U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday said he ordered a military strike targeting Islamic State (ISIS/Daesh) militants in Nigeria to be delayed by one day, calling the attack a “Christmas present” to the terror group.
“They were going to do it earlier, and I said, ‘Nope, let’s give a Christmas present,’ … They didn’t think that was coming, but we hit them hard. Every camp got decimated,” Trump told Politico.
Trump described ISIS as “terrible” and “butchers,” adding that U.S. forces struck the group “hard” in different locations. “They really got hit hard yesterday. They got a very bad Christmas present.”
According to U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM), the strikes were conducted in Sokoto State at the request of Nigerian authorities and targeted multiple ISIS fighters. Nigeria confirmed its continued collaboration with the U.S. on security operations against terrorism.
In a Truth Social post, Trump further said:
“Tonight, at my direction as Commander in Chief, the United States launched a powerful and deadly strike against ISIS Terrorist Scum in Northwest Nigeria, who have been targeting and viciously killing, primarily, innocent Christians, at levels not seen for many years, and even Centuries!”
In addition, Trump mentioned recent U.S. military strikes on a major maritime facility in Venezuela, though he did not provide specific details. He said the attacks occurred “two nights ago” and were carried out “very hard,” part of broader U.S. operations in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific, including anti-narcotics missions.
The president criticised domestic political opposition, suggesting Democrats opposed the strikes primarily because he authorised them, and argued similar action by another official would not face the same criticism.
The U.S. military campaign has intensified since September, with 29 strikes resulting in at least 105 deaths. Caracas condemned the operations as “international piracy.”
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President Donald Trump said Iran is keen to reach a deal with the United States, claiming Washington had paused engagement to allow funeral ceremonies for late Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Morocco booked their place in the World Cup quarter-finals with a convincing 3-0 victory over Canada, ending the co-host's historic run in the tournament.
Kyrgyzstan’s ex-second in command, Kamchybek Tashiev, has been convicted of plotting to overthrow the country’s President Sadyr Japarov. Tashiev and Japarov had ruled the Central Asian nation in tandem since 2020, until the former was unexpectedly ousted in February.
Russia's Defence Ministry has said its forces are clearing the town of Lyman in Donetsk of Ukrainian forces, Moscow's state news agency Tass reported. Meanwhile, Russian attacks killed at least six people across three Ukrainian regions on Friday, regional officials said.
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has raised its forecast for the rapid emergence of a strong El Niño, warning the climate pattern is likely to drive higher global temperatures and intensify extreme weather in the months ahead.
India is investigating a data breach at Tata Electronics that exposed sensitive documents linked to Apple's unreleased iPhone 18 Pro, marking the government's first public comments on the incident.
Iran and the U.S. have concluded indirect talks in Doha without a major breakthrough, with discussions focused on maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz and frozen Iranian funds. Both sides are expected to meet again after the funeral of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
International politicians and religious leaders have paid respects to Iran's late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei throughout the day, ahead of his six day funeral ceremony which begins on Saturday. His casket is currently on display at the Iman Khomeini Grand Mosalla in Tehran.
Germany has requested urgent talks with China's ambassador following reports that Chinese authorities trained Russian soldiers, adding fresh strain to relations between Beijing and Europe amid the war in Ukraine.
Russia's Defence Ministry has said its forces are clearing the town of Lyman in Donetsk of Ukrainian forces, Moscow's state news agency Tass reported. Meanwhile, Russian attacks killed at least six people across three Ukrainian regions on Friday, regional officials said.
French President Emmanuel Macron is expected to use next week's NATO summit in Ankara to advance his push for greater European responsibility in security, with a bilateral meeting planned with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan as Paris seeks closer coordination with key allies.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has congratulated U.S. President Donald Trump on the 250th anniversary of American independence, saying Russia and the United States share a special responsibility for maintaining global security as the world's two largest nuclear powers.
China said on Saturday it had launched a coast guard patrol east of Taiwan, prompting a strong protest from Taipei, which accused Beijing of illegally expanding its authority and undermining regional stability.
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