World News

Massive wildfires sweeping through southwestern France are threatening key defense and nuclear sites near Bordeaux, forcing evacuations and emergency measures at missile factories, military research facilities and aerospace plants, according to reports.

The escalating blazes come as France braces for its fourth major heat wave of the year Tuesday, with soaring temperatures and arid conditions increasing pressure on crews battling massive wildfires near Bordeaux, according to Reuters.

Temperatures in the French region were forecast to reach 91 degrees Fahrenheit (33 degrees Celsius), about 13 degrees (7 degrees Celsius) above normal, according to the Reuters Climate Monitor.

EUROPE'S FIRES REVEAL DEADLY MIX OF RECORD HEAT, HUMAN ERROR, ARSON AND LAND MISMANAGEMENT

"The situation we are dealing with today is the most severe we have ever recorded, the toughest since the Second World War," President Emmanuel Macron, who flew to the area, had said Sunday.

French Economy Minister Roland Lescure said the fires have disrupted more than 13,000 businesses in the Gironde region, with many forced to close or evacuate.

According to The Telegraph, the fires are closing in on missile and rocket factories that store explosive materials.

At least seven sites holding hazardous substances are within 12 miles of the blaze.

FRANCE RECORDS MORE THAN 5,700 EXCESS DEATHS DURING HISTORIC EARLY SUMMER HEAT WAVE

Saint-Médard-en-Jalles, to the west-northwest, is one of the evacuated towns and is home to a large factory that produces propellants for Ariane space rockets and France's strategic missiles.

A nearby plant in Sainte-Hélène also produces ammonium perchlorate, a key oxidizer used in solid rocket propellants.

According to Defense News, the fires are also threatening factories that make key parts for France's nuclear missiles, Rafale fighter jets and military missiles.

ArianeGroup evacuated employees from sites in the fire zone, while France's Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) closed its military research center in Le Barp as the wildfires first advanced toward Bordeaux.

Officials said there is no risk of radioactive leakage because the facility contains no nuclear materials, the outlet reported.

EUROPE'S FIRES REVEAL DEADLY MIX OF RECORD HEAT, HUMAN ERROR, ARSON AND LAND MISMANAGEMENT

French Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu said July 24 that protective measures had been deployed around the sites "given the nature of the products stored there," Le Monde said.

Meanwhile, France's Defense Ministry said 1,500 military personnel have been deployed since Friday to support firefighting operations and help secure strategic industrial sites.

So far, the fires have scorched more than 104,000 acres (42,000 hectares) in the Gironde region, making them among France's largest wildfires on record.

Authorities said about 240 homes have been destroyed, while nearly 4,000 holidaymakers have been evacuated from campsites, holiday villages and tourist resorts in Lacanau, about 35 miles west of Bordeaux.

As France and Spain battle one of Europe's worst wildfire seasons in decades, roughly 360,000 people have been forced to evacuate in recent days.

A shopping mall in southern Japan that had just reopened after years of reconstruction following a devastating 2016 earthquake was destroyed Tuesday after a powerful earthquake struck the region and was followed by a massive explosion, leaving dozens of workers unaccounted for.

The Aeon Mall in Kumamoto Prefecture celebrated its grand reopening on June 13 after years of rebuilding meant to mark the region's recovery from the 2016 disaster.

Just weeks later, a magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck near Kumamoto, according to FOX Weather, citing the U.S. Geological Survey. Japan's Meteorological Agency measured the same quake at magnitude 7.1 using its own seismic scale.

EARTHQUAKE SHAKES PERU'S ANDES REGION, KILLING AT LEAST 5, DISPLACING HUNDREDS

About 200 shoppers were safely evacuated after the earthquake, officials said. Roughly an hour later, a powerful explosion ripped through the building, blowing off exterior walls and exposing its steel framework. NHK reported that about 20 to 30 mall employees remained unaccounted for, while police said rescuers could not immediately enter because of the risk of aftershocks.

The mall had become one of the most visible symbols of Kumamoto's recovery after the magnitude 7.3 earthquake that devastated the region in April 2016. Aeon said the redevelopment included seismic reinforcements and other safety improvements designed to make the complex more resilient.

Witnesses reported smelling gas before the explosion, according to Reuters. An Aeon spokesperson said employees immediately helped evacuate visitors after the quake, while prefectural officials confirmed about 200 people were guided safely outside before the blast.

EXCLUSIVE: FRANKLIN GRAHAM VISITS EMERGENCY HOSPITAL TREATING VENEZUELA EARTHQUAKE VICTIMS

According to FOX Weather, the earthquake struck just before 4:30 p.m. local time about 9 miles north of Kumamoto at a depth of roughly 6 miles. Japan's Meteorological Agency briefly issued and later lifted a tsunami advisory for parts of Kyushu. NHK reported at least 50 people were injured, while Japan's Fire and Disaster Management Agency said the quake sparked at least eight fires. Kumamoto Airport also temporarily closed.

Reuters reported the mall welcomed more than 8 million visitors annually after Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. opened a factory nearby in 2024.

The complex housed about 200 stores, a movie theater and parking for roughly 5,000 vehicles. It also became known locally after a supermarket inside sold 10-yen onigiri to help survivors following the 2016 earthquake.

When the mall reopened in June, Aeon described the project as a "'re-start' initiative" marking both the shopping center's 21st anniversary and the region's recovery from the 2016 earthquake.

As night fell Tuesday, rescue operations remained on hold because of continuing aftershocks as families awaited word on the employees still believed to be inside.

A man has been arrested after one of the world's most famous Catholic pilgrimage sites was vandalized and partially set on fire, with a statue of the Virgin Mary defaced and the words "Devil in a skirt" scrawled across its pedestal in black, according to reports.

Bosnian police arrested a suspect Tuesday in connection with the overnight vandalism and arson at the Shrine of Our Lady in Medjugorje, according to Vatican News.

Authorities have not released the man's identity as investigators work to determine a motive and whether he was responsible for other incidents reported at the shrine that same night, the outlet said.

NIGERIAN PASTOR HIGHLIGHTED BY TRUMP SAYS HE’S NEXT AFTER MILITIA KILLS HIS RELATIVES

Police were called around 4:30 a.m. on July 27 after the face and hands of the statue of the Virgin Mary on Apparition Hill, also known as Podbrdo, were found covered in black paint.

The pedestal at the foot of the statue was spray-painted with the English phrase "Devil in a skirt," while other graffiti and the statue's hands were painted black.

An outdoor altar nearby was also set on fire near St. James Church, the outlet said.

Surveillance footage reportedly at that location showed a man pouring what investigators believe was gasoline onto the altar before setting it ablaze. The fire was extinguished.

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The two attacks came just days before Medjugorje's annual youth prayer festival, which is expected to draw more than 50,000 pilgrims from around the world.

In a statement Tuesday, the Medjugorje Parish Office condemned the vandalism and urged Catholics to respond with "prayer, fasting, and forgiveness" rather than anger.

"It is with great sadness that we received the news of the act of vandalism," the parish said.

Church officials also said cleanup and repairs began immediately so the damaged prayer sites could once again welcome pilgrims.

"The affected areas are being cleaned and restored as quickly as possible," the parish said, thanking volunteers for helping preserve the shrine as "a place of encounter with God, a place of peace."

CATHOLIC NUNS SUE NEW YORK, SAY ASSISTED SUICIDE LAW FORCES THEM TO VIOLATE THEIR FAITH

Rather than calling for retribution, the parish urged the faithful to pray for those responsible.

"We pray for the conversion of the hearts of those who committed this act," the statement said, asking that God "touch them with His grace and lead them on the path of goodness."

The parish also appealed for peace, encouraging Catholics "not to return evil for evil," but instead to bear witness through "love, forgiveness and hope."

Despite the attack, officials said the shrine remains open, and its regular schedule of Mass and prayer services will continue as planned.

Located about 85 miles southwest of Sarajevo, Medjugorje became one of the world's best-known Catholic pilgrimage destinations after six children and teenagers reported seeing apparitions of the Virgin Mary there in 1981.

The Vatican gave the green light for Catholics to continue flocking to Medjugorje offering its approval for devotion at one of the most contested sites of Roman Catholic practice in recent years, The Associated Press reported Tuesday.

Burma's government approved the death penalty as punishment for internet scammers just months after the FBI announced a sweeping $8 billion crackdown on scam networks coming from the country, according to the country's state-backed media.

The Anti-Online Scam Law passed the country's parliament on Tuesday, green lighting the death penalty for anyone who participates in a scam in which they "commit violence, torture, unlawfully arrest or detain, or treat any person in a cruel manner," according to The Global New Light of Myanmar, a media outlet jointly operated by a private company and the country's Ministry of the Interior.

Burma, also known as Myanmar, has become ground zero for digital scams, with criminals often recruiting migrants from other Asian countries with promises of legitimate work only to imprison them and force them to conduct the scams.

In May, the FBI announced a massive crackdown on a criminal network in Burma known as the "Democratic Karen Benevolent Army." The operation resulted in the seizure of 127,000 Bitcoin, worth over $8 billion as of July.

FBI BRINGS ALLEGED CHINA-LINKED HACKER TO US IN RARE EXTRADITION AS PATEL DEFENDS ITALY TRIP

The scammers, who allegedly have ties to Chinese organized crime, had been specifically targeting Americans in their operations, extracting over $3 million from one elderly American, the FBI previously told Fox News Digital.

In 2025, Chinese, Thai and Burmese authorities liberated more than 7,000 people from locked compounds in Burma.

NEW GERMANY SEX-CRIME FIGURES REIGNITE MIGRATION FIGHT AS EXPLOITATION PROBE EXPANDS

While the new Anti-Online Scam Law only mandates the death penalty for offenses that lead to another person's death, the law mandates 10 years in prison for any instance of forced labor in relation to cybercrime.

The law's approval also comes two days before the United Nations International Organization for Migration's World Day Against Trafficking in Persons. This year the international body will commemorate the day on July 30 under the theme "Trapped Behind the Scam."

"People trapped in scam compounds are victims of trafficking, forced to commit crimes through violence, threats and coercion. They deserve protection, not punishment," IOM Director General Amy Pope said in a statement. "We must work together to support survivors, stop traffickers and close the gaps these criminal networks exploit. No country can tackle this alone."

The United Nations estimates that South Pacific scams resulted in the loss of over $114 billion in 2025.

A leading Iran expert has called on the British government to shut down an Islamic center that he claimed has been functioning as an office of the regime’s supreme leader amid a shocking report that Iran’s regime smuggled operatives into the United Kingdom.

The Islamic Center of England recently came into the spotlight following revelations that the U.K. government has allegedly allowed the center to sponsor visas for imams. The report comes at a time when Iran has said Britain is a legitimate target if it allows the U.S. to use its bases to fly missions against Tehran.

The reported green light to imams to secure visas as "skilled workers" for the Islamic Center raises profound questions about dangerous gaps in Britain’s national security and immigration policies, according to lawmakers and Mideast experts.

UK PINS STRING OF ANTISEMITIC ATTACKS ON IRAN-LINKED GROUP, BANS IRGC

Kasra Aarabi, director of IRGC [Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps] Research at United Against Nuclear Iran told Fox News Digital, "In light of the IRGC’s threat to attack Britain and reports that it has been exploiting the illegal migrant crisis to send ‘Islamic revolutionary agents’ to the country, the U.K. government simply must not tolerate the existence of this Islamist extremist infrastructure on British soil."

Aarabi added, "The Islamic Centre of England — a U.K.-registered charity and mosque — has long been operating as the office of the Iranian regime’s supreme leader in the U.K. Its Imam is the personally appointed U.K. representative of the regime’s supreme leader. The very fact that the supreme leader of the Iranian regime, who is ordering terror plots on British soil, has an office and appointed representative in the U.K. is completely unacceptable. In light of the IRGC’s latest threats against Britain, the center should be immediately shut down and all of its non-British staff deported."

The revelation about the Islamic Center of England comes amid a report in the U.K.'s Daily Telegraph that Tehran officials claimed the IRGC controls some illegal human trafficking routes between the Middle East and the English Channel.

An Iranian official told The Telegraph, "Of course, don’t forget that our armed forces have influence and run the [smuggling] routes in some cases if they want." The official warned, "At the moment we have people right there in London, revolutionary people who care about the world and the lives of children – they wait for us to tell them what to do. We have not done that yet, but we can easily make London unsafe for you if we want to."

The official added, "These smuggling routes are more important and useful than the missiles for us – we do not need a missile to target London, it’s easier than that."

WHO IS AHMAD VAHIDI? IRAN’S NEW IRGC CHIEF TIED TO GLOBAL ATTACKS AND ‘DEATH TO AMERICA’ IDEOLOGY

Fox News Digital previously reported in February that the Islamic Center of England was accused of selling merchandise supporting the U.S.-designated terrorist movement, Hezbollah and the IRGC — also a U.S.-classified terrorist entity.

The Islamic Center allegedly had stickers of late Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps global terrorist Qassem Soleimani, who was responsible for the murders of over 600 U.S. military personnel, according to the Trump administration. President Donald Trump ordered a drone strike in January 2020 that killed Soleimani in Iraq.

A spokesperson for the United Kingdom’s Home Office — a mix of the Department of Homeland Security and DOJ — told Fox News Digital, "The Islamic Center of England has not sponsored any workers since 2022 under the previous government, and the Charity Commission is currently investigating this organization."

The Home Office spokesperson continued, "We treat the threat posed by the Iranian regime and those who do its bidding with the utmost seriousness. That’s why we have fast-tracked a change in the law to outlaw support for the IRGC, equipping the police and intelligence service with more powers to disrupt those working on their behalf, and making it easier to prosecute them. If wrongdoing is uncovered, those responsible will face the full force of the law, with the possibility of lengthy prison sentences, loss of licenses, and further civil action."

Iran and its chief strategic ally, Hezbollah, have been blamed for bombing the U.S. Embassy in Beirut in 1983 in which 63 people, including 17 Americans, were murdered, and dual suicide truck bombers blew up the barracks of American and French members of a multinational force in Lebanon in 1983, in which 220 U.S. Marines, 18 U.S. Navy sailors and 3 U.S. Army soldiers lost their lives. Fifty-eight French troops were also murdered in the terrorist attack.

Critics have long urged the British government to pull the plug on the Islamic Center’s operation as pressure mounts on the new prime minister, Andy Burnham, to act against Iranian regime apparatus in the country.

Aarabi said, "Burnham’s government should use all available tools — including the new designation of the IRGC under the National Security (State Threats) Act — to dismantle this Islamist extremist apparatus across Britain that is linked to the IRGC. To put it more clearly: all the charities, mosques and centers that have carried out IRGC-linked activity should be dismantled, and their non-British staff deported immediately. No ifs or buts."

He added "The Imam of the center, who is the representative of the ayatollah in the U.K., has continuously expressed extremist views that are sympathetic to the IRGC. In spite of this, not only does he continue to reside in the U.K. but he is listed as the trustee of several charities in Britain. This individual does not hold a diplomatic passport, meaning his visa could be immediately revoked."

US-SANCTIONED MOJTABA KHAMENEI NAMED IRAN’S NEXT SUPREME LEADER AFTER FATHER’S DEATH: REPORTS

Aarabi argued that the "IRGC has built an entire ‘soft power’ infrastructure across Britain under the guise of charities, mosques and colleges. The IRGC’s goal has been to use this infrastructure to nurture home-grown Islamist radicalization, terrorism and acts of violence. In doing so, it has successfully cultivated, within segments of the British Muslim community, what can only be described as an Islamist constituency that is loyal to it and its violent extremist ideology. These tactics mimic ISIS and al Qaeda — yet there has been no attempt to counter it by the British government."

Iranian agents have attacked Iranian dissidents over the years in Britain. Two Romanian nationals, who prosecutors said had been acting ​for Iran, were jailed this month for stabbing a journalist working for an independent Iranian news outlet, Iran International, in London.

Tehran has always denied involvement in such attacks, calling allegations ​to the contrary unfounded and politically motivated.

"If the IRGC seeks to attack Britain, it could activate this radicalized Islamist constituency for acts of home-grown violence and terror. This form of kind-actor terror, where a radicalized extremist carries out an attack because they’re ideologically inspired rather than paid or directed by Tehran, also provides the IRGC with sufficient plausible deniability to complicate attribution and reduce the likelihood of British retaliation," said Aarabi.

A spokesperson for the Islamic Center of England told Fox News Digital, "The Islamic Center of England is an independent registered charity, established and operating under the laws of England and Wales. It is governed by English charity law and regulated by the Charity Commission. It is not an official office or representative of any government, political entity, or individual."

The spokesperson for the center added, "Like many charities, faith organizations and other eligible institutions in the U.K., the Center holds a Home Office sponsor license, which allows it to sponsor skilled workers where it meets the requirements of the U.K.'s immigration system."

The spokesperson concluded, "Sponsor licenses are granted and overseen by the Home Office, and all licensed sponsors are required to comply with the same legal and regulatory obligations. The Center has consistently maintained that it is an independent U.K. charity and carries out its activities in accordance with U.K. law and its charitable objectives."

The British prime minister’s press office referred Fox News Digital to the Home Office for comments.

Reuters contributed to this report.

The United States dramatically walked out as France addressed the United Nations (U.N.) Security Council Monday, escalating an extraordinary clash between the longtime allies after Paris claimed America was no longer a "beacon of human rights."

The U.S. delegation left the chamber as French Ambassador Jérôme Bonnafont delivered remarks during a Security Council meeting on Ukraine, days after France’s U.N. mission in Geneva accused Washington of standing alongside North Korea, Nicaragua, Mali and Russia following a vote on the U.N.’s human rights chief.

Deputy U.S. Ambassador Dan Negrea accused France of "disingenuous grandstanding" and warned that American diplomats would continue walking out during French statements until Paris renounces what he called its "condescending and disrespectful rhetoric."

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION TOUTS MORE THAN $1B IN UN BUDGET CUTS AS REFORM PUSH GAINS MOMENTUM

"Today, I remind them that it is the United States that remains the beacon of liberty for the world," Negrea told the council. "As such, we will not be affording them the benefit of listening to their politicized drivel until they renounce their condescending and disrespectful rhetoric and behave in a manner commensurate with their seat on this council."

The clash matters because the United States and France are among the world’s oldest allies, dating back to French support for the American Revolution, and today remain NATO partners and permanent members of the U.N. Security Council. Their cooperation is central to Western policy on Ukraine, European security and sanctions enforcement.

A French diplomat told Fox News Digital that the dispute should not be interpreted as a broader rupture between the longtime allies. "Differences in how we assess a vote do not call into question the quality of our relations or our ability to work together," the diplomat said.

Israel’s U.N. Ambassador Danny Danon backed Washington’s response and sharply criticized France.

"I think the behavior of France is shameful," Danon told Fox News Digital Tuesday. "The U.S. is demonstrating moral clarity, standing for the real values of the U.N."

Danon accused France and other European countries of supporting voices within the United Nations that undermine rather than advance human rights. "It’s about time to reform the U.N., and I want to thank the U.S. for showing leadership on that issue," he said.

The confrontation marked a significant escalation from the unusually personal social media exchange that erupted after the General Assembly approved a second four-year term for U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk.

Türk, an Austrian diplomat who has served as U.N. high commissioner for human rights since 2022, has drawn criticism from the United States and outside watchdogs over what they describe as uneven scrutiny of democracies and authoritarian governments. A 2024 analysis by UN Watch found that, among public country criticisms initiated by Türk or his office, he criticized the United States more often than China, North Korea, Cuba, Saudi Arabia and Qatar combined, while issuing no such criticism of several repressive governments during the period reviewed.

Türk’s supporters, including France and the European Union, argue that his willingness to criticize powerful democracies reflects the independence and universality required of the U.N.’s top human rights official.

France’s Geneva mission had declared that the United States was no longer a human rights leader and claimed "the world no longer listens to it" after Washington joined nine other countries in voting against Türk’s extension.

IRAN SECURES UN ROLE WITH BACKING FROM UK, FRANCE, CANADA, AUSTRALIA AS US STANDS ALONE

U.S. Ambassador Mike Waltz responded by accusing France of backing an official who lectures democracies while "cozying up to the world’s worst oppressors."

Negrea went further Monday, invoking the history of the U.S.-French alliance and saying Washington had stood beside France whenever its freedom was threatened.

The United States had tolerated France’s "grandstanding" out of "a sense of camaraderie and mutual respect," he said, but would no longer remain silent in the face of what he described as feigned French "moral outrage."

Bonnafont did not directly address the walkout when he spoke again at the end of the meeting. Instead, he invoked the countries’ historic ties, noting that France helped the United States secure its independence and participated in celebrations marking America’s 250th anniversary. "This is the spirit of the relationship between France and the United States," he said, before reaffirming France’s commitment to the U.N.’s work on peace, development and human rights.

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"The United Nations was created with the goal of working towards international peace and security, human rights and development," Bonnafont said, adding that France would continue working to protect the institution’s independence and its ability to serve human rights and peace.

The dispute began after the General Assembly voted 144-10, with 13 abstentions, to extend Türk’s tenure through October 2030.

The United States had unsuccessfully sought an additional week for consultations, arguing that the vote was being rushed even though Türk’s current term does not expire until Oct. 11.

Washington also objected to Türk’s record. U.S. officials have accused him of disproportionately criticizing democracies, including the United States and Israel, while failing to confront authoritarian governments with the same urgency.

EXCLUSIVE: As Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meets President Donald Trump in Washington for talks expected to center on Iran and regional security, a new report is urging the administration to expand U.S.–Israel defense cooperation by making Israeli air-defense technology a central component of the Golden Dome, the planned layered missile shield intended to detect, track and intercept ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, hypersonic weapons and drones before they can strike the United States.

The report warns that the planned American missile shield could leave U.S. cities, military installations and critical infrastructure exposed to increasingly common drone and cruise-missile threats if Washington directs too much money toward costly space-based systems that could take years to become operational.

The Jewish Institute for National Security of America (JINSA) report, titled "The Missing Shield: Acquiring Israeli Air Defenses Makes Golden Dome Sustainable," argues that the initiative’s current funding priorities favor strategic and space-based capabilities that could take years to develop while giving insufficient attention to more frequent, lower-altitude threats such as drones, cruise missiles and shorter-range projectiles.

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Ari Cicurel, the report’s author, told Fox News Digital that long-range defenses remain necessary but should not come at the expense of systems capable of stopping threats that could reach the United States now.

"Right now, the current approach is spending the time and money primarily on space, long-range threats, which are absolutely needed," Cicurel said. "But the most frequent and immediate threats are actually short-range projectiles, particularly drones."

Cicurel pointed to recent drone activity over American cities, including Washington, D.C., as evidence that the danger is not confined to overseas battlefields.

"We’ve seen several drone overflights of cities, including in Washington, D.C., over the past few months," he said. "And that’s certainly the most frequent threat that the U.S. needs to be addressing."

The report estimates that the Israeli-designed launchers it examined are 58% to 88% less expensive, interceptors 19% to 97% less expensive and radars 32% to 87% less expensive than the U.S. systems used for comparison. JINSA argues those savings could allow the Pentagon to purchase more launchers, expand interceptor stockpiles and preserve funding for expensive strategic and space-based technologies.

The Pentagon told Fox News Digital that Golden Dome is being designed as a layered system capable of addressing a broad range of threats.

"Golden Dome for America continues to focus its efforts on protecting America and delivering on President Trump’s vision for homeland defense," a Pentagon official said.

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The official said the implementation plan remains "dynamic" and is intended to defend against "the full spectrum of evolving threats," including hypersonic and ballistic missiles, advanced cruise missiles and unmanned aerial systems.

The scale of the choices ahead was underscored by a May 12 Congressional Budget Office analysis. The Congressional Budget Office estimated that a notional national missile-defense system broadly consistent with Trump’s executive order could cost approximately $1.2 trillion over 20 years to develop, deploy and operate. 

The office stressed that the estimate was not a projection of the Pentagon’s actual Golden Dome plan because the department had not released sufficient details about its intended architecture.

The Congressional Budget Office modeled four interceptor layers, including a space-based layer, two wide-area surface layers and a regional surface-defense layer.

The JINSA report proposes making Israeli-designed defenses a central part of those lower layers. It recommends Iron Dome for short-range threats, David’s Sling for medium-range threats, Arrow for ballistic missiles and Iron Beam for lower-cost laser interception.

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Cicurel said the proposal should not be seen simply as buying foreign weapons because Washington helped finance their development and American companies already participate in their production.

"What we’re really talking about is finally leveraging American tax dollars that have gone to help produce, help develop these Israeli systems," he said.

One hundred and two companies across 34 states participate in producing Israeli air defense systems.

Asked specifically whether the Pentagon is evaluating Iron Dome, David’s Sling, Arrow or Iron Beam for purchase, integration or expanded co-production, the official declined to say.

"We have nothing new to announce at this time," the official said. "Due to operational security and the need to protect our competitive advantages, we will not provide further details."

The report also argues that recent fighting with Iran demonstrated how high interception rates can obscure vulnerabilities, including rapid depletion of interceptor inventories, strained production lines and attacks against radar systems anchoring defensive networks.

"Both the U.S. and the Israeli defense industrial bases were not well-equipped to handle the amount of production that either country needed," Cicurel said.

The report calls for dedicated Golden Dome funding for short- and medium-range defenses, expanded joint production, and the inclusion of Golden Dome cooperation in the next U.S.-Israel memorandum of understanding. It also recommends updating export-control and technology-sharing rules, while acknowledging challenges involving interoperability, classified data and intellectual property.

Trump has repeatedly described the Golden Dome as a defining homeland-defense project, saying it would create a shield capable of protecting the United States from advanced missile threats. Whether Israeli systems become part of that architecture remains unclear, but Netanyahu’s visit gives both governments an opportunity to push the issue higher on the bilateral defense agenda.

For nearly six years, American conservationist Morad Tahbaz lived in what he described as hell inside Iran’s prison system. The worst four months were spent completely alone in a small cell, beneath a bright light that never went dark.

Tahbaz was held in Ward 2A of Iran’s Evin Prison, which he described as a high-security detention facility controlled by the intelligence branch of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

He was allowed out only twice a day for about 10 minutes and was forced to wear a blindfold whenever he left, Tahbaz told Fox News Digital. His weekly call with his wife lasted only a few minutes and was monitored so closely that an official interrupted whenever he spoke in English.

"This is probably the harshest and toughest imprisonment that any prisoner will go through," Tahbaz, who was finally released in September 2023, told Fox News Digital of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps intelligence detention facility inside Iran's Evin Prison.

WHO IS AHMAD VAHIDI? IRAN’S NEW IRGC CHIEF TIED TO GLOBAL ATTACKS AND ‘DEATH TO AMERICA’ IDEOLOGY

Tahbaz was living and working in Iran as a conservationist when authorities arrested him alongside several colleagues in January 2018. He had co-founded the Persian Wildlife Heritage Foundation, which worked to protect endangered species including the Asiatic cheetah and Persian leopard.

One of the accusations leveled against him, Tahbaz said, was that he had trained lizards to spy on Iranian military installations for Israel.

"You can’t make this stuff up," Tahbaz said in the Zoom interview with Fox News Digital. "It just gives you an idea of the kind of narrative that this regime comes up with. They’ll come up with anything."

What began with interrogations in January 2018 turned into nearly six years of imprisonment for the Iranian American conservationist.

Now free and back in his home in the U.S., Tahbaz fears the war between the United States and Iran could make the Americans still held by Iran both more vulnerable and more valuable as negotiating assets.

"I do think the strikes in Iran will have an impact on the hostages’ situation and their circumstances," he said.

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Tahbaz said he spent his first two years inside the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps intelligence facility at Evin.

After his conviction, Tahbaz was transferred into the general prison population. He said his cellmates ranged from suspected ISIS members to former Iranian government ministers.

The isolation and physical conditions were accompanied by constant uncertainty.

"The uncertainty when you are a hostage is not like you think at the end of your sentence they’ll necessarily let you go," Tahbaz said. "They’ll just come up with another charge to keep you there for as long as you’re of value to them."

Tahbaz was released Sept. 18, 2023, with four other Americans in a Qatar-mediated agreement between Washington and Iran. The exchange also involved five Iranians held by the United States and the transfer of $6 billion in previously frozen Iranian funds into a restricted account for humanitarian transactions.

The negotiation brought Tahbaz home, but he believes Western governments have failed to establish consequences strong enough to stop Iran from detaining more foreign and dual nationals.

"This business of hostage-taking has been going on essentially since the beginning of the revolution," he said.

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"It will continue, in my opinion, as long as there is no deterrence," Tahbaz added. "None of the Western governments, in reality, have done anything significant about stopping this practice."

The issue returned to the forefront in July with the release of Dena Karari, a 53-year-old Iranian American from California.

Karari had been unable to leave Iran since December 2024 after authorities confiscated her passports. Her attorney said she faced allegations of espionage and collaboration with a hostile state. President Donald Trump announced in July that she had been allowed to leave and called the decision a "gesture of goodwill."

Karari was not continuously imprisoned, according to reporting about her case, but she remained under an exit ban and was repeatedly interrogated.

Her release offered relief during a widening conflict, but Tahbaz said dual nationals remain particularly vulnerable because Iran does not recognize their foreign citizenship.

"Iran doesn’t recognize any other nationality other than the Iranian," he said.

Authorities can develop a national-security case, secure a sentence and then preserve the prisoner for use in future negotiations, Tahbaz said.

"You’re condemned and they pass sentence and you’re in the system, and now you are a bargaining chip," he said.

The precise number of Americans currently imprisoned or prevented from leaving Iran remains unclear.

Reuters reported in March that at least six U.S. citizens or permanent residents were detained in Iran, including journalist Reza Valizadeh, businessman Kamran Hekmati and U.S. permanent resident Shahab Dalili.

Valizadeh, a former Radio Farda journalist, was sentenced to 10 years for allegedly collaborating with a hostile government. Hekmati was sentenced to two years for having visited Israel more than a decade earlier, according to his family. Dalili, who was arrested after traveling to Iran for his father’s funeral, was sentenced to 10 years for allegedly cooperating with a hostile government.

Advocates warned that escalating strikes could increase the risk that detainees would be harmed or used as leverage.

The State Department formally designated Hekmati, who has bladder cancer, as wrongfully detained in March.

Tahbaz said he believes three Americans remain in custody, although that number could not be independently confirmed. Some cases are deliberately kept private because families fear publicity could increase the danger to detainees.

His concerns about the current war are rooted in how Iranian interrogators responded to tensions with Washington during his own imprisonment.

"When I was taken in in January of 2018, and it was right at the beginning of the first Trump administration, the amount of frustration and anger at the rollback of the JCPOA at that time, I mean, it was thrown into my face just about every day of my interrogation in some way, shape or form," Tahbaz said, referring to a 2015 nuclear deal, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. 

The United States formally withdrew from the 2015 nuclear agreement, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, in May 2018, several months after Tahbaz’s arrest.

Tahbaz believes the current conflict could similarly be transferred onto prisoners who have no control over decisions made in Washington.

"It definitely will worsen the case of prisoners in custody and those who may be just under surveillance or potential hostages," he said.

US ‘LOCKED AND LOADED’ FOR ‘MUCH HIGHER’ STRIKES IF IRAN TALKS FAIL AS TRUMP PAUSES HORMUZ OPS

He described prisoners as one more source of leverage in Iran’s broader confrontation with the United States.

"You’re seeing that playing out even with the war, this tit for tat, you do this, we’ll do that," he said.

"The hostages are, you know, just a commodity from Iran’s perspective, to be used at the right time."

Tahbaz’s experience with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps also shapes his analysis of the struggle unfolding inside Iran.

He stressed that he is not a political analyst and described his conclusions as personal assessments based on his experience and conversations with contacts familiar with the country.

Tahbaz said he believes competing interests within the Revolutionary Guard are fighting to preserve their political and economic power.

He pointed specifically to Khatam al-Anbiya, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' engineering and construction conglomerate. Tahbaz argued that sanctions have benefited powerful IRGC-linked entities by forcing oil sales, imports and money transfers into opaque black and gray markets.

"They have created a huge franchise for themselves because of these sanctions," he said.

"They don’t want to see the sanctions go away, because they will lose their franchise, if you will. They will lose their power, their control over the money and everything that goes along with it."

He said ordinary Iranians have suffered most from the resulting economic isolation and wartime conditions.

"The people who are hurt most by all of this are the people of Iran," Tahbaz said. "They’re unfortunately taking the brunt of all of these in their daily lives."

Tahbaz predicted Iranians would eventually return to the streets, but said many had lost confidence that Western governments would intervene to help remove the regime.

"I’m sure they’ll be back on the streets," he said. "But I think this notion that the Western states are going to step in and help them overthrow this regime, that went out the window."

Tahbaz said many Iranians had previously been strongly sympathetic toward the United States and initially hoped the conflict might end the Islamic Republic. That characterization reflects his assessment and conversations and could not be independently quantified.

He believes any future political movement will have to develop primarily inside Iran rather than being directed by opposition groups abroad.

"There’s a lot of hatred and anger just boiling there," Tahbaz said. "So it will boil up and over again without a doubt. The question is when, how, but it will happen again."

Tahbaz is recounting his imprisonment in his new book, "Green Parrots: A Memoir of Survival in Iran’s Evin Prison," scheduled for publication Sept. 29. The publisher says the book describes how he relied on skills developed while tracking endangered wildlife to survive nearly six years in Evin, including solitary confinement.

His release illustrates the contradiction confronting governments trying to recover their citizens: negotiations can bring individual prisoners home, but Tahbaz believes the broader practice will continue unless Iran faces meaningful deterrence for taking them.

He survived because governments ultimately negotiated for his freedom.

His warning is that as the war intensifies, the Americans still held in Iran could become more valuable to Tehran at precisely the moment their circumstances become more dangerous.

A gunman fired at the U.S. Consulate in Toronto on Monday, marking the second time this year someone shot at the building, according to authorities.

A single shell casing was found at the scene, and there was damage to the building's facade.

No injuries were reported in the incident.

"The U.S. Embassy and Consulates in Canada are open and operating normally, though some routine U.S. citizen services in Toronto are being rescheduled," the consulate said in a statement.

GUNFIRE SHATTERS TORONTO LATIN STREET FESTIVAL, LEAVING AT LEAST 2 DEAD AND MULTIPLE WOUNDED

Toronto Deputy Police Chief Frank Barredo said there was a high-speed chase after the shooting that lasted an hour. However, no arrest was made and Barredo committed to continuing the search for those involved.

"We will approach this investigation with great seriousness," Barredo said at a news conference. "We will bring the people responsible for this to justice."

Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow described the shooting as a "brazen attack."

"I want to say to the person or persons responsible, we will get you," she said.

This was the second shooting targeting the U.S. Consulate this year, with the first coming on March 10, when two suspects allegedly fired multiple shots at the building before driving away in a stolen vehicle.

Sheldon Tracy-Stewart, 18, and Zara Jabbi, 19, were arrested last month and charged with multiple offenses in connection with the March shooting. The allegations have not been tested in court.

A police presence has been seen at the consulate since the first shooting.

Barredo said a patrol vehicle was outside the consulate with its lights on when the shooting happened. Two security personnel were also in the building.

Last month, police said they believed multiple shootings, including the one in March, could be tied to "multilayered" gun-for-hire networks that have also targeted Toronto synagogues.

Two popular Jewish-owned bakeries were targeted by gunfire over the weekend.

US CONSULATE IN TORONTO STRUCK BY GUNFIRE, POLICE SAY; NO INJURIES REPORTED

Barredo said police had not ruled out a connection between Monday's consulate shooting and the attacks on the bakeries. The motive for the consulate shooting remains under investigation.

"Investigators will follow the evidence to where it leads," he said.

Doug Ford, the premier of Ontario, said he was "disgusted" by the recent violence in Toronto.

"I’m totally disgusted by the shootings and vandalism that took place in Toronto over the last few days, including at two Jewish-owned businesses over the weekend and near the U.S. Consulate this morning," he said on X. "In all cases, active police investigations are underway. I expect all those responsible to be found, prosecuted and punished to the fullest extent of the law."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

A series of violent attacks on Egyptian Christians, including the incarceration of a man who converted from Islam to Christianity, prompted the U.S. State Department to urge that religious freedom be respected in the Muslim-majority country of Egypt.

The situation of the Christian minority in Egypt has implications for religious freedom in the northern African nation that receives $1.3 billion in annual funding from the U.S.

Raymond Ibrahim, an expert on Christians in the Muslim world, wrote on the website of the Gatestone Institute, that "Said Mansour Rezk Abdelrazek, a Muslim convert to Christianity, has become one of Egypt's most prominent religious freedom cases.

NIGERIAN PASTOR HIGHLIGHTED BY TRUMP SAYS HE’S NEXT AFTER MILITIA KILLS HIS RELATIVES

"After embracing Christianity in 2016, he endured years of harassment, detention, and abuse. On April 13, prosecutors referred him to a terrorism court, while his lawyers were denied access to the case file. He remains imprisoned, with advocates reporting torture, physical abuse, denial of adequate medical care, and repeated postponements of his trial."

In another case, the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR) reported that a mob of Muslims tossed stones at a church in Upper Egypt on July 8, injuring Christians and causing damage to the building and a priest’s car.

Just days later, a group of men attacked Father Matta Roushdy, 49, a priest at the Virgin Mary and Saint Abanoub Coptic Orthodox Church in Dahab, South Sinai Governorate.

REPORT DETAILS RISING PRESSURE ON UNDERGROUND CATHOLICS AS CHINA DENIES CRACKDOWN

A State Department spokesperson told Fox News Digital that President Trump has stated that "America will always defend the right of every person to live out their faith openly, freely, and without fear." The spokesperson added that "Religious freedom is a fundamental American value. We aspire for all others to enjoy the same freedom, protection, and benefits."

However, there has been some progress in combating bias against Coptic Christians. The organization Coptic Solidarity wrote last week that a breakthrough unfolded with respect to the alleged longstanding discrimination against Coptic athletes in soccer.

"In an unprecedented move, Egypt’s Ministry of Youth and Sports announced that its investigation found sufficient evidence of misconduct by a coach at Alexandria’s Al-Ittihad Club who allegedly excluded a junior football player, Makari Younan, because of his Christian name," the organization announced.

It added that, "The decision deserves recognition. Whether motivated by public pressure or a genuine policy shift, the Ministry’s response represents a notable departure from the longstanding official tendency to dismiss such allegations."

CHRISTIAN SCHOOL CHAPLAIN WINS SETTLEMENT AFTER FIRING OVER LGBTQ SERMON

The organization continued, "It appears to be the first official acknowledgment that discrimination against Copts in Egyptian sport is not merely an allegation raised by disappointed families or human rights organizations, but a matter requiring government intervention."

Open Doors, a global organization that aids persecuted Christians around the world, said of the attack on the priest that, "These types of attacks are usually committed by members of radical Islamist groups such as the Muslim Brotherhood."

Their statement added, "Their actions reflect a broader anti-Christian sentiment, especially in rural and village societies across the country where weak law enforcement leaves Christians vulnerable to attack. Though violent cases like this have decreased in the last decade, these attacks will continue until the state takes anti-Christian fanaticism as seriously as it deserves."

Fox News Digital sent multiple press query emails to the Egyptian embassies in Washington and Tel Aviv and called the embassy in Washington.

Dalia Ziade, an Egyptian Middle East Scholar and Research Fellow at The Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy, told Fox News Digital that "These cases represent only a small fraction of what Coptic Christians endure in Egypt every day. We are speaking about a population of more than 20 million Egyptians. On paper, they are labeled a minority. In reality, they are at the essence of Egyptian identity. They are the preservers of the country’s history and cultural memory."

According to Ziade, "Women and Coptic Christians constitute President El-Sisi’s most important political base. These were the two vulnerable groups that felt most threatened by the Muslim Brotherhood in the aftermath of the Arab Spring. They strongly supported El-Sisi then, and they continue to support him today. Consequently, he must maintain the appearance of protecting and pleasing them by visiting their church on Christmas every year. But beyond that, nothing is actually happening to make them less vulnerable."

The U.S. State Department 2025 report on Christians depicts a bleak situation for the Egyptian Christian community. The community makes up an estimated 10% of the nation’s 120 million people.

According to the State Department report on Egyptian Christians, "Despite efforts for greater representation, Christians remain underrepresented in senior positions across the public sector. Currently, only two Christians – the minister of local development and the minister of parliamentary affairs – serve in Egypt’s 31-member cabinet," wrote the State Department, adding: "Of 27 appointed governors, only one is Christian. In the senate, 24 Christians (17 elected and seven appointed) hold seats, out of 300 senators. One serves as deputy speaker. A Coptic Christian is the head of the constitutional court. No Christian serves as president of any of the country’s 27 public universities. Employment discrimination against Christians – especially within the security services, judiciary, and senior civil service – remains a significant issue."

According to an April 29 Christian Today report, a Coptic Christian YouTuber, Augustinos Samaan, was sentenced to five years in prison for insulting Islam because he published videos defending the Christian faith.

In the wake of the recent violent attack in Berlin near a pride festival, German officials are left to contend with the questions surrounding why suspect Abdul Ballout was free to perpetrate the assault despite his recent conviction related to supporting ISIS.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Monday wished to know how the violent assault could have been prevented.

"We must do everything to protect people in Germany as best possible from such criminals, from dangerous people who for whatever reason can’t be taken into custody," Merz said, according to The Associated Press.

German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt told public broadcaster ZDF during an interview that in light of the 21-year-old suspect's conviction and record of backing the Islamic State, it did not make sense that the man was roaming free.

"You can assume that it certainly would have made sense to put this person in custody," he noted, according to the report.

BERLIN PRIDE ATTACK SUSPECT KILLED IN POLICE CONFRONTATION: AP

Berlin Mayor Kai Wegner told regional broadcaster RBB in an interview that while he did not wish to question the independence of the court system, when it comes to the matter of this attack, "words fail me."

The suspect in the recent Berlin attack went to Lebanon last year with the goal of traveling to Syria to join ISIS, according to an English translation of a joint release from the Berlin Public Prosecutor's Office and the Berlin Court of Appeal, which noted that the man "was born and raised in Berlin and is a German citizen."

The attack on Saturday night left one dead and 29 injured, according to the AP, which reported that 21-year-old Abdul Ballout is suspected of plowing a van into people near a pride festival prior to apparently slashing people with a machete in what authorities think was a terror attack.

The suspect was killed by authorities on Sunday.

"According to current information, the 21-year-old allegedly attacked the special forces officers with a bladed weapon, whereupon they used their firearms," an English translation of a July 26 joint press release from the Berlin Police and public prosecutor's office noted. "The man suffered fatal injuries and died at the scene. The investigation is ongoing."

ISIS POISED TO EXPLOIT HISTORIC US IRAQ EXIT, TERROR GROUP 'ACTIVELY WAITING IN THE GAPS,' EXPERT WARNS

Earlier this year, a Berlin juvenile court convicted Ballout of preparing a serious act of violence endangering the state, and publishing propaganda supporting ISIS.

A news release from the Berlin Public Prosecutor's Office and Berlin Court of Appeal said the court sentenced Ballout to one year and 10 months in youth custody before prosecutors appealed.

Officials have stated that the man was granted a suspended sentence, but the news release states: "The decision regarding the suspension of this sentence on probation was deferred for six months pursuant to Section 57 in conjunction with Section 61 Paragraph 1 of the Juvenile Courts Act. The court also imposed various conditions on Abdul B., including placing him under the supervision of a probation officer. The court lifted the existing arrest warrant, as pretrial detention primarily serves to secure the criminal proceedings and does not constitute a prejudicial punishment."

FBI ARRESTS 3 MEN WHO ALLEGEDLY PLEDGED ALLEGIANCE TO ISIS, FUNDED DRONE ATTACKS TARGETING US TROOPS OVERSEAS

The news release noted that the case was not over, given that the appeals process had yet to play out.

"This conviction is not yet legally binding, as the Berlin Public Prosecutor's Office has filed an appeal. The Public Prosecutor's Office had requested a longer, non-probationary sentence for a juvenile and the continuation of the arrest warrant," the release noted.

The suspect subdued after allegedly stabbing three women in Paris on Monday uttered, "it is Allah who commanded me" to a crowd that appeared to be holding him down after the apparent terror attack.

The incident comes just days after another stabbing attack in England and a vehicular attack on a Pride parade in Berlin, Germany.

A 31-year-old man, whose name was not immediately released, was seen on the ground after allegedly stabbing three women, one of whom was reportedly pregnant.

WITNESSES RECOUNT 'SCARY' NYC STABBING AFTER SUSPECT ALLEGEDLY YELLED 'ALLAHU AKBAR' DURING ATTACKS

French outlet "Le Figaro" reported his utterances translated to "it is Allah who commanded me" as police sources told the outlet the suspect has an "unbalanced" profile.

While many observers, including on X, immediately pointed to Islamic terrorism, French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said he wanted to be "very careful about the motive for this violent act," pointing to the suspect’s "incoherent remarks."

Another translation of the exchange quotes one man as responding, "there is no Allah, bro," after the suspect allegedly attributed the stabbing to Allah, while another person says the crowd must "stampede this son of a b----."

AMERICAN TOURISTS STABBED OUTSIDE ATHENS' ACROPOLIS AS POLICE DETAIN SUSPECT IN APPARENT RANDOM ATTACK

"No, seriously, he’s crazy," a third person is quoted as saying in French.

"He stabbed my girl here," a woman says in French.

The suspect reportedly attacked women at the Two Domes brewery in the Porte de Clichy section of the French capital.

AT LEAST 1 DEAD, SEVERAL INJURED AFTER VAN RAMS INTO CROWD AT PRIDE FESTIVAL; SUSPECT 'KNOWN TO POLICE'

Two victims were listed in "absolute emergency" condition, while the third was listed in "relative emergency" condition, according to local press.

Reuters reported it had verified imagery of the suspect stabbing one woman while holding a knife in each hand.

The Paris-area attack comes two days after six men were arrested for "suspicion of murder" in connection with the stabbing of a 22-year-old man in Clapham, southwest London, United Kingdom, last week.

Metropolitan Police told the BBC the victim died after being stabbed at around 4:30 a.m. local time Saturday near Clapham High Street.

In Berlin, one person was pronounced dead and 29 were wounded after a suspect — later killed by German police — allegedly drove a vehicle into the public gathering.

The suspect in that case, Abdul Ballout, had German citizenship but "Lebanese roots," according to the Associated Press.

The outlet reported German officials are considering whether it was an act of Islamic extremism.

The cascade of violent incidents comes months after the White House released a National Security Strategy warning of "civilizational erasure" in Europe due to mass migration and demographic shifts, while highlighting a spate of terror attacks carried out by migrants.

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

The immigration status of the suspects in the three most recent attacks was not immediately confirmed.

Fox News Digital’s Michael Dorgan and the Associated Press contributed to this report.

France’s mission to the United Nations in Geneva launched a verbal attack against the U.S. following a contentious vote to give U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk another four-year term, accusing Washington of abandoning its role as a global human rights leader.

"The US used to be a beacon of human rights. Not anymore," the official French mission account posted on X Saturday. "Today, it stands alongside North Korea, Nicaragua, Mali & Russia, isolated. And the world no longer listens to it."

The mission added the hashtag "#AmericaAlone."

IRAN SECURES UN ROLE WITH BACKING FROM UK, FRANCE, CANADA, AUSTRALIA AS US STANDS ALONE

U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Mike Waltz fired back, accusing France of using the attack to distract from its support for Türk.

"It is disappointing — though not surprising — that this is how France deflects on its shameful vote to coddle some of the worst human rights abusers," Waltz wrote on X. "France voted for someone who has been lecturing free, sovereign democracies like the United States, the UK, and Israel, while cozying up to the world’s worst oppressors."

During the vote by Ambassador Jeff Bartos, the U.S. representative for U.N. management and reform, declared that the U.N. human rights system "has been losing credibility for decades."

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION TOUTS MORE THAN $1B IN UN BUDGET CUTS AS REFORM PUSH GAINS MOMENTUM

"Mr. Türk has guided it to its deathbed," Bartos said. "And if you vote to reappoint

Volker Türk for a four-year term, it will kick the bucket."

Bartos accused Türk of disproportionately condemning democracies while failing to respond adequately to abuses committed by authoritarian governments.

He said Türk had criticized the United States, Britain, France, Australia, Italy and, more than any other country, Israel. Bartos also accused Türk of remaining silent for 12 days after the Iranian government allegedly began a new wave of violence against its citizens, while quickly condemning U.S. military action against Iran.

Bartos further criticized Türk’s office for calling on Washington to lift sanctions on Cuba, maintaining what he called a discriminatory database targeting American companies and enabling the U.N.’s "anti-Israel machinery."

ISRAEL ACCUSES UN OF PLACING IT ON SAME SEXUAL VIOLENCE BLACKLIST AS HAMAS TERRORISTS, SEVERS TIES

France’s U.N. Ambassador Jérôme Bonnafont offered a sharply different assessment during the General Assembly debate, saying Türk had demonstrated "rigor and impartiality" during a first term marked by growing attacks on multilateral institutions and the universality of human rights.

"He has been a voice of conscience, confronting states with reality and their responsibilities," Bonnafont said.

An official familiar with the U.S. position told Fox News Digital on background that American officials were surprised by France’s "brazen" public attack and rejected the suggestion that opposing one U.N. official’s reappointment amounted to opposing human rights.

The official said Washington and other delegations were also caught off guard by the expedited vote because Türk’s current term does not expire until Oct. 11.

The United States sought to postpone consideration for one week to allow additional consultations, but member states rejected the request. The General Assembly then approved Türk’s reappointment by a vote of 144-10, with 13 abstentions, extending his tenure from Oct. 12, 2026, through Oct. 11, 2030.

The assembly also rejected a Russian proposal to extend Türk’s term only through the end of 2026, which would have allowed the next U.N. secretary-general to participate in selecting the human rights chief.

WORLD COURT PROSECUTOR WHO WENT AFTER NETANYAHU FOR WAR CRIMES SUSPENDED OVER SEXUAL MISCONDUCT

France’s post grouped Washington with authoritarian governments that also opposed Türk, but did not address whether those countries voted against his reappointment for the same reasons. The U.S. said its opposition reflected both concerns about Türk’s record and objections to the accelerated process.

UN Watch, a Geneva-based watchdog, published a 2024 analysis of public statements initiated by Türk or his office between Oct. 17, 2022, and Oct. 31, 2024.

The organization concluded that Türk criticized the United States more frequently than China, North Korea, Cuba, Saudi Arabia and Qatar combined. It also said it found no self-initiated criticism during that period concerning abuses by Cuba, North Korea, Algeria, Eritrea, Mauritania, Lebanon or Qatar.

UN Watch’s methodology excluded statements required by the Human Rights Council, comments in mandated reports, broad updates to the council and other remarks that were not initiated at Türk’s discretion. Its findings therefore do not encompass every country reference, report or action by Türk’s office.

UN Watch Executive Director Hillel Neuer called the renewal "rushed and unprecedented" and said it was "unseemly" for French President Emmanuel Macron’s government to attack the United States while celebrating Türk’s reappointment.

Nile Gardiner, director of the Margaret Thatcher Center for Freedom at the Heritage Foundation, responded more bluntly.

"Perhaps show some gratitude instead?" Gardiner wrote on X. "The French owe their very existence as a sovereign nation to The United States."

Türk’s supporters argue that his willingness to criticize powerful democracies is part of his responsibility to apply human rights standards universally. France and the European Union maintained that he had performed his duties objectively and that Secretary-General António Guterres acted within the rules allowing a high commissioner to serve a second four-year term.

Türk is set to become the first U.N. human rights chief to serve two complete four-year terms since the position was established in 1993.

An old hand very familiar to Israel has emerged as the new political leader of Hamas following a secret insider election that took months to unfold, and one regional expert said the development signals the terrorist group will not be charting a new course.

Khalil al-Hayya, who has been a key negotiator for Hamas and who has survived multiple alleged assassination attempts, will now lead the group's political bureau. But Middle East Institute Senior Fellow Jaser AbuMousa told Fox News Digital his election is not exactly a passing of the torch.

"Expect more of the same, deliberately," AbuMousa said. "Al-Hayya is Hamas's chief negotiator and its ultimate institutional survivor, so you'll see continued engagement at the negotiating table, ceasefire talks, prisoner exchanges, but do not mistake that for moderation."

HAMAS SAYS IT WILL DISSOLVE GAZA GOVERNMENT, BUT ISRAEL WARNS GROUP STILL SEEKS HEZBOLLAH-STYLE CONTROL

"Al-Hayya's victory is best understood as an act of institutional self-preservation: a battered organization reaching for the most familiar hand available," AbuMousa warned. "He is an experienced operator, and his elevation signals that Hamas, after the destruction of Gaza and the losses since Oct. 7, 2023, has prioritized organizational cohesion, armed continuity, and the preservation of its Iranian relationship over a genuine political reassessment."

Several members of al-Hayya's family, including four sons and other relatives, have also been killed in Israeli operations, according to reports.

In September 2025, Israel reportedly sought to kill al-Hayya in Qatar, striking a building where the Hamas delegation was staying.

"This is the paradox of Hamas leadership right now: the top job is essentially a death sentence, which is part of why the chair sat empty for nearly two years after Sinwar was killed," the expert said.

ISRAEL'S MILITARY ELIMINATES HAMAS TERRORIST WHO HELPED ABDUCT AMERICAN-ISRAELI HOSTAGE, 3 OTHERS

"Al-Hayya himself also survived the Israeli strike in Doha last September. For an ordinary executive, that would be disqualifying," he noted. "Inside Hamas it's the opposite — surviving assassination is a credential."

"Expect him to lead the way his predecessors did: rarely in public, moving between Doha and mediating capitals, communicating through statements and negotiators rather than appearances, with the real command decentralized so no single strike decapitates the movement," AbuMousa continued. "An organization that rewards who has suffered most, rather than who has led best, has no real mechanism to correct course after a catastrophe like this one. That's what should make anyone nervous."

"Al-Hayya lost his four sons, which is a real and profound loss for any father. But two things can be true at once," he noted. "His personal grief is genuine, and inside Hamas that sacrifice also functions as political capital that lifts him above criticism."

IDF CLAIMS TO HAVE TAKEN OUT HAMAS COMMANDER WHO PARTICIPATED IN OCT 7

While Al-Hayya replaced Yahya Sinwar, who was killed by Israeli forces in October 2024, his rise to power followed a secret election that stretched over months.

"After the near-total destruction of Gaza and staggering losses since Oct. 7, Hamas had a moment to reassess, and it chose continuity instead," AbuMousa said. "It elevated a loyal survivor tied to Iran and the military wing rather than someone offering a different path."

"The real story," according to AbuMousa, "is that Hamas decided its safest bet was to remain exactly what it was: armed, aligned with Tehran, and unwilling to reckon with where its own decisions led Gaza."

He also cautioned against viewing the leadership vote as a mandate from Gazans.

"This was a closed vote by a leadership council, not an election by the roughly 2 million Gazans whose lives Hamas claims to represent and who haven't voted since 2006. Many of them blame Hamas for exposing them to this catastrophe," he said.

"And watch the likely governance model: not a return to running Gaza openly, but a Hezbollah-style arrangement where Hamas sheds visible responsibility while keeping its weapons, its security structures, and a veto over any political deal," he added.

The U.K.'s new defense secretary said Sunday that Europe will ultimately thank President Donald Trump for waking up the continent from its complacency and forcing NATO allies to take responsibility for their own security.

Speaking on Sky News, Wes Streeting also signaled a rebalancing of the U.K. government's transatlantic stance under new Prime Minister Andy Burnham while stating that Britain continued to refuse to back U.S. offensive military action against Iran.

"The first thing you do is you don't suck up, and… my impression is President Trump, his administration… that's not what they're looking for, actually," Streeting told Sky News anchor Trevor Phillips, stating his perspective on Washington.

"He's a straight talker. He says what he means and means what he says."

ANDY BURNHAM TAKES OVER AS UK PRIME MINISTER, CALLS FOR 'NEW POLITICAL MODEL'

"I don't know him, but I do trust the United States," he added.

Streeting took charge of the U.K. Ministry of Defence on July 20, the same day Burnham became prime minister.

"I've not even been in the job a week. I've always been aware that the alliance between the U.S. and the U.K. is unlike any in the world, and of course, that's historic, it's cultural, it's political," Streeting said. "It's driven by self-interest as well as mutual shared interests."

During his first week in office, Streeting also had a call with Secretary of War Pete Hegseth to discuss maritime security in the Strait of Hormuz and broader NATO commitments.

"But just in my first week as defense secretary, I have had a unique insight into just how close and integral that relationship is when it comes to defense and security," Streeting explained.

UK DEFENSE SHORTFALLS HIGHLIGHTED AS BRITAIN AVOIDS IRAN OFFENSIVE ROLE AMID TRUMP CRITICISM

"And it's one of the reasons why I was very keen and pleased in the first week to meet with my U.S. counterpart, Pete Hegseth, where I was clear that we've not supported offensive action in Iran, and we won't support offensive action in Iran," he continued. "But there are plenty of things that we can and should do together when it comes to securing the Strait of Hormuz, in making sure that Iran doesn't develop nuclear weapons, in terms of investing in our capability and NATO's capability."

Trump has long criticized European NATO members for failing to spend enough on defense, arguing they should shoulder a greater share of the alliance's security burden.

WHO IS ANDY BURNHAM? THE TRUMP CRITIC SET TO BECOME THE UK'S NEXT PRIME MINISTER

At July's NATO summit in Turkey, Trump pressed allies to follow through on their commitments to increase defense spending.

"And one of the things I'd say about President Trump specifically: we don't always like what he says, we don't always like his methods," Streeting said. "But I genuinely think when this period of history is written, Europe will thank President Trump for shaking us out of our complacency and forcing us to stand on our own two feet and end the period of overreliance on the United States for defense because what he said about Europe isn't unique to President Trump, the MAGA movement or the Republican Party."

"This has been a longstanding grain of U.S. frustration with Europe under Democratic and Republican presidents, and in the world we live in, it is right that we can act to secure ourselves," he added.

Streeting also said the U.K. could "act with our allies here in Europe and, of course, work with the United States without being overly dependent to the extent that NATO and Europe has been."

Fox News Digital has reached out to 10 Downing Street for further comment.

A Jewish-owned bakery chain in Toronto, Canada, was targeted in two separate incidents on Sunday morning, including one location that was struck by gunfire, authorities said.

No injuries were reported and investigators are working to determine whether the incidents are connected, Toronto Police said.

One store location was struck by gunfire, while a second store sustained damage to a window, police said.

BERLIN PRIDE ATTACK BELIEVED TO BE AN ACT OF ISLAMIC TERROR, SUSPECT ON THE RUN: GERMAN MINISTER

Police said investigators are working to identify those responsible for the acts.

The department’s Hate Crime Unit and the Integrated Gun and Gang Task Force are investigating.

This is a developing story; check back for updates.

A suspect with alleged ties to Germany's "Islamist scene" is on the run after allegedly plowing a van into a crowd near Berlin's Pride festival and attacking others with a machete in what officials believe was an Islamic terror attack that left one person dead and at least 29 others injured.

German authorities on Sunday launched an intensive manhunt for Abdul Ballout, a German citizen with Lebanese roots whom officials say may be armed and dangerous.

"Everything we see here points to us dealing with an Islamic terror attack," German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said.

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The minister said the suspect had previously come to the attention of authorities for multiple crimes, as well as his "radicalization and belonging to the Islamist scene."

Dobrindt said Ballout was born in Germany and that his mother became a naturalized German citizen in 2002, three years before he was born. He said the suspect previously received a suspended prison sentence of one year and 10 months but did not disclose what he had been convicted of.

Police said a white van drove into a crowd in Berlin's Tiergarten park around 10 p.m. on Saturday before crashing into a tree. Authorities say the suspect then attacked several people with a machete before fleeing.

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A woman was killed, while three people suffered life-threatening injuries and eight others were seriously hurt, according to Berlin's fire service. Dobrindt said at least 29 people were injured.

The attack happened a few hundred yards from Berlin's annual Christopher Street Day Pride celebration — one of Europe's largest LGBTQ+ events — but not on the parade route or at the festival's closing event near the Brandenburg Gate. Investigators said the victims appeared to include both Pride attendees and other people who were in the park.

Organizers stopped the celebration shortly after the attack, cutting off a live performance and urging people to leave the area.

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Berlin police said Ballout has been identified as the suspect but had not been arrested as of Sunday. Police spokesman Florian Nath earlier said the suspect was known to investigators because of his alleged ties to Islamic groups in Berlin.

"The suspect is known to police. He is known to us as a member of Islamic circles here in Berlin, and our search for this person is proceeding at full speed," Nath said, according to The Associated Press. "We still have no information whatsoever regarding his specific motives, the exact sequence of events, or his role in the crime itself."

Police searched several locations across Berlin overnight and into Sunday, including an apartment in the Schöneberg district, but did not find the suspect.

The manhunt is ongoing.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

More than a quarter-million people have been driven from their homes in southwest France as a massive wildfire barrels toward the famed wine capital of Bordeaux, with officials warning the fast-moving inferno has become so fierce it’s creating its own winds and behaving erratically.

French authorities ordered another 55,000 people to evacuate overnight Sunday from communities south of Bordeaux, bringing the total number of evacuees in the region to about 250,000. Gusty winds, dry conditions and repeated heat waves have fueled a fire that has burned out of control since midweek.

Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said firefighters faced a "difficult" night and warned Sunday that "the situation remains very unfavorable."

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"The fire again became extremely virulent again and unpredictable, generating its own winds and advancing erratically toward the Bordeaux metropolitan area," Nunez posted on X, adding that the blaze "became calmer by the end of the night."

The fire has now burned an estimated 42,000 hectares, or about 162 square miles — roughly four times the size of Paris — in the Gironde region. Bordeaux Mayor Thomas Cazenave said the flames came within about 9 miles of the city, prompting officials to partially close a major highway into and out of the region.

More than 2,500 firefighters, backed by 18 planes and helicopters, are working to slow the fire's advance. France has also deployed 1,500 soldiers to help clear vegetation and build firebreaks, while several European countries have sent aircraft and firefighting crews to assist.

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Nunez said 450 volunteers have also pitched in to help.

"We ⁠came to lend a hand because if it were our region, we'd want others to do the ​same," 65-year-old farmer Pascal Roudier told Reuters. "And given the scale of the disaster, we ​think our⁠ efforts are very welcome too."

The Bordeaux-area fire is one of several major wildfires burning across France. A separate blaze in the neighboring Landes region has forced another 36,000 people to evacuate, while nearly 3,000 others have left their homes in southern France's Var region along the Mediterranean coast.

Neighboring Spain is facing its own wildfire emergency.

Authorities there have evacuated about 116,000 people in recent days as fires burned across the Valencia region and west of Madrid. A fast-moving fire in a Valencia suburb killed one man Saturday, marking Spain's first wildfire death in the latest wave of fires.

Earlier this month, 13 people were killed in southern Spain in the country's deadliest wildfire in recent memory.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

 JOHANNESBURG: Over 160,000 illegal immigrants have fled South Africa after thousands of citizens took to the streets demanding foreigners leave, as hundreds of thousands of South Africans have followed many in the West in turning against the government for poor border controls, and perceived inaction.

One South African organization claims there are up to 30 million illegal immigrants in a country whose documented citizens number around 63 million. These immigrants, mostly undocumented, are blamed for rampant crime, taking jobs and overrunning hospital wards and places in government schools.

In some cases, groups have gone house-to-house in areas such as Soweto, near Johannesburg, giving deadlines for immigrants to go home. Earlier this month, Reuters reported that 900 people were arrested during a day of nationwide protests. While the protests were largely peaceful, police were called to disperse violent protesters in some areas of the country. One death was reported in the Johannesburg area.

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Some illegal immigrants have taken buses and left, or been repatriated on flights provided by their home countries across Africa. On one such flight to Ghana in June, the South African border authority said 321 of the 332 Ghanaians who tried to leave Johannesburg’s OR Tambo International Airport were found to be in the country illegally.

Up to five immigrants have been killed by protesters so far this year, but the most prominent anti-immigrant civic group in South Africa, the March and March movement, claims that it is against violence. It is their followers who march the country’s streets, often with large traditional sticks called knobkerries, ‘encouraging’ foreigners to leave.

Their founder and leader, Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma, told Fox News Digital "We’ve had enough," claiming the number of illegal immigrants living in South Africa is "between 15 and 30 million, and that's an arguable number because everyone is always debating what the actual number is."

The number 30 million is contentious. The only official published figures are from a census taken in 2022 by Statistics SA, queried by some critics because the organization is controlled by the ANC government, under attack for reportedly causing the illegal immigration crisis and therefore seen to be benefiting from low statistics. The body claims there are up to three million immigrants in the country, but Ngobese-Zuma points out this figure includes people who have documents "they're just using the numbers from those who were admitted to being in the country legally."

Immigrants have frequently been seen running away when requested by officials, including Stats SA officials, to show their documents. The head of Statistics SA, Risenga Maluleke, even admitted to the local Eyewitness News that his officials don’t check information on the occasions that they can find immigrants, saying "when people say I was born outside South Africa, we take what they say because we have not had a way of proving it other than relying on what they say.

Ngobese-Zuma added, "The country is being invaded, and we decided to do something about it. There's too much crime going on at the hands of foreign nationals. The actual truth is that a lot of them go unfound because nobody knows who they are. They're not on record. Their fingerprints are not on the system. So there [are] a lot of cases actually that are outstanding when it comes to the issue of illegal immigrants."

Statistics South Africa recently reported that the official unemployment rate for the country is 32.7%. Yet almost all illegal immigrants have found work here, with the country’s president, Cyril Ramaphosa, admitting to the nation in a televised address last month, "Some employers hire undocumented immigrants because they pay them wages that are well below the minimum wage and make them work longer hours without due compensation."

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This led March and March’s Ngobese-Zuma to say, "The issue of jobs is also very important. In our community, where there's the highest unemployment in the world, it only makes sense that South Africans are out there demanding that they be prioritized when it comes to employment."

Several reports claim that in a local Johannesburg government hospital, built to offer practically free care to South Africa’s citizens, patients, even in the ER, have to wait up to 36 hours to be seen, because so many foreigners come to the hospital and use the facilities. At least one patient has died waiting to be seen at the Helen Joseph hospital, near to the center of the city.

Ngobese-Zuma pointed out, "We have a welfare (health and education) system in the country, and currently people are flocking in from all over the African continent and the world to come and take advantage of these free things that they think are free when it's actually taxpayers that are paying for it."

Border controls are so lax that it’s said hundreds of thousands have simply waded across low rivers in some cases to enter South Africa, with crocodiles a bigger problem than police or immigration officials. Bribery and corruption at border posts is endemic. But following the public outcry, and perhaps significantly with local elections coming up, President Ramaphosa has now vowed to ‘crack down’ on immigration issues. As of July 11, the government claims a total of 53,449 foreign nationals have been processed for deportation and repatriation. 

This represents less than 0.2% of the illegal immigrants said to be in the country by March and March. Public pressure groups, and politicians such as Herman Mashaba, are calling on the government to do much, much more. Mashaba is president of Action SA, a small but campaigning party in South Africa’s parliament, who’s been battling illegal immigration for 10 years.

Mashaba told Fox News Digital, "Action SA is deeply frustrated by the government's weak and reactionary response to South Africa's immigration crisis, which is ultimately the consequence of three decades of ANC (the ruling party) failure to secure our borders,"

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"Rather than presenting a meaningful shift in approach, which we believe must center on mass deportations and the urgent strengthening of immigration enforcement capacity, the government appears determined to simply repackage the same failed and outdated policies that have done nothing to address the consequences of weak border controls and chronic underinvestment in enforcing our immigration laws."

"As in Europe, South Africans have turned against their government on immigration policy", analyst Frans Cronje told Fox News Digital. Cronje, president of the Washington-based Yorktown Foundation for Freedom, added, "Polls conducted earlier this year ranked immigration as the second most pressing concern from South Africans behind unemployment. Overall, 23.0% of South Africans cited unemployment as the most pressing issue for the government to address, followed by 11.7% who cited immigration, 10.1% for cited corruption and 9.8% who cited crime."

Cronje continued, "black South Africans (82% of the population) were three times as likely as their white counterparts to see immigration as a problem for the government to address. Hostility towards immigrants runs very high with regular protest marches and threats and intimidation directed at immigrant communities who are accused of taking jobs and businesses from South Africans, and driving high levels of crime".

Responding when asked why activists such as March and March are taking action, Ngobese-Zuma said "it's the government that should be the one that's making sure that when people say that they don't want certain people in their communities, they remove them before the communities remove them themselves. I think the government is complacent about not only the issue of immigration, our government is just complacent about a lot of things, especially that have to do with crime."

Protests against immigrants have turned nasty in previous years. Sixty-two were killed in riots in 2008, and at least five in 2015.

Ngobese-Zuma agrees March and March members are gatvol – Afrikaans slang, politely put to mean completely fed up, telling Fox News Digital "We don't care which country comes forward and tells us that we are xenophobic. We've had enough, and nobody can tell us that we must now accept people staying in our country illegally."

Fox News Digital reached out to the South African government, but did not receive a response.

German authorities on Saturday canceled a popular festival after numerous people were injured and one killed when a car rammed the festivities in Berlin.

"We are currently deployed with numerous police forces as well as rescue units from the Berlin Fire Department in the Großer Tiergarten," Berlin Police said in a translated X post, after telling festivalgoers to leave the area.

Police said the injured were being treated by rescue personnel.

The incident occurred during the European city's annual Christopher Street Day festival, an LGBTQ+ pride event.

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"We are conducting an intensive manhunt for suspects," police added, later clarifying that it could be one or more suspects. 

Authorities haven’t released a possible motive. 

In an update, the police said several of those injured have life-threatening injuries. 

Hundreds of thousands of people turned out for the event, which included a parade and ended Saturday evening with a show at Tiergarten park near Brandenberg Gate.