France reportedly planning to ban children under 15 from social media starting 2026

France is planning to ban children under 15 from social media and to restrict cellphone use in high schools starting next year, local media Le Monde reported on Tuesday.

The proposal aims to curb excessive screen time and shield minors from online risks such as inappropriate content. President Emmanuel Macron has repeatedly cited social media as a contributing factor to violence among young people.  

"Many studies and reports now confirm the various risks caused by excessive use of digital screens by adolescents," a draft law stated, according to Le Monde.

The document added that children with unrestrained access online have been exposed to "inappropriate content" and could suffer from cyber-harassment or experience changes to their sleep patterns, according to the outlet.

AFTER AUSTRALIA PASSES SOCIAL MEDIA BAN, LAWMAKERS PROBED ON WHY CONGRESS HASN'T DONE MORE TO PROTECT KIDS

The proposal follows Australia’s lead after the country introduced a world-first ban on social media for children under 16 years old in December, restricting access to platforms such as Facebook, TikTok and YouTube.

Macron is aiming for Parliament to debate the proposal in January, with a potential start date of September next year, according to the local outlet.

In June, Macron said he wanted to push for similar regulations across the European Union (EU), following a fatal school stabbing in eastern France that shocked the nation in April, Reuters reported.

TEXAS FAMILY SUES CHARACTER.AI AFTER CHATBOT ALLEGEDLY ENCOURAGED AUTISTIC SON TO HARM PARENTS AND HIMSELF

Macron has previously taken numerous steps to protect minors digitally. However, technical challenges, including EU legal constraints and weak enforcement, have limited the effectiveness of such measures. 

Cellphones have already been banned in French elementary and middle schools since 2018, according to Le Monde.

In 2023, France reportedly attempted to pass a law calling for a "digital legal age," which required parental consent for social media users under 15 years old. The law, however, was blocked by EU regulations.

In November, the European Parliament urged the EU to set minimum social media ages to tackle adolescent mental health issues, though final decisions rest with its member states, Reuters reported.

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China’s ‘condom tax’ sparks backlash as Beijing struggles to reverse population collapse

China will begin charging a 13% value-added tax on contraceptives starting Jan. 1 while exempting childcare services from the same tax, a move authorities say is part of a broader effort to boost births as the country faces a sustained population decline, according to the BBC and The Associated Press.

The tax overhaul, announced late last year, removes exemptions that had been in place since 1994, when China was still enforcing its decades-long one-child policy.

Alongside the new tax on contraceptives such as condoms and birth control pills, the Chinese government is exempting childcare, marriage-related services and elderly care from the value-added tax (VAT), the BBC reported.

Beijing has been pressing young people to marry and have children as it grapples with an aging population and a sluggish economy. Official figures show China’s population has shrunk for three consecutive years with about 9.54 million babies born in 2024.

WHY GEN Z DOESN'T WANT TO HAVE KIDS

That figure is roughly half the number of births recorded a decade earlier, when China began easing limits on family size, according to national statistics cited by the BBC and the AP.

China’s population pressures have been mounting for years. Births fell from about 14.7 million in 2019 to roughly 9.5 million in 2024. In 2023, India officially overtook China as the world’s most populous country.

The new tax on contraceptives has drawn ridicule and concern inside China. On social media, some users joked about stockpiling condoms before prices rise, while others argued that the cost of contraception is insignificant compared with the expense of raising a child, the BBC reported.

"I have one child, and I don’t want any more," Daniel Luo, a 36-year-old resident of Henan province, told the BBC. He said the price increase would not change his family plans, comparing it to small hikes in subway fares that do not alter daily behavior.

Others worry the policy could have unintended consequences. Rosy Zhao, who lives in the central city of Xi’an, told the BBC making contraception more expensive could lead students or people under financial strain to take risks. She called that the policy’s most dangerous potential outcome.

A SOLUTION TO THE HOUSING AFFORDABILITY PROBLEM: MARRIAGE

Health experts echoed those concerns in interviews with the AP, warning that higher prices could reduce access to contraception and contribute to more unintended pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections. China recorded more than 670,000 cases of syphilis and over 100,000 cases of gonorrhea in 2024, according to data from the National Disease Control and Prevention Administration.

China has also reported some of the highest abortion numbers in the world. Between 2014 and 2021, authorities recorded between 9 million and 10 million abortions annually, according to the National Health Commission. China stopped publishing abortion data in 2022.

Demographers and policy analysts remain skeptical that taxing contraceptives will meaningfully raise birth rates. Yi Fuxian, a senior scientist at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, told the BBC the idea that higher condom prices would influence fertility decisions amounts to overthinking the policy.

Value-added tax revenue, which totaled close to $1 trillion last year, accounts for about 40% of China’s tax collection, according to figures cited by the BBC.

Henrietta Levin of the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) described the move as symbolic, reflecting Beijing’s attempt to lift what she called strikingly low fertility numbers. She also cautioned that many incentives and subsidies depend on provincial governments that are already heavily indebted, raising questions about whether they can fund the measures adequately.

JAPAN REJECTS SAME-SEX MARRIAGE TO SAVE ITSELF FROM DEMOGRAPHIC COLLAPSE

Public health experts interviewed by the AP said the policy could disproportionately affect women, who shoulder most responsibility for birth control in China. Research released by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in 2022 found condoms are used by about 9% of couples, while 44.2% rely on intrauterine devices and 30.5% on female sterilization. Male sterilization accounts for 4.7%.

Some women say the tax revives resentment toward the government’s long history of involvement in reproductive decisions. The Communist Party enforced the one-child policy from roughly 1980 until 2015 through fines, penalties and, in some cases, forced abortions, according to the AP. Children born outside the policy were sometimes denied household registration, effectively rendering them non-citizens.

"It is a disciplinary tactic, a management of women’s bodies and my sexual desire," Zou Xuan, a 32-year-old teacher in Jiangxi province, told the AP.

Concerns about further state intrusion have also surfaced in recent months. The BBC reported that women in some provinces have received calls from local officials asking about menstrual cycles and pregnancy plans. A health bureau in Yunnan province said the information was needed to identify expectant mothers, a move critics say risks alienating the very families Beijing hopes to encourage.

Levin warned that such approaches could damage public trust. She told the BBC, "The [Communist] party can't help but insert itself into every decision that it cares about. So, it ends up being its own worst enemy in some ways."

While the government is adjusting policies once used to limit population growth, experts caution that reversing decades-long demographic trends will be much more difficult than increasing prices at the checkout counter, especially after years of policies that shaped whether families could have children.

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Iran in shutdown as protesters storm governor's office, crowds chant 'Death to Khamenei'

Iran ground to a near standstill Wednesday as businesses, universities and government offices closed under a government-ordered shutdown amid protests caused by a growing political and economic crisis.

Video footage circulating online and shared by the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (MEK) shows intense clashes between protesters and security forces in cities, including Shiraz, Isfahan, Kermanshah and Tehran.

In the videos, protesters chant anti-regime slogans and confront security forces in crowded streets.

Footage included scenes of screaming and apparent gunfire, with demonstrators throwing objects and shouting, "Death to the Dictator" and "Proud Arakis, support, support."

IRAN REPORTEDLY DEVELOPING CHEMICAL, BIOLOGICAL MISSILE WARHEADS AS PROTESTS SPREAD OVER COLLAPSING ECONOMY

Additional footage shared by MEK shows crowds chanting, "Death to Khamenei!" and "Shame on you, shame on you!" as anger appears to spread across the country, with a particular focus on bazaar-led protests in Tehran.

Some of the most dramatic scenes were reported in the city of Fasa in south-central Iran. Video circulating online shows demonstrators hurling objects at the gates of a government complex and shaking them until they opened.

Opposition groups also reported that protesters stormed the governor’s office, prompting Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces to open fire, per Reuters.

IRANIAN PRESIDENT SAYS HIS COUNTRY IS AT 'TOTAL WAR' WITH THE US, ISRAEL AND EUROPE: REPORTS

Military helicopters were seen flying over the city, apparently to intimidate residents and prevent the unrest from spreading.

In Kermanshah, in western Iran, bazaar merchants were seen confronting security forces while chanting, "Dishonorable, dishonorable," according to video footage.

The one-day shutdown affected 21 of Iran’s 31 provinces, including Tehran, as President Masoud Pezeshkian sought to contain mounting public anger fueled by inflation, currency instability and declining living standards.

IRAN KILLING SPREE CONTINUES AS REGIME SETS NEW RECORD FOR 2025 EXECUTIONS, DISSIDENT GROUP SAYS

Demonstrations, strikes and clashes with security forces continued for a fourth consecutive day in cities across the country.

The unrest has unfolded alongside a series of high-level leadership changes that have added to uncertainty.

On Wednesday, Pezeshkian appointed Abdolnaser Hemmati, a former economy minister, as the new head of Iran’s central bank after the resignation of Mohammad Reza Farzin.

State media quoted the president as acknowledging the role was "extremely difficult and complex," warning that the new central bank chief would face intense pressure and criticism amid ongoing economic turmoil, according to IRNA.

Separately, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei announced the appointment of IRGC Brig. Gen. Ahmad Vahidi as deputy commander in chief of the Revolutionary Guards.

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Putin residence attack video slammed; US officials say Ukraine did not target leader

Russia’s Defense Ministry on Wednesday released nighttime video footage it claimed shows the wreckage of a Ukrainian drone intercepted during an attempted attack on a residence used by President Vladimir Putin.

The video, filmed in a snow-covered, forested area in Russia, shows a Russian serviceman standing over debris that Moscow said belongs to a Ukrainian-made Chaklun-V drone.

Russian officials also said the drone was shot down before it could strike Putin’s residence near Lake Valdai in the Novgorod region and was carrying a six-kilogram explosive device that failed to detonate.

The footage was released as Moscow faced mounting skepticism over its account of events.

PUTIN REJECTS KEY PARTS OF US PEACE PLAN AS KREMLIN OFFICIAL WARNS EUROPE FACES NEW WAR RISK: REPORT

The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday that U.S. national security officials concluded Ukraine did not target Putin or any of his residences in the alleged drone incident.

The Journal said the finding was supported by a CIA assessment that determined no attempted attack on Putin occurred, citing a U.S. official briefed on the intelligence.

Instead, Ukraine, they said, was believed to be targeting a military site it had previously struck in the same region but not near Putin’s residence, the official said.

Ukrainian officials have continued to reject the allegations, with a military drone expert claiming the video provided little evidence of an attempted strike on one of Russia’s most heavily secured locations.

UKRAINE SAYS IT CARRIED OUT FIRST-EVER UNDERWATER DRONE STRIKE ON RUSSIAN SUBMARINE IN NOVOROSSIYSK

"This footage, unfortunately, does not offer proof of anything other than that there is a wrecked drone on the ground somewhere being stood over by a Russian serviceman," Draganfly CEO Cameron Chell told Fox News Digital.

Chell, whose firm supplies drones to the U.S. Department of Defense and its allies, said the drone shown in the video looked ill-suited for such a mission.

"The attacks that occurred on Dec. 29 were also hundreds of kilometers away," he added.

"The engines on the drone in this new footage are very small, and though capable of multiple hours of flight with the type of fixed-wing drone displayed, it would be extremely slow and unsophisticated.

"This drone is not untypical of many Ukraine drones, but these would only be used for infrastructure targets and woefully ineffective in an attack on a facility the likes of Putin’s residence," Chell concluded.

PUTIN SAYS RUSSIA WON'T LAUNCH NEW ATTACKS ON OTHER COUNTRIES 'IF YOU TREAT US WITH RESPECT'

Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi also dismissed the footage as "laughable," saying Kyiv was "absolutely confident that no such attack took place," according to Reuters.

Russia alleges the drone was part of a broader Ukrainian operation targeting Putin’s residence earlier this week.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov asserted 91 drones had been intercepted en route to Putin’s residence, a figure that appeared to conflict with earlier Defense Ministry statements.

The ministry initially reported that 89 drones were shot down across eight regions, including 18 over Novgorod, before revising the numbers upward. 

RUSSIA ALLEGES ATTACK ON PUTIN RESIDENCE AS UKRAINE DENIES CLAIM AHEAD OF TRUMP TALKS

Only after Lavrov’s remarks did the Defense Ministry claim that 49 drones intercepted over Bryansk — nearly 300 miles from Valdai — were also targeting the presidential residence.

The ministry initially reported that 89 drones were shot down across eight regions, including 18 over Novgorod, before revising the numbers upward. 

The timing of the allegations has also drawn scrutiny, coming shortly after what Moscow described publicly as a positive meeting between President Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Florida.

Zelenskyy also called the alleged drone attack a "complete fabrication," saying it was designed to justify further Russian strikes and undermine diplomatic efforts.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov rejected Ukraine’s denials and said Moscow would toughen its diplomatic stance.

Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House for comment.

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Two African nations ban American citizens in diplomatic tit-for-tat following Trump admin move

Two West African nations have issued a simultaneous ban on American citizens in a diplomatic tit-for-tat move, amidst heightened tensions with both the United States and Europe, and as Russia seeks to increase its economic and geopolitical influence in the region.

Mali and Burkina Faso made the move in response to the Trump administration's Dec. 16 expansion of travel restrictions to more than 20 countries. The policy particularly affected the African continent, with Chad, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Libya, Niger, Republic of the Congo, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, and Sudan also being subject to travel restrictions.

‘DEPART IMMEDIATELY’: STATE DEPARTMENT WARNS AMERICANS AS AL QAEDA THREATENS TO OVERRUN AFRICAN NATION

The Trump administration cited the persistence of armed attacks in both nations as part of the rationale for its decision:

"According to the Department of State, terrorist organizations continue to plan and conduct terrorist activities throughout Burkina Faso. According to the Fiscal Year 2024, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Entry/Exit Overstay Report ("Overstay Report"), Burkina Faso had a B-1/B-2 visa overstay rate of 9.16 percent and a student (F), vocational (M), and exchange visitor (J) visa overstay rate of 22.95 percent.  Additionally, Burkina Faso has historically refused to accept back its removable nationals."

Regarding its decision to include Mali on the list, it stated:

"According to the Department of State, armed conflict between the Malian government and armed groups is common throughout the country.  Terrorist organizations operate freely in certain areas of Mali."

Burkina Faso and Mali are both currently ruled by military juntas that came to power amidst rising violence and instability, as both nations came under attack from Islamist terrorist groups.

Both nations have also seen a rise in anti-French sentiment, in conjunction with deepening relationships with Russia, which has pledged to offer assistance in fighting back the Islamist rebels battling the central governments for territorial control.

MILITARY-LED MALI SUSPENDS ALL POLITICAL ACTIVITY UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE

"In accordance with the principle of reciprocity, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation informs the national and international community that, with immediate effect, the Government of the Republic of Mali will apply the same conditions and requirements to US nationals as those imposed on Malian citizens," the Malian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated.

Burkina Faso's government cited a similar rationale for issuing its ban on American travelers.

Both nations, as well as neighboring Niger and Nigeria, have seen skyrocketing violence in recent years, as chronically underfunded governments struggle to retain control of rural, sparsely-populated desert regions.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Putin residence drone attack dismissed as ‘implausible’ as Ukraine accusations mount

Escalating claims by Russia that Ukraine tried to hit a residence used by President Vladimir Putin with drones have been dismissed by a top military drone expert, who called the alleged attack "hard to fathom" and tactically implausible.

Cameron Chell's comments came as Moscow doubled down on accusations Kyiv has flatly denied, with the drone industry leader arguing the alleged strike announced Monday runs counter to Ukraine’s drone tactics.

Chell, the CEO and co-founder of Draganfly, a drone manufacturer that supplies to the U.S. Department of Defense and allied militaries, including Ukraine, said Russia's claims lack credibility.

RUSSIA SAYS UKRAINE PEACE TALKS 'PROCEEDING CONSTRUCTIVELY,' AS KREMLIN LAUNCHES DEADLY STRIKE ON ODESA

"What really makes things usually very signature about Ukraine is that they’re always incredibly clever about how they use drones," Chell told Fox News Digital.

"They are clever from a cost perspective — let’s call it an efficiency perspective — but also very clever in their tactics," he added.

"I find it hard to fathom that this drone attack even happened on Putin’s residence or that it was something that Ukraine orchestrated for a number of reasons," Chell said.

"To get over the top of Putin’s residence, for one, the drones would not have been launched from a very long distance away," he added.

RUSSIA WARNS IT MAY REJECT US-UKRAINE PEACE PLAN IF IT FAILS TO UPHOLD ALASKA SUMMIT 'UNDERSTANDINGS'

Chell’s comments came as Russia doubled down Tuesday on accusations that Ukraine attempted to strike a presidential palace in the Novgorod region using drones, allegedly to disrupt peace efforts.

Kyiv dismissed the allegation, with the timing also raising questions given the upbeat tone of a recent meeting between President Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Florida.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov claimed late Monday that 91 drones were intercepted en route to Putin’s residence on the shores of Lake Valdai.

His statement appeared to contradict earlier Defense Ministry tallies, which said 89 drones were shot down over eight regions, including 18 over Novgorod, later adding another 23.

Only after Lavrov spoke did the ministry allege that 49 drones intercepted over Bryansk, nearly 300 miles away, were also targeting Valdai.

UKRAINE PEACE TALKS PRODUCTIVE AS EX-GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL SAYS COUNTRY RETHINKING 'UNCOMPROMISING' STANCE

Asked about wreckage, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said it was "a matter for our military," while calling Zelenskyy’s denial and Western skepticism "completely insane."

Peskov said Russia’s diplomatic stance would be toughened, and Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin vowed there could be "no forgiveness" for Zelenskyy.

Chell said the story simply does not add up. "To attack Putin’s residence, you need long-range, very fast-moving drones," he said.

He added that for drones that small to reach such a site, they would have had to be launched from a much closer location, likely inside Russia itself.

"They would have to be within about 10 kilometers [6.2 miles] — or maybe, at most, 30 kilometers — of Putin’s residence," Chell said.

"That facility where Putin lives would also be incredibly secure, and so to have a number of lower-cost, slower-moving drones coming in on that facility would be very un-Ukrainian," Chell said.

ZELENSKYY SAYS PEACE DEAL IS CLOSE AFTER TRUMP MEETING BUT TERRITORY REMAINS STICKING POINT

"Ukraine also doesn’t announce when they’re going to show up," he added.

Chell also noted that night operations would rule out GPS- or AI-based navigation due to jamming and visibility limits, making the launch of dozens of drones even less plausible.

"Apparently the thing was at night, so that’s very difficult for machine vision or AI mapping software," he said. "So, you know, it definitely wasn’t using GPS, because it would have been jammed. There are just a bunch of things that don’t add up."

Politically, Chell argued, Ukraine has nothing to gain. "They’re bold, but right in the middle of peace talks — when they need Trump on side — it makes no sense," he said. "Ukraine is just politically too smart to have done that."

Zelenskyy on Monday also called the claim a complete fabrication, accusing Moscow of laying the groundwork for further attacks. 

Lavrov warned of retaliation but said Russia would continue talks with Washington.

Trump also said he learned of the alleged attack directly from Putin and was "very angry about it." Asked whether there was evidence, Trump replied, "We’ll find out."

Fox News Digital has reached out to the Kremlin for comment.

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UK PM Starmer–praised Egyptian extremist faces counter-terror probe over resurfaced tweets

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is facing intensifying political scrutiny after U.K. counterterrorism police began assessing resurfaced social media posts by Egyptian-British activist Alaa Abd El-Fattah, whom the prime minister had publicly welcomed back to Britain following his release from prison in Egypt.

Abd El-Fattah was forced to apologize this week after the controversial posts published between 2008 and 2014 that included remarks endorsing violence against "U.S. soldiers, Zionists and police." The posts resurfaced shortly after his return to the U.K., triggering political backlash and a counterterrorism review, including a tweet he wrote: "From time to time I remind people that I rejoice when U.S. soldiers are killed, and support killing Zionists, even civilians."

Abd El-Fattah returned to Britain on Boxing Day after receiving a pardon from Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. Starmer, who had campaigned publicly for his release and described the case as a priority for his government, said he was "delighted" when Abd El-Fattah arrived in the country.

UK PRIME MINISTER SLAMMED FOR WELCOMING HOME FREED EGYPTIAN PRISONER AFTER SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS RESURFACE

That welcome has since become a central point of controversy, although Starmer later condemned the historic posts as "absolutely abhorrent" and said the government was "taking steps to review the information failures in this case."

An official Counter Terrorism Policing spokesperson said authorities have received multiple public referrals related to Abd El-Fattah’s historical posts and that they are now being assessed by specialist officers within the Counter Terrorism Internet Referral Unit (CTIRU), according to GB News.

GB News reported that the posts under review include material in which Abd El-Fattah allegedly described the killing of Zionists as "heroic" and appeared to call for violence against police. One post is reported to have stated, "We need to kill more of them." Another post is alleged to have read: "By the way I’m a racist, I don’t like white people so piss off.

Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper ordered an urgent review into what she described as "serious information failures" in the case and said neither she nor Starmer were briefed on the social media posts before Abd El-Fattah arrived in Britain. Cooper said she "very much regrets" the government’s public welcome and that it "added to the distress felt by Jewish communities in the U.K."

TOP MAMDANI APPOINTEE DRAMATICALLY QUITS AFTER ANTISEMITIC POSTS RESURFACE

Speaking to Fox News Digital, Alan Mendoza, executive director of the Henry Jackson Society, attacked the government’s handling of the case, saying: "The British Government is guilty of incompetence at the very least for having embraced an activist with such an obvious and appalling social media record."

He continued, "The fact that el-Fattah’s public commentary was not checked by successive administrations allowing him access to first citizenship and consular support and then admission to the U.K. shows how shambolic our institutions have become. There is nothing British about this man beyond a quirk of administration, and he should be stripped of his status immediately and deported on account of who he really is: an enemy of this state."

UK FLAG CLASH AS FOREIGN BANNERS FLY, CITIZENS PUSH BACK AGAINST WOKE POLICIES RESHAPING BRITAIN

Much of the material now under scrutiny dates to between 2010 and 2012, a period during which Abd El-Fattah was an active figure in Egypt’s protest movement, which led the way to the Muslim Brotherhood affiliated Mohamed Morsi seizing power and becoming Egyptian president.

In his apology, Abd El-Fattah said the posts reflected "expressions of a young man’s anger and frustration in a time of regional crises," including wars in Iraq, Lebanon and Gaza, and rising police brutality in Egypt. He said he particularly regretted posts written during online disputes and acknowledged he "should have known better."

Opposition lawmakers argue the episode exposes a broader failure of vetting and judgment. Conservative MP Robert Jenrick has dismissed the apology as "scripted and fake" and called for Abd El-Fattah’s removal from Britain, according to GB News.

Reuters contributed to this report.

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U.S. announces more military actions against ISIS: 'We will not relent'

U.S. Central Command announced on Tuesday that the U.S. and partner forces have terminated or captured nearly 25 ISIS figures since a December 19 strike in Syria.

"U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) and partners across Syria killed at least seven ISIS members and captured the remainder during 11 missions conducted Dec. 20-29. The operations also led to the elimination of four ISIS weapons caches," an article posted by the CENTCOM X account said.

"These recent missions followed the launch of Operation Hawkeye Strike on Dec. 19 when U.S. and Jordanian forces struck over 70 targets with more than 100 precision munitions. The massive strike executed by dozens of fighter aircraft, attack helicopters and artillery destroyed ISIS infrastructure and weapons sites across central Syria," the article explained.

TRUMP TARGETS ISIS IN NIGERIA AMID WARNINGS SAHEL REGION IS BECOMING ‘EPICENTER OF TERRORISM’

The U.S. and partner forces in Syria have carried out activity in the last 12 months that led to more than 300 terrorists getting detained and more than 20 being killed, according to CENTCOM.

The CENTCOM post noted that this year, there have been "at least 11 plots or attacks against targets in the United States" that were inspired by ISIS.

WAR SEC HEGSETH ISSUES STATEMENT AFTER TWO US SOLDIERS KILLED IN SYRIA ARE IDENTIFIED

"We will not relent," CENTCOM Commander Adm. Brad Cooper said in a statement. "We are steadfast in commitment to working with regional partners to root out the ISIS threat posed to U.S. and regional security."

"Continuing to hunt down terrorist operatives, eliminate ISIS networks, and work with partners to prevent an ISIS resurgence makes America, the region, and the world safer," Cooper added.

US LAUNCHES ‘VENGEANCE’ ATTACK ON ISIS TARGETS AFTER NATIONAL GUARD SOLDIERS KILLED

Two Iowa Army National Guard soldiers and a civilian interpreter were killed earlier this month in Syria. The soldiers were later identified as Sgt. Edgar Brian Torres-Tovar, 25, of Des Moines, Iowa, and Sgt. William Nathaniel Howard, 29, of Marshalltown, Iowa. The interpreter was Ayad Mansoor Sakat, 54.

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Iranian protesters clash with security forces as tear gas fills Tehran streets amid nationwide unrest

Protests escalated across Iran on Monday as demonstrators confronted security forces in Tehran and Mashhad, with authorities deploying tear gas amid strikes and street clashes, according to reports.

An Iranian opposition group, the National Council of Resistance of Iran, reported that a large crowd of demonstrators marched along Jomhouri (Republic) Street before moving into nearby areas, including Naser Khosrow Street and Istanbul Square in Tehran.

Central parts of Tehran turned into flashpoints as protesters and regime security forces engaged in running street clashes near major government and commercial areas.

Police units fired tear gas and used batons to break up crowds in the city center, according to accounts from the scene.

IRAN REPORTEDLY DEVELOPING CHEMICAL, BIOLOGICAL MISSILE WARHEADS AS PROTESTS SPREAD OVER COLLAPSING ECONOMY

Demonstrators responded with chants of "Shameless! Shameless!" and pushed back, forcing security forces to retreat from several areas.

Nationwide strikes and protests by merchants continued across Iran, with shops shuttered in major commercial hubs including Tehran’s Grand Bazaar, Lalehzar Street, Naser Khosrow and Istanbul Square. Demonstrators chanted anti-government slogans calling for the downfall of the ruling clerics and demanding the leadership step aside.

Video circulating online showed protesters inside a major shopping complex in Tehran’s Grand Bazaar chanting, "Have no fear, we are all together," while hurling insults at security forces and calling them shameless.

IRAN KILLING SPREE CONTINUES AS REGIME SETS NEW RECORD FOR 2025 EXECUTIONS, DISSIDENT GROUP SAYS

Additional footage from Tehran’s bazaar districts showed crowds chanting "Death to the dictator," calling on merchants to shut down their shops and demanding President Masoud Pezeshkian step aside, as voices in the video said businesses had closed in protest.

Other video clips captured demonstrations across different parts of Tehran, including footage showing protesters attacking and damaging the car of a cleric aligned with the regime.

In another video, an Iran International reporter narrated scenes from the protests with subtitles, describing clashes between demonstrators and security forces as unrest spread through the capital.

IRAN'S 'WATER BANKRUPTCY' WILL WEAKEN REGIME AND NUCLEAR PROGRAM, UN EXPERT WARNS

By Monday afternoon, the unrest had spread to the northeastern city of Mashhad, where demonstrators gathered in central squares and clashed with riot police who moved in with batons. Protesters pushed back as confrontations escalated.

In another report, the IRGC-run Fars News Agency wrote, "Eyewitnesses reported to Fars that among the crowd of about 200 people, there were small cells of five to 10 individuals chanting slogans that went beyond economic demands."

"At the same time as these gatherings, Maryam Rajavi called for the ‘formation of a chain of protests,’" the report continued. "An informed source at the Ministry of Intelligence said the pattern was in line with what it described as an effort to turn economic grievances into political instability."

IRAN REGIME ESCALATES REPRESSION TOWARD 'NORTH KOREA-STYLE MODEL OF ISOLATION AND CONTROL'

Iran International also reported on the protests, saying Pezeshkian said Monday he has instructed his interior minister to open talks with representatives of the protesters, marking his first official response to the unrest.

The protests, which continued into the night, gained international attention, with former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett calling for protesters to rise up in a video posted to X.

"The Iranian people have a glorious past, and they can have an even more glorious future," Bennett said. "That future depends on every one of you."

IRAN INTENSIFIES INTERNAL SECURITY CRACKDOWN AFTER US, ISRAEL STRIKES

Also weighing in was former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who said it was no surprise Iranians are taking to the streets amid a collapsing economy he blamed on the regime’s extremism and corruption.

"It’s no surprise that the people of Iran are taking to the streets to protest the collapsing economy," Pompeo said. "The Iranian regime has ruined what should be a vibrant and prosperous country with its extremism and corruption.

"The people of Iran deserve a representative government that serves their interests — not those of the mullahs and their cronies," he added.

WHAT'S NEXT FOR IRAN'S TERROR ARMY, THE IRGC, AFTER DEVASTATING MILITARY SETBACKS?

The NCRI claimed earlier in the day that security forces linked to the IRGC were placed on heightened alert in Tehran, with additional units on standby in nearby provinces. The claims could not be independently verified.

In a statement, Maryam Rajavi, NCRI president-elect, said the protests reflected public anger over high prices, inflation and political repression, and called on Iranians to support the striking merchants.

The Iranian rial has fallen to a new record low against the U.S. dollar. Official data show year-on-year inflation reached 52.6% in December, while average annual inflation was 42.2%.

Videos circulating online show chants against government officials and growing frustration among merchants, a group traditionally viewed as a key pillar of regime support.

Fox News Digital’s Efrat Lachter contributed to this report.

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‘Only Trump can stop Russia’: Millions face freezing winter, Ukraine energy executive warns

Russian strikes on Ukraine’s power grid will continue without President Trump stepping in, Ukraine’s top energy executive has warned, as millions risk a freezing winter without power.

DTEK's Maxim Timchenko spoke out as Ukraine braced for further Russian drone and missile attacks on energy infrastructure and a day after Trump met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for the third time to bring an end to the nearly four-year war.

"Yesterday’s meeting gave us renewed hope. But our task is not to live from hope to hope — it is to continue doing what we have done for four years: responding to immediate challenges and fighting every day," Timchenko told Fox News Digital.

TRUMP TOUTS 'TREMENDOUS PROGRESS' BUT SAYS HE'LL MEET PUTIN AND ZELENSKYY 'ONLY WHEN' PEACE DEAL IS FINAL

"We are deeply grateful to President Trump for his leadership. We believe he and his team are the only ones who can force Russia to negotiate and stop the war, together with the support of our partners in the European Union and other countries," the DTEK CEO said.

Founded by Ukrainian entrepreneur Rinat Akhmetov, DTEK is Ukraine’s largest private energy company and a backbone of the nation’s power supply.

Before Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, the company operated eight thermal power stations. Three were later occupied by Russian forces.

"Today, we operate five power stations, and each of them has been attacked at least five times since the full-scale invasion," Timchenko confirmed.

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He described the damage as unprecedented. "The level of destruction is incomparable to any energy system in the world. Nothing like this has happened in modern history," he said.

At one point, he said, nearly all of DTEK’s generation capacity was damaged or destroyed, with losses totaling hundreds of millions of dollars.

"And I can say that at some moment of time, 90% of our generation capacity was damaged or destroyed," he explained.

"With this destruction, we lost hundreds of millions of dollars in direct damages, and I don't even mention lost revenue. So, only for 2025, our recovery budget was about $220 million, but if you take it from the beginning of the full-scale invasion, I say it's hundreds, hundreds of millions of dollars," Timchenko said.

Despite the destruction and losses faced, his company has repeatedly restored power to millions of Ukrainians.

"Since 2022, we have managed to reconnect more than 30 million households and clients," Timchenko said. "We are fighting and we are fast."

RUSSIA UNLEASHES MAJOR DRONE, MISSILE ATTACK ON UKRAINE AS US DIPLOMATIC TALKS CONTINUE

"For the last two years, it has been extremely difficult. Attacks have become so intense and we live in crisis mode every single day because our equipment is destroyed, power stations damaged, and the only thing we are thinking about is how to restore power supply as soon as possible," Timchenko said.

He also added that recovery efforts include resuming gas drilling, continuing construction of Eastern Europe’s largest wind park, and building a major battery storage system with U.S. firm Fluence.

Otherwise, in Odesa, for example, around 600,000 people have been affected by outages, with some neighborhoods left without power for days at a time.

But Russia’s most recent large-scale strike came on Dec. 26, when missiles and drones hit Kyiv and surrounding areas, cutting electricity to more than 1 million people during freezing temperatures.

FORMER SECRETARY OF STATE SAYS PUTIN WON’T AGREE TO UKRAINE PEACE DEAL UNLESS FACED WITH 'BIGGER STICK'

"People have learned how to live without necessities like electricity," Timchenko said.

"The temperature in Kiyv was minus 10 degrees and because of this attack, we couldn't get water, we couldn't get heat, and of course, there is no electricity.

"They attacked us with ballistic and Kalibr missiles and calibers, then 500 drones and other types of missiles," he added.

Looking ahead, Timchenko stressed Ukraine’s dependence on continued support.

"The energy system is at the core of this fight. Modern life simply cannot exist without electricity. We need continued global support," he added.

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Iran reportedly developing chemical, biological missile warheads as protests spread over collapsing economy

Iran is reportedly developing chemical and biological warheads for its ballistic missiles, even as the country faces mounting domestic unrest fueled by a collapsing currency and soaring inflation, according to an exclusive report published by Iran International on Sunday.

The outlet, citing unnamed military and security sources, reported that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has accelerated work on unconventional missile payloads alongside upgrades to command-and-control systems. If confirmed, the developments would raise serious alarms in Washington and Israel, particularly as Tehran struggles to contain growing anger at home.

The report comes as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meets with President Donald Trump on Monday, with Iran’s missile program and broader regional security threats expected to be high on the agenda, according to Israeli and U.S. officials familiar with the discussions. The talks are also expected to address the war in Gaza, amid U.S. officials’ concerns that Netanyahu has delayed advancing a postwar framework and ceasefire-related steps. 

IRAN FIRES BALLISTIC AND CRUISE MISSILES AT SIMULATED TARGETS NEAR PERSIAN GULF

According to Iran International, missile infrastructure has been repositioned and expanded, with some launch assets reportedly moved to eastern Iran to reduce vulnerability. The report claims the IRGC is exploring nonconventional warhead configurations for long-range missiles.

Tehran has long denied pursuing chemical or biological weapons, insisting its missile program is defensive. Iran is a signatory to the Chemical Weapons Convention, though Western governments have repeatedly accused the Islamic Republic of violating international norms.

The missile report coincides with escalating economic unrest inside Iran. Iran International reported Monday that shopkeepers in Tehran shut down major markets for a second consecutive day, protesting inflation and the collapse of the national currency.

FROM GAZA TO IRAN: WHAT’S AT STAKE IN TRUMP-NETANYAHU MAR-A-LAGO TALKS?

A video from Tehran posted on Simay Azadi’s TV X page on Monday showed a large crowd marching in the streets and chanting slogans against the regime.

An Iranian opposition group, the National Council of Resistance of Iran, said the strikes spread across multiple commercial districts, including the Gold Bazaar and central arcades, with crowds gathering in surrounding streets. The group also claimed security forces linked to the IRGC were placed on heightened alert in Tehran, with additional units on standby in nearby provinces. The claims could not be independently verified.

In a statement, Maryam Rajavi, NCRI president-elect, said the protests reflected public anger over high prices, inflation and political repression, and called on Iranians to support the striking merchants.

The Iranian rial has fallen to a new record low against the U.S. dollar. Official data show year-on-year inflation reached 52.6% in December, while average annual inflation was 42.2%. Videos circulating online show chants against government officials and growing frustration among merchants, a group traditionally viewed as a key pillar of regime support.

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From Gaza to Iran: What’s at stake in Trump-Netanyahu Mar-a-Lago talks?

President Donald Trump is scheduled to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at Mar-a-Lago on Monday afternoon, with talks expected to focus on renewed tensions with Iran and the possibility of advancing to additional stages of the Gaza peace plan.

Before meeting with the president, Netanyahu is slated to meet with Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Monday morning.

Dr. Dan Diker, president of the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs, told Fox News Digital that President Trump has likely been pressuring Netanyahu since the peace plan’s implementation, noting that the American leader has little patience for Middle Eastern timelines, which he said are far longer than those in the U.S. and the real estate sector.

NETANYAHU CALLS ON NEIGHBORING NATIONS TO JOIN ISRAEL IN 'EXPELLING HAMAS' FROM REGION

"The problem is that Hamas knows all it has to do is survive and continue controlling the western part of Gaza while attacking Israel, as it has been doing from Gaza’s tunnel network, in order to ratchet up tensions between Israel and the U.S.," Diker said.

Netanyahu’s mission during the visit, he continued, will be first to lay out Israel’s threat assessment regarding Iran, Hezbollah and Hamas as extremely serious, and to impress upon the president that Tehran is rebuilding its military capabilities. He is also likely to seek to persuade Trump to allow Israel to take the steps it deems necessary to defeat Hamas.

Israeli opposition leader and former Prime Minister Yair Lapid told Fox News Digital that "We [Israel] should be coordinating with President Trump on all the major fronts, but the top priority has to be the management of stage two in Gaza."

Lapid added, "Israel needs to achieve the disarmament of Hamas and the removal of the threat from Gaza, and that requires the implementation of President Trump’s plan."

IRANIAN PRESIDENT SAYS HIS COUNTRY IS AT 'TOTAL WAR' WITH THE US, ISRAEL AND EUROPE: REPORTS

During the meeting, Netanyahu will reportedly present Trump with plans for a potential strike on Iran. Israel has warned Washington that a recent Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps missile drill could be masking preparations for an attack, a concern that IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir conveyed to U.S. Central Command chief Adm. Brad Cooper during recent meetings in Tel Aviv.

In a Saturday interview reported by the country's media, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said his country is engaged in what he described as a "total war" with the U.S., Israel and Europe. The Times of Israel reported him saying, "In my opinion, we are at total war with the United States, Israel and Europe," Pezeshkian said. "They want to bring our country to its knees."

Axios reported that U.S. intelligence assesses there is no immediate threat, while Israeli defense officials say forces remain on heightened alert.

According to Dr. Meir Javedanfar, a lecturer on Iran and the Middle East at Reichman University, Netanyahu’s plan is expected to call for strikes on Iran’s missile program.

"Israel will probably hope that such a wide-scale attack would further undermine the legitimacy of Iran’s supreme leader, thereby creating greater political instability within the country. This is especially true given that after the recent war with Israel, Iran’s economy has deteriorated significantly, and the regime is not taking the necessary steps to address these problems," he said.

RUBIO REVEALS SHARED INTELLIGENCE PREVENTED POSSIBLE HAMAS ATTACK, DISCUSSES INTERNATIONAL STABILIZATION FORCE

Israeli Minister for Settlement and National Missions Orit Strook stressed the importance of completing full Gaza demilitarization before moving forward with further stages of the plan.

She referenced Trump’s address to the Israeli Knesset in October, noting that he highlighted his role in building international support for Gaza’s demilitarization and securing a U.N. Security Council resolution calling for the full dismantling of weapons, tunnels and terror infrastructure.

"Hamas wakes up every day with a mission to hurt us," Strook told Fox News Digital. "The IDF will not withdraw even one meter, and no rehabilitation framework will be established until full demilitarization is completed.

"If, God forbid, the opposite happens in the meeting, it will be a failure of the peace plan, a failure for Trump himself — who would be settling for fake demilitarization— and a failure for us. We will not be able to say that we won this war if Hamas remains armed," she added.

Trump is nevertheless expected to soon unveil the second stage of his Gaza framework, despite Hamas’s failure to return the remains of Israel Police Master Sgt. Ran Gvili, who was killed during the Oct. 7, 2023 massacre, and whose body was taken to Gaza by Hamas terrorists.

Fox News Digital's Sophia Compton contributed to this report.

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UK prime minister slammed for welcoming home freed Egyptian prisoner after social media posts resurface

U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer is facing criticism after he welcomed home a recently released Egyptian prisoner who allegedly posted violent and antisemitic language on his social media in the past.

Successive British governments have pushed for the release of Alaa Abd el-Fattah, a dual British-Egyptian national who had been behind bars in Egypt for most of the last 14 years.

He was released from prison in September following a pardon by the Egyptian president but remained in the country under a travel ban that was only recently lifted, allowing him to return to the U.K. on Friday.

Starmer celebrated Abd el-Fattah's return by saying he was "delighted" that the activist had been reunited with his family in Britain.

TRUMP SECURES RELEASE OF AMERICAN TRAPPED IN SAUDI ARABIA FOR YEARS OVER ONLINE POSTS

Meanwhile, a senior member of the opposition Conservative Party criticized Starmer for giving a "personal, public endorsement" to Abd el-Fattah.

Robert Jenrick, the Shadow Secretary of State for Justice and Shadow Lord Chancellor, wanted to know whether Starmer was aware of past social media posts in which Abd el-Fattah allegedly endorsed killing Zionists and police. Jenrick also demanded that Starmer condemn Abd el-Fattah’s remarks and withdraw his "unalloyed endorsement" of the activist.

"Nobody should be imprisoned arbitrarily nor for peaceful dissent," Jenrick wrote. "But neither should the prime minister place the authority of his office behind someone whose own words cross into the language of racism and bloodshed."

Jenrick, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch and Reform UK leader Nigel Farage have called for Abd el-Fattah’s British citizenship to be revoked and for him to be deported.

UK COMEDY WRITER GRAHAM LINEHAN ARRESTED OVER SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS CRITICIZING TRANS ACTIVISTS

The U.K. government later clarified that the prime minister did not know about the "abhorrent" social media posts when he issued the welcoming statement.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said in a statement that it had been "a long-standing priority" of governments under both major parties to push for Abd el-Fattah’s release, but it said that does not imply an endorsement of his social media posts.

"The government condemns Mr. El-Fattah’s historic tweets and considers them to be abhorrent," the statement said.

Abd el-Fattah issued an "unequivocal apology" on Sunday, describing his past comments as the "expressions of a young man’s anger" during regional crises and police brutality in Egypt.

Abd el-Fattah’s family in the U.K. had argued that he spent most of the past 14 years behind bars because of his opposition to Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi's government.

His mother, Laila Soueif, 69, was on a 10-month hunger strike to pressure British authorities to do more to secure her son’s freedom.

Shortly after Abd el-Fattah arrived at London’s Heathrow Airport, critics began circulating his past social media posts. Abd el-Fattah has previously said the comments were taken out of context and were part of a "private conversation" that happened during an Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip, according to The Times of London.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Hamas builds new terror regime in Gaza, recruiting teens amid problematic election

Hamas is rebuilding a new Gaza terror apparatus and using the ceasefire with Israel to boost its military, restore a problematic leadership structure and recruit a new generation of teenage fighters, according to a leading national security analyst.

Professor Kobi Michael, a senior researcher at the Institute for National Security Studies and the Misgav Institute, told Fox News Digital that the pause in fighting has given Hamas breathing room to regroup.

"Everything that is happening will continue happening as long as Hamas continues to effectively control the western part of the Gaza Strip," Michael said.

"Generally speaking, Hamas now has full freedom of movement," he warned.

TWO IDF SOLDIERS KILLED AMID 'SEVERE' CEASEFIRE VIOLATION, 'IT'S NOT THE LAST,' ANALYST SAYS

Since Israeli forces withdrew from parts of Gaza in October under a new ceasefire framework, Hamas has moved to fill the power vacuum.

At the time, police forces returned to the streets as Hamas fighters targeted and executed suspected opponents.

Multiple reports indicate Hamas is now rebuilding across significant portions of Gaza, including areas where the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) previously operated.

A December report by the Jewish News Syndicate found that Hamas is "actively rebuilding its regime of terror" in nearly half of the territory it controls.

TREY YINGST: HAMAS MUST ACCEPT TRUMP PEACE PLAN TO END WAR ONCE AND FOR ALL

Hamas is also preparing to elect a new political leader following the deaths of Ismail Haniyeh and Yahya Sinwar, the mastermind of the Oct. 7 massacre in Israel.

According to The Jerusalem Post, senior Hamas figures Khalil al-Hayya and Khaled Mashaal are the contenders, with Hayya seen as the favorite because of his popularity in Gaza and his role in the West Bank.

Michael said the leadership race is unlikely to alter Hamas’s already dangerous course.

"Both leaders are problematic," he said. "Each one, in his own way, is considered to be more militant and more radical in his Gazan orientation and his support for armed resistance."

Even Mashaal, often described as more politically oriented, "is still in favor of the continuation of armed resistance," Michael added.

TRUMP WARNS HAMAS WILL BE 'HUNTED DOWN, AND KILLED' UNLESS ISRAELI HOSTAGES RELEASED BY SUNDAY

"When it comes to Hamas, it doesn’t really matter who is going to be the next political leader of this terror organization."

Michael said one of the most alarming developments is Hamas’s growing success in recruiting teenagers during the ceasefire.

"It has become very easy for Hamas to recruit teenagers now because they effectively control the western part of the Gaza Strip," he said, noting Hamas has become "the most reliable employer in the Gaza Strip," offering small incomes to boys as young as 16 or 17.

"It seems to be very natural for them to join Hamas, because some of them have also lost relatives, and therefore there's a revenge incentive."

"They also might prefer to be in the bullyish-types of neighborhoods, like in the ghettos in Chicago," he said.

Michael suggested that because Hamas has "full freedom of movement, they have also been rebuilding tunnels."

"They also appointed new governors to the different districts in Gaza and are reconstituting their government and military stockpiles," Michael added.

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Trump meets with Zelenskyy; talks could unlock first Zelenskyy-Putin call in five years: source

Sunday's talks between President Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy could pave the way for the first call between Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin in more than five years, a source familiar with the discussions said.

And while the Mar-a-Lago meeting was framed as a step forward in the peace effort with Trump at the helm, the source also described how securing a direct Zelenskyy-Putin phone call would be a "diplomatic victory" for the president.

"If Putin had joined in a call Sunday, this would have been the greatest achievement in the preparation of the peace talks and the first real step in the peace process," the source told Fox News Digital on condition of anonymity.

"This would be [a] diplomatic victory for President Trump."

FINNISH PRESIDENT SAYS RUSSIA-UKRAINE PEACE DEAL CLOSER THAN ANY POINT DURING THE WAR

"Trump seems to be the most successful mediator because the two of them, Putin and Zelenskyy, perceive each other emotionally, and it is a challenge."

Trump confirmed Sunday that he had spoken with Putin ahead of the Zelenskyy meeting, calling the conversation "good and very productive" in a Truth Social post.

"I do believe that we have the makings of a deal," Trump also told reporters as he stood next to Zelenskyy after he arrived in Florida on Sunday, adding he believes the process can "move very rapidly."

"I think we’re in the final stages of talking, and we’re going to see," Trump said.

"Otherwise, it’s going to go on for a long time. It’ll either end, or it’s going to go on for a long time, and millions of additional people are going to be killed," the president added.

The Florida meeting came days after Zelenskyy also said he had had a "good conversation" with U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, both of whom were also present Sunday.

ZELENSKYY SAYS HE WILL MEET WITH TRUMP 'BEFORE THE NEW YEAR'

As Zelenskyy approached Sunday's meeting, the source said the Ukrainian leader was likely feeling anxious.

"Zelenskyy is usually very nervous before such conversations with President Trump," the source said. "He concentrates for a long time and studies the notes that the International Policy Department and the Foreign Ministry prepare for him."

Sunday also marked the third in-person meeting between Trump and Zelenskyy since Trump returned to office.

At the center of discussions was a U.S.-backed, 20-point peace plan emerging from weeks of negotiations that would need compromise from Kyiv and Moscow to engage and perhaps speak directly with Zelenskyy, the source said.

TRUMP SUGGESTS HE'LL CALL FINAL SHOTS ON PEACE DEAL AHEAD OF ZELENSKYY MEETING: 'WE'LL SEE WHAT HE'S GOT'

"The one difficulty they have is that Putin has refused to talk to Zelenskyy since July 2020, when they spoke over the Wagner scandal and the failed operation to detain Russian Wagner militants." 

"After that, Zelenskyy repeatedly tried to talk to Putin, but he refused."

"There were windows of opportunity for a conversation in August and September 2024, but they disappeared again when Ukraine invaded the Kursk region," the source said.

The last direct contact between the two leaders followed a botched Ukrainian operation targeting Russian Wagner mercenaries.

Ukrainian intelligence lured the mercenaries to Belarus and planned to intercept them on their way from Minsk to Istanbul, before the men were arrested, per The Kyiv Independent.

ZELENSKYY READY TO PRESENT NEW PEACE PROPOSALS TO US AND RUSSIA AFTER WORKING WITH EUROPEAN TALKS

"That last call between Zelenskyy and Putin came as Ukraine was trying to capture a group of Russian Wagner fighters," the source said. "The operation failed."

Even before communications broke down entirely, relations between the two leaders were strained, the source said.

"Before that point in 2020, calls between Zelenskyy and Putin were never friendly, and there was always tension between them. During talks, Putin was always taciturn, and Zelenskyy tried to establish a rapport."

"Zelenskyy always acted subservient toward Putin and pretended to be in a good mood, almost as if he was playing a role on stage," the source explained.

"He talked a lot and read from his notes, afraid of forgetting something. Sometimes he would stumble over his words or lose track of punctuation."

PUTIN CALLS TRUMP’S PEACE PLAN A ‘STARTING POINT’ AS HE WARNS UKRAINE TO PULL BACK OR FACE 'FORCE'

"When Putin stayed silent, Zelenskyy would always ask politely, ‘What do you think, Vladimir Vladimirovich?’"

"Putin was just never talkative," the source said.

The Florida talks came as Kyiv signaled a potential shift in its negotiating posture. Zelenskyy has said the 20-point plan, which U.S. officials say is about 90% complete, could include limited Ukrainian troop withdrawals from parts of eastern Ukraine without formally recognizing Russian control, along with the creation of demilitarized zones.

He also floated submitting the plan to a national referendum if Moscow agrees to a 60-day ceasefire.

Zelenskyy has drawn a firm line on security guarantees, insisting Ukraine needs legally binding assurances from the U.S. to deter future Russian aggression.

TRUMP TOUTS 'PROGRESS' ON UKRAINE-RUSSIA DEAL, ADMITS IT'S 'ONE OF THE MORE DIFFICULT' CONFLICTS TO SOLVE

"For us, it is very important that there is a signal that we want legally binding security guarantees," Zelenskyy told Ukrainian journalists Saturday. "This primarily depends on President Trump," he added.

"Ukraine is willing to do whatever it takes to stop this war," Zelenskyy also wrote on X this weekend.

"For us, priority number one — or the only priority — is ending the war. For us, the priority is peace. We need to be strong at the negotiating table. To be strong, we need the support of the world: Europe and the United States."

Fox News Digital has reached out to the Kremlin and President Zelenskyy's office for comment.

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UK flag clash as foreign banners fly, citizens push back against woke policies reshaping Britain

LONDON: A battle over British identity and the nation's flag is just the latest issue to widen the political divide in the United Kingdom in 2025. As the Labour government continues to face growing criticism over a number of issues, from cracking down on free speech to its migration policies, many Britons are concerned about their country's future.

The issue simmered over the summer amid concerns of a growing rift between the ruling elites and members of the public centered on the nation’s flag. The debate, while ongoing for several years, gained new life since anti-Israel protests erupted after Hamas’ mass terror attack against Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, when Britain saw a proliferation of Palestinian flags across the country.

Tensions were further heightened over the display of Palestinian flags on public buildings, with critics arguing it represents an abandonment of traditional British values, and that immigrant communities are dictating community values. Several councils in major cities bowed to public pressure. Those cities — all with sizable immigrant communities — including Sheffield, Preston, Bradford and others chose to raise the Palestinian flag last month to honor the United Nations International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People.

SHOCKING CASES REVEAL BRITAIN’S ORWELLIAN FREE SPEECH CRACKDOWN

"There's only one flag that should be flying on public buildings in the U.K., and I include the home nations of England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, and that's the Union flag. We need to start cohering around national stories and symbols, and the flag is the simplest, most visual, visceral way of doing that," Colin Brazier, a commentator on British culture, told Fox News Digital.

Brazier is calling for a "strategy of national cohesion" with a ban on foreign flags on taxpayer-funded buildings. He said that Britain should follow America’s model of nation-building as the U.K. wrestles with "imported disintegration" and attempts to return to Britain’s core values.

Current GOV.UK guidance indicated councils should prioritize the Union flag.

In August, a group of concerned citizens started ‘Operation Raise the Colours’ which called for people to put their flags up where they live and in their everyday lives to rally Britons. The online movement encouraged Britons to continue putting up England’s St. George's Cross and Union Jack flags.

ENGLAND FLAG DISPLAYS POWERFUL SYMBOL IN IMMIGRATION FIGHT AS TRUMP-STYLE POPULISM SWEEPS THROUGH UK

Yet the sudden resurgence of British and English flags has been met with suspicion and criticism from the left, with many angered at the proliferation of the flags complaining they represent anti-migration and far-right sentiment.

Critics warn the U.K. is becoming increasingly divided — so much so that it is deemed controversial to fly the Union flag in public — and that parts of the country seem to care more about causes happening thousands of miles from its borders.

UK FACES BACKLASH AS TEACHER DISMISSED FOR TELLING STUDENT BRITAIN IS A CHRISTIAN COUNTRY

The controversy over the flags continued after Prime Minister Keir Starmer recognized a Palestinian state in September. A few days later, Starmer delivered an impassioned speech to the Labour Party’s annual conference as his center-left party pushed back against critics who said it had abandoned patriotism.

Speaking to flag-waving supporters, Starmer tried to reprise his party’s patriotic roots, urging a cheering crowd, "Let’s fly all our flags, conference, because they are our flags, they belong to all of us and we will never surrender them… And with resolve, with respect, with the flag in our hands, we will renew this country." He also made clear the flag was for all citizens ,noting, "Our flags — flying proudly, as we celebrate differences and oppose racism."

Yet opposition politicians were quick to dismiss Starmer's flag speech, with one Member of Parliament, Lee Anderson, Reform’s chief whip, saying: "You’re more likely to see a Labour member fly the flag of Palestine than a St. George’s flag. That tells you all you need to know," the Daily Telegraph reported.

While many councils ignored Fox News Digital's request for comment, Belfast City Council in Northern Ireland justified its decision by declaring the flag was hoisted, "In recognition of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, to erect the national flag of Palestine above the City Hall on the next available day from midnight."

This issue, however, is also viewed as a symbol of shifting power. Brazier lamented the government’s indifferent attitude toward immigration and says "importing 10 million people in 25 years has a ruinous impact."

According to a March 2025 report by the Muslim Council of Britain, the country’s Muslim population increased by 1.2 million between 2011 and 2021, with the total number of Muslims accounting for about 6% of the U.K. population.

A recent YouGov study found mixed views on the Union flag and England's flag of St. George. 58% of 2024 Labour voters perceive the English flag as a racist symbol but just 19% of Conservative voters and 8% of Reform voters feel the same way. The poll said that a majority of ethnic minority adults (55%) believe those putting up St George’s flags do so "mostly as a way of expressing anti-migrant and/or anti-ethnic minority sentiment", with a plurality (41%) saying the same goes for the union flag.

It also found that "White adults too tend to believe anti-migrant/minority motivations are primarily behind the flag raisings, with 49% saying so for the English flag and 39% for the British one."

Another finding of the YouGov study found that those of Pakistani or Bangladeshi heritage were, "the most likely to see racist sentiment in the flag displays. This is particularly marked when it comes to the belief that the England flag has become a racist symbol with 68% of Pakistani/Bangladeshi adults believing this, compared to 54% of those of mixed ethnicity, 51% of those with Indian heritage and 43% of Black adults."

Fox News Digital's Jasmine Baehr contributed to this report.

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Africa’s Christian Crisis: How 2025’s deadly attacks finally drew global attention after Trump’s intervention

JOHANNESBURG: Millions of Christians in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), spending Christmas under the reported threat of persecution, kidnapping, sexual violence and in some cases, death from Islamist militants, have seen Friday’s U.S. strikes on Islamic State militants in Nigeria as a real sign that President Trump is serious in his efforts to stop the killing of Africa’s Christians.

Over 16 million Christians are estimated to have been displaced and ripped from their homes across the region. The alleged release of 130 kidnapped schoolchildren in Nigeria this week has done little to reduce fears, as many on the continent try to worship at Christmas.

But this year, Fox News Digital has highlighted the catastrophe from Africa on multiple occasions. The situation led to senior members of Congress, including Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas., Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., and ultimately, President Donald Trump who threatened to send U.S. troops into the worst-affected country, Nigeria, ‘guns-a-blazing’, to stop the killing of Christians, has shone a light on the violence.

LAWMAKERS SOUND ALARM ON ‘DEADLIEST PLACE ON EARTH TO BE A CHRISTIAN’ AS NIGERIA VIOLENCE ESCALATES

In Africa this Christmas, so far there’s reportedly little sign of improvement. "The militant Islamist onslaught across SSA is a catastrophe of global proportions unfolding before us," Henrietta Blyth, CEO of Open Doors UK & Ireland, told Fox News Digital this week.

Open Doors is a global Christian charity supporting Christians persecuted for their faith.

Blyth continued, "the last year has seen a non-stop stream of reports from sub-Saharan Africa. (including) reports of militant Islamist groups brutally attacking, among others, defenseless Christian communities."

"At Open Doors, we have been sounding the alarm through our Arise Africa campaign. We’ve prayed repeatedly that the campaign of terror will reach public awareness."

Referring to Nigeria and the thousands of Christians reported to have been killed there each year and the speeches, articles and posts against the violence, Open Doors’ Blyth states, "There is no sign that this has abated in 2025".

"The lack of global outrage and action on this issue is a moral disgrace," South Africa’s Chief Rabbi, Dr. Warren Goldstein, told Fox News Digital. He added, "It seems as if black lives do not matter if they are murdered by Islamists in Africa. The persecution of Christians in Africa needs to be seen in its global context. It is part of a multi-continental jihadi war on the ‘infidels’ — Jews and Christians — and on Western values."

He continued "it is a world war, with Israel at the epicenter of the fire of the jihadi forces of Iran, Hamas, Hezbollah and others. The Islamist war on Christians in Africa is another front of this world war that stretches from Sudan in the north to Mozambique in the South."

TRUMP ADMIN TARGETS ANTI-CHRISTIAN VIOLENCE WITH NEW VISA CRACKDOWN POLICY FOLLOWING NIGERIA ATTACKS

Fox News Digital has highlighted where persecution has hit hardest in Africa in 2025:

According to Open Doors, the continent’s most populous nation saw the worst persecution in Africa in 2025, with ‘non-stop stories of deadly attacks and kidnappings’ across Nigeria’s north and Middle Belt — a litany of villages torched, citizens raped, abducted, shot and beheaded.

Pope Leo XIV spoke out this year against killings attributed to Muslim Fulani tribesmen in Nigeria’s Benue State in June, saying "Some 200 people were murdered, with extraordinary cruelty". 

Bishop Wilfred Anagbe’s Makurdi Diocese in north-central Nigeria is almost exclusively Christian. But the constant and escalating attacks by Islamist Fulani militants led him to testify at a congressional hearing  in Washington in March. Back in Nigeria, he was threatened, and some 20 of his parishioners killed.

The war-torn country is 95% Christian, yet the faithful are being targeted by jihadists. In February, terrorists linked to Islamic State from the so-called ADF group, who want the eastern part of the country to become a Muslim caliphate, rounded up 70 Christians and reportedly beheaded them — in a church. In September, at least 89 Christians were reportedly slaughtered by jihadists at a funeral and in surrounding fields.

Sudan's estimated 2 million Christians make up an estimated 4% of the country's population,

Like the rest of Sudan’s people, they face chronic food shortages and the horror of a yearslong war. But Christians are also allegedly singled out for discrimination and persecution by both sides in the conflict.

A senior Sudanese church leader  told Fox News Digital that in the Darfur city of El Fasher, that "now Christians are eating animal feed and grass. No wheat, no rice, nothing can get in."

A civil conflict and weak governance have allowed armed militants to step into the vacuum of law and order, Open Doors reported. In the far north, Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province regularly swoop into villages in overnight raids, killing, abducting and destroying. Thousands of people have fled their homes for displacement camps.

Ali, a villager, said "It never ends. I want it to end, but it doesn’t. We must sleep in the mountains for safety." 

Situated in the southwest of the continent, Mozambique has a Christian population of 55%. Islamic State Mozambique is causing havoc in the far north, targeting Christian communities, burning their churches and destroying homes. The killings have multiplied this year, and thousands more are fleeing their homes, joining more than 1.3 million who have already been displaced.

In one mass attack on the village of Napala in October, Open Doors reported militants killed 20 Christians and displaced some 2,000. A local pastor described how four elderly sisters were tied up and burned to death inside a house.

On the airstrikes in Nigeria, Open Doors' Henrietta Blyth told Fox News Digital, "a military operation like this is not going to provide any sort of quick fix for decades of violence. The Nigerian government must pursue lasting solutions that ensure peace, protection of civilians and religious freedom for everyone."

Chief Rabbi Goldstein concluded, "The West can only win this war if it can find the moral clarity to call it by its name and see all the theaters of war as part of the same fight."

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Iranian president says his country is at 'total war' with the US, Israel and Europe: reports

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said his country is engaged in what he described as a "total war" with the U.S., Israel and Europe.

In an interview published Saturday by Iranian state media, Pezeshkian said that he believes the Western powers want to bring Iran "to its knees," The Times of Israel reported.

"In my opinion, we are at total war with the United States, Israel and Europe," Pezeshkian said. "They want to bring our country to its knees."

Pezeshkian argued that the current conflict is more complex than the Iran-Iraq war of the 1980s, saying his country is now under pressure "from every angle," according to The Times of Israel.

IRANIAN FOREIGN MINISTER REITERATES 'SERIOUS DAMAGE' TO NUCLEAR FACILITIES, DESPITE AYATOLLAH'S COMMENTS

"If one understands it well, this war is far more complex and difficult than that war. In the war with Iraq, the situation was clear, they fired missiles, and we knew where to hit," Pezeshkian said, according to The Jerusalem Post. 

"Here, they are besieging us from every aspect, they are creating problems for us in terms of livelihood, culturally, politically, and security-wise."

Despite the strain, Pezeshkian claimed Iran’s military emerged stronger following its June conflict with Israel, according to The Times of Israel.

"Our beloved military forces are doing their jobs with strength and now, in terms of equipment and manpower, despite all the problems we have, they are stronger than when they attacked. So if they want to attack, they will naturally face a more decisive response," he said.

IRAN'S LEADER THREATENS 'EVEN BIGGER BLOW' AGAINST US, TRUMP SAYS HE'S IN ‘NO RUSH’ TO TALK

The interview with Pezeshkian was released ahead of a planned meeting this coming week at Mar-a-Lago between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Donald Trump, according to The Jerusalem Post.

Tensions remain high following a brief but intense air conflict in June that was kicked off by Israel. 

The fighting resulted in roughly 1,100 deaths in Iran, including senior military commanders and nuclear scientists, while Iranian missile attacks killed 28 people in the Jewish State.

TRUMP’S BIG ACHIEVEMENT IN BOMBING IRAN, STILL SLAMMED BY CRITICS – AS HE SUGGESTS ‘REGIME CHANGE’

On June 22, President Donald Trump announced U.S. forces had launched attacks on Iranian nuclear sites, including Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan.

"Our objective was the destruction of Iran's nuclear enrichment capacity and a stop to the nuclear threat posed by the world's number one state sponsor of terror," the president said. "Tonight, I can report to the world that the strikes were a spectacular military success. Iran's key nuclear enrichment facilities have been completely and totally obliterated."

A US-brokered ceasefire between Iran and Israel took effect on June 24.

Fox News Digital's Landon Mion contributed to this report.

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