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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

GUNMEN ATTACK CHURCH IN NIGERIA, KILLING TWO AND KIDNAPPING OTHERS

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

FOUR MORE ARRESTED IN LOUVRE JEWEL HEIST, AUTHORITIES SAY

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.

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

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

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

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

RADIOACTIVE WASP NEST DISCOVERED BY WORKERS AT FORMER NUCLEAR BOMB SITE

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

He also warned that retaliation was imminent.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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.