Russian strikes continue following visit by Witkoff and Kushner to Kyiv

Russia attacked Kyiv with ballistic missiles on Tuesday, after U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner visited Ukraine's capital as part of an effort to resume stalled peace negotiations.

Ukrainian officials said the attack involved ballistic and cruise missiles, according to CNN, and residential buildings in two districts of the city sustained damage as people were urged to remain indoors.

Kyiv’s mayor, Vitali Klitschko, said people were trapped inside a residential building after the attacks.

RUSSIA LAUNCHES BALLISTIC MISSILE ATTACK ON KYIV HOURS AFTER ZELENSKYY WARNS OF MAJOR STRIKE

The attacks, which caused fires across the city, including at an educational facility, came after Witkoff and Kushner met with Ukrainian officials in Kyiv on Sunday. The day prior, they met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow as the Trump administration attempts to bring an end to the war that began in February 2022.

Witkoff said Ukraine and Russia had agreed to a three-day ceasefire before their visit to the region following months without significant progress toward a peace agreement. The ceasefire ended on Tuesday.

KUSHNER, WITKOFF SET FOR KYIV TALKS AFTER PUTIN MEETING IN US PUSH FOR PEACE

"Substantive progress was made, including movement on scheduling additional trilateral talks. President Trump is working hard to stop the killing and work towards a lasting and durable peace," he wrote on X following the trip.

On Tuesday morning, the governor of the Russian city of Saratov said a Ukrainian drone struck civilian infrastructure and injured some people.

Russian attacks killed multiple people and wounded dozens of others across Ukraine over the past day, Ukrainian officials said on Monday.

Additionally, Ukrainian drones struck three Russian oil refineries on Monday.

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Popular TV host, media star faces hanging after conviction in major synthetic drug trafficking case

A popular Egyptian TV host on Saturday was sentenced to death by hanging in a major drug case that accused dozens of suspects of forming an organized criminal group to manufacture and traffic synthetic drugs.

Sarah Khalifa is among 12 defendants facing execution for their alleged roles in the operation, including importing materials used to produce narcotics, according to state-backed media Ahram Online. Capital punishment in Egypt is carried out by hanging for civilian convictions.

Khalifa is a media personality, beauty clinic owner and former TV host who has appeared on several Egyptian television channels. Local outlet Masrawy reported that she previously hosted the Egyptian crime show "Mission Impossible."

Khalifa, who currently has more than 2.5 million followers on Instagram, was reportedly arrested in Cairo in April 2025 as part of the investigation.

DOCTOR AND SON ACCUSED OF RUNNING DANGEROUS SIDE-BUSINESS SCHEME IN NEW YORK

The case involved a total of 28 defendants who were charged with forming an organized criminal group, as well as possessing unlicensed firearms and ammunition, Ahram Online said. Twelve were sentenced to death, nine received life sentences and seven were acquitted of all charges.

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION CRACKS DOWN ON BRAZIL'S BIGGEST DRUG GANGS WITH ‘GLOBAL TERROR’ DESIGNATION

The group allegedly operated like a production and distribution network, with members assigned different roles. Some were responsible for importing raw materials, while others manufactured and distributed the synthetic drugs, the prosecution said, according to reports.

The group was also accused of storing materials and manufacturing drugs in a residential property.

More than 750 kilograms, or roughly 1,653 pounds, of synthetic narcotics and raw materials were seized during the investigation, prosecutors said, according to reports.

The case against Khalifa and the other defendants relied on statements from 20 witnesses, along with technical and digital evidence, including messages, photographs and videos that prosecutors said documented the alleged criminal activity, according to Ahram Online.

Authorities also placed the defendants' assets and bank accounts under precautionary measures and ordered those already in custody to remain detained, Ahram Online reported.

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UN agency accused of Hamas ties sees another European nation cut funding

Another European nation has stopped funding the U.N. agency that aids the Palestinians. Finland has followed the U.S. and Sweden in halting donations to the terror-tainted agency.

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), is presently being investigated for ties to the terrorist rulers of Gaza. Recently, organizations including the USAID Office of Inspector General (OIG) and NGO UN Watch have uncovered further evidence of what they allege is Hamas infiltration of UNRWA and its members’ participation in the Oct. 7, 2023 terror attacks in southern Israel. 

Finland announced it would discontinue funding to the organization at the end of 2026. Finland’s Ministry for Foreign Affairs confirmed to Fox News Digital that the agreement with UNRWA would conclude at the end of 2026 but that "As of yet, no decision has been made on what are the international partners through which Finland’s support will be channeled next year to meet the acute needs in the region." 

Finnish officials did not respond to Fox News Digital’s questions about what prompted the change to the country’s funding for UNRWA.

US URGES DONORS TO ABANDON UNRWA FUNDING AS UN DEFENDS AGENCY'S MISSION

While other nations still continue to fund UNRWA, President Donald Trump fully banned funding to the organization in February 2025 and Sweden ended funding to UNRWA in December 2024. Sweden redirected aid to other U.N. bodies for its Gaza response.

The future of aid provision in Gaza matters for the Trump administration-backed Board of Peace as it seeks to shape a conflict-free future for the region.

An official affiliated with the Board of Peace reconstruction effort told Fox News Digital that "the international community’s concern about UNRWA in Gaza continues to rise and is supported by damning evidence. The Board of Peace has been clear: New Gaza will be both demilitarized and deradicalized, and we will only be working with trusted, credible delivery partners to achieve our goals. We anticipate responsibly replacing UNRWA with vetted partners who will deliver for the people of Gaza."

WATCHDOG DEMANDS APOLOGY AFTER UN MEMORIAL ERRONEOUSLY HONORS HAMAS TERRORIST

The USAID OIG is investigating about 1,500 members of UNRWA for terror participation, and has referred 108 UNRWA staff to the State Department to suggest they be suspended or excluded from further work with organizations in receipt of U.S. funds.

A senior U.S. official briefed on USAID OIG’s ongoing investigation told Fox News Digital that the USAID OIG’s "independent findings are prompting several other countries to reassess the stale and conventional thinking that UNRWA is the best and only option to provide aid to civilians in Gaza." The official said that the USAID OIG’s "findings also will prevent Hamas and October 7 affiliated staff from circulating across future, more responsible, aid organizations operating in Gaza."

WORLD'S HUMANITARIAN SYSTEM BUCKLING, 'NO LONGER FIT FOR PURPOSE,' US-BASED RESEARCHERS SAY

UN Watch’s Terror Network report claims that about 12% of UNRWA staff in Gaza are members of terror organizations, based on "cross-checking UNRWA employee rosters with Hamas records seized by the [Israel Defense Forces.]"

Executive director of UN Watch Hillel Neuer told Fox News Digital that "Finland’s principled decision to defund terror-infested UNRWA will not deprive Palestinians of aid, as it will be redirected through genuine humanitarian agencies such as the World Food Programme that are not systemically infiltrated by Hamas."

He said that "other democracies should follow" the examples of Finland, Sweden, and the U.S. "Contrary to what UNRWA supporters claim, the agency is not ‘indispensable’ — assistance can and must be delivered through responsible alternatives."

Stéphane Dujarric, spokesperson for U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres, told Fox News Digital that "UNRWA has taken note of the announcement, and they are grateful to Finland for the disbursement of the 2023–2026 funds under the multi-year agreement. UNRWA looks forward to continuing our discussions with the government." He explained that "the Secretary-General continues to encourage member states to support UNRWA's vital work." 

Finland's four-year funding was around $23.23 to UNRWA and will now end after this year. UNRWA did not respond to Fox News Digital questions about Finland’s decision.

Neuer said "defunding UNRWA is a prerequisite for deradicalization, the first step in the Gaza peace plan. Far from harming the prospects for peace, dismantling UNRWA is essential to achieving it. For decades, the agency has perpetuated the conflict by teaching generations of Palestinians that their future lies not in building their own society, but in a so-called ‘right of return’ that would eliminate Israel."

He concluded by noting that USAID OIG and UN Watch’s exposes on UNRWA prove that "the agency is unreformable. Nations that genuinely want peace should stop financing this machinery of hate, and invest instead in humanitarian relief, deradicalization and Palestinian self-reliance."

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US restricts government travel to Mexican border city over threat concerns

Travel restrictions have been placed on U.S. government employees in the Mexican border city of Nogales, Sonora, according to officials.

The U.S. Embassy and Consulates in Mexico on Saturday issued a warning restricting government activity over an unspecified threat in Nogales, Sonora, in Mexico.

"Due to threat information, U.S. government activities in, and travel to, Nogales have been restricted to essential movement during daylight hours only," the U.S. Consulate General in Nogales said in a statement.

STATE DEPARTMENT URGES AMERICANS TO AVOID MEXICAN CITY JUST ACROSS TEXAS BORDER

"We are alerting U.S. citizens of this threat and change in posture," the statement continued.

Sonora's State Security Board said it contacted U.S. consular officials after the alert was issued but did not provide information identifying a specific threat. State authorities said they had no information establishing a concrete risk to the public, though they would continue preventive security operations in Nogales.

The alert also reminded Americans that the U.S. Travel Advisory designates Sonora as a Level 3 "Reconsider Travel" area.

Anyone in the area is urged to exercise increased caution and be aware of their surroundings, seek shelter in the event of an incident, notify friends and family of their safety in the event of an incident, follow instructions from Mexican law enforcement, and monitor local media for updates.

U.S. lawmakers also encouraged people in the area to pay attention to the warnings issued by the U.S. government.

"For Americans in or near Nogales - or who may have family members or friends there: please heed the guidance and warnings from the U.S. government," Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., said on X.

"We are praying for the safety of U.S. citizens and personnel who may be in harm's way," he added.

AMERICANS WARNED POPULAR TRAVEL ROUTES THIS SUMMER COULD CARRY CRIME AND KIDNAPPING RISKS

It remains unclear what threat in Nogales triggered the security warning.

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Germany’s far-right party AfD surges to historic victory in state election

The far-right party Alternative for Germany, or AfD, was projected to win a strong victory in a regional election on Sunday, in a major blow to German Chancellor Friedrich Merz's center-right party, the Christian Democratic Union.

Merz's party was projected to be hit with a disastrous result in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt.

AfD had sought to form the country’s first far-right state government since the end of World War II in 1945, although it was not immediately clear whether it would be able to fulfill that ambition.

Ulrich Siegmund, AfD's anti-migration candidate for governor, said that "we have written history."

ANTI-MIGRANT AFD SEEKS TO BREAK GERMANY'S POLITICAL 'FIREWALL' IN HISTORIC STATE ELECTION

Siegmund, 35, told public broadcaster ARD that voters had sent a message that "things cannot carry on like this," adding that it was "also a signal toward Berlin."

"A very good campaigner for us in this election campaign was Friedrich Merz. Every day this man is in the chancellery is one too many," he said of Germany's unpopular leader.

The election comes amid widespread public discontent with the national government, which has yet to convince many voters it can get the country's sluggish economy back on track.

AfD aimed for an absolute majority in the state legislature to govern on its own and overcome the so-called firewall of mainstream parties’ refusal to work with it. But it was unclear long after polls closed whether that goal would become reality.

"AfD is a right-wing extremist party. It wants to leave the euro; that would be economic downfall ... it works closely together with Russia, it wants a completely different social model," said Franziska Hoppermann, the national general-secretary of Merz's party. "We will not work with them."

Achieving its first state government would be the biggest victory in the anti-migration party’s 13-year history.

Regardless of whether AfD forms its own government, the projected result is still a blow to Merz, whose center-right party has led Saxony-Anhalt for 24 years. Unlike several other European countries, modern Germany has not had a far-right or right-wing populist party leading a national, state or major-city government.

AfD is the largest opposition party in Germany’s national parliament and is strongest in the formerly communist and less prosperous east, where Saxony-Anhalt sits.

Its regional branch in Saxony-Anhalt is one of several classified as a confirmed right-wing extremist group by the domestic intelligence agency, which cites members' disparagement of migrants from Muslim countries among other things.

The party promotes "remigration," which pushes for the deportation of immigrants.

Siegmund has said his top priorities include "a deportation offensive" and ending incentives for people to come to Germany and "exploit our social system." He also wants to initiate a process to pull Saxony-Anhalt from the regional public broadcaster over allegations of "disinformation."

Germany’s 16 states have extensive powers, including overseeing security matters and running the education system.

An AfD leader in a neighboring state appealed two convictions for knowingly using a Nazi slogan.

The party has pushed back on accusations of extremism as politically motivated.

GERMANY BLAMES RUSSIA AFTER EXPLOSIVE-LADEN DRONE FOUND NEAR UKRAINIAN CARGO PLANES AT MAJOR AIRPORT

Projections for ARD and ZDF public television, based on exit polls and partial counting, have AfD at just over 44% of the vote, more than double its showing five years ago in the region of 2.1 million people west of Berlin.

Merz's Christian Democratic Union was significantly behind, polling 18% and losing about half its support. The Left Party, the center-left Social Democrats and Greens were seen polling around 9% each.

It was unclear whether the BSW party would reach the 5% of the vote needed to win seats. The projections put AfD at least marginally short of an absolute majority for now, but that could change.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Rome ramps up security around Colosseum with new ‘red zone’ targeting criminals

Rome has declared a "red zone" around the Colosseum after predatory crime, drug dealing and a violent confrontation involving roughly 50 people turned one of the world’s most famous tourist destinations into a security flashpoint.

The "enhanced-control zone" covers the Colosseum, Imperial Forums and Colle Oppio and allows authorities to remove certain people whose violent, threatening or persistently disruptive behavior creates a public safety risk, according to a six-page order issued by Rome Prefect Lamberto Giannini.

The measure took effect Aug. 24 and will remain in place for four months, through Christmas Eve.

FIREWORKS REPORTEDLY TRIGGER MASS HORSE STAMPEDE THROUGH ROME STREETS, INJURING SEVERAL SOLDIERS

Officials said the area has experienced a "resurgence of disorder" that was "predominantly attributable to groups of young people of non-EU origin," according to the order.

The document cited predatory crimes, fights and fireworks near the ancient amphitheater, warning that the explosives may have been used to distract potential crime victims.

Officials said the trouble reached a breaking point July 1, when Rome Capital police officers responded after fireworks were set off near the Colosseum. A group of approximately 50 non-EU nationals allegedly resisted responding officers and damaged police property, according to the order.

The group surrounded local police officers and left two with minor injuries during what news agency ANSA described as an unauthorized gathering in Piazza del Colosseo.

Authorities also singled out Largo Gaetana Agnesi, a terrace overlooking the Colosseum and situated above the Colosseo subway station, as a regular gathering place for the groups at the center of the security concerns.

The nearby Colle Oppio park was also described as a problem area because of people officials said may be engaged in conduct harmful to public safety and public order.

SEATTLE MAYOR ANNOUNCES CRACKDOWN ON CRIME-PLAGUED NEIGHBORHOOD AFTER YEARS OF COMPLAINTS

The newly designated zone stretches through some of the most recognizable areas of central Rome, including Piazza Venezia, Via dei Fori Imperiali, Piazza del Colosseo, the Arch of Constantine and Piazza del Campidoglio.

Giannini issued the order following a proposal from Rome’s police chief and discussions by the Provincial Committee for Public Order and Security.

The order says the opening of the Metro C station serving the Colosseum has also contributed to the security challenges by creating a direct connection between the historic center and neighborhoods in eastern Rome.

The station and another subway stop inside the designated area draw large numbers of commuters and tourists who could be exposed to criminal activity, officials said.

TOURIST HOT SPOT SLAPPED WITH US TRAVEL WARNING RENEWAL DUE TO CRIME AND TERROR

Under the order, authorities may remove people who engage in violent, threatening or persistently disruptive behavior and who were reported during the previous five years for specified offenses. Those include intentional crimes against people or property, certain drug offenses, weapons violations and crimes carrying a particular hate-crime aggravating circumstance.

The order is part of a broader push to protect residents and a flood of tourists visiting the Italian capital. Officials described Rome as facing an unusually complex security situation because of major international and historic events, the heightened geopolitical threat environment and the continuing influx of visitors.

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

Authorities said ordinary patrols, surveillance systems, fixed security posts and joint "High Impact" operations had produced results but had not stopped repeated criminal conduct or fully restored public spaces to residents and visitors.

Officials also extended a separate security zone in Esquilino, covering streets around Rome’s main Termini train station and the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore.

ITALY SHUTS DOWN EFFORT LINKED TO GAZA FLOTILLA GROUP TO TRACK JEWISH, ISRAELI TOURISTS

Officials said demonstrations around Termini continue to require close attention. They also cited the increased number of visitors and pilgrims traveling to Santa Maria Maggiore, where Pope Francis is buried, warning that large crowds can become targets for predatory crimes.

An earlier enhanced-control designation covering the Valle Aurelia area, including the Battistini and Cornelia subway stations, was discontinued after authorities determined that continuing the special measures there was no longer useful.

Anyone who violates the order could face criminal charges under Italian law.

Fox News Digital reached out to Rome police for additional information.

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US-backed effort to disarm Iraq’s Iran-linked militias hits setback, experts say

The Trump administration’s push to compel the new Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi to dismantle pro-Iran terrorist militias is moving forward — even with some setbacks.

As Mideast experts are taking a wait-and-see approach tinged with mild optimism, a senior Iraqi official announced in late August that Baghdad will not treat Sept. 30 as a deadline to disarm the pro-Iran groups known as the Popular Mobilization Units (PMU), also called the Popular Mobilization Forces.

The Iraqi government is seeking to exercise control over the rogue state-affiliated militias with a strategy to integrate them into the state apparatus. The radical Iraqi Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, who leads Saraya al-Salam armed group, said in May that he favored integration. Some of the more hardline pro-Iranian regime militias, like Kataeb Hezbollah and Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba, declared that they will not disarm or integrate into the state.

The official, Qasim al-Araji, security advisor to the prime minister, told Al Iraqiya on Aug. 23, "Sept. 30 is the date for the international coalition to depart, not the deadline to hand over weapons." The international coalition is the U.S.-led force that defeated the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria during President Trump’s first term. It is unclear why Iraq’s government is walking back the disarmament deadline for the PMU.

IRAN'S WAR ON AMERICANS BEGAN DECADES AGO. THESE FAMILIES STILL CARRY THE SCARS

A spokesman for the Iraqi embassy declined to comment on the mixed messaging from Iraq’s government and on the timetable for dissolving or integrating the PMU.

Just days before al-Araji’s announcement, a representative of the Iraqi government sent Fox News Digital a statement: "Prime Minister Ali Faleh Al-Zaidi: All political forces fully agree on moving forward with restricting weapons to state control, and work is underway on mechanisms for surrendering weapons and bringing this issue to a complete end."

Al-Zaidi told the Baghdad Dialogue Conference at the same time that "all political forces agree on moving forward to ensure that all arms remain under state authority and on developing mechanisms for the handover of weapons. There are no intentions or prospects of any military confrontation, and we will not allow Iraq’s enemies to exploit any opportunity. The presence of weapons outside state authority creates an environment that discourages investment, which is unacceptable because it does not serve the interests of Iraqis."

In May, the U.S. Treasury Department sanctioned Ali Maarij Al-Bahadly, Iraq’s deputy minister of oil, because he, according to the designation, "abuses his position to facilitate the diversion of oil to be sold for the benefit of the Iranian regime and its proxy militias in Iraq." Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said at the time, "Like a rogue gang, the Iranian regime is pillaging resources that rightfully belong to the Iraqi people," adding "Treasury will not stand idly by as Iran's military exploits Iraqi oil to fund terrorism against the United States and our partners."

In late August, the UAE's The National paper reported that "Iraq's anti-corruption body announced that deputy oil minister, Al-Bahadly, was sentenced to seven years in prison and fined millions of dollars for corruption.

Reacting to reports that Iran approved passage of Iraqi oil tankers via the Strait of Hormuz, Alberto Fernandez, former U.S. ambassador and Mideast analyst, claimed that "the profit from that Iraqi oil goes, in part, to pay for Iran’s own Iraqi militias/death squads on the Iraqi government’s payroll." 

An Iraqi government spokesman dismissed Fernandez's comments, telling Fox News Digital, "That is not accurate."

TRUMP’S COUNTERTERRORISM STRATEGY SCORES BIG WINS AGAINST GLOBAL TERROR THREATS

A State Department spokesperson told Fox News Digital, "Iraq has embarked on a new direction under the leadership of Prime Minister Al-Zaidi in full partnership with the United States. As President Trump made clear when he hosted Prime Minister Al-Zaidi’s historic July 14 visit, the United States strongly supports his vision to ensure a brighter future for all Iraqis free from terrorism, to prevent attacks in and from Iraqi territory, and to deliver a strong and mutually beneficial U.S.-Iraq partnership."

Entifadh Qanbar, a former spokesman for the deputy prime minister of Iraq during the George W. Bush administration, told Fox News Digital: "We were all hoping that Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi would take decisive action against the militias, especially after his visit to the White House and the widespread praise he received from President Trump. I was always skeptical, very skeptical, but I believed he deserved a chance."

Qanbar added, "Initially, some militias such as Asaib Ahl al-Haq and Kataib Imam Ali (sanctioned by the U.S.) merely issued statements claiming they would hand over their weapons. There has been no credible evidence that they have actually disarmed."

IRAN’S GUTTED RANKS LEAVE LOYALISTS FILLING CRITICAL POSTS — WITH ONE GLARING PROBLEM

Qanbar claimed that "any remaining hope was further diminished after IRGC [Islamic Republic Guard Corps] Quds Force commander Esmail Qaani visited Baghdad. According to multiple reports, he instructed militia leaders to slow down any discussion of disarmament, reject the September 30 deadline, and maintain their weapons as part of Iran’s broader regional deterrence strategy."

When asked about Iraqi state efforts to dismantle the PMU, Elizabeth Tsurkov, a senior non-resident fellow at the New Lines Institute in Washington, D.C., told Fox News Digital, "The Iraqi government is trying. It genuinely carried out some moves. Unfortunately, because the militias are extremely willing to use force against their own people, including against security forces, the government finds itself in a position of backing down in the face of these militias."

She noted, "The militias have penetrated most state institutions… and you see repeated situations of the state backing down." Kata’ib Hezbollah, an Iran-backed group designated by the U.S. as a terrorist organization, kidnapped Tsurkov in 2023 and held her hostage for nearly two years. The Trump administration secured her release in 2025.

The power of the PMU was demonstrated in a recent setback for the Iraqi government.

Both Qanbar and Tsurkov cited the case of the Iraqi Counter Terrorism Service (CTS), which arrested Abbas al-Yaqubi, the head of intelligence for the Popular Mobilization Forces’ Baghdad Belt Operations Command.

A few days after al-Yaqubi’s arrest, he was transferred to the PMU intelligence branch. Qanbar said: "Al-Yaqubi has long been involved in violence against Iraqi activists, and many viewed his arrest as an important signal that the government was finally willing to confront powerful militia figures. What seemed like a significant step forward turned into a major setback."

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