World
UK’s NATO show of force ends with docked destroyer in Mediterranean after ‘technical’ issue
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
The United Kingdom’s only warship deployed to the eastern Mediterranean during the Iran conflict has been forced into port over a “technical” issue, abruptly sidelining a key piece of Britain’s regional military presence as pressure mounts on Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s handling of the crisis.
The docking of HMS Dragon — a Type 45 destroyer tasked with defending U.K. assets and projecting force near the conflict zone — weakens Britain’s visible military posture at a sensitive moment, as a fragile U.S.-brokered pause takes hold and criticism from Trump administration officials and conservative voices builds over delays and restrictions that they say damaged London’s credibility with allies.
HMS Dragon was facing issues with its “onboard water systems,” which impacted water provisions for sailors on board, The Daily Mail first reported.
MULTIPLE ALLIES DECLINE US CALLS FOR STRAIT OF HORMUZ SUPPORT AMID RISING MIDDLE EAST TENSIONS
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer discusses defense spending and naval capabilities, pictured alongside the Type 45 destroyer HMS Dragon (D35) featuring its distinctive red dragon bow art. (Justin Tallis/AFP via Getty Images; Phby Jaimi Joy-WPA Pool/Getty Images)
“HMS Dragon is undertaking a routine logistics stop and a short maintenance period in the Eastern Mediterranean, allowing the ship to take onboard provisions, optimise systems and conduct maintenance,” the Ministry of Defense said in a statement to the outlet.
The ministry said in a statement to the Daily Mail that if necessary the ship will be “able to sail at short notice.”
“The UK continues to maintain a robust and layered defensive presence in the Eastern Mediterranean, working in coordination with allies. This includes Typhoon and F-35 jets, Wildcat and Merlin helicopters, and advanced counter-drone and air defence systems.”
While the Iran war began on Feb. 28, the U.K. did not announce the deployment of HMS Dragon to protect its air bases in Cyprus until five days later. The announcement came a day after Iranian-backed militia group Hezbollah struck RAF Akrotiri, one of the United Kingdom’s air bases in Cyprus. HMS Dragon did not depart from Portsmouth, England, until March 10 — a week after Starmer’s announcement.
HEGSETH DECLARES ‘DECISIVE MILITARY VICTORY’ OVER IRAN
The Type 45 destroyer HMS Dragon is seen moored in the Royal Navy Dockyard on Oct. 28, 2024, in Portsmouth, England. Keir Starmer confirmed on March 3, 2026, that the HMS Dragon would be deployed in Cyprus. (Matt Cardy/Getty Images)
Trump and Starmer have been at odds since the conflict’s onset. While the United Kingdom has allowed the U.S. military to operate out of those bases, Starmer restricted the U.S. military from carrying out offensive missions from its bases. Trump compared Starmer’s approach to Iran to former United Kingdom Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain, who adopted an appeasement policy toward Nazi Germany during World War II.
During a press briefing, War Secretary Pete Hegseth on Wednesday called on “so-called allies,” referring to the United Kingdom, to “take notes” on what the U.S. and Israel accomplished.
Criticism of Starmer’s handling of Iran is also coming from United Kingdom Shadow Housing Secretary James Cleverly, a member of the Tory Party who is also a military reserve officer. Cleverly scrutinized Starmer’s decision to visit the Middle East after the ceasefire was brokered in an interview with GB News.
FARAGE SLAMS BRITISH PRIME MINISTER FOR ‘EXTRAORDINARY’ LACK OF SUPPORT FOR TRUMP’S IRAN STRIKES
“He was opposing the United States using their own aircraft from British bases. Then he was in favor of it. He delayed the decision to deploy British naval assets,” Cleverly said.
“He left British military personnel and our allies in the region not properly defended, and now he’s finally engaging properly with this situation,” Cleverly continued.
He claimed that Starmer’s conduct had cost the country “credibility on the world stage.”
President Donald Trump meets with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on July 28, 2025, in Turnberry, Scotland. (Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)
“I know a lot of our friends and allies in the region and beyond are very disappointed in Britain’s response. And that is entirely because of decisions that Keir Starmer failed to make,” Cleverly said.
British journalist Patrick Chrysty, host of GB News, also criticized the United Kingdom’s efforts in the Iran war. He called Secretary of Defense John Healey a “bumbling idiot.”
“It took us a month to get HMS Dragon to Cyprus after Iranian-backed terror group Hezbollah attacked our military base there… And right as the world holds its breath, HMS Dragon has a fault with its fresh water supply. It’s gone to dock for repairs. It’s out of action. This is an abomination!”
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
John Hemmings, director of the National Security Centre at the Henry Jackson Society, said in a statement to Fox News Digital that Starmer’s visit to the Gulf is his way of showing the United Kingdom is in support of Western allies’ efforts in Iran.
“UK Prime Minister Starmer’s trip to the Persian Gulf shows the pressure he is under to ‘fly the flag’ and it’s clear that he’s trying to use Britain’s traditional networks and connections amongst the Gulf Arabs. In some ways, the Starmer team’s behind-the-scenes mediation strengths were proven in the Hamas-Israel peace deal with Jonathan Powell leading,
“This time, Yvette Cooper at the FCDO has been in the lead, running a virtual meeting of over 40 countries to coordinate a response to Iran’s blockade in early April.”
Fox News Digital reached out to the U.K.’s Ministry of Defense for comment.
World
AI ‘Organisms’ Come Alive in Kuala Lumpur as Dutch Artist Unveils Immersive Show
Digital lifeforms are taking over Kuala Lumpur.
“Algorithmic Organisms 2.0,” an AI-driven immersive audiovisual exhibition from Dutch artist Ray Tijssen, opened at The Grey Box, GMBB Kuala Lumpur, ahead of a public run through July 19.
The show weaves together AI, generative imagery, immersive audio and spatial narrative design, which organizers describe as producing a living, evolving environment. It is organized by Jazzy Group of Companies and presented by MAISEAT, with support from the National Art Gallery of Malaysia (Balai Seni Negara). The Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Kuala Lumpur also backed the project.
The opening drew figures from the arts and creative industries alongside media, strategic partners, cultural institutions and members of the diplomatic community.
“More than a traditional exhibition, it invites audiences into a living audiovisual environment where AI-generated imagery, immersive sound, and digital lifeforms continuously evolve in real time. It challenges the way we experience art, not as passive observers, but as participants within the work itself,” said Joanne Goh, founder and CEO of Jazzy Group of Companies, in her opening remarks.
Goh added that the project reflects Jazzy Group’s broader push to bring internationally minded creative programming to Malaysia and to foster dialogue across art, technology and culture.
Dutch audiovisual artist and Creative Director 0010×0010, known offstage as Ray Tijssen, joined the ceremony to present the curatorial thinking behind the show, touching on the interplay between technology and creativity and the visitor journey the exhibition is designed to deliver. Tijssen, who is based in Los Angeles and serves as creative director of SQNXR, has built a career around immersive visual installations, sound design and AI-driven imaging systems. Variety first reported on the exhibition in April, when it was announced as a sidebar installation to the Malaysia International Film Festival’s 2026 edition, set to run July 18-25 in Kuala Lumpur.
Goh and Tijssen, joined by representatives of the exhibition’s presenting and supporting partners, performed a ribbon-cutting to mark the official opening. Tijssen then led guests on a walkthrough of the installations, unpacking how artificial intelligence, sound design and generative visuals work together to keep the show’s audiovisual landscape in constant flux.
The evening closed with a cocktail reception featuring live DJ sets and synchronized audiovisual projections.
Tijssen will extend the exhibition’s themes with “Machine Vision & Human Expression: An Interactive Masterclass with 0010×0010,” set for July 4 at the National Art Gallery of Malaysia.
Jazzy Group of Companies also founded and organizes the Malaysia International Film Festival (MIFFest) and has a footprint spanning film production, distribution and exhibition across Asia and beyond.
World
Interpol issues red notice for Ukrainian woman wanted for Monaco apartment bombing targeting oligarch
Ukraine, Russia peace efforts stall as strikes intensify
Ukraine has intensified its aerial offensive, launching drone strikes deep inside Russia, hitting a refinery in Russian-held Crimea and a Moscow oil tank. Senior foreign affairs correspondent Greg Palkot reports that these actions aim to send a message to Moscow as peace negotiations between the two nations remain stalled.
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
The International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) issued a red notice Friday for Anastasiia Berezovska, a 39-year-old Ukrainian national suspected of bombing a Monaco apartment building that reportedly targeted a Russian-linked Ukrainian oligarch.
The June 30 apartment building explosion, according to numerous media reports, injured Vadym Yermolaiev, a Ukrainian-born construction magnate.
While declining to identify any of the victims by name, Monaco public prosecutor Stéphane Thibault also revealed the explosion injured a woman and a 13-year-old child in the apartment who media reports widely claim to be members of Yermolaiev’s family.
‘PARCEL BOMB’ EXPLODES IN MONACO RESIDENTIAL AREA, LEAVING 2 CRITICALLY INJURED: REPORTS
Berezovska, according to Interpol, is now wanted on charges of attempted murder, depositing an explosive device on a public highway with criminal intent and criminal association.
Interpol identified the Ukrainian national as a dark-haired German-speaking woman who possibly has a tattoo of a snake on her arm.
Surveillance photo of Anastasiia Berezovska (Interpol)
The 39-year-old suspect was initially believed to be a heavy-set man. Monaco Deputy Prosecutor Morgan Raymond even initially referred to the suspect in masculine terms.
“He stood up a few meters ahead of the victims, placed an explosive device taken from his shopping bag on the entrance steps of the building, then turned to confirm the presence of the three victims before triggering the explosion using a remote control,” Raymond said at an initial news conference after the incident.
RUSSIA UNLEASHES NEARLY 600 MISSILES AND DRONES ON KYIV IN DEADLIEST STRIKE SINCE MAY
Prosecutors reviewed footage of the days leading up to the explosion, finding that a man wearing a fishing hat repeatedly cased the apartment building and surrounding area. However, on June 28, the man was absent from security footage. Instead, a woman — who prosecutors now believe to be Berezovska — followed the same patterns as the man.
Surveillance photo of Anastasiaa Berezovska (Interpol)
“The repeated reconnaissance operations and the pauses made in front of the building clearly demonstrate the intention to specifically target the three victims,” Raymond said.
Investigators tracked her escape across the Monaco-France border, through Italy and into Germany, where authorities are now actively looking for her. They raided her Frankfurt apartment Thursday.
Raymond noted that the sophistication of her explosive device gives prosecutors reason to believe she did not act alone.
“The relative sophistication of the explosive device and the modus operandi appear to indicate that the person who placed the device was not acting alone,” Morgan said.
The damaged entrance of a residential building after an explosion in Monaco June 30, 2026. (Reuters/Alexandre Dimou)
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Though authorities have provided no motive, Yermolaiev’s status as a sanctioned former Ukrainian is notable.
The 58-year-old construction tycoon renounced his Ukrainian citizenship in 2017, Ukrainian media reported, and has been a citizen of Cyprus since 2019.
In 2023, the Ukrainian government sanctioned him for allegedly continuing to engage with Russia, paying taxes to Moscow and facilitating business transactions through his liquor business in Crimea, a Ukrainian peninsula which Russia annexed in 2014.
World
Germany’s Merz defends NATO spending after Trump calls it ‘ridiculous’
Back and forth over defence spending comes as NATO leaders set to meet in Ankara next week.
Published On 3 Jul 2026
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has defended his country’s NATO defence spending, shortly after US President Donald Trump re-upped his criticism of alliance members.
The statement on Friday came as NATO leaders were set to meet next week in Ankara. Trump has decried defence spending by members of the bloc throughout his political career, calling the balance of spending “ridiculous” and “one-sided” in his latest Truth Social posts on the issue earlier this week.
list of 3 itemsend of listRecommended Stories
In one post, Trump said Germany’s spending was “MUCH LOWER” between 2014 and 2025 than the US or other NATO allies, which he again called “Ridiculous!”
When asked about the comment, Merz said Germany would double its defence budget within four years.
“This is the greatest effort we have ever made to strengthen our defence capabilities. In this respect, we have no reason to shy away from anyone,” Merz said.
“We will state this, with all due modesty, and we are doing so as the European Union’s largest member state, bearing a responsibility within Europe,” he said.
US and European ties have been strained throughout Trump’s first term from 2017 to 2021 and his current term, which began in January 2025.
However, while largely dismissive of the president during his first four years in office, several European leaders have sought a more amenable approach to the president this time around.
At the behest of the US, NATO leaders agreed to spend 3.5 percent of their countries’ GDP on core defence items, such as weapons and troops, by 2035, an increase of the previous goal set by the bloc of 2 percent of its GDP.
However, relations have since frayed over several issues, including Trump’s pledges to take control of the autonomous Danish territory of Greenland. Denmark is a member of NATO.
The US-Israeli war in Iran has also proven to be a major wedge, with Trump launching the conflict without consulting European allies who have dealt with the fallout of the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump had repeatedly condemned European allies for not joining the war effort.
Merz, meanwhile, roiled the president by saying in April the US had been “humiliated” by Iran. Trump, in turn, said the US would withdraw 5,000 troops currently stationed in Germany.
Speaking on Friday, Merz said Germany was ahead of schedule to reach its NATO commitments.
“We will reach the 3.5 percent benchmark set in The Hague as early as 2029,” he told reporters, “well ahead of the agreed deadline”.
-
Movie Reviews3 minutes agoThe Kernel: Freshly popped film reviews — Batch #6 – Excalibur
-
World15 minutes agoAI ‘Organisms’ Come Alive in Kuala Lumpur as Dutch Artist Unveils Immersive Show
-
Health38 minutes agoIs Skipping Breakfast Bad? The Weight-Loss Truth May Surprise You
-
Lifestyle53 minutes agoNearly half of Americans surveyed don’t know what America 250 commemorates
-
Technology1 hour agoAmazon updated 2023’s Fire HD 10 tablet with 4GB of RAM
-
World1 hour agoInterpol issues red notice for Ukrainian woman wanted for Monaco apartment bombing targeting oligarch
-
Politics1 hour agoMamdani blasts ICE agents, Elon Musk and ‘supremacy’ in America 250 speech ahead of July 4 weekend
-
Health1 hour agoWhat killed Americans in 1776? The answer is dramatically different from today