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A mass protest on Saturday filled with many activists from the radical organization Antifa, which President Donald Trump designated as a domestic terrorist organization, delayed the start of a conference for the right-wing populist German party Alternative for Germany (AfD) youth wing called Generation Deutschland.

Between 25,000 and 30,000 protesters turned out against the AfD youth convention in the central German city of Giessen, prompting the largest police contingent (6,000 officers) in the history of the state of Hesse.

The AfD co-leader Alice Weidel blasted the demonstrators at the city's convention center. "What is being done out there – dear left-wingers, dear extremists, you need to look at yourselves – is something that is deeply undemocratic."

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According to the Associated Press, officers used pepper spray after stones were thrown at them at one location, police said. They also used water cannons to clear a blockade by about 2,000 protesters after they ignored calls to leave. They did so again Saturday afternoon as a group tried to break through barriers toward the city’s convention center. Police said up to 6,000 officers were deployed, and 10 to 15 were slightly injured.

The former U.S. ambassador to Germany during the first administration, Richard Grenell, warned on X about the dangers of the anti-democratic left in the Federal Republic of Germany. He wrote:" The intolerant and violent Left is gaining ground in Germany. If they follow the U.S. left then they will promote deadly violence while also losing public support — and elections. But they won’t see the errors of their ways because the German left gets lots of support from the media in Germany. It’s publicly funded, too. The conservative media is small and timid — but growing fast."

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Boris Rhein, the Christian Democratic Union governor of the state of Hesse, criticized the attacks on police and the attempt to torpedo the AfD youth event. "The use of violence and attempts to prevent assemblies through marches can never be democratic means," said Rhein.

The AfD scored an impressive second place election result in February, securing 20.8% of the vote. However, the mainstream German parties refused to form a coalition with the AfD because of what they said were its extremist views.

The youth division of the AfD elected 28-year-old Jean-Pascal Hohm as its chairman. According to an article in the German paper Die Welt, a local intelligence report quoted him as expressing anti-immigrant and nationalist views. "We will fight resolutely for a genuine shift in migration policy that ensures Germany remains the homeland of Germans, "Hohm said at the start of the conference.

The creation of Generation Deutschland unfolded after Germany’s federal intelligence agency classified the previous AfD youth chapter, Young Alternative, as an "extremist organization" in 2023, causing its dissolution.

AfD portrays itself as an anti-establishment force at a time of low trust in politicians. It first entered the national parliament in 2017 following the arrival of large numbers of migrants in the mid-2010s. Curbing migration remains its signature theme, but it has shown a talent for capitalizing on discontent about other issues too. That was reflected in leaders’ confident tone Saturday.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

The Trump administration harshly criticized the United Kingdom over its handling of mass immigration and the long-running rape gang scandal that has victimized white girls across the country.

In a statement posted to X, the U.S. State Department called on its Europe-based diplomats to track the effects of rampant immigration. While the statement zeroed in on the U.K., it also highlighted similar problems in Germany and Sweden.

"The State Department instructed U.S. embassies to report on the human rights implications and public safety impacts of mass migration," the statement read. "Officials will also report policies that punish citizens who object to continued mass migration and document crimes and human rights abuses committed by people of a migration background."

The statement referenced the so-called "grooming gangs" made up of mostly Pakistani men who have victimized young girls for decades, with little action taken by the government.

"In the United Kingdom, thousands of girls have been victimized in Rotherham, Oxford, and Newcastle by grooming gangs involving migrant men," the State Department said. "Many girls were left to suffer unspeakable abuse for years before authorities stepped in."

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A day after the statement, GB News reported that U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer told reporters at the G20 in South Africa that the national inquiry would "leave no stone unturned."

The State Department’s warning comes weeks after several victims — who were members of the independent inquiry — resigned over what they claimed was a continuation of a cover-up. 

One abuse survivor, Ellie Reynolds, told cable channel GMB that the existence of grooming gangs has been "brushed under the carpet" and that "our voices have been silenced."

She was supported by fellow survivor Fiona Goddard, who was groomed from the age of 14, and said that when she spoke out for help she was dismissed as a "child prostitute" by authorities.

Goddard resigned to protest the cover-up, saying members of the grooming gangs near Bradford were in the "vast majority … Pakistani men."

Successive governments — both Conservative and Labour — have been dealing with the revelations for years that a number of grooming gangs, often consisting mostly of men of South Asian or Pakistani heritage, have sexually exploited girls for decades across the north of England.

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Prior to the inquiry, Starmer had commissioned a national audit led by Baroness Louise Casey earlier this year. 

On the hot-button issue of the backgrounds of the criminals, the Casey report stated in part, "We found that the ethnicity of perpetrators is shied away from and is still not recorded for two-thirds of perpetrators, so we are unable to provide any accurate assessment from the nationally collected data."

It continued: "Despite the lack of a full picture in the national data sets, there is enough evidence available in local police data in three police force areas which we examined which show disproportionate numbers of men from Asian ethnic backgrounds amongst suspects for group-based child sexual exploitation, as well as in the significant number of perpetrators of Asian ethnicity identified in local reviews and high-profile child sexual exploitation prosecutions across the country, to at least warrant further examination."

Her audit also identified other perpetrators, including White British, European, African or Middle Eastern individuals.

The results of the audit produced 12 recommendations to the government, which have been implemented, including a national inquiry to "direct local investigations and hold institutions to account for past failures." 

ELON MUSK DEMANDS UK ACT ON GROOMING GANG SCANDAL AMID GROWING CALLS FOR PROBE: 'NATIONAL INQUIRY NOW!'

But the Starmer government has been set back by a failure to appoint a chair for the inquiry, and it has faced resignations as critics have accused the Labour government of covering it up for political reasons.

Alan Mendoza, founder of the Henry Jackson Society, told Fox News Digital that "successive governments" have allowed "gangs of largely South Asian Muslims to target white British girls, claiming, "the Labour government doesn't want to be seen as stigmatizing demographics or potentially losing votes."

"I hope that the inquiry will focus more specifically on the real issue plaguing the U.K. over the last 20 years," Mendoza added.

The point person for the government’s inquiry is Labour member of Parliament Jess Phillips, who has served as the parliamentary undersecretary of state for Safeguarding and Violence Against Women and Girls since July 2024.

However, Phillips is facing heavy scrutiny over how she’s handling the set-up of the inquiry.

Asked in Parliament about the nature of the inquiry and whether it will address the perpetrators' ethnicity, she vowed to be transparent.

"There is absolutely no sense that ethnicity will be buried away," Phillips said. "Every single time that there is an apparently needless delay — even though it took seven months to put in place chairs for both the COVID inquiry and the blood inquiry, and nobody moaned about that — it gets used to say that we want to cover something up. That is the misinformation I am talking about. It will not cover things up. We are taking time to ensure that that can never happen."

Elon Musk weighed in on the matter in a series of X statements earlier this year, stating that Phillips, was a "rape genocide apologist" and the world was witnessing "the worst mass crime against the people of Britain ever." 

Philips told the BBC that his comments were "disinformation" and "endangering" her, but said it was nothing compared to what the victims of the abuse had faced. 

Commentators say the challenge for the government now is to find those credible and willing to bring justice and lasting change so it won’t happen again.

Fox News Digital reached out to Phillips’ office but received no response.
 

Pope Leo XIV visited Istanbul’s iconic Blue Mosque on Saturday but didn't stop to pray, as he focused more on bolstering ties with Orthodox patriarchs and promoting courageous steps for Eastern and Western churches to be united.

Leo took his shoes off and, in his white socks, toured the 17th-century mosque, looking up at its soaring tiled domes and the Arabic inscriptions on its columns as an imam pointed them out to him.

The Vatican had said Leo would observe a "brief moment of silent prayer" in the mosque, but he didn't. An imam of the mosque, Asgin Tunca, said he had invited Leo to pray, since the mosque was "Allah's house," but the pope declined.

Later, Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said: "The pope experienced his visit to the mosque in silence, in a spirit of contemplation and listening, with deep respect for the place and the faith of those who gather there in prayer."

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The Vatican then sent out a corrected version of its bulletin about the trip, removing reference to the planned "brief moment of silent prayer," without further explanation.

Leo, history's first American pope, was following in the footsteps of his recent predecessors, who all made high-profile visits to the Sultan Ahmed Mosque, as it is officially known, in a gesture of respect to Turkey’s Muslim majority.

But the visits have always raised questions about whether the pope would pray in the Muslim house of worship, or at the very least pause to gather thoughts in a meditative silence.

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When Pope Benedict XVI visited Turkey in 2006, tensions were high because Benedict had offended many in the Muslim world a few months earlier with a speech in Regensburg, Germany that was widely interpreted as linking Islam and violence.

The Vatican added a visit to the Blue Mosque at the last minute in a bid to reach out to Muslims. He observed a moment of silent prayer, head bowed, as the imam prayed next to him, facing east.

Benedict later thanked him "for this moment of prayer" for what was only the second time a pope had visited a mosque, after St. John Paul II visited one briefly in Syria in 2001.

There were no doubts in 2014 when Pope Francis visited the Blue Mosque: He stood for two minutes of silent prayer facing east, his head bowed, eyes closed and hands clasped in front of him. The Grand Mufti of Istanbul, Rahmi Yaran, told the pope afterwards, "May God accept it."

POPE LEO JOINS EASTERN AND WESTERN PATRIARCHS IN TURKEY TO PRAY FOR CHRISTIAN UNITY

With Leo, though, even the Vatican seemed caught off guard by his decision not to pray. The Holy See had to correct the official record of the visit after it originally kept the planned reference to him pausing for prayer.

Speaking to reporters after the visit, the imam Tunca said he had told the pope: "It’s not my house, not your house, (it’s the) house of Allah." He said he invited Leo to worship "But he said, ‘That’s OK.’"

"He wanted to see the mosque, wanted to feel (the) atmosphere of the mosque, I think. And was very pleased," he said.

There was also another change to the official program, after the Vatican said the head of Turkey's Diyanet religious affairs directorate would accompany Leo at the mosque. He didn’t come and a spokesman from the Diyanet said he wasn’t supposed to, since he had welcomed Leo in Ankara.

POPE LEO XIV OPENS FIRST FOREIGN TRIP IN TURKEY WITH A VISIT TO CHRISTIANITY’S EARLY HEARTLANDS

Past popes have also visited the nearby Hagia Sophia landmark, once one of the most important historic cathedrals in Christianity and a United Nations-designated world heritage site.

But Leo left that visit off his itinerary. In July 2020, Turkey converted Hagia Sophia from a museum back into a mosque, a move that drew widespread international criticism, including from the Vatican.

After the mosque visit, Leo held a private meeting with Turkey’s Christian leaders at the Syriac Orthodox Church of Mor Ephrem. In the afternoon, he prayed with the spiritual leader of the world’s Orthodox Christians, Patriarch Bartholomew, at the patriarchal church of Saint George.

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There, they prayed the doxology, a hymn of praise and glory to God, and signed a joint declaration vowing to take courageous steps on the path to unity including to find a common date for Easter.

Eastern and Western churches split in the Great Schism of 1054, a divide precipitated largely by disagreements over the primacy of the pope. While ties have warmed, they remain divided and other schisms have formed.

"It is our shared desire to continue the process of exploring a possible solution for celebrating together the Feast of Feasts every year," the joint statement said, referring to Easter.

The Vatican said in his remarks to the patriarchs gathered, Leo pointed to the next Holy Year to be celebrated by Christians, in 2033 on the anniversary of Christ's crucifixion, and invited them to go to Jerusalem on "a journey that leads to full unity."

Leo's final event was a Catholic Mass in Istanbul's Volkswagen Arena for the country's Catholic community, who number 33,000 in a country of more than 85 million people, most of whom are Sunni Muslim.

While Leo was focusing on bolstering relations with Orthodox Christians and Muslims, trip organizers were dealing with more mundane issues.

Leo's ITA Airways Airbus A320neo charter was among those caught up in the worldwide Airbus software update, ordered by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency. The order came after an analysis found the computer code may have contributed to a sudden drop in the altitude of a JetBlue plane last month.

The Vatican spokesman, Matteo Bruni, said Saturday that ITA was working on the issue. He said the necessary monitor to update the aircraft was on its way to Istanbul from Rome along with the technician who would install it.

Leo is scheduled to fly from Istanbul to Beirut, Lebanon, on Sunday afternoon for the second leg of his inaugural trip as pope.

The IDF released body-camera footage Friday from a rare face-to-face gun battle in southern Syria, where troops from the 55th Brigade were fired on while arresting members of al-Jama’a al-Islamiyya, a Sunni terrorist group Israel identifies as part of the wider Muslim Brotherhood network. 

The cross-border gun battle comes as the Trump administration moves to target Brotherhood affiliates and tensions spike between Netanyahu and Syria’s interim president.

The overnight operation took place in the Beit Jann area, roughly 10 kilometers inside Syria, under the 210th Division. According to the IDF, troops entered the area to detain suspects involved in planting IEDs and planning future attacks against Israel, including potential rocket fire. Two suspects were arrested before an exchange of fire erupted.

Six IDF soldiers were wounded, including three in serious condition. Several terrorists were killed, the IDF said, and the suspects were transferred to Israel for interrogation.

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Al-Jama’a al-Islamiyya, founded as the Lebanese branch of the Muslim Brotherhood, has cooperated with Hamas and Hezbollah, maintaining infrastructure in southern Lebanon and along the Syria-Lebanon border. The IDF says it has struck the organization’s sites in Syria and Lebanon repeatedly during the current war.

Channel 12 political correspondent Amit Segal noted Friday that the incident marks the first time since December 2024 — when Israeli forces took control of the Syrian side of Mount Hermon — that Israeli troops were wounded in a Syrian firefight.

Segal wrote: "Could Syria become the IDF’s new Lebanon? … With six soldiers wounded overnight, the big question is whether this is a one-off event, or if it signals the beginning of a long, uncomfortable Israeli presence in Syria."

Tensions between Syrian interim president Ahmed al-Sharaa and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have intensified since Sharaa’s unprecedented visit to Washington earlier this month. Sharaa met President Donald Trump at the White House for discussions on sanctions relief and counterterrorism coordination, making him the first Syrian leader to visit Washington since the Syrian war began.

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Netanyahu publicly criticized the visit the same day, saying Sharaa "returned inflated with a sense of international legitimacy," and warning that any U.S.-Syria discussions must "not come at Israel’s expense."

Additional reporting in the Jerusalem Post and Channel 12 noted that security arrangements affecting Israel’s northern front were discussed in broad terms between U.S. and Syrian officials, though no agreements were reached, and Washington stressed that consultations with Israel were ongoing.

Friday's clash came the same week the Trump administration launched a sweeping effort to designate Muslim Brotherhood affiliates as terrorist organizations. The White House directive instructs federal agencies to evaluate and sanction Brotherhood entities in countries including Egypt, Jordan and Lebanon, citing global financial, political and operational ties among affiliates.

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The White House statement said the Brotherhood "fuels terrorism and destabilization campaigns against U.S. interests and allies."

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, praised the move on his podcast Verdict, telling co-host Ben Ferguson that the designation marks the culmination of a decade of legislative efforts. Cruz said "This is literally 10 years of hard work, and it will make America safer because the Muslim Brotherhood is funding terrorists that want to murder you and want to murder me."

He noted that many U.S. allies in the Middle East — including Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the UAE — have already outlawed the organization, telling listeners: "They really want the United States to do what President Trump did this week."

As Washington intensifies pressure on Brotherhood-linked movements, Israel is increasingly confronting Brotherhood-affiliated armed groups across the northern arena — from Hamas in Gaza to al-Jama’a al-Islamiyya in Syria and Lebanon.

With Beit Jann emerging as a focal point for cross-border operations, and American policy tightening, analysts say the regional confrontations involving Brotherhood-connected groups may be entering a new phase.

Pope Leo XIV joined Eastern and Western patriarchs and priests Friday in commemorating an important anniversary in Christian history, gathering at the site in Turkey of an unprecedented A.D. 325 meeting of bishops to pray that Christians might once again be united.

Leo, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I and other Christian leaders met on the shores of Lake Iznik, the site of the Council of Nicaea that produced a creed, or statement of faith, that is still recited by millions of Christians today.

Standing over the ruins of the site, the men recited the creed, which Leo said was "of fundamental importance in the journey that Christians are making toward full communion."

"In this way, we are all invited to overcome the scandal of the divisions that unfortunately still exist and to nurture the desire for unity for which the Lord Jesus prayed and gave his life," he said.

The prayer marked the highlight of Leo’s visit to Turkey and the main reason for his trip, the first of his pontificate.

POPE LEO XIV OPENS FIRST FOREIGN TRIP IN TURKEY WITH A VISIT TO CHRISTIANITY’S EARLY HEARTLANDS

The Nicaea gathering took place at a time when the Eastern and Western churches were still united. They split in the Great Schism of 1054, a divide precipitated largely by disagreements over the primacy of the pope. But even today, Catholic, Orthodox and most historic Protestant groups accept the Nicaean Creed, making it a point of agreement and the most widely accepted creed in Christendom.

As a result, celebrating its origins at the site of its creation with the spiritual leaders of the Catholic and Orthodox churches and other Christian representatives marked a historic moment in the centuries-old quest to reunite all Christians. 

"The Nicene Creed acts like a seed for the whole of our Christian existence. It is a symbol not of a bare minimum; it is a symbol of the whole," said Bartholomew, spiritual leader of the world’s Orthodox Christians.

At the start of the prayer service, he told the men they were gathering not just to remember the past. 

"We are here to bear living witness to the same faith expressed by the fathers of Nicaea. We return to this wellspring of the Christian faith in order to move forward," he said.

Roman Emperor Constantine had convened the gathering of bishops from around the Roman Empire after he had consolidated control following years of civil war and political intrigues.

Constantine wouldn’t formally convert to Christianity until the end of his life, in 337. But by 325, he had already been showing tolerance and favor toward a Christian sect that had emerged from the last great spasm of Roman persecution.

The version of the creed that emerged from the council, and recited today by Catholics, begins: "I believe in one God, the Father almighty … "

The service commemoration, which featured alternating Catholic and Orthodox hymns, took place at the lakeside archaeological excavations of the ancient Basilica of Saint Neophytos. The stone foundations of the basilica, which were recently uncovered by the lake’s receding waters, are believed to be on the site of an earlier church that hosted the council 1,700 years ago.

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In addition to Leo and Bartholomew, the participants of the commemorative service included priests, patriarchs and bishops from Orthodox Greek, Syrian, Coptic, Malankarese, Armenian, Protestant and Anglican churches. 

In his remarks to the men, Leo said all Christians must strongly reject the use of religion to justify war, violence "or any form of fundamentalism or fanaticism."

"Instead, the paths to follow are those of fraternal encounter, dialogue and cooperation," he said.

Christians are a minority in predominantly Sunni Muslim Turkey, and ahead of the prayer in Iznik, around 20 members of a small Turkish Islamic party staged a brief protest. They said the encounter posed a threat to Turkey’s sovereignty and national identity. 

Under a heavy police presence, Mehmet Kaygusuz, a member of the New Welfare Party, read a statement denouncing what he said were efforts to establish a "Vatican-like Greek Orthodox state" in Turkey. The group dispersed peacefully shortly after.

Iznik resident Suleyman Bulut, 35, acknowledged his town’s deep historical and spiritual significance for Christians and said he had no issue with them coming to honor their heritage. 

"Muslims (too) should go and visit places that belong to us in the rest of the world, in Europe," he said.

But Hasan Maral, a 41-year-old shopkeeper, said he felt uncomfortable with the visit. "The pope coming here feels contradictory to my faith," he said.

Leo began his first full day in Istanbul by encouraging Turkey’s tiny Catholic community to find strength in their small numbers. According to Vatican statistics, Catholics number around 33,000 in a nation of 85 million, most of whom are Sunni Muslims.

He received a raucous welcome at the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit, where he was greeted with shouts of "Papa Leo" and "Viva il Papa" (Long Live the pope).

"The logic of littleness is the church’s true strength," Leo told them in English. "The significant presence of migrants and refugees in this country presents the church with the challenge of welcoming and serving some of the most vulnerable."

Leo later visited with a group of nuns, the Little Sisters of the Poor, who run a nursing home in Istanbul.

"He was so simple. We just felt he was at home. He felt very much at ease. Everybody got what they expected: a blessing, a kind word. It’s just enormous," said Sister Margret of the Little Sisters of the Poor Nursing Home.

On Saturday, Leo continues with his ecumenical focus, meeting with Bartholomew and other Christian leaders. But he’ll also visit the Sultan Ahmed Mosque, commonly known as the Blue Mosque, and will celebrate a late afternoon Mass in Istanbul’s Volkswagen Arena.

Leo heads to Lebanon on Sunday for the second and final leg of his trip.

JOHANNESBURG: The number of U.S. airstrikes against jihadi terrorists in Somalia has increased more than tenfold under the Trump administration so far this year, compared to missions carried out under President Biden in 2024.

U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) confirmed to Fox News Digital on Friday that it conducted 10 airstrikes in 2024, and that so far this year it has carried out more than 100 airstrikes in Somalia.

In the latest military action Tuesday, AFRICOM personnel were involved in an airstrike and reportedly a gun battle lasting up to four hours with ISIS-Somalia jihadists in Puntland, in the north of this African country. The operation was conducted, AFRICOM said in a media statement, "in coordination with the Federal Government of Somalia."

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Multiple local sources reported high-value ISIS targets were hit, with reports that a high-level terror leader was either killed or captured, and up to 10 terrorists killed. There are no reports of U.S. casualties.

This attack is the latest in a series of missions over Somalia against various jihadi groups, primarily ISIS, ISIS-Somalia and the al Qaeda-linked al-Shabab.

An AFRICOM spokesperson told Fox News Digital on Thursday the U.S. "conducted an airstrike approximately 66 km southeast of Bossaso. To date, we’ve completed 101 airstrikes in Somalia — 59 of which have specifically targeted ISIS-Somalia. In coordination with the Federal Government of Somalia, we continue to take action to degrade ISIS-Somalia and al-Shabab’s ability to threaten the U.S. Homeland, our forces, and our citizens abroad."

Local sources report that in this latest attack, U.S. MQ9 Reaper drones first dropped missiles on the terrorists, who were said to be in and around a large cave. This was reportedly followed by an attack using 10 helicopters. During the battle, several sources claim U.S. troops disembarked from the helicopters.

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But U.S. military officials dismissed the fact that American forces stepped onto Somali soil, stressing there was no ground operation by American troops, stating twice that such reports are inaccurate. In a public statement, AFRICOM said "specific details about units and assets will not be released to ensure continued operations security".

In August, AFRICOM stated that they carried out multiple airstrikes against ISIS fighters, with AFRICOM Commander Gen. Dagvin Anderson saying, "these lethal strikes demonstrate our resolve and commitment to ensuring Americans and our partners remain safe from the threat of global terrorism." The general continued that the strikes were aimed "against an organization that wishes to export their terror to the U.S. and our allies."

U.S. aircraft launching from an aircraft carrier were shown in official photographs accompanying the media statement about the attacks.

Ahmed Soliman, senior research fellow, Africa Program, Chatham House, told Fox News Digital, "The U.S. focus on [ISIS] in Puntland is partially driven by the goal of preventing another international [ISIS] "safe haven" from emerging, as well as the potential threat from ISIS-Somalia’s recruitment of foreign fighters."

He continued, "However, the imbalance has led to growing concerns that the international response may be lagging behind the pace of al-Shabab’s resurgence in central and southern Somalia. Al-Shabab has leveraged this shifting international focus to reconsolidate its areas of operations. The group’s advances have taken place against a backdrop of Somalia’s increasingly fragmented domestic political landscape. Ongoing power struggles between the FGS (Federal Government of Somalia) and member states like Puntland and Jubaland have undermined coordination and counterterrorism efforts."

In May, AFRICOM’s then Commander, Gen. Michael E. Langley, referring to strikes in Somalia, told Air & Space Forces Magazine, "the U.S. is actively pursuing and eliminating jihadists."

Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro delivered a defiant address in Caracas earlier this week, brandishing a sword and warning supporters to prepare for confrontation with what he called "imperialist aggression" as President Donald Trump said the United States will "very soon" begin stopping suspected Venezuelan drug traffickers on land.

Maduro appeared at a mass rally in the capital holding the sword of Simón Bolívar, the 19th-century independence leader regarded as the liberator of much of South America. Maduro told supporters that the country was facing a decisive moment. 

The Associated Press reported him saying that, "For anyone, whether civilian, politician, military, or police. Let no one make excuses. Failure is not an option. The homeland demands it! Our greatest effort and sacrifice. And with (Simon) Bolívar, I come to say that if the homeland demands it, the homeland will have our lives, if necessary," he declared while raising Bolívar’s sword.

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Maduro framed the situation as a struggle against what he described as external threats, urging Venezuelans to mobilize against any foreign aggression.

The address came as tensions have risen following months of U.S. maritime strikes that Washington says targeted vessels used by drug traffickers. 

Reuters has reported that more than 80 people have been killed since September, and a separate Reuters report on Friday detailed heightened surveillance and security crackdowns in coastal communities where the strikes occurred.

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Speaking on Thanksgiving to U.S. service members, Trump said the United States will expand its efforts from sea interdiction to land operations. "In recent weeks, you’ve been working to deter Venezuelan drug traffickers, of which there are many. Of course, there aren’t too many coming in by sea anymore. Have you probably noticed that?" Trump said.

He added that maritime operations have already stopped an estimated 85% of drugs arriving by sea. "You probably noticed that now people aren’t wanting to be delivering by sea, and we’ll be starting to stop them by land also. The land is easier, but that’s going to start very soon."

Trump said traffickers are responsible for "hundreds of thousands of people a year" dying from the "poisons" brought into the United States. "We warn them, stop sending poison to our country," he said.

Earlier this month, Trump said he had not ruled out sending U.S. troops to Venezuela as part of the administration’s crackdown on criminal networks tied to senior figures in Caracas. "No, I don’t rule out that, I don’t rule out anything," he said. 

He also left room for talks. "We may be having some conversations with Maduro, and we’ll see how that turns out. They would like to talk," Trump told reporters over the weekend.

Since early September, U.S. strikes across the Caribbean and eastern Pacific have destroyed dozens of vessels. U.S. officials say many were linked to Venezuelan and Colombian criminal groups.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that head of the office of the president of Ukraine Andriy Yermak has written a letter of resignation.

"I am grateful to Andriy for always presenting the Ukrainian position in the negotiation track exactly as it should be. It has always been a patriotic position," Zelenskyy noted. "But I want there to be no rumors and speculation."

Fox News' Simon Owen contributed to this report.

This is a developing story and will be updated

Vladimir Putin on Thursday expressed interest in using President Trump’s peace plan as a negotiating departure point to end the nearly four-year war between Ukraine and Russia.

"We need to sit down and discuss this seriously," Putin told reporters at the end of a three-day visit to Kyrgyzstan, according to an Associated Press report. He added, "Every word matters."

Putin described U.S. President Donald Trump’s plan as "a set of issues put forward for discussion" rather than a draft agreement.

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"If Ukrainian troops withdraw from the territories they occupy, hostilities will cease. If they don’t withdraw, we will achieve this by force," the Russian strongman said.

Andy Barr, R-Ky., a House Foreign Affairs Committee member, told Fox News Digital the situation reinforces the need for strong American leadership. "Russia invaded Ukraine because Joe Biden was the weakest president in American history."

Barr, a candidate for U.S. Senate in Kentucky said, "President Trump’s peace-through-strength leadership kept Putin fully contained. This war never would have happened under his watch. Trump is the peace president… the only leader who can end this war and bring stability back to Europe."

However, Putin critics believe he is seeking to trick the U.S. and the European Union.

The former world chess champion Garry Kasparov, who predicted Putin’s jingoism and invasion of Ukraine, told the Polish international news network TVP that "Peace under Putin is unachievable for one simple reason: Putin is war — and Russia is gearing up for even more."

Kasparov has also criticized NATO, Trump and the EU for failing to defend Ukraine and evict Russia from Ukraine’s entire territory.

"We owe them everything," Kasparov recently said about Ukraine at the Halifax International Security Forum.

MOMENTUM BUILDS IN UKRAINE PEACE PUSH, BUT EXPERTS FEAR PUTIN WON’T BUDGE

Kremlin officials have had little to say so far about the peace plan put forward last week by Trump. Putin has been recalcitrant about accepting previous Trump plans to end the war.

Putin has demanded that Ukraine completely withdraw from the entirety of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhia regions before Russia considers any sort of "peace negotiations" — notably including areas of each of those oblasts that Russia does not occupy. He also wants to keep Ukraine from joining NATO and hosting any Western troops, allowing Moscow to gradually pull the country back into its orbit.

The Institute for the Study of War on Wednesday cast doubt on Russian claims that its invasion is unstoppable as it is still struggling to capture cities in the eastern Donetsk region.

"Data on Russian forces’ rate of advance indicates that a Russian military victory in Ukraine is not inevitable, and a rapid Russian seizure of the rest of Donetsk Oblast is not imminent," the Washington-based think tank said. "Recent Russian advances elsewhere on the front line have largely been opportunistic and exploited seasonal weather conditions.

U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff is set to visit Moscow next week, the Kremlin says, while U.S. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll, who in recent weeks has played a high-profile role in the peace efforts, may be heading to Kyiv.   

The initial U.S. peace proposal was criticized for being skewed toward Russian demands, but an amended version emerged from talks in Geneva on Sunday between American and Ukrainian officials. Sidelined European leaders, fearing for their own security amid Russian aggression, are angling for deeper involvement in the process.

The Associated Press and Fox News Digital’s Efrat Lachter contributed to this report.

As the United States advances a revised peace framework aimed at ending the war in Ukraine, officials and experts from Kyiv, Moscow and Washington tell Fox News Digital the effort is closer to a breakthrough than at any point since Russia’s invasion — but still stalled by the same immovable obstacle: the Kremlin wants Ukrainian land, and Ukraine refuses to surrender any of it.

President Donald Trump said this week that "tremendous progress" has been made, announcing that his special envoy, Steve Witkoff, will meet Russian officials in Moscow while senior U.S. defense leaders sit down with their Ukrainian counterparts. A senior American official confirmed to Fox News Digital that Kyiv has accepted the "broad contours" of an emerging deal, with "minor details" still being negotiated. European allies say they are coordinating a new "Coalition of the Willing," with France calling for a "just and lasting peace."

But as Russia launches fresh missile and drone strikes on Kyiv — killing civilians and damaging power infrastructure — negotiators warn that the territorial question remains the hard red line.

US AND RUSSIA DRAFT PEACE PLAN FOR UKRAINE REQUIRING MAJOR CONCESSIONS FROM KYIV

Oleksii Honcharenko, an opposition member of Ukraine’s Parliament, told Fox News Digital he believes Ukraine must pursue peace "as soon as possible," even though large segments of Ukrainian society distrust the emerging plan. "My personal position is that we need peace as soon as possible," he said. "This plan is a chance. I don’t like everything in it… some things are unacceptable. But it is a workable framework."

He pushed back on criticism that the "peace proposal" is a U.S.– Russia blueprint imposed on Kyiv. "For me, it doesn’t matter who the initial author was. There is a framework. Let’s work on it."

Honcharenko acknowledged that sanctions relief — one of Russia’s core demands — would be painful for Ukrainians. But he also underscored the reality of the battlefield: "We are not in the position where our tanks are near Moscow. There will not be a solution I like completely."

House Foreign Affairs committee member, Rep. Andy Barr, R-Ky., told Fox News Digital the situation reinforces the need for strong American leadership. "Russia invaded Ukraine because Joe Biden was the weakest President in American history."

Barr, a candidate for U.S. Senate in Kentucky said, "President Trump’s peace-through-strength leadership kept Putin fully contained. This war never would have happened under his watch. Trump is the Peace President… the only leader who can end this war and bring stability back to Europe."

Exiled Russian economist and former deputy finance minister Sergey Aleksashenko echoed the main roadblock: "The biggest difference is territorial," he told Fox News Digital. "Russia wants to grab what it was not able to take by military means. Ukraine does not want to give up. All other points could be resolved, but not territory."

TRUMP TOUTS 'PROGRESS' ON UKRAINE-RUSSIA DEAL, ADMITS IT'S 'ONE OF THE MORE DIFFICULT' CONFLICTS TO SOLVE

He said he sees no sign that Putin is prepared to compromise, arguing the Kremlin believes Western support for Ukraine is weakening. Putin may be willing to fight "another two, three years," convinced he can outlast Kyiv and European governments struggling to maintain military aid.

Former NATO Supreme Allied Commander Gen. Philip Breedlove (Ret.) told Fox News Digital he doesn't see Ukraine agreeing to give Russia land Russia has never conquered. "It is an incredibly, incredibly bad thought," he said.

Breedlove argued that Putin’s goals extend far beyond Ukraine and that the Russian president has been clear about wanting to reshape the security order in Eastern Europe. He also warned that Zelenskyy is negotiating under heavy pressure from Western governments that control Ukraine’s access to weapons and funding.

RUSSIA BOMBARDS KYIV, KILLING AT LEAST 6, AS TRUMP PEACE PLAN MOVES FORWARD

"It’s very clear he’s being threatened with no support," Breedlove said. "If Mr. Zelenskyy loses the support of America and Europe, life’s going to be really ugly for Ukraine. But they will not stop fighting."

He said early versions of the U.S. proposal included "egregious" provisions that Ukraine never would have agreed to, but that the process has "improved" as Kyiv’s input was incorporated. Still, "the things that are acceptable to Ukraine are not going to be acceptable to Mr. Putin," he said.

Breedlove pushed back on the claim that Kyiv is ready to concede territory, saying lawmakers want peace but not capitulation. "I believe there are many parliamentary hearings and many in Zelenskyy's group that want peace, but they want a durable, equitable peace. I'm not sure that they're ready to make a lot of concessions to do that," he said.

As negotiators move toward what they hope will be a final round of talks, all sides agree on one point: the success or failure of this effort will depend on whether Ukraine and Russia — under pressure from allies, including incentives from Washington and the realities of the battlefield — can finally bridge the territorial divide that has defined the war from day one.

Pope Leo XIV is using his very first foreign trip to make a statement that blends symbolism with geopolitical consequences. By landing in Turkey this morning for the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea and then into Lebanon’s ongoing economic and political freefall, the pope is stepping directly into places where Christianity once flourished.

His presence signals two messages at once: a bid to revive unity among Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant communities, and a warning to regional governments that persecution and instability will not go unnoticed. It’s an early test of how he intends to wield the soft power of the papacy.

Matthew R. Petrusek, Ph.D., senior director of the Word on Fire Institute, told Fox News Digital that the trip sends a clear signal about the priorities of the new pontiff. "Pope Leo has signaled early in his papacy that one of his primary objectives is to give hope to Christians who live in regions where they face persecution or other difficulties living out their faith. By traveling to Turkey and Lebanon, I think Leo is telling Christians both in those countries and across the globe, ‘You are not forgotten; the Church stands with you.’"

LGBTQ CATHOLICS MARCH THROUGH ST. PETER’S BASILICA IN JUBILEE RITE AS VATICAN CALENDAR ENTRY STIRS CONTROVERSY

In Turkey, he will commemorate the 1700th anniversary of the First Council of Nicaea. The landmark council convened in 325 AD in the ancient city of Nicaea, now Iznik, and produced the Nicene Creed, a central statement of Christian belief shared by Catholics, Orthodox and Protestants.

On Thursday, the pope will fly by helicopter to Iznik for a prayer at the archaeological remains of the basilica where the council met.

Petrusek emphasized the symbolic weight of this moment. "Christianity is a creedal religion — it is based on shared, free assent to unchanging doctrines about Jesus Christ and the Church that give consistency and coherence to Christianity around the world. The Nicene Creed forms the backbone of Christian identity."

POPE LEO XIV STRONGLY SUPPORTS US BISHOPS' CONDEMNATION OF TRUMP IMMIGRATION RAIDS: 'EXTREMELY DISRESPECTFUL'

To underline the anniversary, Leo issued an apostolic letter on Nov. 23 titled "In the Unity of Faith," highlighting the Creed’s enduring role in unifying Christian communities. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops said the document stresses the relevance of Nicaea’s teachings for Catholics, Orthodox and Protestants today.

Petrusek said the pope’s approach makes a broader statement about unity. "The Creed includes the words, ‘I believe in one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church.’ I believe Pope Leo is also signaling that he wants to do everything within his power, in cooperation with the Holy Spirit, to heal the rifts that, sadly, still prevent Christ’s Church from being ‘one.’"

In Turkey, the pope will also meet Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, visit Christian communities in Istanbul and celebrate liturgies.

POPE LEO SIGNALS CONTINUATION OF POPE FRANCIS' WELCOMING OF LGBT COMMUNITY IN CATHOLIC CHURCH

The second half of the journey will take the pope to Lebanon, a country that last hosted a papal visit more than a decade ago. The late Pope Francis had hoped to travel there but was unable to do so due to his declining health.

Lebanon remains home to the largest proportion of Christians in the Middle East, but the population has plummeted due to economic collapse, emigration and political paralysis. The Associated Press reported that the pope will meet political leaders, Christian and Muslim clerics and families affected by overlapping crises. One of the most anticipated moments will come on Dec. 2, when Leo visits the Port of Beirut, the site of the 2020 explosion that killed more than 200 people and wounded more than 6,000.

POPE LEO XIV AGREES TO THROW OUT FIRST PITCH AT WHITE SOX NEW STADIUM AFTER INVITE FROM TEAM OWNER

Petrusek said papal visits have a profound emotional impact. "It is hard to overestimate the positive effect having the pope visit your country has for Catholics, especially those who are suffering because of their faith. It is a reminder that the ‘Church’ is not an abstraction but, rather, a historical reality that goes back to Jesus Christ himself."

He added that the pope’s presence carries a message for governments in the region. "In addition to his message of hope to the faithful, his presence in these countries communicates to those responsible for persecuting Christians, ‘Your crimes are not taking place in the dark; the world is watching.’"

In Lebanon, the pope will speak in both English and French. The Vatican has released the official missal for the liturgies, and Lebanese media are preparing for large crowds despite infrastructure shortages.

The Vatican is expected to emphasize Christian unity, interfaith dialogue and support for vulnerable communities. Pope Leo’s words in Turkey and Lebanon will be closely watched by regional governments and religious communities navigating conflict, insecurity and demographic decline.

Petrusek said the trip reflects the heart of Leo’s early papacy: "A papal visit brings immense hope and a renewed patience to persevere… suffering and death, especially as a result of persecution, not only doesn’t have the final say; when freely united to Christ on the Cross, it leads to nothing less than eternal life."

A local Namibian politician named Adolf Hitler Uunona is widely expected to retain his council seat in the country’s latest round of regional elections, drawing international attention for a name he says carries no ideological meaning.

A longtime member of Namibia’s ruling SWAPO party, he is running again in the Ompundja constituency in the northern Oshana region. 

While final tallies have not yet been released, several international outlets report he is projected to win by a wide margin, consistent with previous elections. SWAPO, which has governed Namibia since independence in 1990, has shifted from its socialist liberation roots toward a more centrist, market-oriented governing approach.

GERMANY TO RETURN ANCIENT STONE CROSS TO NAMIBIA

His German dictator-linked name — "Adolf Hitler" — was given to him by his father, he told the German outlet Bild, who he claimed did not understand the historical weight the name carried.

500 YEAR-OLD SHIPWRECK LOADED WITH GOLD FOUND IN NAMIBIAN DESERT

"It was a perfectly normal name for me when I was a kid," Uunona told Bild. "It wasn’t until I grew older that I realized this man wanted to subjugate the whole world and killed millions of Jews."

He said his childhood name reflected no political intent and stressed that he has never held extremist beliefs. 

"The fact I have this name does not mean I want to conquer Oshana," he said, adding in earlier interviews he generally goes by Adolf Uunona in daily life.

Namibia was a German colony from 1884 to 1915, and Germanic names and place names remain common in some communities. Historians note that this legacy sometimes results in unusual or jarring combinations by modern standards, though they carry no inherent ideological meaning.

According to official information from the Oshana regional government, the Ompundja constituency has 4,659 inhabitants, 19 administrative centers and covers 466 square kilometers.

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul warned Tuesday that new intelligence assessments show Moscow is preparing for the option of a future attack against a NATO member, marking it the third time this month that senior German officials have raised alarms about a potential confrontation with Russia in the next 4 years.

"Putin eyes the EU and NATO. Our intelligence services are issuing urgent warnings: at the very least, Russia is creating the option for itself to wage war against NATO by 2029. We have to deter further Russian aggression, together with our partners and allies," the official German foreign ministry X account stated.

"These divisions, without a doubt, have their sights set on us, on the European Union, on NATO. The threat to our country from Russia is no longer a distant concern; it is already a reality," he said.

'PUTIN IS PUSHING THE LIMITS’: EASTERN ALLIES WARN TRUMP NOT TO PULL US TROOPS

In an interview with Fox News Digital, retired Gen. Philip Breedlove, former NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe, said he agreed with the severity of the German assessments. "I believe there is a lot of truth in what the foreign minister is saying. Russia's intent for Eastern Europe is very clear."

Breedlove noted that many observers have forgotten Russia’s early signals before the full-scale invasion. "At the beginning of this large-scale invasion phase, Russia gave us two documents. They call them treaties. We never acknowledged them. We continued to call them documents… Essentially, Mr. Putin said, ‘Sign these or there will be other means…’ And we did not sign them. And we learned what ‘or else’ meant. And he came crashing into Ukraine for the third time. First was in Crimea. Second was in the Donbas, and now the third time in multiple axes."

Breedlove said Putin’s ambitions extend far beyond Ukraine. "If you read those two documents, if you actually read them and I did multiple times, his intention is for all of Eastern Europe… he’s going to rearrange the security architecture of Eastern Europe back to a Cold War status where he controls all those buffer countries and has this buffer between him and NATO."

PUTIN WARNS WESTERN TROOPS IN UKRAINE WOULD BE 'LEGITIMATE TARGETS'

Asked whether Russia could be ready to attempt such a move within five years, Breedlove said that depends on how quickly Moscow can rebuild its degraded forces. "Ukraine has smashed his army, his army west of the Urals is deeply damaged… Is he able to rebuild this army? Is he able to hold the loyalty of the Russian people who are soon going to learn that their sons and husbands are not coming home?" 

He warned that Putin will have to confront the consequences of massive wartime losses. "The conservative estimates are 1.1 to 1.5 million people… During the first part of this war more than 11 years ago, when people didn't come home, the moms of Moscow stood up. And I think that Mr. Putin is going to have to face that yet."

The German foreign minister’s warning follows separate comments from Germany’s Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, who told the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung that a war between Russia and NATO "could begin in 2029," and that some analysts believe it could happen as early as 2028. The remarks were reported by Meduza.

Top military commanders have delivered similar assessments. Lt. Gen. Alexander Sollfrank, head of Germany’s joint operations command, told Reuters that Russia could launch on NATO territory "at any time." He added that a larger assault could become possible by 2029 if rearmament continues.

TRUMP 'DRAMATICALLY' CHANGES TUNE ON UKRAINE BUT EXPERTS CAUTION PUTIN IS STILL WAITING FOR ACTION

The warnings come as the United States pushes forward with a proposed Russia-Ukraine peace deal. President Donald Trump said Tuesday he will not meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin or Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy until the agreement is complete or in its final stage.

In a Truth Social post, Trump said "tremendous progress" had been made and that only "a few remaining points of disagreement" remain in the updated peace plan. A U.S. official told Fox News Digital that Ukraine has agreed to the revised framework, while Moscow is reviewing the latest changes.

The negotiations continued despite a major overnight Russian strike on Kyiv that killed at least seven people and damaged power infrastructure.

Fox News Digital’s Emma Bussey contributed to this report.

President Donald Trump says Ukraine and Russia are "making progress" toward a peace agreement, but he conceded that the conflict remains "difficult" to solve.

Trump made the comments while speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Tuesday night, giving insight into the ongoing Ukraine-Russia talks. He went on to say that U.S. Envoy Steve Witkoff would soon be engaging in talks in Moscow, potentially alongside Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner.

"We're having good talks," Trump said. "Ukraine is doing well. I think they're pretty happy about it. I'd like to see it end, and we won't know for a little while. Well, we're making progress."

"We settled eight wars, and I thought this would be one of the easier ones because of my relationship with President Putin, but this is probably one of the more difficult ones. There's a lot of hatred," he added.

NATO CHIEF 'SURE' TRUMP'S UKRAINE-RUSSIA PEACE PLAN WILL SUCCEED DESPITE 'DIFFICULT' TALKS

Trump said that Europe is playing a large part in ensuring there are security guarantees for Ukraine to prevent any further aggression from Russia.

The Trump administration had come under scrutiny last week after presenting a 28-point peace plan to U.S. lawmakers. Some lawmakers, including Republicans, initially described it as a "wish list" for Russia.

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

Trump downplayed that plan while speaking Tuesday night, telling reporters that it was "just a map."

"All that was was a map. That was not a plan. It was, a concept. And from there they're taking each one of the 28 points, and then you get down to 22 points. A lot of them were solved and actually very favorably solved. So, so we'll see how we'll see what happens," he said.

While the talks are moving quickly, Trump said he does not have a deadline for securing a deal.

"The deadline for me is when it's over," he said. "I think everybody's tired of fighting at this moment. They are losing, losing too many people."

A fire engulfed several high-rise residential towers in Hong Kong’s Tai Po district Wednesday, killing at least 13 people and reportedly trapping others inside.

Hong Kong’s Fire Services Department said it received reports of a blaze breaking out at the Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po, a district in the northern New Territories, around 2:50 p.m.

The fire was upgraded to a No. 5 alarm by 6:22 p.m., the most severe fire alarm rating in Hong Kong.

In a government statement, the department said nine people were taken to the Alice Ho Miu Ling Nethersole Hospital and the Prince of Wales Hospital.

EXPLOSION ROCKS SENIOR LIVING APARTMENT BUILDING IN OHIO, MULTIPLE PEOPLE INJURED 

Four people were pronounced dead and three were in critical condition. Another was listed as serious, and one was stable.

Tang Ping-keung, the secretary for security of Hong Kong, said one fireman died after sustaining injuries while battling the blaze.

"I am profoundly grieved at the passing of Mr Ho, who lost his life in the course of an operation. I offer my deepest condolences to his family members," Tang said.

Photos from the scene showed the bamboo scaffolding of the towers engulfed in flames and thick, dark smoke pouring out of multiple floors.

Firefighters were working to extinguish the blaze, and one man was photographed in visible distress, saying his wife was trapped inside.

LA FIREFIGHTERS ORDERED TO LEAVE FIRE THAT EXPLODED INTO PALISADES FIRE DAYS LATER: REPORT

Chan Kwong-tak, an 83-year-old retiree living in the community, told The South China Morning Post that the fire alarms failed to go off when the blaze broke out, even though the buildings were equipped with them.

"If someone was sleeping then, they were done," he said.

Tai Po’s former district councillor Herman Yiu Kwan-ho also told the outlet that residents reported not hearing the fire alarms go off even after they detected the smell of smoke. He said they were only warned when a security guard knocked on their doors, giving them little time to get out.

The Tai Po District Office opened temporary shelters for people in need at the Kwong Fuk Community Hall and the Tung Cheong Street Community Hall.

A Bangkok court has issued an arrest warrant for Jakkaphong "Anne" Jakrajutatip, the co-owner of the Miss Universe Organization, after Jakrajutatip failed to appear in court on Tuesday in relation to a fraud case.

Jakkaphong is accused of defrauding an investor in 2023 and was released on bail, but she was a no-show for court on Tuesday and did not notify officials, The Associated Press reported, citing a statement from the Bangkok South District Court. The court deemed her a flight risk and rescheduled the hearing for Dec. 26.

Jakkaphong’s company, JKN Global Group, bought Miss Universe in 2022 and then sold 50% the following year to Legacy Holding Group USA, which is owned by Mexican businessman Raúl Rocha Cantú.

JKN is accused of cheating investor Raweewat Maschamadol during a 2023 corporate-bond deal that Maschamadol says cost him roughly $930,000. He says Jakkaphong and JKN misrepresented the company’s financial health when selling him the bonds. JKN ceased making investor payments in 2023, effectively erasing the value of the corporate bonds.

STRIP CLUB EXECUTIVES ALLEGEDLY BRIBED TAX AUDITOR WITH LAP DANCES AND LUXURY TRIPS TO SLASH TAX BILLS

JKN has faced severe financial trouble in recent years, defaulting on investor payments in 2023 and entering debt rehabilitation in 2024. JKN reports obligations totaling about $93 million.

Jakkaphong, a well-known Thai celebrity, reality-show star and openly transgender woman, resigned from all company positions in June after being accused by Thailand’s SEC of falsifying 2023 financial statements, though Jakkaphong remains JKN’s largest shareholder.

Jakkaphong's whereabouts remain unclear and Jakkaphong did not appear at the 74th Miss Universe competition, which was held in Bangkok earlier this month. 

On Monday, JKN denied rumors that she had liquidated the company’s assets and fled the country.

DIDDY DENIED BAIL IN SEX TRAFFICKING, RACKETEERING CASE

This year’s Miss Universe pageant faced a string of embarrassments.

A Thai organizer publicly reprimanded Mexico’s Fátima Bosch Fernández, who ultimately won the 2025 crown, sparking backlash, while two judges also withdrew, with one hinting the scoring wasn’t entirely above board.

Thai authorities separately opened an investigation into whether the event’s promotional materials illegally advertised online gambling.

The chaos deepened when Jamaica’s contestant, Gabrielle Henry, fell off the stage during the preliminary evening gown round.

President Donald Trump once owned the Miss Universe Organization, controlling the pageant from 1996 until 2015, when he sold it to talent agency giant IMG after NBC severed ties with him during the early stages of his presidential campaign. The brand has since changed hands multiple times.

Trump sold the company in 2015, and in 2022, IMG Worldwide LLC sold it to Jakrajutatip.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Turkish, Qatari and Egyptian officials met Wednesday in Cairo to discuss the second phase of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal.

The meeting is said to have included Turkey and Egypt's intelligence chiefs, as well as Qatar's prime minister, according to reports.

"During the meeting, [they] also agreed to continue strengthening coordination and cooperation with the Civil Military Coordination Center to eliminate all obstacles to ensure the continuity of the ceasefire and to prevent further violations," a Turkish source told Reuters, adding that they also discussed countering Israeli ceasefire violations.

US-BACKED AID GROUP ENDS GAZA MISSION AFTER DEFYING HAMAS THREATS, UN CRITICISM

Despite Hamas and Israel accusing each other of violating the U.S.-brokered agreement, mediators are still looking to move to the next stage.

The second phase of the deal involves the deployment of an international stabilization force and the development of an international body to govern Gaza. It also includes the disarmament of Hamas. Additionally, Israel will move further from the so-called "yellow line" ahead of the international force taking over, according to The Times of Israel.

IDF ANNOUNCES TRANSFER OF DECEASED ISRAELI HOSTAGE REMAINS THROUGH RED CROSS

On Tuesday, Israel returned the bodies of 15 Palestinians in exchange for the remains of Israeli hostage Dror Or. Israel has said that Or and his wife, Yonat Or, were killed during the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks on Kibbutz Be'eri. 

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum said in a statement that as their house caught on fire, Dror and Yonat evacuated their children through a window in the safe room, saving their lives. The couple split up in an attempt to escape, but they were both murdered by the terrorists. Two of their children, Noam and Alma, were taken hostage.

On Nov. 25, 2023, Noam and Alma were released in the first hostage exchange, exactly two years before their father's remains would be returned to Israel.

The remains of two hostages — one Israeli, Ran Gvili, and one Thai national, Sudthisak Rinthalak — are still in Gaza. 

Hamas has committed to upholding its end of the deal and returning both, but did not give a timeline on when that may happen, according to The Associated Press.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov suggested Moscow could reject the White House’s latest Ukraine peace deal framework if it doesn’t uphold the "spirit and letter" of the understandings reached at the August Alaska summit between President Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin.

Lavrov said at a news conference Tuesday that Russia is awaiting the updated version of the Trump administration’s latest peace plan aimed at ending the nearly four-year war.

He warned that if the terms of the "key understandings" are "extinguished" then the situation would become "fundamentally different."

Russia has maintained its maximalist demands in negotiations, insisting Ukraine be barred from joining NATO and required to give up the rest of the Donbas as part of any peace deal.

RUSSIA BOMBARDS KYIV, KILLING AT LEAST 6, AS TRUMP PEACE PLAN MOVES FORWARD

John Hardie, the deputy director of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies' Russia Program, told Fox News Digital Moscow's intransigence over the past 10 months has been the main obstacle to Trump’s diplomatic efforts.

"The United States has really shot itself in the foot by kind of flip-flopping between strategies. One month you're trying to pressure the Russians and saying they're the obstacle in peace. The next minute you're trying to, you know, force their terms on Kyiv," said Hardie. 

"What we really need is sustained military support for Ukraine and economic pressure on Russia, and Putin has to realize that neither the Ukrainian military nor Western, especially U.S., resolve, are going to falter."

Former CIA station chief Dan Hoffman told "The Brian Kilmeade Show" Tuesday he remains skeptical about an end to the war, arguing the United States lacks the leverage to compel Moscow to halt its invasion.

NATO JETS SCRAMBLED AMID RUSSIA'S LARGEST DRONE ATTACK ON UKRAINE

"Vladimir Putin, his strategic objective has always been to overthrow the democratically elected government of Ukraine. He’ll engage in negotiations, but he does it to ensure that he’s asserting the primacy of Russia in his self-designated sphere of influence," said Hoffman. "I just don’t see any evidence that Russia is going to pause in their relentless attacks on Ukraine."

Ukraine agreed Tuesday to a peace deal to end the war with Russia, but some details still need to be finalized, a U.S. official told Fox News.

U.S. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll met with Russian officials in Abu Dhabi Monday and Tuesday to discuss the framework for a Ukraine peace deal. The U.S. official said a Ukrainian delegation was also in Abu Dhabi and in contact with Driscoll and his team.

Fox News' Jennifer Griffin contributed to this report

President Donald Trump has stated that he will not meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin or Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy until the emerging Russia-Ukraine peace agreement is either complete or in its final stage.

In a lengthy post shared on Truth Social Tuesday, Trump emphasized "tremendous progress" had been made over the past week, calling it the most significant movement toward peace since the Ukraine war began.

FROM ISRAEL TO UKRAINE, TRUMP SPENDS WEEK FOCUSED ON NAVIGATING GLOBAL CONFLICTS

He wrote: "Over the past week, my team has made tremendous progress with respect to ending the War between Russia and Ukraine (A War that would have NEVER started if I were President!). Last month 25,000 soldiers died. The original 28-Point Peace Plan, which was drafted by the United States, has been fine-tuned, with additional input from both sides, and there are only a few remaining points of disagreement."

Trump continued by outlining the next steps in the negotiation process:

"In the hopes of finalizing this Peace Plan, I have directed my Special Envoy Steve Witkoff to meet with President Putin in Moscow and, at the same time, Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll will be meeting with the Ukrainians. I will be briefed on all progress made, along with Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, and White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles."

TRUMP SAYS 'TREMENDOUS BAD BLOOD' BETWEEN ZELENSKYY, PUTIN DELAYING PEACE DEAL DESPITE MIDDLE EAST MOMENTUM

He concluded his post by explaining when he would be willing to meet with Zelenskyy and Putin:

"I look forward to hopefully meeting with President Zelenskyy and President Putin soon, but ONLY when the deal to end this War is FINAL or, in its final stages,"

"Thank you for your attention to this very important matter, and let’s all hope that PEACE can be accomplished AS SOON AS POSSIBLE!" he added.

COULD TRUMP’S GAZA CEASEFIRE PLAN OFFER A BLUEPRINT FOR PEACE IN UKRAINE?

A revised peace framework, changed from the original 28 points, has reportedly gained preliminary acceptance from both Kyiv and Washington. Moscow is currently reviewing the latest revisions.

As reported by Fox News Digital Tuesday, Ukraine agreed to a peace deal that would see an end to the war with Russia, a U.S. official said,

Some minor details of the agreement are still to be sorted out, the official said.

However, overnight, Russia launched a large drone-and-missile strike on Kyiv, killing at least seven people and damaging power infrastructure.

Despite the continuing violence, U.S. diplomats describe the negotiations as the "closest they have been" to a potential agreement since the war began.

All 24 schoolgirls who were abducted by armed assailants from a school last week in Nigeria’s Kebbi state have been rescued, the country's president announced Tuesday.

Gunmen with "sophisticated weapons" abducted the girls around 4 a.m. on Nov. 17, police said at the time, and a statement Tuesday quoted President Bola Tinubu as saying that all 24 of the students who had been abducted were rescued. 

"I am relieved that all the 24 girls have been accounted for," the statement quoted Tinubu as saying. "Now, we must put as a matter of urgency more boots on the ground in the vulnerable areas to avert further incidents of kidnapping."

No details were released about the rescue mission or about the group that kidnapped the girls.

NIGERIAN CHILDREN AS YOUNG AS 5 AMONG HUNDREDS KIDNAPPED, NUN SAYS

The attack in Kebbi was among a spate of recent mass abductions in Nigeria.

Attackers raided a Catholic school Friday in north-central Niger state and abducted more than 300 students and staff. 

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

School officials said Sunday that 50 students, ages 10 to 18, escaped individually between Friday and Saturday. A total of 253 students and 12 teachers were still being held, they said.

Nigeria has seen a series of attacks on Christians and their institutions, prompting President Donald Trump to declare the West African nation a "country of particular concern." However, the Nigerian government has disputed the U.S. claims.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.