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Brazil’s Bolsonaro backs son in presidential race – DW – 12/25/2025
Brazil’s jailed former president Jair Bolsonaro on Thursday formally endorsed his son Flavio’s bid for the 2026 presidential election, announcing his support from a hospital in Brasilia where he underwent hernia surgery.
In office from 2019 to 2022, Bolsonaro is a controversial figure, after pursuing hard‑right populist policies that his opponents claim undermined democratic institutions and targeted marginalized groups. He is currently in jail serving a 27‑year sentence for an attempted coup.
What did Bolsonaro say?
Flavio, the former president’s son, read a handwritten letter declaring him a “pre-candidate” for the presidency.
“He [Flavio] represents the continuation of the path of prosperity that I began well before becoming president, as I believe we must restore the responsibility of leading Brazil with justice, resolve and loyalty to the aspirations of the Brazilian people,” Bolsonaro wrote.
The letter, the former president’s first public message in months, said he was committed to ensuring “the will of the people” was not silenced.
Flavio Bolsonaro added that the letter removes any lingering doubts about his father’s backing after he indicated support earlier in the month.
Flavio Bolsonaro joined a protest against his father’s conviction and jailing [FILE: September 2025]Image: Pablo Porciuncula/AFP
What do we know about Flavio Bolsonaro?
The read-out marks the formal launch of the younger Bolsonaro’s 2026 presidential campaign, setting him up as the chosen successor to his father’s political movement.
A senator from Rio de Janeiro since 2019, Flavio has said his campaign aims to preserve what he calls the “legacy” of his father’s administration.
In Congress, he has focused on public security laws, backing measures to expand police powers and stiffen penalties for violent crime.
The 44-year-old has also supported economic liberalization initiatives aligned with the Bolsonaro government’s agenda.
However, his father’s backing quickly unsettled parts of Brazil’s political and financial establishment, which had expected Bolsonaro to support a more experienced figure.
Jair Bolsonaro was previously released from house arrest for hospital cancer treatment [FILE: September 2025]Image: Adriano Machado/REUTERS
What do we know about Bolsonaro’s surgery?
Doctors said the former president underwent a scheduled operation to repair an inguinal or, according to some reports, bilateral hernia.
The procedure, which lasted several hours, was described as successful and without complications.
His wife, Michelle Bolsonaro, who accompanied him to the hospital, said the surgery went well and that he was recovering under medical supervision.
Bolsonaro is expected to remain hospitalized for five to seven days, his medical team and local media said.
Brazil’s ex-president Bolsonaro taken into custody
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The 70-year-old was temporarily released from prison to undergo the surgery. He has been held at Federal Police headquarters in Brasilia since late November, after previously spending several months under house arrest.
He is serving a sentence of more than 27 years after being convicted of attempting to overturn the 2022 election result and prevent President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva from taking office.
Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes authorized the medical leave, with police stationed outside Bolsonaro’s hospital room and restrictions on electronic devices in place.
The former leader has faced recurring health problems since surviving a stabbing during the 2018 election campaign, requiring multiple abdominal surgeries over the years.
Edited by: Dmytro Hubenko
A 47-year-old man has been named as a person of interest by police after a rabbi’s car was allegedly targeted by an arson attack on Christmas Day.
A family fled were forced to flee their home after a vehicle displaying a Hanukkah sign was firebombed in Melbourne’s south-east.
Emergency services raced to Balaclava Road in St Kilda East , the heart of the city’s Jewish communit, at about 2.50am on Thursday after a car was set alight in their driveway.
A billboard on top of the car read: ‘Happy Chanukah.’ The vehicle was engulfed in flames but was unoccupied at the time. Firefighters evacuated residents as a precaution while they worked to contain the blaze.
Police confirmed no one was injured.
Victoria Police are urging John Argento to come forward as part of their investigation into the targeted blaze.
Argento, who is already wanted on an outstanding arrest warrant for deception-related offences, is well known to police.
Officers say Argento leads a ‘transient lifestyle’ and often moves through Melbourne’s inner southern and northern suburbs.
Pictured is a man police are interested in speaking to regarding the alleged incident
He is described as 185cm tall, with a thin build, blue eyes, grey hair, and a fair complexion.
Police have released an image of Argento and are appealing to anyone who knows his whereabouts to contact Crime Stoppers immediately.
Detectives stress the attack appears targeted but say there is no evidence Argento poses a specific risk to the Jewish community.
Investigators also want to question him about a car break-in that occurred just 20 minutes after the arson.
‘We understand the devastating impact this type of offence has on our Jewish community, and we are continuing to prioritise this investigation. We won’t fully understand the motives of this arsonist until we get them into custody,’ Chris Gilbert the Assistant Commissioner for the Southern Metro Region said.
Gilbert stressed there was no ongoing threat to the community.
‘At this stage, we do not believe there is a broader threat to the Jewish community. We want to thank people in the area for their assistance in this investigation so far,’ he said.
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Man is named as person of interest after rabbi’s car firebombed on Christmas Day
Michael Dickinsin, 69, was killed in a freak accident in the drive-thru lane of a McDonald’s in Grand Island, Nebraska, on Tuesday after he was pinned between his car and the side of the building
The customer was crushed to death while trying to pay (Image: KSNB Local)
A customer tragically lost his life in a freak accident at a McDonald’s drive-through whilst attempting to pay for his order.
Michael Dickinsin, 69, was crushed to death on Tuesday after becoming trapped between his vehicle and the building’s exterior in Grand Island, Nebraska. He was rushed to a local hospital but sadly could not be saved.
Grand Island Police Division Chief Dean Elliott described Dickinson’s death as a freak accident. “It appears the deceased opened the door to further reach out the window for payment purposes,” he told KSNB.
McDonalds drive-thru can be dangerous(Image: Getty Images)
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“We’re not sure if the vehicle lurched forward or what happened, but he got pinched between the door frame and the drive-through window counter.”
It follows another tragedy where a Texas doctor was decapitated when lift doors closed around his neck, leaving his head trapped outside, reports the Mirror US.
Initial inquiries revealed that Dickinson was alone in the vehicle and was the sole person who “sustained fatal injuries,” police confirmed.
Elliott informed the outlet that a McDonald’s worker was also injured during the incident whilst attempting to assist Dickinson by entering through the passenger side of the car. The department’s Accident Reconstruction Team is assisting with the inquiry, the outlet reported.
A comparable incident occurred at a McDonald’s in Vancouver in 2021 when Tony Eyles, 42, was killed by his own vehicle at the drive-through. CCTV footage showed the man settling his bill when he dropped his bank card on the ground, police said at the time.
As Eyles attempted to retrieve the car, it rolled forward, trapping him between the car door and the building. Unable to free himself, Eyles was crushed.
Drive-thru accidents can and do happen(Image: Getty Images)
“This is an absolutely heartbreaking scenario,” expressed Vancouver Police Constable Tania Visintin about the unrelated incident, as per a press release. “Our deepest condolences go out to the family and friends of this man.”
Visintin informed the Edmonton City News that the incident was a tragic event for the McDonald’s employees who witnessed it. “People aren’t used to seeing this type of incident happen, especially at your workplace.”
She further mentioned that victim services were offered to the staff. “I would assume everyone is shaken up.”
What makes these incidents particularly unusual is that fatal car accidents typically involve more than one vehicle. However, in these instances, only the deceased’s cars were involved.
“The fact that no other vehicle was involved… this seems like a freak accident,” Visintin commented.
This follows a horrifying incident where a group of children, including his own, watched Santa Claus fall to his death.
The US has launched airstrikes against Islamic State militants in Nigeria, Donald Trump has said.
US Africa Command said the strikes were conducted “in coordination with Nigerian authorities” in Sokoto State, while a US official told the Reuters news agency that the strikes killed multiple targets.
Announcing the military intervention on his social media platform Truth Social, Mr Trump said: “Tonight, at my direction as Commander in Chief, the United States launched a powerful and deadly strike against ISIS Terrorist Scum in Northwest Nigeria, who have been targeting and viciously killing, primarily, innocent Christians, at levels not seen for many years, and even Centuries!
“I have previously warned these Terrorists that if they did not stop the slaughtering of Christians, there would be hell to pay, and tonight, there was. The Department of War executed numerous perfect strikes, as only the United States is capable of doing.
“Under my leadership, our Country will not allow Radical Islamic Terrorism to prosper.”
On X, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said: “The President was clear last month: the killing of innocent Christians in Nigeria (and elsewhere) must end,” he said. “The @DeptofWar [Department of War] is always ready, so ISIS found out tonight – on Christmas. More to come…”
He added he was grateful to the Nigerian government for its “support and cooperation”.
Following the updates from US officials, Nigeria’s foreign ministry confirmed that precision air strikes by the US had hit “terrorist targets” in the country’s northwest.
It said the country was in “cooperation” and “collaboration” with the US in “addressing the persistent threat of terrorism and violent extremism”.
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Mr Trump said last month that he’d ordered the Pentagon to begin planning for potential military action in Nigeria following claims of Christian persecution.
His government also designated Nigeria a “country of particular concern” under the International Religious Freedom Act and said it would restrict visas for Nigerians and their family members involved in mass killings and violence against Christians in the West African country.
The Nigerian government previously said Mr Trump’s claims that Christians face persecution there is a misrepresentation of the country’s complex security challenges.
After the US strikes, Nigeria’s foreign ministry said: “Nigeria reiterates that all counter-terrorism efforts are guided by the primacy of protecting civilian lives, safeguarding national unity, and upholding the rights and dignity of all citizens, irrespective of faith or ethnicity. Terrorist violence in any form whether directed at Christians, Muslims, or other communities remains an affront to Nigeria’s values and to international peace and security.”
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US president says ‘deadly strike’ in Nigeria targeted ISIL fighters who had killed ‘primarily, innocent Christians’.
Published On 25 Dec 2025
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The United States has carried out an air strike against ISIL (ISIS) fighters in northwest Nigeria, US President Donald Trump said.
“Tonight, at my direction as Commander in Chief, the United States launched a powerful and deadly strike against ISIS Terrorist Scum in Northwest Nigeria,” Trump said in a post on his Truth Social platform on Thursday evening.
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Trump said ISIL fighters had “targeted and viciously” killed “primarily, innocent Christians, at levels not seen for many years, and even Centuries!”
“I have previously warned these Terrorists that if they did not stop the slaughtering of Christians, there would be hell to pay, and tonight, there was,” Trump said.
The US military’s Africa Command (AFRICOM), which is responsible for operations in Africa, said in a post on X that the air strike was carried out “at the request of Nigerian authorities” and had killed “multiple ISIS terrorists”.
“Grateful for Nigerian government support & cooperation,” US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth wrote on social media, warning also of “more to come”, without providing details.
In a statement, AFRICOM said the strike occurred in “Soboto state,” an apparent reference to Nigeria’s Sokoto state.
[Al Jazeera]
The US military action comes weeks after Trump said he had ordered the Pentagon to begin planning for potential military action in Nigeria following claims of Christian persecution in the country.
Nigeria’s government has said armed groups target both Muslim and Christian communities in the country, and US claims that Christians face persecution do not represent a complex security situation and ignore efforts by Nigerian authorities to safeguard religious freedom.
Al Jazeera’s Shihab Rattansi, reporting from Washington DC, said the threat of US military action in Nigeria had been “percolating for some time” and Donald Trump had accused Nigeria of not doing enough to protect its Christian community in his first term as president.
“But in the last two months or so, with congressional pressure and the State Department, they declared Nigeria a particular country of concern when it came to the rights of Christians and we had heard that the US had begun overflight surveillance of Nigeria from an airbase in Accra, in Ghana, over the last several weeks. And now we have this,” Rattansi said.
“On Christmas day, the Trump administration acts. This will go down very well with Trump’s Christian evangelical base, I am sure,” he said.
Trump issued his attack statement on Christmas Day while he was at his Palm Beach, Florida, Mar-a-Lago Club, where he has been spending the holiday.
WORLD NEWS
Victoria police name man they want to interview in relation to ‘Happy Chanukah’ car fire in St Kilda | Victoria
Victoria police have named a man they want to interview in relation to a suspected arson attack on a car sporting a “Happy Chanukah” sign in Melbourne on Christmas Day.
Police said emergency services were called to a vehicle displaying a mobile billboard that had been set alight in the driveway of a property in St Kilda East about 2.50am on Thursday.
On Friday they named 47-year-old John Argento as “a person who may be able to assist with their investigation”.
Victoria police said Argento was known to police and had an outstanding arrest warrant relating to other matters.
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“Detectives believe Argento lives a transient lifestyle. He is known to frequent Melbourne’s inner southern and northern suburbs,” the statement said.
“Detectives are treating this arson as a targeted attack but there is no indication that Argento poses as a specific risk to the Jewish community.”
No one was inside the car at the time of the incident but the occupants of the house were evacuated as a precaution, police said.
The Victoria police assistant commissioner for the southern metro region, Chris Gilbert, said at this stage he did not believe there was a broader threat to the Jewish community.
“We understand the devastating impact this type of [alleged] offence has on our Jewish community and we are continuing to prioritise this investigation,” he said.
The Victorian premier, Jacinta Allan, said on Thursday she had been briefed by police on the St Kilda incident.
“This is not what any family, street or community deserves to wake up to on Christmas Day in Australia,” she said on X.
“We have a duty to this community: to ensure their families are safe and feel safe right now, and to work long-term in a serious effort to drive anti-Semitism and hate out of our state.”
The incident comes less than two weeks after 15 people were killed in a mass shooting that targeted Jews celebrating the holiday of Hanukah at Sydney’s Bondi beach.
US President Donald Trump said he had ordered the country’s army to launch a “powerful and deadly” strikes against targets of the so-called Islamic State (ISIS) in northwestern Nigeria.
The strike comes after months of Trump threatening military action over what he labeled as an “existential threat” for Christianity in Nigeria, a claim the local government rejects.
The US army’s Africa Command (AFCOM) said the strike had been conducted at the request of the Nigerian authorities in the northwestern Sokoto State.
Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth said he was “grateful” for the support and cooperation with the Nigerian government.
Why did the US launch strike in Nigeria?
In a Truth Social post, Trump said the reason for the strike was the Islamist group’s targeting of “primarily innocent Christians,” which he said had reached levels “never seen for many years.”
“Under my leadership, our Country will not allow Radical Islamic Terrorism to prosper,” Trump’s post read.
The US State Department recently announced its intention to restrict visas for Nigerian nationals involved in violence against Christians in the country.
Washington also designated Nigeria a “country of particular concern” under the International Religious Freedom Act.
Which militant groups are active in northern Nigeria?
Nigeria has been battling a deadly Islamist insurgency in its northern regions.
According to Nigeria’s National Human Rights Commission, at least 2,266 people were killed by bandits or insurgents in Nigeria during the first half of 2025 — surpassing the total number of such deaths in all of 2024.
Particularly Boko Haram has concentrated their attacks in the northwestern state of Sokoto.
A splinter group known as the Islamic State in West Africa Province (Iswap) has also carried out attacks in northeastern Nigeria, particularly in the Borno state.
Iswap has also been involved in clashes with Boko Haram, as it is one of at least three Boko Haram splinter groups active in Nigeria.
Nigeria’s security forces under-resourced amid crisis
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Edited by: Farah Bahgat
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President Donald Trump said the U.S. launched airstrikes in northwest Nigeria on Christmas night targeting ISIS militants he accused of killing Christians, calling the operation decisive and warning further attacks would follow if the violence continues.
“Tonight, at my direction as Commander in Chief, the United States launched a powerful and deadly strike against ISIS Terrorist Scum in Northwest Nigeria, who have been targeting and viciously killing, primarily, innocent Christians, at levels not seen for many years, and even Centuries!” Trump said Thursday on Truth Social.
“I have previously warned these Terrorists that if they did not stop the slaughtering of Christians, there would be hell to pay, and tonight, there was. The Department of War executed numerous perfect strikes, as only the United States is capable of doing.
“Under my leadership, our Country will not allow Radical Islamic Terrorism to prosper,” he continued. “May God Bless our Military, and MERRY CHRISTMAS to all, including the dead Terrorists, of which there will be many more if their slaughter of Christians continues.”
‘GENOCIDE CAN’T BE IGNORED’: GOP LAWMAKER BACKS TRUMP’S THREAT OF MILITARY ACTION IN NIGERIA
A newspaper vendor pulls a newspaper with an article reporting U.S. President Donald Trump’s message to Nigeria over the treatment of Christians, at a newspaper stand in Ojuelegba, Lagos, Nigeria, Nov. 2, 2025. (Reuters/Sodiq Adelakun)
Last month, Trump threatened to “do things in Nigeria that Nigeria is not going to be happy about” and “go into that now disgraced country guns-a-blazing.”
That warning set the stage for the Christmas-night strikes, which Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said fulfilled the president’s demand that the killings stop.
“The President was clear last month: the killing of innocent Christians in Nigeria (and elsewhere) must end,” Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said on X. “The @DeptofWar is always ready, so ISIS found out tonight — on Christmas. More to come…
“Grateful for Nigerian government support & cooperation,” he added. “Merry Christmas!”
Then, nearly a month later, the Trump administration rolled out a new visa-restriction policy in response to a wave of brutal anti-Christian attacks in Nigeria, targeting those accused of orchestrating religious violence against Christians in the West African nation and around the world.
TRUMP ADMIN TARGETS ANTI-CHRISTIAN VIOLENCE WITH NEW VISA CRACKDOWN POLICY FOLLOWING NIGERIA ATTACKS
A drone view of Christians departing St. Peter and Paul Catholic Church after Sunday mass in Palmgrove, Lagos, Nigeria, Nov. 2, 2025. (Reuters/Sodiq Adelakun)
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the policy in the Immigration and Nationality Act will allow the State Department to deny visas to those “who have directed, authorized, significantly supported, participated in, or carried out violations of religious freedom.”
Immediate family members may also face visa restrictions in some cases.
“The United States is taking decisive action in response to the mass killings and violence against Christians by radical Islamic terrorists, Fulani ethnic militias, and other violent actors in Nigeria and beyond,” Rubio said in the statement.
The move followed a surge of attacks on Christians and Christian institutions in Nigeria. Last month, gunmen stormed the Christ Apostolic Church in Eruku, Kwara State, killing two people and kidnapping dozens. The 38 abducted worshipers were freed nearly a week later.
Days later, armed attackers raided St. Mary’s School in Niger State, abducting more than 300 students and staff. School officials said 50 students aged 10 to 18 escaped in the following days, but 253 students and 12 teachers remain captive.
TRUMP’S WARNING TO NIGERIA OFFERS HOPE TO NATION’S PERSECUTED CHRISTIANS
President Donald Trump announced attacks against terrorists in Nigeria, killing Christians.
The violence prompted Trump to designate Nigeria a “country of particular concern,” though the Nigerian government disputes the U.S. assessment.
“I’m really angry about it,” the president told Fox News Radio last month. “What’s happening in Nigeria is a disgrace.”
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Echoing Trump’s warning, Rubio said earlier this month, “As President Trump made clear, the ‘United States cannot stand by while such atrocities are happening in Nigeria and numerous other countries.’”
Fox News Digital’s Stephen Sorace contributed to this report.
Greg Wehner is a breaking news reporter for Fox News Digital.
Story tips and ideas can be sent to Greg.Wehner@Fox.com and on Twitter @GregWehner.
WORLD NEWS
Trump announces strikes against ISIS in Nigeria and wishes MERRY CHRISTMAS to ‘dead terrorists’ he claims are targeting Christians
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President Donald Trump has announced the U.S. military has conducted deadly strikes against ISIS targets in Nigeria after the group is accused of targeting Christians.
“Tonight, at my direction as Commander in Chief, the United States launched a powerful and deadly strike against ISIS Terrorist Scum in Northwest Nigeria, who have been targeting and viciously killing, primarily, innocent Christians, at levels not seen for many years, and even Centuries!” the president wrote in a Truth Social post the evening of Christmas Day.
“I have previously warned these Terrorists that if they did not stop the slaughtering of Christians, there would be hell to pay, and tonight, there was,” Trump continued.
“The Department of War executed numerous perfect strikes, as only the United States is capable of doing. Under my leadership, our Country will not allow Radical Islamic Terrorism to prosper. May God Bless our Military, and MERRY CHRISTMAS to all, including the dead Terrorists, of which there will be many more if their slaughter of Christians continues.”
open image in gallery
President Donald Trump says the US has conducted deadly strikes against ISIS targets in Nigeria after the group targeted Christians (AP)
Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth and White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt also posted online about the strikes.
Hegseth said in a post on X, “The President was clear last month: the killing of innocent Christians in Nigeria (and elsewhere) must end. The @DeptofWar is always ready, so ISIS found out tonight — on Christmas.”
The defense secretary added, “Grateful for Nigerian government support & cooperation. Merry Christmas!”
The Nigerian government is yet to comment publicly on the strikes.
open image in gallery
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said he was grateful for Nigerian support on the deadly ISIS strikes (Secretary of War, X)
Last month, Trump said he was instructing the Defense Department to “prepare for possible action” in Nigeria, claiming the nation’s government “continues to allow the killing of Christians.”
He also declared that Nigeria is a “country of particular concern.” The U.S. government uses this designation for nations determined to have committed “particularly severe violations of religious freedom,” according to the State Department’s website.
Trump said in November, “If the Nigerian Government continues to allow the killing of Christians, the U.S.A. will immediately stop all aid and assistance to Nigeria, and may very well go into that now disgraced country, ‘guns-a-blazing,’ to completely wipe out the Islamic Terrorists who are committing these horrible atrocities,”
Much of northern Nigeria has been struck by conflict in an ongoing security crisis and Trump has singled the country out for what he calls “the killing of Christians” by “radical Islamists.”
Victims and church leaders have reiterated Trump’s claims that Christians are persecuted, saying they’ve long been attacked, kidnapped or killed over their faith.
But many insist the reality isn’t that simple, with experts and residents saying most attacks emphasize the widespread violence that has long plagued the West African nation, where everyone is a potential victim, regardless of background or belief.
With reporting from the Associated Press.
This is a breaking news story and will be updated.
NEED TO KNOW
- A California man is accused by police of killing his half-brother and trying to kill the victim’s two children by leaving gas burners on in an apartment while they slept
- Zackary A. Brodowski, 32, was arrested on suspicion of murder and attempted murder
- Police found 36-year-old Aaron Richard Rivera dead from apparent gunshot wounds on Tuesday, Dec. 23
A California man was arrested after allegedly killing his half-brother and fleeing the house with the stove burners on while the victim’s children slept inside, authorities said.
Zackary A. Brodowski, 32, was taken into custody on suspicion of murder and attempted murder, the Redlands Police Department said in a statement shared on Wednesday, Dec. 24.
Officers responded to an apartment in Redlands on the morning of Tuesday, Dec. 23, after receiving a report of shots fired. There, they found 36-year-old Aaron Richard Rivera dead from apparent gunshot wounds, per police.
During the investigation, police said they identified Brodowski, also Rivera’s half-brother, as a suspect, citing family members and apparent evidence found at the scene.
Authorities claim surveillance cameras from the apartment complex showed Brodowski fleeing the scene immediately after the shooting in a silver 2008 Ford Focus.
Police further alleged that Brodowski left the stove’s gas burners on while Rivera’s two juvenile children slept inside.
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Brodowski was later arrested “without incident” at his home in Calimesa, police said. While searching his residence, investigators found a “firearm believed to be the murder weapon and clothing matching the clothing worn at the time of the shooting,” the release states.
Police said Brodowski is being held without bail at West Valley Detention Center in Rancho Cucamonga. It’s unclear if he has entered a plea or retained an attorney to speak on his behalf.
WORLD NEWS
TV cop who appeared on Channel 4’s Hunted suspended over ‘sexist remarks to female officers’
A top police officer who has appeared as a ‘hunter’ on Channel 4’s Hunted show has been suspended over allegations he made sexist remarks to junior female officers.
Sergeant Shazad Sadiq, a temporary inspector with Durham Constabulary, is accused of making discriminatory comments which could amount to gross misconduct.
He was suspended on full pay in February and an investigation was launched by the force’s Professional Standards Department. Ten months on, the investigation remains ongoing, with Sgt Sadiq under suspension.
It is understood that, among the allegations, Sgt Sadiq, 49, is accused of telling three female Police Community Support Officers that he did not expect them to have accounts on Only Fans, a website where users can subscribe to people often providing raunchy or pornographic content.
The women alleged they were singled out and men on the shift were not given the same warning.
Sgt Sadiq is also accused of making a derogatory comment towards a female PC about not being able to ‘hide her sexuality’ while gesturing his hands down her body, according to a source.
In another incident, he is alleged to have allocated the same officer to a woman who regularly went missing from her home who was ‘struggling with her sexuality’ and said the PC could ‘relate to the female based on her sexuality’ and would be a ‘motherly figure’.
He is also accused of refusing to allow the same officer to pursue a Taser course because her ‘hormones needed to settle’ after a period of parental leave. It is understood Sgt Sadiq vehemently denies the allegations.
Sergeant Shazad Sadiq (right), a temporary inspector with Durham Constabulary, is accused of making discriminatory comments which could amount to gross misconduct
Sgt Sadiq, 49, is accused of telling three female Police Community Support Officers that he did not expect them to have accounts on Only Fans
Sgt Sadiq has been a police officer for 28 years, working for the Metropolitan Police in London before moving to Durham in 2001. He has served as general secretary of the National Black Police Association and was chairman of the Durham Ethnic Minority Support Association.
In 2021, he began appearing as a hunter on Hunted, where police and intelligence personnel track down contestants ‘on the run’. The contestants must reach an ‘extraction point’ if they survive 21 days on the run, and can win a share of £100,000.
Durham Constabulary said: ‘In February, a sergeant was suspended pending an investigation into allegations surrounding potential breaches of standards of behaviour. That investigation remains ongoing.’ Channel 4 declined to comment.
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TV cop who appeared on Channel 4’s Hunted suspended over ‘sexist remarks to female officers’
Christmas party revellers were left in horror when a colleague collapsed to the ground moments after drinking a potentially lethal cocktail at a corporate Christmas party
A man was rushed to hospital after he drank a cocktail at a Christmas party(Image: BAZA /east2west news)
A man was left fighting for his life after his stomach was “torn apart” by a fancy cocktail served during a corporate Christmas party.
Guests at the swanky bash were being entertained with a theatrical “cryo-show” by an unidentified “celebrity chef” when the horror incident unfolded. The chef reportedly prepared flashy cocktails using liquid nitrogen – a substance commonly used in professional kitchens to quickly freeze ingredients, but potentially deadly if ingested before it fully evaporates.
Witnesses said guests were not warned of the risks, and that the chef allegedly encouraged one man to drink the cocktail immediately. Amid laughter from the group, the guest collapsed at the Igra Stolov ‘Game of Tables’ cooking studio in Moscow.
Sergey, 38, held his stomach before collapsing(Image: BAZA /east2west news)READ MORE: Family-of-nine ‘let down’ after Stoke-on-Trent pub cancels Christmas Day bookingREAD MORE: Mum paid £85 for Grinch visit for son and complains when her home is ‘trashed’
The tragic man, later identified as Sergey, 38, was seen clutching his stomach in agony before he dropped to the ground. He was rushed to intensive care, where surgeons carried out emergency surgery to repair the torn stomach.
The reveller was later reported as conscious and recovering, though doctors described his condition as serious. Medics later determined that the liquid nitrogen caused a rapid expansion of gas inside his body, rupturing his stomach.
What was meant to be a festive office celebration ended in panic, as guests reportedly left in shock as medics scrambled to save the man’s life. Liquid nitrogen boils violently at room temperature, and experts warn that consuming it before evaporation can lead to severe internal injuries or death.
The man is fighting for his life in a Moscow hospital(Image: BAZA /east2west news)
When ingested, it rapidly turns into gas inside the body and expands hundreds of times in volume. This sudden expansion can cause severe internal pressure, leading to stomach rupture, internal bleeding, and organ damage. The extreme cold can also freeze internal tissues, making the injury even worse.
Drinks prepared with liquid nitrogen are only safe once all the nitrogen has fully evaporated. If even a small amount remains, swallowing it can be life-threatening.
The horror incident happened at the Igra Stolov ‘Game of Tables’ cooking studio in Moscow(Image: social media /east2west news)
This comes after a mum-of-three tragically died after drinking a cocktail that was allegedly contaminated with “industrial cleaner”. Holly Hill, 30, had been on a Valentine’s Day date at a Mexican bar, in Oklahoma, back in 2023 when she unknowingly sipped the margarita.
Just moments after trying the drink, Holly rushed to the bathroom to be sick. The alleged harsh chemical caused so much damage to Holly’s throat and oesophagus that she was required to undergo several procedures for two years.
Holly had to be tube-fed and was preparing for a swallow study but, following complications, she sadly passed away in October this year.
Her family claimed the mum’s second margarita that night contained “industrial cleaning solution” and sued the bar before reaching a confidential settlement earlier this year.
Families celebrate Christmas releases while calling for full freedom of detainees.
Published On 25 Dec 2025
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Authorities in Venezuela have released at least 60 people arrested during protests against President Nicolas Maduro’s re-election, according to a human rights advocacy group, though campaigners say hundreds remain behind bars.
The releases began early on Thursday, over Christmas, according to the Committee for the Freedom of Political Prisoners, a group of rights activists and relatives of detainees arrested during unrest that followed July’s presidential election.
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“We celebrate the release of more than 60 Venezuelans, who should never have been arbitrarily detained,” committee head Andreina Baduel told the AFP news agency.
“Although they are not entirely free, we will continue working for their full freedom and that of all political prisoners.”
Maduro secured a third term in office in the July 2024 vote, a result rejected by parts of the opposition amid allegations of fraud. The disputed outcome triggered weeks of demonstrations, during which authorities arrested about 2,400 people. Nearly 2,000 have since been released, according to rights groups.
Despite the latest releases, Venezuela still holds at least 902 political prisoners, according to Foro Penal, an NGO that monitors detentions.
Relatives said many of those freed had been held at Tocoron prison, a maximum-security facility in Aragua state, roughly 134km (83 miles) from the capital Caracas. Officials have not publicly clarified the conditions under which detainees were released.
“We must remember that there are more than 1,000 families with political prisoners,” Baduel said. Her father, Raul Isaias Baduel, a former defence minister and once an ally of the late president, Hugo Chavez, died in custody in 2021.
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Man charged after allegedly performing Nazi salutes at Canberra shopping centres | Australian Capital Territory (ACT)
An 18-year-old has been charged with allegedly performing two separate Nazi salutes at Canberra shopping centres and putting up “propaganda-style stickers” in recent months.
The man is expected to appear before ACT magistrates court on Friday, where police will allege in October a member of the public confronted him as he stuck stickers up at a shopping centre and then performed a Nazi salute before leaving the centre.
The man allegedly performed another Nazi salute on 12 December at a different shopping centre, police said.
The man will also be charged with trespassing at the Australian National University multiple times in August and September where he “stuck propaganda-style stickers on buildings and other property”, police said.
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The man has also been charged with two counts of damaging commonwealth property.
A national security investigations team from the Australian federal police (AFP) executed a search warrant at a property in the Canberra suburb of Weston on Wednesday, where they seized mobile phones, a computer, stickers, storage devices, a video camera and clothing.
The assistant commissioner of the AFP’s counter-terrorism and special investigations, Stephen Nutt, said antisemitism was not tolerated in Australia.
“Anyone allegedly performing Nazi salutes is displaying criminal behaviour that brings pain and anguish to the Jewish community and divides Australian society,” Nutt said.
He said the national security investigations team was established in September to target those causing “high harm to Australia’s social cohesion including attempts to vilify marginalised communities”.
“Antisemitism is a cancer that requires swift and direct action, which is what the AFP is continuing to do,” Nutt said. “Along with our law enforcement partners, we are committed to stopping hate, division and violence in the community.”
Police warned one of the signs a person may be susceptible to radicalisation is if they have distanced themselves from their usual friends and family members.
Other signs include an increase in the extremist nature of their rhetoric or propaganda they share; a child using hateful or emotionally charged language; developing a fixation on conspiracy theories or contentious social issues; displaying extreme reaction to certain news or politics; or spending increasing amounts of time in fringe forums on the internet, police said.
Heavy rain storms across large parts of California triggered floods and mudslides and left three dead as of Christmas night, according to local officials.
The storms – which were expected to continue through Friday – brought 11 inches (27 cms) of rainfall to some parts of Los Angeles County, prompted evacuations and shut down major roads.
Emergency responders have had to perform several rescues, including people stuck in vehicles as flood waters rise. California’s Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency on Wednesday in Los Angeles and other southern California counties.
About 100,000 people in the state were without power as of Thursday evening.
The US Weather Prediction Center said on Thursday that “Numerous flash flooding events are possible”.
“In addition, many streams may flood, potentially affecting larger rivers.”
A 64-year-old man from San Diego, California, was killed on Wedesday morning by a fallen tree, the police department told US media.
Another person, a 74-year-old, died from flood waters over the weekend as police tried to rescue him from inside a vehicle in Redding, California, the town’s mayor told local news.
And on Monday, a woman in her 70s died after she “was knocked off a rock by a large wave and swept into the ocean” at MacKerricher State Park in Mendocino County, California, the sheriff’s office said in a statement.
Evacuation warnings were in effect for some residents of San Bernardino County in southern California, and flash food warnings were issued for those in the San Francisco Bay area on Thursday morning.
Wind speeds in the Bay Area topped 100 mph (161kmh) at one observatory near San Jose, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.
In Altadena, near Los Angeles, residents experienced a mudslide from flooding in a burn scar area that was less able to absorb water due to the wildfires that scorched the neighbourhood in January of this year, the BBC’s US partner CBS News reported.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has also declared an emergency from the storms and warned residents to be cautious on roads during a time of busy holiday travel.
“I am urging all Angelenos to stay safe and be extremely careful on the roads if you absolutely must travel,” she said in a statement on Wednesday. “Please do not take this storm lightly.”
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Christmas celebrations returned this year to both Bethlehem and Nazareth, but the season is unfolding very differently in the two cities that sit at the heart of Christianity — Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus, and Nazareth, where he lived.
In Nazareth, festivities are broad and confident, rooted in a growing Christian presence in Israel. In Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus, celebrations took place again after more than two years of disruption, but against the backdrop of a long-term demographic decline and deep concern within the local Christian community.
Elias Zarina, a senior researcher at the Jerusalem Center for Applied Policy and a longtime Christian activist, said the long-term numbers underscore the concern. Christians made up 86% of Bethlehem’s population in 1950, Zarina said. By the last Palestinian census in 2017, they accounted for roughly 10%. He added that since the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel, at least 142 Christian families have left the Bethlehem area.
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People gather next to the Christmas tree at Manger Square on the day of Christmas events with Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, on Christmas Eve, in the Old City of Bethlehem in the West Bank, Dec. 24, 2025. (Mussa Qawasma/Reuters)
“They saw what happened on Oct. 7 and understood that minorities in this region have no future without real protection,” Zarina said.
In Nazareth, Josh Reinstein, director of the Knesset Christian Allies Caucus and president of the Israel Allies Foundation, described a sharply different reality, which he said reflects governance and security.
“Nazareth is a completely different situation,” Reinstein said. “It’s an indigenous Christian community under the authority of Israel, and it grows every year. It prospers.”
Reinstein pointed to economic and social indicators to make his case, noting that while Christians make up around 2% of Israel’s population, “Christian communities have the highest GDP per capita compared to Jews, Muslims and Druze,” he said. “They’re respected, they’re protected, and they have the same rights as everyone else.”
Reinstein contrasted that with Bethlehem’s trajectory since the 1990s.
“Since the Oslo accords in the 90s, the Christian community of Bethlehem has been decimated by the Palestinian Authority,” Reinstein told Fox News Digital. “Bethlehem was once a city with an overwhelming Christian majority. Today, Christians are around 10% of the population, and they are no longer represented in the municipality. That tells you everything about what has happened there.”
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A man wearing a Santa Claus costume takes part in the 40th annual Christmas parade heading towards the Basilica of the Annunciation on December 24, 2025, in Nazareth, Israel. Nazareth, the home of Jesus, according to the New Testament, has seen a return of Christmastime tourism this year after two years in which celebrations were muted amid the war in Gaza. Nazareth, in Israel’s Galilee region, is a predominately Arab town, about one-third of whom are Christian, with the majority being Muslim. (Amir Levy/Getty Images)
Bethlehem did mark Christmas this year. Crowds gathered in Manger Square, the Christmas tree was lit, and religious ceremonies took place at the Church of the Nativity. Local officials framed the celebrations as a sign of resilience and an effort to project normalcy after years of war and economic collapse.
Zarina, however, said the Palestinian Authority’s decision to allow Christmas events this year should be viewed in context.
“In recent months, the Palestinian Authority has sought to reintroduce itself to international public opinion, particularly to the Christian world, through symbolic festive displays such as the Christmas tree lighting ceremony in Bethlehem,” Zarina said in comments provided to Fox News Digital. “These efforts are meant to market the Palestinian Authority as moderate, especially as discussions continue about Gaza’s future. But events on the ground over just a few days have sharply contradicted that image.”
Clergy members stand, on the day Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa attends Christmas celebrations in Bethlehem, in the West Bank, on Christmas Eve, Dec. 24, 2025. (Ammar Awad/Reuters)
Zarina noted that several incidents targeting Christians occurred within a single week ahead of Christmas, including threats against churches and violent assaults tied to land disputes.
“Christians in these areas are subjected to a systematic policy manifested through harassment, violence, psychological terror, forced displacement and the confiscation of property by extremist families driven by rigid Salafi ideology and supported morally and financially by states known for backing extremist movements, foremost among them Turkey and Qatar,” he claimed. “In this context, the Palestinian Authority appears either unable or unwilling to enforce the rule of law and protect the Christian minority.”
Recent incidents in the Palestinian Authority area of control have reinforced those concerns. A church in Jenin was firebombed earlier this week, and a Christmas tree was set on fire outside another church. Israel’s Foreign Ministry responded by warning of “growing hostility toward Christians” under Palestinian Authority governance.
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And while Israel has occasionally seen attacks against its Christian community by extreme religious-nationalist elements who have been accused of vandalizing religious sites and using verbal assaults aimed at clergy, in his Christmas message, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel is a nation that looks after its Christian population.
He stated in part, “Israel is the only country in the Middle East where Christians can practice their faith with full rights and in total freedom. Where Christian pilgrims are embraced with open arms and are so deeply appreciated. Where Christians can celebrate proudly their traditions and openly do so without any fear,” he said, adding, “The persecution of Christians or members of any religion cannot and must not be tolerated.”
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Zarina said that Christian residents in nearby Beit Jala and in Nablus avoided visible festivities out of fear of harassment.
Not all Christian leaders in Bethlehem share the same assessment. Pastor Naim Khoury told Israeli news agency TPS-IL that conditions in Bethlehem itself have improved this year and that, so far, he has not seen attacks connected to the holiday. Other activists, however, argue that fear limits what many Christians are willing to say publicly.
“The Christians are under enormous pressure and cannot speak freely,” said Shadi Khalloul, founder and CEO of the Israeli Christian Aramaic Association, in comments to TPS-IL. “They are trying to survive quietly.”
The contrast is also reflected in official demographic data. According to figures released this week by Israel’s Central Bureau of Statistics and reported by TPS-IL, approximately 184,200 Christians live in Israel as of Christmas Eve 2025, accounting for about 1.9% of the population. The Christian population grew by 0.7% in 2024, making Israel one of the few countries in the Middle East where the Christian community continues to grow.
People take part in the 40th annual Christmas parade on December 24, 2025, in Nazareth, Israel. Nazareth, the home of Jesus, according to the New Testament, has seen a return of Christmas tourism this year after two years in which celebrations were muted amid the war in Gaza. Nazareth, in Israel’s Galilee region, is a predominately Arab town, about one-third of whom are Christian with the majority being Muslim. (Amir Levy/Getty Images)
Nazareth is at the center of that growth. The city has the largest Arab Christian population in Israel, with roughly 18,900 residents, followed by Haifa and Jerusalem, according to Israeli government data. Most Arab Christians live in Israel’s Northern and Haifa districts, where Christian communities have expanded alongside rising education and income levels.
Heather Johnston, founder and CEO of the U.S. Israel Education Association, said the visible contrast this Christmas reflects deeper realities.
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Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, attends Christmas celebrations in Bethlehem, in the West Bank, on Christmas Eve, Dec. 24, 2025. (Ammar Awad/Reuters)
“At Christmas, the contrast between Nazareth and Bethlehem tells a larger story,” Johnston said. “Christians are flourishing in Nazareth under Israeli rule, while in Bethlehem, under the Palestinian Authority, the Christian population has been shrinking for years. That difference speaks volumes about which systems actually protect religious freedom and allow ancient Christian communities to endure.”
This Christmas, lights and hymns filled both cities. For Zarina and others, the question now is whether international attention will fade once the lights come down, or whether it will translate into lasting protection for one of Christianity’s oldest communities.
Efrat Lachter is an investigative reporter and war correspondent. Her work has taken her to 40 countries, including Ukraine, Russia, Iraq, Syria, Sudan and Afghanistan. She is a recipient of the 2024 Knight-Wallace Fellowship for Journalism. Lachter can be followed on X @efratlachter.