African and Caribbean leaders call for payments, debt cancellation, formal apologies over slavery

African and Caribbean leaders are demanding financial compensation, debt cancellation and formal apologies from countries that benefited from the transatlantic slave trade after adopting a sweeping reparations plan at a conference in Ghana.

The 19-point framework calls for financial compensation, debt relief, a Global Reparations Fund and the return of looted cultural artifacts and ancestral remains. It also seeks reforms to international financial institutions that supporters say disadvantage Third World countries.

The proposal is expected to be presented at the next UN General Assembly as African and Caribbean nations step up a coordinated push for slavery reparations.

The plan was adopted Friday by the African Union and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Commission on Reparatory Justice at the end of a three-day conference.

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"None of us gathered in this hall today can be held personally responsible for the atrocities of the transatlantic slave trade," Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama told delegates.

"History does not ask us to inherit guilt, but it asks us to inherit responsibility," Mahama added.

The proposal does not identify specific countries that should provide compensation or issue formal apologies.

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It does call for debt cancellation, climate justice financing, expanded citizenship pathways for Africans in the diaspora and what organizers describe as a "right of return" for descendants of enslaved Africans.

The plan also urges African countries to preserve former slave forts and castles as memorial sites.

According to advocates, at least 12.5 million Africans were kidnapped and transported aboard European ships between the 15th and 19th centuries. Supporters of reparations argue the effects of slavery continue to be felt across Africa and the Caribbean generations later.

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The conference follows a UN vote in March recognizing transatlantic slavery as the "gravest crime against humanity."

The resolution passed with 123 votes in favor, but the U.S., Israel and 52 other countries either voted against it or abstained.

According to Reuters, the United States and European Union raised concerns that the resolution could be interpreted as creating a hierarchy among crimes against humanity by treating some atrocities as more serious than others.

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Heads of state from Namibia, Liberia, Senegal, Barbados and Sao Tome and Principe attended the conference, along with senior officials from several other countries.

French President Emmanuel Macron addressed the gathering virtually from the Élysée Palace, where he acknowledged the suffering caused by slavery.

Enslaved people were "torn from their homelands, deported, dehumanised, and treated as goods," Macron said.

Macron also said reparations should not be viewed "as an end point, or a cheque written to bring the story to a close."

The conference in Ghana brought together separate reparations efforts previously pursued by African and Caribbean nations into a single document that organizers plan to take before the United Nations.

Reuters contributed to this report.

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Keir Starmer reportedly considering stepping down as PM and could announce timetable for departure

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is reportedly considering stepping down and could announce a timetable for his departure as early as Monday, according to a report published Saturday.

Britain's Observer newspaper reported that Starmer was discussing his future with his wife at his Chequers country residence before making a final decision.

The outlet reported that senior Labour Party figures expect a statement addressing his future as early as next week.

A government source told Reuters that Starmer remains focused on governing and pointed to previous comments in which he vowed to remain in office.

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Fox News Digital has reached out to the prime minister's office for comment.

Pressure on Starmer has been building for months amid growing dissatisfaction within his party and concerns over the government's handling of the economy and cost-of-living issues.

The political threat to Starmer intensified Friday after rival Andy Burnham won a seat in Parliament, positioning him to mount a formal leadership challenge.

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Starmer congratulated Burnham following the victory, writing on X that voters, "chose Labour’s campaign of hope and optimism over division and hate."

When asked about Burnham's apparent ambitions to replace him, Starmer insisted he intends to remain in office.

"I’ve said repeatedly I’m not going to walk away from that," Starmer said.

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Starmer has led the Labour Party since 2020 and became prime minister in 2024.

Calls for his resignation intensified last month, with more than 100 Labour lawmakers publicly urging him to step aside or set out a timetable for his departure. Several parliamentary aides also resigned in protest.

The internal revolt followed a series of disappointing local election results for Labour, which lost hundreds of council seats across England, surrendered long-held ground in Wales and fell behind political rivals in Scotland.

Starmer's popularity has also declined amid a persistently high cost of living, sluggish economic growth and criticism over his acceptance of gifts from wealthy donors.

Fox News Digital's James Cirrone and Emma Bussey, and Reuters contributed to this report.

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H5N1 bird flu confirmed in Australia for the first time, meaning virus has now reached every continent

The first case of H5N1 bird flu has been confirmed in Australia, meaning the virus has now found its way to every continent.

The Australian Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry said the virus was found in a single seabird, a brown skua, near Esperance on the south coast of Western Australia, in Cape Le Grand National Park.

Australia’s Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development said it was "responding as part of a nationally coordinated plan with the Australian Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry and stakeholders across [Western Australia] to reduce the impact of this disease."

The outbreak in the U.S. has left millions of birds dead and has caused grocery store hikes and shortages, most notably with eggs.

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The spread to humans is rare.

"We all knew we couldn't be bird flu-free forever," Australia’s federal Agricultural Secretary Julie Collins said in a press conference on Saturday.

Jackie Jarvis, Western Australia’s agricultural minister, said in a press conference on Friday: "As a result of WA’s established early detection system, appropriate action was taken, including isolating the bird and collecting samples for testing."

HUNDREDS OF WILD BIRD DEATHS REPORTED ACROSS 7 COUNTIES PROMPTING PARK CLOSURES

She added, "this shows that Australia’s and Western Australia’s preparedness measures have worked. We are pleased to see the surveillance, and reporting system working as intended, with the bird reported through to DPIRD for further investigation."

By Saturday, Jarvis said further testing confirmed the strain that she said was consistent with bird flu found in the remote Australian territories of Heard Island and McDonald Islands near Antarctica, which devastated the wildlife there.

Last year, around 13,000 of a population of 17,000 elephant seal pups died there in just a few months after being exposed.

The islands are wildlife sanctuaries.

"Importantly, there have been no detections in poultry and there is no evidence of mass mortality," Jarvis said of the mainland case.

A second case of another migratory bird is also suspected near Esperance.  

Reuters contributed to this report.

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Counterterrorism officials investigating after suspect goes on rampage in alleged hate attack: report

Counterterrorism officials are investigating after a suspect went on a rampage in Scotland, leaving five men injured.

The attacks, which are believed to have been anti-Muslim, began near a mosque in Edinburgh where two men were injured just before 9 p.m. Friday, officials said, according to BBC News. 

The suspect, who is a 36-year-old Scottish man, also allegedly attacked three other men in another part of the city.

None of the victims, who range in age from 22 to 39, have life-threatening injuries. Three of the victims were taken to the hospital.

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The suspect also allegedly attacked a car at a gas station, which was found with its windows smashed out and an axe inside, and he was seen pushing down shelves inside the station’s mart, BBC News reported.

He was also caught on surveillance video allegedly on the attack outside a pizzeria with a weapon, the outlet reported, adding that social media videos show havoc in other areas of the city as well.

"Officers responded to multiple reports of a fast-moving sequence of events across Edinburgh before arresting a man and public safety was our priority," Police Scotland said in a statement.

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The man was taken into custody around 9:30 p.m. local time and he remains there.

"This was a shocking attack and my first thoughts are with those who were injured and most directly affected," Assistant Chief Constable Catriona Paton said.

She added, "I want to send a clear message of support to all our communities that there is no place for racism or faith-based hate in a Scotland which is at its best when we stand together." 

The suspect allegedly told police when he was caught that he was "protecting the country," BBC News reported.

"Extensive work is ongoing to establish all the circumstances," Paton said. "We are being supported by Counter Terrorism Policing and working under the direction of the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service.

The Muslim Council of Britain condemned the attack, saying the community is "rightly nervous and worried."

"This incident comes not long after racist pogroms on the streets of Belfast that targeted minority families, and is a direct consequence of political rhetoric that demonises entire communities," the council added. "To our community: stay vigilant, look out for one another, and please report any Islamophobic hate crimes to the police.

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'Send them back' chants rock European Parliament after landslide vote to speed up deportations

The European Parliament erupted into chants of "send them back" after lawmakers approved a sweeping overhaul of the European Union’s migrant return system, marking the latest sign that Europe is moving toward tougher immigration enforcement after years of growing anger and frustration from voters.

Members of the European Parliament voted on Wednesday 418 to 218, with 30 abstentions, to approve the Return Regulation, a measure designed to speed up the removal of third-country nationals who are staying illegally in the European Union.  

The moment quickly turned explosive. After the vote was announced, right-wing lawmakers stood, applauded and chanted "send them back," according to a video of the meeting. Lawmakers on the left responded by chanting "shame on you."

'YOU'RE DESTROYING YOUR COUNTRIES': IS EUROPE FINALLY HEEDING TRUMP'S WARNING ON ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION?

The legislation still requires formal approval by the Council of the European Union and publication in the Official Journal before it enters into force, but the confrontation underscored how sharply divided Europe remains over migration, even as the bloc’s institutions move ahead with policies once seen as politically taboo. 

The new rules would allow member states to detain some migrants for up to 24 months, with a possible six-month extension, and create a framework for "return hubs" outside the European Union in third countries willing to receive migrants with return decisions.

'YOU'RE DESTROYING YOUR COUNTRIES': IS EUROPE FINALLY HEEDING TRUMP'S WARNING ON ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION?

Supporters say the rules are necessary because European Union countries have struggled to enforce deportation orders. The European Conservatives and Reformists Group (ECR), citing the European Commission, said only around 20% of migrants who receive a return decision are actually returned.

The vote comes after Fox News Digital reported earlier in June that the European Union appeared to be moving toward tougher border and asylum rules amid growing concern over illegal immigration across the continent. The new measures include stricter screening, identity and security checks, and the use of biometric data such as fingerprints and facial recognition.

Conservative leaders hailed the Parliament vote as a victory. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni called the result a "great success," calling the legislation a "historic measure," according to her post on X. 

Other right-wing figures in France and Austria praised the moment as evidence that pressure from the right was reshaping European Union policy.

Critics, however, accused lawmakers of dehumanizing migrants and weakening core protections. 

The Guardian reported that socialist vice president of the European Parliament Javi López called the plenary session "disgraceful," while Italian Green and Left Alliance Member of the European Parliament Ilaria Salis described the celebration as "horrifying."

Human rights groups have also raised alarms. 

United Nations human rights chief Volker Türk warned the new rules risk expanding detention, Reuters reported, creating offshore return hubs and weakening safeguards against forced returns.

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At least one tourist dead after massive fire nearly destroys Caribbean resort, 1,690 evacuated

At least one Italian tourist is dead with several more injured after a massive fire in the Dominican Republic resort town Bayahibe on Friday.

The deceased woman, 46-year-old Italian national Francesca Valentino, died at the resort's Viva Wyndham Dominicus Beach Hotel, according to the Dominican Republic's Directorate of Out-of-Hospital Emergency Services (DAEH).

At least nine other people were treated for injuries, with three of those taken to off-site medical facilities, DAEH said in a statement.

Authorities evacuated 1,690 tourists from the popular resort town, The Associated Press reported, citing local authorities.

AT LEAST 18 DEAD, 120 INJURED IN ROOF COLLAPSE AT DOMINICAN REPUBLIC NIGHTCLUB

Aerial video of the blaze showed smoke billowing from numerous beachside buildings, with large gray plumes of smoke casting dark shadows on the beach's turquoise waters.

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Authorities reported that "preliminary observations indicate that the fire spread rapidly due to the flammable nature ​of parts of the roof structures made of palm, as ​well as wind conditions," according to Reuters.

Guests were moved to other hotels, such as the Viva Wyndham Dominicus Palace, a nearby hotel run by the same operators as the Viva Wyndham Dominicus Beach Hotel. The Palace did not sustain any damage, according to Reuters.

"Tourist activities ​in Bayahibe and the surrounding area remain unaffected ​and ⁠continue to take place safely and as normal," the Dominican Republic's Emergency Operations Center (COE) also noted.

Video of the aftermath shows a drone spraying water on a charred and destroyed block of buildings as the structures continue to smolder.

Fox News Digital contacted DAEH, COE and Wyndham Hotels and Resorts for additional comment.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Man charged with attempted murder, released after allegedly forcing toddler into crocodile enclosure at zoo

A man was released from custody on Friday after he was charged with attempted murder for allegedly forcing a 3-year-old boy into a crocodile enclosure at a zoo.

Cambridgeshire police said that the man, who remains unidentified, wasn’t fit to be interviewed.

The boy suffered critical injuries in the incident at Johnsons of Old Hurst, a farm and zoo in Huntingdon, England, north of London.

The 30-year-old man will remain on bail until Sept. 30, pending further inquiries.

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"The man, who is not known to the victim, was ​assessed as ​not being ⁠fit for interview," police said in a statement.

The boy is in stable condition, after reportedly suffering a broken arm and pelvis.

He was saved from the crocodile by Tracey Johnson, the wife of the zoo’s owner.

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 "I know Tracey very well and she’s a lovely lady and it’s nothing more than I’d expect from her," a local told BBC News. "She’d always put her own life at risk to save someone else. She’s an extraordinary lady and very brave.

The villager added that Johnson put herself in "immense danger" during the rescue.

The owners said their tropical house would remain closed until further notice.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with the boy and his family following the incident that occurred today," the owners wrote on social media.

Huntingdonshire district councillor Charlotte Lowe said she couldn’t "fathom how it’s happened because they’ve got all the right protection and safety equipment, for want of a better word, in there," The Guardian reported.

Fox News Digital has reached out to the Cambridgeshire Constabulary for comment.

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