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Pope Leo XIV condemns ‘antisemitic violence’ after massacre in Sydney: ‘We must eliminate hatred’

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Pope Leo XIV condemns ‘antisemitic violence’ after massacre in Sydney: ‘We must eliminate hatred’

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Pope Leo XIV on Monday condemned “antisemitic violence” in the aftermath of the mass shooting in Sydney, Australia, in which a father and son opened fire on a crowd attending a Hanukkah celebration.

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The pope prayed for the victims and the “gift of peace and fraternity” this holiday season as he spoke during an audience with the donors of the Vatican’s Christmas decorations.

“We pray for those who suffer from war and violence, in particular today I want to entrust to the Lord the victims of the terrorist attack in Sydney against the Jewish community,” the pontiff said on Monday.

“Enough of these forms of antisemitic violence!” he continued. “We must eliminate hatred from our hearts.”

AUSTRALIA TERROR ATTACK: 16 DEAD, INCLUDING GUNMAN, AFTER FATHER-SON DUO OPENS FIRE ON JEWISH COMMUNITY

Pope Leo XIV hugs a child at the end of an audience with donors of the Christmas tree and nativity scene set up in St. Peter’s Square, in the Paul VI Hall, at the Vatican, Monday, Dec. 15, 2025. (AP)

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Leo made similar prayers in an official telegram of condolence sent to the archbishop of Sydney, Most. Rev. Anthony Fisher.

The pope prayed “with renewed hope that those tempted to violence will undergo conversion and seek the path of peace and solidarity,” according to the telegram signed by the Vatican secretary of state.

At least 15 victims were killed and dozens more were wounded in the massacre over the weekend on Sydney’s Bondi Beach, where hundreds had gathered for a “Chanukah by the Sea” event celebrating the beginning of the Jewish festival. One of the gunmen was shot and killed by police while the other was hospitalized with injuries.

A man identified as Ahmed al Ahmed has been praised as a hero for tackling and disarming one of the gunmen. He was shot but is recovering in a hospital.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese denounced the shooting as an act of antisemitic terrorism and vowed to strengthen the country’s already strict gun laws.

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Pope Leo XIV shakes hands with Sister Raffaella Petrini, President of the Vatican City State at the end of an audience with donors of the Christmas tree and nativity scene set up at the Vatican, Monday, Dec. 15, 2025. (AP)

The attack was an “act of pure evil, an act of antisemitism, an act of terrorism,” Albanese said.

Leo also issued a strong anti-abortion message during the audience with the donors of the Vatican’s Christmas decorations, which he described as a sign of “faith and hope.”

The pope said the evergreen fir trees donated by various Italian regions “are a sign of life and recall the hope that isn’t lacking even in the winter cold.”

He said another sign of life was reflected in the Nativity scene in the Vatican’s audience hall, which was donated by Costa Rica. It featured 28,000 ribbons representing embryos that were not aborted.

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GAL GADOT, ASHTON KUTCHER CONDEMN ANTISEMITIC TERROR ATTACK AT BONDI BEACH HANUKKAH EVENT

Ribbons representing lives saved from abortion according to Catholic groups are seen on Nacimiento Gaudium, a nativity scene set during an audience led by Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican, Monday, Dec. 15, 2025. (AP)

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“Each of these 28,000 colored ribbons that decorate the scene represent a life saved from abortion thanks to the prayer and support provided by Catholic organizations to many mothers in need,” the pontiff said.

Leo thanked the artist for the message affirming that “life is protected from conception.”

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The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Iranian man, 2nd person arrested after allegedly trying to enter UK nuclear missile base: report

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Iranian man, 2nd person arrested after allegedly trying to enter UK nuclear missile base: report

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Two people were arrested after allegedly unsuccessfully attempting to enter HM Naval Base Clyde in Scotland on Thursday, authorities confirmed to Fox News Digital. 

One suspect was an Iranian man, while the other was a woman of unknown nationality, The Telegraph reported.

“Around 5pm on Thursday, 19 March, 2026, we were made aware of two people attempting to enter HM Naval Base Clyde,” Police Scotland said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “A 34-year-old man and 31-year-old woman have been arrested in connection and enquiries are ongoing.”

The Telegraph reported that the man was Iranian, while the woman’s nationality was not immediately known. Citing the Times, the Telegraph said the suspects were turned away from the base because they lacked the correct passes and were later arrested nearby for allegedly “acting suspiciously in the vicinity.”

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IRAN’S NEW SUPREME LEADER LINKED TO PROPERTIES WITH ‘LINE OF SIGHT’ INTO ISRAELI UK EMBASSY

HMS Artful, an Astute-class nuclear-powered fleet submarine, is shown at His Majesty’s Naval Base Clyde on March 4, 2025, in Faslane, Scotland. (Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)

A Royal Navy spokesperson said in a statement to Fox News Digital, “Police Scotland have arrested two people who unsuccessfully attempted to enter HM Naval Base Clyde on Thursday 19 March. As the matter is subject to an ongoing investigation, we will not comment further.”

HM Naval Base Clyde — commonly known as Faslane — is considered the primary base for the United Kingdom’s missile fleet.

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A general view of His Majesty’s Naval Base Clyde on March 4, 2025, in Faslane, Scotland. (Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)

The Royal Navy says the base is home “to the core of the Submarine Service, including the nation’s nuclear deterrent, and the new generation of hunter-killer submarines.”

The U.K. Parliament says the Royal Navy currently operates a fleet of nine submarines, with the entire fleet based at HM Naval Base Clyde.

His Majesty’s Naval Base (HMNB) Clyde, also known as Faslane, hosts the U.K.’s nuclear submarines, which are armed with Trident missiles and serve as the U.K.’s nuclear deterrent. (Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)

 

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“Five of those are conventionally-armed nuclear-powered attack submarines of the Astute class. A further four are ballistic missiles submarines (SSBN) of the Vanguard class that comprise the UK’s submarine-based nuclear deterrent,” it added.

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Iran’s Khamenei says enemy ‘defeated’ in written Nowruz message

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Iran’s Khamenei says enemy ‘defeated’ in written Nowruz message

Mojtaba Khamenei has not been seen in public since he replaced his slain father as Iran’s supreme leader.

Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has said Iran’s enemies were being “defeated” in a written message for the Persian New Year, as the US and Israel continue to pound the country with attacks.

In a statement read on Iranian television on Friday, Khamenei praised the steadfastness of the Iranian people marking Nowruz, which he said ushered in ‌the year of a “resistance economy under national unity and national security”.

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“At the moment, due to the particular unity that has been created between you, our compatriots – despite all the differences in religious, intellectual, cultural and political origins – the enemy has been defeated,” he said.

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Khamenei has not been seen in public since he became supreme leader, following the assassination of his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, at the start of the war on February 28.

Iran’s supreme leader said that while the US and Israel believed that after one or two days of attacks, the Iranian people would overthrow the government, but this was a “gross miscalculation”.

The war was launched under “the delusion that if the pinnacle of the regime and certain influential military figures were to attain martyrdom, it would instil fear and despair in our dear people … and through this means, the dream of dominating Iran and subsequently dismembering it would be realised”, he said.

Instead, “a fracture has emerged in the enemy,” he added.

Analysts have observed that the Iranian constitution itself was drafted with the spectre of a power vacuum in mind, a “survival protocol” designed to give the system the capacity to continue even at a moment of maximum shock.

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Khamenei also denied that Iran or its ‌allied forces were responsible for attacks ⁠against Turkiye and ⁠Oman.

Those were “false flag” incidents used by Iran’s enemy to “sow discord among neighbours, and it may occur in other countries as well”, he claimed.

The Turkish Ministry of National Defence last week said NATO air defences intercepted a ballistic missile launched from Iran. Two people were killed in Oman after drones came down in the Sohar province.

The supreme leader also called on Afghanistan and Pakistan to end their fighting and said he stood ready to assist.

“We consider our eastern neighbours to be very close to us”, the supreme leader said. “I appeal to our two brotherly countries, Afghanistan and Pakistan, to establish better relations with each other … and I myself am ready to take the necessary actions.”

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The neighbouring countries agreed to a temporary “pause” in hostilities during the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr this week, after weeks of deadly violence.

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Natasha Lyonne Posts Health Update Two Months After Relapse: ‘Doing a Whole Lot Better and Back on Her Feet’

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Natasha Lyonne Posts Health Update Two Months After Relapse: ‘Doing a Whole Lot Better and Back on Her Feet’

Natasha Lyonne is thanking fans for their support after she revealed in January that she had relapsed and was no longer sober. “Proud to report this kid is doing a whole lot better and back on her feet,” she wrote.

“Want to thank our recovery communities and the fans who stood by and were so supportive. Aiming to keep the journey somehow private, but look forward to sharing my experience, strength and hope as makes sense.”

Lyonne struggled with addiction to drugs and alcohol throughout the 2000s.

After attending the Sundance Film Festival in late January, the “Poker Face” star wrote that she had relapsed and then added, “Recovery is a lifelong process. Anyone out there struggling, remember you’re not alone. Grateful for love & smart feet. Gonna do it for baby Bambo. Stay honest, folks. Sick as our secrets. If no one told ya today, I love you. No matter how far down the scales we have gone, we will see how our experience may help another. Keep going, kiddos. Don’t quit before the miracle. Wallpaper your mind with love. Rest is all noise & baloney.”

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“Poker Face” was canceled at Peacock in November, though Lyonne and producer MRC were shopping a new version that would star Peter Dinklage as the bullshit-detecting detective.

Lyonne has several feature projects in the works: She is set to write and direct the indie film “Bambo” about a New York boxing promoter and was previously set to make her directing debut with “Uncanny Valley,” produced by her AI film studio Asteria Film Co.

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