Top Iranian cleric issues ‘fatwa’ against Trump, Netanyahu

Iran’s top Shiite cleric issued a religious decree against President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Sunday, an act some experts called an incitement to terrorism.

The fatwa from Grand Ayatollah Naser Makarem Shirazi called on Muslims around the world to take a stand, according to the New York Sun. It states that any individual or government that challenges or endangers the leadership and unity of the global Islamic community (the Ummah) is to be regarded as a “warlord” or a “mohareb,” defined as someone who wages war against God. Under Iranian law, those identified as mohareb can face execution, crucifixion, limb amputation, or exile.

“Those who threaten the leadership and integrity of the Islamic Ummah are to be considered warlords,” Makarem said in the ruling. He finished with a prayer asking for protection from these “enemies” and for the swift return of the Mahdi, a messianic figure in Shiite Islam.

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British-Iranian commentator Niyak Ghorbani condemned the fatwa, describing it as a state-endorsed incitement to global terrorism. 

He posted on his X account that the Islamic Republic’s aggression is not limited to domestic dissent but signals broader international ambitions for religiously motivated violence.

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“The West must realise: the Islamic Republic is not only targeting its own people — it is preparing for global violence in the name of religion,” he wrote in the post.

This fatwa followed what has been dubbed the “12-Day War,” during which American and Israeli efforts reportedly inflicted significant damage on Iran’s nuclear capabilities.

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On June 13, Israeli airstrikes targeted Iranian nuclear and military facilities, reportedly killing top scientists and commanders. In retaliation, Iran launched ballistic missiles at Israeli cities. The U.S. joined the conflict a week later, striking three Iranian nuclear sites.

Trump had earlier warned that any further enrichment of uranium by Iran to weapons-grade levels would provoke additional American action. This warning followed a brief ceasefire that ended a 12-day period of intense conflict.

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It is not the first time Iranian clerics have used fatwas to incite violence. 

The most infamous case was the 1989 decree against author Salman Rushdie after the release of his novel “The Satanic Verses,” which many Muslims considered offensive. That fatwa forced Rushdie into hiding, led to the murder of a Japanese translator, and multiple attacks on the book’s publishers.Rushdie has survived multiple assassination attempts since, including a 2023 stabbing attack in upstate New York in which he lost an eye.

Satellite photos reveal ongoing activity at bombed Iranian nuclear site

Recent satellite imagery has revealed ongoing activity and fresh evidence of significant damage to tunnels and access roads at Iran’s underground Fordow uranium enrichment site caused by last week’s airstrikes.

The facility was targeted by Israeli forces on June 23, one day after the U.S. carried out strikes using bunker-buster bombs.

The new high-resolution satellite imagery, collected by Maxar Technologies, shows an excavator and several personnel positioned immediately next to the northern shaft on the ridge above the underground complex. 

The crane also appears to be operating at the entrance to the shaft, where several additional vehicles are seen below the ridge, parked along the access path that was built to access the site. 

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Maxar’s photos also reveal the complete destruction of a facility north of the site, surrounded by more craters and scattered dust. One more crater and visible burn marks are seen on a western access route.

Analysts believe the primary goal of the strikes was to hinder access to the sites and complicate repair efforts.

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Both the United States and Israel have stated that these military actions were aimed at hindering Iran’s ability to develop a nuclear weapon. Iran has rejected these accusations, maintaining that its nuclear program is entirely peaceful.

The Fordow site, which is buried within a mountain near Qom, about 60 miles southwest of Tehran, was bombed by the U.S. on June 22, resulting in six prominent craters and a noticeable spread of grey debris, according to satellite photos.

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On the following day, Israel confirmed it had conducted a second strike on Fordow, specifically targeting the roads leading to the facility. Iranian officials later acknowledged this attack.

Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters during a Pentagon briefing last Sunday that while all three Iranian nuclear sites targeted in the strike “sustained extremely severe damage and destruction,” the full damage would take time to assess.

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The latest strike on Fordow comes as the Israel Defense Forces said Israel also launched a series of strikes targeting the notorious Evin prison and several Iranian military command centers in an “ongoing effort to degrade the Iranian regime’s military capabilities.” 

Canada folds on digital services tax after Trump suspends trade talks

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney will resume trade talks with U.S. President Donald Trump after Canada said late Sunday it was rescinding a digital services tax on American tech companies. 

The Canadian government said it was rescinding the Digital Services Tax “in anticipation of a mutually beneficial comprehensive trade arrangement with the United States.” 

“Consistent with this action, Prime Minister Carney and President Trump have agreed that parties will resume negotiations with a view towards agreeing on a deal by July 21, 2025,” Canada’s Department of Finance said in a news release.  

It added that a June 30, 2025 collection will be halted, and legislation is pending to rescind the Digital Services Tax Act.

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Canada’s digital services tax took effect in June 2024 and requires large businesses, whether they’re headquartered in Canada or elsewhere, to pay a 3% tax on revenue earned from engaging with online users in Canada if they meet certain conditions. 

Trump terminated trade discussions with Canada on Friday, citing the digital services tax on American tech companies like Amazon, Meta, Google, and Apple, among others, as the reason. 

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“They are obviously copying the European Union, which has done the same thing, and is currently under discussion with us, also. Based on this egregious Tax, we are hereby terminating ALL discussions on Trade with Canada, effective immediately,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social.

Trump said the administration will inform Canada within the “next seven day period” of what tariff it will pay to do business with the U.S.

The president added in his post that Canada is “a very difficult Country to TRADE with” and claimed that Canada has levied tariffs of up to 400% on U.S. dairy products.

The breakdown in trade talks followed the two leaders’ G7 meeting early this month, and Carney saying they had agreed to wrap up a new economic agreement within 30 days.

The U.S. is Canada’s largest trading partner, while Canada is the largest importer of American exports and one of the top three sources of U.S. imports.

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Canada had escaped Trump’s broad tariffs imposed in April but faces 50% duties on steel and aluminum.

Man arrested after disrupting Senate debate on Trump’s ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’

A man was arrested by Capitol Police on Sunday after interrupting the Senate debate on President Donald Trump’s “big, beautiful bill,” shouting from the Senate Galleries that the lawmakers are “horrible.”

Allen D. Rogers, of Florida, was arrested for unlawful conduct after he refused to obey officers’ orders to stop the disruption, according to police.

“At approximately 7:00 p.m., our officers arrested a man who started being disruptive in the Senate Galleries,” police said in a statement.

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The interruption happened between speeches by Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., on the Republican-backed spending bill.

Rogers was heard shouting criticisms at lawmakers from the galleries, including “you people are awful” and “you’re horrible,” although most of what he said was intelligible. His remarks appeared to be targeting Republican lawmakers.

Sen. Dave McCormick, R-Pa., was the presiding officer at the time of the disruption.

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McCormick was seen looking up and to his left into the gallery and repeatedly saying “the Sergeant at Arms will restore order in the gallery” while Rogers was shouting attacks at lawmakers.

Fox News has reached out to Capitol Police for additional information on this incident.

Trump reacts to Tillis’ retirement while sending warning to Republicans

President Donald Trump celebrated the retirement announcement of one of the two Republicans who voted against advancing his “big, beautiful bill.” 

“Great News! ‘Senator’ Thom Tillis will not be seeking reelection,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social.

“For all cost-cutting Republicans, of which I am one, REMEMBER, you still have to get reelected. Don’t go too crazy! We will make it all up, times 10, with GROWTH, more than ever before,” he continued in a separate post.

The North Carolina Republican announced on Sunday that he would not seek re-election in the 2026 cycle. Tillis would have been among the most vulnerable Republicans running next year. He faced threats from Trump to face a challenger after his vote against the president’s agenda Saturday night.

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The lawmaker voted against advancing the bill and is likely to vote against final passage, because deep Medicaid cuts inside the colossal bill brought on changes to the Medicaid provider tax rate.

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Tillis railed against the slow death of bipartisanship in Washington in a statement.

“In Washington over the last few years, it’s become increasingly evident that leaders who are willing to embrace bipartisanship, compromise, and demonstrate independent thinking are becoming an endangered species,” he said.

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His announcement also comes after Trump spent much of Saturday evening blasting Tillis as a “grandstander” and vowing to interview potential primary challengers, while Vice President JD Vance, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., and his leadership team worked over holdout fiscal hawks.

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“Numerous people have come forward wanting to run in the Primary against ‘Senator Thom’ Tillis,” Trump said on Truth Social. “I will be meeting with them over the coming weeks, looking for someone who will properly represent the Great People of North Carolina and, so importantly, the United States of America. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”

Police investigating after rap duo starts chants of ‘death to IDF’ at music festival

A punk-rap duo out of the United Kingdom that shouted, “Death to the IDF,” and “Free Palestine” during their set at the Glastonbury Festival, is now being condemned by political and festival officials for their actions.

London-based Bob Vylan describes itself on X as the “prettiest punk/rap/alt thing you’ll ever meet.” With songs like “We Live Here,” “Dream Bigger,” “Makes Me Violent,” and “Terms & Conditions,” the duo mixes elements of rap and punk.

The duo performed a high-energy set at Glastonbury Festival on Saturday, whic ultimately turned into a political podium for the group’s singer to shout out anti-Israel rhetoric.

While holding the microphone, singer Bobby Vylan shouted, “Death, death to the IDF [Israel Defense Forces],” several times before turning the microphone toward the crowd to get attendees to repeat the chant. The IDF is the national military of Israel. Videos from the crowd’s view showed several Palestinian flags waving as the performer and attendees shouted back and forth.

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At one point, Vylan shouted “Free, Free, Free Palestine,” and again, had some in the crowd repeat what he said.

Before returning to his set, though, Vylan ended the chant and said, “Hell yeah, from the river to the sea. Palestine must be, will be inshallah, it will be free.”

Videos of the chants spread across the internet like crazy, and now British police in Somerset and Avon are reviewing the videos to “determine whether any offenses may have been committed that would require a criminal investigation.”

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The BBC reported that British Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned Bob Vylan for calling on the death of Israeli troops with the use of “appalling hate speech.”

The BBC, which broadcast the festival live, has reportedly chosen to remove the duo’s set from its iPlayer.

The BBC said it issued a warning on screen about “very strong and discriminatory language” during the live stream, The Associated Press reported.

Festival organizers did not take the comments lightly and have since released a statement on Instagram saying, “Glastonbury Festival was created in 1970 as a place for people to come together and rejoice in music, the arts and the best of human endeavour.”

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“As a festival, we stand against all forms of war and terrorism. We will always believe in – and actively campaign for – hope, unity, peace and love,” the statement read. “With almost 4,000 performances at Glastonbury 2025, there will inevitably be artists and speakers appearing on our stages whose views we do not share, and a performer’s presence here should never be seen as a tacit endorsement of their opinions and beliefs.

“However, we are appalled by the statements made from the West Holts stage by Bob Vylan yesterday,” the statement continued. “Their chants very much crossed a line and we are urgently reminding everyone involved in the production of the Festival that there is no place at Glastonbury for antisemitism, hate speech or incitement to violence.”

Another group, Kneecap, also performed on Saturday despite a terror charge for one of its members over allegedly supporting Hezbollah. During the performance, Kneecap led a huge crowd in chants of “Free Palestine.”

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Famously known as Britain’s biggest summer music festival, Glastonbury draws a crowd of nearly 200,000 music fans every year to Worthy Farm in southwest England. About 4,000 acts perform during the festival on 120 stages.

Music legend halts tour as health crisis becomes ‘unmanageable’ following diagnosis

Paul Simon was forced to cancel a string of concerts Saturday after suffering an injury.

The “You Can Call Me Al” singer has been “struggling with chronic and intense back pain,” which forced the cancellation of shows on the East Coast.

Simon, 83, will undergo minor surgery in the “next few days,” according to a post shared on his Instagram account.

“Regretfully, Paul Simon must cancel two shows tonight June 28 and tomorrow night June 29 – at Philadelphia’s Academy of Music,” Simon shared online.

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“Paul has been struggling with chronic and intense back pain. Today it became unmanageable and demands immediate attention.”

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The statement continued, “Unfortunately we have to cancel these shows at this time, as we don’t have the ability to reschedule them. However, we are hopeful after this minor surgical procedure which has been scheduled in the next few days, Paul will be able to complete the tour as well as look into returning to make up these dates.”

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It’s unclear when Simon will reschedule the concerts, and concertgoers were encouraged to contact their local ticket providers for a full refund. 

Fox News Digital contacted Simon’s representative for a comment.

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The “Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes” musician announced his “A Quiet Celebrations” tour in February, to coincide with his “Seven Psalms” album. The tour kicked off in April, and was supposed to end in Seattle in August.

“The evolution of this extraordinary artist continues to unfold,” a press release stated at the time. “In which Simon chose to perform in intimate venues where the acoustics are optimal in consideration of the severe hearing loss that he incurred over the last few years.”

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In May 2023, Simon realized most of the hearing in his left ear was gone while he was creating the album.

“Quite suddenly I lost most of the hearing in my left ear, and nobody has an explanation for it. So, everything became more difficult,” Simon told The Times.

“My reaction to that was frustration and annoyance; not quite anger yet, because I thought it would pass, it would repair itself.”

In 2018, Simon announced he was retiring from touring. In a social media post, he wrote, “I feel the travel and time away from my wife and family takes a toll that detracts from the joy of playing,” adding, it “feels a little unsettling, a touch exhilarating, and something of a relief.”

His wife of over 30 years, Edie Brickell, sang a duet with him in the final section of “Seven Psalms,” which includes the lyrics, “Heaven is beautiful/ It’s almost like home/ Children, get ready/ It’s time to come home.”

The couple share three children: Adrian Edward, Lulu and Gabriel Elijah.

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Simon was previously married to the late Carrie Fisher. The couple met in the late ‘70s but didn’t wed until August 1983. They divorced less than a year later, in July 1984.

Indiana player sounds alarm on locker room ‘islands’ as Fever face mounting pressure

Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham made a passionate statement about the state of the team as it deals with Caitlin Clark’s injuries and tries to keep the season from spiraling.

Cunningham spoke to reporters about being the team that everyone in the league has circled on their calendars before their win over the Dallas Wings on Friday. 

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It was the second night of a back-to-back as they came off of a loss to the Los Angeles Sparks.

“I think so far this season, we’ve had a lot of distractions. Some injuries. Don’t know who’s playing. Just a lot of distractions. But I think that’s really good for us,” she said, via the Indy Star. “Let’s go through the adversity early. Let’s learn from it. Good news is we’re not going to peak too early, so I mean, that’s a positive. It’s not an excuse. Everyone’s playing a back-to-back. Everyone has this kind of rough schedule. For us, we get another opportunity tomorrow, and we’ve got to capitalize on it. Dallas is a team that’s hungry for a win.

“We’ve talked about this, we’re circled on everybody’s schedule. No one likes us, right? So, everyone in our locker room? That’s the only type of people that we have that we can lean on. We’ve got to be better in that area. We have got to stay disciplined, we have to stay focused, we need to get consistent and we’ve got to lean on each other. I think that we’ve kind of wavered a little bit on that. We have our own islands.”

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Cunningham added that the tough schedule was “just an excuse” and that she had to do a better job for her teammates.

She then had five points and four assists on Friday as the Fever defeated the Wings, 94-86.

The WNBA schedule has become a tension point with some players.

New York Liberty star Breanna Stewart spoke about the problems of a 44-game schedule earlier this month.

“We want to play the games, especially if that’s what is wanted for TV and having these sellout arenas,” she said. “I think the hardest part is no matter what, when I was playing 36 games or 32 games, it was in the same amount of time as 44 games.

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“I know on both ends between April and October there’s things happening. But I think that’s one of the biggest talking points in the next CBA is like, alright, how can we make it so teams aren’t playing four (games) in six (days) three times in a season and continuing to have the rest and recovery so we are at our best. It’s tough, it’s a tough thing.”

Bartenders ‘annoyed’ by Gen Z’s drinking habit that’s costing bars money

In bars across America, fewer young bargoers – those born in the late 1990s or early 2000s – are opening tabs, instead choosing to close out and pay after every drink, The New York Times recently reported.

Does the trend bother bartenders? Fox News Digital asked a few for their thoughts.

“Is it annoying to close out the tab after every single drink for bartenders? And the answer is yes. Unequivocally, that is annoying,” said Derek Brown, a bartender and founder of Drink Company, a hospitality consulting agency in Washington, D.C. 

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“You have so many things to do as a bartender throughout your shift, and closing out the tab, if you have to do it throughout the evening when somebody’s ordering two, three drinks — it takes time, and it’s frustrating and annoying.”

Today’s younger generation isn’t the first to annoy bartenders, Brown clarified.

“Every generation has its quirk,” he said.

Still, while it may not seem like a big deal to customers, closing out after every drink is a nuisance to those on the other side of the bar, especially when things are busy, Brown said. 

“When somebody comes in and says, ‘I’ll take a cocktail,’ great, and then somebody comes behind and says, ‘I’ll close it out,’ you have to turn around, you have to go to the [point-of-sale machine], and you have to turn around and go back to making drinks,” Brown said.

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“All of this while being congenial, keeping a smile, making sure people are taken care of — it can be just a really, really annoying habit between all the other things you have to do. But it is part of the job.”

Some younger people claim that paying as they go is a better way to manage their drinking money.

“Once you’ve had two drinks, then the third one comes a lot faster and easier.” 

“This is the positive side of this, right?” Brown said. “If you’re closing out every time, it’s true. You’re going to be able to monitor how much alcohol you’re drinking throughout the evening.”

Brown said “fiscal responsibility” is important from the consumer perspective.

“Once you’ve had two drinks, then the third one comes a lot faster and easier,” he said.

Others have expressed concerns about leaving their credit cards behind or in the hands of the bartender.

One way bars solved this problem was with a new system in which a customer’s card is swiped once and then immediately returned.

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“In that case, it’s not that difficult,” Brown said. “You keep your card. You put it in your pocket. That’s what we learned.”

Still, nothing stops a person from paying drink by drink.

“Somebody can just keep asking to open and close it [all] evening,” Brown said. “We just have to smile and do our best.”

Another reason for the decline in bar tabs could be that fewer young adults, in general, are drinking.

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A 2023 Gallup poll found that 62% of adults under age 35 say they drink, a 10% decrease over the previous 20 years.

“It depends on what kind of night I’m trying to have.”

Katie Fites, a former bartender in Tallahassee and recent graduate of Florida State University, said she doesn’t have a blanket rule when deciding whether she’s going to open a bar tab.

“It depends on what kind of night I’m trying to have,” she told Fox News Digital. 

“If I know that my friends and I are going to be staying in one spot for the night, I will leave a tab open. But if I think that we’re going to be bouncing around and there’s a possibility I’ll forget I’ve left my tab open and leave, I will not leave my tab open.”

Fites worked at a popular college bar that didn’t allow tabs — so most people paid in cash. 

Those who did pay with a card, however, were subject to a $10 minimum.

Card payments can not only slow down bartenders on a busy night, they can also be costly to a bar owner’s bottom line. 

Credit card fees, which range from, on average, 2% to 4% of the transaction, are assessed with every swipe, according to Doug Kantor with the Merchants Payments Coalition (MPC).

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These swipe fees totaled a record $187.2 billion in 2024, an increase of 70% since the pandemic, per the MPC.

That means less money for the bars.