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Last meal request for Stacey Humphreys, Georgia killer set for execution, includes meat lovers pan pizza and cornbread
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Officials in the Georgia Department of Corrections have released details of the last meal requested by a death row inmate convicted of murdering two real estate agents in 2003.
Stacey Humphreys murdered Cynthia Williams and Lori Brown at a model home in Powder Springs, Georgia. He was handed a death sentence, and is scheduled to be executed by lethal injection next Wednesday, December 17, at 7 p.m. at the Georgia Diagnostic and Classification Prison.
State officials released his robust final meal request on Thursday ahead of his expected execution. Humphreys has requested barbecue beef brisket, pork ribs, a bacon double cheeseburger, french fries, coleslaw, cornbread, buffalo wings, meat lovers pan pizza, vanilla ice cream, and two lemon-lime sodas.
Humphreys argued he should be spared execution based on a Covid-19-era agreement that established the conditions for resuming executions. His defense attorney argued the agreement was still being used by some death-row inmates to delay their executions, but that Humphreys was being denied those same protections.
The agreement applies only to inmates whose requests for a rehearing of their appeals were denied by the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals when a judicial emergency called due to the pandemic was in place.
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Stacey Humphreys is scheduled to be executed through lethal injection next Wednesday, for the 2003 murders of two real estate agents — Cynthia Williams and Lori Brown — in Georgia (Georgia Department of Corrections)
A federal judge ruled on Wednesday against halting Humphreys’ execution, citing his failure to show that his due process rights would be violated by an execution.
On November 3, 2003, investigators said that Humphreys visited the sales office for a model home where the real estate workers were employed.
Evidence presented to the court showed Humphreys made the women strip naked and give him their bank PIN numbers before shooting and killing them both. Prosecutors said the Humphreys used their IDs and credit cards to pull thousands of dollars from their bank accounts.
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Real estate agents Cynthia Brown and Lori Williams were murdered in Georgia in 2003 by Stacey Humphreys. He’s scheduled to be executed by lethal injection for their murders next Wednesday (Cobb County Superior Court handout)
He was later arrested after a high speed chase in Wisconsin.
Humphreys attempted to appeal his case to the Supreme Court but the judicial body declined to adjudicate.
His execution will be Georgia’s first in 2025. He’s expected to be the 55th inmate to be executed by lethal injection. There are 32 men and one woman in Georgia prisons who are currently facing a death sentence.
The European Commission on Thursday sent Hungary a formal letter of notice announcing its intent to open infringement proceedings against the government in Budapest for failing to comply with a number of EU media statutes.
Referring to the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA), the Commission said Hungary “fails to comply with requirements relating to the public service media,” adding that it, “does not comply with provisions regarding interference in the work of journalists and media outlets in Hungary, restricting their economic activities and editorial freedom.”
A statement on the Commission’s website said, “Hungarian law does not offer an adequate protection of journalistic sources and confidential communications, nor effective judicial protection when these rights are breached.”
Lack of transparency regarding media ownership, market concentration and the allocation of state advertising were also cited as problematic.
The Commission said “Hungary is also in breach of certain requirements relating to national media regulatory authorities” under the EU’s Audiovisual Media Services Directive.
Fidesz tightens grip on media
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What happens next?
Budapest has two months to respond and address the concerns raised by the Commission. In the absence of a satisfactory response, the Commission may decide to issue a reasoned opinion.
Should that not be enough, the Commission could take the issue to the European Court of Justice (ECJ), which could impose fines on Budapest.
The European Media Freedom Act went into effect in August with the aim of protecting a free, independent and diverse EU media landscape.
Orban’s grip on Hungarian media
Hungary has found itself at odds with the EU on a wide range of issues. But one particular area of contention has long been Prime Minister Victor Orban’s grip on the media.
Much of Hungary’s media market is consolidated in the hands of friends of Orban and his Fidesz party.
Orban, who has been in power since 2010 and proudly refers to his country’s illiberal democracy, has wielded the media to his advantage during elections, as will be the case in the coming weeks.
With Hungary set to hold national parliamentary elections by April, Orban’s sway over the media will come into focus once again.
He and Fidesz are facing their biggest challenge yet as Peter Magyar and the center-right Tisza party have begun to capitalize on a growing weariness of the government and its policies of late and managed to jump out to a lead in recent polling.
Hungary’s Orban slumps in polls, 6 months before election
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Edited by: Sean Sinico
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Syria’s minister of social affairs and labor on Wednesday approved the registration of a Jewish organization for the first time in the country’s history.
Hind Kabawat, the first woman appointed to Syria’s transitional government cabinet, registered the Jewish Heritage in Syria Foundation (JHS), marking a milestone for the country’s Jewish community.
The move allows JHS to fully operate in Syria, including establishing an office, working officially with the government and local communities and serving as the recognized entity responsible for protecting Jewish sites.
The registration also enables the foundation to coordinate the return of Jewish properties and to bring Jewish delegations to the country on a regular basis.
TRUMP DECLARES IMPORTANCE OF NOT DERAILING ‘SYRIA’S EVOLUTION INTO A PROSPEROUS STATE’
Henry Hamra, right, reads the Torah next to his son Joseph Hamra inside the Faranj synagogue in Damascus Dec. 10, 2025, as a newly licensed Jewish-Syrian organization begins work to reclaim previously confiscated properties. (Louai Beshara/AFP via Getty Images)
“Judaism and Syrian Jews have long been part of Syria’s religious and cultural landscape. Restoring their right to belong, to visit and to live back in their homeland is a natural step toward a more just, tolerant and inclusive society,” Kabawat told Fox News Digital in a statement.
“For decades, Syrian Jews were denied the right to celebrate their own cultural and religious heritage, and today we take a step toward long-term peace, security and stability. We wish the organization success in its efforts to preserve Jewish heritage in Syria, and we look forward to deeper cooperation and a stronger relationship going forward.”
Syria’s Jewish community, once numbered in the tens of thousands, dwindled dramatically after 1948 as restrictions and regional tensions pushed most families to emigrate.
SYRIA’S INTERIM PRESIDENT AL-SHARAA EXPECTED TO MEET WITH TRUMP IN FIRST VISIT BY SYRIAN LEADER TO WHITE HOUSE
Rabbi Henry Hamra, right, and Syrian Minister of Social Affairs and Labor Hind Kabawat receive the charter of the newly formed Jewish Heritage Association in Damascus Dec. 10, 2025. (Bakr Al Kasem/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Only a handful remain in the country today, and most synagogues have since been destroyed after 14 years of civil war.
Henry Hamra, a Syrian American Jew and president of JHS, and his son, Joseph, spoke with Fox News Digital from the Jewish quarter in Damascus about the landmark moment.
“We’re ready to start working on the synagogues and to start getting all the people to come see what we have here — a beautiful place. And we’re ready for everybody to come,” he said.
TRUMP’S PUSH FOR ISRAEL-SYRIA PEACE GETS MAJOR BACKING AS ACTIVIST BRINGS MESSAGE TO JERUSALEM
“Being able to regularly travel to Damascus and Aleppo brings me so much joy. Syria was closed off to us for so long. The Assad regime would arrest anyone who even met with a Jew or hosted a Jewish person. Today, Syria is finally back to its people regardless of faith or ethnicity.”
Rabbi Henry Hamra performs a prayer as he receives the charter of the newly established Jewish Heritage Association in Damascus on Dec. 10, 2025. (Bakr Al Kasem/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Hamra told Fox News Digital he has returned to Syria four times since former Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad’s government was overthrown last year in a lightning offensive that ended five decades of family rule.
Monday marked the first anniversary of the fall of the Assad regime, and tens of thousands of Syrians took to the streets of Damascus to mark the momentous occasion.
WHY SYRIA PLAYS A KEY ROLE IN TRUMP’S PLANS FOR MIDDLE EAST PEACE
The long-standing Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act, viewed as the United States’ most restrictive sanctions on Syria since its enactment in 2019, is on the verge of being rolled back, with a full repeal written into the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).
The NDAA passed the House on Wednesday and now returns to the Senate for final approval before heading to President Donald Trump’s desk for signature.
A Syrian Jewish man looks over the ruins of the Eliyahu Hanavi (Jobar) Synagogue outside Damascus on Feb. 18, 2025, during a visit from the United States. (Louai Beshara/AFP via Getty Images)
Hamra told Fox News Digital there are 22 synagogues in Damascus but most have been destroyed.
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During a recent visit, he and his team saw the rubble of the Jobar Synagogue, also known as Eliyahu Hanavi, one of the oldest synagogues in the world.
The Faranj Synagogue, he added, is the only one largely intact.
“It still [has] their books [and] Torah scrolls,” Hamra said. “It’s a work of art, really.”
Ashley Carnahan is a writer at Fox News Digital.
NEED TO KNOW
- Rep. Nancy Mace has introduced an act to rename the former Black Lives Matter Plaza after Charlie Kirk
- The South Carolina congresswoman hopes to rename a stretch of 16th Street Northwest in Washington, D.C., as the “Charlie Kirk Freedom of Speech Plaza”
- Kirk, who was shot and killed in September, rejoiced over the removal of BLM Plaza before his death, calling it a symbol of “mass race hysteria”
Congresswoman Nancy Mace is attempting to rename the area formerly known as D.C.’s Black Lives Matter Plaza in honor of late political commentator Charlie Kirk.
On Wednesday, Dec. 10, Mace introduced the Charlie Kirk Freedom of Speech Plaza Act. The legislation aims to redesignate the area of 16th Street Northwest between H Street Northwest and K Street Northwest in Washington, D.C., as “Charlie Kirk Freedom of Speech Plaza.”
“Three months ago, we lost a champion of free speech and a voice for millions of young Americans,” Mace said in a statement. “Charlie Kirk’s assassination was an attack not just on one man, but on the fundamental American principle declaring every citizen has the right to speak freely and engage in civic discourse.”
She continued, “By designating this plaza in the heart of our nation’s capital, we ensure Charlie’s legacy and his unwavering commitment to the First Amendment will never be forgotten.”
The area was designated as “Black Lives Matter Plaza” in 2020 following the death of George Floyd. However, the statement issued by Mace’s office claimed that period of public outcry for racial justice “became defined not by unity, but by chaos and destruction.”
“After Floyd’s death, America watched criminals burn cities while police officers were ordered to stand down. The men and women in uniform who tried to keep the peace were attacked, vilified, and abandoned by leaders who should have supported them,” the statement continued.
In March, Kirk posted a TikTok video from Black Lives Matter Plaza as workers removed the plaza’s BLM mural, which he described as “nonsense” painted on the street. In the clip, set to Steam’s “Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye,” Kirk claimed the work symbolized “the end of this mass race hysteria happening in our country.”
“Make America Great Again! Get rid of BLM Plaza!” he told viewers.
Black Lives Matter Plaza in 2020 (L) and 2025 (R).
Tasos Katopodis/Getty; Eric Lee/For The Washington Post via Getty
In the statement from Mace’s office, they compared what they saw as the difference in public outcries following Floyd and Kirk’s respective deaths.
“George Floyd’s death triggered unrest which divided the nation and devastated the law enforcement community: more than $2 billion in property damage, more than 2,000 officers injured, and at least 25 Americans killed,” the statement read. “After Charlie Kirk was assassinated in cold blood, the nation responded with zero riots, zero looting, zero injuries, and zero destruction. Americans gathered in prayer, peace, and unity, exercising the very free speech rights Charlie spent his life defending.”
“Renaming this plaza in Charlie Kirk’s memory reflects those values: peace over violence, dialogue over destruction, and the First Amendment over mob rule,” the statement added.
While violent demonstrations did take place, a 2020 report published by nonprofit The Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project found that over 93% of Black Lives Matter protests held in the months after Floyd’s death were peaceful.
“Our officers were assaulted, vilified, and abandoned in 2020,” the congresswoman said. “This redesignation sends a clear message: we will always stand for American values and fiercely defend the brave men and women who wear the badge.”
Kirk was shot and killed during a campus event at Utah Valley University on Sept. 10. The right-wing media personality, who founded conservative advocacy group Turning Point USA, was manning his signature “Prove Me Wrong” table on the first stop of his American Comeback Tour in Orem, Utah, when a shot was fired. Videos from the event showed Kirk being struck in the side of the neck as he spoke to the crowd from under a white pop-up tent.
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Two days later, 22-year-old Tyler Robinson was arrested on suspicion of committing the murder. He has since been charged with single counts of aggravated murder, felony discharge of a firearm and violent offense in the presence of a child, along with two counts each of obstruction of justice and witness tampering.
Utah County Attorney Jeff Gray has said he plans to seek the death penalty against Robinson.
Firsttuch’s founder Zeiynab Kane is developing a device that lets families feel a baby’s movements together in real time, offering a new kind of closeness long before birth.
Zeiynab is changing the way families can experience pregnancy
Zeiynab Kane was placed on the Future 40 list this year for founding Firsttuch, an emerging pregnancy-tech company developing the Adori monitor – a device centred on connection and how expectant parents, partners and loved ones can feel closer to a baby before they’re born.
The device allows parents and partners to feel their baby’s movements in real time, wherever they are in the world. Although the product has been developed, it’s not yet on the market, but interest is already building among expectant families who want a more inclusive pregnancy experience.
From surrogacy journeys to couples separated by work or distance, the Adori monitor allows everyone to share early movements together, heightening bonding and emotional presence long before birth.
The device was born out of Zeiynab’s griefREAD MORE: ‘I was a failed athlete – now I’m one of the most powerful women in UK media’READ MORE: ‘My daughter inspired my baby skincare brand – now it’s an international success’
Although Firsttuch is rooted in innovation, inventor and co-founder Zeiynab’s journey carries deeply personal meaning. She began developing the concept during the pandemic, and told The Mirror how the loss of her cousin unexpectedly guided her decisions. After grieving for him, she began thinking ahead – including about fears around whether she could conceive after struggling with painful periods and being on birth control for a decade.
“I started thinking, if I wasn’t fertile, how would I handle it? And then just seeing stories of people being separated because of lockdown, everything just kind of spun into one,” she said. “If I have this device, it could be a replacement, closer to the real thing, even though it’s not but I won’t exactly feel left out from that section of life and from then, it grew into where it is today.”
The Adori device is a two-part wearable item that lets parents and partners feel their baby’s movements in real time. One part is worn by the pregnant person and the other by partners or family members. Whenever the baby moves or kicks, it is instantly played on the other device and shared through an app.
“Everything in tech has evolved, but the way that we experienced pregnancy hadn’t. It’s been stagnant for the last how many years?”
The device stores the movement moments, to help families revisit it later
Combining her future fertility fears with wanting to improve the pregnancy experience for all parties, Zeiynab wanted to create something that catered to every type of family – including those using surrogacy, parents living abroad, or partners working long hours who don’t get the chance to feel the baby’s kicks.
“For example, I could be here and my surrogate could be in Mexico or Australia or America, and you can still share that moment at the same time,” she said. “If you’re working and you can’t experience it then and there, you still have the opportunity to play back later and have that little bonding session with your child.”
She’s also seen how connection plays a role in how isolating pregnancy can feel. Many pregnant women feel detached, and partners often don’t know how to cater to them, something she believes the Adori can help bridge explaining bonding earlier could even support better mental health after birth.
“It just heightens the bonding experience for the expecting parents – it’s like a bridge to connection,” she said.
The device is already providing hope for families. One woman reached out to say she believed that if she’d had the Adori device during her pregnancy, it would have reminded her of the connection she felt with her child, and that one year of her baby’s early life wouldn’t “have been wasted.”
The monitor is set to reach the market by the end fo 2026
That emotional impact is what caught the attention of her new co-founders, the award-winning production duo Dabeatfreakz, who joined the company a few months ago.
“We knew it will help so many people, we’d love to help grow this and make it into a product can change the world,” they said. “With men, we don’t really get to feel that bond until the child is here, it doesn’t feel real until their actually in front of you.
“Women can feel everything. You’re throwing up and you feel the kicks, but with us, we don’t know until it’s actually here. With a device like this, you can actually feel the connection from the start with your partner or surrogate and that’s what’s going to make it so special.”
Years after inventing the device, Zeiynab now has one child, is expecting her second and has been able to use her own device throughout her pregnancies. By next year, many more parents are expected to do the same.
Production development begins in January, and the Adori monitor is set to reach the market by the end of 2026 – bringing hope to families long before its release.
Some details have emerged about Maria Corina Machado’s daring escape from Venezuela.
She was reportedly disguised and took a wooden fishing boat overnight in choppy seas to the Caribbean island of Curacao. From there, she flew by private jet to Norway.
Ms Machado has revealed little herself, however, promising to tell the story one day but not wanting to expose the people “who risked their lives” to get her to Oslo.
One fact she did confirm, when she spoke to the media here, was help from the US in her journey.
Read more: In-hiding peace prize winner makes emotional appearance
Pic: AP
Now here in Norway, she is reunited with her family, many of whom she hasn’t seen for two years.
She’s missed graduations and weddings and said she couldn’t sleep thinking of the moment she would hug her three children.
Pressed a number of times on whether she supported a possible US invasion of Venezuela to overthrow Nicolas Maduro, she wouldn’t commit outright but said that the country has already been invaded by Russia, Iran and terrorist groups like Hezbollah.
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‘Venezuela has already been invaded’
Ms Machado said she needed international help to bring back democracy. She was equally but understandably vague about her next movements.
The Venezuelan opposition leader will want to spend time with her family and revealed that she hasn’t seen a doctor for a proper check-up in over a year because she has been forced to live in hiding.
Read more from Sky News:
Why did the US seize an oil tanker off Venezuela?
Disney characters coming to AI in $1bn deal
She has also had many invitations, presumably from world leaders, to visit – she might decide that it is a good opportunity to build relations and support for the day Maduro does leave.
But she said she would go back to Venezuela “when the time is right” and “whether or not Maduro is still there”.
I’ve no doubt she will, but the journey home will be every bit as dangerous as the extraordinary journey out.
Palestinians in Gaza celebrated after Israeli-backed militia leader Yasser Abu Shabab was killed.
When Gaza militia leader Yasser Abu Shabab was killed last week, few Palestinians mourned his death. After Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza began in 2023, Abu Shabab and his Israel-backed Popular Forces group attempted to present themselves as an alternative to Hamas, but Palestinians instead viewed him as a traitor. What did his rise reveal about Israel’s strategy for Gaza?
Published On 11 Dec 2025
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A public inquiry will be held into the failures of a north-east NHS foundation after the deaths of several patients, Wes Streeting has confirmed.
The health secretary made the announcement in Darlington, speaking to the families of patients who died while receiving treatment from hospitals run by Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS foundation trust, which is headquartered in the County Durham town.
The inquiry will look into the number of the trust’s patients who took their own lives in the past decade, which the Department of Health and Social Care called “concerning”.
Three of the people known to have died while under the trust’s care were the 17-year-olds Nadia Sharif and Christie Harnett, who killed themselves at West Lane hospital in Middlesbrough in June and August 2019 respectively, and 18-year-old Emily Moore, who died in February 2020 after a week at Lanchester Road hospital in County Durham.
Speaking in Darlington, Streeting called the deaths unacceptable and said that families’ “courageous and tireless campaigning” had been “nothing short of inspirational”.
“Everyone receiving mental healthcare should get safe, high-quality care and be treated with dignity and respect,” said the health secretary. “The care their loved ones experienced fell well short of that mark, with tragic consequences. Following several meetings with these families this year and after careful consideration, I have decided that in the circumstances a statutory inquiry is the best way to ensure they get the truth and accountability they deserve.”
The trust has been investigated in the past for its history of patient deaths, but Streeting claimed these prior investigations had not been “sufficiently comprehensive” and that not all deaths had been covered adequately.
In April 2024, the trust was fined £215,000 for offences relating to the care of two patients who died by suicide at its hospitals. The Care Quality Commission, which brought the prosecution, alleged that the trust failed to mitigate the known risks the patients were exposed to after previous self-harm incidents.
Andy McDonald, the MP for nearby Middlesbrough and Thornaby East, said the announcement of an inquiry provided “a huge sense of relief and achievement reflecting years of tireless effort” from him and the loved ones of the deceased.
“The dreadful events that claimed the lives of three young women, Christie Harnett, Nadia Sharif and Emily Moore exposed a broader cultural malaise at Tees, Esk and Wear Valley NHS trust and many more families found themselves grieving the loss of their loved ones,” McDonald said.
“We now know that there have been numerous patients and families disastrously failed and it is imperative that every family affected gets to the truth of what happened and how the system let them and their loved ones down so very badly.”
Alison Smith, chief executive of Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS foundation trust, said: “First and foremost, I extend my deepest sympathy to everyone affected by these tragic losses.
“With the public inquiry now confirmed, we will fully support the process with transparency, openness and humility. Above all, we are committed to listening, reflecting, and taking meaningful action to ensure that we continually improve as an organisation”.
Reuters
The US has proposed Ukraine withdraw from the eastern Donetsk region and create a “special economic zone” in the areas it currently controls, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said.
Zelensky said territory and control of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant remained the two main unresolved issues in the peace plan proposal for Ukraine.
In a sobering briefing to reporters, Zelensky addressed the US desire for a quick end to the conflict, the complex nature of the ongoing negotiations, and his belief that Russia had no desire to stop the war.
Ukraine has sent the US an updated 20-point plan plus separate documents on security guarantees and provisions for Ukraine’s reconstruction, Zelensky said.
It follows weeks of high-level diplomatic activity which has seen several peace plans drawn up, adjusted and revised by the US, Ukraine, Russia and European leaders.
“The final mile is the hardest. Everything could fall apart for many reasons,” Zelensky said on Thursday.
Russia demands that Ukraine relinquishes control of roughly 30% of the eastern Donetsk region it still holds – something Ukraine has refused to do, both on principle and because it fears it would allow Moscow a foothold for future invasions.
According to Zelensky, the US is now envisaging a solution that would see Ukrainian forces withdraw from parts of Donetsk, and Russian forces committing to not advancing into the territory. This area would become a “special economic zone” or a “demilitarised zone”, Zelensky said.
However, he noted that it would not be fair for the Ukrainians to withdraw unilaterally, and that Russia should also pull back by the same distance.
“What will restrain [Russia] from advancing? Or from infiltrating disguised as civilians?” he asked.
Zelensky said these were “very serious concerns” and that Ukraine might not accept the proposal at all – although he opened the door to elections or a referendum to give the Ukrainian people a choice.
But he acknowledged that the fighting would continue and may yet shape the future of the negotiations: “Much depends on our military – what they can hold, where they can stop the enemy, what they can destroy. This affects the entire configuration.”
The management of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant was another highly contentious point, Zelensky said.
The power plant – Europe’s largest – sits on the front line and has been under Russian control since March 2022.
Zelensky said a possible solution would be for the Russians to withdraw and Kyiv to share control of the plant with the Americans – although he acknowledged that the details of such an arrangement were still unclear, and it is doubtful that Moscow would agree.
US President Donald Trump appears to have grown frustrated with the intricacies of the conflict, and Kyiv and its allies fear the Americans might eventually seek to impose a Russian-led solution on Ukraine.
Zelensky told reporters that although the Americans wanted a “quicker conclusion” to the war, there were no deadlines for an agreement.
Ukraine – which is targeted by widespread aerial attacks on a near-nightly basis – has been pushing for respite and would want an immediate ceasefire to be implemented ahead of a more laborious agreement being fleshed out.
But Russia stands to gain more from a ceasefire being delayed, as its troops continue to make small but incremental gains on the frontline and its attacks exhaust the Ukrainian population.
“After multiple rounds of talks with Russia” the Americans were now aligned on Moscow on this position, Zelensky said.
Kremlin officials have been more tight-lipped than their European, US and Ukrainian counterparts.
However, whenever possible, Russia has sought to cement the impression that Moscow and Washington are aligned on their hopes for the terms of a peace deal.
On Thursday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov praised Trump for trying to broker a deal and said a recent meeting between President Vladimir Putin and US envoy Steve Witkoff at the Kremlin had “eliminated” the “misunderstandings” between the two sides.
The foreign minister also batted off suggestions that Kyiv could be given security guarantees in the form of foreign troops stationed in Ukraine.
“This is yet another return to the sad logic of Zelensky’s so-called peace formula,” Lavrov said, adding that Moscow had handed the US “additional” proposals on collective security and that Russia was ready to give legal guarantees not to attack Nato or EU countries.
But neither Ukraine nor Europe will be likely to take any promise by Moscow at face value, given Russia has previously violated ceasefires and truce deals.
European and Ukrainian officials want the US to be involved in giving security guarantees so that Kyiv doesn’t become the target of renewed attacks.
Zelensky said he had received a draft proposal on American security guarantees but that the draft was a work in progress, suggesting that what has been offered by the US falls short of provisions that could assuage Kyiv’s fears.
“The US does not want Ukraine in Nato. They say this openly… So I do not think they have difficulties discussing Nato with the Russians,” Zelensky said.
Zelensky also said Ukraine had to be “cautious”, adding: “We do not know what other agreements the US may have with Russia. We will learn in time.”
Ukraine’s president also acknowledged that US support for Kyiv may one day end, both in terms of the flow of weapons that the US is selling through other countries and in terms of intelligence sharing.
Reflecting the fraught nature of the talks and his scepticism that Russia was negotiating in good faith, Zelensky told reporters: “No one knows what may happen the day after tomorrow… We do not know how these negotiations will end.”
Israel unleashes Iron Beam laser weapon
Fox News senior national correspondent William La Jeunesse reports on Israel’s latest innovation in weaponry that is drawing interest from countries worldwide.
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Israel isn’t the world’s most popular country, except when it comes to military hardware. A country the size of New Jersey is now the world’s 8th largest arms exporter with a record-breaking $15 billion in sales in 2024.
Behind Britain, but ahead of Turkey and South Korea in foreign arms sales, governments are flocking to Israel to buy battle-tested weapons, especially rockets from its vaunted Iron Dome missile defense system.
Europe accounts for most of the sales – Germany and Finland being the largest, but India, Thailand, and Greece are buyers as well. Even Muslim majority countries — Morocco, the UAE and Bahrain buy missiles, drones and cybersecurity systems from the Jewish state.
The record sales come as Israel unveils its latest weapon. The Iron Beam is a laser capable of knocking out incoming missiles, mortar rounds and drones up to six miles away for as little as $2 per interception. By contrast, interceptor missiles typically cost anywhere from $100,000 to $1 million apiece.
SPACE-BASED MISSILE-KILLING GOLDEN DOME TECH AIMS FOR CRUCIAL TEST BEFORE TRUMP LEAVES OFFICE: LOCKHEED MARTIN
Rafael Lite Beam, Iron Beam -M (250) and Iron Beam (450) High Energy Laser Weapon Systems (HELWS) are displayed during the Security Equipment International (DSEI) at London Excel on September 10, 2025 in London, England. (John Keeble/Getty Images)
“With the laser, the only cost is electricity,” says Yuval Steinitz, chairman of Rafael Defense Industries, manufacturer of the Iron Beam. “It is like between $1 and $2— less than the price of a hot dog in New York.”
Unlike conventional missile interceptors, fast as they are, take time. A laser travels at the speed of light.
“We have already used it against UAVs launched by Hezbollah in the north and missiles from Iran. It works,” says University of Tel Aviv professor Issac Ben-David. “The most important advantage is, once you see the target, it is intercepted at the speed of light. It takes a fraction of a second and the laser is already destroying it.”
TAKING OUT HAMAS’ MILLION-DOLLAR ‘ROOT’ TUNNEL IS GAME CHANGER, ANALYST SAYS
The Iron Beam is a laser capable of destroying incoming missiles, mortar rounds and drones up to six miles away. (Israel Ministry of Defense)
After decades of failed tests by multiple nations, Israel is the first country to successfully use the weapon in war. One of those who oversaw development was Prof. Issac Ben-David, former head of research and development at Israel’s Ministry of Defense.
Israel will deploy the first Iron Beam systems in the north, where Hezbollah rockets fired in southern Lebanon take under a minute to cross the Israeli border. Applications will expand to include ships and specific air bases.
“This is just the beginning of a new era,” says Steinitz. “In time, maybe five years, it will enable us to shoot down every hostile object in the air around Israel. It’s really a game changer.”
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Israel’s Iron Beam laser system targets and disables incoming missiles, mortar fire and drones at ranges up to six miles. (Israel Ministry of Defense)
Rafael developed the technology with U.S.-based Lockheed Martin and $1.2 billion from the Pentagon. Steinitz says the technology is already being shared with the U.S. Army’s own directed energy program.
“We cannot do without the United States,” he said. “But sometimes in a partnership, even the dwarf can contribute to the giant.”
William La Jeunesse joined FOX News Channel (FNC) in March 1998 and currently serves as a Senior National Correspondent.
WORLD NEWS
White House caught flat-footed when asked how billionaire Trump can tell average Americans to limit kids’ Christmas gifts
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With an estimated net worth of between five and seven billion dollars and a penchant for coating every surface in the White House with what he claims to be 18-karat gold leaf paint, President Donald Trump isn’t exactly an expert on cost-cutting.
But after the uber-wealthy ex-real estate developer claimed that record-high toy prices caused by his tariffs are just fine because young girls “don’t need 37 dolls” and can make do with “two or three” instead, his top spokesperson was left scrambling when asked to defend the eyebrow-raising remarks.
Asked to defend Trump’s claim that Americans can “give up certain products” and limit toy purchases because tariffs have caused prices to go upon the 80 percent of toys on the U.S. market that are imported from China, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt first told reporters at a Friday press briefing that the president’s comments were meant as an exhortation to buy more expensive American-made ones instead.
Leavitt first claimed Trump’s intent when commenting on how many dolls a hypothetical young girl needs was to encourage parents to buy American-made dolls.
“Maybe you’ll pay $1 or two more, but you will get better quality, and you’ll be supporting your fellow Americans by buying American and that’s what the President was saying,” she said.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks during a press briefing at the White House, Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025, in Washington (AP)
But when The Independent pressed her on whether it is appropriate for one of the wealthiest men in the country to be lecturing cash-strapped parents of young girls on how many dolls their daughters need to own, Leavitt irately pivoted to recasting Trump’s wealth as a positive while declining to address the substance of the question.
“Do you think the people in that room in Pennsylvania who the President was speaking to don’t know the President’s a billionaire? I think that’s a very well established fact,” she said.
Leavitt continued her monologue by claiming that Trump’s status as a billionaire was part and parcel of why voters chose to return him to the White House in last year’s election over then-vice president Kamala Harris.
“Actually, I think it’s one of the many reasons they reelected him back to this office, because he’s a businessman who understands the economy and knows how to fix it, and he’s doing it right now, just like he did in his first term,” she said.
Despite Trump’s claims to have lowered costs of living for Americans since returning to the White House in January, voters are not happy with his performance on affordability issues thus far.
According to a recent Gallup poll, only 36 percent of voters approve of his performance as president, giving him the lowest rating of his second term. A Politico poll released this week showed 46 percent of respondents saying the cost of living in America is worse than they can remember at any point, including 37 percent of voters who pulled levers for Trump last year.
Nearly half of respondents also said they blame Trump — not Biden or Harris — for the economy’s current condition.
But at the same time, Trump continues to tout his own record, such as it is.
In an interview with Politico this week, he told correspondent Dasha Burns that he gives himself an “A-plus-plus-plus-plus” when she asked him to grade his own record on the economy thus far.
And at the same time, Trump has dismissed Democrats’ focus on “affordability” heading into next year’s midterms as a “hoax” while claiming that “prices are way down” and accusing Democrats of having “caused” the high prices that persist nearly a year into his second term in office.