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50 kidnapped Catholic school students in Nigeria escape as some schools ordered to close

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Fifty of the 303 students kidnapped from a Nigerian Catholic school on Friday have escaped and are now reunited with their families, officials said Sunday, as schools across Niger remain closed following the attack.

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The students, ages 10 to 18, escaped individually between Friday and Saturday, according to the Most Rev. Bulus Dauwa Yohanna, chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria in Niger state and the school’s proprietor.

A total of 253 students and 12 teachers from St. Mary’s School are still being held, Yohanna said, adding: «We were able to ascertain this when we decided to contact and visit some parents.»

Officials did not provide further details about how the children escaped or where the remaining students and teachers were being held.

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TRUMP ADMINISTRATION EXPANDS EFFORTS TO STOP CHRISTIAN VIOLENCE IN NIGERIA WITH AID THREAT

This photo released by the Christian Association of Nigeria shows the dormitories of St. Mary’s Catholic Primary and Secondary School after gunmen abducted children and staff in Papiri community in Nigeria, Friday, Nov. 21, 2025. (Christian Association of Nigeria via AP)

Pope Leo XIV called for the immediate release of the children and school staff, saying at the end of a mass in St. Peter’s Square on Sunday that he was «deeply saddened» by the incident.

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«I feel great sorrow, especially for the many girls and boys who have been abducted and for their anguished families,» the pontiff said. «I make a heartfelt appeal for the immediate release of the hostages and urge the competent authorities to take appropriate and timely decisions to ensure their release.»

Man walks past belongings of abducted children

In this photo released by the Christian Association of Nigeria, a man walks past belongings at the St. Mary’s Catholic Primary and Secondary School after gunmen abducted children and staff in Papiri community, Nigeria, Friday, Nov. 21, 2025. (Christian Association of Nigeria via AP)

No group has come forward to claim responsibility for the attack, The Associated Press reported. The outlet added that authorities said tactical squads and local hunters were working to rescue the kidnapped children.

52 CATHOLIC SCHOOL STUDENTS IN NIGERIA KIDNAPPED BY GUNMEN IN LATEST ATTACK: REPORT

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Niger State quickly shut down all schools after Friday’s attack, while the Nigerian government also closed several federal colleges in conflict-prone areas across the region.

The attack at St. Mary’s came just four days after armed men kidnapped 25 girls from a boarding school in Kebbi State, killing at least one staff member. The search for the missing girls is ongoing.

dormitories of St. Mary's Catholic Primary and Secondary School

This photo released by the Christian Association of Nigeria shows the dormitories of St. Mary’s Catholic Primary and Secondary School after gunmen abducted children and staff in Papiri community in Nigeria, Friday, Nov. 21, 2025. (Christian Association of Nigeria via AP)

Meanwhile, 38 worshippers kidnapped during a deadly church attack in central Nigeria’s Kwara State have been freed, Gov. AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq said Sunday. Gunmen had attacked the Christ Apostolic Church in Eruku town on Tuesday, killing two and taking others hostage. President Bola Tinubu credited «the efforts of security agencies» for securing their release but offered no further details.

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Nigeria has seen a series of attacks on Christians and their institutions, prompting President Donald Trump to declare the West African nation a «country of particular concern.» However, the Nigerian government has disputed the U.S.’s claims.

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«I’m really angry about it,» the president told Fox News Radio on Friday. «What’s happening in Nigeria is a disgrace.»

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Fox News Digital’s Rachel Wolf and Anders Hagstrom, along with The Associated Press contributed to this report.



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Trump rips former VP candidate on immigration: ‘Tim Walz does nothing, through fear, incompetence, or both’

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President Donald Trump on Thursday slammed Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, calling him «seriously r——d» and accusing the governor of failing to address crime and immigration concerns in the blue state.

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In a lengthy Truth Social post, Trump argued that immigration is fueling crime nationwide and straining public services. He pointed to Minnesota as a prime example, claiming that «Somalian gangs are roving the streets» of what he described as a «once great state.»

«A very Happy Thanksgiving salutation to all of our Great American Citizens and Patriots who have been so nice in allowing our Country to be divided, disrupted, carved up, murdered, beaten, mugged, and laughed at, along with certain other foolish countries throughout the World, for being ‘Politically Correct,’ and just plain STUPID, when it comes to Immigration,» Trump said.

WHITE HOUSE RIPS ‘IMBECILIC BUFFOON’ TIM WALZ AFTER TRUMP TARIFF CRITICISM

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President Donald Trump speaks to reporters after speaking to troops via video from his Mar-a-Lago estate on Thanksgiving, Nov. 27, 2025, in Palm Beach, Florida. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Trump said the nation’s 53 million foreign-born residents are largely «on welfare, from failed nations, or from prisons, mental institutions, gangs, or drug cartels» and argued that American taxpayers are being forced to shoulder the cost.

He further claimed that a migrant earning $30,000 with a green card receives «roughly $50,000 in yearly benefits for their family.»

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«This refugee burden is the leading cause of social dysfunction in America,» Trump said, blaming it for issues including crime, urban decline, overcrowded hospitals, housing shortages and growing deficits.

Trump pointed to Minnesota, alleging that «hundreds of thousands of refugees from Somalia are completely taking over» the state and claiming that Governor Walz «does nothing» in response.

«Somalian gangs are roving the streets looking for ‘prey’ as our wonderful people stay locked in their apartments and houses hoping against hope that they will be left alone,» Trump said. «The seriously r——d Governor of Minnesota, Tim Walz, does nothing, either through fear, incompetence, or both.»

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5 TIMES DEMOCRATS BLASTED ICE WITH HARSH RHETORIC

Tim Walz speaks onstage

Tim Walz speaks onstage during the 2025 SXSW Conference and Festival at the Austin Convention Center on March 8, 2025, in Austin, Texas.  (Tibrina Hobson/Getty Images)

Walz responded on X to a screenshot of the Truth Social post, writing: «Release the MRI results.» 

Indiana state Senator Michael Bohacek, who has a daughter with Down syndrome, condemned Trump’s language as «insulting and derogatory,» saying the president’s «words have consequences.»

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«I have been an unapologetic advocate for people with intellectual disabilities since the birth of my second daughter,» Bohacek said. «… This is not the first time our president has used these insulting and derogatory references and his choices of words have consequences. I will be voting NO on redistricting, perhaps he can use the next 10 months to convince voters that his policies and behavior deserve a congressional majority.»

In the post, Trump also targeted Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn, calling her the «worst congressman/woman in our Country.»

«Ilhan Omar, always wrapped in her swaddling hijab, and who probably came into the U.S.A. illegally in that you are not allowed to marry your brother, does nothing but hatefully complain about our Country, its Constitution, and how ‘badly’ she is treated, when her place of origin is a decadent, backward, and crime ridden nation, which is essentially not even a country for lack of Government, Military, Police, schools, etc,» Trump said.

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WALZ REPEATS DEBUNKED CLAIM THAT TRUMP CONSIDERS WHITE HOUSE BALLROOM ‘TOP PRIORITY’

Ilhan Omar at a congressional hearing

Rep. Ilhan Omar speaks during a meeting with the House Budget Committee on Capitol Hill May 16, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

The comments follow shortly after the Thanksgiving Eve shooting in Washington, D.C., that left one West Virginia National Guard member dead and another clinging to his life. 

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The suspect, Rahmahullah Lakanwal, is an Afghan national who reportedly worked with a CIA-operated unit that fought the Taliban on America’s behalf, Fox News Digital confirmed, which helped evacuate people during the fall of Kabul under then-President Joe Biden.

The White House, Governor Walz and Rep. Omar did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

Fox News Digital’s Charles Creitz contributed to this report.

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El papa León XIV visitó la emblemática Mezquita Azul de Estambul en su tercer día de viaje por Turquía

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León XIV en la Mezquita de Sultanahmet, conocida como la Mezquita Azul, durante su primer viaje apostólico (REUTERS/Kemal Aslan)

El papa León XIV visitó la emblemática Mezquita Azul de Estambul en la madrugada del sábado, en el marco de su tercer día de viaje por Turquía. Esta visita marcó la primera vez que el sumo pontífice, líder de los 1.400 millones de católicos del mundo desde mayo, asiste a un lugar de culto musulmán desde que asumió la conducción de la Iglesia tras el fallecimiento del papa Francisco.

La Mezquita Azul, famosa por sus seis minaretes, cúpulas en cascada y el interior revestido de azulejos azules de Iznik, es uno de los atractivos principales de Estambul. Siguiendo los antecedentes de Benedicto XVI y Francisco —quienes la visitaron en 2006 y 2014 respectivamente— León se quitó los zapatos y accedió al recinto sobre la tradicional alfombra naranja, luciendo calcetines blancos en alusión.

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León XIV estuvo acompañado por
León XIV estuvo acompañado por autoridades musulmanas (REUTERS/Umit Bektas)

El papa permaneció unos quince minutos en la mezquita, acompañado por autoridades musulmanas que le mostraron distintos rincones del edificio. El ambiente estuvo marcado, según reportes, por la presencia de un cuervo que voló en círculos bajo las cúpulas. “Quería ver la mezquita, quería sentir la atmósfera y estaba muy contento”, relató a periodistas Askin Tunca, muecín del templo.

El papa León XIV, de nacionalidad estadounidense y peruana, estuvo acompañado durante su visita por Ali Erbas, presidente de la Dirección de Asuntos Religiosos de Turquía (Diyanet). Con este gesto, León XIV se convierte en el cuarto papa en ingresar a una mezquita y el tercero en hacerlo en la Mezquita Azul de Sultan Ahmed

El Papa León XIV visita
El Papa León XIV visita la Mezquita de Sultanahmet, conocida como la Mezquita Azul, durante su primer viaje apostólico, en Estambul, Turquía (REUTERS/Umit Bektas)

Fuera del recinto, decenas de curiosos —en su mayoría turistas— esperaban tras las barreras de seguridad. “Los viajes del papa son siempre algo muy bello porque trae consigo la paz”, opinó Roberta Ribola, visitante italiana. Sedat Kezer, vendedor ambulante, opinó: “Es bueno que personas de diferentes culturas se reúnan… Pero el papa parecería más sincero si se mezclara con el público. Nadie puede verlo ni interactuar con él”.

León XIV no pasó por la basílica de Santa Sofía, al contrario de sus predecesores. Este sitio, antigua basílica bizantina convertida en mezquita, luego museo y nuevamente mezquita desde 2020, fue declarado Patrimonio de la Humanidad y su último cambio de estatus generó críticas internacionales, incluyendo del propio Francisco.

El Papa visitó la emblemática
El Papa visitó la emblemática Mezquita Azul de Estambul (REUTERS/Yara Nardi)

La Mezquita Azul, ubicada frente a Hagia Sophia (Santa Sofía), fue construida por Sinán Ibn Abdulmennan, conocido también como Mimar Sinán, quien ocupó el cargo de arquitecto jefe imperial. Sus aportes marcaron un antes y un después en el diseño arquitectónico islámico.

El programa papal incluyó por la tarde un encuentro con líderes eclesiásticos locales y la participación en un breve servicio en la Iglesia Patriarcal de San Jorge, seguido de una reunión con el Patriarca Ecuménico Bartolomé I en su residencia del Cuerno de Oro, con la firma de una declaración conjunta cuyo contenido se mantiene reservado por ahora. Más tarde, León celebrará una misa en el Volkswagen Arena, con la presencia estimada de unos 4.000 fieles.

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El Papa León XIV junto
El Papa León XIV junto al patriarca sirio ortodoxo de Antioquía y todo el Oriente, Mor Ignatius Aphrem II, mientras se reúne con líderes de las iglesias locales y comunidades cristianas en la Iglesia Ortodoxa Siria de Mor Ephrem (REUTERS/Yara Nardi)

El domingo por la mañana, antes de viajar al Líbano como segunda etapa de su gira internacional, el papa participará en un servicio de oración en la catedral armenia y presidirá una liturgia divina ortodoxa en San Jorge. Se trata de su primer viaje al exterior desde su elección como pontífice.

(Con información de AFP)



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Afghan withdrawal refugees had ‘free rein’ on US bases in 2021, sources said, leaving in Ubers untracked

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The tragic Wednesday shooting of two West Virginia National Guardsmen in Washington, and President Donald Trump’s call to reexamine green card holders from «countries of concern» including Afghanistan, was predated by a warning from Fox News host Laura Ingraham about the Biden administration’s announcement amid the withdrawal that they were vetting evacuees on the «back end.»

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The identification of a suspect has raised concerns again about the chaotic 2021 Kabul evacuation and previous reports of misconduct by evacuees on U.S. military bases.

Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, originally of Afghanistan and once part of a CIA-linked team fighting the Taliban, was identified as the main suspect in the shooting, which has since claimed the life of West Virginia National Guard Spc. Sarah Beckstrom of Nicholas County, West Virginia.

On Friday, «Ingraham Angle» host Laura Ingraham told Fox News Digital she and other conservatives have been sounding the alarm on failures of Biden-era vetting following the withdrawal ever since the Fox News host exclusively broke the story in September 2021 that members of Congress brought concerns over chaos at Army bases holding refugees directly to the State Department. 

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TRUMP ORDER PUTS THOUSANDS OF AFGHAN ALLIES WAITING FOR US RESETTLEMENT IN LIMBO

«Soon after the Biden administration’s disastrous withdrawal, it was obvious that their intent was to bring as many Afghans into the U.S. as possible,» Ingraham wrote in an email Friday.

«Conservatives, including myself, raised serious concerns about the cost, the difficulty of assimilation and potential threats posed to no avail,» she said. «The Biden team didn’t care.

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«We kept hearing, ‘But we promised,’ — Americans didn’t promise anything — and they shouldn’t be forced to keep paying for previous presidents’ horrendous mistakes.»

In September 2021, Ingraham reported exclusively that a top Republican demanded answers from then-Secretary of State Antony Blinken over the reports out of Fort Pickett in Blackstone, Virginia, depicting chaos and unvetted, unaccounted for evacuees.

As Ingraham pointed out, Blinken had said the State Department tried to «get as many people out as fast as we can, while we had the airport functioning. We focused on doing just that, and we’re doing accountings on the back end as people arrive in the United States.»

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«That’s your Secretary of State admitting that he didn’t care about vetting these folks before we brought them to U.S. Soil,» Ingraham said at the time. 

«And if you thought they would be securely held on US military bases, well, think again.»

Then-Rep. Mark Green of Tennessee exclusively provided Ingraham with a letter he wrote demanding answers from Blinken.

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«I’ve recently been made aware from someone at Fort Pickett, Virginia, that Afghan evacuees basically have free rein of the complex and have even been allowed to leave, despite not having completed the vetting process,» Green wrote. 

VETERANS GROUPS URGE TRUMP ADMIN TO CONTINUE AFGHAN ALLY SUPPORT PROGRAM AMID BUDGET CUT CONCERNS

«My sources made shocking allegations, including multiple incidents of sexual assault and several evacuees have been picked up by Uber drivers without any permission from authorities or being cleared to leave.»

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Green called upon his own combat service in Afghanistan as an Army special operations flight surgeon to request confirmation or denial of the allegations made by the source, telling Blinken the reports pose an obvious national security risk.

At the time, Ingraham contrasted Green’s letter with Blinken’s public statements. During a news conference at the time, Blinken said that in the administration’s effort to get «as many people out (of Afghanistan) as fast as we can, while we had the (Hamid Karzai) Airport functioning, we focused on doing just that.

DEMS’ RESPONSE TO ISIS LEADER ARREST ‘DISTURBING,’ SAYS FATHER OF MARINE KILLED AT ABBEY GATE

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Evacuees pack a Boeing jet from Afghanistan in 2021.  (Universal History Archive/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

«We’re doing accountings on the back end as people arrive in the United States,» Blinken told reporters at the time. 

«If you thought they would be securely held on U.S. military bases, think again,» Ingraham said of Green’s revelation.

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DOZENS OF HOUSE LAWMAKERS RALLY AROUND FUNDING AFGHAN VISA PROGRAM AS TRUMP VOWS MAJOR SPENDING CUTS

Ingraham added Friday in comments to Fox News Digital that Afghan evacuees from Biden’s withdrawal not only come from a culture hostile to Western values, but they are often «all too dependent on the U.S. taxpayers to support them and their families.»

«This must end — (it’s) yet another calamitous Biden mistake President Trump is forced to address,» she said.

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In his discussion with Ingraham after the withdrawal, Green, a member of and later chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee who left public life earlier in 2025, said he was hearing similar reports from bases beyond Fort Pickett, Virginia. 

NAVAL OFFICER SENTENCED IN AFGHAN SIV BRIBERY SCHEME AMID SCRUTINY OF VISA PROGRAM AFTER TERROR PLOT EXPOSED

«DOD is getting its directions on how to handle these situations by the State Department,» Green claimed. «And the State Department is failing to give them adequate information. They’re letting them leave. They can catch an Uber and actually leave the base. They don’t know exactly how many are even there.

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«So, they can’t account for someone if they don’t return.»

Green said officials warned evacuees that if they leave the base their visa processing would stop but that such a warning appeared to have little effect on those who may have left.

JD VANCE CLASHES WITH CBS ANCHOR OVER UNVETTED REFUGEES: ‘I DON’T WANT THAT PERSON IN MY COUNTRY’

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«Then you get the shocking allegations of harassment and sexual assault, and it’s just horrific,» he said. 

At the time, Ingraham reported many of the evacuees on the planes out of Kabul came with no personal documentation at all, and she questioned how any «vetting» could be done of people who couldn’t begin to prove their own identity.

When contacted by Fox News at the time, the Biden State Department said, as a general rule, it did not comment on communications with Congress.

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HEGSETH ORDERS PENTAGON TO LAUNCH COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW INTO ‘CATASTROPHIC’ 2021 AFGHANISTAN WITHDRAWAL

Alejandro Mayorkas, Homeland Security Secretary at the time, told CBS News that the administration was dealing with «very few» evacuees who had given «any cause for concern.»

CBS anchor Norah O’Donnell followed up by pressing the secretary whether he could guarantee none of «thousands» of prisoners released by the Taliban would be coming to America.

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«I can guarantee you that we are doing everything possible to make sure that they don’t,» Mayorkas said.

FOUR YEARS AFTER ABBEY GATE, VETERANS WHO SAVED CIVILIANS DEMAND ACCOUNTABILITY

By one year after the Afghanistan withdrawal, lawmakers were still focusing on fallout from the apparent chaos.

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Rep. Tom Tiffany, R-Wis., said on Fox News in September 2022 he had heard similar reports out of Fort McCoy, Wisconsin, in his home state as Green had out of Virginia. 

«Should it be any surprise to the American people that they were misled? This is no different than the Southern border when Secretary Mayorkas came before the (House) Judiciary Committee and lied to us and said the border is secure. A year ago, President Biden said ‘inflation is transitory’. And now, a year later, we find out that they did not vet them,» Tiffany said.

HOMELAND SECURITY COMMITTEE SAYS ‘NATIONAL SECURITY BLUNDERS’ OF PAST 4 YEARS HAVE EMBOLDENED TERRORISTS

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Fox News Digital reached out to the Department of Homeland Security for comment.

Tiffany said he was at Fort McCoy in Tomah, Wisconsin, when the first 2,000 refugees arrived there.

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«None of them had gone through the SIV (Special Immigrant Visa) process,» he said. «I asked about it.

«People could walk right off from the base without any authorization from the commanding officer. We sounded the warning bell on that. And now, finally, the inspector general of the Department of Homeland Security is talking about this and saying this is a threat to national security and to our local communities.»

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