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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

FOUR MORE ARRESTED IN LOUVRE JEWEL HEIST, AUTHORITIES SAY

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.

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

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

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

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

RADIOACTIVE WASP NEST DISCOVERED BY WORKERS AT FORMER NUCLEAR BOMB SITE

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

He also warned that retaliation was imminent.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

A delegation of 1,000 U.S. Christian pastors and influencers — the largest group of American Christian leaders to visit Israel since its founding — arrived last Tuesday as part of a Friends of Zion initiative.

The trip, organized in partnership with the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, is designed to provide training and prepare participants to serve as unofficial ambassadors for Israel in their communities.

Dr. Mike Evans, founder of the Friends of Zion Heritage Center in Jerusalem and a confidant of President Donald Trump, said most Evangelical bible believers are Zionists, making them a key ally in efforts to counter antisemitism.

MIKE JOHNSON: US-ISRAEL ALLIANCE 'REALLY IMPORTANT' FOR MULTIPLE REASONS, ANTISEMITISM SHOULD BE 'CALLED OUT'

"These devils that hate Jews hate Christians just as much. What is being said against the State of Israel is one hundred times worse than what the Nazis said on their party platform in 1920, and everyone is ignoring it. They don’t realize how dangerous this is," Evans told Fox News Digital.

"The new wars of the 21st century are media wars, ideological wars, economic wars and proxy wars. And while Israel has never fought an ideological war, its enemies have," he added.

Evans said members of the visiting delegation were vetted to ensure no hidden agendas and signed a pledge committing to stand in solidarity with the Jewish people. "We had over 2,000 apply; we chose those best suited for this first trip. These 1,000 pastors represent tens of millions of Americans and have major media and social media influence," he said.

The initiative was approved by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whom Evans has known for 45 years.

"When we were on Mount Herzl, one widow was there sharing her story. Her daughter no longer has a daddy. Thinking that my little girl might not have her dad broke my heart. I connected on a deep personal level," Tamryn Foley, a member of the National Faith Advisory Board's executive team, told Fox News Digital.

The board is the largest coalition backing and advocating for people of faith, led by Pastor Paula White-Cain. Its mission is built on four pillars — protecting religious freedom, promoting a strong America, defending life at all stages and honoring family values — and it identifies the U.S.-Israel alliance as central to that agenda.

"I stand with Israel very strongly, and so does the group of pastors I work with. I don’t think we realized how big this event would be. We wanted to show support, and since we’ve been here, it’s been so much more than we thought," said Foley, who lives in Florida.

"I am going back home with a fire to make sure young people in my country know the truth. It’s one thing to understand something intellectually, and another to come here, meet people who have been affected, and connect with them on a heart level," she continued.

MIKE PENCE: NO PLACE FOR ANTISEMITISM IN AMERICA TODAY, TOMORROW OR EVER

"There is so much negative propaganda in our country. It’s loud, and we need to do a better job of educating young people. They’re capable of seeing through the nonsense and lies — I don’t think we give them enough credit. We need to present them with the truth and plant the seed for lifelong support for Israel," Foley said.

One objective of the training, he explained, is to reach young people — claiming countries like Qatar have turned against Israel by investing millions of dollars to spread antisemitic content through universities and digital platforms.

Evans said the Muslim Brotherhood, for example, has waged ideological warfare, describing it as a "powerful demon because it doesn’t clear customs, and you can’t kill it with a bullet.

"More than half of the Palestinian population embraces Hamas’s ideology of radical Islam," he claimed, "which isn’t based on land for peace but on establishing an Islamic state and eradicating the Jewish state."

AMERICAN-ISRAELI HELD HOSTAGE IN GAZA FOR OVER 580 DAYS SENDS MESSAGE TO HAMAS: 'I’LL GIVE YOU HELL'

Evans noted that the Evangelical movement, representing 9.7% of the global population, has significantly influenced U.S. foreign policy through its belief that the biblical land belongs to the Jewish people.

"The president loves us and knows how we feel about Israel," he said. "We believe the president respects us and that we have his confidence and ear. We would not have had the hostages back without him. He will stand with us and will not cave in to Jew-haters’ intentions regarding Judea and Samaria or a Palestinian state. He will try everything he can to help Israel," Evans added.

On Wednesday, the delegation met with Israeli President Isaac Herzog and visited the site of Hamas’s Oct. 7 massacre at the Supernova music festival, accompanied by former hostages Emily Damari, Tal Shoham, Moran Stella Yanai, and Aviva and Keith Siegel, who received the "Here Am I" Award for their advocacy work.

"We are seeking to unify — and demonstrate that unity — between evangelical Christian leaders in America, Israel and the Jewish people, and to counter any perception that this community is divided on the issue, because it is not," Pastor Mike Atkins, a member of the delegation, told Fox News Digital.

"The antisemitism that erupted had long been simmering beneath the surface on university campuses and in major European cities. This is an open stand against the lies, and a declaration of our commitment to truth," he said.

Atkins explained that the delegation has been exposed "at the highest levels" to firsthand insights — visiting the site of Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, massacre, listening to victims, and seeing the realities on the ground in Israel. Delegates, he said, have also received extensive information through symposium speakers on how to combat antisemitic deception and will continue to do so as they coalesce into a coalition.

"To the youth, I say: join the movement. Commit to never again allowing the poisonous deception of antisemitism to penetrate our culture. Take a stand, speak up, and do not remain silent," he said.

"The best medicine for Jewish Derangement Syndrome, an acute form of bigotry and antisemitism, is for people to come to Israel and see and hear for themselves. These American spiritual leaders are committed to using their pulpits and influence to provide truth," Huckabee told Fox News Digital.

"Truth is the best antibiotic to combat the conspiracy theories and falsehoods said about the United States, its partnership with Israel and the Jewish people," he added.

As tensions rise between Washington and the Maduro regime, experts told Fox News Digital that Venezuela’s military may look formidable on paper but is hollowed out by years of corruption, decay and political control. While they say Venezuela cannot stop a determined U.S. strike, any broader operation would be far more complicated than the White House suggests.

Isaias Medina, an international lawyer and former Venezuelan diplomat who denounced his own government at the International Criminal Court, described Venezuela as a criminalized state dominated by narcotrafficking networks.

"Venezuela today resembles a fortress built on sand wrapped around a criminal regime," he said, adding that any hypothetical U.S. action would be "evicting a terrorist cartel that settled next door and not invading a country."

Medina warned that Venezuela’s dense civilian population — also victimized by the regime — demands extreme caution. "The only acceptable approach is overwhelming bias toward restraint and longer operational timelines, forgoing targets that cannot be struck cleanly."

TRUMP PUSHES PEACE IN EUROPE, PRESSURE IN THE AMERICAS — INSIDE THE TWO-FRONT GAMBLE

He said the military’s capabilities look better on paper than reality, with equipment rusting from lack of maintenance and thousands of politically appointed generals disconnected from an estimated 100,000 lower-ranking troops who may abandon their posts under pressure.

Retired Rear Adm. Mark Montgomery, senior director at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies’ Center on Cyber and Technology Innovation, told Fox News Digital that Venezuela’s most relevant threat lies in its air-naval systems — and even those could be quickly eliminated.

"You have to break this up," he said. "There’s an air-naval part, which is most likely what could impact our strike operations," including fighter jets, limited naval vessels and Russian-made surface-to-air missiles.

MADURO BRANDISHES SWORD AT RALLY AS HE RAILS AGAINST 'IMPERIALIST AGGRESSION' AMID RISING TENSIONS WITH US

But Montgomery said the U.S. could quickly neutralize them. "Reasonably speaking, in the first day or two of a campaign plan, we can eliminate the air and maritime threat to U.S. forces," he said.

Any U.S. plan targeting cocaine production would begin with "simultaneous strikes on the airfields, the aircraft and the air defense weapon systems to ensure that they don’t respond to any U.S. attacks on other assets."

Asked whether Venezuela could retaliate after such strikes, Montgomery replied: "Not against an air campaign. No."

TRUMP’S STRIKE ON CARTEL VESSEL OFF VENEZUELA SENDS WARNING TO MADURO: ‘NO SANCTUARY’

Montgomery stressed that while air defenses can be eliminated quickly, a ground operation would be a far different story. "They have a small professional military… 65 to 70,000 people, many of whom probably don’t want — they didn’t join the army to fight," he said. The country also maintains a massive militia, whose motivation would depend on loyalty to Maduro.

But geography and scale make a land operation a nightmare scenario. "Venezuela is probably twice the geographic size of California, 35 to 40 million citizens," Montgomery said. "This would be a terrifically challenging ground campaign, especially if it turned into a counterinsurgency."

He added bluntly: "Today, I would not do this. I do not recommend it."

TRUMP GAVE MADURO ULTIMATUM TO FLEE VENEZUELA AS LAND OPERATIONS LOOM: REPORT

WASHINGTON’S SHADOW WAR: HOW STRIKES ON CARTELS THREATEN TO COLLAPSE MADURO’S REGIME

Montgomery does support an air campaign which he believes will be more efficient than the current naval tactics. He cited his experience commanding U.S. Navy counter-drug operations: "Every one of these 21 ships could have been pulled over by a mix of Navy and Coast Guard assets and helicopters." But intelligence often proved unreliable.

Despite years of decay, Venezuela still possesses a large, uneven mix of military hardware. Analysts say it cannot stop a U.S. campaign but could complicate early phases.

Its inventory reportedly includes 92 T-72B tanks, 123 BMP-3 infantry vehicles, Russian Msta-S artillery, Smerch and Grad rocket systems, and an estimated 6–10 flyable Su-30MK2 jets. Air defenses include the S-300VM, Buk-M2E and Pechora-2M.

Venezuela’s deepening ties with Iran, Russia and China continue to worry U.S. officials.

Jorge Jraissati, president of the Economic Inclusion Group, said "numbers show only 20% of Venezuelans approve of this regime," warning that for more than a decade "there has been no respect for the will of the population" as Caracas aligns with "anti-Western regimes that destabilize the region."

Russia launched a major attack against Ukraine overnight as talks between Ukraine and the U.S. continued in Florida this week.

Moscow sent 653 drones and 51 missiles across Ukraine, leaving eight people injured, Ukrainian officials said.

French president Emmanuel Macron condemned the attacks, writing on X "We must continue to put pressure on Russia to force it towards peace."

Macron said he plans to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and their British and German counterparts in London on Monday.

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

Zelenskyy said on Saturday that he had a "substantive phone call" with American officials involved in the talks with the Ukrainian delegation in Miami.

U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff on Friday shared a readout of the talks, which also included President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner.

The readout called the talks "constructive discussions on advancing a credible pathway toward a durable and just peace in Ukraine."

"American and Ukrainian parties underscored that an end to the war and credible steps toward ceasefire and de-escalation are necessary to prevent renewed aggression and to enable Ukraine’s comprehensive redevelopment plan, designed to make the nation stronger and more prosperous than before the war."

PUTIN REJECTS KEY PARTS OF US PEACE PLAN AS KREMLIN OFFICIAL WARNS EUROPE FACES NEW WAR RISK: REPORT

Following Russia’s Friday night barrage, Ukraine’s air force said 29 locations were hit, and the military was able to shoot down 585 drones and 30 missiles.

Three of the eight wounded were hurt in the Kyiv region, local officials reported.

The "massive’ attack also targeted power stations in the country and the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant temporarily lost power overnight, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency.

Zaporizhzhia is under Russian control and not in use, but it needs power to cool its shutdown reactors to prevent a catastrophic incident.

Zelenskyy said that a drone strike had also "burned down" the train station in the city of Fastiv, near Kyiv.

In retaliatory strikes, the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces later said Ukrainian forces said its military hit Russia’s Ryazan Oil Refinery.

U.S.-Israeli citizen Edan Alexander, who was released from Gaza in May after being held hostage for 584 days, is once again wearing an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) uniform and stands ready to fight Hamas.

"I know the language, I know their culture, I know a lot of things about these demons. I just told myself there’s no way I’ll take this present and put it aside. I have to use it and return it," Alexander said while speaking at the site of the Nova music festival massacre.

"I wanted [Hamas] to see I’ll never break, and that I’ll return the favor. You gave me hell? I’ll give you hell," he added.

DETAILS EMERGE ABOUT FREED ISRAELI HOSTAGES' MEDICAL CONDITIONS, WHAT THEY ENDURED IN CAPTIVITY

Alexander, a New Jersey native, also said it was the first time since his release from captivity that he was in uniform near the Gaza border.

The former hostage was addressing a group of over 1,000 Christian pastors, youth leaders, educators and social media influencers, who are attending a week-long summit in Israel, according to The Jerusalem Post. The event, known as the Ambassador Summit 2025, included several speakers, such as U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

TRUMP MEETS FORMER HAMAS HOSTAGE EDAN ALEXANDER ON OCT. 7 ANNIVERSARY

Emily Damari, Tal Shoham, Moran Stella Yanai, and Aviva and Keith Siegel, all of whom are former Hamas hostages, also addressed the groups. The Times of Israel reported that the released hostages also received the "Here Am I Award" from Mike Evans, founder of the Friends of Zion (FOZ) museum in Jerusalem, one of the groups behind the summit.

Alexander also said he would share with the IDF information about Hamas that he gathered while in captivity.

In September, Alexander announced at an event for "Friends of the IDF" that he intended to return to his military service. He said the 584 days he spent in captivity were "the hardest days of my life. Days of struggle, pain and separation from my family," The Times of Israel reported.

"Next month, God willing, I will return to Israel. I will once again, put on the IDF uniform, and I will proudly serve alongside my brothers," Alexander said, according to The Times of Israel. "My story does not end with survival. It continues with service."

At the time of his release, Alexander was the last living American citizen held hostage in Gaza.

The White House warns in a stark new National Security Strategy that Europe could be "unrecognizable in 20 years or less" due to mass migration, adding that the demographic shift raises doubts about future U.S. allies on the continent.

"Should present trends continue, the continent will be unrecognizable in 20 years or less," the 33-page document released on Thursday reads. 

It adds that the "real and more stark prospect" is of "civilizational erasure."

Mass immigration has been one of Europe’s most volatile political flashpoints over the past decade, fueled by repeated waves of immigrants from the Middle East, Africa and South Asia.

TRUMP HIGHLIGHTS FEDERAL LAW GRANTING PRESIDENTIAL POWER TO HALT IMMIGRATION AS CRACKDOWN ESCALATES

"As such, it is far from obvious whether certain European countries will have economies and militaries strong enough to remain reliable allies," the document says. "Many of these nations are currently doubling down on their present path. We want Europe to remain European, to regain its civilizational self-confidence, and to abandon its failed focus on regulatory suffocation."

The national security plan cites migration policies that are "transforming the continent and creating strife," along with "cratering birthrates" and the erosion of national identity. 

The White House warns the demographic shift could have major implications for NATO and European security, noting that several member states may become "majority non-European." That scenario, the document argues, could weaken Europe’s ability to deter adversaries and complicate U.S. efforts to maintain transatlantic stability.

"Over the long term, it is more than plausible that within a few decades at the latest, certain NATO members will become majority non-European," the document says. "As such, it is an open question whether they will view their place in the world, or their alliance with the United States, in the same way as those who signed the NATO charter."

The document says Europe’s economic decline is well under way, losing a 25% share of global GDP in 1990 to 14% today — "partly owing to national and transnational regulations that undermine creativity and industriousness."

But it says that economic decline is eclipsed by the broader warning of "civilizational erasure." It lists migration policies, censorship, political suppression, cratering birthrates and the loss of national identity as the forces driving that trajectory.

TRUMP SLAMS EUROPE OVER IMMIGRATION, SAYS ‘HORRIBLE INVASION’ IS KILLING THE CONTINENT

President Donald Trump echoed similar warnings during a visit to the United Kingdom last year, saying mass immigration would "destroy Europe" and that the continent was "not going to survive" unless governments dramatically changed course.

The White House defended the warning, saying Europe is already suffering the consequences of mass immigration.

"The devastating impacts of unchecked migration and those migrants’ inability to assimilate are not just a concern for President Trump but for Europeans themselves, who have increasingly noted immigration as one of their top concerns," White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said in a statement to Fox News Digital. "These open border policies have led to widespread examples of violence, spikes in crime, and more, with detrimental impacts on the fiscal sustainability of social safety net programs."

Kelly said Trump’s border policies "saved America from such destruction," adding that "other countries would be wise to follow suit."

The White House pointed to a range of European data to support the administration’s concerns, citing studies showing asylum migration costing the Netherlands €475,000 per migrant, illegal immigration costing France €1.8 billion in 2023 and non-Western migrants committing disproportionate shares of violent crime in Denmark and Germany. The White House also referenced a series of fatal terror attacks across the continent carried out by migrants. 

The 33-page blueprint has no named author but features a foreword by Trump, who calls the document a "roadmap to ensure America remains the greatest and most successful nation in human history."

The document forms part of a sweeping set of national security goals in which the president vows to enforce the Monroe Doctrine while adding his own corollary aimed at expanding U.S. influence in the Western Hemisphere and countering adversaries’ growing footprint.

The Trump administration asserts that a "reasonably stable" Western Hemisphere where governments work together to fight malign foreign influence is key to U.S. national security. To achieve this, the administration vows in the document to "assert and enforce a 'Trump Corollary' to the Monroe Doctrine."

Former President James Monroe issued the doctrine in his seventh annual address to Congress on Dec. 2, 1823, warning European powers against interfering in the Western Hemisphere through political influence or colonization. The U.S. Office of the Historian, part of the State Department, notes that although European nations initially paid little attention to Monroe’s declaration, it eventually became "a longstanding tenet of U.S. foreign policy."

"After years of neglect, the United States will reassert and enforce the Monroe Doctrine to restore American preeminence in the Western Hemisphere, and to protect our homeland and our access to key geographies throughout the region," the document reads.

"This 'Trump Corollary' to the Monroe Doctrine is a common-sense and potent restoration of American power and priorities, consistent with American security interests."

Fox News’ Rachel Wolf contributed to this report.

European Christmas markets are opening this year under tightened security and rising operational costs, as officials across Germany, France and other parts of Europe respond to what authorities describe as elevated threats to public safety.

In Germany, spending on security for public events — including Christmas markets — has increased by about 44% over the past three years, according to a new survey by the Federal Association of City and Town Marketing. Berlin’s main market launched this season behind concrete barriers, enhanced video surveillance, and an expanded private security presence. Several smaller municipalities warn that the added requirements may force them to scale back or cancel markets next year.

"The requirements have become increasingly stringent," David Russ, head of production at Berlin’s Gendarmenmarkt, told Reuters. The heightened measures, he said, allow visitors to feel secure: "I can just let go of everything here — I feel safe."

While many towns receive some public funding to operate holiday markets, smaller municipalities and private organizers often shoulder most of the expense. Local officials have begun calling on Germany’s 16 federal states to take on a larger share of the financial burden, arguing that counter-terrorism measures extend beyond the responsibility of local event planners.

The upgrades follow last December’s SUV attack at the Magdeburg Christmas market, which killed six people and injured more than 300. Since then, many German cities have reinforced infrastructure, revised crowd-control plans, and increased surveillance at large seasonal gatherings.

MOSSAD–EUROPEAN INTELLIGENCE OPERATION LAUNCHES SWEEPING CRACKDOWN ON HAMAS GLOBAL TERROR NETWORK

France has moved in a similar direction. Authorities canceled the annual New Year’s Eve concert on the Champs-Élysées after police raised concerns about crowd management and what the Interior Ministry described as a "very high" terror threat level. The ministry has classified Christmas markets and other winter festivities as "high-risk" events, prompting cities to deploy additional officers, introduce new screening points and impose access restrictions where needed.

"The real question is why European governments are tolerating a situation where they must deploy extraordinary security just so people can safely celebrate a tradition that has been central to European life for centuries," Alan Mendoza, executive director of the Henry Jackson Society told Fox News Digital. "They’re responding to the threat, but they’re not pushing back against the radical extremists causing it. Why are Europeans forced to navigate layers of security instead of authorities making life difficult for the people who are spreading hatred and posing the threat?"

"Europe needs an aggressive strategy that targets the radicals — imprisoning them, deporting them if they’re not citizens — because you can’t secure your way out of this forever," Mendoza continued. "Every year the security will increase unless the root causes are addressed. Europeans are increasingly fed up with what’s happening to their societies, and if current leaders won’t deliver transformative change, voters will eventually choose leaders who will."

Other European countries are also reinforcing their holiday operations. According to The Sun, the iconic Christmas market in Salzburg, Austria — which draws roughly 1.5 million visitors each year — is now monitored by round-the-clock private security and a network of 33 dedicated cameras. Elsewhere in Austria, including Arnold Schwarzenegger’s home region of Styria, some markets have been canceled entirely because organizers say they cannot afford the mandated security measures.

STATE DEPARTMENT MAKES FIRST-EVER ANTIFA FOREIGN TERRORIST DESIGNATIONS ACROSS EUROPE

In Prague, large concrete blocks have been placed along popular embankments and around key foot-traffic areas, while police have increased patrols to monitor potential targets. In Budapest, additional plain-clothes officers are circulating through crowds to identify suspicious behavior and improve response speed.

Ben Cohen, a senior analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told Fox News Digital that authorities are treating the holiday season with heightened seriousness. "The threat level is certainly the same as last year. Arguably, it's more acute now, which is why the authorities in Germany and France are increasing security measures at Christmas markets and fairs this year. Over the last year, both countries have cracked down on Islamist activity, so they will be especially on their guard at this time of year."

"More broadly," he added, "both Christian and Jewish festivals are seen as soft targets by jihadists, as evidenced by the attack on a synagogue in Manchester on Yom Kippur in October. Christmas and Easter carry the same risks and so extra vigilance and a strong but discreet armed police presence is definitely warranted."

Despite the adjustments, many markets in Europe remain open and continue to draw significant attendance, though under noticeably stricter security conditions. Officials in several countries say the measures are likely to remain in place as long as threat levels stay elevated.

Reuters contributed to this story.

A Canadian politician who claimed a voicemail she allegedly left a potential mayoral candidate last summer was artificial intelligence has been arrested and charged with making threats.

Ontario Councilor Corinna Traill was arrested on Wednesday and charged with two counts of uttering threats, the Peterborough Police Service in Ontario said.

In September, former mayoral candidate Tom Dingwall wrote on his Facebook that in August Traill left him a voicemail, telling him not to run for mayor so a friend of hers could run unencumbered.

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"Miss Traill made it clear that if I did not, she would come to my home, kill me, and sexually assault my wife, then sexually assault her again," he alleged.

He called for Traill to step down, adding, "To be clear, no elected official, paid to represent us, should utilize intimidation or threats to dissuade anyone from pursuing elected office or engaging in public service, especially to the benefit of their friend."

In her own statement posted to Facebook in September, Traill denied having sent the voicemail.

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"I want to state clearly and unequivocally: I did not create this message," she wrote. "I have been advised that artificial intelligence technology was involved. Portions of the voicemail were my voice, but other parts were artificially generated."

She wrote at the time that her team was trying to figure out who created the message.

"For more than a decade I have worked to represent the best interests of our community, advocate for our residents, and ensure that local decision-making reflects the values and priorities of the people I serve," she added. "That dedication will not waver in light of these circumstances."

Traill has been released from jail on her own recognizance and is expected to next be in court in January, the police department said.  

Fox News Digital has reached out to Traill for comment.

The Trump administration is being urged to go on offense and make sure the next United Nations chief is aligned with U.S. and Western values and doesn't kowtow to what critics say is an increasingly anti-American institution.

U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres’ tenure ends Dec. 31, 2026. The former socialist prime minister of Portugal's tenure has been beset with major wars and crises that have led to accusations of bias against him, especially when it comes to Israel. 

Experts agree the Trump administration needs to keep a close handle on who is best to serve the interests of the U.S.

Anne Bayefsky, director of the Touro Institute on Human Rights and the Holocaust and president of Human Rights Voices, told Fox News Digital, "As long as the United States continues to make the mistake of being the largest bankroller of the United Nations and in keeping U.N. headquarters (some call a fifth column) a stone’s throw from our financial capital, it ought to care deeply about who leads the organization."

TRUMP DOES UN’S JOB ON WORLD STAGE, LEADS ON PEACE WHILE SECRETARY-GENERAL EARNS MORE AT ANTI-US BODY

Jonathan Wachtel, a former director of communications and a senior policy advisor at the United States Mission to the United Nations to U.S. ambassadors Nikki Haley and Kelly Craft, said, "Since its inception, the United Nations has been a frontline of the Cold War, and today it is increasingly a frontline of hostility toward the United States.

"As the Security Council prepares for its mid‑2026 straw polls, we face the stark reality that Russia and China can veto any candidate who reflects our values, even as they work to undermine U.S. foreign policy and erode Western principles. The next secretary‑general must … be a leader with backbone and conviction to champion the ideals on which the U.N. was founded, and the United States has long stood — life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness for as many people as possible."

With just over a year to go for the selection process, member states have begun to nominate candidates who best fit their national interests. 

Brett Schaefer, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, told Fox News Digital that of the candidates named thus far, few would be considered acceptable to the U.S. 

"The announced and rumored candidates … are, for the most part, either U.N. insiders or on the left side of the political spectrum," Schaefer said. "It’s hard to say that the U.S. would be willing to support any of them at the current stage."

UN URGES COUNTRIES TO HONOR TRUCE DURING WINTER OLYMPICS, NOT DENY VISAS TO ANY NATION’S ATHLETES

As electioneering gets underway, Hugh Dugan, former National Security Council special assistant to the president and senior director for international organization affairs, told Fox News Digital, "After campaigns and a series of straw pulls and eliminations of candidates, members of the Security Council will present the U.N. General Assembly with a preferred candidate for their formal acceptance late next year."

Dugan said that custom would indicate that the next secretary-general should come from Latin America. He also emphasized that there is an appetite to appoint a woman after 15 years of calls for a female secretary-general.

"If they really are to take the helm of a suffering, more or less irrelevant and unmanageable organization like this, they’re going to have to show up as managers," Dugan said.

In the midst of the election’s "three-ring circus," he said, there are six candidates who have officially been named and an additional eight who are considered possible contenders for the role.

Seemingly the most palatable candidate for the U.S. of those declared is the current head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi of Argentina. An Argentine diplomat, Grossi has been dealing with Iran's ambition to develop nuclear weapons while also working to prevent a nuclear disaster in Russia's war against Ukraine. 

Schaefer said Grossi is "probably the most acceptable among the candidates that have been listed so far" given the "great deal of courage" he has shown in his role at the IAEA.

Others include former Bolivian Vice President David Choquehuanca. A member of the Movement for Socialism, Choquehuanca once expressed his disdain for Western thinking after his election as Bolivia’s foreign minister. 

Former Chilean President Michelle Bachelet was the U.N. high commissioner for human rights between 2018 and 2022. U.N. Watch said that, in this role, Bachelet often condemned Israel and the U.S. but "turned a blind eye to widespread violations by China, Turkey, North Korea, Cuba, Eritrea" and others.

According to Schaefer, it is "extraordinarily unlikely that [Bachelet] would receive support from the U.S." given her political leanings and her "remarkable lack of bravery in the conduct of her position as the high commissioner for human rights."

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Former Vice President of Costa Rica Rebeca Grynspan, who headed the U.N. Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), had recommended regulation as a means "to address the deepening asymmetries" of international finance.

Schaefer said Grynspan would not "be an ideal candidate from a U.S. perspective" because her 30-year U.N. career makes her a "consummate insider" who would likely be unwilling "to shake up the system."

The field is rounded up by two outside candidates, Colombe Cahen-Salvador, a left-wing political activist and co-founder of the Atlas Movement, and Bruno Donat, a joint Mauritius-U.S. citizen and official at U.N. Mine Action Service.

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Though they have not been officially named by a member state, Dugan listed several other officials that are likely to be nominated in the coming months. Many come from the left of the political aisle and are unlikely to get the backing of the Trump administration. 

Jacinda Ardern is a former prime minister of New Zealand who resigned from the role but is considered "a global icon of the left." Schaefer noted that Ardern’s prior resignation is not "a ringing endorsement" of her capability to take on the demanding role of secretary-general.

Mexico's former top diplomat, Alicia Bárcena, has 14 years of experience as the head of the U.N.’s Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean. She is the secretary of environment and natural resources. 

Other names include María Fernanda Espinosa, formerly defense and foreign minister of Ecuador; Nigeria's Amina Mohammed, U.N. deputy secretary‑general; Kristalina Georgieva, managing director of the International Monetary Fund since 2019 of Bulgaria; and former head of the U.N. Development Programme Achim Steiner of Germany.

"A long list of anti-American secretaries-general, topped off by the profoundly hostile Antonio Guterres, have done enormous damage to America’s international relations, fueled antisemitism on a global scale and gravely diminished global peace and security," Bayefsky said.

"We take a back seat in this election at our peril."

Iran's military fired ballistic and cruise missiles at simulated targets near the Persian Gulf on Friday as part of an exercise aimed at deterring foreign threats, a report said.

The drills carried out by Iran's Revolutionary Guards Navy began Thursday in the Strait of Hormuz and Gulf of Oman, according to Reuters.

The news agency cited Iranian state media as saying that a massive launch Friday of Qadr 110, Qadr 380 and Qadr 360 cruise missiles, as well as ballistic missiles, were directed toward targets in the Gulf of Oman.

TV footage showed the missiles' launch and hitting their targets.

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State media said the drills demonstrated the "unwavering spirit and resistance" of Iran's sailors in confronting threats, Reuters also reported.

The drill is the second one after the Israel-Iran war in June that killed nearly 1,100 people in Iran, including military commanders and nuclear scientists. Missile attacks by Iran killed 28 in Israel. 

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

Since the end of the war, Iran has increasingly insisted it is ready to counter any future Israeli attack. Iran launched its first naval drill in the area in August.

Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard is mainly in charge of operations in the Persian Gulf and its narrow mouth, the Strait of Hormuz. The national navy is in charge of Sea of Oman and beyond. 

Iran has long threatened to close off the Strait of Hormuz, through which 20% of all global oil traded passes, according to The Associated Press.

The U.S. Navy has long patrolled the Mideast through its Bahrain-based 5th Fleet to keep the waterways open. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.