In a stunning display of political sleight-of-hand, Virginia's newly-elected Governor Abigail Spanberger and her Democratic majority in the legislature have wasted no time unveiling a radical agenda that prioritizes illegal aliens over law-abiding citizens.
The post Exclusive–Lonergan: Spanberger’s Sanctuary Agenda, Turn Virginia into California East appeared first on Breitbart.
A Uruguayan-born judge appointed by President Joe Biden has invented a novel excuse to block President Donald Trump from terminating Biden's award of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to 350,000 illegal-migrant Haitians.
The post Biden Judge Blocks Trump’s Cancellation of Haitian Migrants’ ‘Temporary’ Amnesty appeared first on Breitbart.
The nomination of Kevin Warsh to chair the Federal Reserve has prompted concerns from friends and foes of President Trump's economic agenda.
The post Breitbart Business Digest: The War Over Kevin Warsh appeared first on Breitbart.
President Donald Trump announced Monday that the United States and India have reached a trade agreement and that India has committed to stop buying Russian oil.
The post Trump: India Agrees to Stop Buying Russian Oil, Enter Trade Deal with U.S. appeared first on Breitbart.
President Donald Trump will launch a strategic critical minerals stockpile with $12 billion in funding as part of an effort to protect American manufacturers from supply shocks as the Trump administration seeks to cut reliance on Chinese rare earths.
The post Trump to Establish $12 Billion Critical Mineral Stockpile to Reduce Reliance on Chinese Rare Earths appeared first on Breitbart.
The latest release of the Epstein files includes a 2013 email from the disgraced financier and sex predator to himself about the Microsoft co-founder in which Epstein claims Gates caught an STD after "sex with Russians girls" and wanted to slip antibiotics to his wife instead of telling her. Gates insists the claims are "completely false."
The post Epstein Emails Reveal Sex Predator’s Shocking Claims About Bill Gates appeared first on Breitbart.
White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt touted the nationwide decline in rents amid President Trump's crackdown on illegal migration and before the November midterm elections.
The post Experts: Nationwide Rent Declines as Border Enforcement Reduces Migration appeared first on Breitbart.
The United States and India reached a trade agreement that will immediately lower American tariffs on Indian goods to 18 percent while opening India's market to U.S. energy and other products, President Donald Trump announced Monday.
The post U.S. Will Cut Tariffs on India to 18% in Trade Deal appeared first on Breitbart.
Mark Zuckerberg's Meta faces a trial this week in New Mexico. The lawsuit follows an undercover operation by New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez, a Soros-backed Democrat.
The post Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta Faces Trial in New Mexico over Child Safety and Exploitation Allegations appeared first on Breitbart.
Newly released documents from the Jeffrey Epstein files show that Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk corresponded with the convicted sex offender in 2012 and 2013, discussing potential visits to Epstein's private island, with Musk asking the disgraced financier "What day/night will be the wildest party on your island?"
The post ‘Wildest Party on Your Island?’ Email Drop Reveals Elon Musk Seeking Vacation with Jeffrey Epstein appeared first on Breitbart.
The Trump administration has quietly decided to allow employers to import 65,000 extra H-2B visa migrants for jobs that would otherwise pay decent wages to ordinary American who vote in the midterm elections.
The post Trump Deputies Approve 65,000 More H-2B Visa Workers appeared first on Breitbart.
Defense technology startup Anduril, founded by Pro-Trump billionaire Palmer Luckey, has created a drone racing competition that tests software engineering skills rather than piloting abilities, with winners earning jobs at the company and a share of $500,000 in prize money.
The post Palmer Luckey’s Anduril Launches ‘AI Grand Prix’ Drone Racing Competition with Jobs for the Winners appeared first on Breitbart.
On Friday’s broadcast of C-SPAN’s “Ceasefire,” San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria said that localities “shouldn’t be asking for federal assistance if we haven’t done the work at home, and that means updating your zoning and codes and permit reform, etc.”
The post SD Mayor: Locals Shouldn’t Ask for Fed Help on Housing if They Don’t Fix Regulations appeared first on Breitbart.
The U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince, Haiti on Saturday alerted U.S. citizens of ongoing security operations north and south of the embassy and in Croix-de-Bouquets.
Heavy gunfire was reported in the Haitian capital, prompting U.S. government personnel to halt all movements, according to an alert from the Department of State.
The embassy remains open for emergency services.
Officials urged nearby U.S. citizens to avoid the area and monitor local media for updates.
Armed gangs control large portions of Port-au-Prince and surrounding areas, according to the U.S. State Department and the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH).
Croix-de-Bouquets, one of the areas referenced in Saturday’s security alert, has long been considered a "400 Mawozo" gang stronghold.
"400 Mawozo" gang leader Joly Germine, 34, of Croix-des-Bouquets, Haiti, was sentenced to life in prison in December for his role in the 2021 abduction of 16 American citizens, including five children, Fox News Digital previously reported.
US MARINES EXCHANGED GUNFIRE WITH SUSPECTED GANG MEMBERS IN HAITI, OFFICIAL SAYS
The victims, with Ohio-based Christian Aid Ministries, were on their way back from an orphanage when they were taken hostage, according to the Justice Department.
The State Department currently maintains a Level 4 "Do Not Travel" advisory for Haiti, citing kidnapping, crime, terrorist activity, civil unrest and limited healthcare.
The State Department did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
Fox News Digital's Ashley Carnahan contributed to this report.
The city of Costa Mesa, California, is preparing updated store self-checkout rules that could result in hefty fines for businesses.
The post California City’s Self-Checkout Proposal Could Fine Stores $1,000 appeared first on Breitbart.
As the Trump administration slashes funding and exits multiple international bodies over criticism that the U.N. has failed to promote U.S. interests, the United Nations is warning it could face a cash crisis by July.
In a Jan. 28 letter from U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres to ambassadors, he cited record unpaid dues and rigid budget rules that have left the organization exposed.
Guterres said the U.N. is trapped in a "Kafkaesque cycle" in which rigid budget rules force it to return "unspent" funds even when those contributions were never paid. He said outstanding dues reached a record $1.568 billion at the end of 2025 and that collections covered only 76.7% of assessed contributions, leaving the organization dangerously exposed.
Unless collections "drastically improve," the secretary-general warned, the U.N. will not be able to fully implement its 2026 budget and could face a liquidity crisis by mid-year.
UN CHIEF ACCUSES US OF DITCHING INTERNATIONAL LAW AS TRUMP BLASTS GLOBAL BODIES
A senior diplomatic source told Fox News Digital that the secretary-general himself bears significant responsibility for the deepening crisis, arguing that warning signs had been visible long before the current shortfall.
According to the source, major contributors had been pressing for efficiency and reform for years, yet meaningful action was delayed. When reforms were eventually introduced, the source said, they were applied broadly rather than through targeted cuts in areas where real savings were possible, harming even U.N. bodies considered central to the organization’s mission. "He is going to go down as the worst secretary-general in the history of the U.N.," the source said.
TRUMP ADMIN EXIT FROM UN, INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS RAISES QUESTION OF WHO’S NEXT
The warning from Guterres comes as the United States, the world body’s largest contributor, has cut voluntary funding to multiple U.N. programs and declined to make some required payments, deepening the cash crunch described in the secretary-general’s letter.
Broader U.S. foreign assistance cuts under the Trump administration’s foreign policy realignment. In January 2026, the United States formally withdrew from the World Health Organization and began exiting dozens of international bodies, including multiple U.N. entities, citing misalignment with American priorities.
The funding squeeze has already forced the United Nations to tighten spending across several agencies. Separate Reuters reporting shows that U.N. bodies, including the World Food Programme and refugee agencies, are preparing layoffs and program reductions as overall contributions fall to the lowest level in a decade.
Hugh Dugan, former National Security Council special assistant to the president and senior director for international organization affairs, told Fox News Digital that the current turmoil reflects long-standing structural weaknesses rather than a sudden collapse.
TRUMP ADMIN WARNED TO TAKE FRONT SEAT AS UN CHIEF RACE SHIFTS LEFT, BOOSTING ANTI-US CONTENDERS
"We’ve heard this before," Dugan told Fox News Digital, referring to repeated warnings from U.N. leadership over cash shortfalls.
Dugan said the organization has struggled for decades with inconsistent revenue and outdated financial practices, arguing that alarmist messaging is unlikely to restore donor confidence without visible internal reforms.
He said Guterres, who has roughly 11 months remaining in office, appears focused on ensuring the institution does not close on his watch.
"The doors will remain open, maybe just, but that’s his legacy," Dugan said.
Asked about President Trump’s newly announced peace board, Dugan said it should not be viewed as a competitor to the United Nations or a replacement for its charter-based system.
"I don’t see it as a replacement of the principles of the U.N.," he said, describing the initiative as operational rather than ideological.
Dugan compared it to past convening efforts such as the Clinton Global Initiative, saying it focuses on dealmaking and coordination rather than supplanting the international order.
Despite mounting criticism of its performance and finances, Dugan said the U.N. continues to hold one enduring advantage.
Referring to the annual U.N. General Assembly debate, Dugan said, "When the U.N. calls a meeting today, it’s routine to have more than 100 heads of state in the room," he said. "The power to convene is no small accomplishment."
Last week, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth released the 2026 National Defense Strategy (NDS), a Pentagon blueprint that elevates Israel as a "model ally" and translates President Donald Trump’s national security doctrine into concrete military policy.
"Israel has long demonstrated that it is both willing and able to defend itself with critical but limited support from the United States. Israel is a model ally, and we have an opportunity now to further empower it to defend itself and promote our shared interests, building on President Trump’s historic efforts to secure peace in the Middle East," the NDS states.
The document is now influencing parallel debates over the future of U.S. security assistance to Israel and whether the next Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) should continue delivering traditional U.S. military aid to Israel amid dissenting voices that portray the alliance as a burden rather than a strategic asset.
According to the strategy, Israel proved its ability and willingness to defend itself following the Oct. 7 attacks, demonstrating that it is not a passive partner but an operational force that supports U.S. interests in the region. The strategy emphasizes empowering capable allies rather than constraining them, building on President Trump’s earlier push for regional integration through the Abraham Accords.
Jonathan Ruhe, director of foreign policy at the Jewish Institute for National Security of America, said the strategy reflects a broader American shift toward partnerships that strengthen both U.S. security and domestic industry.
"U.S. defense assistance to Israel in the MOU is spent in dollars here in America to support our industry," Ruhe told Fox News Digital. "And like in the national security strategy, it then enables Israel to go and do more to protect U.S. interests."
He said a future agreement would likely extend beyond funding alone. "A new MOU would also likely be broader and include things that are more 50-50 partnership, like joint research and development, co-production, intelligence sharing and things like that to reflect the changing partnership going forward," Ruhe said.
The strategy also highlights the importance of revitalizing the American defense industrial base, noting that allies purchasing U.S. systems help strengthen domestic production while enabling partners to shoulder greater responsibility for regional security.
Avner Golov, vice president of the Israeli think tank Mind Israel, said the document makes clear that Israel is viewed not merely as a recipient of aid: "Israel is in the fight. We are protecting ourselves by ourselves. We just need the tools to do that. And by doing so, we enhance not only America’s standing in the Middle East, but also worldwide and contribute to the American economy."
That framing comes as Israel and the United States prepare for negotiations over the next 10-year MOU, which governs U.S. military assistance to Israel. The current agreement, signed in 2016, provides $3.3 billion annually in foreign military financing, along with $500 million a year for missile defense cooperation.
The debate follows tensions during the Biden administration, when the White House paused the delivery of certain U.S. weapons to Israel in May 2024, including a shipment of 2,000-pound bombs. At the time, Netanyahu warned that Israel "will stand alone" if Washington halted weapons deliveries, reflecting concern that limits or delays in U.S. military support could undermine Israel’s readiness and deterrence.
Experts have noted that U.S. leaders have not always approved every Israeli weapons request and that roughly 70% of Israel’s military imports come from the United States, underscoring the strategic calculus behind Prime Minister Netanyahu's recent push for greater independent production.
Golov criticized that approach, arguing it risks prioritizing optics over readiness. "I believe that is a short-term vision," Golov said. "In the long term, Israel must first be prepared for the next round of escalation. If we are not ready, we will face another war. If we are prepared, perhaps we can deter it."
PENTAGON WARNS FUTURE WARS MAY HIT US SOIL AS 'DIRECT MILITARY THREATS' GROW
"Israel must remain the strongest army in the region, and that is also a fundamental American interest," Golov said.
Ruhe said the debate reflects lessons learned from nearly two years of war. "You’ve got this sort of topsy-turvy world now where the Israelis are saying we don’t want to take any more U.S. money, and the Americans are saying, no, you’re going to take our money," he said.
According to Ruhe, the conflict exposed vulnerabilities created by heavy dependence on U.S. supply chains and political delays.
"The war of the last two years showed that Israel can’t afford to be as dependent on the U.S. or continue to maintain the same defense partnership that it has because that creates a dependence," he said. "Israel becomes vulnerable to U.S. shortages in weapons output or politically motivated embargoes and holdups that can impact Israel’s readiness."
At the same time, Ruhe noted that Israel remains reliant on the United States for major platforms.
"Even Israel will say we’re utterly dependent on the U.S. for those big-ticket platforms," he said, pointing to aircraft such as the F-15 and F-35 that Israel has already committed to purchasing.
For that reason, Ruhe argued that maintaining stable funding under the next MOU may be the most practical path forward.
"It’s actually much easier for Congress just to go ahead and approve that money," he said, explaining that predictable funding reduces annual political battles on Capitol Hill.
TRUMP REWRITES NATIONAL SECURITY PLAYBOOK AS MASS MIGRATION OVERTAKES TERRORISM AS TOP US THREAT
Golov said Israel’s long-term objective should not be reducing ties with Washington, but deepening them. "I don’t want to reduce dependency," he said. "I want to increase contribution to America."
He described the emerging vision as a fundamental shift in how the alliance is structured. "We are moving from a 20th-century aid model to a 21st-century strategic merger," Golov said. "Israel is the only partner that delivers a 400% return on investment without asking for a single American soldier."
Golov said the proposed framework is built around three pillars: an industrial defense ecosystem, a joint technology ecosystem and a regional ecosystem connecting Israeli innovation, Gulf infrastructure and American power.
He emphasized that maintaining U.S. security assistance during the transition period is critical.
"We need a final ten-year ‘bridge’ with the current security aid MOU," Golov said. "A sudden cut would be a dangerous signal of American retreat to our enemies and may hinder IDF preparedness."
"I don’t know who the next president of the United States will be," he added. "This is where our enemies can read it in a very dangerous way."
Authorities announced Wednesday that an elderly man who used his 2010 lottery winnings to run a drug empire from his cottage alongside his son and two accomplices, has been sentenced to jail.
John Eric Spiby, 80, was sentenced to 16 years in prison in England after an investigation uncovered counterfeit pills worth up to $400 million, Greater Manchester Police said. His son, John Colin Spiby, 37, was sentenced to nine years.
"They operated a fully industrialized drug manufacturing business capable of producing millions of counterfeit tablets containing a highly dangerous substance," Alex Brown, detective inspector of the Serious Organized Crime Group that led the investigation, said in a statement.
FEDS ARREST FELON ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT AFTER SEIZING TENS OF MILLIONS IN METH STASHED IN BLACKBERRIES
"The volume of tablets we recovered — along with the sophisticated machinery — demonstrated how deeply embedded this group was in the illicit drug supply chain."
Local United Kingdom outlet LBC reported that Spiby won the National Lottery in 2010, at around 65 years old, cashing in £2.4 million, equivalent to roughly $3.3 million in 2026.
During the sentencing, Judge Nicholas Clarke KC told LBC that, "despite your lottery win, you continued to live your life of crime beyond what would be a normal retirement age."
Sometime between November 2021 and May 2022, Spiby equipped his cottage behind his home with an "industrial‑scale tablet manufacturing set-up capable of producing tens of thousands of tablets per hour," police said. According to a court hearing, they were also able to "hide" his lab by frosting the windows, LBC reported.
The organization allegedly produced counterfeit diazepam tablets, also known as Valium, laced with etizolam, a substance banned in the U.S. normally prescribed for insomnia and anxiety. In high doses, etizolam can cause severe central nervous system depression, potentially leading to unconsciousness, respiratory failure and death.
The group also facilitated and supplied firearms including AK‑47s, an Uzi, Tec‑9s, a Scorpion, a Grand Power pistol, silencers and ammunition, police said.
FLORIDA SHERIFF CALLS MASSIVE DRUG OPERATION ''BREAKING BAD' ON STEROIDS' AFTER RECORD-BREAKING BUST
In the early stages of the operation in August 2020, the group reportedly operated "under the guise of a lawful business" by creating a fake company along with a website advertising tablet presses, mixers, packaging machines and powdered supplements.
During the operation, the suspects rented a shipping container to store materials and millions of counterfeit tablets awaiting distribution. Officers, however, intercepted them in April 2022 and found a vehicle containing 2.6 million counterfeit diazepam tablets with an estimated street value between $1.4 million and $7 million.
The following month, a warrant led to the seizure of guns, ammunition, cash, machinery, counterfeit drugs and raw materials.
Police estimated the crime ring produced drugs with a potential street value equivalent to roughly $80 million to $400 million.
Of the other two accomplices, Callum Dorian, 35, received a 12‑year prison sentence in September 2024, while Lee Ryan Drury, 45, was sentenced to nine years.
The four members faced charges that included conspiracy to produce and supply Class C drugs, conspiracy to supply firearms, possession of firearms and ammunition and perverting the course of justice.
"These four individuals showed absolutely no regard for human life or public safety," Brown said. "All they were interested in was lining their own pockets with significant financial gain."
Fox News Digital reached out to Greater Manchester Police for more information.
China executed 11 people convicted of intentional homicide, fraud and other crimes linked to a cross-border scam operation, after the country’s top court approved their death sentences, authorities said Thursday.
The announcement was published on the webiste for the Supreme People’s Procuratorate, China’s highest state body responsible for criminal prosecution and oversight.
The executions followed a ruling and execution order from the Supreme People’s Court, which upheld lower court judgments against members of the so-called Ming family criminal group.
They were accused of running large-scale telecommunications fraud and gambling operations from northern Myanmar that involved more than 10 billion yuan, roughly $1.4 billion.
TRUMP ADMIN SOUGHT REDACTIONS ON KEY CHINA WAR GAME REPORT WARNING OF US MILITARY READINESS GAPS
Authorities said the group colluded with criminal organizations led by "financial backers" to operate telecom fraud schemes, illegal casinos, drug trafficking and prostitution operations.
"The Ming family criminal group also colluded with the online fraud criminal group of Wu Hongming and others to deliberately kill, intentionally injure, and illegally detain people involved in fraud, resulting in the death of 14 Chinese citizens and injuries to many others," the Supreme People’s Procuratorate said.
Ming Guoping, Ming Zhenzhen, Zhou Weichang, Wu Hongming, Wu Senlong, and Fu Yubin were among those sentenced to death in September by the Wenzhou Intermediate People's Court of Zhejiang Province.
Some of the defendants appealed, but the Zhejiang Higher People’s Court on Nov. 25 rejected the appeal, upheld the original verdict and submitted the case to the Supreme People’s Court for mandatory review.
Authorities said the prisoners were allowed to meet with close relatives before the executions were carried out.
President Donald Trump dramatically reversed course Tuesday on a U.K. plan to transfer sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius while warning it could jeopardize U.S. access to the Diego Garcia military base.
Trump’s reversal highlights what a defense expert called a "new Trump Doctrine" before linking the president's opposition to the Chagos deal with his Greenland push and citing fears Mauritius could later back out.
Writing on his Truth Social platform Tuesday, Trump called the U.K.’s Chagos decision "an act of great stupidity."
"Shockingly, our ‘brilliant’ NATO Ally, the United Kingdom, is currently planning to give away the Island of Diego Garcia, the site of a vital U.S. Military Base, to Mauritius, and to do so FOR NO REASON WHATSOEVER," Trump wrote. "There is no doubt that China and Russia have noticed this act of total weakness."
TRUMP ISSUES STERN WARNING TO NATO AHEAD OF VANCE'S HIGH-STAKES GREENLAND MEETING
"Trump has done a 180, partly because of the U.K.’s support for Denmark’s sovereign claims over Greenland and partly because of a new strategy outlined by the White House," John Hemmings, director of the National Security Center at the Henry Jackson Society, told Fox News Digital.
"These moves are linked and part of a ‘new Trump Doctrine’" outlined in November’s National Security Strategy," he explained.
"Diego Garcia is a potential threat to Beijing’s strategy to control vital shipping lanes between the oil-rich Middle East and China’s industrial heartland," he added, describing how "nearly 23.7 million barrels of oil transit the Indian Ocean every day, with the base being vital in any U.S.-China conflict over Taiwan."
TRUMP TELLS DAVOS US ALONE CAN SECURE GREENLAND, INSISTS HE WON’T 'USE FORCE'
In a separate post, Trump explicitly linked the Chagos dispute to his Greenland push.
"The U.K. giving away extremely important land is an act of GREAT STUPIDITY, and is another in a very long line of national security reasons why Greenland has to be acquired," Trump wrote.
The Chagos Islands were separated from Mauritius during Britain’s decolonization process, a move the International Court of Justice ruled unlawful in 2019.
The U.K. later agreed to transfer sovereignty while leasing Diego Garcia back for at least 99 years at a cost of at least $160 million annually.
Diego Garcia is a hub for long-range bombers, logistics and power projection across the Middle East, the Indo-Pacific and Africa. Around 2,500 personnel, mostly American, are stationed there.
TRUMP DOUBLES DOWN ON GREENLAND PUSH AS POLLS SHOW LITTLE PUBLIC SUPPORT
"If Mauritius were to offer the islands to China after taking de jure control, it would put immense pressure on the U.S. in the eyes of international public opinion," Hemmings explained.
"After all, once Mauritius has de jure sovereignty, it can renegotiate the lease terms or even renege on the treaty at any time it wants.
"It might also provide access to the exclusive economic zone, with all of its rich fishing grounds, to Chinese fishing fleets, adding another layer of risk to U.S. Air Force operations around the island," Hemmings said.
"At this moment, the U.S. base at Diego Garcia is thought to be secure, with Mauritius promising the U.K. (and by proxy, the U.S.) a 99-year lease, which will not, it is supposed, interfere with the operations of the air base at all. But the devil is in the details."
Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House for comment.
Verwandte Tags
Nigeria’s military announced Wednesday that 62 hostages were rescued, and two militants were killed in a pair of operations against armed groups, a report said.
The development comes after more than 160 worshippers were kidnapped from two churches in Nigeria Sunday by gangs. It's unclear if any of the worshippers were among the hostages rescued.
Lt. Col. Olaniyi Osoba, an Army spokesperson, told Reuters that Nigerian forces raided a location in the northwestern Zamfara state after receiving tips that captives were being held there.
The 62 rescued hostages are now in safe custody and are in the process of being reunited with their families, Reuters reported, citing the army.
GUNMEN ABDUCT DOZENS OF WORSHIPPERS FROM MULTIPLE NIGERIAN CHURCHES
In a separate operation, Nigerian soldiers ambushed militants in the border area between the Kebbi and Sokoto states, Osoba added.
Sunday’s church kidnapping incident, which the BBC said targeted both Christians and Muslims, marks the latest mass kidnapping in Nigeria’s long-running streak of religiously fueled attacks.
Nigeria has experienced a dramatic surge in mass attacks by armed gangs, particularly Islamist militants, who often operate from forest enclaves and target villages, schools and places of worship.
NIGERIA NAMED EPICENTER OF GLOBAL KILLINGS OF CHRISTIANS OVER FAITH IN 2025, REPORT SAYS
Muslim Fulani militants frequently carry out violence in northern and central parts of Nigeria to bankrupt Christian communities while receiving ransom payments.
Kaduna state police said gunmen armed with "sophisticated weapons" attacked two churches in the village of Kurmin Wali in Afogo ward at about 11:25 a.m. on Sunday, Reuters reported.
While Kaduna state police on Monday reportedly cited conservative figures, saying dozens were being held captive as the investigation remains in its early stages, a senior church leader noted that more than 160 worshippers were abducted by gunmen over the weekend.
Fox News Digital’s Bonny Chu and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
A young soldier who refused to obey orders to shoot protesters during one of Iran's most intense waves of nationwide unrest has been sentenced to death, a human rights group reported Tuesday.
The Iran Human Rights Society (IHRS) identified the soldier as Javid Khales, who was arrested during the nationwide protests of 1404, a major wave of anti-regime demonstrations from late 2025 to early 2026 calling for an end to the country’s current dictatorship.
"According to informed sources, when faced with the command to shoot at protesting people, he refused to execute the order, leading to his immediate arrest and the opening of a case against him," IHRS said.
Witnesses claimed Khales, now in Isfahan prison, did not commit a crime but refused to shoot in an act of humanity, the group said.
While the unrest has already led to thousands of arrests and deaths among protesters, Khales’ planned execution further raises concerns over unfair, state-sanctioned killings and rushed trials that deny defendants proper legal protections.
"Amid the continuation of protests and the intensification of deadly repression against the people, the news of Javid Khales — a young soldier who refused to shoot at protesters — being sentenced to death has heightened concerns about a new wave of judicial massacre," the human rights group said.
"This sentence comes at a time when judiciary officials have openly spoken of summary trials and the swift execution of death sentences against those arrested in the protests."
IRAN ACCUSED OF KILLING 16,500 IN SWEEPING ‘GENOCIDE’ CRACKDOWN: REPORT
A judiciary spokesperson and the Tehran prosecutor, in separate statements, emphasized that cases involving dissidents must be resolved as quickly as possible, IHRS reported, raising concerns that executions could take place outside proper legal procedures. Human rights sources say many detainees have remained in custody without access to a lawyer or a fair trial.
The organization added that Khales’ death sentence is seen as part of a broader effort to instill fear, "enforce absolute obedience and intensify protest repression."
Over the past several days, the government shut down and restricted the internet nationwide to prevent protesters from organizing. Human rights activists say the blackout was also a strategic move to conceal the realities on the ground and suppress public reaction.
Precise details were unavailable regarding Khales’ case, his current status or the judicial process.
Violent protests erupted in several Swiss cities as American flags were burned and riot police clashed with demonstrators ahead of President Trump’s arrival in Davos, Switzerland, for the World Economic Forum.
Trump is scheduled to arrive Wednesday and is expected to deliver a speech at the annual gathering of global political leaders and corporate executives.
His visit comes amid heightened tensions with European leaders after Trump doubled down on his push to acquire Greenland for U.S. national security reasons and declined to rule out military options.
TRUMP SAYS 'YOU’LL SEE' WHEN ASKED HOW FAR HE’LL GO ON GREENLAND TAKEOVER
The Davos forum, held in eastern Switzerland, is one of the world’s most high-profile economic summits, bringing together heads of state, CEOs, bankers and policymakers to discuss global trade, security and geopolitics.
Around 300 protesters marched through Davos Jan. 19 to oppose both the forum and Trump’s planned appearance.
Chanting slogans and holding banners reading "Trump not welcome," demonstrators accused Swiss authorities of legitimizing what they described as authoritarian and plutocratic politics by hosting the U.S. president.
GREENLAND NEEDS US FOR DEFENSE BECAUSE 'EUROPEANS PROJECT WEAKNESS,' US TREASURY SECRETARY ARGUES
Images from the protests showed masked demonstrators setting fire to American flags, while local media reported smashed windows and other property damage.
Swiss outlet Swissinfo reported clashes broke out after police moved to disperse the crowd.
Officers in full riot gear deployed water cannons, chemical irritants and rubber bullets and said they were targeted with fireworks.
The outlet also reported a police statement said "paint bags were thrown at the facades and shop windows were smashed on the corner of Bahnhofstrasse and Uraniastrasse", with the amount of property damage unknown.
Two police officers were also reportedly hit by stones but remained unharmed.
Similar demonstrations were held elsewhere, including in Bern, where a protest was broken up as police sealed off the city center.
PROTESTS EXPLODE IN GREENLAND AMID TRUMP TAKEOVER PUSH: 'WE ARE NOT INTERESTED IN BEING AMERICANS'
In Zurich, thousands marched Sunday night, with one placard reading, "Put the Trumpster in the dumpster."
Activists from the Swiss NGO Campax also projected a cartoon image of Trump onto a ski slope near Davos, branding him the "Spirit of plutocracy."
Trade tensions are expected to dominate discussions at the summit, alongside talks on the war in Ukraine and broader global security concerns.
Trump addressed the Greenland issue in a social media post early Tuesday.
"As I expressed to everyone, very plainly, Greenland is imperative for National and World Security," Trump wrote. "There can be no going back — on that, everyone agrees. The United States of America is the most powerful country anywhere on the globe, by far."
Last week, we highlighted that President Donald Trump had signed a memorandum to withdraw the US from the UNFCCC, the UN’s foundational climate change treaty. The UNFCCC is one of the 66 […]
The post Trump’s withdrawal from 66 international organisations is a challenge to a global governance that perpetuates problems first appeared on The Expose.
Members of Iran’s ruling elite are said to have moved "tens of millions of dollars" out of the country as the U.S. imposed fresh sanctions over the regime’s violent protest crackdown, according to reports.
The regime's "capital flight" came as the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control announced on Jan. 15 in a release that it was taking "action against the shadow banking networks that allow Iran’s elite to steal and launder revenue generated by the country’s natural resources."
"There are several reports, some of which are yet to be confirmed, about capital flight in various forms from the Islamic Republic," Behnam Ben Taleblu, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told Fox News Digital.
If confirmed, Ben Taleblu said, the suspected exodus of money underscores the need for U.S. authorities to track and "freeze and seize" assets tied to sanctioned figures.
"If capital flight has taken place, then these are accounts that the U.S. government should be looking to monitor, block, freeze and seize," he said.
"At the direction of President Trump, the Treasury Department is sanctioning key Iranian leaders involved in the brutal crackdown against the Iranian people. Treasury will use every tool to target those behind the regime’s tyrannical oppression of human rights," Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent also said in a statement on Jan. 15.
Bessent went on to reveal in an interview how his department had tracked the wiring of "tens of millions of dollars" out of Iran by leaders.
"We are now seeing the rats fleeing the ship, because we can see millions, tens of millions of dollars being wired out of the country, snuck out of the country by the Iranian leadership," Bessent added.
FREED IRANIAN PRISONER SAYS ‘IN TRUMP, THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC HAS MET ITS MATCH’
"So they are abandoning ship, and we are seeing it come into banks and financial institutions all over the world," he added.
Iranian figures were said to be moving large sums abroad, with Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei allegedly transferring roughly $328 million overseas as part of an estimated $1.5 billion shift in recent days, Channel 14 reported.
"There were also some reports on social media about large volumes of Bitcoin being transferred, or other kinds of financial assets. I haven’t been able to independently confirm that, but it is something that’s being discussed," Ben Taleblu added.
"The fact that the Treasury Department is looking at this tells you quite seriously that Washington is also trying to link its foreign economic policy with its national security policy," he said.
Ben Taleblu also claimed Iran’s shadow banking system has been deeply embedded in global finance, with billions of dollars routed through jurisdictions "including the United Arab Emirates, Hong Kong and Singapore."
KEANE WARNS IRAN'S LEADERSHIP TO TAKE TRUMP 'AT HIS WORD' AS MILITARY ASSETS MOVE INTO REGION
"In the past, Washington has tracked the regime’s shadow banking activities, which, unfortunately, even include trade and money laundering through friendlier, more Western-leaning jurisdictions," Ben Taleblu explained.
"In fact, the Treasury Department identified almost $9 billion of Iranian shadow banking activity that touched U.S. correspondent accounts throughout 2024," he said.
Ben Taleblu added that the economic pressure campaign places renewed attention on President Donald Trump’s next move.
"All eyes right now are on President Trump to see if he takes a page from the Reagan playbook, the Obama playbook, or something else entirely," Ben Taleblu said.
"The million-dollar question is whether there will be something kinetic, especially after the most violent crackdown against protesters in the Islamic Republic’s history."
"Economic sanctions are helpful and necessary," he added, "but they are nowhere near sufficient to level the playing field between the street and the state."
A South Korean court heard arguments Tuesday seeking the death penalty for former President Yoon Suk Yeol, as prosecutors accused the ousted leader of orchestrating a rebellion through his controversial martial law declaration in December 2024.
Independent counsel Cho Eun-suk asked the Seoul Central District Court to impose the sentence, arguing that Yoon’s actions amounted to "anti-state activities" and describing the decree as a "self-coup."
Yoon, a conservative who was removed from office last spring, remains in custody while facing multiple criminal proceedings tied to the martial law episode and other controversies from his presidency. Prosecutors say the rebellion charge carries the most severe potential punishment.
SOUTH KOREAN PROSECUTORS INDICT IMPEACHED PRESIDENT WHO DECLARED MARTIAL LAW
Cho’s team argued in court that Yoon sought to prolong his hold on power by undermining South Korea’s constitutional system of governance.
Yoon has rejected the accusations, telling the court that the investigations into his conduct have been "frenzied" and marked by "manipulation" and "distortion."
He has maintained that the declaration of martial law was intended to alert the public to what he viewed as the growing threat posed by the opposition Democratic Party, which used its legislative majority to block his political agenda.
Yoon argued that the exercise of presidential emergency powers cannot be treated as rebellion under the law.
The court is expected to deliver a verdict next month. Legal experts have said a life sentence is more likely than execution, noting that South Korea has not carried out a death penalty since 1997.
SOUTH KOREAN PRESIDENT REMOVED FROM OFFICE FOUR MONTHS AFTER DECLARING MARTIAL LAW
Yoon is the first South Korean president who has faced a potential death penalty after leaving office since Chun Doo-hwan was sentenced to death in 1996 for various crimes. Chun’s death sentence was later commuted to life in prison, and he was subsequently pardoned and freed.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
A 23-year-old student was shot in the head at close range during protests in Iran, according to Iran Human Rights, a Norway-based group, as the regime continues its violent crackdown on nationwide demonstrations.
Rubina Aminian, a student of textile and fashion design at Shariati Technical and Vocational College for Girls in Tehran, was killed Jan. 8 after leaving college and joining the protests in the capital, according to Iran Human Rights.
She is among the few victims of the recent unrest whose identity has been publicly confirmed.
"Sources close to Rubina’s family, citing eyewitnesses, told Iran Human Rights that the young Kurdish woman from Marivan was shot from close range from behind, with the bullet striking her head," the group said in a statement.
IRAN PROTESTS SPARK REGIME SURVIVAL QUESTION AS EXILED DISSIDENT SAYS IT FEELS LIKE A ‘REVOLUTION’
Following her death, Aminian’s family traveled from their home in Kermanshah, western Iran, to Tehran to identify her body.
According to sources cited by Iran Human Rights, the family was taken to a location near the college where they saw the bodies of hundreds of young people allegedly killed during the protests.
"Most of the victims were young people between 18 and 22 years old, who had been shot at close range in the head and neck by government forces," a source close to the family said.
IRAN PROTESTS GROW DEADLIER AS REGIME INTERNET BLACKOUT FAILS TO STOP UPRISING
The family was reportedly initially barred from identifying Aminian’s body and later prevented from taking her remains, the group said.
After extensive efforts, relatives were eventually allowed to retrieve her body and return to Kermanshah.
When they got there, intelligence forces reportedly surrounded the family home and would not allow a burial to take place.
According to Iran Human Rights, the family was forced to bury Aminian’s body along the roadside between Kermanshah and the nearby city of Kamyaran.
IRANIANS ABLE TO MAKE SOME INTERNATIONAL CALLS AS INTERNET REMAINS BLOCKED AMID PROTESTS
The family has also not been permitted to hold mourning ceremonies, and several mosques in Marivan were reportedly disallowed from hosting memorial services.
Iran’s spiraling anti-government protests have been driven by widespread anger over political repression and economic hardship, including rising inflation.
The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency estimated Tuesday that over 16,700 people have been detained.
Other rights groups have reported extremely high death tolls, with some estimates exceeding 3,000, according to Fox News chief foreign correspondent Trey Yingst.
Iran Human Rights described Aminian in a statement as "a young woman full of joy for life and passionate about fashion and clothing design, whose dreams were buried by the violent repression of the Islamic Republic."
Verwandte Tags
