Iran believed to house suspected new al-Qaeda leader: UN report
Iran is believed to be housing the "uncontested" new leader of the al-Qaeda terrorist organization a report by the U.N. said this week.
Saif al-Adel, a former Egyptian special forces officer and prominent member of the insurgent group with a $10 million U.S.-bounty on his head, is believed to be the new unofficial leader of al-Qaeda.
The group has not officially named a successor following the 2022 killing of then-leader Ayman al-Zawahiri.
The death caused a significant blow to al-Qaeda which had not lost a leader since Osama bin Laden was killed by U.S. special forces in May 2011.
The U.S. on Wednesday backed the U.N.'s assertions, and State Department press secretary Ned Price told reporters that Tehran’s offer of safe haven to a designated terrorist is "just another example of Iran’s wide-ranging support for terrorism" and "it's destabilizing activities in the Middle East and beyond."
Al-Adel is also wanted in coordination with the 1998 embassy bombings in Kenya and Tanzania.
The Iran Mission to the U.N. responded to the accusations in a tweet and claimed that al-Qaeda was dismantled following the death of bin Laden more than a decade ago and said the group "is no longer in existence, but its extremist ideology still persists."
TALIBAN FORCES KILL 3 IS MEMBERS IN RAID ON KABUL BUILDING
"It is worth noting that the address for the so-called newly appointed al-Qaeda leader is incorrect," the Iranian comment added. "This misinformation could potentially hinder efforts to combat terrorism."
The once-believed degree of separation when it came to Iran – which predominately adheres to Shia Islam – and Sunni-based terrorist groups like al-Qaeda or the Taliban is an old "trope," one expert told Fox News Digital.
"This has been a long-standing trope within the diplomatic and intelligence field that Iran versus Sunni and the Shia can't cooperate," senior fellow and editor of the Foundation for Defense of Democracy's (FDD) Long War Journal, Bill Roggio, told Fox News Digital. "Numerous al-Qaeda leaders and operatives shelter inside Iran."
Roggio said al-Adel's ties to the Iranian regime and placement inside Iran could make him a "far more dangerous" al-Qaeda leader than his predecessor, but he noted that al-Adel's leadership style was relatively unknown.
Senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) Michael Rubin, who also spent time embedded with the Taliban before 9/11, echoed Roggio's sentiments and said the news that al-Adel is being housed in Iran "tears the veil off Iran’s extensive relationship with al-Qaeda."
"The idea that Iran and al-Qaeda can’t work across the sectarian divide is naive," he told Fox News Digital. "From an Iranian perspective, Iran is an Islamic power, not just a Shiite one," he added.
The UN also said it suspects al-Qaeda’s second in command, Abu Ikhlas al-Masri, of residing in Afghanistan, which is currently controlled by the Taliban.
The al-Qaeda commander was reportedly captured in 2010 but freed from Bagram prison following the Taliban takeover in 2021, reported the Long War Journal this week.
Price reminded reporters Wednesday that the Taliban has pledged not to allow Afghanistan to be used as a safe haven for terrorist groups or those that would plot against the U.S. or its allies.
"We are prepared, willing and able to take action ourselves if the Taliban is unable or unwilling to fulfill the commitments that it has made," he said. "I think you saw that perhaps most vividly late last year when the United States took out the then-leader of al-Qaeda, Ayman al-Zawahiri, who was being provided safe haven in Kabul."
At the time, the Taliban claimed it was unaware that al-Zawarhiri had been in Afghanistan.
Reuters contributed to this report.
0bb9a9ea-Al Qaeda-linked Nusra Front fighters carry their weapons on the back of a pick-up truck during the release of Lebanese soldiers and policemen in Arsal, eastern Bekaa Valley, Lebanon
UK PM Sunak heads to Northern Ireland, fueling speculation of post-Brexit trade talks
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak traveled to Northern Ireland on Thursday evening to meet with local political leaders, a sign that the U.K. and European Union may be nearing a settlement of the post-Brexit trade dispute that has brought economic headaches and political turmoil to the region.
Sunak and Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris are making the trip to talk with people on all sides of the issue and ensure any solution resolves "the practical problems on the ground, meets our overarching objectives, and safeguards Northern Ireland’s place in the U.K.’s internal market," the prime minister's office said.
In further signs that a deal may be imminent, British media reported that Foreign Secretary James Cleverly would travel to Brussels Friday to meet the bloc’s chief negotiator Maros Sefcovic.
UNITED KINGDOM PRIME MINISTER RISHI SUNAK PLEDGES TO WORK CONSTRUCTIVELY WITH SCOTLAND'S LEADER
Any deal faces a tough audience: unionist politicians who want Northern Ireland to remain part of the U.K. collapsed the region's power-sharing government almost a year ago because of their opposition to the existing trade arrangements with the EU, known as the Northern Ireland Protocol. They say they will not return to government until the protocol is substantially changed.
The protocol was an effort to protect the peace process in Northern Ireland by preserving the free flow of trade between it and the Republic of Ireland, which share the only land border between the United Kingdom and the EU.
When the U.K. left the bloc, the British government and the EU agreed to keep the border free of customs checks and other obstacles because the free movement and goods and people is a key pillar of the peace process that ended 30 years of violence in Northern Ireland. But that raised concerns about how the EU would protect its market from British goods that might not meet the bloc's regulatory standards.
Instead, there are checks on some goods entering Northern Ireland from the rest of the U.K Unionists say that effectively creates a border in the middle of the Irish Sea, undermining Northern Ireland’s place in the United Kingdom.
The protocol has become a huge political headache for the U.K. government and a thorn in the country’s relations with the EU. The two sides have bickered since the divorce became final in 2020, with Britain threatening to unilaterally rip up parts of the Brexit agreement, and the EU accusing the U.K. of failing to honor the legally binding treaty it had signed.
But the mood has improved since Sunak, a pragmatic supporter of Brexit, took office in late October.
The U.K. government hopes to resolve the EU trade dispute and break the political impasse before the 25th anniversary in April of Northern Ireland’s 1998 Good Friday peace accord. It is pinning its hopes on striking a deal with the EU that would ease the checks and coax unionists back into the government.
However, any compromise by Sunak will be a hard sell to Northern Ireland unionists and is sure to anger staunch Brexiteers who form a powerful faction inside the governing Conservative Party.
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Nigeria seeks $1.3 billion in aid to deal with extremist violence
At least 6 million Nigerians affected by the extremist insurgency in northeastern Nigeria need $1.3 billion in aid this year, according to the U.N. office in Nigeria.
The 2023 U.N. humanitarian response plan launched on Thursday noted the need for "critical life-saving assistance" as a result of more than 12 years of extremist violence that has killed an estimated 35,000 people and displaced at least 2 million in the region.
"An estimated 2.4 million people are in acute need and require urgent support," said Matthias Schmale, the U.N. humanitarian coordinator for Nigeria. "The large-scale humanitarian and protection crisis shows no sign of abating."
Over 80% of those in need in northeastern Nigeria are women and children, according to the U.N.
"The ticking time bomb of child malnutrition is escalating in Nigeria’s northeast, with the number of children suffering from acute malnutrition projected to increase to 2 million in 2023," it said.
NIGERIANS ARE GETTING HEALTH INSURANCE BY TRADING WASTE MATERIAL
The appeal for aid for those hungry and displaced comes just as Africa's most populous country, with 214 million people, readies for its presidential election on Feb. 25. The humanitarian crisis could further squeeze many in Nigeria, which has an unemployment rate of 33% and 63% of the people are in poverty.
Boko Haram, Nigeria’s homegrown Islamic extremist rebels, launched an insurgency in 2009 to fight against western education and to establish Islamic Shariah law in the country's northeast.
Their rebellion has spread over the years to the neighboring West African countries of Cameroon, Niger and Chad. A breakaway faction of the group, known as the Islamic State West Africa Province, has risen to prominence, dominating the Lake Chad region where they often target security force convoys and outposts.
Some humanitarian needs of affected people are "deepening and increasing," particularly those related to food insecurity and malnutrition, the U.N. said, citing the situation in Bama, Borno state where at least 4,000 people could die, starve or face acute malnutrition if donors and authorities do not act quickly.
Armed UK police storm KFC restaurant after 'youth' seen with weapon
London Metropolitan Police raided a KFC on Tuesday evening after a teenager waved a gun at the fast food restaurant.
"At around 6.30pm, we received a call from a member of the public who had seen a group of youths in possession of knives and a firearm in the Grove Retail Park in Goodmayes," a Met Police spokesperson told the press in a statement. "Officers responded quickly, including armed response units."
Police stormed the restaurant to arrest the youths, some of whom had knives. The gun remained the primary focus of the police response.
Social media footage captured the moment when dozens of officers with guns and body armor rushed in while the group sat at a table, The Evening Standard reported.
GEORGIA POLICE SMASH WINDOW OF BURNING HOME, CRAWL INSIDE TO RESCUE ELDERLY WOMAN TRAPPED INSIDE
"At around 7.15pm, one of the group was seen to leave and challenged by armed officers," the spokesperson added. "A firearm was recovered, and he was arrested."
ARMY VETERAN WHO ALLEGEDLY THREATENED TO ATTACK A NV SYNAGOGUE TO UNDERGO MENTAL HEALTH EVALUATION
Police later recovered a second firearm in the restaurant and tasered one of the teenagers when "confronted."
SEATTLE BUSINESS OWNER CALLS FOR CHANGE AS CRIME SURGES: ‘WE’RE ALL SICK OF IT'
The spokesperson stressed that the teenager did not require medical attention and that no member of the public suffered an injury during the altercation.
The police arrested five males in the restaurant. The spokesperson praised the public for being "vigilant" and urged anyone to continue to "report anything suspicious."
Britain maintains extremely strict gun laws, the result of a mass shooting in Dunblane, Scotland, in 1996, which was the deadliest mass shooting in the U.K. No mass shootings have occurred since then.
b4c2d198-Armed police storm KFC as ‘youths seen with GUNS’
Senegal police smash windows of opposition leader's vehicle, forcibly removing him
Police in Senegal smashed the car windows of a top opposition leader and forced Ousmane Sonko from the vehicle Thursday after he appeared in court.
Videos on social media seen by The Associated Press show police physically removing the 46-year-old politician from the vehicle's back seat. He later was escorted to his residence by authorities and a government spokesman denied that he had been arrested.
Sonko is being sued for defamation and public insults, charges stemming from accusations he made against Senegal's tourism minister at a news conference late last year. On Thursday, the trial was postponed until next month.
After leaving the courthouse, Sonko greeted his supporters from his car. Police soon began firing tear gas at the gathering.
SENEGAL BUS CRASH CLAIMS LIVES OF 40, DOZENS OTHERS INJURED: REPORTS
"The convoy of the main opposition leader is blocked by combat vehicles," said Sonko's lawyer, Cire Cledor Ly, in a text message to AP on Thursday afternoon. It's unclear why the car was stopped and the government did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Sonko rose to prominence during the 2019 presidential election and is regarded as the frontrunner to challenge President Macky Sall in next year's elections.
The trial comes while Sonko is battling charges of rape, where if convicted, he faces up to 10 years in jail and would be barred from running for president. Sonko's supporters say the government is trying to derail the opposition leader's political future.
Rallies to support Sonko have previously turned violent.
Two years ago, at least 13 people were killed as supporters clashed with police after Sonko was arrested for disturbing public order while on his way to the courthouse for a scheduled appearance on the rape charges.
Abused women find safety in Kenya refuge where men are banned
The thorny trees and dung-caked homes of Umoja village make it resemble any other in Kenya's northeastern Samburu region, except in one key detail - the absence of men.
Since it was established over 30 years ago, Umoja has provided a refuge for women from the Samburu community and beyond fleeing female genital mutilation, domestic abuse or child marriage.
"I used to be mistreated but now I feel free," said 26-year-old Christine Sitiyan, a mother of four who abandoned her marriage because her husband physically assaulted her.
EGYPT'S MOST PROMINENT IMPRISONED ACTIVIST HAS BEGUN A 'FULL HUNGER STRIKE'
Losing hope in the relationship, she first tried to return to her home village, but the cattle used as a dowry to secure her marriage had been stolen.
"When I went back home, I was just sent back to my husband because my mum did not have the livestock to give back," said Sitiyan, who was adorned in a kaleidoscope of beadwork commonly worn by Samburu women. Her only option was to move to Umoja.
Three decades ago, Rebecca Lolosoli felt compelled to speak out about the violence she experienced at home and witnessed against women in her society, which is heavily male-dominated.
When her advocacy was met with hostility, she and 15 other women came together to form Umoja -- which means unity -- a village where men are banned.
TALIBAN FORCES KILL 3 IS MEMBERS IN RAID ON KABUL BUILDING
Now a thriving, self-sufficient community of almost 40 families, the women make money selling traditional beadwork to tourists, and from a nearby campsite.
As the village matriarch, time has done little to dim Lolosoli's resolve.
"I am very proud to live in this village because now there is no one stressing me, and my husband will not assault me here," she said. "I live as a mother with children who is fighting for rights against early marriages and FGM."
The village isn't free from problems: local men routinely steal their cattle. But Sitiyan is in no hurry to let a man back into her life.
"I do not desire to get married again because I went through a hard time, I was being mistreated. I did not have rights and my children were not allowed to go to school," she said. "Now, I am proud to be a mother."
Israel's foreign minister visits Ukraine, pledges financial aid
Israel’s foreign minister on Thursday made the first public visit to Ukraine by a senior Israeli official since Russia’s invasion last year, pledging financial aid to the war-battered country but giving no indication that Israel is ready to provide weapons to Ukraine.
At a joint press conference with his Ukrainian counterpart, Foreign Minister Eli Cohen said Israel would provide a $200 million loan for construction of a health-care facility. He also reiterated an Israeli offer to help Ukraine develop a "smart early-warning" air raid system.
But he gave no specifics on when that system might be delivered, made no mention of Russia and did not appear to respond to Ukrainian appeals for Israel to provide offensive weaponry.
"Israel, as stated in the past, stands firmly in solidarity with the people of Ukraine and remains committed to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine," Cohen said.
The visit came just before the first anniversary of Russia’s invasion and as Western nations seek to increase aid to the country.
Since the outbreak of the war, Israel has walked a tightrope between assisting Ukraine and avoiding friction with Russia, with which it has strategic regional interests. Unlike other western countries, Israel has not imposed sanctions on Russia or Russian officials or provided Ukraine with weapons.
ISRAELI OFFICIALS DOUBLE DOWN ON SETTLEMENT CONSTRUCTION, REBUKE US CRITICISM
It has provided humanitarian support to Ukraine, including a field hospital, and pledged to provide the aerial-warning system. Ukrainian leaders have talked about some intelligence cooperation with Israel, but Israeli officials have not publicly confirmed these ties or the extent of any such cooperation.
Cohen met with Ukraine’s foreign minister, Dmytro Kuleba, who said on Twitter afterwards that he was "thankful for all of the support that Israel and Israelis have provided over the past year."
"During our detailed and frank talks, we focused on ways to enhance bilateral relations, increase assistance, and address shared security challenges," he said.
Yevgen Korniychuk, Ukraine’s ambassador to Israel, said that Israel "again assured us that they will bring the early warning system, but they didn’t say when."
ISRAELI PROTESTERS TAKE TO STREETS TO BLAST NETANYAHU 'JUDICIAL REFORMS' AS PM CALLS FOR UNITY
Cohen later was meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and leaders of the country’s Jewish community as part of the brief trip.
Cohen was reminded of the hardships endured by Ukrainians when air raid sirens sounded as he entered the country’s Foreign Ministry.
Cohen said earlier this year that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government "will definitely do one thing: publicly, we will talk less" about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but would keep providing Ukraine with humanitarian aid. Shortly after taking office, he spoke to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
Israel maintains good working relations with both warring countries, and has large populations of Russian and Ukrainian immigrants. Israel also relies on security coordination with Russia over neighboring Syria, where Israel has carried out hundreds of airstrikes against Iranian military positions in the past decade. Russian warplanes also operate in support of Syrian President Bashar Assad, and Russia and Israel maintain communication to avoid conflict.
As other Western nations step up assistance to Ukraine, pressure has built on Israel to share some of its sophisticated military means with Ukraine, including from the U.S.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken said following a meeting with Netanyahu in Jerusalem last month that he had emphasized "the importance of providing support for all of Ukraine’s needs – humanitarian, economic, and security."
Yossi Shain, a former member of the Knesset’s foreign affairs and defense committee, said Israel’s ultranationalist government — which has butted heads with the Biden administration on the issue of West Bank settlements — may try to gain Washington’s favor by providing defensive capabilities to Ukraine, while "not crossing certain lines that will endanger its lesser involvement because of the threats of Russia" in neighboring Syria.
Last year, Israel’s former prime minister, Naftali Bennett, attempted briefly to mediate between the sides, flying to Moscow shortly after Russia’s invasion and meeting with President Vladimir Putin. Bennett said an interview earlier this month that Putin assured him at the time that Russia would not kill Zelenskyy.
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Jamaican anti-corruption agency investigating the country's prime minister for potential conflict of interest
Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness is under scrutiny after an anti-corruption agency issued a lengthy report that suggests a potential conflict of interest involving him and contracts awarded to a construction company, some of which were not reported.
The island’s Integrity Commission noted in its report issued Wednesday that it referred the case to Jamaica’s director of corruption prosecution, who will review the findings. The report also was shared with the speaker of Jamaica’s House of Representatives, who is a member of Holness’ Jamaica Labor Party.
Holness released a statement noting that the matter occurred nearly two decades ago, and that "at no time have I ever exercised influence on any process for the award of contracts. I strongly disagree with the findings of the Integrity Commission regarding conflict of interest based on mere association."
He also noted that it’s a longstanding practice for members of Parliament to recommend local contractors to undertake works in their constituencies, and added that he has referred the commission’s report to his lawyers.
JAMAICAN COP ACCUSED OF ABDUCTING, RAPING WOMAN DURING TRAFFIC STOP
The commission’s investigation focused on 10 contracts awarded to a construction company from 2007 to 2009, when Holness was minister of education. Only five of those were reported to the Office of the Contractor General as required by law, according to the report.
The contracts totaled nearly $142,000 and were for work ranging from roof repairs to renovation of a teachers’ cottage.
JAMAICA IS WILLING TO SEND SOLDIERS, POLICE TO HAITI AS CHAOS CONTINUES
The commission found that the prime minister has known two directors and shareholders of Westcon Construction Limited for more than 20 years. Holness said one of them that he knows personally is a former employee in his constituency and personal business, and the other is known to him casually and was hired to do land surveying work, according to the report.
Officials with the construction company could not be immediately reached for comment.
The investigation began after a local TV news program in May 2016 questioned the contracts and the relationship between Holness and the construction company officials.
It was not clear if Jamaica’s director of corruption prosecution has a deadline to respond to the commission’s findings and whether her response could be appealed by attorneys for Holness.
The commission did not immediately return a message for comment.
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Thai soccer player rescued from flooded cave in 2018 died in England from head injury: report
The young soccer player who died in England this week after his team was dramatically rescued from a flooded cave in Thailand in 2018 is reported to have suffered a head injury from an accidental fall.
Duangpetch "Dom" Promthep, of the "Wild Boars" team, was one of 12 players who, along with their coach, became trapped in the Tham Luang cave during an unexpected rainstorm in June 2018.
On Wednesday, the 17-year-old was found unconscious in his dorm room at the soccer academy he had been attending in Leicestershire since late 2022, the BBC reported. He later died at a local hospital.
The BBC, citing Thai media, said reports indicated Promthep that suffered a head injury.
CAPTAIN OF BOYS’ SOCCER TEAM RESCUED IN THAILAND CAVE IN 2018 DEAD AT 17
The head of a monastery in Chiang Rai told the Bangkok Post that Promthep’s mother had called him around 6 a.m. local time Wednesday to tell him that her son had died.
Phra Khu Prayut Jetiyanukarn said to the newspaper that initial reports stated the former captain of the soccer team had suffered an accidental fall, and despite being put on a ventilator at the hospital, he wasn’t able to survive.
An autopsy reportedly is ongoing.
Leicestershire Police told the BBC that Promthep’s death is not being classified as suspicious.
Thailand UK Cave Boys
6 killed in Egyptian crash involving a pickup truck, minibus near city of Ismailia
At least six people were killed Thursday when a pickup truck and a minibus collided near Egypt's eastern city of Ismailia, health officials said. Three others were injured in the crash.
Among the dead were five Palestinians, between 20 and 50 years of age, and one Egyptian, the local ambulance service said in a statement.
According to Egyptian media, the five Palestinian passengers were heading to Rafah, Egypt's official border crossing with the Gaza Strip.
EGYPT'S MOST PROMINENT IMPRISONED ACTIVIST HAS BEGUN A 'FULL HUNGER STRIKE'
Eight ambulances were dispatched to the scene of the accident to transfer injured people to nearby hospitals for treatment, the ambulance service said. No further details were given.
MORE THAN TWO DOZEN 2,500-YEAR-OLD SARCOPHAGI DISCOVERED AT ANCIENT SITE IN EGYPT
In a separate statement, the Palestinian Embassy in Cairo said it would help facilitate the transfer of the bodies of the five Palestinian victims back to the Gaza Strip for burial.
Fatal car accidents are common across the North African country, killing thousands every year. Last November, 21 people died after a bus fell into a canal in Egypt’s Nile River Delta region. In July 2022, a passenger bus slammed into a parked trailer in the south of the country, killing 23 people.
Car crashes and road collisions in Egypt are largely caused by speeding, poor roads or lax enforcement of traffic laws.
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Russian official's 'suicide' latest mysterious death that raises questions for Kremlin
Another high-ranking Russia official has turned up dead after being found under the window of her high rise apartment building, according to Russian reports Thursday.
The body of 58-year-old Marina Yankina, head of the financial support department of the Western Military District in St. Petersburg, was reportedly found Wednesday in what one report described as a "suicide" after she fell from her home on the 16th floor.
Other reports noted that suicide as the cause of death had not been confirmed.
Yankina’s death is just the latest in a string of mysterious Russian deaths – many of which were caused by the victims allegedly falling to their deaths.
Pavel Antov, a sausage tycoon and local politician, was found dead in December after falling from a hotel window in India. His companion, Vladimir Budanov, was also reported to have died the same day after suffering a stroke.
Antov had been critical of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine.
Ivan Pechorin, a managing director of an aviation company, was found dead in September after allegedly falling from a boat while intoxicated.
Two weeks prior, Ravil Maganov, the chairman of Russian oil giant Lukoil, died after reportedly falling from a hospital window in Moscow.
In August, businessman and Putin critic Dan Rapoport reportedly jumped to his death from his apartment in Washington, D.C.
"This mysterious death of Marina Yankina is consistent with the Russian intelligence doctrine of ‘wet affairs’ – or the spilling of blood," Rebekah Koffler, a former Defense Intelligence Agency intel officer for Russian Doctrine & Strategy, told Fox News Digital.
Koffler explained that this doctrine dates back to the Soviet Union when the secret police would target state critics or dissidents they deemed were "enemies of the people" and would eliminate them through violent means.
"In today’s Russia Putin’s critics and those unwilling to go along with his policies are routinely eliminated by assassination," she said. "Shots in the back of the head, poisonings, forced suicides and other intricate forms of violent death are some examples."
"Throwing someone out of a window or having the victim throw herself or himself out of a window is a standard method," Koffler added.
Prior to her work with the defense department, Yankina reportedly worked at the Federal Tax Service, and served as deputy chairman of the property relations committee of St. Petersburg.
It is unclear if Yankina was critical of Putin's invasion of Ukraine.
Paul Best contributed to this report.
Vladimir Putin January 2023
France braces for a 5th day of nationwide protests over pension reform
A fifth day of nationwide strikes and protests in France Thursday tested the government's resolve on a controversial pension reform, the flagship policy of President Emmanuel Macron’s second term.
This latest in a series of protests that began last month is expected to be less disruptive that on previous occasions, with the Paris Metro and most main line train services working normally and most schools unaffected. Fewer people were expected this time amid school holidays and as unions look toward March 7, when a rolling general strike has been called.
A railway worker walkout will, however, disrupt high-speed TGV trains and regional services. Almost a third of flights were canceled at Paris’ second busiest airport, Orly, and traffic will be interrupted at regional airports as well.
"These reforms are robbing people of their rights. I'm here today to show (President) Macron that he cannot be deaf and that there are consequences when you try to defy the majority of the country," said Pierre-Yves Toudic, a 34-year-old engineer who was protesting at the Bastille Plaza in central Paris.
The proposed pension reforms — aimed at raising the minimum retirement age from 62 to 64 — have unleashed the most turbulent debate in years in the National Assembly, with uncertainty looming over the final outcome.
Opponents filed thousands of amendments to delay debate, now making it uncertain if the lower house will actually get to debate the famed article 7, which sets out the change to the age of retirement, before a key deadline on Friday. The pension bill — whether or not it has been fully debated — will then automatically go to the Senate, the upper house, for consideration.
Lawmakers on Thursday afternoon were debating amendments related to article 2, out of 20 articles in the bill. The legislative process is not expected to end for several weeks.
Despite opinion polls consistently showing growing opposition to the reform and his own popularity shrinking, Macron insists that he’s living up to a key campaign pledge he made when he swept to power in 2017 and before his April 2022 reelection.
The powerful hard-left union, the CGT, is also keeping its eye on March 7, when unions threaten to bring France to its knees. CGT head Philippe Martinez said the strategy was to "keep up pressure on lawmakers" to reject the bill. The union this week called on support from trash collectors, which could see trash piling up in the French streets.
Nigerian president defends country’s redesigned currency after swapping notes led to bank closures, protests
Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari said Thursday that the country's redesigned currency would bolster the upcoming presidential election, appealing for an end to violent protests over a resulting cash shortage that has led to daylong lines at banks, business closures and people unable to pay for basic needs.
As he came under growing pressure to intervene after days of bank attacks by Nigerians who have failed to withdraw their money, Buhari pointed to the expected gains from swapping out the old naira notes, from curbing surging inflation to reducing the influence of money in the Feb. 25 vote to elect his successor.
"This is a positive departure from the past and represents a bold legacy step by this administration towards laying a strong foundation for free and fair elections," Buhari said.
TALIBAN FORCES KILL 3 IS MEMBERS IN RAID ON KABUL BUILDING
Nigerians have been unable to access cash in recent weeks after the country’s central bank started switching out currency notes of higher denominations of $2.16, $1.08, 43 U.S. cents with redesigned ones.
Policymakers said the move will help make Africa’s largest economy cashless and more inclusive. But a limited supply of new notes in banks has resulted in pain instead for many who deposited their old currency ahead of a Feb. 10 deadline but are now unable to withdraw cash to use.
The West African country is heavily reliant on cash and only 45% of adults owned a bank account as of 2021, according to the World Bank. The limited supply has forced people to wait in line at banks all day and night to try to withdraw cash only enough to last them a day.
On Wednesday, weeklong protests against the cash shortage crisis further escalated in Nigeria’s southern region where two banks were set ablaze and major roads were blocked, halting commercial activities. In Edo state, police fired tear gas at demonstrators as they attacked bank facilities.
In addition to the pain of continued fuel scarcity in major cities across Nigeria, many businesses also have been forced to close, further squeezing the informal economy — ranging from agriculture to street trade — that is key to economic growth.
Buhari urged against "violence capable of disrupting the electoral processes" in the election that would see Africa’s most populous country elect a new president after his second and final term.
"Unscrupulous officials in the banking industry" sabotaging the court-contested monetary policy by hoarding new currency notes must be prosecuted, said Buhari, who extended the use of the old 200 naira note until April 10. "I am deeply pained and sincerely sympathize with you all over these unintended outcomes."
Convicted killer nicknamed 'The Spider' busted trying to escape from prison disguised as sheep
An inmate in Bolivia is back behind bars after an unsuccessful attempt to break out of prison disguised as a sheep.
José Luis Callisaya Diaz, serving a 15-year sentence for murder, attempted to escape from a maximum-security prison in Bolivia earlier this month by wrapping himself in sheepskin and crawling across the grassland that surrounds the jail in the middle of the night, Jam Press reported.
Diaz used the fleece coat to sneak past security at the Chonchocoro prison facility, get past a wall, and out into the grassland.
Prison authorities noticed that Diaz was not in his cell, and they were able to apprehend him.
POLICE CAPTURE 5 MISSOURI INMATES, INCLUDING 3 SEX OFFENDERS, WHO PULLED OFF DARING JAIL BREAK
Diaz was photographed on all fours wearing a sheep suit, attempting to pass himself off as a farm animal in the grass.
Diaz goes by the nickname "El Arana," which translates to "the spider."
ECUADORIAN FUGITIVE WANTED FOR KILLING WIFE IN 2019 ARRESTED IN SOUTH CAROLINA
"Prison security police officers from the San Pedro de Chonchocoro Penitentiary Center prevented the escape of prisoner José Luis Callisaya Diaz (alias El Araña), who took advantage of the inclement weather to try to escape through one of the walls of the external perimeter of the prison," Juan Carlos Limpias, the prison’s director, said.
Officials say that legal and disciplinary actions have been taken against Diaz since his escape attempt.
Jam Press reported that social media users praised the prison staff with comments that included "good job to the prison regime!"
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China spy risks abound as VP Harris and senior US officials attend Germany security conference
Germany’s increased reliance on Huawei technology for its 5G networks has raised security concerns for officials as they gather this week for the Munich Security Conference.
"It is now unquestionable that Huawei poses a risk of espionage and a risk to citizens’ privacy," Dan Blumenthal, senior fellow focusing on Sino-American relations at the American Enterprise Institute, told Fox News Digital. "When U.S allies stick with Huawei as their telecommunications equipment provider they put at risk scope for expanded allied cooperation."
A survey by telecommunications consultancy Strand Consult found that Huawei accounted for 59% of Germany’s 5G radio access network (RAN) equipment – the base stations and related infrastructure – and 57% for the 4G network.
"There are indications that Germany has not taken the security threat that China poses seriously," the study says, drawing comparisons to the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, long criticized by opponents as a security risk but which Berlin justified by saying Russia would not weaponize energy.
CHINA, IRAN URGE AFGHANISTAN TO END RESTRICTIONS ON WOMEN'S EDUCATION, WORK
A further review by Politico found Huawei telecommunications gear visible within 300 meters of the five-star Hotel Bayerischer Hof, where the conference is taking place. One mast atop the hotel itself may have Huawei technology built into it, two industry insiders suggested to Politico.
However, little data exists that can confirm which telecoms equipment has been used in which locations as vendors and operators do not disclose that information, citing contractual obligations, the Politico report added.
Maximilian Funke-Kaiser, a liberal member of the German Bundestag and digital policy speaker for the government’s Free Democratic Party (FDP), claimed that the dependence on Huawei posed an "incalculable security risk" for Germany that "runs counter" to the country’s security policy goals.
Vice President Kamala Harris, French President Emmanuel Macron, President of European Commission Ursula von Der Leyen and 45 other heads of state and government officials, along with nearly 100 ministers from around the world, will attend the conference.
CHINESE PARLIAMENT ACCUSES US OF VIOLATING SOVEREIGNTY WITH SPYCRAFT RESPONSE
Harris, during an interview on Tuesday with Politico, argued that the U.S. seeks "competition" with China, not "conflict or confrontation," adding that she didn't think recent incidents would impact relations between the two countries.
"Everything that has happened in the last week and a half is, we believe, very consistent with our stated approach," she said.
The U.S. shot down at least four aerial objects, including one alleged surveillance balloon and three other unidentified flying objects (UFOs), over the U.S. and Canada. Experts have warned that the invasions into sovereign airspace indicate strategic gaps and failures, prompting a renewed focus on security infrastructure, especially related to Chinese technologies.
China has repeatedly insisted that the U.S. actually shot down a weather balloon that had drifted off course, but it also has demanded the U.S. return the technology recovered from the craft. Secretary of State. Antony Blinken canceled a trip to China over the incident.
The U.S. government in November banned telecommunications and video surveillance equipment produced by Chinese brands such as Hikvision and Dahua in order to better protect the nation’s communications network. The Biden administration also banned new Huawei and ZTE equipment sales because they pose an "unacceptable risk" to U.S. national security.
The Trump administration had already added Huawei to the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security Entity List in 2019, banning the company’s technology from U.S. communications networks.
The Munich conference itself has already made headlines after organizers uninvited officials from Russia and Iran following the invasion of Ukraine and Tehran’s brutal crackdown on protesters following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini for allegedly breaching the country’s headscarf laws.
Wolfgang Ischinger, who chaired the conference from 2008 to 2022, told the Financial Times that he thought it was "a pity," but that he agreed the decision was right.
"I always felt the conference was an important platform for talking informally with difficult adversaries – countries with whom our official contacts were poor or didn’t exist at all," Ischinger said.
Neither the U.S. State Department nor the NSC responded to a Fox News Digital request for comment by time of publication.
Reuters contributed to this report.
a5b06b53-Munich Security Conference (MSC)
United Nations official says the Syrian death toll from earthquake is likely to rise
The United Nations regional humanitarian coordinator for the Syrian crisis said Thursday that the country's death toll from last week's deadly earthquake is likely to rise further as teams scramble to remove rubble in hard-hit areas.
In an interview with The Associated Press, Muhannad Hadi defended the U.N.'s response to the disaster, which many in Syria have criticized as slow and inadequate.
The U.N. has reported a death toll of about 6,000 for all of Syria, including 4,400 in the rebel-held northwest. That figure is higher than those reported by government authorities in Damascus and civil defense officials in the northwest, who have reported 1,414 and 2,274 deaths respectively.
INITIAL EARTHQUAKE AID DELAYS BLAMED ON SYRIA'S ASSAD, WARRING FACTIONS AND BUREAUCRACY
"We’re hoping that this number will not increase by much," Hadi said. "But from what we are seeing … the devastation of this earthquake is really not giving us a lot of hope that this will be the end of it."
Hadi noted that even before the earthquake, there were some 4.1 million people in need of aid in northwest Syria, many of whom were already displaced and have now become homeless or displaced again.
Locals struggling with the aftermath of the earthquake have criticized delays in getting U.N. aid to the area. Roads leading to the one border crossing from Turkey to Syria that the U.N. is authorized to use were damaged by the earthquake. The first convoy of aid to enter northwest Syria came three days after the quake.
The U.N. and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad reached a deal Monday to open two additional crossings, but critics say the U.N. should have used additional crossings without waiting for approval or found another way to get aid in, in light of the dire situation on the ground.
US MILITARY SHOOTS DOWN IRANIAN-MADE DRONE OVER OIL SITE IN SYRIA
Syrian rescue workers and those who lost homes and family members in the quake have criticized the slow arrival of aid, saying they felt abandoned by the international community.
"I can assure you that we have done everything we can from the very beginning," Hadi said. "We asked everybody to put the interests of the people first. We asked everybody to de-politicize the humanitarian situation and focus on supporting us to reach the people."
Hadi said 120 aid trucks had crossed into northwestern Syria from Turkey as of Thursday.
So far, no aid convoys have crossed from Damascus-controlled territory into the rebel-held areas. Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the al-Qaida-linked rebel group that controls much of the northwest has so far refused to allow aid to cross from government areas.
Hadi said the U.N. is "working with all parties" to open the route to aid, but acknowledged that "so far, we haven’t been successful."
The U.N. has appealed for $397 million to provide "desperately needed, life-saving relief," including shelter, food and health care for the next three months.
More complications will almost certainly arise once the earthquake response moved from immediate emergency aid to rebuilding, but Hadi said it is too early to think about that.
"What we need to focus on right now is the humanitarian work," he said.
Syria-eathquake
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