Taliban kills internet across Afghanistan, citing morality concerns as UN protests

The Taliban shut down internet and telecom services across Afghanistan on Monday, plunging the country into near-total digital darkness and drawing a UN warning of "significant harm" to citizens.

The blackout is said to have come after Afghanistan’s 9,350-kilometer fiber optic network was disabled, leaving flights grounded, banks frozen, and millions of citizens and businesses cut off.

Kabul International Airport has seen all commercial flights canceled or marked as "unknown," leaving the country’s main air hub virtually deserted, per Reuters.

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Monitoring group NetBlocks also confirmed to Reuters that traffic levels had dropped to around one percent of normal, underscoring the unprecedented scale of the disruption.

According to Reuters, the Taliban ordered internet and mobile data services to be cut across the country, with diplomatic and industry sources confirming cellphone connectivity had collapsed. 

NetBlocks also confirmed connectivity was cut in phases starting on Monday, with the final stage also affecting telephone services, which share infrastructure with the internet.

The nationwide blackout appears to be part of a phased campaign led by Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada in Kabul. Earlier in September, he directed the dismantling of fiber optic networks in many provinces. 

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Officials have defended the move as a way to curb "immorality" online, echoing earlier statements from provincial governors.

Reuters reported that Afghan telecom companies said they were "managing this sensitive and complex situation" under Taliban directives, while hoping to restore services soon. 

Private broadcaster Tolo News, also cited by Reuters, reported that authorities had set a one-week deadline to shut down 3G and 4G internet services for cellphones, leaving only 2G active.

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In a statement, the United Nations mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) urged the Taliban to immediately restore access and warned that the blackout "has left Afghanistan almost completely cut off from the outside world, and risks inflicting significant harm on the Afghan people." 

Reuters also quoted UN officials as saying the blackout has crippled humanitarian operations. 

Arafat Jamal, the UN refugee agency’s country representative, told reporters how it could no longer reach frontline aid workers, including those responding to a deadly earthquake in the east.

"It is another crisis on top of the existing crisis," he said via satellite link from Kabul.

The Taliban administration could not be reached by Fox News Digital for comment.

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Trump gives Hamas 'three to four days' to accept plan or meet a 'a very sad end'

President Donald Trump on Tuesday said the Hamas terrorist network has up to four days to accept his 20-point peace plan to end the war in the Gaza Strip or face "a very sad end."

"We're going to do about 3 or 4 days. We'll see how it is," he told reporters. "Now, all of the Arab countries are signed up. The Muslim countries all signed up. Israel's all signed up. 

"And Hamas is either going to be doing it or not. And if it's not, it's going to be a very sad end," he added. 

TRUMP UNVEILS 20-POINT PLAN TO SECURE PEACE IN GAZA, INCLUDING GRANTING SOME HAMAS MEMBERS 'AMNESTY'

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday accepted a plan that would ultimately end military operations in Gaza, disarm Hamas, secure the return of all 46 hostages and lay out a path to rebuild the war-ravaged Gaza Strip.

Fox News confirmed on Monday that top officials from Qatar and Egypt met with Hamas negotiators and shared the U.S.-backed plan.

The Hamas negotiators confirmed they would review it "in good faith and provide a response," an official briefed on the talks said.

The plan has been widely championed by leaders across the Middle East, Europe and parts of Asia. 

A joint statement issued by Saudi Arabia, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Pakistan, Turkey, Qatar and Egypt not only "welcomed" Trump’s proposal to end the war and rebuild Gaza, but also highlighted his commitment to addressing Israel’s security concerns, including barring the forced displacement of Palestinians and halting annexation of the West Bank.

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"The ministers affirm their readiness to engage positively and constructively with the United States and the parties toward finalizing the agreement and ensuring its implementation, in a manner that ensures peace, security, and stability for the peoples of the region," the joint statement said. 

Similarly, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron — both of whom have said they now recognize the "State of Palestine" despite Washington’s opposition to the move — championed Trump’s peace plan in separate statements. 

The 20-point proposal was met with mixed reviews in Israel, where hard-right officials within Netanyahu’s own coalition fiercely rejected the prime minister’s acceptance of the plan.

Netanyahu’s finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich, renewed questions over the fate of the prime minister’s coalition after he condemned the agreement on Tuesday as a "resounding diplomatic failure" and said it amounted to "a closing of eyes and turning our backs on all the lessons of Oct. 7."

In contrast, fierce critics of Netanyahu, including Opposition leader Yair Lapid, said he is "convinced that amidst the tangle of interests and the pressing timeline dictated by the hostages' situation, what President Trump presented yesterday is the only plan with feasibility."

Blue and White Party leader, Benny Gantz, also confirmed that his party "would not allow petty politics to sabotage the plan."

Fox News' Trey Yingst contributed to this report.

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Criminal gangs recruiting teenage girls as assassins and bombers, officials warn

Sweden is battling a new type of gang violence where criminals recruit teenage girls to carry out assassinations, arson and bombings, according to a Telegraph investigation.

The report reveals that girls as young as 15 and dubbed "Green Women" by gang leaders, are lured via social media and promised cash in exchange for deadly tasks.

Prosecutor Lisa dos Santos told the U.K.outlet that gangs exploit a blind spot where girls were initially overlooked by investigators.

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Bounties of up to $17,500 are offered for successful hits, while even less risky roles such as preparing makeshift "napalm" bombs can earn thousands. 

Once enlisted, recruits rarely meet the masterminds behind the crimes, instead receiving instructions through handlers online. 

Many appear eager to prove they are as ruthless, if not more so, than their male equivalents.

AUSTRALIAN MOTHER CALLS FOR SOCIAL MEDIA AGE RESTRICTIONS AFTER DAUGHTER'S SUICIDE

One case cited by the Telegraph involved a 17-year-old Swedish girl, Olivia, who was filmed delivering a bag of explosive materials for a petrol bomb attack. 

Recruited over social media, she bought the ingredients for the firebomb and passed them to two male associates. 

Hours later, after news of the attack broke, she texted her boyfriend that the job had gone "OK." For her role in the arson, she received a one-year prison sentence.

Stockholm prosecutor Ida Arnell described how a 15-year-old girl was asked whether she wanted to fire at a rival’s door or his head and chose the head.

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In 2023 alone, 280 girls aged 15-17 were charged with violent offenses, including murder and manslaughter. 

Authorities believe the true figure linked to organized crime is likely much higher, with many cases left unprosecuted.

In the Telegraph's report, Justice Minister Gunnar Strömmer also acknowledged the trend as a major challenge in Sweden, noting that girls are "much more widespread" in criminal networks than previously thought.

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Israeli diplomat blasts 'staged walkout' ahead of Netanyahu speech, talks holiday scheduling controversy

Israel’s top diplomat at the United Nations dismissed delegates who walked out before Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address and blasted the international body for holding key Middle East talks during a Jewish holiday, leaving Jerusalem's delegation without representation.

"It was a staged walkout. Most of the people were not diplomats. They were staffers from hostile missions," Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon told Fox News Digital. 

He noted that Netanyahu was the first speaker of the day, meaning the diplomats who stormed out of the hall arrived only to participate in the walkout. 

"I told them, ‘get out and don't come back,’ and I meant it. If they cannot listen to the words of the prime minister representing Israel and the Jewish people, I don't think they have a place in this hall," he said.

UN DELEGATES WALK OUT OF NETANYAHU ADDRESS AFTER CHEERING PALESTINIAN LEADER DAY BEFORE

Danon added that most delegations stayed in the room and respected both Netanyahu and the state of Israel.

Netanyahu may have been speaking to a smaller audience within the hall, but his address was broadcast on speakers in Gaza and on Gazans’ cell phones, something the prime minister revealed while on stage. Danon said that the prime minister would often consider how to carry the message and the "brilliant idea" of broadcasting it so that the Palestinians could hear his speech was an extension of that.

Danon told Fox News Digital that Netanyahu’s address was not directed at Hamas leaders, who, he argued, "don’t care" and only understand the language of tanks and aircraft. Instead, he said, the message was meant for the people of Gaza and for the hostages who have been languishing in the enclave for nearly two years.

Danon also lamented that the U.N. scheduled key talks on the Middle East during the Jewish holiday of Rosh Hashanah.

"They had a discussion about the Middle East, about Israel, without Israel. I think it shows the hypocrisy of the United Nations," Danon told Fox News Digital. "Some leaders care more about hearing themselves rather than actually rewarding a dialogue."

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Danon said that he spoke to the head of the U.N. Security Council about rescheduling the discussion but was not successful in getting the date changed. It is unclear which delegation was at the helm of the council, as it rotates monthly.

While Israel was not able to participate in talks during Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, it remained one of the central issues of the 80th session of the U.N. General Assembly. Israel also faced pressure outside official U.N. discussions, with several delegations moving to recognize a Palestinian state.

Danon dismissed the declarations of France, Australia, the United Kingdom and Canada recognizing Palestinian statehood as "empty."

"We spoke with many delegations. Without naming names, we had successes that a few countries did not join this circus, those empty declarations, and we are grateful for that," Danon said. He added that he believes "overall everybody knows that it’s not going anywhere."

NETANYAHU BROADCASTS UNITED NATIONS MESSAGE INTO GAZA ACCUSING WORLD LEADERS OF APPEASING 'EVIL'

When asked why some delegations were so intent on recognition, he chalked it up to leaders needing domestic wins and using the Middle East conflict to galvanize supporters.

"I think they have domestic interests. Take, for example, President Macron. He has so many domestic problems and issues with the economy, with immigration, with the parliament. So, it’s easier for him to come to the U.N. and to pretend that he’s actually leading something. He knows better than that," Danon said.

On Monday, after meeting with President Donald Trump at the White House, Netanyahu accepted a U.S.-backed Gaza deal to end the nearly two-year-long war. French President Emmanuel Macron, who recognized a Palestinian state last week, said that he welcomed the plan and expected Israel to "engage resolutely on this basis." He added that "Hamas has no choice but to immediately release all hostages and follow this plan."

It remains to be seen whether Hamas will accept the deal and, if it does, whether it will stick to the terms.

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Blogger arrested for sharing anti-Hamas meme online, claims cops didn't know about October 7th horrors

A blogger has blasted British police after they arrested him for sharing a meme on social media that read "F--- Hamas."

Pete North, 47, filmed officers arriving at his Yorkshire home in the U.K. on Sept. 25 and telling him he was being detained because he had "posted something on the internet" that a member of their hate crime team "didn’t appreciate." 

The shocking footage shows an officer explaining that North was being arrested "on suspicion of publishing or distributing written material intended to stir up racial hatred."

The post in question had been shared by North on X in August and featured a Palestinian flag with the words: "F--- Palestine. F--- Hamas. F--- Islam. Want to protest? F--- off to Muslim country and protest."

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North confirmed to The Telegraph that although the meme contained offensive references to Palestine and Islam, officers in the interview at the station appeared preoccupied with the part directed at Hamas.

"The officer in the interview said, ‘Well, firstly, let’s start with the meme. You posted a meme that said f--- Hamas,’" North recalled to the British outlet.

"I said, ‘yeah, I did post a meme that said f--- Hamas, because Hamas are a proscribed terrorist organisation internationally, including in Britain'."

He added: "I then asked him, ‘Just so we’re on the same page, you do know who Hamas are?’ And he just… shook his head. He looked totally blank. If you’re going to arrest people for memes, you probably need to pay more attention to current affairs."

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North told The Telegraph he pressed the officer on whether he was aware of Hamas’s atrocities, including the murder of civilians on October 7. "He was totally oblivious," North claimed.

After being questioned for several hours, North was released without charge. 

"I feel quite strongly that what political cartoons and memes I post on social media is none of the police’s business," North said.

"Nobody should be facing police inquiries for posting memes on Twitter. The whole point of this exercise is not to win convictions. It’s to terrorize people like me into thinking twice about posting spicy memes," he added.

North Yorkshire Police confirmed the arrest, telling UK media: "A 47-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of publishing or distributing written material intended to stir up racial hatred. He has been released under investigation while inquiries continue."

Fox News Digital has reached out to North Yorkshire Police for comment.

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Trump unveils 20-point plan to secure peace in Gaza, including granting some Hamas members 'amnesty'

President Donald Trump released his new 20-point plan to end the Gaza war on Monday, when he also welcomed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the White House. 

The Trump administration published a 20-point plan on Monday afternoon on how it will end the war in Gaza as the bloodshed continues raging since Oct. 7, 2023. The plan includes granting Hamas terrorists who give up their arms in favor of peace "amnesty," establishing Gaza as a "deradicalized terror-free zone" and redeveloping the area so that it no longer poses a threat to its neighbors or residents alike. 

"If both sides agree to this proposal, the war will immediately end. Israeli forces will withdraw to the agreed-upon line to prepare for a hostage release. During this time, all military operations, including aerial and artillery bombardment, will be suspended, and battle lines will remain frozen until conditions are met for the complete staged withdrawal," the third point of the document reads.

The plan explained that within 72 hours of Israel accepting the agreement, the country will release remaining hostages in its captivity — whether they are alive or deceased. Upon the release of the remaining hostages, Israel will then release "250 life sentence prisoners plus 1700 Gazans who were detained after October 7th 2023," according to the fifth point of the plan.

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The plan adds that Hamas terrorists who are peaceful and give up their weapons will be granted "amnesty."

"Once all hostages are returned, Hamas members who commit to peaceful co-existence and to decommission their weapons will be given amnesty. Members of Hamas who wish to leave Gaza will be provided safe passage to receiving countries," the sixth point of the plan read. 

Hamas has not yet accepted the agreement, with Trump threatening the terrorist group to accept the plan or likely face further bloodshed. 

"Israel would have my full backing to finish the job of destroying the threat of Hamas," Trump said on Monday during a press conference, warning Hamas to accept the deal. "But I hope that we're going to have a deal for peace. And, if Hamas rejects the deal, which is always possible — they're the only one left. Everyone else has accepted it. But, I have a feeling that we're going to have a positive answer. But if not, as you know, maybe you'd have our full backing to do what you would have to do."

A 21-point peace plan circulated at the United Nations earlier this month, as Israel launched long-range strikes deep inside Yemen, hitting targets more than 2,000 kilometers from home and underscoring how volatile the Middle East remains even as diplomacy played out in New York.

Trump unveiled the 21-point initiative to end the Gaza war during meetings with Arab leaders on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly earlier in September. 

A White House official, speaking on background, previously told Fox News Digital, "The President underscored his desire to bring fighting in Gaza to an expeditious close. Special Envoy Witkoff summarized the U.S. plan for Gaza, including the return of all hostages living and deceased, no further attacks on Qatar, a new dialogue between Israel and Palestinians for peaceful coexistence and more.

"Foreign partners expressed broad agreement that President Trump was the only one who could end the fighting in Gaza and expressed the hope that they could work together with Special Envoy Witkoff to consider the President’s plan as Americans continue to engage with Israeli officials," the White House official added. 

Arab officials told Fox News Digital that, during the meeting, leaders pressed Trump to confirm he would block Israeli annexation of the West Bank, describing the discussion as "productive."

Speaking at the Concordia Annual Summit in New York, Witkoff also described a "very productive" meeting Tuesday between Trump and officials from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Egypt, Jordan, Turkey, Indonesia and Pakistan.

"We presented what we call the Trump 21-point plan for peace in the Middle East," Witkoff said. "I think it addresses Israeli concerns as well as concerns of neighbors in the region."

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Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, speaking in a recorded UNGA address after being barred from entry to the U.S., also signaled support. 

"We declare that we are ready to work with U.S. President Donald Trump and with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and France, the United Nations and all partners to implement the peace plan that was approved in the conference that was held on the 22nd of September, in a way that would lead towards a just peace and regional cooperation," Abbas said.

Abbas added that the PA is prepared to take over security and governance in Gaza, while Hamas must disarm. 

"The dawn of freedom will emerge, and the flag of Palestine will fly high in our skies as a symbol of dignity, steadfastness and being free from the yoke of occupation," he said. "Palestine is ours. Jerusalem is the jewel of our hearts and our eternal capital. We will not leave our homeland. We will not leave our lands."

Netanyahu, before departing for New York, where he was scheduled to address the UNGA Friday, said without directly commenting on the 21-point proposal, "In Washington, I will meet for the fourth time with President Trump, and I will discuss with him the great opportunities our victories have brought, as well as our need to complete the war’s objectives: to return all of our hostages, to defeat Hamas and to expand the circle of peace that has come our way following the historic victory."

Even as Trump pushed diplomacy in New York, Israel expanded its campaign against Iran-backed militias. The IDF confirmed Thursday it carried out a wide wave of airstrikes against Houthi targets in Sana’a, Yemen, less than 24 hours after a Houthi drone slammed into a hotel in Eilat, wounding 24 people, two of them seriously.

Saudi and Israeli media reported more than 10 strikes during the Houthis’ weekly address, targeting command centers, intelligence headquarters and military compounds. Israeli officials estimate over 50 militants were killed. The IDF said the operation involved dozens of aircraft and long-range refueling, marking Israel’s 15th strike in Yemen since the war began.

Defense Minister Israel Katz said the raids, carried out under the code name Package Delivered, dealt a heavy blow. 

"We struck numerous terror targets of the Houthi regime in Sana’a, eliminating dozens of operatives and destroying stockpiles of drones and weapons," Katz declared. "As I promised yesterday — those who harm us will be harmed sevenfold."

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NHS removes controversial report on 'benefits' of first-cousin marriage after fierce public backlash in UK

The United Kingdom’s National Health Service (NHS) has come under fire for potentially prioritizing cultural sensitivity over significant health concerns after it published a report last week questioning a major issue of public debate — should first-cousin marriages be banned?

Debate over the issue heightened earlier this year after U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he would not ban the practice outright, despite known risks to future generations, as children born from first cousins are at increased risk for diseases like sickle cell disease and cystic fibrosis.

Starmer, along with members of his Labour government, has argued that education should be prioritized instead of overreaching government mandates.

BRITISH PM CRITICIZED FOR BLOCKING BILL BANNING FIRST-COUSIN MARRIAGE AMID MOUNTING HEALTH CONCERNS

The article, which was posted to the NHS’s Genomics Education Program's website and titled, "Should the UK government ban first-cousin marriage," had been removed by Monday morning, and Fox News Digital could not gain direct access to the report, nor did the NHS immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s questions. 

According to U.K.-based media outlets, the article caused some uproar after it suggested there were certain "benefits" to first-cousin marriages, including "stronger extended family support systems and economic advantages," the Telegraph reported. 

The NHS report also noted that inter-family marriages have "long been the subject of scientific discussion" due to the increased risk of inherited diseases, and that first-cousin marriages have been legal in the U.K. since the 1500s, when King Henry VIII married Catherine Howard, his ex-wife’s cousin.

First cousin marriages are also not federally banned in the U.S., where the practice is still permitted in 20 states.

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The article also noted that there are risks of genetic disorders related to other external factors like alcohol use during pregnancy and smoking. The age of the parents can also impact certain disorders. 

The report pointed out that "none of [these factors] are banned in the U.K."

"Genetic counseling, awareness-raising initiatives and public health campaigns are all important tools to help families make informed decisions without stigmatizing certain communities and cultural traditions," the article added, according to the Telegraph.

The article, first posted last week, drew rebuke from conservative Tories like Member of Parliament Richard Holden, who accused the Labour government, headed by Starmer, of "taking the knee to damaging and oppressive cultural practices."

"The Conservatives want to see an end to cousin marriage as a backdoor to immigration too, but Labour are deaf to these sensible demands," he told the Daily Mail.

Similarly, Conservative Member of Parliament Claire Coutinho took to X on Monday to say, "The NHS puts conditions on IVF by age, BMI and history of conception. The NHS tells you (a lot) not to smoke or drink during pregnancy. But the NHS won’t say a word against cousin marriage."

The Daily Mail report also noted that the NHS article said in first-cousin marriages the increased risk of being born with a genetic condition was "small."

"In the general population, a child's chance of being born with a genetic condition is around two to three percent; this increases to four to six percent in children of first cousins. Hence, most children of first cousins are healthy," the article said, according to the Daily Mail.

The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Wes Streeting, who oversees the NHS, did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s questions for this report.

Proponents of the ban in the U.K. tend to be conservative Tories, while Labor officials have argued the ban insensitively targets certain cultures, like British Pakistanis, where in-family marriages are more common. 

Starmer's cabinet office directed Fox News Digital's questions to the Department of Health and Social Care, who did not immediately provide comment for this report. 

Holden also could not be immediately reached for this report. 

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China won't let Trump take Bagram Air Base back from the Taliban without a fight, expert warns

President Donald Trump made the shocking announcement this month that the U.S. is "trying" to take back Bagram Airfield from the Taliban in Afghanistan after abandoning it more than four years ago. 

There’s just one problem with Trump’s latest ambition — China will see to it that Washington does not accomplish this goal, warned Bill Roggio, expert analyst and senior editor of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies’ "Long War Journal."

"First of all, the Taliban will never accept the return to the US. I'd sooner…believe the Taliban would give up on its Sharia or Islamic law before I’d believe that it would let the U.S. return," Roggio told Fox News Digital.

"But let's say the Trump administration could convince the Taliban to consider allowing the U.S. to return to Bagram," he continued. "The Chinese would come down hard."

TRUMP: US TRYING TO GET BAGRAM AIRBASE 'BACK' FROM TALIBAN IN AFGHANISTAN

Roggio explained that China and Russia have a vested interest in the U.S. staying out of the region.

The U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan opened the mineral-rich nation to China and has enabled Beijing to expand its Belt and Road Initiative into a country — though run by a terrorist organization — that it was previously unable to tap.

China — the first country to appoint an ambassador to the Taliban-run nation in 2023 — sent its foreign minister, Wang Yi, in August to Kabul to hold talks with Afghanistan's acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi.

According to the Taliban, China expressed an interest not only in Afghanistan’s mining opportunities, where minerals like lithium, copper, iron, gold and uranium are abundant, but Beijing also said it was open to expand trade with Kabul. 

While access to these minerals could greatly benefit China, the impact that trade and mining agreements with Beijing could have on Afghanistan’s dire economy may prove crucial for Kabul.

"The Chinese just wield significant influence with the Taliban, particularly when it comes to something like the U.S. return," Roggio said. "They would pressure the Taliban by possibly canceling those mining rights, by restricting trade, by ending political and diplomatic recognition. These are all things that are important to the Taliban as they try to develop as a government and try to become legitimately recognized." 

US FAILURE IN TALIBAN INTEL HAS OPENED AFGHANISTAN UP TO CHINA, RUSSIA

"The Taliban don't care if the U.S. recognizes them as much as the Taliban would care if the Chinese would recognize them, if the Russians would recognize them," he added. 

Trump claimed that the deal he formed with the Taliban in 2020 in Doha, Qatar — which outlined the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan by May 2021 — did not include the Bagram Air Base.

"We were going to keep it," Trump told reporters from the U.K. last week. 

But the original deal did not include a stipulation allowing the U.S. to maintain forces at the base about 30 miles north of Kabul.

Trump also said a major reason he wants to get the base back is because it's "an hour away from where China makes its nuclear weapons." But when asked which facility he was referring to, neither the White House nor the Pentagon would confirm, and Fox News Digital could not locate a Chinese nuclear facility through open-source intelligence that close to Afghanistan’s border.

Regardless of whether there is a Chinese nuclear facility near the former American base in Afghanistan, Roggio warned that the economic ties Beijing and Kabul are establishing is "dangerous."

"The growing Taliban-Chinese relationship is something we should worry about. The Chinese can give the Taliban access to technology — military technology," he said. "They could give them the resources that they need."

Roggio pointed out that a mining deal could put "billions" into the Taliban’s pockets.

"Why is this important? Because al-Qaeda and other terrorist groups are using Afghanistan as a base of operations," Roggio said, noting that al-Qaeda is reported to be running training camps in 13 out of the nation’s 34 provinces.

Roggio also said that the Taliban permits al-Qaeda to run religious schools, safe houses for leaders in the terrorist network and their families who transit between Afghanistan and Iran, as well as a weapons shortage depot.

"Afghanistan looks actually far worse today than it looked on Sept. 10, 2001, the day before the 9/11 attacks," Roggio said.

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Elon Musk wades back into UK politics, backs leader of new right-wing party, mocks rival

Elon Musk has once again entered the British political fray, this time promoting a new right-wing party, Advance UK, while criticizing the leader of the rapidly growing and influential Reform UK party, Nigel Farage.

Musk recently posted on X: Go with @_AdvanceUK, Ben [Habib] and Tommy [Robinson] for the real change that’s needed to save Britain!" In another post he said, "Advance UK will actually drive change. Farage is weak sauce who will do nothing."

Earlier this month, he addressed tens of thousands in London at the "Unite the Kingdom" rally organized by the controversial right-winger Tommy Robinson. The billionaire joined the march by video link and condemned the left as "the party of murder." 

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The billionaire also took aim at the man who could be Britain's next prime minister, and claimed Nigel Farage "doesn’t have what it takes." That was before the birth of Advance UK. More recently, he said, "There needs to be massive government reform in Britain and the people need to be in charge, not some bureaucracy that doesn’t care." 

The right-leaning party, which is close to officially registering, is led by Ben Habib, a former co-deputy chairman of Reform UK. "The two-party system is dead," Habib said. "The Conservatives and Labour Party have had their chance, and now the people want something new." 

"You clearly don’t have a two-party system," said Alan Mendoza, executive director of the Henry Jackson Society think tank. However, he asked: "Will this system produce a majority government and whether, for example, at the end of the process it delivers a main opposition party." 

Part of the fragmentation of British politics is the widespread disgust of political leaders. Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, Conservative leader, Kemi Badenoch and Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, all received unfavorable views between 52% and 68%, according to data from polling organization YouGov. 

Despite the negative view of Farage, Reform UK leads in the polls in the event of a general election, according to the polling company Ipsos. But that doesn’t necessarily mean Reform will win at the next election. 

"If there was an election tomorrow, then it would likely win," Mendoza says. However, we don’t know when the next election will be, which makes it near impossible to predict at this stage, he says. "The golden law of British politics is you can’t predict the vote that far ahead." 

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When asked why Advance UK is needed when Farage's party is far ahead in the polls, Habib said, "Reform will not deliver. It stands for nothing. It is a populist party without a political philosophy and without intellectual heft or capability," Habib said, claiming "Farage has a patriotic persona, but he is nothing more than a political expedient. He would be worse than [former Prime Minister] Boris Johnson."

Nevertheless, it doesn’t look like Advance U.K. will split the vote with Reform. According to Mendoza, bringing Robinson into the party may have been a mistake. During the recent rally, some protestors allegedly attacked police officers. "Most people will not like violence at a political rally," he said. "And they won’t support the party." 

One of the leading frustrations voters have at the moment is that neither the current government nor the last one has managed to stop the surge of legal and illegal immigration. In fact, it has worsened. Almost 50,000 undocumented immigrants, many seeking asylum, arrived in Britain in the 12 months through June. That’s up from around 39,000 at the same time the previous year, according to government data. 

On Saturday, the Daily Telegraph reported that migrants now account for 98% of the latest rise in population. According to the Office for National Statistics, the Telegraph reported, 69.3 million people were estimated to be living in the country in mid-2024, up 755,254 from the same time in 2023.

"We need a holistic solution to reduce immigration," Habib said. He also said borders must be enforced and illegal migrants deported. Worse still, those asylum-seekers are living in hotels at taxpayers’ expense of £5.8 million a day ($7.4 million).

"We need a holistic solution to reduce immigration," Habib said. He also agrees that borders must be enforced, and illegal migrants deported. Worse still, those asylum seekers are living in hotels at the taxpayers’ expense of £5.8 million per day ($7.4 million). 

Earlier this summer, protests over asylum hotels erupted in Epping, southeast England. Separately, Farage suspended one of his local councilors over accusations of racism during the demonstration.

Elon Musk responded to Farage's suspending the council member on X. He wrote: "Farage is weak, runny sauce. He won’t let Reform even stand up for their own people, e.g. punishing their Epping member, and he will change nothing of significance politically."

And according to recent polls, people in the U.K. would almost certainly say some real change is needed, especially regarding the lack of free speech. Earlier this year, Irish comedian Graham Linehan was met by armed police at Heathrow Airport after making online comments about transgender people. Such incidents appear to be fast becoming the norm.

Yet despite Musk's criticism, a new opinion poll released on Friday in the U.K. by YouGov showed Farage's Reform UK on target to deliver a massive defeat of Prime Minister Keir Starmer and his ruling Labour Party if an election were to be held. 

Farage was quoted by the Daily Telegraph as saying, "The growth of the party has been astonishing," noting, "we're now coming for Labour."

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Russia launches massive drone and missile barrage on Ukraine hitting Kyiv, other targets throughout country

Russian forces launched a massive barrage of drones and missiles into Ukraine on Sunday, killing at least four people.

The strike, mostly targeting the capital city of Kyiv, was the first major aerial assault since Russia launched its largest barrage of the war last month. Tymur Tkachenko, head of the Kyiv City Administration, confirmed Sunday’s casualties via Telegram and said 10 people were also wounded in the attack. One of those killed was a 12-year-old girl, he said.

"The Russians have restarted the child death counter," Tkachenko wrote.

Russia fired a total of 595 exploding drones and decoys and 48 missiles, Ukraine’s air force said Sunday. Of those, air defenses shot down or jammed 566 drones and 45 missiles, they said.

UN SECURITY COUNCIL REJECTS CHINA-RUSSIA RESOLUTION EXTENDING IRAN NUCLEAR SANCTIONS RELIEF BEFORE DEADLINE

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the bombardment targeted the regions of Zaporizhzhia, Khmelnytskyi, Sumy, Mykolaiv, Chernihiv, and Odesa in addition to Kyiv. He said at least 70 people were injured nationwide.

"This vile attack came virtually (at) the close of UN General Assembly week, and this is exactly how Russia declares its true position. Moscow wants to keep fighting and killing, and it deserves the toughest pressure from the world," Zelenskyy wrote in a statement on social media.

WORLD LEADERS LAUGH, SQUIRM AS TRUMP BLASTS UN ON CLIMATE, UKRAINE, GAZA AT GENERAL ASSEMBLY

Sunday's barrage comes after President Donald Trump displayed a shift in tone toward Ukraine during the United Nations General Assembly last week. Rather than emphasizing a peace deal with Putin, Trump instead urged Ukraine to go after Russia in whatever ways possible.

RUSSIA SHIFTS FROM TALK TO ACTION, TARGETING NATO HOMELAND AMID FEARS OF GLOBAL WAR

"I think Ukraine, with the support of the European Union, is in a position to fight and win all of Ukraine back in its original form," he said Tuesday on social media.

"With time, patience, and the financial support of Europe and, in particular, NATO, the original borders from where this war started, is very much an option," Trump added. "Why not?"

Trump's comments present a stark reversal from where he stood when he first re-entered office and, in an infamous February Oval Office meeting told Zelenskyy he "[didn’t] have the cards" to take on Russia, and repeatedly suggested Kyiv would need to make significant concessions to end the war.

Fox News' Caitlin McFall and The Associated Press contributed to this report

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Russia's Sergey Lavrov warns NATO countries in UNGA speech after Trump shifts tone on Ukraine

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov used his address to the United Nations General Assembly (UGNA) on Saturday to deliver one of Moscow’s starkest warnings yet to the West, accusing NATO and the European Union of waging a "real war" against Russia.

Lavrov opened with sweeping historical references to World War II, positioning Russia as the heir to the Soviet Union’s role in defeating Nazism and defending global sovereignty. He accused the U.S. of dismantling those postwar principles through interventions in Yugoslavia, Iraq and Libya, and warned that the same was happening today in the Middle East. 

While condemning Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, attack, Lavrov said Israel’s campaign in Gaza amounted to "collective punishment" of civilians, linking the conflict to what he portrayed as decades of unchecked Western use of force.

Lavrov accused NATO of ignoring decades of security commitments. He insisted Russia has "never had and does not have" plans to attack NATO countries, calling Western warnings of a Russian offensive "provocations." 

UN SECURITY COUNCIL REJECTS CHINA-RUSSIA RESOLUTION EXTENDING IRAN NUCLEAR SANCTIONS RELIEF BEFORE DEADLINE

He singled out claims by European leaders as "false portrayals" of Moscow’s intentions, echoing President Vladimir Putin’s denials that Russia plans to strike NATO or EU territory. At the same time, Lavrov issued a direct threat: "Any aggression against my country will be met with a decisive response. There should be no doubt about this among those in NATO and the EU."

The warning comes amid heightened tension along NATO’s eastern flank. Estonia recently accused Russian jets of violating its airspace, and NATO forces shot down drones over Poland. The U.S. responded by telling the U.N. Security Council it would "defend every inch of NATO territory." Against this backdrop, Lavrov’s speech underscored Moscow’s effort to frame any clash with NATO as an existential threat to Russia itself.

The timing also intersects with a shift in U.S. rhetoric. President Donald Trump, who met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy earlier this week, has hardened his tone on the war – telling reporters that Ukraine can and should reclaim all its territory.

That marks a departure from earlier signals of openness to negotiation, more than a month after U.S. and Russian officials held rare talks in Alaska. Lavrov’s UN address seemed calibrated to counter Trump’s new line, reminding Washington that Moscow sees the war not as a distant conflict but as a direct confrontation involving the United States.

Ukrainian President Zelenskyy, in his own address to the General Assembly, warned that failing to stop Russia now would unleash "the most destructive arms race ever."

Lavrov reinforced his message at a press conference after the speech, responding to a question about Western calls to shoot down Russian aircraft that might violate European airspace. He dismissed Trump’s earlier remark that Russia was a "paper tiger," noting that the president had already walked it back. 

He then issued a stark warning: "If there are attempts to down any flying object … over our territory, in our airspace, then I think people will very much regret it, undertaking such an egregious violation of our territorial integrity and sovereignty."

WORLD LEADERS LAUGH, SQUIRM AS TRUMP BLASTS UN ON CLIMATE, UKRAINE, GAZA AT GENERAL ASSEMBLY

Lavrov also took aim at U.S. sanctions on Iran, blasting Western efforts to restore or tighten restrictions as "illegal" and evidence of what he described as Washington’s strategy of "blackmail and pressure." 

He said the West had sabotaged diplomatic options to revive the 2015 nuclear deal and rejected what he called manipulations at the U.N. Security Council to isolate Tehran.

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Beyond Europe, Lavrov portrayed Russia as aligned with a rising "global majority" against Western dominance, pointing to BRICS, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and African and Latin American calls for greater representation at the U.N. Security Council. 

He accused Washington of using sanctions and military blocs to preserve hegemony, while claiming Russia was defending sovereignty for nations across the Global South.

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Former Republican lawmaker looks to help US allies take power away from China

Cathy McMorris Rodgers is continuing her work on Middle East affairs after leaving Capitol Hill. 

The former congresswoman recently spoke with Fox News Digital about her decision to join the U.S. Israel Education Association (USIEA) as a senior fellow to help cultivate the group’s leadership in the pharmaceutical space.

"I'm really excited to be helping advise the U.S. Israel Education Association, both as a former member of Congress, but also someone who is very supportive and believes that the U.S.-Israel relationship must be a priority," Rodgers told Fox News Digital. "I'm advising them specifically on an initiative around friendshoring pharmaceutical supply chains into the Abraham Accord region."

As co-founder of the Abraham Accords Caucus, Rodgers is familiar with the complex relationships the first Trump administration was able to form in the Middle East, bringing Israel and Arab nations closer together.

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"I understand how vulnerable we have become because our pharmaceutical supply chain, so many of them are controlled by China. So, this initiative aligns with some of the priorities that I had while I was serving in Congress," Rodgers added.

The Trump administration has made bringing manufacturing back to the U.S. a top priority. However, when domestic production is not possible, friendshoring could be the solution, relying on close relationships to get critical supplies. 

When it comes to pharmaceuticals, China dominates the current market, particularly when it comes to the production of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and generic drugs, Rodgers said. In July, the Brookings Institution released a report in which it estimated that Chinese APIs were included in approximately one-quarter of drug volume sold in the U.S.

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"We see because of President Trump's tariffs against China, many pharmaceutical companies are onshoring. So, they're bringing back manufacturing to America. However, with the generics, which are 92% of the prescriptions in our nation, as well as the raw materials, the business reality is extremely difficult because of the cost of operation in the United States driven by regulations and labor costs. So, a region like the Abraham Accords, where Israel, UAE [United Arab Emirates], Bahrain and others, we could both source the raw material and these countries are investing a lot in research and in development and in manufacturing," Rodgers said.

The former congresswoman emphasized the importance of the Abraham Accords and diplomatic initiatives started under President Donald Trump in 2020. She said that the initiative has succeeded in creating "government-to-government" ties, and now the USIEA is looking to expand on economic relationships between Abraham Accords nations.

Rodgers did not seem concerned about instability in the region impacting pharmaceutical supplies. She told Fox News Digital that other Abraham Accords Nations are interested in working with the U.S. on this initiative.

"They want to diversify from what historically has been more energy, oil dominated," Rodgers said. "It's an idea whose time has come, I believe and it would. Serve both the purpose of ensuring our national security and preventing our dependence on foreign adversarial nations like China for these supply chains, but also building upon the Abraham Accords countries and the important relationship there."

While she is no longer on Capitol Hill, Rodgers believes her former colleagues have a significant role to play in the initiative. She said that a top priority is getting an FDA office established in the region, something she hopes will get done this year.

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Hungarian official touts 'golden age' of US relationship, credits Trump with boosting NATO and investment

UNITED NATIONS — A Hungarian official sat down with Fox News Digital at the United Nations this week as his country is poised to follow the U.S. in declaring Antifa a terrorist organization. He said the move highlights the strengthening ties between the U.S. and Hungary now that the Biden administration has ended.

"I think this is another issue which shows that the current Trump administration and the government of Prime Minister [Viktor] Orbán are close to each other when it comes to major political issues," Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó told Fox News Digital. "It was obvious that we do consider Antifa as an extremist organization, spreading an extremism ideology based on which they encourage their members and activists to attack innocent people. And this is simply unacceptable."

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, a strong ally of President Donald Trump, said in a radio interview on Sept. 19 that it was time for Budapest to follow "the American model," according to The Associated Press.

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Szijjártó also referenced an incident in 2023 in which Antifa activists assaulted individuals who they believed to be part of a far-right event in Budapest, the AP.

The outlet noted that one of the alleged assailants was Italian Antifascist activist Ilaria Salis, who has since become a member of the European Parliament, giving her immunity from prosecution. Szijjártó told Fox News Digital it was a "shame" that Hungary could not take legal action against her.

"The European Parliament has proved again that it is a super over-ideologized and over-politicized body [ruled] by the extremist, liberal, very aggressive extremist liberal mainstream," he said.

While Hungary has called on the European Union to also declare Antifa a terrorist organization, Szijjártó told Fox News Digital that he has "less hope" that the EU will act. 

EX-ANTIFA ACTIVIST PRAISES TRUMP’S DECISION TO LABEL GROUP DOMESTIC TERRORISTS

As Hungary faces challenges in Europe, it is seeing an improved relationship with the U.S., with Szijjártó hailing it as a "golden age."

"Under the Democrat administration, we Hungarians were considered as enemies. There was a very hostile approach by the Democrat administration," Szijjártó said, referring to former President Joe Biden's White House. "And since President Trump has been in office, this thing has totally, totally changed … We are basically experiencing the golden age of this U. S.-Hungary relationship."

Hungary also backs Trump’s call for greater NATO spending as the alliance faces renewed pressure over recent incursions into the airspace of Denmark, Estonia and Poland. Some of the incidents have been connected to Russia.

When speaking with Fox News Digital, Szijjártó emphasized Hungary’s view of NATO as "a very important pillar of European security."

ZELENSKYY SAYS TRUMP SHOWED HE WANTS TO SUPPORT UKRAINE ‘TO THE VERY END’

"We do hope that NATO will further strengthen in the future. We have agreed with the approach of President Trump arguing in favor of increasing the share of defense spending of the allies' GDPs," Szijjártó said. 

Amid rising tensions between NATO and Russia, Hungary is uniquely aware of the dire risks of a confrontation between the two parties. 

Hungary shares a border with Ukraine and has witnessed the impact of Kyiv’s war with Russia up close. Szijjártó cautioned that a showdown between NATO and Russia could spark World War III. However, Hungary sees Trump as a likely peacemaker in the region.

"President Trump is the only hope to make peace," Szijjártó told Fox News Digital. He went on to say that the U.S.-Russia talks must continue to get the world to a stable place.

"Whenever there is a civilized, high-level Russia-U.S. engagement, then the security situation of the world is improving. Whenever there is [a] lack of U.S.-Russia talks, then the global security situation deteriorates," Szijjártó said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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NATO country reports drones over largest military base after airport attack, mulls response

Denmark on Saturday reported more mysterious drone sightings — this time over military installations, including its largest military base — after incursions at airports grounded flights this week. The NATO country is still mulling how to respond.

Denmark's Armed Forces reported that more drones were observed overnight, according to Reuters. 

"The Danish Defense can confirm that drones were observed at several of the Danish Defense's locations last night. Several capabilities were deployed," a spokesperson told the outlet.

Police said drones were spotted near the Karup air base in western Denmark, Reuters reported, citing Ritzau News agency.

DENMARK CONSIDERS TRIGGERING NATO ARTICLE 4 AFTER DRONES FLY OVER AIRPORTS

In addition to the sightings in Denmark, Norway also had a reported run-in with drones. Norwegian police are reportedly investigating possible drone sightings near an air force base in central Norway, Reuters reported, adding that the base houses the country's F-35 fighter jets.

"The guards at the base made several observations outside the base's perimeter early on Saturday," a spokesperson at the Norwegian Armed Forces' joint headquarters told Reuters.

Saturday's incident in Denmark comes just days after the country's Aalborg Airport, which is used by the Danish military, was closed due to drone sightings. 

Danish authorities said the drone incident was a "hybrid attack" that came from a "professional actor," according to the BBC. The outlet said authorities specified that the drones were launched locally and did not come from Russia.

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On Monday, a similar drone incident impacted Copenhagen Airport. Unlike the incident at Aalborg, some suspected Russia could have been the culprit behind the attack.

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said it was "the most serious attack on Danish critical infrastructure to date," according to reports. She added that the country was "not ruling out any options in relation to who is behind it," Reuters reported.

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said on Friday that he spoke with Frederiksen about the drones and that the alliance was taking the incidents "very seriously." 

"NATO Allies and Denmark are working together on how we can ensure the safety and security of our critical infrastructure," Rutte said in a post on X.

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While some believed the country was considering triggering NATO's Article 4 to convene allied countries over the drone incidents, Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said the country had "no reason to do so," according to Reuters. Rasmussen said that after Article 4 was recently triggered due to aerial disturbances in Poland and Estonia, Denmark did not feel a need to do the same, Reuters reported.

Despite neither triggering a NATO response nor shooting down the drones, Denmark is still mulling a possible response to the sightings.

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UN Security Council rejects China-Russia resolution extending Iran nuclear sanctions relief before deadline

The United Nations on Friday failed to adopt a resolution brought by China and Russia that would have extended sanctions relief for Iran for another six months under the nuclear deal.

The vote was 4 to 9, with Algeria, China, Pakistan and Russia in favor and Denmark, France, Greece, Panama, Sierra Leone, Slovenia, Somalia, the United Kingdom and the United States against.

Guyana and South Korea abstained.

The vote came after Britain, France and Germany triggered the deal’s "snapback" measure, which reinstates sanctions on Iran following stalled talks on its nuclear program.

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The sanctions, which will go into effect unless there’s a last-minute deal Friday, will include freezing Iranian assets abroad, halting arms deals with Tehran and penalizing any development of Iran’s ballistic missile program. 

"We had hoped that European colleagues and the U.S. would think twice, and they would opt for the path of diplomacy and dialogue instead of their clumsy blackmail, which merely results in escalation of the situation in the region," Dmitry Polyanskiy, deputy Russian ambassador to the U.N., said during the meeting.

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Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, had also been meeting with his French, German and British counterparts in the lead-up to the U.N. vote. 

A European diplomat told The Associated Press the meeting "did not produce any new developments, any new results."

On Tuesday, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader, also said Iran would not "surrender to pressure" and that negotiations with the U.S. would be a "dead end." 

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In an interview on Friday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian called the decision "unfair, unjust and illegal."

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

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Zelenskyy 'ready' to exit office if war ends, open to elections in ceasefire

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has suggested he is ready to step down from office once Russia’s war on Ukraine ends.

During an interview with Axios Wednesday, the Ukrainian leader also maintained his primary focus remains achieving peace rather than securing another term.

"My goal is to finish the war," Zelenskyy told Barak Ravid on The Axios Show following his address to the United Nations General Assembly in New York and before heading back to Kyiv.

When pressed on if Ukraine would hold elections during a ceasefire, Zelenskyy was firm.

EUROPEAN LEADERS WILL JOIN TRUMP-ZELENSKYY MEETING, SIGNALING SOLIDARITY WITH UKRAINE

"So do you commit that if tomorrow, President Putin agrees for a ceasefire of three months, six months, whatever you will push forward to go for elections in Ukraine?" Ravid asked. "Yes," Zelenskyy responded.

When asked whether he envisioned leading Ukraine in peacetime, Zelenskyy again suggested his intent to step aside once the war is won. 

"If we will finish war with Russia? Yes," Zelenskyy said, before clarifying that elections were not his personal ambition. 

"It’s not my goal, elections," he explained. "I want it very much, in a very difficult period of time, to be with my country, help my country. Yes, that is what I wanted. My goal is to finish the war," he stated.

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The Ukrainian leader’s remarks come as his country is under martial law, imposed since Russia’s full-scale invasion started in February 2022.  

Under martial law, elections can't be held.

Zelenskyy, first elected in 2019 in a landslide, would have seen his five-year term end in May 2024 if the war with Russia had not started. 

Now Zelenskyy has been in office for over six year which is beyond his original mandate. 

Fox News Digital has reached out to Volodymyr Zelenskyy's office for comment.

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Daredevil mountaineer makes history skiing down Mount Everest through death zone without oxygen

A mountaineer has made history by becoming the first person to ski down Mount Everest without the use of supplemental oxygen, expedition organizers confirmed Thursday. 

Polish national Andrzej Bargiel's achievement is also being hailed as a landmark moment in the world of extreme endurance sports.

Bargiel, 37, summited the world’s highest peak at 29,032 feet Sept. 22 before putting on his skis and starting his big descent. 

"I am on top of the highest mountain in the world, and I’m going to descend it on skis," Bargiel said in a video posted to his Instagram page before pushing off from the snowy summit.

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According to AFP, Seven Summit Treks, the Nepal-based outfitter managing Bargiel's expedition, confirmed his descent was the first of its kind.

It reported the athlete split the feat into two sections, first skiing to Camp II before spending the night and then continuing through what is said to be the dangerous Khumbu Icefall the next morning. 

People have tried ski descents from Everest in the past, but none of them have completed the run without bottled oxygen.

In 2000, Slovenian Davorin Karnicar became the first to ski from the summit to Base Camp, but he relied on supplemental oxygen. 

His brother, Bartek, helped by piloting a drone that helped guide him safely through the glacier, AFP reported.

"This was extremely challenging, and no one had done it before," Chhang Dawa Sherpa of Seven Summit Treks told AFP.

RESCUE EFFORT HALTED FOR STUCK CLIMBER ON TREACHEROUS MOUNTAIN AFTER CLIMBER DIES TRYING TO HELP HER: REPORTS

Bargiel also spent nearly 16 hours in the so-called "death zone" above 8,000 meters, where oxygen levels are dangerously low and survival is difficult without bottled air. 

When he reached base camp, Bargiel was greeted with a khada, a ceremonial Buddhist scarf, in recognition of his success.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk celebrated the accomplishment on X, writing, "Sky is the limit? Not for Poles! Andrzej Bargiel has just skied down Mount Everest."

Bargiel is reportedly no stranger to high-altitude firsts. In 2018, he became the first person to ski down Pakistan’s K2, the world’s second-highest mountain, a feat BBC News noted was dedicated to the centenary of Poland regaining independence. 

He had also attempted Everest in 2019 and again in 2022 but was thwarted by unstable ice and high winds.

Fox News Digital has reached out to Andrzej Bargiel for comment.

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Australian mother calls for social media age restrictions after daughter's suicide

A Sydney mother, whose 15-year-old daughter, Matilda "Tilly" Rosewarne, took her life after severe social media cyberbullying, called for global reform Wednesday at an event on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York – banning children under 16 and holding tech companies financially accountable.

In a heartbreaking speech, Emma Mason detailed her daughter's final moments, as she attempted to take her life for the twelfth and final time on Feb. 16, 2022.

"My brave little girl, determined to look pretty, put on her makeup one last time," Mason said. "She had planned this moment out in detail. … Exhausted and broken, she just couldn’t fight anymore. She climbed on top of the backyard tree house, she slipped the noose around her neck, and stepped off into whatever experience eventually awaits all of us."

Tilly was found by her father and 13-year-old sister, who ran into the backyard alone to find her big sister lifeless. 

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While Tilly faced relentless bullying that began in elementary school, Mason said it worsened with the spread of social media. 

In November 2020, a fake nude photo of Tilly – created by a male classmate – circulated on Snapchat, reaching more than 3,000 children within just a few hours.

"The reality of this harm was instant," Mason said. "Tilly was hysterical and spiraling. I rang the school but because this boy, and his mother, denied he’d even had his phone that day, they said they couldn’t do anything. That night, Tilly attempted suicide by cutting her arms and there was a lot of blood. … She never really recovered."

MAMDANI SLAMMED FOR USING KIDS IN CAMPAIGN VIDEOS AFTER GLOATING ABOUT SOCIAL MEDIA-FREE CHILDHOOD

Authorities allegedly told the family it was difficult to "stop this from happening," explaining they are forced to wait months for information from Snapchat.

As Tilly lost herself in depression, Mason said the bullying continued, with Tilly receiving numerous messages urging her to kill herself.

The grieving mother said Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok played a direct role in her daughter's death, noting the apps fail to protect young users and contribute to a decline in mental health, concentration, social skills, negative effects on body image, sleep and social isolation.

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"In the same way car manufacturers are responsible for protecting those who drive their vehicles, social media giants must take responsibility for protecting our children, because across the globe, children are suffering," she said. "They’re dying as a direct result of their social media engagement, and as parents, we need help."

Snap Inc.’s head of public policy Henry Turnbull in the Asia-Pacific region told a parliamentary inquiry in 2024 that the company works to ensure users feel safe on Snapchat, NewsWire reported at the time.

"This work is never done," Turnbull said. "Bullying is unfortunately something that takes place in the real world and online. We do work hard to address it, and I recognize how damaging and devastating it can be to those affected. From our perspective, it’s about focusing on the actions we’re taking to address these risks."

During the 2024 inquiry, Lucinda Longcroft, at the time Google’s director of government affairs and public policy for Australia and New Zealand, said user safety remains the company’s highest priority. 

"We are certainly open to exploring any avenue to ensure the safety of Australian users," Longcroftsaid. "We never feel we are doing enough to exercise our responsibility. We are constantly working, because the safety of children – as the most vulnerable among our users – and the safety of all our users is of utmost concern and our responsibility. We invest time, resources and expertise to ensure our systems, services and products are safe in the area of mental health and suicide."

Though Australia recently passed a landmark minimum-age law, forcing social media platforms to take reasonable steps to prevent Australians under 16 years old from having accounts or pay millions of dollars in fines, Mason asked the world to adopt a global ban to hold tech companies financially accountable.

"For parents of lost children, our lives are measured in days, weeks and months from our loss," she said. "By birthdays, anniversaries, Christmases and other events that serve to remind us of life moving on for everyone else, except us. … Since Tilly died, I’ve sadly had the privilege of meeting so many parents like me … How many more Tillys must die?"

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European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen followed Mason's speech, accusing apps of attracting and addicting children to manipulative algorithms that are geared to return profits to tech companies.

"This business is not for charity, but parents live with the risks and harms of this every single day," von der Leyen said. "Cyberbullying, the encouragement of self-harm, online predators, addictive algorithms. It is up to us to step up for the next generation."

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In Europe, she said an age verification prototype is being tested in France, Spain, Greece, Denmark and Italy.

"It is obvious that this is plain common sense," von der Leyen said. "We all agree that young people should reach a certain age before they smoke, drink or have access to adult content. The same can be said for social media. … We have no reason to fear the future. The technological revolution has already brought huge benefits to our lives and will bring more. But we can clarify our relationship with tech so that it serves us and not the other way around."

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Zelenskyy at UN: ‘Weak’ global bodies can’t stop Putin, only ‘friends and weapons’ can

Only "friends and weapons," not international laws, can protect against war and authoritarian ambitions, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned on Wednesday during an address to the United Nations General Assembly.

The Ukrainian leader, who has been pleading with the international community to do more to counter Russian President Vladimir Putin amid his more than three-and-a-half-year-long war, once again cautioned that Ukraine may have been the first European nation to bear Moscow’s affront to international order, but it will not be the last.

"Putin will keep driving the war forward wider and deeper. And we told you before, Ukraine is only the first. And now Russian drones are already flying across Europe," Zelenskyy said. "Russian operations are already spreading across countries, and Putin wants to continue this war by expanding it.

TRUMP 'DRAMATICALLY' CHANGES TUNE ON UKRAINE BUT EXPERTS CAUTION PUTIN IS STILL WAITING FOR ACTION

"No one can feel safe right now," he added. 

A general tone of dissatisfaction with the effectiveness of the rules-based system has repeatedly rung out during the UNGA as world leaders condemned a growing disregard of international law and human rights amid rising security threats and geopolitical conflicts. 

Zelenskyy again argued it is cheaper to stop Putin now than attempt to catch up in an arms race, build underground bunkers across cities and under kindergartens and to try and "protect every port and every ship from terrorists with sea drones."

"Stopping Russia now is cheaper than wondering who will be the first to create a simple drone carrying a nuclear warhead," he said.

TRUMP MOCKS NATO ALLIES FOR 'FUNDING THE WAR AGAINST THEMSELVES' WITH RUSSIAN ENERGY PURCHASES

But it wasn’t only the international community’s failure to stop Putin that Zelenskyy addressed. 

He pointed to the Israeli hostages who are still held in Gaza and the horrific conditions Palestinians live in.

"There is simply no other way left [that] nations can speak about the pain from stages like this," Zelenskyy said. "But even during bloodshed, there isn't a single international institution that can truly stop it. That's how weak these institutions have become. 

"What can Sudan or Somalia or Palestine or any other people living through war really expect from the UN or the global system? Just statements," he said. 

"In the end, peace depends on all of us, on the United Nations," Zelenskyy said. "So don't stay silent while Russia keeps dragging this war on. Please speak out and condemn it. 

"Please join us in defending life and international law and order," he added. "People are waiting for action."

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Abbas to address UN after visa clash with US as questions swirl over Hamas

Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas is slated to address the United Nations General Assembly on Thursday by video after the U.S. revoked his visa last month. 

The U.N. last week voted in a 145-5 vote to allow Abbas to speak during the major international event, after the U.S. accused the Palestinian leadership of undermining peace efforts and barred entry for about 80 Palestinians. 

It is unclear how Abbas’ address will differ from the one he gave Monday at an event co-hosted by France and Saudi Arabia, during which the Palestinian leader called for an immediate cease-fire and for Hamas to hand over all weapons to the PA.

ISRAEL CALLS UN PUSH FOR PALESTINE STATEHOOD A ‘CHARADE,’ WARNS OF ‘CONSEQUENCES’ FOR RECOGNITION MOVES

"Hamas will have no role in governance, and it, along with other factions, must hand over its weapons to the Palestinian Authority, because we want one unified state, without arms outside the framework of the law, under one legal system, and with one legitimate security force," he said.

"We reaffirm our condemnation of the crimes of the occupation, as we also condemn the killing and kidnapping of civilians, including what Hamas committed on October 7, 2023," Abbas added. 

The PA, established in 1994 following the Oslo Accords peace agreement with Israel but largely sidelined after 2005, still operates in the West Bank.

The governing authority has long clashed with Hamas, which assumed de facto power in the Gaza Strip in 2007 following a violent power struggle.

But the State Department last month said the PA "must consistently repudiate terrorism — including the October 7 massacre" before it "can be considered partners for peace."

ISRAEL CALLS UN PUSH FOR PALESTINE STATEHOOD A ‘CHARADE,’ WARNS OF ‘CONSEQUENCES’ FOR RECOGNITION MOVES

The PA has not played a significant role in ceasefire negotiations, though Abbas on Monday thanked the U.S., Qatar and Egypt for their mediating efforts with Israel. 

Abbas argued that the PA "is the only legitimate authority qualified to assume full responsibility for governance and security in Gaza, through a temporary administrative committee linked to the Palestinian government in the West Bank, with Arab and international support."

The Palestinian president said his government has been pursuing a "comprehensive reform agenda" that will "strengthen governance, transparency and the rule of law" for Gaza.

He said the plan being drawn up includes reforming financial institutions, school curricula in line with UNESCO standards, establishing a social welfare program, and holding presidential and parliamentary elections within one year of the war's end. 

The State Department did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s questions on whether it supports re-implementing the PA.

The Trump administration has repeatedly made clear it does not support the actions taken by other Western nations that this week said they will now acknowledge a "state of Palestine."

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France says UN recognition of Palestinian state is a blow to Hamas not a gift

EXCLUSIVE: A French official pushed back on claims by President Donald Trump that recognizing a Palestinian state amounts to handing Hamas a victory, insisting the initiative advanced at the United Nations this week is designed to marginalize the terror group and revive the two-state solution.

In an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital at the UN General Assembly in New York, Pascal Confavereux, spokesperson for France’s Foreign Ministry, rejected suggestions that President Emmanuel Macron was trying to position himself as an "anti-Trump" leader on the global stage.

The spokesperson stressed that relations between Trump and Macron remain strong, despite their visible differences at the U.N. "The French president and President Trump have a relationship that dates back to the first Trump administration. They have very intense discussions, and they are working on many, many issues," he said, noting that the two leaders spoke again on Tuesday about a range of topics. "This is not at all against the Trump administration. On the contrary, what is done here will help."

MACRON STAKES ANTI-TRUMP GLOBAL ROLE WITH GAZA INITIATIVE AT UN SUMMIT

He also linked the U.N. initiative to the broader framework of regional normalization first championed under Trump. "What were the Abraham Accords of the first Trump administration? They gave reassurance to neighboring Arab countries, and in exchange, they established stronger ties with Israel. Here, the logic is totally coherent with what we are doing, so it will help. Should the Trump administration want to go in this direction, it will definitely open the way to a kind of Abraham Two."

Confavereux detailed how the package, led jointly by France and Saudi Arabia, combined recognition of Palestinian statehood with a series of commitments: condemnation of the Oct. 7 massacre, exclusion of Hamas from any future Palestinian government, governance reforms by the Palestinian Authority and planning for reconstruction and regional integration. "All these pieces of the puzzle were put together by this initiative," he said, adding that otherwise "the two-state solution would have been in a very bad place."

TRUMP DENOUNCES EUROPEAN RECOGNITION OF PALESTINIAN STATE AS ‘REWARD’ FOR HAMAS

Trump, in his own UN speech Tuesday, sharply condemned the French-Saudi plan. "Recognizing a Palestinian state today would reward Hamas for its horrible atrocities, including Oct.  7," Trump told world leaders, warning that such recognition would prolong the conflict and embolden terrorists.

But the French spokesperson argued the opposite. "What was actually adopted at the United Nations General Assembly earlier this week was to save the two-state solution, which frankly was in mortal danger one year ago," he said. "This is exactly a defeat of Hamas. Hamas doesn’t want two states, Hamas wants ‘from the river to the sea.’ It’s exactly against that this initiative was prepared."

Pressed to answer critics who argue that Macron’s international activism is also an attempt to preserve his legacy while he faces domestic struggles and low support at home, the spokesperson declined to comment.

French officials nevertheless took pride in having secured broad support. The July "Declaration of New York" — spearheaded by France and Saudi Arabia — was formally adopted at the General Assembly this month with backing from 142 states. "It was a long effort, but it shows there is an international majority determined to keep the two-state solution alive," the spokesperson said.

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On Monday, Trump used Truth Social to declare that Ukraine, with European support, "is in a position to fight and WIN all of Ukraine back in its original form." 

Confavereux welcomed the remarks, saying, "We welcome very positively these statements by President Trump. What we can see is that President Putin is not at all wanting peace — he’s sending bombs and drones in Ukraine, he’s violating NATO territory in Poland, Estonia, Romania. On the ground he is in total failure, gaining less than 1% of Ukrainian territory in 1,000 days, and that will not change our determination."

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