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The International Criminal Court prosecutor whose arrest warrant against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu became central to New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s threat to arrest the Israeli leader was dismissed Friday after member states voted to remove him over sexual misconduct allegations.

Karim Khan, the ICC’s chief prosecutor, was removed after a vote by the Assembly of States Parties, the court’s 125-member governing body, following disciplinary proceedings tied to allegations involving a junior female staffer in his office. Khan has denied wrongdoing.

The decision marked the first time in the ICC’s history that a sitting chief prosecutor has been removed from office. Khan’s removal comes days after Secretary of State Marco Rubio launched a U.S. campaign to "dismantle" the ICC, accusing the court of threatening American sovereignty.

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Khan became one of the world’s most controversial prosecutors after pursuing ICC arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant over Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza. The ICC issued the warrants in November 2024, prompting fierce condemnation from Israel and the United States, neither of which is a member of the court.

The warrants also became a flashpoint in New York politics after Mamdani repeatedly invoked the ICC case against Netanyahu. Mamdani said during his campaign that he would seek to arrest Netanyahu if the Israeli prime minister came to New York, and later acknowledged as mayor that the city lacks authority to enforce the warrant while calling on the federal government to do so.

The ICC, based in The Hague in Holland, is a permanent international court created under the Rome Statute to prosecute individuals accused of genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and the crime of aggression when national courts are unable or unwilling to act.

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The allegations against Khan have triggered a crisis for the court. Reuters reported that 82 of the ICC’s 125 member states voted in favor of his removal, exceeding the absolute majority required. Khan had previously stepped aside in May 2025 while a U.N. oversight investigation was underway and was suspended in June 2026 pending the final vote.

The Associated Press reported that the court’s oversight body found Khan had committed "serious misconduct." The case involved allegations from a female aide who said Khan engaged in nonconsensual sexual conduct. Khan’s lawyers have denied the allegations and called the removal process legally flawed and unsupported by evidence.

The woman, identified only as Sarah, went public in a CNN interview last week. "There is no way for something to be consensual when you have such a power disparity," she told CNN.

Khan’s legal team rejected the vote and said he would challenge the decision. Tayab Ali, partner at Bindmans LLP and head of Khan’s legal team, said in a statement that the Assembly of States Parties had disregarded due process concerns raised publicly by more than 180 nongovernmental organizations and senior international lawyers.

"The decision is unsupported by any lawful or properly reasoned finding that Mr Khan KC committed misconduct or breached his duties as Prosecutor," Ali said. "He has denied the allegations from the outset and continues to do so." Ali said the allegations were investigated for more than a year by the U.N. Office of Internal Oversight Services and argued that "there is not a single finding of misconduct, including sexual misconduct, anywhere in the OIOS report." He also said a three-judge panel unanimously determined in March 2026 that the factual findings made by OIOS did not establish misconduct or breach of duty by Khan.

Khan’s lawyers accused the Assembly of States Parties of removing him through a politically driven and procedurally unfair process, saying Khan and his lawyers were not allowed to make formal submissions to the Assembly before the vote.

"The Prosecutor of this Court has been removed by an executive vote while under sanctions and while the Court is under immense political pressure," Ali said.
Ali said Khan "will challenge the lawfulness and fairness of the decision through all available legal mechanisms."

Israeli officials argued Friday that Khan’s removal undermined the legitimacy of the ICC’s actions against Netanyahu.

Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon told Fox News Digital that Khan believed "by launching a political witch hunt against Israel and issuing a politically-motivated arrest warrant against Prime Minister Netanyahu, the world would ignore the grave sexual misconduct allegations against him."

"He was wrong," Danon said. "He sought to scapegoat Israel in an attempt to divert attention from his own misconduct. The international community rejected that cynical attempt today."

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Danon added, "The attacks against Israel, which were intended to distract from his disgraceful conduct, did not save Karim Khan, and they will not help Zohran Mamdani either."

Anne Bayefsky, president of Human Rights Voices and director of the Touro Institute on Human Rights and the Holocaust, told Fox News Digital that Khan’s fall should not be viewed as an isolated scandal. "He unexpectedly requested arrest warrants for Israel’s prime minister and defense minister within weeks of discovering his sexual deviancy had been revealed. He accused his victim of being a Mossad agent. He and his lawyers constantly repeated the refrain that Israelis were behind the accusations."

Bayefsky claimed that Khan’s conduct has damaged the ICC itself. "Now there is a massive campaign to save the ICC from Khan. On this logic, Khan’s anti-Israel fanaticism never tainted his investigation of Israel, his arrest warrant request against Israelis, his submissions to the ICC Court, the evidence he placed before the Court, or the analysis and conclusions of the ICC Court that placed their trust in him when they decided to grant his warrant requests."

The ICC has not said Khan’s removal affects the Netanyahu and Gallant warrants, which were issued by judges after Khan’s request.

Requests sent to Khan's office for comment were not answered by the time of publication.

A Romanian F-16 fighter jet shot down a drone that entered the country’s airspace without authorization Friday, marking the first time the NATO member has intercepted and destroyed a drone inside its national airspace, authorities said.

Romanian officials have not yet identified the drone’s origin or purpose. Romania’s army chief said pilots described it as appearing to be a Shahed-type drone, Reuters reported, the Iran-designed attack drone widely used by Russia against Ukraine. 

The incident carries direct implications for the U.S. and its NATO allies, as repeated airspace breaches along the alliance’s eastern flank have fueled concerns that Russia’s war in Ukraine could spill across NATO borders. Romania, which borders Ukraine, has reported dozens of drone incursions or debris incidents since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion in 2022.

Romanian Foreign Minister Oana Țoiu said the interception took place over an unpopulated area in Buzău County.

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"Our borders and our sovereignty are non-negotiable, and our military and NATO air police will continue to monitor the land border, the Danube and the Black Sea, as our military frequently identifies risks," Țoiu told Fox News Digital. 

"The impact area and the drone debris are currently being analyzed, but the pattern is consistent with prior confirmed Russian drone flights during the numerous illegal attacks against Ukrainian civilian infrastructure on Romania’s border," she added.

Țoiu said Romania and NATO would continue to defend allied territory.

"NATO works, and we plan to be even stronger with the decisions on air defense and budget allocation from The Hague and Ankara summits," she said. "The path toward increased security is the path toward peace at Romania’s border. We will defend our citizens and we will continue to invest in protecting Romanian and Allied territory."

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Țoiu previously told Fox News Digital July 2 that Russian drones had been detected inside Ukraine roughly 19 miles from Romania’s border, prompting two Royal Air Force Eurofighter Typhoon jets operating from Romania’s 86th Air Base in Fetești to scramble under NATO’s Enhanced Air Policing mission. A Romanian Air Force IAR 330 Puma helicopter was also deployed, she said at the time.

Romanian President Nicușor Dan and Defense Minister Radu Miruță reaffirmed the country’s commitment to protecting its airspace and investing in modern air-defense and anti-drone capabilities, according to Țoiu.

The incident underscores the growing danger along NATO’s eastern flank as Russia continues strikes across Ukraine and Kyiv increasingly targets Russian military and energy infrastructure deeper inside Russia.

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The drone shootdown came as Ukraine reported deadly Russian strikes in the Kyiv region and Slovyansk. 

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said a rescue operation was underway in the Kyiv region after a Russian missile strike killed six people and wounded dozens. Reuters later reported that Ukrainian officials and industry representatives said the strike killed 10 people and injured close to 100 at a site where a defense industry event was being held.

"There were also casualties in Slovyansk following guided aerial bomb strikes," Zelenskyy said. "Five people were killed. My condolences to their families. Nine others were injured. The Russians damaged ordinary homes, the consulate building, and vehicles."

Latvian Foreign Minister Baiba Braže said Latvia’s honorary consulate building in Slovyansk, in Ukraine’s Donetsk Oblast, was destroyed Friday morning in a Russian attack involving a KAB-250 guided aerial bomb, according to information provided by Ukrainian authorities.

Braže said Latvia’s honorary consul, Oleksandr Pavenko, was not injured, but two consulate staff members were wounded. She informed European Union and NATO foreign ministers and international organizations about the incident, while Latvia summoned Russia’s chargé d’affaires and delivered a note of protest.

"Russia will be held accountable for this and other violations of international law," Latvia’s Foreign Ministry said. "All war crimes committed by Russia must be thoroughly investigated, and those responsible must be brought to justice."

Zelenskyy called the strikes "brutal attacks on civilians" and again pressed Ukraine’s partners for air-defense support.

"Interceptors for Patriot systems are the number one priority," he said.

Ukraine also said its forces had struck one of Russia’s key military enterprises in Kirov, which Zelenskyy said supplies components for Russian aircraft and missile systems used in attacks on Ukrainian cities. Zelenskyy said Ukraine had also hit an oil facility nearly 840 miles away and that operations against Russian logistics supplying drone components, navigation equipment and military gear remained underway. Ukrainian outlet UNN reported that Zelenskyy confirmed the Kirov strike and the long-range strike on the oil facility.

The Security Council is expected to hold an emergency meeting on Ukraine Monday at 10 a.m., as requested by Ukraine, according to a United Nations schedule viewed by Fox News Digital. The meeting comes after Kyiv has repeatedly urged the international community to respond more forcefully to Russia’s attacks on civilians and infrastructure.

The back-and-forth comes as Kyiv is trying to show battlefield momentum despite continued Russian missile and drone attacks. 

Outgoing Ukrainian Commander in Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said Ukraine had recaptured 270 square miles of territory in 2026 and was handing over to his successor "an army that is not only holding the defence but is also on the offensive," Reuters reported Wednesday. 

Fox News Digital reached out to the Russian defense ministry but didn't receive a response in time for publication.

Reuters contributed to this report. 

JOHANNESBURG: The U.S. is reportedly considering airstrikes against al Qaeda-linked terrorists in Mali, according to regional analysts and recent media reports.

The military junta that has been running this West African country in the Sahel region since coups in both 2020 and 2021 turned away from France and the U.S. to get military protection from Russia and its Africa Corps mercenaries against jihadist groups.

But now the largest of these groups, Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), which has Mali’s capital under siege, is credited, along with another group, for killing 50 Malian soldiers this month, for the death of the country’s defense minister earlier this year and has reportedly sent battalions of Russian soldiers retreating on at least two occasions this year.

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JNIM is said to want to change the country into an Islamist Jihadist state. If they succeed, Mali would be the first country in the world to be run by a jihadist group. The organization was designated officially as a Foreign Terrorist Organization during the first Trump administration in 2018.

Islamic State (ISIS) jihadist groups are also operating freely in Mali, and are linked to terror groups in neighboring Nigeria.

A State Department official didn’t respond to a Washington Post report that the U.S. is considering strikes against JNIM in Mali, but used strong language Thursday when talking to Fox News Digital, leading analysts to suggest the time for talking may be over.

"The United States unequivocally condemns the terrorist activity in Mali," the official said, adding, "in the Sahel, the United States is committed to promoting regional ownership and cooperation against terrorist threats, and monitoring indicators and warnings of threats to our homeland."

Edmund Fitton-Brown, a former British and United Nations diplomat, said the U.S. could order military action, to primarily try and stop jihadists becoming entrenched in Mali. Fitton-Brown, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told Fox News Digital, "Mali is mainly important to the U.S. because, as a failed state becoming a safe haven for al Qaeda and ISIS, it looks like the first of several African dominoes likely to fall."

Retired U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. Kenneth P. Ekman, who until last year, served as the Department of War’s West Africa Coordination Element lead, said that with strike action the administration may be able to persuade Mali’s rulers to turn away from Russia, and towards the U.S. for protection – and purchases of military equipment.

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Ekman told Fox News Digital, "JNIM has a stranglehold on the government and much of the population. The Russians are woefully ineffective and extractive. Cooperation with U.S. forces offers a disproportionate and positive impact."

Ekman said that U.S. forces have supported partner-led operations against JNIM before, as recently as 2022, adding "⁠recent proposals amount to returning to similar cooperation against a mutual threat."

The administration may also be in a minerals frame of mind. Mali is one of Africa’s largest gold-producing nations. It also has substantial deposits of lithium, used extensively in rechargeable batteries.

Fitton-Brown said that "President Trump may be less reluctant than his predecessor to work with the juntas in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, if they are losing faith in their Russian friends."

He continued, "The U.S. is certainly a more capable partner. France has already been displaced, so all three countries might accept U.S. help if it comes only with strings attached that don’t offend or disadvantage them. Whether even the U.S. is capable of stopping the political decline of these countries, and the rise of militant Islam, is another matter. That cannot be achieved by military force alone."

The FDD’s Fitton-Brown said U.S. assets such as aircraft may not be directly involved if there is a strike, "The U.S. might work with French and other intelligence services to develop local intelligence for strikes on JNIM leadership, but this is unlikely to achieve much. The organization is resilient and will be able to replace those killed."

A former senior Department of War official told Fox News Digital the U.S. has at its disposal cruise missiles and long-range bombers. Attack drones would probably not come into play, and the U.S. Naval Institute’s Fleet Tracker shows no American aircraft carriers anywhere near African waters, effectively ruling out carrier operations.

However, Ekman believes airstrikes are under consideration, noting "JNIM and ISIS are a threat to U.S. interests, and are ascendant in West Africa."

President Donald Trump predicted in recent days that additional countries would soon join the Abraham Accords, renewing debate over whether Israel is becoming increasingly isolated or continuing to expand its most important strategic relationships.

"The Abraham Accords have been, I think, a tremendous success," Trump said during a Tuesday Oval Office meeting with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun. "I think you’re going to see a lot of countries joining pretty soon."

Trump's prediction underscores a central debate about Israel's global position: Public support for the country has fallen sharply in the United States and across much of the world, yet Israel continues to build or preserve diplomatic, military, energy and technology relationships with foreign governments.

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The Abraham Accords, brokered by the Trump administration in 2020, normalized relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco and Sunday. Trump has made expanding the agreements a central goal of his Middle East strategy. 

The dispute depends partly on how isolation is measured. Critics point to worsening public opinion, pressure at international institutions and growing opposition among Democrats and younger voters. Israeli officials and conservative foreign-policy experts argue that government-to-government cooperation remains strong and, in some regions, is expanding.

Trump reinforced that strategy Thursday by saying a U.S. civilian nuclear agreement with Saudi Arabia would depend on the kingdom joining the Abraham Accords. The statement showed the administration attempting to use one of Washington’s most valuable offers to Riyadh to secure normalization with Israel, but it did not demonstrate that Saudi Arabia had agreed to do so.

Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon rejected the contention that Israel had become isolated.

"The claim that Israel is an isolated country is simply not true," Danon told Fox News Digital. "While the campaign to dismantle the Hamas terrorist organization has drawn international criticism, Israel’s relationships with other countries have not weakened. They have evolved."

Former White House national security official Richard Goldberg similarly argued that Israel retains strong support among conservatives and that its electoral gains are translating into closer government relations.

"Polling in the United States shows massive support among conservatives and Republicans, including self-described MAGA, for Israel still," Goldberg told Fox News Digital. "And that’s reflected around the world, particularly among conservative candidates and parties that win elected office right now."

Goldberg pointed to political changes in Latin America, expanding partnerships in the Eastern Mediterranean and Israel’s continuing defense and technology relationships as evidence that public criticism has not translated into comprehensive strategic isolation.

The dispute comes amid polling that shows Israel retaining deep support among Republicans while losing ground across the broader American electorate and much of the world.

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Eighty percent of self-identified MAGA Republicans said Israel’s security matters to U.S. security and prosperity, a Reagan Institute survey released in June found, while 73% supported sending Israel U.S. weapons. Among MAGA Republicans under 30, 63% said Israel’s security matters to the United States and 60% supported sending weapons.

The same survey found that broader support was narrowing. Sixty-five percent of Americans said Israel’s security matters to U.S. security and prosperity, down six percentage points from a year earlier. 

The figure fell nine points among Democrats to 57%, compared with 75% of Republicans and 80% of MAGA Republicans.

A Pew Research Center survey published in June found that a median of 67% of adults across 36 countries viewed Israel unfavorably, while 25% viewed it favorably. The findings came from Pew’s Spring 2026 Global Attitudes Survey.

In the United States, 60% of adults viewed Israel unfavorably, up from 53% in 2025 and 42% in 2022, according to a separate Pew survey conducted March 23 to March 29. Eighty percent of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents held an unfavorable view, while negative assessments were also widespread among adults under 50.

Israel no longer held a statistically significant advantage over the Palestinians in Americans’ sympathies, Gallup reported in February. Forty-one percent said they sympathized more with the Palestinians and 36% with the Israelis, although Gallup said the five-point difference was not statistically significant. 

In 2023, 54% sympathized more with Israelis and 31% with Palestinians.

Former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel highlighted that erosion during a July 8 speech at Tel Aviv University.

"Support for Israel around the world is declining," Emanuel said, "The only diplomatic achievement Israel has secured in the past three years is Somaliland."

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Emanuel’s conclusion focuses on Israel’s declining public legitimacy and its strained position in traditional diplomatic institutions. Goldberg and Danon argue that it overlooks expanding government-to-government relationships built around defense, intelligence, energy, technology and trade.

Goldberg pointed in particular to Latin America, where he said newly elected conservative governments have made closer ties with Israel an early priority.

"Every time a government in South America right now flips from left wing to right wing, one of the first things they do is reestablish better relations with Israel, withdraw recognition of a Palestinian state and see what else they can do to make Israel a strategic partner," Goldberg said.

He cited Argentina under President Javier Milei and the proposed "Isaac Accords," along with political changes in Chile, Colombia and Bolivia, as evidence of a broader realignment.

Goldberg also argued that Israel remains central to emerging partnerships involving energy, defense, intelligence and critical infrastructure.

"If you’re in the Eastern Mediterranean and you’re Greece and you are Cyprus, you’re thinking about how do we work with Israel to make the Eastern Mediterranean partnership even stronger," he said. "If you’re Armenia and Azerbaijan in a tough neighborhood between Turkey and Iran, you’re talking to Israel, you’re getting closer to Israel."

Israel, Greece and Cyprus reaffirmed their strategic partnership during a trilateral summit in December 2025, agreeing to expand cooperation in energy, security, emergency preparedness and regional connectivity.

Danon said the diplomatic shift is visible even inside the United Nations, an institution where Israel routinely faces critical resolutions and public condemnation.

"We see this every day in the corridors of the United Nations," he said. "While many South American countries were once highly critical of Israel in recent years, we are now cooperating with many of them. These discussions are happening in public and behind the scenes."

"As Israel’s official representative to the United Nations, I regularly meet with ambassadors from around the world, including from Arab countries, to quietly advance initiatives where we share common interests," Danon said.

Danon went further than Goldberg in assessing Israel’s position since the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terrorist attacks and the subsequent war.

"Compared to the period before October 7th, Israel is in a far stronger geostrategic position," Danon said. "That is reflected not only in regional developments but also in the country’s diplomatic relationships around the world."

The competing evidence suggests that much of the disagreement depends on how isolation is defined.

Israel may be losing public support and influence in traditional international institutions while simultaneously preserving or expanding government-to-government cooperation in defense, technology, intelligence, energy and agriculture.

MAMDANI GOES BACK ON CAMPAIGN PROMISE, SAYS NYC CAN’T ARREST NETANYAHU 

Goldberg acknowledged that relationships driven by conservative political victories could become vulnerable when governments change.

But he argued that Israel is increasingly building relationships around durable national interests rather than political ideology alone.

The central risk for Israel is that today’s collapse in public opinion could eventually reshape tomorrow’s government policies. Conservative governments may currently protect and expand strategic ties, but younger voters and left-wing parties could alter those relationships after future elections.

Israel is scheduled to hold national elections Oct. 27, the country’s first since the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks.

Goldberg argued that a change in Israel’s government would provide a test of whether international opposition is directed primarily at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu or at Israel itself.

"If there is somebody else who becomes prime minister next, we will have to evaluate," Goldberg said. "Those very loud detractors of Israel who right now use Netanyahu as their symbol for bashing and say it’s not about Israel, it’s about Netanyahu, they’ll be put to the test very quickly."

He noted that the boycott movement and anti-Israel campus organizations remained active during the previous government led by Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid, when Netanyahu was not prime minister.

"Is their hatred and venom really just about Bibi Netanyahu, or is it fundamentally about a Jewish state that they don’t like existing?" Goldberg asked.

For now, both realities appear to be unfolding at once: Israel remains a sought-after military, intelligence and technology partner for a growing group of governments, while its support among the global public has fallen to levels that could eventually threaten those relationships.

A French modeling scout with ties to Jeffrey Epstein was found dead inside his Paris apartment, prosecutors said.

The body of Daniel Siad, 69, was discovered Monday night, and an autopsy is pending. Siad's attorney, Menya Arab-Tigrine, told Fox News Digital that he died from a heart attack.

"While he died of a heart attack, the unbearable waiting, the stigma cast upon him—and, by extension, his loved ones—as well as the daily pressure and anxiety he endured, undoubtedly played a role," she said. "We must await the autopsy results to determine whether his body simply gave out."

Fox News Digital has reached out to French prosecutors. 

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Siad's name appeared around 2,000 times in the Epstein files released by the Justice Department, Reuters reported.

"I am here in Barcelona I have girls staying with me from Australia Croecian origin, so you can speak with her very Sweet," Siad allegedly wrote to Epstein in one email.

"I am looking to place her here and Paris," he added.

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"Photo?" Epstein replied.

Another email from Siad to Epstein from April 2009 included images of a 17-year-old Slovakian girl while he was scouting models in Bratislava.

At least 24 women have come forward as victims or witnesses of alleged acts committed by Siad or others following the February launch of a human trafficking and fraud probe, Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau told Reuters.

Investigators looked into Siad, but there wasn't enough evidence to justify his immediate arrest, said Arab-Tigrine.

"Let us not forget that he was never prosecuted, nor was he ever formally implicated in any legal proceedings," she said. "In the coming days, we must respect the grief of his loved ones. He has passed away, and he was innocent."

Nicaragua's lawmakers announced plans to abolish elections in the Central American country, following through on President Daniel Ortega's declaration over the weekend that there would be no more elections, which enraged the international community.

The move was revealed on Tuesday by Nicaragua's congress, which is firmly in the hands of Ortega and his wife, Rosario Murillo. Lawmakers said planned constitutional overhaul will ensure Nicaragua's "peace, security and stability."

With the announcement, lawmakers are making good on Ortega's promise of no more elections, further closing off any potential path for the opposition to challenge the government he leads with Murillo, whom constitutional reforms elevated from vice president to "co-president."

"There won't be any more elections here for them to try to seize the government and seize power," Ortega said on Sunday during a speech commemorating the 1979 Sandinista revolution, in which Ortega participated in the overthrow of the U.S.-backed dictatorship of Anastasio Somoza.

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"The days when parties backed by the Yankees (United States) and the Somocistas would return to power are over — never again," he declared.

The declaration appeared to eliminate the possibility of a future electoral challenge as Ortega and Murillo continue consolidating control over the country’s political institutions.

Ortega and Murillo expanded their authority through sweeping constitutional changes that took effect in 2025. The reforms included extending the presidential term from five years to six and placing the legislative, judicial and electoral institutions under the authority of the presidency.

The pair now exercise control over nearly every branch of government, including the armed forces, police and judiciary.

Ortega, Nicaragua’s longest-serving leader, has remained in power until early 2028, although his statement on Sunday effectively canceled Nicaragua’s next elections, which had been scheduled for November 2027.

Critics say Ortega had already effectively eliminated meaningful electoral competition during elections in 2011, 2016 and 2021.

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Many prominent opposition leaders have been imprisoned, forced into exile or stripped of their Nicaraguan citizenship, while opposition parties and independent civic organizations have lost their legal status.

A United Nations group of experts has accused the Ortega-Murillo government of systematically violating human rights as part of a campaign to eliminate criticism and preserve its hold on power. The experts said some alleged violations may amount to crimes against humanity.

The government launched a violent crackdown on anti-government protests in 2018. More than 300 people were killed during the unrest, according to international human rights groups.

Ortega's effort to abolish elections prompted widespread condemnation from foreign governments, including the U.S.

"Daniel Ortega’s declaration that under his family’s dictatorship, Nicaragua will never again hold elections lays bare their true authoritarian nature. Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo have abandoned even the pretense of popular consent," U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Tuesday.

"The Nicaraguan people have the right to choose their own leaders through democratic elections. The United States calls on the international community to join forces to demonstrate to the Murillo-Ortega dictatorship that it cannot expect to maintain business as usual with other nations when it is thwarting the basic tenets of our democratic hemisphere," he added.

The Trump administration has described the Ortega-Murillo government as a dictatorship and imposed sanctions on members of the government and their allies. The State Department has also enacted visa restrictions targeting more than 2,350 Nicaraguan officials and their family members.

Volker Türk, the United Nations' high commissioner for human rights, denounced Nicaragua's legislative ambitions on Wednesday, saying that "people of all political viewpoints must be allowed to vote and run for office."

"These latest developments further deepen the severe restrictions on fundamental freedoms, the dismantling of civic space, and the steady erosion of the rule of law," Türk said in a statement.

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.

Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations on Wednesday blasted New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani as a "clown" for demanding federal authorities arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu when Netanyahu arrives in the city.

Danny Danon’s remarks came after Mamdani accused Netanyahu of being a "war criminal" and the "architect of a horrific genocide" against Palestinians while calling on the federal government to execute an International Criminal Court arrest warrant against the Israeli leader.

Netanyahu is scheduled to address the United Nations General Assembly in Manhattan in September.

NETANYAHU FIRES BACK AT NYC MAYOR MAMDANI'S VOW TO ENFORCE 'BOGUS ARREST WARRANT'

"Those baseless remarks about harassing the prime minister — it's a joke, and he's a clown," Danon told Fox News Digital Wednesday.

"Everyone knows it's a show. It's a stunt," Danon added. "A mayor should be dealing with the homeless people, the garbage in New York, and leave foreign affairs to the people in Washington who are elected to do it. He should take care of the security of the people in New York, especially the Jewish community, which is seeing the rise of antisemitism. That is his first responsibility."

The YouTube channel for the New York City Mayor's Office released a video July 21, "Benjamin Netanyahu is a war criminal."

"Benjamin Netanyahu is a war criminal, the architect of a horrific genocide against the Palestinian people," Mamdani said, repeating comments he made in an interview with The New York Times.

Mamdani leveled a series of allegations against the Israeli leader, claiming he was "responsible for the killing of more than 73,000 people, for the maiming of tens of thousands of children, as those who survive undergo amputation without anesthesia."

He also accused Netanyahu of targeting neonatal hospitals and maternity care centers and alleged that he blocked food and humanitarian aid.

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"Just last month, the U.N. confirmed that Palestinian children continue to be deliberately targeted and killed by Israeli armed forces, more than eight months after the so-called ceasefire," Mamdani said. 

"All as we, as Americans, pay for the bombs that do the killing. There is a reason the International Criminal Court issued a warrant for his arrest."

Danon pushed back sharply against the mayor's accusations.

"There is a lot of humanitarian aid coming into Gaza every day," Danon argued.

"Nobody speaks about those issues anymore, but he wants to resume spreading blood libels, promoting the claims of genocide, starvation and all those lies that were spread by him, by his wife and by other people during the war.

"He wants to go back to this situation, but today there are no humanitarian issues in Gaza," Danon added.

"Mamdani continues to promote those blood libels against Israel and against the Jews."

Mamdani also said that City Hall cannot act on the warrant unilaterally.

"It is clear that we do not have the independent legal authority to enforce this warrant. The federal government, however, does, and I call on them to join the ICC and execute this warrant," Mamdani said.

"Benjamin Netanyahu is not welcome in New York City, nor is any other war criminal at large."

MAMDANI’S ‘DERANGED’ ISRAEL TAKE RESURFACES AS HE TARGETS NETANYAHU

Israeli officials strongly deny all charges. Netanyahu’s office has rejected the ICC’s jurisdiction, labeling it "a kangaroo court that has no jurisdiction over Americans or Israelis."

"People are smart; they know there's no legal basis for his remarks," Danon said. "The U.S. is not part of the ICC. There is no warrant that is actually effective against the prime minister in the U.S. So it's a political stunt."

"We have serious issues to deal with — the war with Iran and other critical matters.

"The prime minister is not actually dealing with Mamdani's remarks at all. He said it very clearly: He intends to come and speak at the U.N.

"Prime Minister Netanyahu will come to New York and will speak in the General Assembly," Danon said. "The only thing the mayor can do is come to the U.N., grab a seat, listen to the Prime Minister and maybe learn something from his speech.

"Last year, Mayor Adams came to the prime minister's speech," Danon noted. "A local leader can come and hear. That's the only thing he can do."

France has recorded more than 5,700 excess deaths during its historic summer heat wave, marking the country's deadliest heat-related toll in more than two decades, Public Health France announced Wednesday.

Between June 17 and July 2, the agency expected 15,910 deaths but instead recorded 21,674. The difference — 5,764 excess deaths — was 36% higher than what would have been expected.

During the heat wave, temperatures climbed well above 104 degrees Fahrenheit in many parts of the country, Public Health France said.

"This unprecedented event, characterized by its early onset, intensity, and duration, exposed almost the entire population to extreme heat during a period that was still largely dedicated to school and work activities," the agency said.

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

Deaths from all causes increased across hospitals, private homes and nursing homes during the heat wave.

The agency's analysis included people ages 15 and older, with mortality increasing beginning at age 45. Adults 75 and older accounted for roughly two-thirds of the provisional death toll, representing at least 3,719 excess deaths.

SCIENTIST CALLS FOR AMERICANS TO CUT OFF AIR CONDITIONING IN SUMMER, CLAIMING IT CAUSES GLOBAL WARMING

The Paris region was hit hardest, recording 1,999 excess deaths — more than 80% above what would have been expected without the heat wave, according to the agency.

Public Health France said 2026 recorded the country's highest excess mortality linked to a heat wave since 2003. The National Institute of Health and Medical Research estimated that roughly 15,000 more people died compared to the usual mortality for that time of year.  

PARIS DEPUTY MAYOR BLAMES UNITED STATES' CARBON EMISSIONS FOR DEADLY HEAT WAVE

This year, the hottest days occurred on June 24 and June 25, when the national average temperature reached 86 degrees Fahrenheit. Peak temperatures also climbed above 104 degrees in many areas.

More than half of the excess deaths — about 56% — occurred during or immediately after the most intense stretch of the heat wave between June 25 and June 27.

Officials also said more than 10,000 excess deaths were reported across Europe during the peak of the heat wave, though the preliminary figures are expected to be updated in the coming weeks.

According to The Associated Press, funeral directors in Paris said they were inundated by the surge in bodies awaiting burial or cremation, with some mortuaries reaching capacity and turning down new arrivals.

Health officials noted that the excess mortality estimate includes deaths from all causes that occurred during the heat wave. The figures remain provisional and will continue to be refined in the coming weeks.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Italian authorities shut down an anonymous online effort that asked the public to report the locations of Israeli tourists, Italian Jews and businesses believed to have ties to Zionism, drawing condemnation from senior government officials and Jewish leaders who compared the initiative to fascist-era persecution.

"I think we’re going back to the 1930s, to hunting Jews," Walker Meghnagi, president of the Jewish Community of Milan, said after the Google form began circulating on social media and messaging platforms.

The questionnaire said it was intended to "map Zionist tourism," property purchases and what it described as "Zionist neo-colonization" in Italy, according to reports. It asked users to identify Jews, Israelis and people believed to be connected to Zionism at hotels, vacation rentals, businesses and other public places.

ISRAEL, JEWS TARGETED WORLDWIDE AS WELL-FUNDED LEFTIST, ISLAMIST GROUPS JOIN FOR ‘NAKBA 78’ PROTESTS

"The online mapping of so-called 'Zionist tourism,' rightly denounced by the president of the Jewish Community of Milan, Walker Meghnagi, is an aberrant initiative, in direct violation of fundamental human rights and the constitutional principles on which our nation is founded," Italian Senate President Ignazio La Russa wrote in a statement, as translated to English.

"No form of cataloguing of persons on the basis of their religious belief or their connection with Israel is acceptable or justifiable. Behind all this lies a profound anti-Semitism that must be unanimously, firmly, and determinedly rejected," he added. "We cannot remain motionless in the face of such serious facts that recall the ghosts of the past. To the Jewish Community all my closeness."

The form was removed following the intervention of Gen. Pasquale Angelosanto, Italy’s national coordinator for the fight against antisemitism, according to Italian and Israeli media reports.

'NOT ON OUR WATCH': GLOBAL LAW ENFORCEMENT LEADERS UNITE IN POLAND AGAINST HATE

"This form is intended to record cases of Zionist tourism, property purchases, and, more generally, Zionist neo-colonization in Italy," the questionnaire stated.

It said the information collected would be received by the Global Sumud Movement, an activist network associated with flotilla efforts to reach the Gaza Strip, and would remain confidential. Respondents were asked to provide sources so the reports could be verified and used to coordinate unspecified "initiatives."

The Global Sumud Movement denied commissioning the form or knowing about it before the controversy erupted, according to The Jerusalem Post.

"Zionism is one of the issues we work on, but we do not hunt Jews, and we know nothing about this questionnaire," the group told the Italian newspaper La Repubblica. "We did not commission it and had not even seen it before it was taken offline."

EXILED MUSLIM SCHOLAR WARNS FAR-LEFT–ISLAMIST ALLIANCE BEHIND ANTI-ISRAEL PROTESTS ECHOES IRAN’S RISE

The organization said it learned about the questionnaire through news reports and reserved the right to take further action, including issuing a formal statement.

According to La Repubblica, later sections of the form asked respondents to name locations where Jewish or Israeli visitors had been seen and to indicate whether local organizations or activist groups were already "managing the phenomenon."

Meghnagi warned that collecting and circulating such information could encourage extremists to target Jews and Israelis.

"What is happening today shows that there are unbalanced individuals out there, and if this kind of message spreads widely enough, you are certain to find someone willing to act on it," he said. "For this reason, mapping where Jews are is extremely serious."

Alessandro Morelli, an Italian deputy secretary of state, ripped the form as "abhorrent" and said those responsible should not go unpunished.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio accused Iran on Wednesday of flying members of its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps into Yemen, saying Tehran’s actions helped ignite a renewed confrontation between Saudi Arabia and the Iran-backed Houthi rebels.

"They decided to send direct flights from Tehran into Yemen, carrying IRGC elements and others into the country," Rubio told reporters. "And the Saudis responded to it."

Rubio did not identify the flights, specify how many IRGC personnel were allegedly transported or provide evidence supporting the allegation.

RUBIO SAYS US REMAINS OPEN TO IRAN TALKS BUT WARNS THERE 'WILL BE CONSEQUENCES'

He made the remarks while attending an annual gathering of Association of Southeast Asian Nations foreign ministers in Manila, Philippines, where the U.S.-Iran conflict and threats to international shipping were among the central security concerns.

The Houthis have declared a blockade targeting Saudi-linked vessels in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, threatening to widen the conflict and disrupt another critical global trade route.

The rebels say they are targeting ships connected to Saudi Arabia or traveling to and from the kingdom’s Red Sea ports in retaliation for Saudi restrictions on Yemen and a recent attack on the airport in the Houthi-controlled capital of Sanaa.

IRAN-BACKED TERROR PROXY HOUTHIS THREATEN FRESH ATTACKS AFTER YEMEN AIRPORT STRIKE

The Houthis blamed Saudi Arabia for the airport attack, which they said was intended to stop a flight carrying Houthi leaders home from Iran. Rubio disputed that account and alleged that Tehran was using direct flights to transport IRGC personnel and others into Yemen.

The Houthis later launched missiles and drones at Saudi Arabia’s Abha International Airport, marking one of the most serious confrontations between the two sides in years.

Rubio said U.S. officials had spoken repeatedly with Saudi officials during the past week about the Houthi threat.

IRAN CALLS ON HOUTHIS TO PREPARE TO CUT OFF RED SEA GATEWAY — CAN THE TERROR GROUP DO IT?

"Anything that restricts shipping through the Red Sea would be problematic for the same reasons that the Strait of Hormuz is problematic," Rubio said. "So we’re watching that closely."

Saudi Arabia’s military has vowed to keep Bab el-Mandeb open and respond firmly to Houthi threats against commercial vessels using the waterway.

The narrow strait connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and serves as a major shipping corridor linking Europe and Asia through the Suez Canal. Around 12% of global trade and roughly one-quarter of worldwide container traffic normally pass through the route.

Its importance has grown as the U.S.-Iran conflict has sharply curtailed shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. Saudi Arabia has increasingly relied on Red Sea export routes to transport oil to international markets.

The Houthi-run SABA news agency claimed six vessels had altered course after receiving warnings from the group, a claim that could not be independently verified.

The Houthis say the blockade is limited to Saudi-linked shipping. During their earlier campaign connected to the war in Gaza, however, the rebels attacked more than 100 vessels, including ships with little or no apparent connection to Israel.

President Donald Trump said Tuesday that the latest Houthi threat had not materialized.

"So far, it hasn’t happened," Trump told reporters. "I think that if there is something like that, we’ll just have to take care of business."

Rubio’s accusation came as the U.S. military carried out an 11th consecutive night of strikes against targets in Iran. U.S. Central Command said the latest targets included aircraft hangars and drone storage sites.

Speaking to Southeast Asian leaders, Rubio also warned that allowing Iran to control the Strait of Hormuz, collect tolls and attack ships that refused to comply would set a dangerous precedent for international waterways around the world.

"If we create a precedent in the Middle East where a nation state can decide that they are going to control an international waterway, charge a toll and, if you don’t pay them, blow up your ships, we have created a very dangerous precedent which will repeat itself in other parts of the world, including in this region," Rubio said.

Rubio said Iran’s support for the Houthis reflects a broader pattern of backing armed groups across the Middle East.

"The Houthis, Hezbollah, the militias in Iraq, Hamas — this is what Iran spends its money on," Rubio said. "It’s not on its people. It’s on supporting terrorist organizations and destabilizing actors in the region."

The "Return to October" exhibition offers an immersive reconstruction of the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, massacre, combining video with declassified Israel Defense Forces intelligence and planning materials recovered in the Gaza Strip that reveal how the Palestinian terrorist group planned and carried out its cross-border assault.

The 600-square-meter exhibition was assembled by the Israel Intelligence Heritage & Commemoration Center (IICC), a nonprofit dedicated to commemorating fallen members of Israel's intelligence community.

The exhibition features vehicles used in the attack, a film on the abduction of Israeli hostages, a mock Hamas tunnel, and excerpts from the Israel Defense Forces' 47-minute compilation of raw footage from the assault.

INSIDE ISRAEL'S MISSION TO TRAIN CIVILIANS TO STOP THE NEXT OCT 7-LIKE TERROR ATTACK

"The main conclusion of this exhibition is that Hamas prepared this terror invasion over a long period in a highly organized and professional manner. It gathered extensive intelligence over many years, and visitors can see examples of that intelligence-gathering effort throughout the exhibition," Yossi Kuperwasser, head of the Institute for the Research of the Methodology of Intelligence at the Israel Intelligence Heritage & Commemoration Center, told Fox News Digital.

Kuperwasser said the exhibition's most significant feature is its collection of documents seized by the IDF in Gaza that Hamas sought to keep hidden. Among them are materials indicating that Hezbollah chose not to fully join the Oct. 7 attack out of concern that Israel would respond with a major offensive. The documents also shed light on the relationship between Hamas and Iran, including the extent of Tehran's involvement.

"The most important lesson is that Israel's enemies are constantly planning large-scale terrorist attacks. They seek to wipe us off the map, and if you become complacent and assume they are not preparing such attacks, you are mistaken," he said.

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

The exhibition's first room features a map marking 114 points where terrorists breached the border into Israel on Oct. 7. Red circles identify the communities that were attacked, while a dotted red line traces where the attackers were ultimately stopped. According to the exhibition, about 4,300 Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad and other terrorist operatives entered Israel at the start of the assault, followed by another 1,500 to 1,700 Gazans described as "uninvolved civilians."

Displayed in the room are Egyptian, North Korean, Russian, Chinese and Iranian-made weapons, alongside arms supplied to Hamas by Hezbollah.

The tour guide Eyal, whose last name could not be disclosed, displayed a kidnapping kit containing handcuffs, electric shock devices and syringes intended to sedate hostages, alongside what he described as a "spiritual kit" containing a miniature Quran and a fatwa, or religious ruling, calling for the killing of Israelis.

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION PROBES UNRWA OVER ALLEGED EMPLOYMENT OF 1,500 TERRORISTS

Another display features military gear belonging to former Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, as well as a handwritten document recovered by the IDF from the European Hospital in Gaza.

"Here, he instructs Hamas terrorists to attack the Zionists, burn villages, kill and kidnap people, humiliate soldiers, and document everything using GoPro cameras for social media," Eyal said.

The document also states that Sinwar hoped Iran, the Houthis, Hezbollah, Arabs in Judea and Samaria, and Arab citizens of Israel would join the assault.

Also on display are aerial photographs that Hamas used to map Kibbutz Be’eri, identifying individual homes, the armory and the security chief’s residence; an operational plan dated Oct. 6 that was shared only with Hamas commanders to prevent leaks; and a booklet translating Arabic phrases into Hebrew.

The exhibition also highlights Hamas education and incitement. Shelves display books recovered from Gaza, including copies of Mein Kampf found in schools, while photographs show children posing with weapons after attending Hamas summer camps.

"It begins in childhood," Eyal told Fox News Digital.

Another room focuses on Hamas’s exploitation of journalists and UNRWA for terrorist purposes, featuring displays that organizers say show 60% of reporters killed in Gaza were Hamas members or affiliated with the organization, a photograph of a UNRWA school allegedly used as a combat headquarters, and a map of Israel labeling towns and cities with Arabic names.

A garage-like room displays a white Toyota pickup truck and motorcycles used in the terror assault.

"We found that 153 pickup trucks and 350 motorcycles entered Israel that day. Many of these Toyotas were imported into Gaza through Ashdod Port in Israel," Eyal said.

Another room shows excerpts from the IDF’s 47-minute compilation of raw footage from the attacks. Many journalists chose not to watch because of the graphic content, while some who remained in the room left in tears.

Toward the end, a corridor displays the names and photographs, in alphabetical order, of the 1,224 people killed during the attacks, including soldiers, police officers, civilians, Jews, Arabs, Christians, and Druze.

"When we fail in our mission, this is the situation we arrive at," Eyal said.

The final room features footage of Israeli hostages reuniting with their families and concludes with an optimistic painting depicting a flourishing southern Israel.

JOHANNESBURG: A Nigerian Pastor highlighted by President Trump on social media, says that nine members of his family have been killed. The minister is an outspoken critic of the killing of Christians by radicalized Muslim members of the Fulani militia.

Rev. Ezekiel Dachomo now says that the same militia has issued a death threat against him. Dachomo, is the regional leader of the Church of Christ in Nations, in Nigeria’s Middle Belt.

The State Department and a leading U.S. non-profit Christian organization have demanded the Nigerian government take more action to stop what the State Department described to Fox News Digital as "a shocking level of violence against Christians".

AMERICANS TRAVEL TO PAKISTAN TO FREE CHRISTIANS TRAPPED IN MODERN-DAY SLAVERY: 'GOD'S HAND WAS IN IT'

Multiple sources reported nine of his extended family were killed in an attack on their family compound in the Riyom district of Plateau State on July 12. A two-month-old baby is said to be among those killed. The attackers were allegedly looking for Dachomo, reportedly asking as they arrived "where is the father of this house?" adding, "Today, you will learn a hard lesson", before opening fire indiscriminately.

This past week, he posted on X "A few days ago, Fulani herdsmen sent a threatening letter to me and to members of my church. It’s message was terrifying. They vowed to attack me and kill me soon, just as they killed nine of my relatives."

The pastor continued, "I know what it means to stand before grieving families whose only crime was refusing to deny Jesus Christ."

PASTOR FREED FROM CHINESE PRISON AFTER TRUMP RAISED HIS CASE WITH XI JINPING

"Now they say I will be next. But I ask the world, what is my crime?" he posted. "Is my crime that I tell the stories of persecuted Christians in Nigeria, so the world will not forget them?"

"The Islamist Fulani ethnic militia hate Pastor Ezekiel and targeted him because he is waking up Christians to the reality of what they are facing," Judd Saul, founder of Equipping the Persecuted, a nonprofit, told Fox News Digital. Saul’s organization works to end religious persecution in Nigeria, specifically aiming to end radical Islamist violence against Christians.

By the end of 2025, Dachomo said he had to conduct over 70 mass burials of Christians. The burials have continued this year, with the post highlighted by President Trump showing the Pastor presiding over the funeral of some 20 believers.

CHRISTIAN FARMING COMMUNITIES UNDER SIEGE AS US REPORT NAMES FULANI MILITANTS NIGERIA'S DEADLIEST THREAT

Saul believes the killing will continue, saying "Equipping the Persecuted have documented overwhelming evidence that the Islamist Fulani ethnic militia are responsible for the vast majority of killings of Christians in Nigeria. Within the last week alone, over 40 Christians have been killed, and we have been warning that there are major attacks about to occur within the next few days."

Islamic Fulani militias are by far the deadliest persecutors of Christians in Nigeria, according to a six-year study conducted by the Observatory for Religious Freedom in Africa (ORFA) just published. The study found that the network of Fulani militias is responsible for four times more civilian deaths than the two prominent Islamic terror organizations, Boko Haram, and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) combined. Boko Haram was previously allied to Al Qaeda, and ISWAP is currently linked to ISIS.

The ORFA report shows that terror-related violence killed 79,323 people from 2019 to September 2025 in Nigeria. This equates to 36 people a day. Islamic Fulani accounted for 44% of the deaths — far more than the 12% that Boko Haram and ISWAP killed combined.

Referring to the killings of Dachomo’s family, a State Department spokesperson told Fox News Digital, "We have seen reports of the killing of nine Christians in Plateau State in Nigeria. There remains a shocking level of violence against Christians in the Middle Belt committed by Fulani Ethnic Militia."

"The United States offers its sincerest condolences to the family and loved ones of those who lost their lives," the spokesperson continued, "We unequivocally condemn this heinous act. We urge the Nigerian authorities to hold the perpetrators accountable and take specific steps that will improve security for Christians."

The spokesperson added, "During meetings with Nigerian officials in Abuja July 13–15, Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Frank Garcia, and the accompanying U.S. delegation stressed the United States’ grave concern regarding the violence Christians face in Nigeria and the need for concrete action. As President Trump has made clear, the United States will continue to work with the Government of Nigeria to protect Christians and advance religious freedom in Nigeria."

The Trump administration has carried out a series of air strikes in Nigeria, aimed at stopping the killing of Christians. However, these have all been in the north of the country, and specifically against Boko Haram, and ISWAP Islamists. There has been no reported targeting of Fulani groups operating in the coutry’s Middle Belt.

On this, Equipping the Persecuted’s Saul added, "We want the Trump Administration to put laser focus on the Middle Belt of Nigeria, and the Fulani ethnic militia."

Dachomo told Fox News Digital, "We ask President Trump to stop the Fulani terrorists from killing our people in Nigeria’s Middle Belt and surrounding regions. These attacks against Christian communities have been going on for years and must be stopped. We need the United States to stand with us."

In an X post, the Pastor pleaded to the President of Nigeria: "Tinubu, I am begging you in the name of Jesus, stop Islamic agenda. Muslim(s), they want to finish us. Christian(s) wake up, open your eyes."

Quoting from the Bible Psalm 118:6, he added, "The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do unto me?"

He concluded, "They may threaten my life, but they cannot silence the truth. They may kill the messenger, but they cannot kill the message."

Contacted by Fox News Digital, Rabiu Ibrahim, spokesperson at the Nigerian Ministry of Information and National Orientation, offered condolences to the Rev. Dachomo but responded to the pastor’s accusations by saying, "The Government rejects attempts to portray the nation’s security crisis as a conflict between faiths. Such narratives oversimplify a complicated situation and risk serving the interests of criminal groups who seek to exploit existing fault lines, create fear and undermine national cohesion."
 

Ibrahim continued, "The unfortunate incident involving Rev. Dachomo’s family is being treated with the seriousness that every loss of Nigerian life deserves. However, allegations regarding the identity, motivation and affiliation of perpetrators must be subjected to proper investigation and established through credible security findings. Nigeria’s security agencies remain committed to thoroughly investigating all attacks and bringing perpetrators to justice, regardless of their identity or background."

Elements of the Trump administration are again debating whether the United States should support the downfall of Iran’s government as the war intensifies again, according to a recent analysis. 

The analysis, published Monday by Financial Times columnist Gideon Rachman, says the discussion reportedly includes efforts to encourage an internal uprising and the possible revival of proposals to support armed Iranian opposition groups, including Kurdish factions that have fought Iran for decades.

The question has gained urgency as the United States resumes strikes against Iranian military targets and officials debate whether continued pressure should remain narrowly focused on maritime security or evolve into a broader effort to weaken the Islamic Republic from within.

Such a shift would present President Donald Trump with a consequential choice: continue using military and economic pressure to force Iranian concessions, or adopt the far more ambitious objective of helping Iranians remove the Islamic Republic from power.

IRAN REQUESTS TALKS WITH US AS WHITE HOUSE WARNS 'VIOLENCE WILL BE MET WITH VIOLENCE'

Trump, however, signaled Tuesday that he has not closed the door on diplomacy, saying Iran is seeking talks behind the scenes.

"They want to meet desperately to try and end it because they’re getting decimated," Trump told reporters during a Tuesday press conference.

Asked what talks were possible, Trump said: "They want to desperately meet. And until they’re ready to meet in a meaningful way, we have no interest…" 

"Honestly, they haven't seen anything yet. We've been nice," the president added.

US OFFICIAL SAYS JD VANCE MADE 'GREAT PROGRESS' IN IRAN TALKS, CALLS SNUB REPORTS 'FOREIGN PROPAGANDA'

Trump’s comments suggest that military pressure and diplomacy remain intertwined, even as questions grow over whether some administration officials favor a broader strategy aimed at weakening or ultimately replacing Iran’s leadership.

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), the military command responsible for American operations across the Middle East, said Monday that it struck Iranian military command centers, maritime capabilities, missile and drone launch sites and air-defense systems as part of an effort to reduce Iran’s ability to threaten shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.

The current military mission remains focused on protecting global shipping, Secretary of State Marco Rubio similarly said Sunday. 

"The only reason why the U.S. is conducting strikes is against assets of Iran that are being used to attack global commercial shipping," Rubio told reporters Sunday at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland. "That’s what the objective of this mission is. That’s what it continues to be."

Experts say the distinction between weakening the regime and making its collapse a formal military objective is critical.

"Collapsing the regime remains a long-term goal using all forms of national power, but it doesn’t appear to be a military objective right now," Richard Goldberg, a senior advisor at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies think tank, told Fox News Digital. "This is Project Freedom — it’s focused on securing the Strait of Hormuz, and any escalation is likely tied to that mission."

Goldberg said some high-value targets, including nuclear facilities such as Pickaxe Mountain, could be treated as exceptions because of their strategic importance. Pickaxe Mountain is a deeply buried and largely uninspected complex near Iran’s Natanz nuclear facility that U.S. and Israeli officials suspect could be connected to Iran’s nuclear program. 

But, he argued that most current U.S. operations are designed to advance maritime security rather than trigger a broader campaign to topple the government. 

STEVE FORBES URGES TRUMP TO KEEP THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ OPEN AT ALL COSTS

"Where this gets confusing is when Central Command targets assets that are necessary for the Hormuz mission but could still provoke wider escalation, like dual-use infrastructure or certain leadership figures," Goldberg said. "That doesn’t mean the U.S. wouldn’t welcome the regime’s collapse, but that outcome is more likely to come through economic pressure, covert action and targeted decapitations over time."

Any move toward regime change would immediately raise questions about who could replace Iran’s rulers and whether Washington could support a political transition without becoming responsible for another prolonged Middle Eastern conflict.

One proposal reportedly discussed earlier in the war involved assisting Iranian Kurdish groups operating near the Iraqi border. Trump was open to supporting armed factions willing to fight Iran’s government, U.S. officials told The Wall Street Journal in March. 

The administration had contacted Kurdish leaders about possible assistance, The Washington Post separately reported. 

Such groups could provide Washington with partners on the ground without the deployment of U.S. forces. But they remain divided, militarily constrained and vulnerable to retaliation against their bases and supporters in neighboring Iraq.

The central question is whether those groups are now positioned to exploit perceived weakness inside Iran or whether increased fighting amounts to another round of limited clashes.

Majeed Gly, president of the American Kurdish Committee, said recent clashes involving Kurdish groups indicate a change in how some opposition forces perceive the regime’s strength. He cautioned that the violence should not be mistaken for a full-scale uprising, but said it should not be dismissed as routine border fighting.

"What I’m hearing is, this is not business as usual," Gly told Fox News Digital earlier in July. "This is not like periodic clashes on the border. This is operations, and it seems to be deep inside."

"What has changed is the perception of weakness of Iran," Gly added. "They are less afraid of the regime."

The broader Iranian opposition remains fragmented among monarchists, ethnic movements, secular activists, left-wing organizations and other groups that disagree over leadership and the structure of a future government.

That leaves the administration confronting the same problem that has complicated previous attempts to encourage political change in Iran: widespread opposition to the Islamic Republic does not necessarily translate into a unified movement capable of replacing it.

Italian authorities seized roughly 1,700 pounds of cocaine hidden among pallets of bananas at a major port, officials said Tuesday.

The drugs were divided into 650 packages and "skillfully concealed" inside a refrigerated shipping container that arrived at the port of Vado Ligure from one of Ecuador’s main ports, according to Italy’s Guardia di Finanza.

A field test conducted during the inspection determined the substance was "extremely pure cocaine," officials said.

BORDER OFFICERS CRACK OPEN CABBAGE SHIPMENT HIDING MULTIMILLION-DOLLAR SECRET AT TEXAS BORDER

Authorities said the bust was one of the largest anti-drug operations carried out at the port in recent years. 

The shipment could have generated an estimated 250 million euros, or nearly $290 million, if it had reached the street market.

MASSIVE MEXICO-CALIFORNIA BORDER BUSTS UNCOVER EYE-POPPING AMOUNT OF DRUGS: 'REMAIN VIGILANT'

The seizure followed an extensive analysis of commercial shipping routes linking South America with Vado Ligure, an important gateway for goods entering Europe — and an "attractive" target for international drug traffickers, according to officials.

"The operation forms part of an ongoing and targeted effort to combat the international trafficking of narcotics, including efforts to protect the most vulnerable segments of the population, who are often exposed to the harmful effects of this type of criminal activity," Guardia di Finanza said.

JEANINE PIRRO CALLS OUT 'DIRTBAGS' AFTER 14 CHARGED IN ALLEGED COCAINE RING OPERATING FEET FROM A SCHOOLYARD

The seizure comes weeks after U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers discovered more than 1,100 pounds of cocaine hidden in a commercial tractor-trailer carrying cabbage at the Pharr Port of Entry in Texas.

A canine inspection and nonintrusive imaging scan alerted officers to the concealed load, CBP said. A physical search of the trailer uncovered 477 packages containing 1,173 pounds of cocaine with an estimated street value of nearly $10.8 million.

Fox News Digital's Leo Briceno contributed to this report.

Canada on Tuesday called off a joint celebration with the United States to mark the opening of the Gordie Howe International Bridge, following renewed tariff threats from President Donald Trump.

The bridge — which connects Detroit and Windsor, Ontario — was named after legendary Canadian hockey player Gordie Howe who played for the Detroit Red Wings, symbolizing the longstanding relationship between the two countries.

Trump on Monday announced plans to impose a 50% tariff on certain Canadian imports, citing what officials called trade discrimination against American companies in the dairy, auto and alcohol industries. The White House said Canada’s policies gave foreign competitors an unfair advantage.

"In light of trade action threatened by the United States earlier this week, it would be inappropriate to proceed with a celebratory event ​between the two countries," Jenna Ghassabeh, a spokesperson for Canadian ​Infrastructure Minister Gregor Robertson, told Reuters in a statement.

TRUMP SAYS HE WILL BLOCK US-CANADA BRIDGE UNLESS CANADA NEGOTIATES ON TRADE

The bridge was scheduled to open to traffic next Monday, and American and Canadian officials were expected to attend a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Friday, Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens previously told local media, according to Reuters.

Ghassabeh confirmed to Reuters that the bridge will still open next week, but the celebration will be held only "among Canadians."

CANADIAN PM CARNEY FIRES BACK AT TRUMP OVER CLAIM THAT 'CANADA LIVES BECAUSE OF THE UNITED STATES'

The multibillion-bridge project has faced multiple setbacks amid strained relations between the United States and Canada.

In February, Trump threatened to block the project after accusing Canada of unfair trade practices and criticizing its relationship with China. He cited Ontario’s removal of U.S. alcohol products from its liquor store shelves as an example of what he described as unfair treatment.

The bridge opening was later cleared to proceed after the U.S. and Canada reached a deal on how tolls would be charged to drivers earlier this month.

The new bridge is expected to ease traffic on the privately owned Ambassador Bridge, the largest commercial border crossing between the two countries, which also connects Detroit and Windsor.

The port of entry handled $126 billion in trade carried by commercial trucks in 2023, Reuters reported.

President Donald Trump’s allies are warning that British Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s appointment of Ed Miliband as foreign secretary could strain the U.S.-U.K. relationship, citing Miliband’s history of attacking Trump and his support for net-zero energy policies.

Burnham appointed Miliband Monday, replacing Yvette Cooper and completing a remarkable political comeback for the former Labour Party leader. Miliband led Labour from 2010 until the party’s defeat in the 2015 general election and most recently served as energy security and net-zero secretary under former Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

The appointment makes Miliband Britain’s top diplomat and a principal counterpart to Secretary of State Marco Rubio at a time when Burnham is seeking to preserve close ties with Washington. Burnham spoke with Trump shortly after becoming prime minister and reaffirmed the importance of the bilateral relationship, according to Reuters.

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

The Daily Telegraph reported that Trump administration officials had warned Burnham’s team against giving Miliband a senior role. Steve Bannon, Trump’s former White House chief strategist and a political ally of the president, told the newspaper that the administration viewed Miliband’s appointment as "very injurious" to the special relationship. Bannon does not hold an administration position, and the White House has not publicly confirmed that such a warning was delivered.

The London Times separately reported before the appointment that the administration had signaled opposition to Miliband and was even more concerned about the prospect of him becoming foreign secretary. That reporting was not attributed to a named administration official.

Miliband has previously condemned Trump in unusually personal terms.

CAN KING CHARLES SAVE THE EVER-FRACTURING ‘SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP’ AFTER TRUMP ANGER AT STARMER OVER IRAN WAR?

During Trump’s first presidential campaign, Miliband described him as a "racist, misogynistic, self-confessed groper." The comment resurfaced after Trump won the 2024 election, when BBC Breakfast presenter Jon Kay questioned Miliband about how he would work with the incoming president.

"How are you going to build a relationship with someone you described in the past as a racist, misogynistic, self-confessed groper?" Kay asked during the Nov. 12, 2024, interview.

"I’ve said some things in the past," Miliband responded. "My job now as a government minister is to work with people."

The differences extend beyond Miliband’s rhetoric about Trump. As energy secretary, Miliband became the public face of the Labour government’s net-zero agenda and its opposition to issuing new licenses for North Sea oil and gas exploration. Trump and members of his administration have pushed Britain to increase domestic fossil-fuel production.

Nile Gardiner, director of the Margaret Thatcher Center for Freedom at the Heritage Foundation and a former foreign policy aide to Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, told Fox News Digital Miliband’s appointment was a "disastrous" decision.

"I think the appointment of Ed Miliband as U.K. foreign secretary is disastrous for Britain," Gardiner said in an interview Tuesday. "It’s a demonstration of a real lack of strategic thinking on the part of Andy Burnham.

"Ed Miliband is no friend of the United States," Gardiner continued. "He has been an outspoken critic of President Trump. Miliband is also widely viewed by U.S. conservatives as the architect of the whole net-zero agenda, which is viewed as completely poisonous by the U.S. administration."

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Gardiner called the appointment a "very high-risk move" that "makes no sense."

"Burnham is already off to a very bad start with this appointment," he said. "I’m in no doubt there will be very significant tensions between President Trump and Prime Minister Burnham, and Miliband’s appointment is quite possibly the worst appointment that Burnham could make as foreign secretary."

As he delivered his first remarks following the appointment, Miliband mentioned his family’s experience as Holocaust survivors.

"It’s the honor of my life, being asked by the prime minister to be the foreign secretary of our country," Miliband said in a statement Tuesday. "My parents came here, Jewish refugees fleeing from the Nazis and, for them, Britain provided sanctuary and a beacon of hope in the fight against fascism.

"At a time when the values of democracy, the rule of law and freedom are under threat as never before, I will carry that spirit, their spirit, into my work as foreign secretary," he said. "And now I’m going to go and get on with the task."

Miliband also pledged to nurture Britain’s "strong, enduring and essential alliance" with the United States while deepening its strategic relationship with the European Union, according to the Financial Times.

His appointment has also raised concerns among some British Jewish and pro-Israel commentators.

Stephen Pollard, a former editor and current columnist for The Jewish Chronicle, argued in an opinion piece published Tuesday that Miliband’s record as Labour leader, including changes to party leadership rules that preceded Jeremy Corbyn’s rise, should concern British Jews and supporters of Israel. Pollard predicted that the Burnham government would pursue additional sanctions against Israel with the support of a Jewish foreign secretary.

The Burnham government had not announced additional sanctions against Israel as of Tuesday.

Conservative Member of Parliament Priti Patel separately criticized Burnham and Miliband over plans to proceed with the Chagos Islands agreement.

"Burnham and Miliband are wrong to press ahead with Labour’s appalling Chagos Surrender," Patel wrote on X, arguing that the agreement would transfer British territory and cost taxpayers £35 billion (approximately $47 billion.)

"Once again, the same old Labour Party is undermining our national security and making Britain weaker on the international stage," she added.

On Monday, President Donald Trump said he spoke with Burnham shortly after he took office, calling the conversation "very good." Trump added that he and Burnham plan to meet in the "not too distant future" to discuss issues of mutual interest.

The White House, State Department, Miliband’s office and Burnham’s office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s requests for comment.

Fox News' Bonny Chu contributed to this article.

Nicaraguan leader Daniel Ortega said the Central American country would no longer hold elections, further closing off any potential path for the opposition to challenge the government he leads with his wife, Rosario Murillo.

Ortega, Nicaragua’s longest-serving leader, has remained in power since 2007 after previously governing during the 1980s. His current presidential term is scheduled to run through 2027.

"There won't be any more elections here for them to try to seize the government and seize power," Ortega said.

He delivered the remarks Sunday during a speech commemorating the 1979 Sandinista revolution, in which Ortega participated in the overthrow of the US-backed dictatorship of Anastasio Somoza.

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The declaration appeared to eliminate the possibility of a future electoral challenge as Ortega and Murillo continue consolidating control over the country’s political institutions.

"The days when parties backed by the Yankees (United States) and the Somocistas would return to power are over — never again," Ortega declared.

Fox News Digital has reached out to the U.S. State Department for comment.

The Trump administration has described the Ortega-Murillo government as a dictatorship and imposed sanctions on members of the government and their allies. The State Department has also enacted visa restrictions targeting more than 2,350 Nicaraguan officials and their family members.

"The United States stands with the Nicaraguan people who, like Rivera, aspire to see a free Nicaragua," Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in June.

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The Biden administration previously said Ortega illegitimately awarded himself another term following Nicaragua’s disputed 2021 presidential election.

Authorities arrested presidential candidates, opposition figures, business leaders and journalists ahead of that vote as the government intensified its criminalization of dissent.

Ortega and Murillo further expanded their authority through sweeping constitutional changes that took effect in 2025. The reforms extended the presidential term from five years to six and elevated Murillo from vice president to "co-president."

The changes also placed Nicaragua’s legislative, judicial and electoral institutions under the authority of the presidency, according to United Nations experts.

Ortega and Murillo now exercise control over nearly every branch of the government, including the armed forces, police and judiciary.

Ortega had already effectively eliminated meaningful electoral competition during elections in 2011, 2016 and 2021, Salvador Marenco, coordinator of the Costa Rica-based Nicaragua Nunca Más Human Rights Collective, told Reuters.

Many prominent opposition leaders have been imprisoned, forced into exile or stripped of their Nicaraguan citizenship, while opposition parties and independent civic organizations have lost their legal status.

A United Nations group of experts has accused the Ortega-Murillo government of systematically violating human rights as part of a campaign to eliminate criticism and preserve its hold on power. The experts said some alleged violations may amount to crimes against humanity.

The government launched a violent crackdown on anti-government protests in 2018. More than 300 people were killed during the unrest, according to international human rights groups.

Reuters contributed to this report.

Sinaloa Cartel co-founder Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada Garcia, of Mexico, was sentenced on Monday to life in a U.S. prison and ordered to forfeit $15 billion in drug trafficking profits, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

U.S. District Judge Brian Cogan said that while he had no choice but to give a life sentence since the charges carried a mandatory term of life imprisonment, he believed it was the right punishment.

"The almost unimaginable amount of drugs attributable to him and the number of murders that we can document is enough to justify Congress's decision to make this a mandatory life sentence," the judge said.

He is one of the most high-profile Mexican drug traffickers to be sentenced by a U.S. judge since fellow Sinaloa leader Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman was sentenced to life in prison in 2019.

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Garcia, 76, agreed to plead guilty in August 2025 to multiple charges, including racketeering conspiracy and continuing criminal enterprise, after the DOJ said it would not pursue the death penalty.

He was arrested in July 2024 alongside Joaquin Guzman Lopez, one of Guzman's sons, after their plane landed in the U.S. Guzman Lopez has since pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including drug trafficking and a July 2024 kidnapping.

Joseph Nocella, a federal prosecutor, told reporters after Garcia's sentencing that Guzman Lopez had admitted to kidnapping Garcia in an attempt to secure leniency and credit from U.S. law enforcement.

"The United States made perfectly clear that we do not condone kidnapping and that he would receive no credit," Nocella said.

Guzman Lopez has not yet been sentenced.

Garcia told the court during his sentencing on Monday that he took responsibility for the harm he had caused.

"No one wins in a war like this. To the next generation, I say, choose a different path," he said.

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Cogan suggested that Garcia be placed in a facility where he would receive adequate medical care since he was suffering from several progressive health ailments.

"Ismael Zambada Garcia spent nearly four decades poisoning American communities to make billions of dollars in profit and ordering the murders of anyone who stood in his way. Today, that chapter closes for good," Nocella said in a statement.

"He will spend the rest of his life in a U.S. prison, exactly where he belongs," he added. This sentence was made possible by the tireless bilateral cooperation between U.S. and Mexican law enforcement, who refused to let El Mayo's years of evading justice become a permanent state of affairs. We hope that today's sentence brings some measure of justice to the countless victims of the Sinaloa Cartel's narcotics trafficking and violence."

Reuters contributed to this report.

UNITED NATIONS — Europe risks destroying its industrial base unless its leaders retreat from aggressive climate policies and respond to voters demanding economic results, Czech Environment Minister Igor Červený warned in an interview with Fox News Digital.

"If we don’t change the course, we will probably crush the industry," Červený said during his first visit to the United Nations (U.N.), where he addressed the U.N. High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development.

Červený pointed to the pressure facing European manufacturers, particularly the automotive sector, and warned that companies were increasingly moving production abroad.

The debate comes as Europe faces mounting pressure to revive its economy while maintaining ambitious climate targets. The discussion is increasingly relevant for the United States, Europe's largest trading partner, as Washington and Brussels navigate disagreements over energy policy, industrial competitiveness and the pace of the global transition away from fossil fuels.

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"If you look at the market at this moment, mostly in European countries, there is a very bad situation," he said. "We see many companies leave our territory and leave for China or another place in the world."

Without those companies, he said, European governments would lose both tax revenue and jobs.

Červený argued that European governments must find a "win-win" approach that protects the environment without undermining industry and employment.

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"We have to be very careful about this and be very reasonable and try to find some solution for both sides," he said. "If you look from a higher perspective at European countries, most of them provided only the green ideology. And I think this is a bad way."

Červený said resistance to the current approach was spreading beyond the Czech Republic, citing Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Germany and some Scandinavian countries.

The Czech Republic has been among several European governments pressing Brussels to ease parts of the Green Deal, including by delaying the bloc’s new carbon market for buildings and road transport and seeking changes to emissions-trading rules that Prague argues are raising energy costs and weakening industrial competitiveness.

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Červený’s warning stood in contrast to the position presented by European Commissioner for Environment Jessika Roswall during the ministerial segment of the U.N. High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development in New York on July 13. The annual forum, convened under the U.N. Economic and Social Council, brings governments together to review progress toward the organization’s global development goals.

Roswall, speaking on behalf of the European Union and its member states, said the bloc remained committed to the 2030 Agenda, a U.N. framework adopted in 2015 that sets 17 goals covering issues including poverty, health, clean energy, infrastructure and environmental protection to be pursued by 2030. She warned that progress was being undermined by conflict, inequality and the "triple planetary crisis of climate change, pollution and biodiversity loss."

She called for accelerated climate action, greater investment in renewable energy and low-carbon technologies, and support for a broader green transition.

"The challenge is not the lack of ideas, but the lack of speed," she said. "So let’s speed up together."

In his exclusive interview with Fox News Digital, Červený also praised President Donald Trump for strengthening European politicians who favor a less regulatory approach.

"I’m glad that Mr. Donald Trump is president again, because this changed many things also in European countries," he said, adding that the United States gives smaller countries such as the Czech Republic a stronger partner in debates in Brussels.

Červený said Europe does not need to abandon sustainability, but should pursue it gradually and in cooperation with industry.

"We have to change the course," he said, "because we don’t want to lose our industry, our economy, our benefits for society and the environment as well."

Social media influencers Andrew and Tristan Tate will remain behind bars for now after appearing in federal court in Miami Monday, where they formally began fighting the United Kingdom's bid to extradite the controversial brothers on dozens of charges, including rape and human trafficking.

During the brief hearing, U.S. Magistrate Judge Lauren Louis informed the brothers they were being held on a provisional arrest warrant from the U.K. and that extradition proceedings were already underway. 

The judge later scheduled a status hearing for July 27 as the brothers prepare to challenge both the extradition request and whether they should remain in custody while the case moves forward.

Attorney Joseph McBride told reporters that the brothers are innocent and said he does not expect them to be released.

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"There will be a series of hearings," McBride said of the extradition process.

Andrew and Tristan Tate appeared wearing gray jail uniforms and shackles and each responded, "Yes, your honor," when Judge Louis advised them of their rights. 

The judge also explained that the proceeding was an extradition matter, not a criminal trial, and that the brothers would not be required to attend every hearing.

The brothers were arrested in Miami over the weekend after British authorities announced 38 additional charges involving four additional alleged victims.

Andrew Tate, 39, faces seven additional rape counts, as well as charges related to sex trafficking and indecent images of a child. Tristan Tate, 38, faces charges including two rape counts and three counts of arranging or facilitating trafficking for sexual exploitation.

British police said the new allegations bring the total number of charges against the brothers to 59. The alleged offenses are said to have occurred between July 2010 and August 2017.

"We have decided to prosecute Andrew and Tristan Tate for further offenses including rape, arranging or facilitating trafficking for sexual exploitation and offences relating to indecent images of a child," Malcolm McHaffie, head of the Crown Prosecution Service’s Special Crime Division, said.

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The Tate brothers, who hold dual U.S. and British citizenship, have denied wrongdoing.

They also face separate criminal proceedings in Romania, where authorities have been investigating them since December 2022.

"I want to make it clear there is no place for male violence against women and girls in our society and we will continue to work tirelessly to support victims and investigate all reports made to us," said assistant chief constable Karena Thomas, lead for Britain's Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire major crime unit.

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The brothers have built a large online following promoting their views on masculinity and wealth, while Andrew Tate has previously described himself as a misogynist.

Andrew Tate is additionally due to face a civil trial in Britain brought by four women who accuse him of physical and sexual abuse.

The four claimants, who have been granted anonymity, allege Tate subjected them to physical or sexual violence between 2013 and 2015. Two say they were in an intimate relationship with Tate, while two worked for his online webcam business.

Andrew Tate denies those allegations. In his written defense, his lawyers said the claims are false and that all sexual activity was consensual.

Fox News' Andre Tinoco and Reuters contributed to this report.