anti-Narcotics Police Force. In Yangon alone, some $321 million worth of 31 different types of drugs were set ablaze, Aung Myat Soe added.
HIDDEN TUNNEL DISCOVERED IN TIJUANA MAY HAVE SUPPORTED CROSS-BORDER TRAFFICKING OPERATIONS
Footage taken in Yangon showed a massive array of drugs engulfed in a raging inferno, with thick black smoke billowing into the sky.
Burma has been a major source of illegal drugs destined for East and Southeast Asia, despite repeated efforts to crack down, and has long been one of the world's largest producers of heroin and methamphetamine.
Violent political unrest in Burma following the military takeover in 2021 — which has led into a civil war between the military government and its pro-democracy opponents, as well as ethnic armed groups — has caused an increase in drug production, experts told the AP.
In January, the military government claimed the country’s largest-ever seizures of illicit drugs and drug-manufacturing equipment, taken from a total of 12 drug production sites during a series of raids in the northern part of Shan state.
The U.N. says its June 26 International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking is "an expression of its determination to strengthen action and cooperation to achieve the goal of an international society free of drug abuse."
"Supported each year by individuals, communities, and various organizations all over the world, this global observance aims to raise awareness of the major problem that illicit drugs represent to society," the U.N. added.
"Global drug use and the number of drugs on the market have been increasing in the past decades. The century-long dominance of heroin in illicit global opioid markets is increasingly being challenged by changes in the illegal supply of opioids," it added. "Production, seizures and use of cocaine continue to rise, while low costs of manufacture and reduced risks of detection of synthetic drugs are contributing to their increase on illicit drug markets."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Iran nuclear deal hinges on IAEA access to long-blocked atomic weapon sites, experts say
Having crushed Iran's nuclear capabilities during two wars in joint attacks with the Israelis, the latest and most significant chapter of whether there will be peace is whether the regime will allow inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency access to its nuclear weapons facilities.
Conflicting statements and reports from President Trump and Iran's foreign ministry suggest the U.N.’s IAEA will face the same recalcitrant policy from Tehran it has experienced for two decades in blocking its inspectors from conducting robust verification of the clerical regime’s vast nuclear facilities, including underground compounds. The IAEA sticking point might be a deal-breaker for President Trump.
David Albright, who is widely viewed as one of the world’s leading experts on Iran’s nuclear weapons program, told Fox News Digital the "IAEA comes up short" in its efforts to secure information and verification about Iran’s nuclear weapons program because "Iran has not cooperated for twenty years."
THE RACE AGAINST TIME TO DESTROY IRAN’S ILLICIT NUCLEAR WEAPONS PROGRAM HEATS UP AMID FRESH STRIKES
Albright, a physicist and president of the Institute for Science and International Security said, "Iran loves to generate plans of action that can be extended" and the process becomes a "pointless exercise."
For Iran experts like Albright, Iran’s skill in the art of procrastination has allowed it to stretch out talks over the decades while working to advance its work on a nuclear weapons device and a missile system to deliver it.
As a result, Albright said "it colors my view of the MOU [Memorandum of Understanding]" agreed to between the U.S. and Iran that codifies IAEA inspections of Iran’s atomic weapons program.
Albright sees the IAEA as a key test for the success of U.S.-Iran talks. "The way Iran treats the IAEA will tell us if the negotiations are meaningful," adding that Tehran’s regime has treated the IAEA terribly in the past.
OBAMA-ERA INSPECTION FLAWS IN IRAN COULD PERSIST AS EXPERTS WARN OF NUCLEAR BLIND SPOTS
The website of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs declared in a statement that "Foreign Ministry Spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei, speaking to reporters, denied reports published by certain media outlets claiming that the Islamic Republic of Iran has invited the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to inspect its nuclear facilities."
A headline in the Islamic Republic News Agency Wednesday stated, "No plan for access to Iran’s attacked nuclear facilities without final deal, says deputy FM." The regime-controlled outlet noted that Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs Kazem Gharibabadi wrote on his X account that no meeting was held with Grossi in Switzerland, despite the IAEA head requesting that Iran meet with him. "There is no plan for access to the facilities that were attacked or to the nuclear materials," Gharibabadi wrote.
On Friday in Japan, IAEA Director Raphael Grossi told reporters, "This agreement expressly indicates that the nuclear part will be supervised, monitored, by the IAEA." He added that "a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was subscribed by the two presidents, by President Donald Trump and President Pezeshkian from Iran, and this agreement expressly indicates that the nuclear part will be supervised, monitored, by the IAEA."
He noted that "initial conversations" have started about inspections of Iran’s nuclear sites. "We hope to be there soon," he said. It is unclear if Grossi's team will examine all Iranian nuclear weapons facilities and suspected nuclear sites.
The IAEA declined to answer a detailed Fox News Digital press query on why previous IAEA oversight efforts failed; what would be different this time; whether inspectors can access meaningful sites or only symbolic locations; and would the IAEA focus on access to the Pickaxe Mountain facility versus sites already damaged or buried.
IRAN EXPANDS WEAPONIZATION CAPABILITIES CRITICAL FOR EMPLOYING NUCLEAR BOMB
Albright said Israel’s government has identified ten or more sites where Iran is suspected of being involved in nuclear weapons. The IAEA spokesman declined to comment on whether their inspectors will demand to visit those sites.
Jason Brodsky, policy director at United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI), told Fox News Digital that "Iran should be made to come clean and allow inspections not only at declared nuclear sites — especially the ones damaged during Operation Midnight Hammer — but also at universities, military bases and other state organizations that have been used to engage in dual-use research which is applicable to the development of a nuclear weapon should there be a leadership decision to do so. Inspections on Iran’s nuclear weaponization program were not part of the original 2015 JCPOA, which was one of its weaknesses."
The JCPOA, whose formal name is the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, was negotiated by former President Obama’s administration in 2015. Albright, a sharp critic of the JCPOA, said the Obama deal accepted that Iran did not cooperate and "swept it under the rug." Albright warned that "It is really important that the U.S. [Trump administration] not do a JCPOA."
TRUMP’S NEW IRAN DEAL FACES NUCLEAR BLIND SPOT OVER URANIUM STOCKPILE, EXPERTS WARN
Trump withdrew from the JCPOA in 2018. He said at the time the JCPOA was a "horrible one-sided deal that should never ever have been made."
Brodsky stressed that "Any new agreement should include more robust inspection powers. Iran’s denial of inspections at the damaged nuclear facilities since June 2025 violates its obligations under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty."
When asked about the IAEA’s impotence with respect to intrusive sanctions on Iran’s nuclear facilities, a White House spokeswoman referred Fox News Digital to Vice President JD Vance and Grossi’s comments.
"The Iranians have agreed to invite IAEA inspectors back into their country. That is a major milestone for the American people, and the first step in permanently denuclearize, easing or permanently ending a nuclear weapons program in Iran," Vance said on Monday. He added, "And that's exactly what we wanted to do. That's exactly what we asked to happen."
President Trump wrote on Truth Social: "Despite their protestations and false statements to the contrary, coupled with the drumbeat of the Fake News, which is doing everything possible to make the U.S. Victory as small and insignificant as possible, Iran has fully and completely agreed to highest level Nuclear inspections long into the future (Infinity!!!). This will insure ‘Nuclear Honesty.’ If they did not agree to this, there would be no further negotiations! "
The Islamic Republic’s spokesman to the U.N. did not respond to a Fox News Digital press query.
The U.S. State Department declined to comment.
Death toll from Venezuela earthquakes rises to at least 589, with thousands reported missing
The death toll from the catastrophic series of earthquakes that rocked Venezuela this week has risen to at least 589, with at least 2,980 injured and thousands more missing as U.S. military leadership has arrived in Caracas to help coordinate relief efforts.
The number of dead is expected to climb Friday following back-to-back magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 earthquakes that hit northern Venezuela on Wednesday night, roughly 120 miles west of Caracas.
Venezuelan state TV has broadcast dramatic images of rescues, including a woman who was trapped under a cement slab, only a bare foot poking out before crews managed to get her out alive, The Associated Press reported. The injured were seen being pulled out of the rubble covered in dust and blood, among them children and animals.
U.S. Southern Command said overnight that U.S. Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Kevin J. Jarrard arrived in Caracas on Thursday "to oversee Department of War support to Venezuela earthquake relief efforts."
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION PLEDGES $150M IN AID, DEPLOYS NAVY WARSHIPS AFTER DEADLY VENEZUELA EARTHQUAKES
SOUTHCOM’s announcement comes as the Trump administration has activated a government-wide humanitarian response, pledging $150 million in aid and deploying U.S. Navy warships to assist in life-saving rescue operations.
"Maj. Gen. Jarrard is serving as the senior U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) official on the ground and is working closely with partners to plan, coordinate, and direct the U.S. military’s unparalleled logistical and operational capabilities to support the rapid, life-saving movement of response personnel, equipment, and humanitarian assistance into affected areas," SOUTHCOM said in a statement, noting that Venezuela’s interim government — led by acting President Delcy Rodríguez — formally requested American assistance.
"Assigned U.S. military forces will utilize fixed and rotor wing aircraft to provide specialized mobility services and assist U.S. Government personnel, search and rescue teams, and partners assessing damage and delivering critical life-saving assistance," SOUTHCOM added.
PLAYERS, FANS FLEE STADIUM AS POWERFUL EARTHQUAKES STRIKE DURING VENEZUELA BASEBALL GAME
The coastal region of La Guaira, which is located north of Caracas, suffered some of the heaviest damage and casualties. The country’s main airport is there and was closed due to damage, complicating aid efforts.
Retired schoolteacher Juan Alberto Mendaño climbed through wreckage in La Guaira and past a body when he spotted a woman who was trapped and signaling with her hand for help, according to the AP.
"May God rescue her as quickly as possible," Mendaño reportedly said. "When we heard the scream, there was nothing we could do."
Venezuelan authorities said they were diverting rescue teams from other parts of the country to La Guaira.
Rodríguez also appealed to businesses Thursday to make heavy construction equipment available for rescue operations.
"We hope to rescue as many living people as possible," Rodríguez added, referring to La Guaira as a "disaster zone."
Fox News Digital’s Alexandra Koch and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Israel slams UN report as 'political blood libel' for alleging deliberate targeting of Palestinian children
Israel reacted angrily over a new United Nations’ Commission of Inquiry report alleging the Jewish state had engaged in the "deliberate targeting of Palestinian children."
Prior reports from the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Including East Jerusalem, and Israel garnered accusations of antisemitism and incitement to violence.
The latest report, released Wednesday, said that, "based on the evidence reviewed, and consistent with its previous reports, the Commission finds on reasonable grounds that the Israeli authorities and the Israeli security forces have continued to commit the crime of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes in the Gaza Strip and war crimes in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem."
UN EXPERT REPEATS ISRAEL 'GENOCIDE' CLAIMS AFTER US CALLS FOR HER REMOVAL
Israel's Ambassador to the U.N., Danny Danon, told Fox News Digital that "this is not an investigative report. It is a political blood libel disguised as a U.N. document. This commission reaches its conclusions before examining the facts and repeatedly publishes reports that serve one purpose only: to vilify Israel. Instead of addressing Hamas' crimes, the October 7 massacre, the hostages, and Hamas' cynical use of children and civilians as human shields, the commission has once again chosen to place Israel in the dock."
Danon added that "Israel will continue to defend its citizens and fight terrorism, regardless of how many false reports are published by fringe actors within U.N. institutions."
Representatives from the COI and Human Rights Council did not respond to Fox News Digital’s requests for comment on the concerns addressed about the report.
Asked for a reaction from U.N. chief Antonio Guterres to the report, his spokesman, Stéphane Dujarric, told Fox News Digital "it’s not his report to comment on."
ISRAELI AMBASSADOR LASHES OUT AT UN OFFICIAL, CONDEMNS UK, FRANCE, CANADA STATEMENT ON AID
Srinivasan Muralidhar, Chair of the Commission told reporters during a press briefing that, "The evidence shows that Palestinian children have been deliberately targeted and killed by the Israeli security forces." He said "Even after the October 2025 ceasefire, children continue to be killed and seriously injured, with continued disregard by Israel for the ceasefire and for the protection owed to Palestinian children under international law."
SIGN UP FOR ANTISEMITISM EXPOSED NEWSLETTER
Anne Bayefsky, President of Human Rights Voices and Director of the Touro Institute on Human Rights and the Holocaust, told Fox News Digital that the COI’s "sham ‘inquiry’ makes the totally unjustified claim of legal authority, while at the same time systematically violating every conceivable legal rule of fairness, impartiality, and due process. Since its creation in 2021, every call for submissions, every consultation and every hearing held, has been contrived to take seriously the allegations of only one side – trashing literally millions of data points both historical and current to the contrary."
She said, "the first COI report focused on children…fails to even mention the sickening murders of 9-month-old Kfir Bibas and 4-year-old Ariel Bibas." She says that "also ignored in the COI report are the hundreds of thousands of Israeli children traumatized by October 7th, by the subsequent mass displacement, and by the excruciating longing for parents absent while defending their country against an inhumane foe."
Bayefsky complained that though the current COI report "was produced weeks ago," the COI members "deliberately withheld" the report when appearing to discuss it before the Human Rights Council last week. "They didn’t publish it until June 23, minutes prior to holding a stage-managed press conference designed to avoid accountability for their wild, unverified accusations," she claimed.
Another member of the commission told reporters in Geneva that, "There can be no doubt in anyone who reads today’s report that every international legal norm has been violated by the actions of the Israeli authorities towards Palestinian children and they need to be held accountable."
Jonathan Conricus, senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and former Israel Defense Forces spokesperson, told Fox News Digital that the latest report contains "no evidence to support any of the claims against Israel" and is filled with "inconsistencies in methodology."
He said the report represents "an escalation, and it marks maybe the most severe attempt by the U.N. ecosystem to delegitimize Israel."
Salo Aizenberg, director of media watchdog group HonestReporting, who has researched and debunked many of the claims made by those claiming genocide in Gaza, told Fox News Digital that the COI’s "report is built on a fictional battlefield where Hamas and [Palestinian Islamic Jihad] do not exist, and where hospitals are treated as purely civilian spaces despite extensive evidence of their military use and infiltration by Hamas operatives. It then accuses Israel of deliberately targeting children without producing a single incident supported by evidence of intent."
Conricus said the report erases "Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad from the battlefield to create the false kind of perception that Israel was operating out of wanton aggression in a vacuum without there ever being a need for Israeli operations and this is a reoccurring theme." He also noted that this report and others "use the statements of medical professionals as evidence, even when it's way beyond their medical expertise, specifically when it comes to how wounds were inflicted."
Trump says Venezuela earthquakes left 'devastating number of deaths' as US readies aid
President Donald Trump said late Wednesday that two powerful earthquakes that struck Venezuela had caused what he described as "a devastating number of deaths" as officials continued assessing the extent of the disaster.
Venezuela's interim President Delcy Rodríguez later said at least 32 people were killed and more than 700 were injured in the earthquakes, marking the country's first official casualty figures.
Trump's comments came after back-to-back earthquakes rocked Venezuela earlier Wednesday, causing widespread damage, including in the capital of Caracas, where buildings were damaged, and rescue crews searched through rubble.
In a Truth Social post, Trump said the pair of "massive" earthquakes had caused widespread devastation.
PLAYERS, FANS FLEE STADIUM AS POWERFUL EARTHQUAKES STRIKE DURING VENEZUELA BASEBALL GAME
"The two major earthquakes that just hit the great people of Venezuela are both massive in scale and have left a devastating number of deaths," Trump wrote.
Trump said the United States was prepared to assist with the ongoing response.
"The U.S.A. stands ready, willing, and able to help!" Trump said. "I have instructed all agencies of our government to get ready to move quickly. We will be there for our new and great friends."
Trump added that early reports from Venezuela were "not good."
US RENEWS 'DO NOT TRAVEL' ALERT OVER TERRORISM, KIDNAPPING AMID TRUMP NARCO-TERROR FIGHT
According to the U.S. Geological Survey, an initial magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck at 6:04 p.m. ET, with its epicenter about 15 miles east-northeast of San Felipe.
Just 39 seconds later, a magnitude 7.5 quake struck with its epicenter about 14 miles southeast of Yumare.
"High casualties and extensive damage are probable, and the disaster is likely widespread," the USGS said in a rare red alert statement.
TRUMP ISSUES DIRECT WARNING TO VENEZUELA'S NEW LEADER DELCY RODRÍGUEZ FOLLOWING MADURO CAPTURE
Officials said the earthquakes were among the strongest to strike Venezuela in more than a century.
Rodríguez declared a state of emergency Wednesday after the earthquakes, which were followed by nearly two dozen aftershocks.
In a televised address later that day, Rodríguez urged Venezuelans to remain calm.
"We urge our population to remain calm," Rodríguez said. "We urge unity."
VENEZUELA RELEASES ALL KNOWN AMERICAN DETAINEES FOLLOWING MADURO CAPTURE AND GOVERNMENT TAKEOVER
On Thursday, Rodríguez announced that at least 32 people had been killed and more than 700 others injured in the earthquakes.
"We urge our population to remain calm," Rodríguez said. "We urge unity."
U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau wrote on X that American officials were in contact with Venezuelan authorities and working to deliver assistance to the South American nation.
VENEZUELAN OPPOSITION LEADER MARÍA MACHADO HAS URGENT MESSAGE FOR PRESIDENT-ELECT DONALD TRUMP
"The U.S. stands with the Venezuelan people in the aftermath of this evening's devastating earthquakes," he wrote. "We're in touch with the authorities and mobilizing assistance."
The State Department's Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs said it was tracking developments following the powerful earthquakes.
"The U.S. Government is closely monitoring the aftermath of a large earthquake in Venezuela," the bureau said in a statement.
"We extend our deepest condolences to the victims and are committed to supporting the people of Venezuela during this difficult time," the statement continued.
The bureau also urged U.S. citizens in Venezuela to enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) and monitor embassy updates.
The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
Shark attack survivor wakes from 10-day coma and shares first words with family at her hospital bedside
After spending 10 days in an induced coma following a shark attack on a Sydney, Australia beach, a woman uttered her first three words this week.
Leah Stewart awoke and told her family, "I love you" on Tuesday while recuperating at a hospital, according to her brother, who wrote the update on a fundraising page.
"After a week of life-support and repeat[ed] surgeries, doctors were able to extubate Leah and reduce her level of sedation to bring her out of the induced coma for a short period of time," Stewart said. "This allowed Leah to share her first words ‘I love you’ with her Mum and partner Fernando who have been by her side in ICU since the incident."
He added that his sister’s "first thoughts were with her daughter August," asking if she was OK.
SHARK ATTACK TURNS HOLIDAY BOATING TRIP INTO BLOODY FIGHT FOR TEEN'S SURVIVAL
The mid-30s mother and teacher has already been through five surgeries, including having an arm amputated.
She had been airlifted to a hospital in critical condition on the morning of June 13 at Coogee Beach, a popular weekend destination, after a shark bit her legs and arms.
HEART-POUNDING VIDEO SHOWS FISHERMAN LEAPING INTO OCEAN TO SAVE GREAT WHITE SHARK
Stewart was swimming near shore while a friend watched her daughter on the beach when the attack happened, the Sydney Morning Herald reported.
"This is a lot faster than anyone expected, and for us this feels like a miracle and is everything so many of us have hoped and prayed for over the past week," Stewart wrote on a fundraising page.
He added, "Leah has a long road ahead and still remains in critical care, but this is such a positive first step and gives us hope for Leah’s long-term recovery."
Stewart’s attack came after three men have been killed by sharks in Australia since May. A 12-year-old boy was also killed by a shark in Sydney Harbor in January.
Colombia's 'El Tigre' secures presidency as leftist rival finally concedes defeat
Progressive candidate Iván Cepeda on Wednesday conceded Colombia’s presidential election to conservative outsider Abelardo de la Espriella, who was endorsed by President Donald Trump.
The concession came days after Cepeda initially refused to acknowledge defeat following preliminary results that showed de la Espriella as the apparent winner.
"At this stage of the vote count, I have decided to accept the result emerging from that process, which indicates that Abelardo de la Espriella is the new President of the Republic," Cepeda said in an address to the nation.
"I do so as an act of democratic responsibility."
De la Espriella, a businessman and lawyer who had never previously run for office, known to his supporters as "El Tigre," defeated Senate member Iván Cepeda by one percentage point in a remarkably close election, according to officials.
"The vote count shows an extraordinarily narrow margin between the two options vying for the trust of the Colombian people," he said. "Less than 1% of the vote separates the candidacies that participated in this contest."
Despite his concession, Cepeda made serious allegations that de la Espriella’s victory was influenced by "foreign interference" by the United States and the use of artificial intelligence to manipulate voters.
"During this process, we denounced the open and improper foreign interference in Colombia's internal affairs—particularly the interventions by the United States government, and specifically the interventions by President Donald Trump in support of Abelardo de la Espriella's candidacy," he said.
He further accused the opposing campaign of widespread vote-buying and unethical tactics that he said undermined the legitimacy of the election results.
ANTI-CARTEL HARDLINER CHANNELS TRUMP IN BID TO END COLOMBIA'S LEFTIST ERA IN PIVOTAL ELECTION
President-elect de la Espriella will begin his four-year term in August.
"Starting August 7, we will work with determination to consolidate a common agenda that strengthens the security, freedom, and prosperity of our nations," de la Espriella in a post on X.
The result will effectively end outgoing President Gustavo Petro’s leftist influence on the state and the policies Cepeda had pledged to continue if he won the election.
A core pillar of Petro’s signature agenda was his "total peace" strategy, aimed at opening negotiations with remaining guerrilla forces, drug cartels, and armed paramilitary groups in an effort to end Colombia’s decades long internal conflict.
In contrast, de la Espriella has pledged a more hardline approach, including a militarized crackdown on criminal organizations, proposals to build mega-prisons, expand fossil fuel fracking, and revive the controversial practice of aerial glyphosate spraying to eradicate coca crops.
The president-elect, who holds dual Colombian and U.S. citizenship, has also said he plans to add Colombia to the Trump-dubbed "Shield of the Americas," a proposed coalition aimed at coordinating efforts against criminal groups in Latin America.
Experts urge extreme caution on Iran's 'crown jewel' Hezbollah — terror group with US blood on its hands
Foreign policy experts are advising the Trump administration to continue to carefully watch Iran's behavior over its terror proxy Hezbollah — a group with American blood on its hands.
The importance of Hezbollah to the Tehran regime is clear in the comprehensive U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding. While the agreement does not mention the group by name, clause one of the 14-point MOU calls for the permanent termination of military operations on all fronts, including the cessation of conflict in Lebanon.
Lisa Daftari, editor-in-chief, told Fox News Digital that, "Hezbollah isn't just the Iran regime’s most prized proxy; it's the crown jewel of the regime's forward defense. For almost five decades, the Islamic Republic has invested billions building Hezbollah into a forward-deployed missile arsenal aimed directly at Israel's heart." She said "Losing Hezbollah would hurt the mullahs more than losing the Strait of Hormuz or anything else in their arsenal. That's why Hezbollah is clause one," of the MOU.
Daftari said Hezbollah is "a forward-deployed arm of the IRGC Quds Force taking Lebanon hostage," She said that "the IRGC created Hezbollah in 1982, trained it, armed it, funded it, and to this day embeds Quds Force commanders inside its command structure. Treating them as separate organizations is a fiction Tehran exploits."
While the State Department didn’t answer Fox News Digital questions over concerns raised by critics regarding the administration’s handling of Hezbollah, Secretary of State Marco Rubio took a tough line on the terror group when asked by reporters in the United Arab Emirates Tuesday about Tehran's terror proxies and why Iran's ballistic missile program was left out of the recent Islamabad memorandum of understanding (MOU).
Rubio insisted that regional proxy threats are fundamentally covered by the framework. "I think a careful reading of the MOU will see that when you talk about, for example, a complete – an end of hostilities in the entire region, well, that’s not possible. You can’t have the end of hostilities and conflicts in the region as long as Iranian proxies are launching missiles and drones from Iraq and are participating in terrorism like Hamas did and like Hezbollah did. So I do think it’s covered by the MOU, and it is an issue that will be gotten to at the appropriate time in these negotiations."
Hezbollah was designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization by the U.S. in 1997. Bill Roggio, senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense for Democracies (FDD) and editor of its Long War Journal, told Fox News Digital that "Hezbollah has a five-decade-long track record of killing Americans, starting with the Marine barracks bombing in Beirut in 1983, attacks on U.S. embassies and airplane hijackings."
Roggio said the efforts "continue to this day," with Hezbollah playing "a key role in establishing, training, advising and supporting the Iraqi militias, which are responsible for killing more than 600 American soldiers. Hezbollah also trained al Qaeda to use suicide car bombs, which it implemented in the 1998 suicide attacks on the U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania and perfected in theaters such as Iraq, Afghanistan and Somalia."
In May 2025, A U.S. District Court determined that the torture of Lebanese American Amer Fakhoury was the responsibility of Iran, through its proxy Hezbollah. Fakhoury lost sixty pounds during a six-month period of captivity after being kidnapped by Hezbollah in Lebanon in September 2019. He died six months after his return to the U.S. of cancer that was diagnosed in prison in Lebanon.
FAMILY OF AMERICAN HOSTAGE TORTURED IN LEBANON WINS LANDMARK CASE AGAINST IRAN
Zoya and Guila Fakhoury, Amer’s daughters and co-founders of the Amer Foundation, told Fox News Digital that their "family wants to see a peaceful, sovereign, and prosperous Lebanon" and welcomes "any effort that genuinely reduces violence and helps Lebanon move toward stability."
The Fakhoury's said that "lasting peace cannot come at the expense of accountability. True stability in Lebanon requires ensuring that terrorist organizations like Hezbollah no longer hold the power to intimidate, detain, and silence innocent people."
They expressed disappointment that there has been "little public focus on the Americans who remain unjustly detained by the Iranian regime." They added that "Any meaningful agreement with Iran should include concrete progress toward bringing every wrongfully detained American home."
A U.S. official told Fox News Digital that "The Trump Administration is committed to securing the release of all Americans unjustly detained in Iran and around the world. The Iranian regime has a long and shameful history of unjustly detaining U.S. nationals and other foreign citizens. The Iranian regime should immediately release all Americans unjustly detained in Iran. To ensure the safety and security and security of those Americans, we have nothing further to share at this time."
As talks brokered by the U.S. between Lebanese and Israeli officials resumed in Washington, the Lebanese president, Joseph Aoun, released a statement on his X account Tuesday, thanking the Vice President and Secretary of State, stating in part "for the attention that the United States is showing toward Lebanon, aimed at ending the war there, strengthening the authority of the Lebanese state, and the independence of its decision-making, considering it solely responsible for preserving national sovereignty, the dignity of the Lebanese people, and their safety."
ISRAEL POUNDS HEZBOLLAH TARGETS, DARING LEBANON TO RECLAIM SOVEREIGNTY FROM IRAN-BACKED TERROR PROXY
Walid Phares, a foreign policy expert and author of ‘Iran: An Imperialist Republic and U.S. Policy,’ told Fox News Digital that it was "a major mistake…to give the Islamic regime in Iran a power to include Lebanon and Hezbollah in the talks. He warned that "putting Lebanon on the agenda of the talks with the regime in Switzerland could collapse the Washington, D.C. platform."
Pressed by reporters while in Kuwait on Wednesday about Israel's continued military presence, Rubio drew a firm line on the administration's expectations, stating its hope is "that the Lebanese Armed Forces and the legitimate, sovereign Lebanese government will continue to be able to control and secure more and more of their own territory, because that's who needs to control Lebanese territory… not a terrorist group like Hezbollah. So that's the goal. And I think the Israelis have been clear. They don't have any quarrels with the Lebanese people, and they don't have any claims on the territory of Lebanon."
Jonathan Conricus, a former international spokesman for the Israel Defense Forces, told Fox News Digital that "From an Israeli perspective, Hezbollah is not an organization that we can talk with or expect them to change their ways." He said that as a jihadi organization, "their primary objective in life is to wage holy war against the Jews, and then against Christians and against other what they consider to be infidels and Westerners. These are not people that you can negotiate or talk sense with."
Conricus, a senior fellow at the FDD, added that "there's a unique chance here to roll back Iranian aggression in the region and to dismantle the most important Iranian proxy Hezbollah." To do so, he called for "political pressure, information pressure and…economic pressure on Hezbollah [and] on all of its financial institutions."
A U.S. government official told Fox News Digital that "Secretary Rubio spoke to both [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu] and Aoun on Friday about solidifying ceasefire and future talks. As a result of those calls, the U.S. started a monitoring mechanism via [U.S. Central Command] so that our policymakers have real-time and accurate information about fighting in Lebanon."
The Washington talks between Lebanon and Israel are expected to continue into Thursday.
Kim Jong Un calls for North Korea to build 2 large warships per year in major naval expansion push: report
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Tuesday called for a major expansion of the country's naval forces, suggesting the regime should build two large warships each year for the next five years.
Speaking at a commissioning ceremony for a new destroyer, Kim suggested North Korea should build two warships comparable in size to its 5,000-ton Choe Hyon-class vessel each year over the next five years, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
Kim was celebrating the deployment of the new multipurpose destroyer at the port of Nampho. In April, he observed launches of two cruise missiles and three anti-ship missiles from the vessel.
The destroyer successfully completed military operational tests over the past 14 months, according to KCNA.
KIM JONG UN OVERSEES CRUISE MISSILE LAUNCHES FROM PRIZED NEW NORTH KOREAN WARSHIP
Kim previously hailed the development of the Choe Hyon as a major step toward expanding the operational reach and preemptive strike capabilities of North Korea's military.
Kim also said the navy's nuclearization is "advancing along its own course," contributing to the country's nuclear deterrence.
The naval buildup comes as Kim seeks to strengthen what analysts have long viewed as one of the weaker branches of North Korea's military.
NORTH KOREA RELAUNCHES WARSHIP THAT SUFFERED EMBARRASSING FAILURE DURING INITIAL LAUNCH
KCNA reported that Kim intends to deploy another 5,000-ton destroyer, the Kang Kon, along with larger 10,000-ton strategic warships.
The Kang Kon was first unveiled in May of last year but was damaged during a failed launch at the northern port city of Chongjin. The vessel was later relaunched following repairs.
By adding new capabilities, North Korea's navy would become "something incredible beyond imagination," Kim said.
NORTH KOREA RELEASES IMAGES OF DEVELOPMENT OF NUCLEAR-POWERED SUBMARINE
"Building a modernized naval base has emerged as a desperate and essential task," he added.
State media reported that Kim is also reviewing plans to construct new naval bases.
Speaking during a meeting of the Workers' Party's Central Committee on Monday, Kim said the navy would undergo changes to its status, role and scope of operations.
He did not elaborate on what those changes would entail.
Fox News Digital's Greg Norman-Diamond and Reuters contributed to this report.
Turkey detains over 200 suspects, including alleged ISIS militants, in sweeping raid ahead of NATO summit
Turkish authorities reportedly detained more than 200 people, including suspected ISIS-linked militants, in a sweeping Tuesday raid in capital Ankara ahead of a July 7-8 NATO summit.
The raid came after Turkish authorities issued detention orders for 241 suspects, 209 of whom were taken into custody, The Associated Press reported, citing a statement from the office of Turkey's chief prosecutor.
Among the 209 detained, 56 were allegedly ISIS militants, according to the AP. This comes after Turkish authorities said they detained 125 ISIS members in December.
The detention operations occurred just two weeks before a planned NATO summit in Ankara on July 7 that President Donald Trump is expected to attend.
TURKEY’S NATO ROLE UNDER SCRUTINY AMID NEW REPORT ON HAMAS, MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD TIES
Other militants scooped up were 35 alleged members of the Revolutionary People's Liberation Party/Front, which a Turkish statement described as "a far‑left group known for armed attacks and assassinations in Turkey," according to the AP.
The ISIS-combating operations demonstrate the terrorist group's ongoing activity in the region, showing the group is still functioning despite the U.S. campaign during Trump's first term to eliminate the group's caliphate and its control of large swaths of territory in the Middle East.
In recent years, ISIS has spread into the African continent, prompting a strong response from the U.S. In May, Trump authorized a series of strikes in Nigeria to combat the group.
PENTAGON SLASHES NATO COMBAT COMMITMENTS AS TRUMP PUSHES EUROPE TO DEFEND ITSELF
A May 16 strike killed ISIS leader Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, who was the group's second-in-command globally.
"Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, second in command of ISIS globally, thought he could hide in Africa, but little did he know we had sources who kept us informed on what he was doing," Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social after the strike. "He will no longer terrorize the people of Africa, or help plan operations to target Americans."
The group's renewed activity also includes a call to supporters to make attacks on U.S. soil during the World Cup.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Trump gets major win against China in African rare earth minerals race
In what’s being hailed as a major win for the Trump administration against Chinese domination of the rare earth minerals market, the U.S. has supported an American company, Virtus Minerals, in developing two major mines producing cobalt and copper in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
This is claimed to be the first U.S. rare earth minerals acquisition in the African nation since President Trump announced the Washington Accord last December.
Historically, China has been the heavy lifter of these metals. The Strategic Studies Institute reported that 80% of the world’s cobalt is produced in the DRC — and 80% of that is controlled by China. Cobalt, used in a wide range of applications, from electric cars and mobile phones to military jets, is on the U.S. government’s list of critical minerals. Copper, also on the list, has traditional uses such as piping for plumbing, but is also needed in electronics and the automotive industry.
During December’s signing at the White House, Trump made clear the administration’s fight to curb Chinese domination of minerals and help American mining companies make a major impact in the DRC. "A great day for Africa, a great day for the world," Trump said. The accord also aims to bring an end to fighting between the DRC and Rwandan-backed forces, although the Rwandan-supported M23 rebel group have continued their hostile infiltration in the Eastern DRC.
American mining company Virtus is, with U.S. support, claiming to be "the first U.S.-owned operator back in the DRC in more than a decade", with its investment in Chemaf, a local cobalt and copper producer with two mining operations, one, Étoile, in Lubumbashi and Mutoshi, in Kolwezi. Together it’s planned the mines will produce a combined 75,000 tonnes of copper, and 20,000 tonnes of cobalt a year. The processing plants are currently under development and will come online next year.
The minerals will ultimately be exported to the west through the Lobito Corridor to a port in Angola. Lobito is the rail route the U.S. has backed with a $5 billion investment commitment, with, according to a Virtus statement, "the aim of obtaining a secure, auditable copper and cobalt supply chain for the U.S. and its allies."
THE WEST STILL DOESN’T GRASP THE DANGER OF CHINA’S RARE EARTH ENDGAME
Frans Cronje, president of the Washington-based Yorktown Foundation for Freedom, says the Virtus projects are significant because they show the administration is seriously trying to change the balance in a minerals battle with China.
He told Fox News Digital, "This development signals a more assertive United States effort to compete with China for access to Africa’s critical mineral base, particularly in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where cobalt and copper are strategically vital to global energy and defense supply chains."
Cronje added, "China has built deep structural dominance across much of Africa’s resource sector over the past two decades, but U.S.-backed initiatives such as this suggest a shift towards more direct engagement, rather than relying on Chinese-controlled supply routes. This matters because Africa’s vast resource endowment, combined with its geostrategic position along key Atlantic and Indian Ocean corridors, makes it central to future global economic and security competition."
A State Department spokesperson told Fox News Digital, "President Trump and Secretary Rubio remain firmly committed to supporting U.S. companies that seek to do business in the DRC."
"The United States government fully supports the efforts of Virtus Minerals," the spokesperson continued. "This acquisition serves as an initial flagship U.S. investment in the DRC, and sends a clear signal that the U.S. private sector interest is real and will catalyze further investment in alignment with the U.S.-DRC Strategic Partnership Agreement, which positions the DRC to play an integral role in the Trump Administration's global efforts to secure critical mineral supply chains."
The spokesperson added, "increased U.S. investment will create quality jobs for American and Congolese workers, foster skills development and support local communities that have long been exploited by the opaque systems constructed and perpetuated by adversarial foreign actors who have controlled the DRC's critical minerals sector."
Virtus holds 56 mining licenses in total in the DRC. Phillip Braun, Virtus Minerals CEO and Chemaf chairman, told Fox News Digital, "our first goal is to bring the Étoile and Mutoshi plants up to full production. From there, we will explore everything Chemaf's 56 mining permits have to offer — copper, cobalt and other metals like tungsten."
"None of this would be possible," Braun added, "without the strong partnership now growing between the United States and the DRC, and the support of leaders in both countries who saw what was possible. We look forward to bringing our two nations closer by building a steady, trusted supply of the minerals we depend on and supporting other American companies that want to invest in the DRC any way we can."
"A more active U.S. presence in these supply chains," Cronje continued, "would mark a significant rebalancing of influence on the continent, with implications not only for resource access but for broader geopolitical alignment in regions that are becoming increasingly contested."
Fox News Digital reached out to the DRC government for comment, but did not receive a response.
Trump says Colombia's 'El Tigre' will be a 'great president' as socialist opponent launches legal challenge
President Donald Trump congratulated conservative attorney and businessman Abelardo de la Espriella on becoming president of Colombia Monday at the White House. Yet while he holds a slim lead and is the favorite to win over left-wing Senator Ivan Cepeda, authorities have yet to officially certify the result.
With 99.9% of votes counted, de la Espriella led with 49.7% to Cepeda's 48.7%. De la Espriella, known to his supporters as "El Tigre," dominated in the country's mountainous interior and the vote-rich state of Antioquia, while Cepeda won in the capital Bogotá and performed well in coastal regions, following trends of recent presidential elections.
Cepeda has challenged the results, citing irregularities at thousands of polling stations. Nonetheless, overturning the election would be unprecedented in Colombian history.
If de la Espriella does hold out, it will mirror a continent-wide rightward shift seen in recent electoral results in Chile, Ecuador, Bolivia, and Peru, where conservative Keiko Fujimori appears poised to win the presidency.
ANTI-CARTEL HARDLINER CHANNELS TRUMP IN BID TO END COLOMBIA'S LEFTIST ERA IN PIVOTAL ELECTION
Donald Trump congratulated de la Espriella during a signing at the White House on Monday. Trump told reporters that, "He called me last night, and he thanked me for the endorsement. He won. He won the election." In response to a question on relations between the U.S. and Colombia, Trump asserted that things would be "Much better. It'll be better. He's going to be a great president."
The election featured two candidates representing polar opposites of the Colombian political spectrum. De la Espriella, known as ‘El Tigre’ by his supporters, has enjoyed the enthusiastic backing of Donald Trump, promised a return to the law-and-order approach of former President Alvaro Uribe, and pledged an aggressive military campaign against guerrilla groups and criminal organizations, while Cepeda vowed to continue the negotiation-based strategy of Petro, a longtime political ally.
Ivan Cepeda is a longtime figure on the Colombian left, and served as senator for 12 years, following a four-year stint in the Chamber of Representatives. His father, Manuel Cepeda, was a prominent figure in the Colombian Communist Party, and was assassinated in 1994 during a particularly bloody era in Colombia's internal conflict.
The first round of the election, held on May 31, saw de la Espriella win 43.7% of the vote, to Cepeda's 40.9%, with right-wing Senator Paloma Valencia placing a distant third, at 6.9%.
On Sunday evening, Secretary of State Marco Rubio congratulated de la Espriella on the result, saying, "The Trump Administration looks forward to working closely with your incoming administration to advance regional security cooperation, end illegal immigration to the United States."
COLOMBIAN PRESIDENT PETRO THREATENS MILITARY RESPONSE AFTER TRUMP WARNS COLOMBIA MAY BE NEXT TARGET
While the issues driving American and Colombian politics remain considerably distinct, de la Espriella's insurgent outsider campaign emulated Trump's in many ways, particularly in the sense that neither held elected nor appointed office prior to winning the presidency, launching successful campaigns almost entirely outside the existing party structure.
The defining safety and security issue set de la Espriella on a winning course, as he honed something of a strongman image to forcefully critique the Petro administration's policy of peace through negotiation with armed groups in opposition to the Colombian government.
It is widely believed that Petro's negotiation-based approach and restraint with respect to military action has allowed such groups as the ELN (National Liberation Army), and various dissident elements of the FARC to regroup, boost recruitment and regain control of key territory and drug trafficking routes.
De la Espriella promised a return to an aggressive military campaign to reclaim territory from terrorist groups and cartels, and pledged to build "mega-prisons", citing the policies of El Salvador's Nayib Bukele as a model for eradicating criminal groups.
A de la Espriella administration will also likely mark a return to free-market economics, decreased governmental intervention in the economy, and a renewed push to lower taxes.
A strengthened U.S.-Colombia relationship is also a certainty, following an era of considerable tensions between Petro and Trump, which led to a series of acrimonious social media exchanges. Historically, Colombia was the U.S.' strongest ally in the region, but the relationship has weakened considerably under the tenure of Petro.
Political analysts will also be closely watching the dynamic between Colombia and Venezuela. De la Espriella is likely to follow the Trump administration's lead in Bogotá's approach to the new Delcy Rodriguez administration, demanding a timeline for free and fair elections, and calling on the Venezuelan government to aggressively pursue the ELN Marxist guerrilla group in border regions where it has long sought refuge, and had an allegedly close relationship with former dictator Nicolás Maduro.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Russia preparing hybrid attacks on NATO's eastern flank, intelligence warns
Latvian intelligence is warning that Russia is preparing possible military provocations against the Baltic states or Poland, including drones, missiles or other hybrid attacks, in an effort to pressure NATO countries to stop supporting Ukraine.
"We see indications that Russia is preparing military provocations against the Baltic countries or Poland — not a conventional war, because Russia is not capable of that right now, but hybrid attacks, such as missiles, drones or other actions designed to send a signal: stop supporting Ukraine, or you will have your own problems," Latvian intelligence told Fox News Digital.
The most immediate concern, according to Latvian intelligence, is not that Moscow is ready for a full-scale war with NATO, but that Russian President Vladimir Putin could miscalculate because the surrounding institutions are feeding him the version of reality he wants to hear.
The Baltic states and Poland are NATO allies, meaning a Russian provocation there could quickly test America’s treaty commitments and risk a broader confrontation. It also comes as Washington and its allies weigh how far to go in supporting Ukraine and tightening sanctions on Moscow.
RUSSIAN DRONES TEST NATO'S ARTICLE 5 DEFENSE GUARANTEE AHEAD OF FRIDAY SANCTIONS DEADLINE
Latvian intelligence argues that Putin is not only looking for ways to pressure NATO countries to back off Ukraine, but may also be receiving distorted assessments from inside his own system — raising the risk that Russia could misjudge Western resolve.
"The biggest concern is miscalculation. Russian institutions are telling Putin what he wants to hear, and that creates a dangerous cycle that can lead to foolish and senseless decisions," Latvian intelligence said.
"We see more and more signs that Putin wants to receive only positive news. He is isolated, and that makes decision-making even more problematic as decisions are not based on the real situation," Latvian intelligence added.
The Latvian warning tracks with concerns raised by Polish officials during Fox News Digital reporting in June in Poland, where officials described Russia’s hybrid war against NATO’s eastern flank as already underway. Polish Deputy Foreign Minister Marcin Bosacki pointed to assassinations, drone activity, cyberattacks and attacks on critical infrastructure on NATO territory, including what he described as a Russian-instigated cyberattack on Polish energy infrastructure intended "to black out part of Poland."
Amb. Krzysztof Olendzki also described the Belarus border as part of a Russian and Belarusian campaign to weaponize illegal migration against NATO countries.
Latvian intelligence also assessed that Western sanctions are having a real impact inside Russia, despite Moscow’s public claims that it has absorbed the pressure.
"Russia says publicly that sanctions do not matter, but its own internal assessments show that sanctions are biting," Latvian intelligence told Fox News Digital. "They may not change Putin’s mindset, but they limit Russia’s financial resources and thus opportunities and force to make difficult choices regarding recruitment, military spending, and pressure on businesses. Its war economy is a crumbling ‘house of cards.’"
NATO'S EASTERN FLANK RACES TO REARM AS TRUMP PRESSURE EXPOSES WESTERN EUROPE'S DEFENSE GAP
The assessment comes as Latvia’s Constitution Protection Bureau, known as SAB, released a public report detailing how Russia is intensifying "lawfare" against the West — using courts, legal claims and international institutions to pressure Western governments, weaken support for Ukraine and create possible justification for more aggressive actions.
The report outlines Russian efforts to study Iran’s experience challenging Western sanctions through international legal mechanisms.
Russian experts have analyzed Iran’s 2016 case against the United States at the International Court of Justice and are looking for ways to adapt similar tactics against Western countries, according to the Constitution Protection Bureau.
"If you want to push Russia toward a peace deal that is acceptable to Ukraine and the West, sanctions are the right mechanism," Latvian intelligence said. "We need more international pressure on Russia through sanctions."
The Constitution Protection Bureau also warns that Russia has prepared a complaint against the Baltic States at the U.N.’s International Court of Justice, formally accusing them of discrimination against Russians and Russian speakers. Latvian intelligence believes the legal campaign is not only about the courtroom, but about building a narrative Moscow could later use as a pretext for action.
"Russia believes the Baltic States are governed by pro-American elites who are disconnected from their own people. They made a similar mistake about Ukraine before the invasion, which is why this perception worries us," Latvian intelligence said.
The Constitution Protection Bureau report argues that Russia is trying to turn propaganda into legal and political action. It describes Moscow’s planned complaint as relying on a "highly manipulative approach" to international law, including selective interpretations of international norms and what the report calls "imagined evidence" of alleged discrimination.
The concern is that Russia could use those claims to justify pressure, intimidation or hybrid operations — the same broad logic Moscow used when it claimed it was acting to protect Donbas residents before invading Ukraine.
"Currently, there are no military threats to Latvia," its intelligence said. "We are not concerned about a full-scale invasion right now. Russia would need three to five years, even if the war in Ukraine ended today, to rebuild sufficient capabilities. What worries us now are provocations — drones, missiles and other hybrid attacks."
The Russian government did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Suspect 'neutralized' after Montreal shooting leaves at least 2 dead including officer
A gunman was "neutralized" Monday following a shooting in Montreal that left one police officer and one other person dead.
Authorities told Fox News that the shooting happened at the Côte-des-Neiges neighborhood of the city. Côte-des-Neiges neighborhood of the city.
A second officer is in critical condition.
This story is breaking. Please check back for updates.
Keith Kellogg tells Iranian dissidents the 'window is open' to force regime change in Tehran
As the Trump administration pushes forward with a new Iran deal, retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg told a Paris gathering of the National Council of Resistance of Iran — an exiled Iranian opposition coalition aligned with the People’s Mujahedin Organization of Iran (MEK) — that Tehran’s rulers are weaker than they have been in decades and urged dissidents to seize what he described as a historic opening.
"The window is open wider than at any moment in a generation, and windows do not stay open forever," Kellogg said at the two-day event. "The theocratic regime in Tehran will not leave voluntarily. You must force it. The hope is here. Now must come the action."
Kellogg, a retired U.S. Army lieutenant general and former U.S. special envoy for Ukraine, framed any disarmament agreement not as an endpoint, but as "the first step of something far larger," saying it should become the foundation for Iran’s future without the current regime.
Maryam Rajavi, the NCRI’s president-elect, used her remarks at the conference to argue that neither war nor negotiations had solved the threat posed by Tehran’s rulers. "A peaceful, non-nuclear Iran is possible only through the overthrow of this regime by the Iranian people and their organized Resistance," Rajavi said, adding that any international agreement to end the war should include an end to executions of political prisoners and the killing of protesters.
Kellogg also invoked the NCRI’s 2002 disclosure of Iran’s Natanz and Arak nuclear sites, saying the group should play a role in pushing for strict verification of any agreement. "When I say trust, but verify, understand that verification is not an abstraction to this Council. It is your legacy," he said. "You must be the conscience that ensures every barrel of uranium leaves, every centrifuge stops, and every promise on that page becomes a fact on the ground."
The remarks came as NCRI organizers had expected tens of thousands of Iranian expatriates from North America and Europe to attend two days of events in Paris. French authorities banned a planned outdoor rally, citing security threats. A French court later upheld the ban, pointing to specific intelligence about alleged bomb threats and risks of violence involving rival Iranian opposition factions, including possible threats from Iranian regime-linked actors or monarchist groups.
FRANCE CONDEMNS IRAN PROTEST CRACKDOWN, WEIGHS SATELLITE INTERNET AID AMID BLACKOUT
The NCRI's main member organization is the MEK, which was previously listed as a terrorist organization by the U.S., U.K. and European Union before being delisted in 2012. The group is a major thorn in the side of the Tehran regime and has been the target of alleged Iranian plots in the U.S. and Europe, including a foiled 2018 bomb plot against the group's rally outside Paris.
Despite the ban, demonstrators gathered at the site on Saturday. Police ordered the crowd to disperse and arrested around 20 people, a police source told AFP.
Ali Safavi, a member of the NCRI’s Foreign Affairs Committee, told Fox News Digital that the French decision amounted to "an unjustifiable act of capitulation," arguing that Paris should have protected the rally rather than banning it, "Rather than yielding to intimidation, France should have defended the fundamental democratic right to peaceful assembly."
Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson also criticized the French ban, calling it a "tragic mistake" and saying Western capitals must allow Iranian opposition voices to be heard.
IRAN GOES DARK AS REGIME UNLEASHES FORCE, CYBER TOOLS TO CRUSH PROTESTS
"If the voices of freedom are to be heard in Iran, then we in the West must allow those voices of freedom to be heard in our capitals and around the world," Johnson said during his speech.
Former Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba also addressed the event Saturday, linking Ukraine’s struggle against Russia to the Iranian opposition’s fight against Tehran. Kuleba said Ukrainians had wanted to join the rally and were "appalled" by the French ban, adding, "The people of Ukraine stand by those who defend democracy, freedom, liberty in their lands."
He also pointed to Iran’s support for Russia’s war effort, saying that while Russian ballistic missiles were targeting Kyiv, drones using technology "provided to Russia by the current regime in Iran" were also striking Ukraine.
"Like you, I know very well what it means to be attacked and killed and destroyed by the regime that currently holds its grip over the people of Iran," Kuleba said.
The French government did not immediately respond to a Fox News Digital request for comment.
Keir Starmer resigns as British prime minister after devastating Labour revolt and local election losses
Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced Monday that he will resign following a mounting revolt inside the Labour Party after devastating local election losses, the resignation of government ministers and growing pressure from senior members of his own cabinet.
Starmer said he would step down as prime minister and Labour leader after concluding he could no longer unite the party, but is expected to remain in office until a successor is chosen.
"Every decision I've taken has been about putting the country I love first. That is why I will resign as leader of the Labour Party. I have spoken to his majesty the king this morning to inform him of my decision," he said while delivering a statement outside of 10 Downing Street.
Starmer also acknowledged growing opposition within his own party, saying, "The question my party is asking now is whether I am best placed to lead us into the next general election. I have heard the answer of my parliamentary party to that question, and I accept that answer with good grace."
Starmer said he would remain caretaker prime minister until Labour members choose a new leader in the coming weeks.
The announcement follows weeks of turmoil inside Britain’s ruling party after Labour lost roughly 1,500 council seats and control of more than 25 councils in local elections last month, according to reporting from U.K. outlets. The losses were fueled by major gains from Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party in Labour’s traditional strongholds and by Green Party advances in urban areas.
FARAGE'S REFORM UK BEATS OUT ESTABLISHMENT PARTIES IN 'EARTHQUAKE' ELECTIONS
Starmer’s domestic troubles deepened after a damaging dispute with President Donald Trump over the Iran conflict earlier this year. The British prime minister initially resisted U.S. requests to use British bases during military operations against Iran, prompting Trump to criticize him publicly, saying: "This is not Winston Churchill that we’re dealing with," on March 3.
But after initially drawing a hard line, Starmer later approved limited defensive cooperation with the U.S., angering anti-war lawmakers inside his own party while still failing to satisfy critics who accused him of indecision and weak leadership.
Public frustration over the episode surfaced in YouGov focus groups and polling commentary, where voters described Starmer as "weak," "indecisive" and overly reactive to Washington.
The crisis escalated after two Labour ministers resigned publicly and called for a leadership transition.
Jess Phillips resigned from her government role after Starmer reportedly refused to step aside during a cabinet meeting. Phillips said Labour needed leadership with more "gusto" and warned the government was failing to deliver the change voters expected, according to The Guardian.
Miatta Fahnbulleh also resigned and called for what she described as an "orderly transition," according to U.K. media reports Tuesday.
More than 80 Labour MPs publicly called for Starmer to resign. Steven Swinford, political editor at The Times, wrote on X, "What is striking is the fact that they hail from all wings of the party," adding that roughly a third were centrists, while others came from Labour’s soft-left and hard-left factions.
John Healey defended Starmer publicly before the resignation announcement, saying, "More instability is not in Britain’s interest. Our full focus must be on security."
UK TO RELEASE FILES RELATED TO FORMER AMBASSADOR'S JEFFREY EPSTEIN TIES
Starmer also faced criticism over his appointment of Peter Mandelson as ambassador to Washington, reviving media scrutiny surrounding Mandelson’s past association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Attention now turns to a potentially divisive Labour leadership contest that will determine both Labour's next leader and Britain's next prime minister.
Wes Streeting is viewed as a leading contender from the party’s centrist wing, while Andy Burnham remains popular among Labour’s grassroots having recently won a seat in Parliament. Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner is also expected to play a major role in shaping the succession battle.
US military conducts strike on another vessel carrying alleged narco-traffickers, killing 2
The U.S. military on Sunday announced a lethal strike on another vessel in the Caribbean carrying alleged narco-traffickers, killing two people.
The U.S. Southern Command said it conducted a "lethal kinetic strike on a vessel operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations" at the direction of the leader of the Southern Command, Gen. Francis L. Donovan of the Marine Corps.
The military claimed, citing intelligence, that the vessel "was transiting along known narco-trafficking routes in the Caribbean and was engaged in narco-trafficking operations."
ALLEGED NARCO-TERRORISTS KILLED AS US FORCES STRIKE SUSPECTED DRUG-TRAFFICKING VESSEL IN CARIBBEAN
There were six male survivors in addition to the two men killed in the strike.
"Following the engagement, USSOUTHCOM immediately notified U.S. Coast Guard to activate the Search and Rescue system for the survivors," the military said.
This is the latest attack that the Trump administration has said was launched in an attempt to eliminate alleged narco-terrorists, with the death toll in these strikes carried out since September sitting at more than 200.
The Pentagon has refused to release the identities of those killed in the strikes since last fall or provide evidence of drugs on board.
The administration has been scrutinized in recent months over the strikes by Democrats and even some Republicans, including Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., who has raised concerns about killing people without due process and the possibility of killing innocent people.
"I look at my colleagues who say they’re pro-life, and they value God's inspiration in life, but they don't give a s‑‑- about these people in the boats," Paul said in January. "Are they terrible people in the boats? I don't know. They're probably poor people in Venezuela and Colombia."
The senator previously cited Coast Guard statistics that show a significant percentage of boats boarded on suspicion of drug trafficking are innocent.
The attacks have also been denounced by human rights groups as "extrajudicial killings."
Major dispute to threaten Trump's Iran deal over billions in frozen Tehran funds: expert
As U.S. and Iranian negotiators met in Switzerland on Sunday, a regional analyst warned that a dispute over billions in potentially unfrozen Iranian assets could quickly test the durability of a fledgling interim agreement.
The disagreement is emerging, they say, as Washington and Tehran begin implementing the memorandum of understanding signed June 17, with negotiators holding the first round of talks at Bürgenstock, near Lucerne, Switzerland.
According to Iran International, President Masoud Pezeshkian had signaled Tehran's expectations early Sunday, saying, "$6 billion of our funds in Qatar will be returned. Trump, who tried to deny Iran its rights, acknowledged them in his recent speech."
The dispute traces back to discussions at the G7 summit in Évian-les-Bains, France, where world leaders debated the issue.
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"We have taken their money, it isn't our money, it is their money, and we froze it," President Donald Trump said. "At a certain point in time, I guess we're going to have to give it back."
He also stressed that any access to the funds remains strictly conditional, writing on Truth Social that Iran would receive "not ten cents" during the 60-day negotiation period if it failed to uphold its commitments.
"There are effectively two competing narratives about the frozen funds," Alex Vatanka, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute, told Fox News Digital.
"Releasing frozen assets is not simply an economic question. It is one of the central political tests of trust between Tehran and Washington and will likely become one of the first major implementation disputes in the weeks ahead," Vatanka added.
Paragraph 11 of the MOU framework states that the United States "undertakes to make fully available" restricted and frozen Iranian funds.
However, the agreement ties any release of funds to a step-by-step process based on compliance, rather than granting immediate, unrestricted access.
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"First, there remains considerable uncertainty over the total amount of Iranian assets frozen abroad," Vatanka said.
"Iranian officials often speak of more than $100 billion, while Western estimates range higher. The immediate negotiations, however, appear focused on securing access to roughly $24 billion to $25 billion as an initial tranche."
Iran's frozen assets are widely estimated at between $100 billion and $120 billion and held under sanctions and financial restrictions in countries including China, India, Iraq and South Korea, according to reporting by the Wall Street Journal.
Vatanka said the central dispute extends beyond the size of the payout.
"The real dispute is not simply about how much money Iran receives, but who ultimately controls how it is spent."
"Iranian officials are emphasizing sovereignty over the funds, while the United States is trying to preserve leverage by attaching conditions to their use," he added as talks got underway Sunday.
In a statement on X, Qatar's Foreign Ministry said the talks are aimed at reaching a comprehensive and lasting agreement covering all elements of the framework.
Spokesman Majed bin Mohammed Al Ansari said technical teams were negotiating the final deal while oversight groups would monitor implementation and track progress.
The U.S. and Qatar are exploring a mechanism to channel an initial $6 billion toward humanitarian purchases, including food and medicine, according to reports.
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However, Western intelligence officials remain concerned that unfrozen funds could be diverted to regional conflicts rather than domestic development projects.
Reuters reported that Iran has already signaled to Hezbollah that increased financial support could resume if Tehran's cash flow improves.
"This issue also has an important regional dimension," Vatanka said. "Iran has pledged to direct a portion of those reconstruction funds toward supporting its weakened proxy network in Lebanon."
"The United States has insisted that Iran cannot use any unfrozen assets to fund terrorist organizations, warning that access to the funds would be revoked if Tehran violates the terms of the agreement," he added.
Vatanka said the two sides also remain divided over the broader purpose of the agreement.
"Tehran is presenting the roughly $25 billion as money that will be released gradually and invested in rebuilding the country's infrastructure, with officials talking about roads, airports, transport corridors and projects that visibly benefit ordinary Iranians."
"Washington, however, appears to be describing something much narrower," Vatanka added.
"U.S. officials have indicated they want the funds released through controlled mechanisms, primarily for humanitarian and other approved civilian purchases, rather than giving Tehran unrestricted access."
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