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Two suspected American communist insurgents killed in clash in the Philippines

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Two suspected American communist insurgents killed in clash in the Philippines

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Two Americans have died in the Philippines during a military engagement that the government said involved communist-linked groups.

Lyle Prijoles, 40, and transgender woman Kai Dana-Rene Sorem, 26, were among the 19 people killed last month during a firefight between the Philippine Army and suspected members of a communist insurgency.

The U.S.-born Filipino Americans are now at the center of a disputed encounter, with critics alleging the two were active combatants for the New People’s Army (NPA), the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), which has been designated a foreign terrorist organization by the U.S. State Department. Human rights groups and the NPA, however, reportedly maintain that the pair were civilian activists who posed no military threat.

According to the City Journal, the two Americans were first exposed to left-wing ideology through college-linked institutions that critics say helped pave the way to involvement with groups the Philippine government has long argued serve as fronts for the CPP.

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FAMILIAR PROTEST GROUPS MOBILIZE IMMEDIATELY AFTER ICE SHOOTING OF MINNESOTA PROTESTER

Members of the local Filipino youth diaspora, Anakbayan Alberta, react during the protest on Sunday, May 15, 2022. (young filipino group react during protest)

“This brings to two (2) the number of U.S. citizens—Lyle Prijoles and Kai Dana-Rene Sorem—who died in the same incident, a development that highlights the increasing involvement of individuals from outside the Philippines in local armed hostilities,” the Philippines’ National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) said.

“The presence of two American fatalities in a single encounter should prompt careful reflection on how involvement in certain activities or networks may lead to unintended exposure to dangerous environments.”

On April 19, Philippine troops engaged in an armed encounter in Toboso, Negros Occidental, according to the NTF-ELCAC. The agency characterized the 19 dead as enemy combatants during an operation aimed at dismantling the decades-long communist insurgency in the Philippines.

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On the other hand, family members and human rights advocates reportedly described Prijoles and Sorem as dedicated civilian community activists. The NPA acknowledged that 10 of those killed were members of its armed revolutionary force, but claimed the remaining victims — including several activists such as Prijoles and Sorem — posed no military threat, the San Francisco Standard reported.

INSIDE THE FAR LEFT ‘BREEDING GROUND’ UNIVERSITIES ALLEGED WHCD CALLED HOME FOR YEARS

Members of the League of Filipino Students (LFS) from various schools and universities clash with the police in Manila on Nov. 13, 2025. (NurPhoto/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

In 2012, Prijoles, a Filipino American born and raised in San Diego, California, was involved with Anakbayan, which translates to “Children of the Nation,” a prominent left-wing youth and student organization founded in the Philippines in 1998. Anakbayan-USA operates across several major U.S. college campuses and has drawn scrutiny from critics over its opposition to U.S. involvement in the Philippines. 

His activism reportedly began after attending San Francisco State University around 2004, when he joined the League of Filipino Students (LFS), a left-wing political alliance rooted in Marxist, Leninist and Maoist ideology, the City Journal said.

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After 2006, Prijoles reportedly made several trips to the Philippines organized by Bayan USA, another left-wing activist network. The Philippine government has alleged that both organizations function as fronts for the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP).

Prijoles also may have harbored animosity toward the Armed Forces of the Philippines after his friend — the father of his godchild and chairperson of the U.S. chapter of the International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines — survived a 2019 assassination attempt that left him paralyzed, according to City Journal.

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Philippine Navy personnel are deployed to the area as members of the League of Filipino Students (LFS) from various schools and universities march towards the U.S. Embassy in Manila on Nov. 13, 2015. (George Calvelo/NurPhoto)

Meanwhile, Kai Dana Sorem was a Filipino American from Seattle whose political development was initially shaped by a search for personal and cultural identity, according to advocacy group Malaya Movement.

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Her early political involvement reportedly included serving as a legislative page for the Washington State Democratic Party. Sorem later deepened her activism within left-wing Filipino diaspora organizations while attending the Central Washington University in 2020. She later launched the South Seattle chapter of Anakbayan, Malaya Movement said.  

In 2025, Sorem reportedly traveled to the Philippines on a U.S.-based exposure trip, and by 2026, she had relocated to the country full-time to work as an organizer.

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Bolivia’s president reshuffles cabinet amid anti-government protests

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Bolivia’s president reshuffles cabinet amid anti-government protests
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Bolivian President Rodrigo Paz has announced a cabinet reshuffle and other measures as protests demanding his resignation continue. Paz said the government wants to build a collaborative government with broader participation from social and economic groups.

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Athlos, Ohanian’s Women-Only Track Meet, to Expand to London

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Athlos, Ohanian’s Women-Only Track Meet, to Expand to London

Athlos, the women’s track and field meet spearheaded by Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, is expanding to London this fall, according to a source with direct knowledge of the situation.

Now entering its third year, Athlos is among a new vanguard of professional track and field events aimed at modernizing the sport for the streaming era and growing its audience in non-Olympic years. Athlos, held for the past two years at Icahn Stadium in New York City, is unique among them for featuring only women’s events.

Athlos earlier this week announced it will be returning to Icahn on Oct. 2 for one of two 2026 meets and teased that the competition is “going global.” Sportico has since learned that the international meet will take place on Sept. 18 at StoneX Stadium in North London.

Ohanian didn’t have an immediate comment.

Athlos debuted in 2024 on the heels of the Paris Olympics, staging races featuring gold medalist sprinters Gabby Thomas and Masai Russell; rapper Megan Thee Stallion hosted a post-event concert.

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Ohanian in recent years has invested in various women’s sports, including NWSL’s Angel City FC, Chelsea FC Women and League One Volleyball Los Angeles. On Tuesday, he appeared on SportsCenter to share news of expanded prize money for the two-city Athlos meet this year, including a purse of $2.1 million and equity for participating athletes.

The forthcoming London meet will take place after two other high-profile pro track and field meets in Europe. World Athletics, the sport’s international governing body, is debuting a new competition from Sept. 11-13 in Budapest it is calling the “Ultimate Championship,” featuring reigning winners from the Olympics, World Championships and the Diamond League, the sport’s traditional circuit of professional meets. This year’s Diamond League series concludes Sept. 5 in Brussels.

Athlos and Grand Slam Track, another newcomer athletics series, debuted in the wake of the Paris Olympics with the goal of hosting more elite track and field meets in the U.S., which has had a paucity of high-level competition compared to Europe.

Grand Slam Track, founded by retired Olympic champion sprinter and television analyst Michael Johnson, has been hobbled by ongoing bankruptcy proceedings after losing funding during its kickoff season in 2025.

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Mamdani won’t attend Israel Day Parade, breaking decades-long mayoral tradition amid antisemitism surge

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Mamdani won’t attend Israel Day Parade, breaking decades-long mayoral tradition amid antisemitism surge

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Democratic-socialist Mayor Zohran Mamdani of New York City is being slammed by Jewish groups for his decision to miss the city’s historic Israel Day Parade. His decision comes as the Big Apple wrestles with record levels of antisemitism.

Home to the largest Jewish population outside of Israel, Jewish New Yorkers have long viewed the annual parade as one of the city’s clearest public displays of solidarity with both the Jewish state and the community. On Tuesday, two of the city’s most prominent Jewish organizations declined an invitation to a Jewish heritage event held at Gracie Mansion in response to Mamdani’s latest snub.

“Since the very first Israel Parade in 1964, every single sitting Mayor of New York City has joined in the festive celebrations. New York has historically been proud of its deep relationship with Israel. Not joining the parade is an affront to the history of New York City,” Moshe Davis, former executive director of the Mayor’s Office to Combat Antisemitism under Mayor Eric Adams, told Fox News Digital.

NYC ANTISEMITIC INCIDENTS NEARLY TRIPLE DESPITE OTHER CRIMES REACHING RECORD LOWS

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Marchers hold flags during the Celebrate Israel Parade on June 2, 2024, in New York City. (Roy Rochlin/Getty Images)

Earlier this month, Mamdani officially confirmed that he would not attend the event, despite soaring antisemitism in New York City and weeks of anti-Israel demonstrations outside synagogues and Jewish communal institutions across the city. Parade, organizers say the event on May 31 is expected to draw record turnout in response to Mamdani’s snub.

While the mayor had previously indicated during an October 2025 interview with the Jewish Telegraphic Agency that he would likely not attend as a matter of political principle, his renewed public confirmation has led to growing criticism.

Fox News Digital reached out to Mamdani’s office regarding the criticism from Jewish leaders over not attending the parade and were referred by his spokesman to a statement he had given to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency.

Anti-Israel demonstrators try to enter the Brooklyn Museum, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, in New York City, May 31, 2024. (Eduardo Munoz/Reuters)

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ERIC ADAMS WARNS NYC ‘NOT FINE’ AFTER MAMDANI’S WIN, SAYS IF HE WAS JEWISH HE’D BE WORRIED FOR HIS CHILDREN

“I look forward to joining and hosting many community events celebrating Jewish life in New York and the rich Jewish history and culture of our city. While I will not be attending the Israel Day Parade, my lack of attendance should not be mistaken for a refusal to provide security or the necessary permits for its safety. I’ve been very clear: I believe in equal rights for all people everywhere. That principle guides me consistently.”

Community leaders say the decision breaks with decades of bipartisan tradition in a city where participation in the parade has long been viewed as both symbolic and expected.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani is once again raising eyebrows, this time over a resurfaced clip in which he says, “Israel is not a place, it is not a country.” (Reuters/Jeenah Moon and iStock)

Despite the mayor declining the invitation, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul’s spokesperson confirmed to Fox News Digital that she will participate in the parade.

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Organizers say this year’s event is expected to feature more marching groups than ever before, driven not only by support for Israel but also by concern over rising antisemitism.

One person associated with the parade told Fox News Digital the event is expected to be “safer at the parade than in your own home,” citing extensive security coordination surrounding this year’s march.

Still, much of the conversation surrounding the parade has centered on Mamdani’s absence.

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During his mayoral campaign, Mamdani suggested he would likely “miss a lot” of New York City’s traditional parades due to his political views, while evaluating appearances “case-by-case.”

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Mayor Eric Adams marches up Fifth Avenue during the Israel Parade on June 4, 2023, in New York City.  (John Lamparski/Getty Images)

Critics argue the Israel Day Parade is not simply another political event, but a long-standing civic tradition closely tied to New York City’s Jewish identity and history.

“The Israel Day Parade is a testament to one of New York City’s most important relationships. From healthcare to technology to innovation, Israel and New York City are partners in building a better future. I want every New Yorker to join the Parade on Fifth Avenue because celebrating this bond isn’t just for the Jewish community, it’s for our entire city,” former Mayor Eric Adams told Fox News Digital.

Anti-Israel activists protest outside the United Nations headquarters in New York, on April 7, 2025. (Selcuk Acar/Anadolu via Getty Images)

The controversy surrounding Mamdani has also widened beyond the parade itself, with the UJA Federation of New York and the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York declining to attend his first Jewish Heritage event for the upcoming Jewish holiday of Shavuot at Gracie Mansion, stating they would not participate in an event hosted by a mayor who “denies the core pillar of our heritage, the State of Israel as the homeland of the Jewish people.”

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At the event, Mamdani acknowledged the scale of antisemitism facing the city’s Jewish population, stating, “Jewish New Yorkers, accounting for just nearly 12% of our city’s population, are also the targets of more than 50% of all hate crimes.”

He also announced a proposed $26 million annual investment toward expanding hate crime prevention efforts under the city’s Office for the Prevention of Hate Crimes. Details of the proposal were not clear regarding how he would tackle antisemitism at time of publication.

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Ambassador Rabbi Yehuda Kaploun, Trump’s special envoy to monitor and combat antisemitism, told Fox News Digital when asked about Mamdani’s position, “It is important we recognize the need for leaders to uphold their responsibility to protect religious freedom and refrain from making incendiary comments that contribute to the rise of antisemitism. Leaders who fail to do so bear responsibility for the increase in antisemitic activity.”

This year’s parade is also expected to feature expanded interfaith participation. In a first for the event’s 61-year history, some Muslim groups are slated to march alongside Jewish organizations, in addition to expanded participation from Asian American groups and others.

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