Israel unveils 'most advanced' surveillance plane with AI-powered sensors: 'Unprecedented'

The Israeli Defense Ministry has unveiled a new surveillance aircraft that integrates artificial intelligence (AI) systems in what officials are calling a groundbreaking development for technology.

"The Directorate of Defense Research & Development (DDR&D) has been leading the development of the ‘Oron’ mission systems for over nine years," Brig. Gen. Yaniv Rotem, head of military research and development in the DDR&D of the Ministry of Defense, said in a press release. "This mission aircraft will provide the IDF (Israel Defense Forces) with unprecedented, innovative ISR (intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance) capabilities using groundbreaking sensing systems – the onboard radar system and a variety of sensors."

"These systems will stream valuable data to the intelligence units," he added. "The use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology will enable an efficient and automated data processing system, which will produce actionable intelligence in real-time, enhancing the effectiveness of IDF operational activities."

Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) installed the advanced systems on a Gulfstream G550 jet, adding sensors and the C4I – the IDF’s elite technological unit – to produce "unprecedented intelligence capabilities." The plane possesses data processing and advanced data and artificial intelligence capabilities in addition to advanced radars and "cutting-edge sensors," IAI said in its press release.

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The aircraft, dubbed "Oron" – which can mean "the light" – can track targets over "great distances" and through "diverse weather and visibility conditions," according to Breaking Defense, a defense industry news outlet. IAI collaborated with the Ministry of Defense, the Israel Air Force (IAF), Israeli Intelligence Corps and Israeli Navy to create the plane.

The Israeli Ministry of Defense, which touted the plane as "the world’s most advanced aircraft of its kind," started test flights this week, and once it's operational, it will integrate with the 122nd Squadron, which has developed into an augment of the IAF signals intelligence unit, in addition to its other duties.

The 122nd Squadron already operates two other modified Gulfstream planes but recognizes the great potential that Oron presents. A commander of the squadron promised to train personnel effectively in an effort to "shorten the schedule" for full operability.

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"Israel is in a very good position in the development and integration of artificial intelligence," Brig. Gen. Uri Engelhard (ret.), an Israeli cyber and AI expert and a member of the Israel Defense and Security Forum, told Fox News Digital. "The results achieved as a result of the integration of artificial intelligence in Israel are impressive."

"It is necessary to add and focus on the development and application of artificial intelligence alongside the development and promotion of the interfaces between the various programs and means (sensors and others), and the promotion, preservation and analysis of large databases quickly and reliably," he added.

Engelhard said that it’s not just AI itself but the "big data" that serves as the most significant "game-changer" for operations – the ability to connect AI to both large databases and a vast array of sensors and other hardware "leads to amazing results and great savings in resources."

"Today we are able – almost without allocating human attention or resources – to listen to all the means of communication of a huge number of people at the same time," he said.

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"We can analyze in real time everything being said, who said it and to whom, and deduce from what was said (including from previously learned code words), the current meaning and recommend what to do with the new information."

The need to stay ahead on AI technology and integration stems from the fact that virtually every group, including terrorist organizations, are looking to utilize the tech for whatever means possible, according to Engelhard.

But that rush to adopt AI could also lead to "critical mistakes … when common sense isn’t factored in decision-making," he added.

"The country or organization that uses artificial intelligence may, after being repeatedly impressed by the successes of artificial intelligence, believe in the analyses and recommendations of the artificial intelligence, even when such advice is deeply flawed or wrong," he said.

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Australia introduces law empowering gig workers to negotiate minimum pay and conditions

Australian gig workers will be able to negotiate for minimum pay and conditions under a new law to be introduced next week in parliament by the centre-left Labor government.

The law will define "employee-like workers" in the gig economy, a catch-all term including those who deliver food or drive for apps like Uber or DoorDash.

Australia's industrial umpire will then be empowered to set standards around pay, hours and insurance.

However, the umpire will have discretion to vary standards between workplaces and the laws will not mandate uniform pay or conditions.

Employment Minister Tony Burke agreed with critics who say the rules will add complexity or raise costs but said Australia needed rules to protect vulnerable workers and slightly higher prices were an acceptable trade-off.

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"If we're going to be a nation where you don't have to rely on tips to make ends meet then there needs to be some extra regulation," Burke said in a speech in Canberra.

"We are talking about some of the lowest paid people in Australia and if that means there's a tiny bit extra you pay when your pizza arrives to your door and they're more likely to be safe on the roads getting there then I reckon it's a pretty small price to pay."

The issue of how to qualify the legal status of gig economy workers is being debated in many countries. EU countries in June agreed draft rules to govern whether platform employers will need to provide employee benefits.

The public response from employers on Thursday was mixed, with Uber saying it supported the push for gig economy minimum standards that also protected flexibility, while the head of Australia's business lobby group said the legislation would hurt workers and consumers and should not be passed.

"We welcome the minister confirming his commitment to protect the flexibility gig workers rely on and value, an Uber spokesperson said in a statement. "We will continue to work constructively with the government as they progress the bill."

In a nod to critics, some conditions will remain outside the umpire's remit, including overtime rates or rosters.

If passed, the "Closing Loopholes Bill" will come into force on July 1, 2024.

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Allegiant air raises concerns about Mexican government's transparency on flight operations

Transparency from the Mexican government on flight operations in Mexico City is a concern, U.S. carrier Allegiant Air argued in a presentation made public Wednesday, appearing to confirm the U.S. government's worries over a federal order moving cargo flights out of the capital's main airport.

U.S. regulators suspended review of a proposed joint venture between Allegiant and Mexican airline Viva Aerobus earlier this month, citing concerns over recent actions by the Mexican government affecting the Mexico City International Airport (AICM).

Regulators did not specify what those actions were, but Mexican officials had speculated that a government decree requiring cargo flights be moved out of the hub was behind the friction.

Mexico earlier this year ordered that cargo lines stop operating at the AICM, instead pushing them to move operations to the military-run Felipe Angeles International Airport (AIFA) north of Mexico City.

Mexico extended the deadline for carriers to make the move to September after a request from U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg on behalf of concerned U.S. airlines, according to Mexican officials.

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In a presentation given to the U.S. Department of Transportation and the State Department on Aug. 17 and published Wednesday, Allegiant argued that while "transparency is a concern," the cargo move does not harm American interests and that suspending its proposed tie-up with Viva was "based entirely on speculation."

Instead, the Mexican government seemed intent on promoting a to-be-launched military-run commercial airline, Mexicana, and the AIFA, at Mexican carriers' expense, Allegiant argued.

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has increasingly handed over civil aviation duties to the military during his term, causing industry concern that the government operating both an airline and airports like the AIFA could cut national carriers out of the market.

There are also slot constraints at the AICM, Allegiant said. However, its proposed joint venture hopes to target beach and leisure destinations rather than the capital.

On Thursday, Mexico further reduced slots at the AICM by some 17%. Ahead of the announcement, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) urged Mexico to take alternative measures.

"We cannot accept any unilateral and uncoordinated decisions which will ultimately hamper (Mexico's) connectivity," IATA said in a statement to Reuters.

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British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak names Grant Shapps as next defense secretary

Grant Shapps, one of British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s staunchest Cabinet allies, was named U.K. defense secretary on Thursday as Sunak began a Cabinet reshuffle ahead of a general election that is expected to take place next year.

The move came after Ben Wallace formally submitted his resignation earlier in the day, honoring a promise made last month. Wallace was defense secretary for four years, overseeing Britain’s military response to the war in Ukraine.

Shapps, who supported Sunak during his campaign to become Conservative Party leader and prime minister last year, has been a Cabinet member since 2019, most recently serving as secretary of state for the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero.

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Wallace used his resignation letter to press for increased funding for the military, long his primary issue.

"I genuinely believe that over the next decade the world will get more insecure and more unstable,’’ Wallace wrote in his letter to Sunak. "We both share the belief that now is the time to invest. Ever since I joined the army, I have dedicated myself to serving my country. That dedication, however, comes at a personal toll to me and my family."

Shapps is known as a gifted communicator, a key attribute ahead of what is likely to be a bruising general election campaign. But he has no experience in the fraught and complicated world of defense, which the ongoing conflict in Ukraine has complicated.

"As I get to work at @DefenceHQ I am looking forward to working with the brave men and women of our Armed Forces who defend our nation’s security, ‘’ Shapps said, adding he would continue "the UK’s support for Ukraine in their fight against (Vladimir) Putin’s barbaric invasion."

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Shapps visited Kyiv last week, visiting a power plant undergoing repairs following a Russian bombing.

The visit was billed as part of government actions to back supplies of fuel for Ukraine’s nuclear power plants. Shapps pledged a 192 million pound ($243 million) loan guarantee to help power Ukraine through the winter and to end its reliance on Russian supplies.

Replacing Shapps as energy secretary is Claire Coutinho, who was elected to Parliament in 2019 and most recently served as minister for children, families and well-being. A low-profile figure, Coutinho is also considered a staunch Sunak loyalist.

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The energy post is seen as a critical job since escalating fuel and utility costs arising from the war in Ukraine has aggravated a cost of living crisis that is causing the suffering of many.

"The new energy secretary’s inbox is already groaning under the weight of vital decisions which need to be made to reform Britain’s broken energy system,'' Simon Francis, coordinator of the End Fuel Poverty Coalition said. "Energy bills remain at record levels with every unit of energy costing double what it did in winter 2020/21, with daily standing charges also increasing and customers in record levels of energy debt.''

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North Korea simulates massive 'scorched earth' nuclear attack on South Korea, includes conquering rival

North Korea conducted a massive simulated "scorched earth" nuclear attack on South Korea, its officials said. The simulated attack also included a rehearsed occupation of its rival's territory.

On Wednesday evening, North Korea’s military fired two tactical ballistic missiles from its capital city of Pyongyang to practice "scorched earth strikes" over major South Korean command centers and operational airfields, according to the official Korean Central News Agency.

The North’s military said it observed the missiles detonating at a set altitude, suggesting their simulated strikes included the explosions of dummy nuclear warheads. Atomic weapons, such as those used during World War II over Japan are typically detonated above the Earth, rather than hitting it directly, to increase their devastating potential.

According to KCNA, North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un visited an army post where his military has been holding command post drills in response to the South Korean-U.S. military training. The outlet reported the North rehearsed "occupying the whole territory of the southern half" of the Korean Peninsula.

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South Korea’s Unification Ministry strongly condemned North Korea for the simulated attack on the South and warned the hermit country would face "an overwhelming response" by South Korea, the U.S. and Japan if it continues its provocation and military threats.

During the visit, Kim underscored the need to "deal a heavy blow at the enemy’s war potential and war command center and blinding their means of command communication at the initial stage of operation."

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Kim also expressed a need to acquire an ability to launch "simultaneous super-intense strikes" at key enemy military targets and other sites to cause social and economic chaos, according to KNCA. This could suggest North Korea intends to conduct nuclear and EMP (electromagnetic pulse) attacks at the early stage of a potential war, according to an expert.

According to South Korean and Japanese assessments, the two short-range missiles traveled approximately 225-250 miles at a maximum altitude of 30 miles before landing in the waters between the Korean Peninsula and Japan.

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff called the action "a grave provocation" that threatens international peace and violates U.N. Security Council resolutions that ban any ballistic launches by North Korea.

The launches and simulated war come as the militaries of South Korea and the U.S. are conducting joint exercises in the Pacific, including over the Korean Peninsula, which the North views as a security threat.

North Korea said its new missile tests were in direct response to the United States’ flyover of long-range B-1B bombers during a joint aerial training with South Korea earlier Wednesday.

"(The aerial drill) is a serious threat to (North Korea) as it was just pursuant to the scenario for a preemptive nuclear strike at" North Korea, the Korean People’s Army general staff said. "The KPA will never overlook the rash acts of the U.S. forces and the (South Korean) military gangsters."

North Korea abhors the use of U.S. B-1B bombers, which it describes as "nuclear strategic" and has described major U.S.-involved military drills on and near the Korean Peninsula as preparation for invasion.

On Aug. 21, the U.S. and South Korean militaries kicked off their summer Ulchi Freedom Shield computer-simulated command post exercise. During this year’s training, the allies have included more than 30 kinds of field exercises, such as Wednesday’s joint aerial exercise involving the B-1B aircraft.

The exercises are slated to end Thursday, Aug. 31.

Washington and Seoul maintain the drills are defensive. The U.S. keeps about 28,000 troops in South Korea.

The U.S. Indo-Pacific Command said the U.S. commitment to the defense of South Korea and Japan remains "ironclad."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Fire at multi-story building in Johannesburg leaves at least 63 dead, over 40 injured

A fire at a five-story building in downtown Johannesburg Thursday morning left at least 63 people dead and more than 40 injured, city officials announced.

The fire in South Africa's largest city broke out around 1:30 a.m. local time, according to the City of Johannesburg Emergency Management Services. When firefighters arrived at the scene, crews immediately began evacuating those inside the building and working to contain the fire.

As of 8 a.m. local time, the flames were mostly extinguished, but smoke was still trickling out of windows. 

Spokesman Robert Mulaudzi said a search and recovery operation was underway within the building and 63 bodies had been pulled out so far. The Associated Press reported at least one child was among the dead.

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There were also 43 people treated at the scene for injuries, Mulaudzi said. The extent of their injuries were not revealed, but he said they were all transported to hospitals in the area for further care.

Relief for families affected by the fire has been activated by City of Johannesburg Disaster Management.

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Mulaudzi said the building had been overtaken by homeless people looking for a place to live without formal lease agreements, which made it difficult to search, according to The AP.

"Over 20 years in the service, I’ve never come across something like this," Mulaudzi told the outlet.

Witnesses told local news outlets there could have been as many as 200 people living in the building.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

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33-year-old Brazilian fitness influence dies after double cardiac arrest

A Brazilian fitness influencer, who was just 33-years-old, tragically died after suffering a double cardiac arrest due to unknown causes. 

Family confirmed Larissa Borges death in a social media post Wednesday, saying that losing her is "overwhelming."

"The pain of losing someone so young, just 33 years old, and so kind, is overwhelming," the family wrote in an Instagram post. "Our hearts are broken, and the longing we will feel is indescribable."

According to local media, the popular fitness influencer with over 32,000 followers was hospitalized Aug. 20, after suffering from her initial cardiac arrest during her travels in Gramado, Brazil.

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The incident placed influencer in a coma for a week, with family keeping her fans updated on her condition through social media.

Tragedy struck again after the healthy young woman faced another cardiac arrest that she, "could not resist."

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Her family said that she is leaving a legacy of "love, joy and determination."

"She was known for her captivating personality, always bring smiles to those around her," her family wrote. "Her presence illuminated any environment and her contagious energy will be missed by everyone who had the privilege of knowing her."

Her family said that she "struggled tirelessly for her life." Family did not share details about her difficulties.

"She struggled tireless for her life, facing all the obstacles that a warrior and determined woman makes-without complaining," family wrote.

Family finished their heartfelt tribute to the fitness influencer, saying that her passing leaves a "void" in their hearts. 

"May your soul rest in peace and may your memory always be remembered with affection and gratitude," family wrote.

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168 migrants return to Senegal after Mauritania refuses to accept boat

Nearly 170 migrants returned to Senegal on Wednesday after spending almost a week in limbo on a Spanish rescue boat.

Deputy Mayor Lamine Ndiaye confirmed 168 migrants were safely transferred from a Spanish vessel to Senegalese authorities. They were expected to arrive in Dakar by sea Wednesday evening.

Since Thursday, the migrants had been stuck aboard a Spanish Civil Guard vessel near the northwest African nation of Mauritania after authorities there refused to let them disembark, according to Spanish media.

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The Civil Guard is one of two national police forces in Spain. For years, it has worked with local authorities in Mauritania and Senegal to try to prevent migrants from attempting to reach Spain’s Canary Islands, an archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of Africa.

The crew on the Tagus River Civil Guard boat spent days at sea with the survivors, and at multiple points fired gunshots into the air to quell riot attempts, according to a post shared by the account of the union representing Civil Guard members on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.

In recent months there has been a surge of migrants departing from Senegal, who must navigate north past Mauritania to reach the Canaries. Mauritanian authorities declined to comment on why the migrants were barred from disembarking on its shores.

International maritime law mandates that any person found in distress at sea must be rescued and brought to the nearest place of safety, and that asylum seekers should not be forcibly returned to a country where they might face persecution.

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In a statement Tuesday, the Spanish Commission for Refugees (CEAR) asked Spanish authorities not to bring the migrants back to Senegal, since "the current political and social situation in Senegal is very delicate and could put these people at risk."

Tensions have recently run high in Senegal, where a popular opposition leader's arrest in July spurred violent unrest.

Tens of thousands of people across West Africa board rickety wooden boats bound for Europe every year. Many seek to escape political unrest, youth unemployment and worsening conditions for fishing and farming.

The route from West Africa to Spain is one of the world’s most dangerous. Nearly 1,000 migrants died while trying to reach Spain by sea in the first six months of 2023, says Spanish rights group Walking Borders.

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Withdrawal from Afghanistan emboldened rivals, sent message US 'won't stand with allies'

The U.S. continues to feel the ramifications of its rush to exit the two-decade Afghanistan campaign – a decision that signaled to America’s rivals that it "won’t stand with allies," according to a House Armed Services committee member. 

"It absolutely sent a message to our adversaries around the world that the United States won’t stand with allies," Rep. Mike Waltz, R-Fla., Chairman of the House Committee on Armed Services’ Subcommittee on Readiness, told Fox News Digital in an interview.

Waltz, a decorated veteran who served combat tours in Afghanistan as a Green Beret, said "If Biden was willing to leave Americans and tens of thousands of Afghan allies who fought alongside us, why in the hell should China or Russia think he wouldn’t do the same for Taiwan or Ukraine?" he added. "The consequences were enormous." 

The Taliban assumed control of Kabul – and the country as a whole – after President Biden ordered a hasty withdrawal of U.S. military forces from Afghanistan that ended on Aug. 30, 2021.

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The international security landscape has since grown increasingly unstable, primarily with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine that started some six months after the U.S. left Afghanistan. 

Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass., told Fox News Digital the "debacle" of the drawdown "was entirely predictable," showing "a failure of foresight and planning." Moulton also serves on the House Armed Services committee and is U.S. Marine Corps veteran having served four tours of duty in Iraq.

"The most experienced American personnel on the ground weren’t surprised at all, yet their voices were drowned out by those in Washington under two successive Republican and Democratic administrations," Moulton argued, stressing that "had they simply started the evacuation months earlier," then "more lives would have been saved, and our reputation might have remained intact."

A National Security Council (NSC) spokesperson pushed back on the assertion that the way the drawdown played out emboldened competitor nations, arguing instead that "our true strategic competitors – China and Russia – would love nothing more than the United States continue to funnel billions of dollars in resources and attention into stabilizing Afghanistan indefinitely." 

The spokesperson noted that Biden faced a choice to "ramp up the war and put even more American troops at risk or finally end our involvement in the United States’ longest war after two decades … and $2 trillion spent" – an argument the administration has maintained in the two years since the drawdown. 

The administration maintains that fully exiting Afghanistan "freed up critical military, intelligence and other resources and ensured we are better poised to confront today’s threats to international peace and stability – whether that be Russia’s brutal and unprovoked assault on Ukraine, China’s increasingly assertive moves in the Indo-Pacific and around the world or terrorist threats in regions around the world," the NSC spokesperson added. 

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"We have also demonstrated that we do not need a permanent troop presence on the ground in harm’s way to remain vigilant against terrorism threats or to remove the world’s most wanted terrorist from the earth," the spokesman said. 

Moulton supported this view, highlighting the "futile" effort to understand either Russian President Vladimir Putin or Chinese President Xi Jinping’s mentality, but agreed with arguments that "our withdrawal hurt the credibility of our military and our elected officials with both our allies and our adversaries." 

"We saw how it strained our relationship with our NATO allies, who, quite fairly, felt abandoned after our unilateral decision to withdraw," Moulton said. "It is notable, however, that only six months later, Putin was surprised that NATO acted so swiftly and decisively in response to his criminal invasion of Ukraine."

Biden maintained the plan to complete a military drawdown after then-President Trump had agreed the conditions as part of a peace deal with the Taliban. The U.S. had around 13,000 troops in Afghanistan at the time, and the deal included a roadmap for the country’s future, which linked the drawdown to Taliban promises to help fight terror in Afghanistan. 

As the U.S. started the drawdown, the Taliban seized the initiative and started to take territory from Afghanistan’s government, culminating in the Hamid Karzai International Airport suicide bombing. 

The bombing killed 13 U.S. service members – 11 Marines, one Navy sailor and one Army soldier – and wounded 18 other U.S. service members. More than 150 civilians died as a result of the bombing.

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Waltz said he was skeptical about the Taliban’s commitment to Trump’s plan and "live up to their end of the bargain," but that "at the end of the day, when President Trump’s team brought him those facts," he planned to keep a small force at Bagram Air Base. 

"For those who like to point at President Trump, at the end of the day, he didn't do what Biden did. He listened to his generals," Waltz said. 

"Biden had no problem reversing all kinds of Trump policies on day one of his administration," he continued. "He canceled the Keystone XL pipeline deal, lifted sanctions on Nord Stream 2, completely reversed policy on the border, got back into the Paris Accord, lifted maximum pressure on Iran and tried to get back into the Iran deal … I could keep going."

"He had no problem reversing all of those Trump policies the first months of his administration, yet we're supposed to believe that he was completely handcuffed and had his hands tied when it came to Afghanistan? I don’t buy it," he stressed. "I think it’s a bunch of garbage."

Moulton noted that Biden’s plan had support from "the majority of Americans … essentially the same promise that Trump had made, but both went counter to most military advice." 

The lack of clarity surrounding the withdrawal has continued to plague the U.S. as rival nations – chiefly China and Russia – pursue aggressive foreign policy, ultimately leading to the invasion of Ukraine and unending posturing over the future of Taiwan. 

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The difference between Afghanistan and Iraq, according to Waltz, is that the U.S. had bases as well as allies in nations such as Turkey, Jordan and Israel to help push back against the resurgence of ISIS. The U.S. could also turn to Kurdish forces to help supplement its military efforts. 

The U.S. lacks those elements in Afghanistan. Military leaders including Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Mark A. Milley, and Gen. Kenneth McKenzie, then head of U.S. Central Command, testified in the aftermath that they had advised Biden to maintain an operational force of 2,500 U.S. troops in Afghanistan at Bagram Air Base after the rest of the forces had departed. 

Both Gens. Milley and McKenzie during testimony before the Senator Armed Services Committee did not discuss specific details of their conversations with the president, but Milley stressed that he recommended keeping 2,500 – 3,500 troops in Afghanistan – an opinion that "remained consistent throughout" the drawdown. 

The lack of such a force prevented the U.S. from fully evacuating every American citizen and many Afghan allies from the country, leaving them at the mercy of the Taliban, along with billions of dollars of equipment, which Waltz argued left "Biden, Blinken, Austin, [and] his administration with blood on their hands."

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A Department of Defense spokesperson defended Austin’s commitment to the memory of the fallen from the Abbey Gate bombing, expressing how "profoundly grateful" he was to all troops that served in Afghanistan and … the effort of every American who contributed to keeping our safe," including working towards "a brighter future for the Afghan people." 

Additionally, the spokesperson explained that the weapons left behind in Afghanistan were not U.S. military-owned equipment, but rather weapons and equipment "procured and transferred to the Afghan government via an established and rigorous security cooperation program." 

"These items were owned and operated by the previous Afghan government," the spokesperson added. 

"To date, we have not seen strong evidence of significant proliferation of this materiel from Taliban stores, and we have not received any information from other governments concerned about the potential proliferation of heavy equipment, such as former Afghan military armored vehicles, artillery, or aircraft."

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Technical failure that halted UK air traffic blamed on issues with flight data

A technical failure that saw hundreds of flights delayed and canceled across the U.K. was caused by problems in some flight data received by Britain's national air traffic controllers and was not a cyberattack, authorities said Tuesday.

The breakdown, which hit on a late-summer holiday Monday that is one of the busiest days of the year for air travel, saw thousands of travellers stranded at airports. Transport Secretary Mark Harper said it was the worst incident of its kind in almost a decade and it would take days to "get people back to where they should be."

The National Air Traffic Services said initial investigations showed that the problem "relates to some of the flight data we received." It gave no specific information on what caused the trouble.

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"Our systems, both primary and the back-ups, responded by suspending automatic processing to ensure that no incorrect safety-related information could be presented to an air traffic controller or impact the rest of the air traffic system," chief executive Martin Rolfe said.

"Our systems are designed to isolate the problem and prioritise continued safe air traffic control," he added.

Aviation analytics firm Cirium said 790 departures and 785 arrivals were canceled across all U.K. airports Monday, and knock-on effects continued to affect dozens of passengers Tuesday.

At least 32 departures from Heathrow, Europe's busiest air hub, were canceled Tuesday, and 31 arrivals axed.

British Airways, which operates the most flights to and from Heathrow, was the worst affected airline.

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Gatwick, London’s second-busiest airport, was similarly affected Tuesday.

Passengers stuck at airports across the U.K. described their frustration.

Katrina Harrison and her family, including her 1-year-old twin grandchildren, spent the night with no food or bed at Leeds Bradford Airport after their flight to Turkey was canceled Monday.

"There were no hotels to stay in, we couldn’t get the car out of the car park ... We haven’t slept. We tried to sleep on the floor but couldn’t. Luckily the children could sleep in the pram," she said. "We’re hoping to get on a flight tonight but if it doesn’t happen tonight, we’ll have to go home."

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Greek wildfire now EU's largest on record as it enters 11th day

A massive wildfire was burning unabated in northeastern Greece for the 11th day Tuesday despite the efforts of hundreds of firefighters and a fleet of water-dropping aircraft from Greece and several of its European Union partners.

After burning across vast tracts of land, the blaze in the Alexandroupolis and Evros region was mainly concentrated deep in a forest near the border with Turkey, in an area difficult to access.

The wildfire, which was blamed for 20 of the 21 wildfire-related deaths in Greece last week, is the biggest in the EU since the European Forest Fire Information System started keeping records in 2000.

GREEK WILDFIRE DEVASTATION PERSISTS: AUTHORITIES MOBILIZE INTERNATIONAL AID AS FIREFIGHTERS BATTLE BLAZES

Six planes and four helicopters were assisting 475 firefighters on the ground, backed by 100 vehicles, the fire department said. Another 260 firefighters and one helicopter were tackling flare-ups of another major fire burning for days in a forest on the southern slopes of Mount Parnitha, on the fringes of the Greek capital.

Authorities are investigating the causes of the fires, which over the past week have destroyed large tracts of forest, scorched homes and triggered the evacuation of thousands of people.

In Athens, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis chaired a government meeting on how to rehabilitate the burnt forests in Evros and Parnitha. It decided to identify all burned areas for reforestation, take action to prevent flooding later in the year and provide access to food and water for the area's surviving wildlife.

With firefighting forces stretched to the limit, Greece has called for help from other European countries, receiving 12 aircraft and hundreds of firefighters from across the continent.

France and Spain were sending additional aircraft to join those already sent from Germany, Sweden, Croatia, Cyprus and the Czech Republic under the EU’s emergency response mechanism.

More than 350 firefighters have also been sent to Greece from Romania, France, the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Albania, Slovakia and Serbia.

The top EU official for crisis management, Janez Lenarcic, said Tuesday it was the bloc's largest aerial firefighting operation and "underscores our commitment to swift and effective collective action in times of crisis."

The Alexandroupolis and Evros wildfire, which broke out on Aug. 19, has scorched around 200,000 acres of land, according to the European Union’s Copernicus Emergency Management Service. Copernicus is the EU space program’s Earth observation component and uses satellite imagery to provide mapping data.

GREECE LAUNCHES RESCUE OPERATION FOR OVERCROWDED MIGRANT BOAT ANCHORED OFF REMOTE UNINHABITED ISLAND

Across Greece, firefighters were battling 87 wildfires on Tuesday, with 44 of them having broken out in the 24 hours between Monday evening and Tuesday evening, the fire department said.

Arson has been suspected in some of the blazes, with several people arrested.

Greece imposes wildfire prevention regulations, typically from the start of May to the end of October, limiting activities such as the burning of dried vegetation and the use of outdoor barbecues.

As of Friday, fire department officials had arrested 163 people on fire-related charges since the start of the fire prevention season, including 118 for negligence and 24 for deliberate arson, government spokesperson Pavlos Marinakis said. Police made an additional 18 arrests, he said.

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Christian official faces second 'hate speech' trial over Twitter post quoting the Bible

A respected member of Finland's parliament is set to reappear in court for a second time facing "hate speech" charges for a social media post citing Bible verses, more than a year after a district court dismissed the charges against her.

In a press release, Parliament Member Päivi Räsänen, a 62-year-old medical doctor and grandmother of seven, said that she is "ready to defend her freedom of expression in all necessary courts."

Her second court hearing is set to span two days and take place on August 31 at 9 a.m. and September 1 in the Helsinki Court of Appeals in the Northern European country's capital.

FINNISH CHRISTIAN OFFICIALS FACE CHARGES FOR LGBT CRITICISMS AS BIDEN ADMIN ASKED TO STEP IN

In February 2022, the Helsinki District Court’s unanimously dismissed the hate speech charges over Räsänen and Bishop Juhana Pohjola's Christian beliefs about marriage. 

In a 2019 tweet, Räsänen questioned her church’s sponsorship of an LGBTQ Pride event, and linked to an Instagram post with a picture of Romans 1:24-27.

Räsänen said in a press release that the lengthy four-year investigation has involved untrue accusations, lengthy police interrogations, district court hearings and an upcoming appeal hearing – despite the unanimous acquittal.

PROSECUTOR IN FINLAND'S ‘BIBLE TRIAL’ QUESTIONS LAWMAKER OVER BIBLICAL INTERPRETATION, DOCUMENTARY SHOWS

"The content of my writings and my speeches represents the classical Christian view of marriage and sexuality, the same as the Churches have generally taught for two millennia," Räsänen wrote in a press release. "I do not condone insulting, threatening or slandering anyone, and my statements have not included content of such a nature."

The Finnish lawmaker said the 34-page English version of the complaint "openly attacks the core teachings of the Christian faith," after prosecutors previously compared the Bible to Mein Kampf. 

WAR ON RELIGIOUS FREEDOM: WE MUST STAND UP FOR FINNISH CHRISTIANS FACING TRIAL FOR THEIR FAITH

When the charges were announced, Finland’s state prosecutor said that Räsänen's comments were made to cause intolerance, contempt and hatred toward homosexuals. 

During the first trial, prosecutors read unrelated Bible verses as "bad" speech, allegedly that the use of the word "sin" could be harmful. 

Räsänen said the trial has a "deterrent effect of curtailing freedom of expression and religion."

"If writings based on biblical teachings were to be condemned, that would mean a serious restriction of freedom of religion. It is natural that this would raise concerns among Christians both in Finland and internationally," she said. 

Räsänen said that she is ready to defend freedom of speech and religion in, "all necessary courts, even the European Court of Human Rights if necessary." 

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Pakistani court suspends former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s conviction, sentencing

A Pakistani appeals court on Tuesday suspended the corruption conviction and three-year prison term of Imran Khan in a legal victory for the hugely popular embattled former prime minister, his lawyers and court officials said.

Although he will face a retrial in due course, the ruling will enable Khan, 70, to contest the upcoming parliamentary elections. Khan has denied the charges, insisting he did not violate any rules.

The Islamabad High Court also granted bail for Khan, but it was not immediately clear if he will be released as he faces a multitude of other charges brought since his ouster through a no-confidence vote in the parliament in April 2022.

IMPRISONED FORMER PAKISTANI PM IMRAN KHAN PLANS TO CHALLENGE GRAFT CASE

Khan lawyer Shoaib Shaheen said the Islamabad High Court issued a brief verbal order and a written ruling will be issued later. Khan was convicted and sentenced earlier this month by a court that found him guilty of concealing assets after selling state gifts he received while in office.

"Imran Khan is again entitled to lead his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party after today's court order," Babar Awan, another senior attorney for Khan, told reporters after the announcement of the decision.

Earlier this month, Pakistan’s Election Commission had disqualified Khan from running for office for five years. Under Pakistan’s laws, no convicted person is eligible to lead a party, run in elections, or hold public office.

Khan's spokesman, Zulfiqar Bukhari, in a statement welcomed the court order, hoping the former premier would be freed from the Attock prison in the eastern Punjab province where he has been held since his arrest earlier this month.

He said the legal battle for Khan's acquittal would continue. Bukhari said he is praying that now "no misadventure happens now and Imran Khan is not rearrested" as he leaves prison or on the way to his home in the eastern city of Lahore, the capital of Punjab.

EX-PAKISTAN PM IMRAN KHAN BLAMES FORMER MILITARY CHIEF AFTER FIRST SUGGESTING US HASTENED HIS DOWNFALL

Since his ouster, Khan has said that his removal was a conspiracy by the United States, his successor Shehbaz Sharif, and the Pakistani military — accusations that they all deny. Sharif stepped down this month after the parliament’s term ended.

Sharif took to X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, to criticize the court ruling, saying everyone was expecting it. He said if "thieves and state terrorists are facilitated, then from where (will) the common man get justice in the country?"

Meanwhile, Pakistan is facing deepening economic and political turmoil.

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Inflation was 13.4% when Sharif came to power in April 2022, but the country recorded a record monthly inflation rate of 37% in April 2023, indicating Sharif had failed to revive the economy. Currently, many Pakistanis are facing price hikes. They also received high energy bills this month, sending a wave of anger among people who say the bills have eaten up their entire salaries.

The upcoming vote has been complicated by an announcement by the election oversight body that elections must be delayed for at least three to four months because it needs more time to redraw constituencies to reflect the recently held census.

Under the constitution, a vote is to be held in October or November. Until then, caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar is running the day-to-day affairs. Kakar has said that he will ensure the vote is held in a free, fair and transparent manner.

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3 US Marines killed in Osprey crash in Australia have been identified

Authorities have identified the three U.S. Marines who were killed when a U.S. Marine Corps MV-22B Osprey crashed on Melville Island, north of the city of Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia on Sunday.

Marine Rotational Force - Darwin (MRF-D) identified the three Marines as Cpl. Spencer R. Collart, a 21-year-old male from Arlington, Virginia, who served as the MV-22B crew chief; Capt. Eleanor V. LeBeau, a 29-year-old female from Belleville, Illinois, who served as the MV-22B pilot; and Maj. Tobin J. Lewis, a 37-year-old male from Jefferson, Colorado, another MV-22B pilot who was also the executive officer.

"We are deeply saddened by the loss of three respected and beloved members of the MRF-D family," Col. Brendan Sullivan, commanding officer of MRF-D, said in a statement. "Our thoughts and prayers remain with the families and with all involved."

The three Marines were among 23 passengers on an MV-22B Osprey when it crashed at about 9:30 a.m. local time during joint military exercises between the U.S., Australia, Indonesia, the Philippines and Timor-Leste. The 20 survivors were taken to Royal Darwin Hospital, where they were treated for their injuries. Three Marines remain at the hospital, with one in critical condition and two in stable condition, while the rest have been released.

US F/A-18 HORNET CRASH NEAR SAN DIEGO LEAVES MARINE CORPS PILOT DEAD

President Biden offered his condolences to the families of the three Marines who died and the remaining 20 who were injured on X, formerly Twitter.

"Jill and I send our deepest condolences to the families of the Marines who lost their lives in this deadly crash. We are praying for those who also suffered injuries," he wrote.

All three were members of Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM) 363 (Reinforced), which provides the Marine Air-Ground Task Force with assault support and was currently supporting Marine Rotational Force – Darwin (MRF-D) in multinational military exercises in Australia.

According to Marine Rotational Force - Darwin, Collart, LeBeau, and Lewis first enlisted in 2020, 2018, and 2008, respectively, and all three received various medals and ribbons in lieu of their service.

Collart enlisted in the Marine Corps on Oct. 26, 2020, and was promoted to the rank of corporal on Feb. 1, 2023. He was previously stationed in Pensacola, Florida, and Jacksonville, North Carolina, before his arrival at Marine Corps Base Hawaii in Kaneohe Bay.

LeBeau was commissioned in the Marine Corps on Aug. 11, 2018, and was promoted to the rank of captain on March 1, 2023. She was previously stationed in Pensacola, Florida, Corpus Christi, Texas, and Jacksonville, North Carolina, before her arrival at Marine Corps Base Hawaii in Kaneohe Bay.

MILITARY CONSIDERS ALLOWING CALCULATORS ON ENTRANCE EXAMS AS RECRUITING STRUGGLES CONTINUE

Lewis was commissioned in the Marine Corps on Aug. 22, 2008, and was promoted to the rank of major on Oct. 1, 2018. He has served in Pensacola, Florida, Corpus Christi, Texas, Jacksonville, North Carolina, and Okinawa, Japan, before joining the Marine Corps Base Hawaii in Kaneohe Bay.

Collart and LeBeau both received the National Defense Service Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal and the Sea Service Deployment Ribbon.

Lewis received two Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medals, the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, Navy Unit Commendation, National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal and four Sea Service Deployment Ribbons, according to the U.S. Marines.

The MRF-D commanding officer’s statement also thanked those who assisted in the rescue and recovery of the Marines.

"At present, we remain focused on required support to the ongoing recovery and investigative efforts," Sullivan said. "We would like to express our sincere gratitude to the Australian Defence Force, Northern Territory Police, Northern Territory Government, CareFlight Air and Mobile Services, NT Health, National Critical Care and Trauma Response Center, and Tiwi Island Government, who have come together to assist us in this difficult time."

The U.S. Marines said MRF-D Marine Air-Ground Task Force is composed of approximately 2,000 Marines and sailors, who are deployed to Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia, for a period of six months. The deployment lasts from April to October 2023.

While in Australia, the unit supports a series of exercises and training events with the Australian Defence(sic) Force and other allies in the Indo-Pacific region.

The goal is to "maintain a forward-postured contingency response force, enhance interoperability between forces, and strengthen the Australia-U.S. Alliance and security partnership," the Marines said.

Those involved in Sunday’s crash were from Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 363 (Reinforced) and 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment (Reinforced).

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Chinese official agrees to improve cooperation with US during meeting with Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo

The top Chinese official in charge of economic relations with Washington told Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo on Tuesday he was ready to "make new positive efforts" to improve cooperation following an agreement to reduce trade tension by launching groups to discuss export controls and other commercial disputes.

The agreement Monday was the most substantial result to date out of a string of visits by American officials to Beijing over the last three months to revive relations that are at their lowest level in decades. They express optimism about better communication, but neither side has given a sign it is ready to compromise on disputes about technology, security, human rights and other irritants.

Vice Premier He Lifeng sounded an optimistic note, referring to "in-depth exchanges" in July with his American counterpart, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen.

"I’m ready to work based on that with you, to make new positive efforts to deepen our consensus and extend our cooperation," He told Raimondo during a meeting at the Great Hall of the People in central Beijing.

US COMMERCE SECRETARY SET TO MEET WITH CHINESE OFFICIALS IN EFFORT TO STABILIZE RELATIONS

The two governments would launch an "information exchange" about U.S. controls on technology exports that irritate Beijing, though she defended the curbs as necessary for national security and gave no indication they might be relaxed.

"I’m looking forward to finding ways that we can more effectively engage on commercial issues that impact our relationship," Raimondo told He. She said President Joe Biden "asked me to reiterate to you our desire to have more open engagement."

Beijing broke off dialogue on military, climate and other issues with Washington in August 2022 in retaliation for a visit to Taiwan by then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. The mainland’s ruling Communist Party claims the self-ruled island democracy as part of its territory and objects to any government having official contact.

Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s government is trying to revive investor interest in China and reassure foreign companies as part of efforts to reverse an economic slump.

Meeting later with Raimondo, China's No. 2 leader, Li Qiang, expressed hope for "concrete actions" by Washington — a reference to Beijing's desire for policy chances on Taiwan, access to technology and other issues.

CHINA REBUKES ‘SEPARATIST’ TAIWAN VP FOR BRIEF US VISIT: ‘TROUBLEMAKER’

"We do hope the U.S. side will work in the same direction as China, show sincerity and take concrete actions to maintain and further develop bilateral relations," Li told Raimondo.

A key Chinese complaint is limits on access to processor chips and other U.S. technology on security grounds that threaten to hamper the ruling Communist Party’s ambition to develop artificial intelligence and other industries. The curbs crippled the smartphone business of Huawei Technologies Ltd., China’s first global tech brand.

Raimondo defended the Biden administration’s strategy of "de-risking," or encouraging more high-tech manufacturing in the United States and to develop more sources of industrial supplies to reduce disruption. Beijing has criticized that as a possible attempt to isolate China and hamper its development.

"While we will never of course compromise in protecting our national security I want to be clear that we do not seek to decouple or to hold China’s economy back," Raimondo told He.

Also Tuesday, Raimondo met with the Chinese minister of culture and tourism, Hu Heping. She said they agreed to "advance our people to people ties through increased tourism and educational and student exchange."

China is gradually reviving foreign tourism after lifting anti-virus controls that blocked most travel into and out of the country for three years. The number of foreign students in China fell close to zero during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The visits take place under an agreement made by Xi and Biden during a meeting last November in Indonesia. The Chinese state press has given them positive coverage, but Beijing has given no indication it might change trade, strategic, market access and other policies that irk Washington and its Asian neighbors.

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North Korea will soon equip navy with nuclear weapons, Kim Jong Un warns

North Korea's navy will soon be equipped with nuclear weapons in order to support the country's "deterrence" strategy, dictator Kim Jong Un announced.

Kim's announcement comes amid weeks of military drills in the region by both South Korea and the U.S. The leader blamed the U.S. military for increasing "the danger of a nuclear war" during an address on the country's Navy Day.

"Owing to the reckless confrontational moves of the U.S. and other hostile forces, the waters off the Korean Peninsula have been reduced into the world's biggest war hardware concentration spot, the most unstable waters with the danger of a nuclear war," Kim was quoted as saying by the Korean Central News Agency.

North Korea's efforts are believed to be focused on equipping the country's submarines with nuclear-capable missiles.

NORTH KOREAN PLANE TAKES OFF FROM BEIJING, SIGNALING PYONGYANG’S BORDER REOPENING POST-PANDEMIC

Kim's announcements comes after more than a year of ramped up aggression from North Korea. The country has carried out a record number of weapons tests and missile launches in 2023.

North Korea's military failed its second attempt to deploy a satellite in orbit last week, with its rocket failing in the third stage of flight. North Korea’s National Aerospace Development Administration said it will attempt to launch a spy satellite again in October.

PENTAGON DISPUTES PYONGYANG'S CLAIM THAT US SOLDIER TRAVIS KING WILLINGLY SOUGHT 'REFUGE' IN NORTH KOREA

The National Aerospace Development Administration said it would first study what went wrong with last week's launch, but noted that "the cause of the relevant accident is not a big issue in terms of the reliability of cascade engines and the system."

South Korea’s military said the launch of the rocket violated U.N. Security Council resolutions that ban North Korea from using ballistic technologies.

Japanese Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno called the North Korean launch a "threat to peace and stability."

Fox News' Richard Lawrence and the Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Deadly militia attack in Congo leaves 14 dead amid ongoing unrest in the east

Fighters for militia group attacked a village in northeastern Congo, setting off a battle that killed 14 people, the army said Monday, the latest bloodshed in the country's restive east.

Col. Mapela Mviniama said armed men from the CODECO militia assaulted Gobu village on Sunday evening, killing nine civilians and one Congolese soldier. Four attackers also died in the fighting, while two soldiers and two civilians were wounded, he said.

Violence has been surging across eastern Congo, where conflict has flared for decades. More than 120 armed groups are fighting in the region, most for land and control of mines with valuable minerals, while some groups are trying to protect their communities.

ISLAMIC EXTREMIST ATTACKS KILL MORE THAN 30 CIVILIANS IN CONGO

CODECO is a loose association of ethnic Lendu militia groups, and since 2017 it has been fighting with Zaire, a mainly ethnic Hema self-defense group. CODECO attacks killed nearly 1,800 people and wounded more than 500 in the four years through 2022, the African Centre for the Study and Research on Terrorism says.

According to the United Nations, the militia has expanded in recent months.

In June, CODECO fighters killed 45 civilians in Congo's Ituri province. CODECO and other groups have killed more than 100 people in the last month in the neighboring Nord Kivu and Ituri provinces, a local civil society leader, Kinos Katuo, said.

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White House ‘increasingly confident’ Wagner leader Prigozhin died in plane crash

The White House said Monday it is "increasingly confident" that Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin died in last week's plane crash in Russia. 

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre was asked whether the White House was any closer to determining what brought down "Prigozhin’s plane."

"We are increasingly confident that Prigozhin died in the plane crash that took place on August 23rd this past Wednesday," Jean-Pierre said. "I don’t have any new assessment on that for you, so I’ll just leave it there."

Jean-Pierre’s comments come a day after the Russian Investigative Committee said genetic testing on the 10 bodies recovered at the crash site confirmed the identities of all of those listed on board the doomed flight – including Prigozhin and some of his top lieutenants. 

WAGNER TROOPS MOURN PRIGOZHIN FOLLOWING PLANE CRASH

The Investigative Committee did not indicate what might have caused the business jet to plummet from the sky halfway between Moscow and Prigozhin's hometown of St. Petersburg.

The deadly crash came two months after Prigozhin, 62, spearheaded a daylong mutiny against Russia's military, leading his Wagner mercenary troops from Ukraine toward Moscow. Russian President Vladimir Putin decried the act as "treason" and vowed punishment for those involved.

Instead, the Kremlin – much to the world’s surprise – cut a deal with Prigozhin to end the armed revolt, saying he would be allowed to walk free without facing any charges and to resettle in Belarus. Questions remained about whether the former ally of Russia's leader would face a comeuppance for the brief uprising that posed the biggest challenge to Putin's authority during his 23-year rule.

NIKKI HALEY SAYS PUTIN ‘KILLED PRIGOZHIN,’ BLASTS RAMASWAMY FOR ‘CHOOSING A MURDERER’ OVER PRO-AMERICA UKRAINE

A preliminary U.S. intelligence assessment concluded that an intentional explosion caused the plane to go down, fueling suspicions that Putin was the chief architect. 

One of the Western officials who described the initial assessment said it determined that Prigozhin was "very likely" targeted and that an explosion would be in line with Putin's "long history of trying to silence his critics." 

The fate of Wagner, which until recently played a prominent role in Russia's military campaign in Ukraine and was involved in a number of African and Middle Eastern countries, is uncertain.

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Austria police finds small truck crammed with 53 migrants, including children

Authorities on Sunday found 53 people apparently headed for Germany crammed into a small truck that was stopped in the Austrian city of Linz.

Four men were in the cabin of the vehicle when it was stopped on Sunday morning, one of whom fled on foot after getting out of the vehicle, police said. He was arrested, as were three others, on suspicion of smuggling.

In the truck's cargo compartment, officers found the 53 people, including small children. Most of them were from Turkey, police said.

RESCUE SHIPS SEARCH FOR HUNDREDS OF MIGRANTS OFF COAST OF GREECE FOLLOWING SHIPWRECK

The smuggling suspects were three Turkish nationals aged between 18 and 28 and another man whose identity has yet to be established.

Police didn't give details of the migrants' journey, but in recent years authorities have repeatedly found large numbers of people crammed into vehicles that brought them across the Balkans to Austria.

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2 masked gunmen in Copenhagen open fire inside building, killing a man and injuring 4 others

A shooting Saturday in a Copenhagen neighborhood known for its counterculture vibe and flourishing hashish trade left a 30-year-old man dead and four other people inured, Danish police said.

Two masked gunmen opened fire inside a building in the Christiania neighborhood, Copenhagen police spokesman Poul Kjeldsen told Danish media.

Kjeldsen said the shooting was believed to be linked to criminal gangs, Denmark’s TV2 reported.

DELAWARE MAN SENTENCED TO LIFE FOR ROLE IN STREET FEUD THAT LED TO WOMAN'S DEATH, SHOOTING OF 6-YEAR-OLD

He said one of those injured was in critical but stable condition; the others had minor injuries.

Police were still searching for the gunmen late Saturday.

Christiania has been a freewheeling anarchist commune since the 1970s when hippies started squatting in a former naval base. Hashish sales were tolerated there by authorities until 2004 when police started to crack down on the drug trade. Still, the hashish trade has continued with occasional flareups in violence linked to criminal gangs.

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China will no longer require negative COVID-19 test for incoming travelers

China will no longer require a negative COVID-19 test result for incoming travelers starting Wednesday, a milestone in its reopening to the rest of the world after a three-year isolation that began with the country’s borders closing in March 2020.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin announced the change at a briefing in Beijing on Monday.

China in January ended quarantine requirements for its citizens traveling from abroad, and over the past few months has gradually expanded the list of countries that Chinese people can travel to and increased the number of international flights.

BOEING SET TO RESUME 737 MAX JET DELIVERIES TO CHINA AFTER 4-YEAR PAUSE

Beijing ended its tough domestic "zero COVID" policy only in December, after years of draconian curbs that at times included full-city lockdowns and lengthy quarantines for people who were infected.

The restrictions slowed the world’s second-largest economy, leading to rising unemployment and rare instances of unrest.

As part of those measures, incoming travelers were required to isolate for weeks at government-designated hotels.

US APPROVES $12B ARMS PACKAGE FOR POLAND INCLUDING APACHE HELICOPTERS

Protests in major cities including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Nanjing erupted in November over the COVID curbs, in the most direct challenge to the Communist Party’s rule since the Tiananmen protests of 1989.

In early December, authorities abruptly scrapped most COVID controls, ushering in a wave of infections that overwhelmed hospitals and morgues.

A U.S. federally funded study this month found the abrupt dismantling of the "zero COVID" policy may have led to nearly 2 million excess deaths in the following two months. That number greatly exceeds official estimates of 60,000 deaths within a month of the lifting of the curbs.

During the years of "zero COVID," local authorities occasionally imposed snap lockdowns in attempts to isolate infections. People were trapped inside offices and apartment buildings. In some cases widely discussed on social media, authorities sealed residents’ doors with wires and bolts to try to stop the virus from spreading.

From April until June last year, the city of Shanghai locked down its 25 million residents in one of the world’s largest pandemic-related mass lockdowns. Residents were required to take frequent PCR tests and had to rely on government food supplies, often described as insufficient.

Throughout the pandemic, Beijing touted its "zero COVID" policy -– and the initial relatively low number of infections -– as an example of the superiority of China’s political system over that of Western democracies.

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8 US Marines remain hospitalized after deadly aircraft crash over Australia

Eight U.S. Marines remain hospitalized after a fiery aircraft crash in Australia Sunday morning left three dead and 20 injured Sunday morning.

The Marines are still receiving treatment at the Royal Darwin Hospital in the north coast city of Darwin Monday after the Marine V-22 Osprey they were riding in crashed on an island during a multinational training exercise. At approximately 9:30 a.m. local time Sunday, the aircraft crashed into tropical forest and burst into flames.

Australian politician Natasha Fyles, who serves as the chief minister of the Northern Territory, said all 20 survivors of the crash were flown from Melville Island approximately 50 miles south to Darwin.

Fyles noted the first five Marines to arrive at the city’s main hospital were critically injured, including one who underwent emergency surgery. More than a day later, 12 had been discharged, she said.

MILITARY CONSIDERS ALLOWING CALCULATORS ON ENTRANCE EXAM AMID CONTINUED RECRUITING STRUGGLES: REPORT

The Northern Territory chief minister would not detail the conditions of eight who remained in the hospital out of respect for them and their families.

"It’s ... a credit to everyone involved that we were able to get 20 patients from an extremely remote location on an island into our tertiary hospital within a matter of hours," Fyles told reporters.

The Osprey went down during a flight from Darwin to Melville as part of Exercise Predators Run, which involves the militaries of the United States, Australia, Indonesia, the Philippines and East Timor.

Northern Territory Police Commissioner Michael Murphy said the cause of the crash has not yet been determined and investigators would remain at the site for at least 10 days.

The Osprey is a tiltrotor aircraft that takes off and lands like a helicopter but can adjust its propellers forward during its flight to cruise much faster, like an airplane.

The police commissioner said he was surprised the death toll from the crash was not higher.

"For a chopper that crashes and catches fire, to have 20 Marines that are surviving, I think that’s an incredible outcome," Murphy said.

NAVY SEAL WHO CLAIMED TO KILL BIN LADEN ARRESTED IN TEXAS

Defense Minister Richard Marles was also grateful for those who survived.

"It’s remarkable that in many ways, so many have survived," Marles told Nine News television. "This remains a very tragic incident and the loss of those lives are keenly felt," Marles added.

On social media, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin paid tribute to the Marines who died.

"These Marines served our country with courage and pride, and my thoughts and prayers are with their families today, with the other troops who were injured in the crash, and with the entire USMC family," Austin said on X, formerly Twitter.

The U.S. Embassy in Australia also issued a statement offering condolences to the families.

The Marines aboard the crashed aircraft were all temporarily based in Darwin, where approximately 150 Marines are based each year.

Before Sunday, there had been five fatal crashes of Marine Ospreys since 2012, causing a total of 16 deaths.

The latest was in June 2022, when five Marines died during an exercise east of San Diego, California.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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North Korea allowing citizens abroad to return home for first time since 2020, state media says

In a sign that the country may be easing its draconian COVID-19 restrictions, North Korea says it is allowing its citizens abroad to return home. 

The State Emergency Epidemic Prevention Headquarters made the announcement in a statement carried on state media Sunday. 

Those returning home, the statement added, "will be put under proper medical observation at quarantine wards for a week." 

The announcement signaled Pyongyang’s easing of border restrictions and the first time North Koreans have been informed about its borders reopening for its citizens, per NK News. 

Those who have been forced to stay abroad because of the pandemic have mostly been students and workers in China and Russia. The workers are a key source of foreign income for the country.

North Korea banned tourists, jetted out diplomats, and severely curtailed border traffic and trade after the pandemic began. The lockdown has further worsened the country's chronic economic difficulties and food insecurity.

MOTHER OF TRAVIS KING SAYS HE HAS ‘SO MANY REASONS TO COME HOME’ FROM NORTH KOREA

Earlier this month, South Korea's spy agency said North Korea was preparing to further reopen its borders gradually in a bid to revive its economy.

On Tuesday, a North Korean commercial jet landed in Beijing in what was the North's first such commercial international flight known to leave the country in more than 3 years. The plane returned from Beijing later in the day, but it wasn't known who was aboard it.

In August 2022, North Korea made a highly dubious claim to have overcome the COVID-19 pandemic. In the following month, the North resumed freight train service with China, its biggest trading partner and economic pipeline, but much of its restrictions on border crossings by individuals have remained in effect.

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Russia's top mercenary force faces uncertain future, threat to survival following warlord's apparent demise

Experts remain split over what the future of the Wagner group looks like following the apparent death of its founder and leader Yevgeny Prigozhin, but they agree Russia will likely try to maintain the success of Wagner while diminishing its influence. 

"Frankly, I think that this private military company model that Wagner has really developed over the past few years, nearly a decade that it's existed, has proven to be very profitable for Moscow," Catrina Doxsee, Associate Director and Associate Fellow with the CSIS Transnational Threats Project, told Fox News Digital. 

"They're able to use these quasi-independent commercial entities to advance their geopolitical goals abroad at relatively low cost, and this layer of deniability and lack of accountability … that’s something that gives enough benefit to Moscow," she added, saying she found it "difficult" or even "just illogical" to give it up.

Russian news outlets reported Wednesday that Prigozhin’s private jet crashed following an explosion, and Russian President Vladimir Putin confirmed that Prigozhin was among the passengers killed. Western sources remained skeptical, but the Pentagon on Thursday stated that its initial assessment indicated that "it’s likely Prigozhin was killed" and it will continue to assess the situation.

WHO IS YEVGENY PRIGOZHIN?

"We don't have any information to indicate, right now, the press reporting, stating that there was some type of surface-to-air missile that took down the plane … we assess that information to be inaccurate," Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder said, stressing that the U.S. would not comment on whether the death occurred as a result of an assassination. 

On Sunday the Associated Press reported that the Russian committee tasked with investigating the crash confirmed Prigozhin’s death in a statement that said genetic testing confirmed that all ten passengers on the manifest were confirmed as dead. 

Sunday's statement by the Russian investigators would mean his reported death would therefore have occurred two months after his Wagner forces briefly mutinied against the invasion of Ukraine, claiming that Russian military leadership had failed the country’s armed forces. 

Prigozhin repeatedly stressed that his protest was not against Putin, with whom he had developed a seemingly close relationship as his mercenary forces succeeded in making several significant gains for Russia in Ukraine, including the then successful capture of Bakhmut. 

Earlier this year, Prigozhin seemed to have gained such prestige within Russia due to his successes that he felt confident in butting heads with the Russian Ministry of Defense, openly criticizing officials for failures in the Ukraine campaign. New leadership spent the following months diminishing Prigozhin’s influence and prominence. 

KREMLIN DENIES TAKING DOWN PLANE ALLEGEDLY CARRYING WAGNER WARLORD WHO CROSSED PUTIN: ‘ABSOLUTE LIE’

The success of Wagner, which has advanced Russian interests in other regions including Africa, cannot be overstated: Putin relied so much on Prigozhin’s men that he allowed Wagner to openly recruit troops from the prisons in a Suicide Squad-style agreement to earn a parole following six months of service, which resulted in many hardened criminals returning to public life and upsetting the Russian public. 

With Prigozhin seemingly gone, the group stands vulnerable before a military command that has found it equally troubling as it has been helpful in the Ukraine campaign. 

Doxsee argued that the value of Prigozhin’s relationships, which many mid-level leaders and operational personnel in the group have developed relationships, knowledge, experience – things that "can’t be easily replicated" and losing them could "lead to potential weaknesses and power vacuums."

"I think it's possible that some parts of this broader network connected to Prigozhin could come under government or military control," she explained. "Of course, when I say network, I mean not just the paramilitary arm … but also all of these resource exploitation companies, the information and influence operations that Wagner’s been connected to, including the buying up of local media stations." 

PRIGOZHIN'S SECOND-IN-COMMAND, LOGISTICS CHIEF AMONG PASSENGERS ON CRASHED PLANE, MANIFEST REVEALS

Doxsee suggested that it’s very possible that the government or military tries to break up Wagner assets and sections, looking to put multiple people in charge rather than allow one person to take control of the group again – the very thing that led to Prigozhin’s outsized influence. 

"You could have one head of the paramilitary services, one taking the lead for the resource exploitation companies and so on … if you do have a fracturing of the network under different leaders, you'll want to still ensure that those different factions still have the ability and the willingness to coordinate with one another," Doxsee said. 

"But then, of course, balancing that against the risk of establishing a new monopoly under one person: I think that, certainly, whatever leadership comes in, whether it's one person or multiple, one of the top priorities for the Kremlin will just be ensuring that it's someone who is deeply loyal to Putin and who will be kept on a much shorter leash than Prigozhin was," she added.

Kateryna Stepanenko, Deputy Team Lead of the Russia team at the Institute for the Study of War, said that Wagner will not likely exist in the same capacity "ever again" – not even as a quasi-independent group. 

"We know that the Russian Ministry of Defense has been conducting a pretty elaborate recruitment campaign targeting Wagner personnel and trying to recruit them into Russian MOD-affiliated private military companies … there are also reports about the Kremlin refusing to pay for Wagner forces that were stationed in Belarus," Stepanenko said. 

"All in all, the removal of Prigozhin and all top three leaders of Wagner is placing the next layer of commanders in a very peculiar place," she argued. "Putin had clearly indicated that anyone who is trying to operate Wagner of this quasi-independent military structure is not doing as Putin would like to and are facing death." 

Most telling, according to Stepanenko, is that no current or potential leaders of Wagner have spoken out following Prigozhin’s death – a sign that the group potentially has no idea how to proceed at this time, especially under the new restrictions they face following their mutiny. 

"There are some private military companies currently operating in occupied Ukraine that are affiliated with pretty prominent Russian officials that don't seem to be integrated under the Russian Ministry of Defense at this time," she noted, but she stressed that Wagner is "not going to be the same."

THE Associated Press contributed to this report.

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DNA test confirms Yevgeny Prigozhin was aboard crashed jet, Russia says

Russian investigators say DNA testing confirms that Russian warlord Yevgeny Prigozhin was aboard the small jet that crashed outside Moscow under mysterious circumstances last week.

Russia's Investigation Committee confirmed the identities of all 10 people aboard the craft, which also included Prigozhin's second in command, Dmitry Utkin. Investigators have yet to offer an explanation for why the plane crashed.

"As part of the investigation of the plane crash in the Tver region, molecular-genetic examinations have been completed," Russia's Investigative Committee said in a statement. "According to their results, the identities of all 10 dead were established. They correspond to the list stated in the flight sheet."

Prigozhin's private jet plummeted out of the sky on Wednesday in the Tver region outside Moscow. Residents of a village near the crash site say they heard an "explosion" in the air before the jet come down.

WAGNER TROOPS MOURN PRIGOZHIN FOLLOWING PLANE CRASH

Prigozhin's death comes just months after he led a stop-and-go insurrection against Russian President Vladimir Putin's regime earlier this year. Prigozhin, the leader of the Wagner mercenary group, expressed anger at how his forces had been used and treated and ordered a march on Moscow.

WHO IS YEVGENY PRIGOZHIN?

He soon aborted the march after deal making with Putin's regime, under which he was supposed to remain in exile in Belarus.

U.S. officials said Thursday that they believed Prigozhin was aboard the aircraft, though they said there was no evidence of a missile strike against the plane.

PRIGOZHIN APPEARS PUBLICLY FOR FIRST TIME SINCE MUTINY

Speaking with reporters on Thursday, Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder said the U.S. would not comment on whether Prigozhin's death was part of a deliberate assassination.

"First of all, our initial assessment is that it's likely Prigozhin was killed," he said. "We don't have any information to indicate, right now, the press reporting, stating that there was some type of surface-to-air missile that took down the plane. But, we assess that information to be inaccurate."

Prigozhin, once a close ally of Putin, was given great latitude in his criticism of Russian military leaders amid Moscow's stalled war against Ukraine. Videos of him publicly assailing Russian military generals and officials went viral as the army encountered strong Ukrainian resistance and battlefield losses.

Fox News' Louis Caisano and Reuters contributed to this report.

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