INTERNACIONAL
Dispute over Christian groups’ visas to Israel resolved after Huckabee threat
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The diplomatic dispute triggered by a low-level clerk in Israel’s Interior Ministry over visa applications for Christian organizations was resolved on Monday through «fruitful cooperation,» attorney Calev Myers told Fox News Digital.
«The Evangelical Christian organizations active in Israel, which represent the vast majority of Zionists in the world today, will receive all of the visas they need through a streamlined and efficient application process,» he said.
The issue burst into the news last week when U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee publicized a letter he wrote to Israeli Interior Minister Moshe Arbel, in which he expressed «great distress» over a halt to the «routine granting of visas for Christian organizations and workers, as has been practiced for decades.»
HUCKABEE CONDEMNS EFFORTS TO ERASE JEWISH HISTORY TO THE HOLY LAND AS ‘ABSURD’
Christian pilgrims carrying wooden crosses walk through Jerusalem’s Old City toward the Holy Sepulchre church during the Orthodox Good Friday procession on May 3, 2024. (Ahmad Gharabli/AFP via Getty Images)
According to Huckabee, beginning in early 2025, the Interior Ministry’s visa department stopped following the Ministry of Religious Affairs recommendations and began conducting its own investigations into each Christian organization to determine whether they should be recognized as «Religious Institutions» and remain eligible for visas.
He cited as examples the Baptist Convention of Israel, Christian Missionary Alliance and Assemblies of God, noting that members of these groups have been denied renewals of their A3 clergy visas and are instead required to complete lengthy questionnaires about their religious beliefs. Huckabee said the status of their applications remains «under investigation.»
«When support for Israel around the world – and in the U.S. – is under pressure, backing from our Christian friends is extremely important»
He also named the International Christian Embassy in Jerusalem as another group whose visas were «being held up.»
He had threatened that unless changes were made, «I will have no choice than to instruct our Consular Section to review options for reciprocal treatment of Israeli citizens seeking visas to the United States.»
Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee speaks to Fox News Digital during an interview at the American embassy in Jerusalem. (Yoav Dudkevitch/ TPS-IL)
A source told Fox News Digital that the issue originated with a low-level clerk in Israel’s Interior Ministry who was «not particularly friendly» toward Christian visa applicants. As a result, the visa process for clergy and volunteers had become «increasingly problematic» and filled with «barriers for years.»
A second source told Fox News Digital that elements within the Israeli Interior Ministry «are not sympathetic, they don’t appreciate the relationship» with the Christian world.
Former Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Michael Oren told Fox News Digital that he has been involved with helping to get visas for Christian organizations that do «extraordinary and important work» and there’s no reason for them to be given a hard time.
POPE DEMANDS CEASEFIRE AFTER GAZA’S CATHOLIC CHURCH IS HIT IN APPARENT ISRAELI STRIKE
«When support for Israel around the world – and in the U.S. – is under pressure, backing from our Christian friends is extremely important,» Oren said. «They are there through thick and thin – including when bombs are falling on us – and they contribute in so many ways. Whether it’s picking grapes, attending to people in hospitals, or cooking meals for soldiers. We should do nothing but appreciate them and make them feel welcome.»
The Ministry of Interior, responsible for the Population and Immigration Authority, was led by the ultra-Orthodox Shas party, a member of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s governing coalition, until it bolted from the government last week over the issue of conscription into the Israeli army of ultra-Orthodox men.
Attendees wave Israel and the United States flags at the Christians United for Israel summit on July 17, 2023, in Arlington, Virginia. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
According to the first source, leadership turnover at the Population and Immigration Authority has exacerbated the issue. Amos Arbel, the former head of the authority and the uncle of outgoing Interior Minister Moshe Arbel, stepped down some five years ago. His replacements rotated through the position in quick succession, and the role is currently vacant.
«The absence of stable leadership has allowed a lower-ranking official – the head of the visa section – to make unilateral decisions,» the source explained. «She routinely disregards recommendations, including those from the ministry’s own religious affairs advisor.»
«It’s a chronic problem, and it’s disheartening,» the source said. «It shouldn’t take the intervention of someone like Ambassador Huckabee to resolve what should be a routine bureaucratic matter.»
EVANGELICAL CHRISTIANS, WHO HAVE LONG SUPPORTED ISRAEL, VISIT AS WARTIME VOLUNTEERS
In response, Moshe Arbel sent a letter to Huckabee, reaffirming his «commitment to reviewing such applications [for clergy visas] with the utmost efficiency.» He wrote that «immediately following our meeting, I instructed all relevant professional bodies to act in accordance with the understandings we reached, and I assigned advisors from my office – headed by the chief of staff – to ensure a personal, continuous, and effective response to such requests.»
Arbel’s office said in a statement to Fox News Digital: «There is no fear of diplomatic repercussions. The issue is being handled in a good and friendly manner.»
Orthodox Christians carry wooden crosses along the Via Dolorosa (Way of Suffering) in the Old City of Jerusalem during the Orthodox Good Friday procession on April 14, 2023. (Saeed Qaq/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
When contacted by Fox News Digital, the Prime Minister’s Office in Jerusalem declined to comment.
As of the end of 2024, Israel’s Christian population was estimated at 180,300 – roughly 1.8% of the total population – reflecting a 0.6% increase from 2023, according to data from the Central Bureau of Statistics. Israel is the only country in the Middle East where the local Christian population is growing.
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David Parsons, vice president of the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem, told Fox News Digital that he is «very grateful that the U.S. ambassador has intervened on behalf of all the Christian organizations.
«It’s a shame that it takes this sort of action when the government and the minister of interior should have reined in the head of the visa section and corrected her wrong decisions,» he said.
Former U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman told Fox News Digital that he had spoken to individuals on both sides of the issue and believed it «was a misunderstanding and the Christian groups will get what they need. This does not at all speak to the very important relationship that Israel has with the Christian community,» he said.
INTERNACIONAL
El eslabón de “El Mencho” en Uruguay, el país en el que cayeron su cuñado y uno de sus testaferros
Oseguera Cervantes, alias El Mencho, tuvo en su vida una pata financiera en Uruguay que le permitió lavar dinero. Este país fue en el que fue detenido Gerardo González Valencia, el cuñado del capo narco que fue matado este domingo por el ejército mexicano. Además, también fue el lugar en el que uno de sus testaferros fue detenido.
Tras la muerte del cártel Jalisco Nueva Generación, el diario El País de Uruguay publicó un informe en el que recuerdan el vínculo que tuvo el narcotraficante con este territorio. Esa cercanía estaba dada por la hermana de Gerardo González Valencia, Rosalinda, que era la esposa de El Mencho.
González Valencia fue uno de los líderes de Los Cuinis, la célula criminal integrada por un grupo de hermanos que coordinaba labores y que los llevaron a convertirse en el brazo financiero del Cártel Jalisco Nueva Generación. Se trata de un delincuente que, entre viajes a safaris, mundiales y Europa, logró evadir a la Justicia hasta que el gobierno de Estados Unidos presentó una acusación formal sobre él y fue detenido en Uruguay en 2016.
Allí estuvo cuatro años preso, hasta que en mayo de 2020 Lalo, como le decían, fue extraditado a Estados Unidos, país en el que se enfrentaba a varios cargos relacionados al narcotráfico y al lavado de dinero. En 2023, González Valencia obtuvo la pena máxima por los cargos por los que estaba requerido y fue condenado a participar el resto de sus días en la cárcel.
Según el diario uruguayo, los vínculos del capo narco abatido con Uruguay que fueron detectados por las autoridades se centran en González Valencia. Aunque también hay otra relación: el 30 de mayo de 2023, la Policía detuvo en Punta del Este a Óscar Gilberto Calvete. Sobre él pesaba una alerta roja de captura internacional de Argentina, donde está acusado de lavar dinero para Los Cuinis.
Calvete junto a otros cinco hombres intervinieron al poner en circulación en el sistema financiero argentino bienes que provenían de actividades relacionadas con delitos del Cártel Jalisco Nueva Generación. Lo hacían a través de la sociedad anónima Círculo Internacional. Las autoridades lo tenían en la mira desde 2009.
González Valencia, en tanto, había vivido dos años en Argentina antes de llegar al país, por razones que los investigadores argentinos desconocen.
En Uruguay, González Valencia vivió en Punta del Este y anotó a sus hijos en un colegio de esa ciudad. El libro Los protectores del capital del sociólogo Gabriel Tenembaum señala que él se presentaba como cazador y que en el país lavaron cerca de USD 10 millones procedentes del tráfico de drogas. En 2016, en tanto, fue detenido en la puerta del colegio de sus hijos, en el barrio residencial Carrasco de Montevideo.
Su estadía en la cárcel, recuerda El País, le dio muchos dolores de cabeza a las autoridades y en más de una oportunidad hubo sospechas de que estaba tramando un plan para escapar. Denunció que hubo torturas sobre él.
Durante su reclusión en Uruguay, González Valencia estuvo en el centro de la política al confirmarse que mantuvo encuentros con Rocco Morabito, el jefe de la mafia italiana que estuvo preso en la Cárcel Central y que logró escapar de allí. En ese período, también se registró una amenaza dirigida al entonces ministro del Interior, Eduardo Bonomi. González Valencia dijo que “lo colgaría del puente más alto de Uruguay”, según surge de documentos judiciales consignados por el noticiero Telenoche de Canal 4.
También fue noticia a finales de año, cuando el diario El País informó que sus abogados apelaron a su estadía en el país y a la discusión que se dio en los tribunales uruguayos previo a que se concrete la extradición para evitar la cadena perpetua. En concreto, el narcotraficante intentó ampararse en fallos de la Justicia uruguaya para evitar que un Tribunal de Apelaciones de Estados Unidos confirmara su cadena perpetua. Jueces y fiscales uruguayos habían argumentado que la aplicación de la cadena perpetua “vulneraría el orden público” de Uruguay.
corresponsal: Desde Montevideo
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President Donald Trump’s lengthy State of the Union address Tuesday evening included a handful of attention-grabbing moments that stole the show as the president touted a national «turnaround» in a speech heavily focused on the economy.
Trump’s speech beat records, becoming the longest SOTU speech in modern history at about an hour and 48 minutes. It highlighted his administration’s efforts to cut taxes, ease housing costs and lock down the border as he touted turning a new page for the nation.
Fox News Digital compiled the top five moments of the speech, stretching from Democrat outbursts to moments of heightened emotion as Trump spotlighted American heroism.
1. Al Green ejected again
Democratic Texas Rep. Al Green was once again ejected from the joint address after holding a sign declaring, «Black people aren’t apes!»
Green held the sign as Trump made his way to the dais Tuesday evening, and remained standing with the sign even after Trump began the speech.
Green was spotted in a heated back and forth with two House Republicans, Reps. Troy Nehls, R-Texas, and Pat Fallon, R-Texas, before he was escorted out of the speech shortly after it began.
The longtime Texas left-wing lawmaker was removed by security during Trump’s 2025 joint address to Congress after repeatedly interrupting the president by shouting and shaking his cane. The outburst led to the House censuring Green, including 10 Democrats joining the GOP in the March 2025 vote.
2. ‘USA’ chants break out as men’s hockey team honored
Trump invited the U.S. men’s hockey team to the speech, just days after their gold medal win over Canada at the Winter Olympics. The body broke out into chants of «USA» as lawmakers of both parties stood to honor the Olympians.
The team filled the aisles of the chamber as Trump welcomed them as examples of American triumph during his speech.
Hockey goaltender Connor Hellebuyck, in particular, received a hero’s welcome when Trump announced he would receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Hellebuyck made 41 saves during the U.S.’ game against Canada Sunday, which helped keep the score tied at 1–1, forcing it into overtime.
MEDAL OF HONOR FOR STAFF SGT MICHAEL OLLIS AFTER 13 YEARS BRINGS BITTERSWEET ‘VALIDATION,’ SISTER SAYS
«I will soon be presenting Connor with our highest civilian honor, which we will be given and which has been given to many athletes over the years,» Trump said. «But when I say many, not too many, like 12. It’s called the highest civilian honor in our country. The Presidential Medal of Freedom.»
3. Trump reprimands Dems: ‘You should be ashamed’
Trump’s speech included dinging Democrats for voting against tax cuts under the «big, beautiful bill,» for unleashing sky-high inflation woes under the Biden administration and for allegedly worsening the housing crisis.
At one point, Trump took direct aim at Democrats’ lax immigration policies, calling on lawmakers to stand and reaffirm their belief that the «first duty of the American government is to protect American citizens, not illegal aliens.»
«One of the great things about the State of the Union is how it gives Americans a chance to see clearly what their representatives really believe,» Trump said. «So tonight, I’m inviting every legislator to join with my administration and reaffirming a fundamental principle. If you agree with this statement, then stand up and show your support: The first duty of the American government is to protect American citizens, not illegal aliens.»
Republicans were seen standing and applauding, while Democrats remained seated, leading to Trump admonishing left-wing lawmakers.
Democratic Texas Rep. Al Green was once again ejected from the joint address after holding a sign declaring, «Black people aren’t apes!» (Kenny Holston-Pool/Getty Images )
«Isn’t that a shame? You should be ashamed of yourself, not standing up,» Trump said. «That is why I’m also asking you to end deadly sanctuary cities that protect the criminals and enact serious penalties for public officials who blocked the removal of criminal aliens.»
«In many cases, drug lords, murderers all over our country,» he said. «They’re blocking the removal of these people out of our country. And you should be ashamed of yourself.»
The speech already had sparked Minnesota Democratic Rep Ilhan Omar to shout at Trump, including claiming he’s «killed Americans.»
TRUMP CALLS FAMILY OF STAFF SGT OLLIS TO CONFIRM MEDAL OF HONOR AWARD
Trump spoke out against the widespread fraud scandal linked to Minnesota’s Somali community, as well as how Democrats «cut off all funding for the Department of Homeland Security,» leading to Omar to shout at Trump.
«They have instituted another Democrat shutdown, the first one costing us two points on GDP, two points we lost on GDP, which probably made them quite happy, actually,» Trump said. «Now they have closed the agency responsible for protecting Americans from terrorists and murderers.»
Omar shouted, «You have killed Americans.» And was heard saying, «you are a murderer.»
4. Trump honors military heroism
Trump honored several members of the military stretching back to World War II Tuesday, delivering a series of emotional moments throughout the evening.
In addition to announcing Hellebuyck’s upcoming Presidential Medal of Freedom, Trump awarded military honors to two military pilots, a Coast Guard petty officer and two National Guard members Tuesday evening.
Trump awarded the Medal of Honor to 100-year-old naval aviator Royce Williams, a veteran of World War II, the Korean War and Vietnam.
«In 1952, Royce was in the dogfight of a lifetime legendary dogfight flying through blizzard conditions, his squadron was ambushed by seven Soviet fighter planes,» Trump recounted. «It was his first aerial combat of the war, and despite being massively outnumbered and outgunned, Royce led the takedown of four enemy jets and almost destroyed the others, vanquishing his adversaries while taking 263 bullets to his own plane and being seriously hurt. His story was secret for over 50 years. He didn’t even want to tell his wife, but the legend grew and grew.»
He also presented the Medal of Honor to Army Chief Warrant Officer Eric Slover, who piloted an Army Chinook helicopter during the January mission that captured Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro and was wounded by hostile fire.
Trump also recognized U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe with the Purple Heart after Wolfe was attacked on the streets of Washington, D.C., ahead of Thanksgiving 2025. Army Spc. Sarah Beckstrom, 20, was fatally injured in the same attack, and posthumously awarded the Purple Heart.
Coast Guard rescue swimmer Scott Ruskan received the Legion of Merit for extraordinary heroism after rescuing 165 people during the deadly Texas floods in July 2025. Trump reunited Ruskan with an 11-year-old girl he rescued in July 2025, Milly Cate McClymond.
UNSUNG HEROES OF 2025: FIRST RESPONDERS AND EVERYDAY AMERICANS WHO SAVED LIVES ACROSS US
President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address included a handful of top moments, including awards to military veterans and Democrat outbursts. (Kenny Holston-Pool/Getty Images)
«It was Scott’s first ever rescue mission,» the president said, describing him as young, but very brave. «He lifted not just Milly Cate, but 164 others to safety. People watched Scott from a distance and they couldn’t believe what they were seeing.»
«The winds were blowing, the rain was pouring, everything was going. And that rapid water, nobody’s ever seen anything like it,» Trump continued. «Tonight, Scott and Milly Cate are here together, reunited for the very first time.»
5. Young girl who nearly died in illegal immigrant-involved truck crash honored
Trump invited a wide-ranging swath of guests to his speech, from everyday moms to war veterans, as well as seven-year-old Dalilah Coleman.
Coleman nearly lost her life in 2024 in a multi-car pileup in California that involved a tractor trailer driven by an illegal immigrant.
«Dalilah Coleman was only five years old in June 2024, when an 18-wheel tractor trailer plowed into her stopped car, traveling at 60 miles an hour or more,» Trump said. «The driver was an illegal alien, let in by Joe Biden and given a commercial driver’s license by open borders, politicians and California.»
Dalilah Coleman nearly lost her life in 2024 in a multi-car pileup in California that involved a tractor trailer driven by an illegal immigrant. ( Win McNamee/Getty Images)
The Trump administration has cracked down on noncitizen truck drivers, tightening eligibility requirements for non-domiciled commercial learner’s permits (CLPs) and commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs) in September 2025 and Trump signing an executive order in April requiring truck drivers pass English literacy tests.
The crackdowns are aimed at increasing road safety.
Trump detailed the medical triumphs the young girl has made since the horrific crash, calling her a «great inspiration» as well as giving a shout out to her dad, Marcus Coleman, as «a fantastic man.»
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«Doctors said Dalilah would never be able to walk or talk, have a good life. She wouldn’t even be able to eat again. But against all odds, she is now in the first grade, learning to walk. And she’s here this evening with her dad, Marcus,» Trump said, as GOP lawmakers applauded the young girl.
Fox News Digital’s Elizabeth Elkind and Charles Creitz contributed to this report.
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INTERNACIONAL
Kim Jong Un taps teenage daughter as ‘missile general’ for North Korea nuclear program: reports
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North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has handed his teenage daughter a leadership role in the regime’s powerful «Missile Administration,» the body that oversees Pyongyang’s nuclear forces, South Korean media reported Monday.
The girl, Ju Ae, who is believed to be 13 or 14 years old, was assessed by South Korean intelligence received on Sunday to be acting as a «missile general director» while authorities monitor developments at the ongoing Ninth Congress of the ruling Workers’ Party, the reports said.
The Chosun Daily, citing high-level government sources familiar with the matter, said intelligence agencies obtained reports that Kim’s daughter has been elevated to the position.
While Jang Chang-ha is officially listed as director of the administration, intelligence suggested Kim’s daughter is receiving briefings from generals and issuing directives.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, center, and his daughter, Ju Ae, right, attend a ceremony on Saeppyol Street in Pyongyang. (KCNA via KNS / AFP via Getty Images)
South Korea’s National Intelligence Service recently told lawmakers that her public profile signals she is also in the «stage of being designated as a successor,» adding that circumstances have been seen where she provides opinions on policy, The Associated Press reported.
The teen has appeared alongside her father at high-profile military events, including intercontinental ballistic missile launches and weapons inspections.
North Korean state media first confirmed her existence in November 2022, and described her only as a «beloved child» when she accompanied Kim at the launch of the Hwasong-17 ICBM.
Her name has never been officially disclosed by Pyongyang.
NORTH KOREA TEST-LAUNCHES HYPERSONIC MISSILE SYSTEM IN FRONT OF KIM, NATION SAYS
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and his daughter, Ju Ae, celebrate the New Year, in Pyongyang, North Korea. (KCNA via Reuters)
Her reported role comes as Kim continues to showcase advances in the country’s weapons programs.
On Feb. 18, Kim was photographed taking the wheel of a nuclear-capable 600mm multiple rocket launcher in Pyongyang, touting it as among the most powerful of its kind.
State media showed rows of launch vehicles and said the rockets, which Kim claimed rival short-range ballistic missiles and use artificial intelligence in their guidance systems, have «completely changed» modern artillery warfare, Reuters reported.
As previously reported by Fox News Digital, Kim was re-elected general secretary of the ruling Workers’ Party of Korea on Feb.22, a decision announced by state-run media following the party’s Ninth Congress.
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North Korea has suspended all meaningful diplomacy with the United States and South Korea since the collapse of a 2019 summit between Kim and President Donald Trump.
This came over disagreements about sanctions relief in exchange for steps to wind down Kim’s nuclear and missile program.
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