Israeli authorities have strongly criticized the United Nations after the organization allegedly placed Israeli entities on a list related to sexual violence, a list that also features the terrorist group Hamas.

“We are finished with this UN Secretary-General. Guterres has equated Israel with Hamas, ISIS, and some of the most vile terrorist organizations globally. This is an ethical outrage, showing Guterres has completely lost credibility,” stated Israel’s ambassador to the U.N., Danny Danon, in a message relayed to Fox News Digital.

Danon’s spokesperson announced that Israel is officially halting communications with the UN Secretary-General’s office as long as Antonio Guterres remains in charge.

The ambassador accused Guterres of adding Israeli entities to a blacklist focused on sexual violence in conflict areas, leading him to suspend interactions with the Secretary-General’s office.

UN DRAFT REPORT ON CHILDREN IN CONFLICT ZONES SPARKS CONCERN OVER ITS PORTRAYAL OF ISRAELIS

Ambassador Danny Danon of Israel speaks during a joint press briefing with former hostage Ilana Gritzewsky at U.N. Headquarters on Aug. 27, 2025. (Lev Radin/Pacific Press/LightRocket)

“We are a strong democracy. We invited the representatives of the U.N. to come to Israel to check those ridiculous allegations. They chose not to come. They chose to continue with the campaign against Israel. We saw the lies in The New York Times, and now we see another lie coming from the U.N.,” Danon said in a video shared with Fox News Digital.

“We are done with this Secretary-General,” he concluded.

The United Nations has not confirmed the inclusion of Israel on a sexual blacklist. The U.N. did not respond to an inquiry from Fox News Digital.

Fox News Digital also reached out to The New York Times for comment.

ISRAEL FOREIGN MINISTRY CONDEMNS NEW YORK TIMES PIECE AS ‘ONE OF THE WORST BLOOD LIBELS’ IN MODERN PRESS

The Jerusalem Post first reported Wednesday night that the Israeli Prison Service will be included on the U.N.’s list of countries that commit sexual violence in conflict zones.

In early May, The New York Times published an opinion piece from writer Nicholas Kristof accusing Israeli prison guards of conducting institutionalized sexual abuse of Palestinian prisoners. Kristof cited a 2025 U.N. report that called alleged Israeli sexual abuse of Palestinians “standard operating procedures towards Palestinians.”

New York Times opinion columnist Nicholas Kristof wrote a piece titled “The Silence That Meets the Rape of Palestinians.” (Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images)

Israeli officials strongly rejected the piece’s premises and accused Kristof and the Times of blood libel, threatening to sue the outlet in American courts.

THE UN’S BETRAYAL AND ISRAEL’S FIGHT FOR TRUTH

“In an unfathomable inversion of reality, and through an endless stream of baseless lies, propagandist Nicholas Kristof turns the victim into the accused. Israel -— whose citizens were the victims of the most horrific sexual crimes committed by Hamas on October 7, and whose hostages were later subjected to further sexual abuse -— is portrayed as the guilty party,” the Israel Foreign Ministry wrote in a post on X in response to the Times piece.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry further commented Thursday on the reported U.N. blacklisting.

Secretary-General Antonio Guterres speaks about the Israel and Hamas ceasefire deal at the United Nations in New York City on Jan. 15, 2025. (Eduardo Munoz/Reuters)

“Over the past year, Israel’s Ambassador to the UN and the Israeli delegation held a series of meetings with U.N. representatives and provided documents, data, as well as a detailed response to all the allegations that were raised. Despite this, the U.N. Secretary-General chose to advance a political decision and include Israel alongside Hamas and terrorist organizations,” the foreign ministry wrote in a statement shared with Fox News Digital.

“The shameful and absurd U.N. decision to include Israeli entities in the annex to the CRSV report is further proof of the UN’s true nature: a politicized and corrupt organization that has abandoned its founding principles and systematically targets Israel as its primary mission. This decision is yet another example of the UN’s long-standing, institutionalized hostility toward Israel. Today’s decision must be understood in its true context: an attempt to create a fake symmetry between Israel and the real sexual atrocities committed by Hamas. This is its sole motivation. The person behind this farce is Antonio Guterres,” the statement continued.

“This is the same Guterres who sought to ‘contextualize’ the October 7 massacre, who covered up the involvement of UN employees in those atrocities, and who has dragged the UN to its lowest point. Guterres is now exploiting his final months as Secretary-General to fabricate baseless accusations against Israel, completely devoid of any factual merit. Israel has comprehensively, thoroughly, and unequivocally refuted these allegations. Given that António Guterres has chosen to violate every standard of honesty, integrity, and professionalism, Israel has decided to sever all ties with the Secretary-General’s Office and will wait until a new UN Secretary-General is appointed,” the statement concluded.

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During a concert in Washington, D.C., music legend Bruce Springsteen took a moment to address a pressing social issue, denouncing Newark’s Delaney Hall immigration detention center. This came amidst ongoing tensions between activists and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents.

The 76-year-old artist paused his performance at Nationals Park on Wednesday, part of his Land of Hope and Dreams American Tour, to speak out before singing “My City of Ruins.”

“Across the country, immigrants are detained in for-profit centers like Delaney Hall in New Jersey, my home state,” Springsteen stated, referencing a video circulating online. “Even our governor has been denied access to these facilities to discuss the conditions with the detainees.”

Springsteen’s remarks were met with mixed reactions from the audience, including some boos.

In a show of solidarity, Springsteen led the crowd in chanting “ICE out!” and urged them to ensure their voices were heard, saying, “Let ’em hear you at the White House.”

“We are living through troubles and troubling times,” he stressed. 

Springsteen’s politically-charged track “Streets of Minneapolis” was among the songs he performed – which was created in response to the killings of Renée Good and Alex Pretti.

He claimed ICE agents had “brought death and terror” to the city but said locals “stood shoulder-to-shoulder for their neighbors,” the Hill reported.

“The Gestapo tactics of this president and this administration will not stand here,” Springsteen said, attacking Trump once again.

At the end of the track, pictures of Good and Pretti were projected above the stage.

Springsteen also critiqued the Supreme Court and Trump’s Department of Justice during his tirade.

Meanwhile, keffiyeh-clad and masked left-wing agitators continue to clash with immigration agents outside the facility, which has been the center of heated protests for the past week.

Video shared by Freedom News showed anti-ICE demonstrators blocking agents’ cars outside the facility.

At one point, the hood of an ICE vehicle almost touched a protester – before swarms of tooled-up agents charged toward the yobs.

Agitators tried to intimidate agents – with one rabble-rouser shouting, “Who are you gonna shoot b—h?” in a video shared by Freedom News journalist Oliya Scootercaster.

“Why don’t you go get your buddy with an AK47 to shoot me in the f—in face!” an agitator screamed.

Demonstrators continued to hurl sickening chants at ICE agents, including, “Take your gun and shoot yourself.” 

Mobs also shouted, “Every cop, every fed, shoot yourself in the head.”

Major clashes erupted with ICE agents turning to pepper spray in a desperate bid to disperse protesters wearing gas masks – while others clobbered demonstrators with their batons.

During Thursday’s squirmishes, some anti-ICE protesters resorted to umbrellas to shield off the tooled up immigration agents.

New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill and DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin traded barbs on social media Thursday night over which access state officials had to the facility for inspections.

“If conditions are really as good as you’re claiming, then let my health inspectors do their jobs,” the Democratic governor wrote on X. 

“Taxpayers are footing a billion-dollar bill for this facility. They deserve transparency.”

But Mullin shot back that four reps with the state’s health department checked out food services earlier in the day.

“@ICEgov is regularly audited and inspected by external agencies to ensure that all ICE facilities comply with performance based national detention standards,” he posted.

“All detainees are provided with proper meals, quality water, blankets, medical treatment, and have opportunities to communicate with their family members and lawyers.”

Earlier this week, Sherill claimed she was denied access to the center. 

The White House has tried to downplay the clashes, which protesters say are in response to the supposedly inhumane conditions detainees inside are experiencing.

The DHS branded Sherill’s visit to the center “nothing more than a political stunt” while President Trump said the demonstrators were “all paid-for protesters” during a cabinet meeting.

“These aren’t protesters. These people are fake,” he said when asked about the ongoing protests outside the facility.

With Post wires.

In a dramatic turn of events, five gold miners who became trapped in a cave in Laos last week have been located, but remain underground, facing a daunting and potentially perilous rescue operation that could span several days.

On Wednesday, specialist divers discovered the miners alive, nestled together in a narrow passage approximately 980 feet from the cave’s entrance. Despite this promising development, extracting them has proven challenging due to the cave’s flooding, the risk of collapses, and other lurking subterranean dangers.

The fate of two additional miners who entered the cave alongside the five remains uncertain, adding an element of urgency to the rescue efforts.

The group became stranded on May 20 in a cave situated in the central Xaysomboun province, northeast of the capital city, Vientiane. Their search for gold turned dire when torrential rains triggered flash floods, effectively sealing their escape route and leaving them isolated underground.

They were searching for gold but got trapped after heavy rain triggered flash flooding, blocking their exit. 

Finnish diver Mikko Paasi, who found the men alongside his Thai diving partner Norrased Palasing, said on Wednesday that rescuers were ‘racing against time’ inside the cave, which he called an ‘abandoned gold mine’.

He said: ‘The five survivors are still in the terminal chamber, all healthy and in good spirits, but the extraction is still ahead and it ain’t going to be easy.’

Paasi added: ‘We need to dive straight back and bring the miners more supplies to gain strength and get ready for the way out.’

Rescuers spoke to the men who were trapped and found in a flooded cave in Xaisomboun province, Laos, on Wednesday, May 27, 2026

Specialist divers found the five men alive and huddled in a narrow passage around 980 feet from the exit of the cave on Wednesday

The men have yet to be pulled out due to flooding, collapse risks and other hazards underground

With more rainfall expected, Thai rescuer Kengkad Bongkawong said Thursday that teams were racing to remove water from the cave.

‘If we are able to pump out a lot of water tonight, we will begin the extraction tonight,’ he wrote on social media.

‘But if it is deemed too risky after an assessment, we will reconsider.’

Even getting to the site will be a challenge, Paasi said: ‘The environment is extremely remote and hostile that starts with [a] 4km jungle track to the site. 

‘When inside the mine you have to navigate hundreds of metres of constant restrictions, flood waters, collapse hazards and high risk of contaminated air quality.’

So far, rescuers have cut an access road, installed air flow and water pumps and even a WiFi connection to the first chamber of the cave complex.  

Foreign rescuers – including two divers involved in the dramatic 2018 retrieval of a youth football team from a flooded cave in Thailand – joined Laotian volunteers this week after local groups requested specialist personnel and equipment to aid efforts.

Kengkad said a Malaysian cave diver was one of the latest foreigners to join the rescue operation.

Additional divers from Japan, France, Indonesia and Thailand were expected to arrive on Friday ‘to prevent emergencies, including the risk from additional rainwater expected to flow in tomorrow’.

On Thursday morning, rain sent more soil and water into the cave

Local villagers, rescue groups and logistics workers were also supporting the operation

The cave system, located in a remote mountainous area, extends deep underground, with multiple levels and tight tunnels.

On Thursday morning, rain sent more soil and water into the cave, according to a Laotian logistics staffer for a firm supplying vehicles to support the rescue operation.

‘If there isn’t too much more rain, they may be able to bring them out today. But if heavier rain comes, it could take a few more days,’ said the man, who requested anonymity due to fears of reprisal from his employer.

Local villagers, rescue groups and logistics workers were also supporting the operation, with more than 20 people standing by at the cave entrance, he said.

‘Morale improved yesterday. People are happy and hopeful today after the five people were found.’

A NATO member, Romania, faced an alarming incident on Friday when a drone collided with an apartment complex, leading to a subsequent explosion and fire. Local officials reported that the event resulted in several injuries.

The Romanian Ministry of Defense revealed that the drone incident was part of a broader overnight attack by Russia targeting areas in neighboring Ukraine, close to the Romanian border.

According to the ministry, the drone breached Romanian airspace and was monitored by radar systems until it reached the southern part of Galați municipality. It eventually crashed onto the roof of a residential apartment building, causing the damage and injuries.

Romania, which holds membership in both NATO and the European Union, has documented over two dozen instances of Russian drones violating its airspace since the start of Moscow’s offensive against Ukraine.

The situation escalated to the point where NATO had to scramble warplanes as Russian military actions neared the Romanian border in Ukraine.

A fire burns on the roof of a 10-story block of flats after a drone crashed into the building, causing an explosion and injuring two people, near the border with Ukraine, in Galati, Romania. (Romanian Department for Emergency Situations/Handout via REUTERS)

Friday’s incident marked the first time a drone struck a populated area in Romania, resulting in injuries.

Romania’s state news agency reported that a woman and her child were hospitalized with minor injuries, while two other people were treated at the scene for panic attacks.

Following the incident, Romania requested additional anti-drone capabilities from NATO and described the drone’s flight path as a serious violation of international law, according to The Associated Press.

RUSSIAN DRONES TEST NATO’S ARTICLE 5 DEFENSE GUARANTEE AHEAD OF FRIDAY SANCTIONS DEADLINE

Russian servicemen prepare to launch an interceptor drone for an action in an undisclosed location in Ukraine. (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP)

Romania’s emergency response agency said the drone struck the apartment building and exploded, sparking a fire on the 10th floor.

The agency said the drone’s entire explosive payload detonated upon impact.

Seventy people were evacuated from the building, authorities said. The fire has since been brought under control.

NEW ROMANIAN LAW MAY HAVE AVERTED NATO CLASH WITH RUSSIA AFTER BORDER STRIKES

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has urged the United States and its allies to provide additional air defense systems as Russia intensifies drone and missile attacks. (Javier SORIANO / AFP via Getty Images)

The defense ministry said two F-16 fighter jets and a military helicopter were deployed to monitor the Russian attack. The pilots were authorized to shoot down any drones that posed a threat.

The incident came after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said earlier this week that he was pressing the United States to provide additional Patriot air defense missiles to help counter Russian attacks.

He warned that deliveries to Ukraine were falling dangerously short as the conflict with Iran strains U.S. military resources and stockpiles.

“I believe [the U.S.] must act quicker. We are being very persistent,” Zelenskyy told reporters during a visit to Sweden.

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An Austrian court handed down a 15-year prison sentence to a man on Thursday for scheming to target a Taylor Swift concert in Vienna almost two years ago.

The court in Wiener Neustadt, located just south of Vienna, convicted the 21-year-old Austrian, referred to as Beran A. due to privacy regulations in Austria. He faced several charges, including those connected to the concert plot.

Although the planned attack was foiled, Austrian officials decided to cancel Swift’s trio of performances scheduled for August 2024.

During the trial’s opening last month, Beran A.’s lawyer confirmed that his client confessed to the charges regarding the concert attack.

Offering a brief final statement before the court deliberated on its decision, Beran A. expressed remorse, stating, “I would just like to say that I am sorry.”

Beran A. allegedly planned to target people outside the Ernst Happel Stadium with knives or homemade explosives.

Tens of thousands of Taylor Swift fans, known as Swifties, had traveled to Austria to attend the performances of the American singer’s record-setting Eras Tour.

Devastated by the cancellations, many gathered in central Vienna to trade friendship bracelets and commiserate.

Beran A. also allegedly networked with members of the Islamic State group ahead of the planned attack.

Prosecutors have said they discussed purchasing weapons and making bombs, and that the defendant also sought to illegally buy weapons in the days ahead of the performance, as well as swearing allegiance to the militant group.

Authorities searched his apartment on Aug. 7, 2024, and found bomb-making materials. The concerts were scheduled to begin the next day.

“Having our Vienna shows canceled was devastating,” Swift wrote in a statement posted to Instagram two weeks later. “The reason for the cancellations filled me with a new sense of fear, and a tremendous amount of guilt because so many people had planned on coming to those shows.”

He was tried alongside Arda K., another 21-year-old whose full name also has not been made public. They, along with a third man, Hasan E., who was arrested and remains in pretrial detention in Saudi Arabia, allegedly planned to carry out simultaneous attacks in Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates during Ramadan 2024 in the name of IS.

Only Beran A. was charged in connection with the concert plot. The two defendants were found guilty of charges including traveling and training for terrorist purposes, and being part of a terrorist organization, the Austria Press Agency reported.

The court also found the pair guilty of contributing to attempted murder, a charge linked to Hasan E.’s alleged stabbing of a security officer in Mecca in March 2024. Hasan E. also attacked and wounded three other officers and a woman before he was arrested, according to prosecutors.

Beran A. and Arda K. did not carry out their alleged plans in the UAE and Turkey. Beran A. returned to Vienna and later allegedly began plotting to attack the Swift concert there.

Arda K. was given a 12-year sentence. The two men listened stoically to the verdict and the sentencing, APA reported.

Beran A.’s lawyer, Anna Mair, said after the verdict that she would discuss with her client in the coming days whether to accept the verdict.