Leaked remarks from Britain’s ambassador to the U.S. suggesting Washington’s "one true special relationship" is with Israel — not the United Kingdom — have sparked political backlash in London.
Sir Christian Turner reportedly told a group of British students earlier in 2026 that the United States’ one true "special relationship" is "probably Israel," not the United Kingdom, according to leaked audio first reported by the Financial Times.
The remarks, made privately but leaked publicly during King Charles III and Queen Camilla’s high-profile visit to Washington and New York amid efforts to repair strained relations, have placed fresh scrutiny on Britain’s standing in Washington at a particularly sensitive diplomatic moment.
Turner reportedly stressed that Britain’s ties with the U.S. remain deeply intertwined, particularly on defense and security.
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"There is a deep history and affinity between us. Particularly on defence and security, we are intertwined," according to leaked audio cited by British media. "The relationship will carry on, if you want, being ‘special,’ but I think it’s going to have to be different."
Turner also said, according to the transcript, that Britain and Europe must "work to redefine" their relationship with Washington, particularly in terms of defense, rather than relying on a U.S. security umbrella.
The leak comes after recent strains between Trump and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, including disagreements over Britain’s posture toward U.S.–Israeli military action against Iran. Trump previously criticized Starmer publicly, saying he was "not Winston Churchill."
An embassy spokesperson and a U.K. Foreign Office spokesperson sought to distance the government from the leaked remarks, telling Fox News Digital: "These were private, informal comments made to a group of U.K. sixth-form students visiting the U.S. in early February. They are certainly not any reflection of the U.K. government’s position."
The wide-ranging informal discussion, the spokesperson explained, focused on diplomacy and the political issues of the day that students asked questions about, stressing that the remarks were clearly never intended as on-record statements of government policy.
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Still, the controversy raises broader questions that extend beyond diplomatic optics: whether the symbolic "special relationship" between Washington and London has been eclipsed by more immediate U.S. strategic priorities, particularly Israel’s central role in American Middle East security calculations.
Barak Seener, senior fellow at the London-based Henry Jackson Society, said Turner’s remarks reflected a hard strategic reality rather than a diplomatic blunder.
"Ambassador Christian Turner was giving a realistic assessment that echoed President Trump’s criticism of NATO, calling it a ‘paper tiger’ for not contributing to joint U.S.-Israel-led operations against Iran," Seener told Fox News Digital.
Seener pointed to his recent report, "Israel 2048: A Blueprint for an Asymmetric Geopolitical Power," arguing that Israel’s expanding military capabilities increasingly function as a force multiplier for U.S. regional interests. By contrast, Seener argued, Britain’s modern strategic value has weakened despite its historic rhetoric.
"King Charles, in his recent speech to the U.S. Congress, was forced to emphasise the U.K. and U.S.’s shared culture and history rather than recent military contributions simply because the U.K.’s naval and military capabilities have been completely hollowed out," Seener said.
He added that Charles’ invocation of past joint sacrifices "does not bear any relevance to today" given Britain’s reported refusal to allow U.S. use of Royal Air Force bases for strikes on Iran.
The White House, however, emphasized continuity over controversy, telling Fox News Digital that, "President Trump has enjoyed welcoming Their Majesties to the White House this week, including yesterday morning, when he highlighted the historic, special relationship between the United States and the United Kingdom," White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said.
"The events of this visit are unprecedented in scope and spectacle, and the President enjoyed hosting a beautiful State Dinner yesterday evening," she added.
EXCLUSIVE: Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz was absent at a state fraud hearing on Tuesday, and the Republican lawmaker leading the hearing believes he was in the building at the time — and the reason for his absence, according to the lawmaker, was the governor’s "arrogance."
"I think he just feels above it all and doesn't need to answer to the people of Minnesota," state Rep. Kristin Robbins, chair of the House Fraud Prevention and State Agency Oversight Committee, told Fox News Digital after Walz was a no-show at the committee’s hearing on Tuesday seeking more answers in the massive fraud scandal that has enveloped the state in recent years.
"The only reason he testified in DC is because he was under subpoena. And, you know, he doesn't have to come to our committee. I expected him to. I really did, because Minnesotans are owed an explanation of how billions of our tax dollars could be stolen on his watch."
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Robbins says the committee reached out on March 9 asking Walz to speak at one of several hearings this week, including Tuesday, and that at 6 p.m. on Monday he informed the committee he wasn’t attending.
Walz was scheduled to deliver his final State of the State address in the Minnesota State Capitol on Tuesday night, leading Robbins to believe he was in the building that afternoon, but still didn’t attend the hearing.
"He was in the building!" Robbins posted on X.
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"I cannot defend his arrogance that he would not come and answer questions for the historic, unprecedented level of fraud in our state and in the country," Robbins told Fox News Digital.
Fox News Digital reached out to Walz’s office for comment.
Walz delivered his final State of the State address on Tuesday night and Robbins reacted to that speech in her interview with Fox News Digital.
"It was ridiculous," Robbins said about Walz's comments on the fraud scandal. "He somewhat said, 'oh the buck stops with me,' but then he immediately pivoted to blame everyone else."
Walz touted his efforts to crack down on fraud during his speech while claiming that red states have more fraud than blue states and suggesting the legislature needs to do more to adopt his proposal to fight fraud.
"We've created additional checks and balances," Walz said. "We've brought on more investigators, more auditors, more law enforcement agencies, as well as an outside firm to take a look at high risk programs. People who have ripped us off are getting caught and they are going to jail, just like today."
Walz's reference to "today" was in relation to federal raids carried out across Minneapolis earlier that day which the governor faced criticism over, including from FBI Director Kash Patel, after he seemingly took credit for actions the federal government says it directed and orchestrated.
Robbins told Fox News Digital Walz's proposals will do "nothing but create more bureaucracy" and said the Republican proposals are more "serious" to actually address the issue.
"He can keep gaslighting people but nobody buys it anymore," Robbins said.
Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., failed to show up to speak before the same committee earlier this month over questions surrounding her ties to individuals and locations implicated in the Feeding Our Future scandal in Minnesota.
Omar’s absence prompted Robbins to send a letter to Omar demanding answers to a variety of questions by May 5, Fox News Digital first reported.
Robbins, who is currently running for Minnesota governor, told Fox News Digital the committee has not heard back from Omar’s office as of Tuesday.
"They do have till May 5th, so I'm hoping they will. But, you know, they ghosted us all the way up to the hearing, so I don't know if they will respond," Robbins said. "But again, this isn't just because we're the legislature, it's because we are representing the taxpayers who deserve answers from their public officials. And the fact that they don't deign to come and answer questions on the record and just think that they can be above it all. It's really an affront to Minnesotans."
A high-achieving young married woman is dead after her high school sweetheart husband shot and killed her before turning the gun on himself, Pennsylvania authorities say.
Ryan Hosso, 26, killed his wife Madeline Spatafore, 25, overnight on Tuesday, according to a release from the Pennsylvania State Police.
Hosso called his parents after murdering Spatafore and told them what he had done, according to police. He also told them he was contemplating suicide. His parents called the police, and they rushed to the home where they found Spatafore dead with multiple gunshot wounds. Hosso was later found dead from a single gunshot wound in a wooded area behind the home.
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The investigation is ongoing, and Hosso's motive remains unknown.
The pair were high school sweethearts who married in September 2024, according to a wedding registry.
According to her LinkedIn profile, Spatafore was a neurocritical care physician assistant at UPMC Presbyterian, a hospital in Pittsburgh. She graduated from high school in 2019, and then graduated summa cum laude from Duquesne University with a degree in health services in 2023.
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She was part of several prestigious extracurricular activities, including the professional health honor society Pi Kappa Epsilon. She was also the academic chair of her sorority, Delta Zeta.
Photos from Spatafore's Facebook account show her and Hosso together in 2018, apparently attending prom.
Hosso's academic and work history is unclear.
Two people were stabbed in north London on Wednesday in an attack that police have now formally declared a terrorist incident, prompting a major emergency response and an ongoing counterterrorism investigation.
Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor, the Metropolitan Police’s counterterrorism chief, said the attack has been officially classified as terrorism as investigators work to determine the motive and whether the Jewish community was deliberately targeted.
Officers were called to Highfield Avenue in the Barnet borough at about 11:16 a.m. following reports of multiple stabbings, according to the Metropolitan Police. Local and armed officers responded alongside the London Ambulance Service.
A 45-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and remains in custody, police said. Authorities are working to determine his nationality and background.
Two men, ages 76 and 34, were treated at the scene for stab wounds before being taken to a hospital, where they remain and are "being looked after," Taylor said.
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Police said the suspect also attacked responding officers before he was subdued with a Taser. No officers were injured.
Counterterrorism officers are leading the investigation, working with security services to establish the full circumstances and develop a complete intelligence picture, Taylor said.
"Whilst I must stress this investigation is at an early stage, we are working quickly to understand exactly what happened," Counter Terrorism Policing head Laurence Taylor said.
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The stabbing unfolded in the Barnet area, near Golders Green, which is known for its large Jewish community. Authorities have indicated the case is being treated as a potentially antisemitic incident, though motive has not been confirmed.
The stabbing unfolded in the Barnet area, near Golders Green, which is known for its large Jewish community, and police said one line of inquiry is whether the attack deliberately targeted London’s Jewish community, though a motive has not been confirmed.
A statement posted on X by Shomrim, a volunteer neighborhood watch group in Orthodox Jewish communities, said a man was seen "armed with a knife" on Golders Green Road and was detained by members before police arrived. The group claimed the suspect attempted to target Jewish members of the public — a detail police have not independently confirmed.
Shomrim said two victims were treated by Hatzola, a volunteer emergency medical service.
Detective Chief Superintendent Luke Williams said officers "swiftly Tasered and arrested the suspect before he could cause further harm," adding that investigators are "considering all possible motives" and will maintain a visible police presence in the area.
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Williams said police are "aware of the significant distress and concern this incident is likely to cause," and will remain in the area to carry out inquiries and reassure residents.
The attack comes amid heightened concern over antisemitic incidents across the United Kingdom. Authorities are examining recent incidents in London but have not established any direct connection.
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British Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned the violence, calling attacks on Jewish residents "an attack on Britain," while London Mayor Sadiq Khan said there is "no place for antisemitism" in the city.
Conservative MP Kemi Badenoch said, "Jewish people in our country are under constant attack. This is no longer a growing pattern. There is an epidemic of violence against Jewish people. It is now a national emergency and needs to be treated as such by the Government and public authorities."
Dov Forman, a Golders Green resident and Holocaust educator, described the attack as part of what he sees as a broader and deeply concerning trend.
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"Yet again, terror has been brought to our doorstep here in Golders Green, in the heart of London’s Jewish community," Forman said. "Earlier today, two visibly Jewish men were stabbed in what is being described as an antisemitic attack. For many, this is not being seen as an isolated act of violence, but as part of a broader and deeply troubling pattern. There is growing concern that extemist rhetoric and Islamist extremism, including calls to ‘globalize the intifada,’ has helped fuel an environment in which hatred against Jews is increasingly normalized, unchecked, and dangerously emboldened."
Israeli President Isaac Herzog said he was "horrified by yet another violent attack on Jews in broad daylight on the streets of London" and called for urgent action.
"No Jew anywhere in the world should be a target because of their faith," Herzog said, adding that authorities must act "before the next antisemitic attack occurs."
Authorities urged anyone with information to contact police as the investigation continues.
The number of antisemitic incidents reported across the U.K. has soared since the Oct. 7, 2023, attack by Hamas on Israel and the subsequent Gaza war, according to the Community Security Trust. The group recorded 3,700 incidents in 2025, up from 1,662 in 2022.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Federal agents located and recovered 15 industrial drones capable of dispersing large amounts of liquid chemicals after they were stolen from a New Jersey company, according to officials.
Fifteen Ceres Air C31 industrial spray drones were stolen from CAC International, a logistics and shipping company in Harrison, New Jersey, on March 24, according to The High Side Substack, with one expert warning the theft could become a "nightmare scenario."
Homeland Security Investigations Newark said on Wednesday that the drones were recovered in Dover, New Jersey, over a month after they were stolen.
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The New Jersey State Police said in an earlier statement to Fox News that the drones were recovered at Prudent Corporation, a trucking company that has a warehouse at the location.
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"On April 27th, the New Jersey State Police Cargo Theft Unit recovered 15 stolen agricultural drones and spray systems. These drones are labeled as agricultural drones due to their specified function as registered crop dusters. The theft occurred on March 24th at CAC International, a logistics and shipping company located in Harrison, NJ. The drones were recovered at Prudent Corporation located in Dover, NJ. This is an active, ongoing investigation that Homeland Security Investigations and Customs and Border Patrol are assisting with. No additional information is available," the New Jersey State Police wrote.
In a statement to Fox News Digital, Ceres Air said "at no point was there a risk of unauthorized use."
"Ceres systems are built with multiple layers of control, including secure activation protocols, remote lock capability, and separated battery logistics. Without proper authorization, these units cannot be operated," the company said.
"This situation highlights a broader reality in the drone industry. When systems are built and supported domestically, there is accountability. Our equipment is fully traceable through serial tracking and coordinated support networks, all of which exist within the USA. It doesn’t disappear, and it doesn’t operate outside of controlled channels. We build our systems in the United States so they can be tracked, secured, and supported here. That’s exactly what allowed this situation to be resolved quickly and without risk."
In total, a Ceres Air C31 costs around $58,000, meaning that nearly $870,000 of equipment was allegedly stolen.
The drones were allegedly stolen by a delivery driver who duped the company, according to The High Side Substack. The report said that a fraudulent bill of lading was shown when picking up the drones, and CAC International allegedly considered them legitimate.
The drones are equipped to hold and spray up to 40 gallons of liquid chemicals, reportedly causing concern inside the U.S. government.
Former FBI agent Steve Lazarus said the drones could be a danger to the public.
"Even common chemicals, used improperly, can be a public safety danger. Throw in the Internet recipes for biological and chemical weapons that anyone with a Tor browser has access to, and this is a potential nightmare scenario," Lazarus said in an interview with The High Side.
"These aren’t hobby drones with cameras. They’re industrial sprayers designed to carry and disperse significant amounts of liquid quickly and with precision."
The U.S. Army raised concerns in a 2020 report, stating that such chemical-spraying drones could be used in attacks.
"Such drones are readily available and could be used as a delivery system for chemical or biological attacks," said the report.
"A UAS [chemical or biological warfare] delivery platform is a definite possibility, especially for developing nations," the report said.
A 29-year-old Texas woman is now in custody and facing federal fraud charges after allegedly impersonating an immigration officer in a multi-year visa fraud scheme.
Mayra Collins, a resident of Brownsville, a city on the far southern tip of Texas, is facing five counts of fraudulently posing as a federal agent with various agencies in 2022 and 2025, Acting U.S. Attorney John Marck announced.
The charges against Collins are for two counts of wire fraud and three counts of impersonating a federal agent, according to local affiliate Fox 26.
The DOJ said Collins first allegedly posed as a federal immigration officer. She allegedly falsely represented that she could expedite the process for obtaining U.S. visas and took money from four victims. In 2025, Collins also allegedly impersonated a Border Patrol agent with influence over the hiring of federal employees. She allegedly told one victim there were job positions available, but that they needed to send her money for uniforms and ballistic vests before beginning employment with Border Patrol.
According to the DOJ, Collins "never worked for the United States" and "had no power to provide victims of her schemes with Visas or employment" with Border Patrol.
The woman is now facing up to 20 years in federal prison for the two counts of wire fraud and another three years for the impersonation charges. She is also facing a maximum fine of $250,000.
She is expected to make her initial court appearance before U.S. Magistrate Julie Hampton this Thursday.
Lora Ries, an immigration policy expert with the Heritage Foundation, explained that "the needless complexity of immigration law and the fragmented immigration bureaucracy spread across five federal departments are fertile ground for fraudsters."
Ries, who is director of the Heritage Foundation’s Border Security and Immigration Center, told Fox News Digital that Democrats "helped create these systemic conditions because they facilitate illegal immigration."
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"This perpetrator exploiting that confusing and scattered system is a consequence of their own making," Ries said.
She noted that "Congress should greatly simplify immigration law and consolidate many of the immigration agencies for a better immigration system and to prevent such fraud."
This comes as the DOJ and Department of Homeland Security ramp up the federal government’s investigation into a massive fraud scheme largely involving the Somali immigrant community in Minnesota. Federal officials raided 22 alleged fraud sites Tuesday morning.
The raids center on federal fraud investigations into largely Somali-owned businesses, including childcare facilities that registered their daycare with the state but were allegedly billing for care that was not provided.
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Following news of the raids breaking, Vice President JD Vance, head of the administration’s fraud task force, remarked that the "task force and the DOJ will be relentless in exposing these fraudsters wherever they may be hiding."
Commenting on the Minnesota crackdown, Ries told Fox News Digital that "Americans, particularly Minnesotans, are pleased to see the ongoing pursuit of justice against fraud in that state."
"We’ve only seen a glimpse of both the immigration fraud and welfare fraud that have occurred in Minnesota," she said, adding, "Significant criminal and immigration consequences are needed for all the perpetrators to achieve justice and to send a message to others throughout the country not to engage in fraud."
EXCLUSIVE: FBI Director Kash Patel said the bureau will produce a report "in short order" after reviewing multiple state-level investigations at the White House’s request to determine whether any are connected.
"Those investigations are collectively being looked at by the FBI pursuant to (the) President, the White House's request," Patel told Fox News Digital in an interview Tuesday. "So we're reaching out. We've already done it, we're engaged. They're all state cases, but we're looking to see if there's any connections, and we're going to have a final report here in short order."
He poured cold water on the idea that all the cases of mysterious deaths and disappearances that have resurfaced in recent weeks are connected — noting that some are not even scientists — but said the FBI is "just trying to do our homework."
"We are trying to make sure, was there a connection? Did they, were they all working on the same thing or not? Those questions we're answering right now with our state and local partners, and we'll produce a report shortly."
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At least a dozen cases involving scientists and others tied to government and defense research have drawn renewed attention in recent weeks, as federal authorities work to determine whether any are connected. The cases — which span disappearances, confirmed homicides and deaths previously ruled accidental — have circulated widely online and prompted questions about whether a broader pattern could pose a national security concern.
The FBI declined to say how much of the report would be made public, noting the matter remains an active investigation.
President Donald Trump also has acknowledged the cases, saying his administration is working to determine whether the incidents are connected.
"I hope it's random, but we're going to know in the next week and a half," Trump said to reporters April 16. "I just left a meeting on that subject."
"The White House continues to coordinate across the interagency in order to investigate these events and provide transparency to the American people. We will not get ahead of the investigation," White House spokesperson Anna Kelly told Fox News Digital Wednesday.
The National Nuclear Security Administration has said it is aware of reports involving personnel across its labs and facilities and is reviewing the matter.
At least a dozen cases involving scientists and defense-linked personnel have drawn renewed attention in recent weeks.
They include the disappearance of retired Air Force Maj. Gen. William "Neil" McCasland, who oversaw classified research programs and vanished from his New Mexico home earlier in 2026, and the death of NASA-affiliated engineer Joshua LeBlanc, whose body was found in a burned vehicle hours after he was reported missing.
Also among the cases is Monica Jacinto Reza, a NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory engineer who disappeared while hiking in California, and Melissa Casias, a Los Alamos National Laboratory employee who vanished in New Mexico after leaving work.
Another case revealed by Fox News Digital involves Army biochemist Jude Height, whose 2022 death was ruled accidental after he was struck by a vehicle, but has since drawn renewed scrutiny from family members and former colleagues who say key details remain unexplained.
Authorities have not indicated that any of the cases are connected.
A California judge has rejected claims from convicted killer Scott Peterson's Los Angeles Innocence Project defense team that witnesses saw his wife alive after her 2002 disappearance on Christmas Eve.
Judge Elizabeth Hill of the San Mateo Superior Court found the testimony and purported evidence that her disappearance was linked to a nearby burglary inadmissible.
Peterson was convicted after a five-month trial in 2004 of the murder of his wife, Laci Peterson, and their unborn son, Conner.
While Peterson has for years suggested the suspects in a burglary at the house across the street from where he lived with his wife in 2002 could have killed her, prosecutors said that the break-in happened after she had already vanished.
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He initially received a death sentence, which was later reduced to life in prison without the possibility of parole in 2021.
He has a separate petition pending before the California Supreme Court to have his conviction overturned due to alleged juror misconduct, and his Innocence Project legal team said it would appeal the judge's decision Tuesday.
The court had previously rejected Peterson's requests for new DNA testing in the case on almost all of the evidence, aside from a piece of duct tape found on his wife's pants.
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Laci Peterson was pregnant at the time she vanished. Her remains were later recovered in the San Francisco Bay. So were their son's, at a separate location.
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Police arrested her husband in 2003 near the Mexico border after he bleached his hair blond and departed Northern California with his brother’s passport and $10,000. He had a new goatee and just purchased a used Mercedes in cash, using the name "Jacqueline," which he told the seller was "a boy-named-Sue type thing."
At trial, a woman he was having an affair with named Amber Frey testified that he told her his wife was dead a month before she went missing.
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In recorded calls, he told her he didn't want to be a father and was considering a vasectomy.
And his alibi, which was that he was fishing when his wife disappeared, placed him in the same body of water where her remains were later found.
Prosecutors have written in court filings that a police K-9 picked up her scent at a boat ramp in Berkeley, California. They said her hair had been found on a pair of needle-nose pliers recovered from the vessel.
The autopsy also suggested her remains had been weighted to the sea floor before she broke apart and washed ashore — and prosecutors included evidence that Peterson made multiple homemade anchors out of concrete and rebar.