US military conducts strike on another vessel carrying alleged narco-traffickers, killing 2

The U.S. military on Sunday announced a lethal strike on another vessel in the Caribbean carrying alleged narco-traffickers, killing two people.

The U.S. Southern Command said it conducted a "lethal kinetic strike on a vessel operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations" at the direction of the leader of the Southern Command, Gen. Francis L. Donovan of the Marine Corps.

The military claimed, citing intelligence, that the vessel "was transiting along known narco-trafficking routes in the Caribbean and was engaged in narco-trafficking operations."

ALLEGED NARCO-TERRORISTS KILLED AS US FORCES STRIKE SUSPECTED DRUG-TRAFFICKING VESSEL IN CARIBBEAN

There were six male survivors in addition to the two men killed in the strike.

"Following the engagement, USSOUTHCOM immediately notified U.S. Coast Guard to activate the Search and Rescue system for the survivors," the military said.

This is the latest attack that the Trump administration has said was launched in an attempt to eliminate alleged narco-terrorists, with the death toll in these strikes carried out since September sitting at more than 200.

The Pentagon has refused to release the identities of those killed in the strikes since last fall or provide evidence of drugs on board.

The administration has been scrutinized in recent months over the strikes by Democrats and even some Republicans, including Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., who has raised concerns about killing people without due process and the possibility of killing innocent people.

RAND PAUL SAYS GOP COLLEAGUES 'DON’T GIVE A S‑‑T ABOUT THESE PEOPLE IN THE BOATS': THEY 'SAY THEY’RE PRO-LIFE'

"I look at my colleagues who say they’re pro-life, and they value God's inspiration in life, but they don't give a s‑‑- about these people in the boats," Paul said in January. "Are they terrible people in the boats? I don't know. They're probably poor people in Venezuela and Colombia."

The senator previously cited Coast Guard statistics that show a significant percentage of boats boarded on suspicion of drug trafficking are innocent.

The attacks have also been denounced by human rights groups as "extrajudicial killings."

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Major dispute to threaten Trump's Iran deal over billions in frozen Tehran funds: expert

As U.S. and Iranian negotiators met in Switzerland on Sunday, a regional analyst warned that a dispute over billions in potentially unfrozen Iranian assets could quickly test the durability of a fledgling interim agreement.

The disagreement is emerging, they say, as Washington and Tehran begin implementing the memorandum of understanding signed June 17, with negotiators holding the first round of talks at Bürgenstock, near Lucerne, Switzerland.

According to Iran International, President Masoud Pezeshkian had signaled Tehran's expectations early Sunday, saying, "$6 billion of our funds in Qatar will be returned. Trump, who tried to deny Iran its rights, acknowledged them in his recent speech."

The dispute traces back to discussions at the G7 summit in Évian-les-Bains, France, where world leaders debated the issue.

TRUMP DEFENDS WAR DEAL IN MARATHON PRESSER, USING SEMANTICS ON WHY IRAN IS GETTING $300 BILLION

"We have taken their money, it isn't our money, it is their money, and we froze it," President Donald Trump said. "At a certain point in time, I guess we're going to have to give it back."

He also stressed that any access to the funds remains strictly conditional, writing on Truth Social that Iran would receive "not ten cents" during the 60-day negotiation period if it failed to uphold its commitments.

"There are effectively two competing narratives about the frozen funds," Alex Vatanka, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute, told Fox News Digital.

"Releasing frozen assets is not simply an economic question. It is one of the central political tests of trust between Tehran and Washington and will likely become one of the first major implementation disputes in the weeks ahead," Vatanka added.

Paragraph 11 of the MOU framework states that the United States "undertakes to make fully available" restricted and frozen Iranian funds.

However, the agreement ties any release of funds to a step-by-step process based on compliance, rather than granting immediate, unrestricted access.

BIDEN ADMIN EXTENDS $10B IRAN SANCTIONS WAIVER 2 DAYS AFTER TRUMP ELECTION WIN

"First, there remains considerable uncertainty over the total amount of Iranian assets frozen abroad," Vatanka said.

"Iranian officials often speak of more than $100 billion, while Western estimates range higher. The immediate negotiations, however, appear focused on securing access to roughly $24 billion to $25 billion as an initial tranche."

Iran's frozen assets are widely estimated at between $100 billion and $120 billion and held under sanctions and financial restrictions in countries including China, India, Iraq and South Korea, according to reporting by the Wall Street Journal.

Vatanka said the central dispute extends beyond the size of the payout.

"The real dispute is not simply about how much money Iran receives, but who ultimately controls how it is spent."

"Iranian officials are emphasizing sovereignty over the funds, while the United States is trying to preserve leverage by attaching conditions to their use," he added as talks got underway Sunday.

In a statement on X, Qatar's Foreign Ministry said the talks are aimed at reaching a comprehensive and lasting agreement covering all elements of the framework.

Spokesman Majed bin Mohammed Al Ansari said technical teams were negotiating the final deal while oversight groups would monitor implementation and track progress.

The U.S. and Qatar are exploring a mechanism to channel an initial $6 billion toward humanitarian purchases, including food and medicine, according to reports.

US ECONOMIC CHOKEHOLD ON IRAN REACHES PEAK LEVERAGE AS COLLAPSE RISKS EMERGE

However, Western intelligence officials remain concerned that unfrozen funds could be diverted to regional conflicts rather than domestic development projects.

Reuters reported that Iran has already signaled to Hezbollah that increased financial support could resume if Tehran's cash flow improves.

"This issue also has an important regional dimension," Vatanka said. "Iran has pledged to direct a portion of those reconstruction funds toward supporting its weakened proxy network in Lebanon."

"The United States has insisted that Iran cannot use any unfrozen assets to fund terrorist organizations, warning that access to the funds would be revoked if Tehran violates the terms of the agreement," he added.

Vatanka said the two sides also remain divided over the broader purpose of the agreement.

"Tehran is presenting the roughly $25 billion as money that will be released gradually and invested in rebuilding the country's infrastructure, with officials talking about roads, airports, transport corridors and projects that visibly benefit ordinary Iranians."

"Washington, however, appears to be describing something much narrower," Vatanka added.

"U.S. officials have indicated they want the funds released through controlled mechanisms, primarily for humanitarian and other approved civilian purchases, rather than giving Tehran unrestricted access."

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Albanian protesters flood streets demanding prime minister's resignation amid corruption accusations

The government of Socialist Prime Minister Edi Rama is under increasing pressure as Albanians continue taking to the streets to call for his resignation, as well as the leader of the opposition, Sali Berisha, faulting them and their parties for some thirty years of corruption ever since the end of the communist regime in 1991.

The catalyst for the protests first began over a multi-billion-dollar luxury resort plan by Jared Kushner and his business partners pursuing the creation of two resort properties through investment firm Affinity Partners that will add around 10,000 hotel rooms and villas to Albanian coastal lands.

One planned location, the abandoned Sazan Island, is the home of a former Soviet military base. The other property in Zvërnec is said to be home to the Vjosa-Narta protected landscape where monk seals and flamingos make their homes and sea turtles nest.

EUROPEAN CAPITAL ROCKED BY VIOLENT PROTESTS AS GOVERNMENT CORRUPTION PROBE FUELS UNREST

Agim Nesho, former Albanian ambassador to the U.S. and the United Nations, told Fox News Digital that, "Unlike some of the misinformation in the media, the protests in Albania are not against the family of President Donald Trump and foreign investors like Jared Kushner. These investors are bringing in $4 billion dollars into Albania that will create jobs and opportunity for our youth. 

"They are building on private land whose protected status was revoked years ago by Rama and his oligarchs. Global investors have standards and demonstrate accountability, and there is a hope they will show more care and consideration for the environment than Edi Rama and the business interests around him, who would instead build there on their own," he said.

Nesho claimed that "After 12 years and at least three stolen elections, including last year’s parliamentary election which was not recognized by the United States, and which handed Rama a supermajority that can change laws and the constitution, Rama’s days now look to be numbered."

Eric Czuleger, Editor-in-Chief of The Under Report, has lived in Albania for five years and has documented the growing protests. He told Fox News Digital that "Rama’s government has never been under such direct pressure from the Albanian people and his response is instructive. First, he denied the existence of the protests, claiming that they were a couple hundred people with an axe to grind. When they grew, the international media forced the domestic media [to] stop its blackout. Suddenly, the protests were a ‘hybrid war’ spurred on by Iran and Russia."

The protests, which began in May, have not swayed Prime Minister Rama’s support for planned investments. The Rama government sent a lengthy response to Fox News Digital on behalf of the prime minister directed at "all interested foreign parties and individuals, who have spread all kinds of misinformation and launched all kinds of baseless attacks all over the globe against a highly ambitious project with the potential to become another role model for how next-generation tourism destinations can be built."

ALBANIANS RALLY BY THE THOUSANDS AGAINST RULING SOCIALIST GOVERNMENT

His statement added that "Sazan Island is state property and has never been intended, nor requested, to be sold." He also said that the "area in Zvërnec is privately owned land," and explains that additional claimants to the land have taken their claims to court. 

In an effort to clear up misconceptions, Rama's statement said that "the project must undergo not merely an ordinary Environmental Impact Assessment, but an In-Depth Environmental Impact Assessment." Rama also claims that the project location "has no connection whatsoever with the Vjosa Delta," and says that claims that protected status labels were removed from development areas to allow for investment "is one of the greatest falsehoods inflated beyond all imagination."

Irrespective of Rama’s defense of the projects, on Wednesday, the European Parliament urged the Albanian government to stop construction on protected lands, Politico reported. They also called for a moratorium on further permits and construction in protected areas.

A source familiar with the situation with the luxury resort project told Fox News Digital that some of what is circulating online about the project is fabricated and doctored, and that some disinformation has emerged from outside the country.  

ALBANIAN OPPOSITION LAWMAKERS LIGHT FLARES, SCUFFLE WITH POLICE AMID PARLIAMENT CHAOS OVER CORRUPTION PROBE

Asher Abehsera, Chair of Sazan Real Estate Development LLC, told Fox News Digital that "for four years, we have worked toward creating a world-class destination on the Albanian coast—one rooted in thoughtful design, environmental stewardship, and long-term economic opportunity. Our goal is simple: celebrate Albania’s natural beauty, create jobs, and build something future generations can be proud of." Abehsera said that the project's "future will ultimately be determined by Albania and the Albanian people."

As the protests continue, Czuleger said that Albanians are both "concerned that nothing will happen" and "concerned that something bad could happen" if the Rama government does step down. "If leadership doesn’t change now, then people wonder if the corruption will ever stop," he said. "If leadership does change then it’s possible someone worse comes in." Czuleger said that "protesters are tired," and "the news cycle is moving on." Noting that the "only thing that will bring a change to the administration is patience, pressure, and a clarification of the movement’s goals."

Albanian actor and artist Florjan Binaj told Fox News that the protests "are the biggest protests that have ever happened in Albania since 1991." He called the protest atmosphere "amazingly powerful.

Binaj said that he plans to join the protests for "as long as [he] can," noting that "the protesters want Rama’s resignation" to pave the way for an alternative government.

Nesho added," The protesters have risen up due to the fact that one of the poorest countries in Europe can count billions and billions in corruption by a government that holds itself accountable to no one. It is difficult for the protesters to compromise and negotiate with PM Rama under these circumstances. The only path is resignation of the government and early elections under international monitors."

The Rama government did not respond to direct questions about protesters’ concerns. 

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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.

REPARATIONS ADVOCATES PUSH FOR PAYMENTS TO BLACK AMERICANS DESPITE BUDGET AND LEGAL CHALLENGES

"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.

TULSA MAYOR PROPOSES $100M REPARATIONS PLAN FOR DESCENDANTS OF 1921 TULSA RACE MASSACRE

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.

UN COURT RULES WEALTHY NATIONS PAY UP FOR CLIMATE CHANGE DAMAGES IN CONTROVERSIAL GLOBAL RULING

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.

MACRON TAKES THE STAGE UNINVITED AT AFRICA SUMMIT TO SCOLD CROWD FOR 'TOTAL LACK OF RESPECT'

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.

AS EPSTEIN-LINKED APPOINTMENT SPARKS BACKLASH, UK PM STARMER FACES PARTY REVOLT AMID RESIGNATION CALLS

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.

LABOUR MP PUTS CABINET 'ON NOTICE,' THREATENS TO TRIGGER LEADERSHIP CHALLENGE AGAINST STARMER BY MONDAY

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.

UK’S STARMER JUGGLES TROUBLE AT HOME AS HE WALKS GEOPOLITICAL TIGHTROPE WITH TRUMP

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.

BIRD FLU UPTICK IN US HAS CDC ON ALERT FOR PANDEMIC 'RED FLAGS': REPORT

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.

FLORIDA MAN INDICTED FOR ALLEGEDLY PLOTTING MASS SHOOTING TARGETING JEWISH EMPLOYEES AT ADVOCACY ORGNAIZATION

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.

UK COUNTERTERRORISM POLICE PROBE ANTISEMITIC ARSON ATTACK AS IRAN-LINKED GROUP CLAIMS RESPONSIBILITY

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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