Colombia's president says hundreds of thousands of pieces of ammunition have gone missing from military bases

Colombian President Gustavo Petro said Tuesday that hundreds of thousands of pieces of ammunition have gone missing from two military bases in the South American country.

In a brief statement, Petro said that an inspection this month by the army found that hundreds of thousands of bullets, thousands of grenades and 37 anti-tank missiles were stolen from a military base in the center of the country and another near the Caribbean coast.

TENS OF THOUSANDS OF COLOMBIANS PROTEST AGAINST LEFTIST PRESIDENT'S AGENDA

Petro, the country's first left-wing president, said the ammunition might have ended up in the hands of Colombian rebel groups, or may have been sold illegally to criminal groups overseas, including Haitian gangs.

"The only way to explain these missing items is that there are networks made up of people within the armed forces who are involved in the illegal arms trade," Petro said.

Petro said that inspections of military bases would continue in order to "separate the armed forces from any type of criminal organization."

The investigation comes as Colombia resumes fighting in the southwest of the country against the FARC-EMC a rebel group that broke off from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia after it signed a peace deal with the government in 2016.

Petro has launched peace talks with some of the nation’s remaining rebel groups since he was elected into office in 2022. But while in some areas of the country fighting between the government and rebel groups has decreased, critics of the Petro administration have said that these groups continue to extort and kidnap civilians. They say that cease-fires linked to the peace talks have helped rebels strengthen their positions and gain more influence over communities.

from Latest World News on Fox News https://ift.tt/vcVbaMO

Tunisian opposition declines to participate in election unless political prisoners freed

Tunisia’s main opposition coalition said Tuesday it won’t take part in the North African country’s upcoming presidential election unless President Kais Saied’s political opponents are freed and judicial independence is restored.

More than 20 political opponents have been charged or imprisoned since Saied consolidated power in 2021 by suspending parliament and rewriting the country’s constitution. Voters weary of political and economic turmoil approved his constitutional changes in a 2021 referendum with low turnout.

Saied is widely expected to run in the presidential election, likely to take place in September or October. It is unclear if anyone will challenge him.

19 BODIES RECOVERED OFF THE COAST OF TUNISIA AFTER MIGRANTS ATTEMPTED TO CROSS THE MEDITERRANEAN TO EUROPE

The National Salvation Front, a coalition of the main opposition parties including once-powerful Islamist movement Ennahdha, expressed concern that the election wouldn’t be fair, and laid out its conditions for presenting a candidate.

They include freeing imprisoned politicians, allowing Ennahdha’s headquarters to reopen, guaranteeing the neutrality and independence of the electoral commission and restoring the independence of the judicial system, according to National Salvation Front president Ahmed Nejib Chebbi.

Ennahdha’s headquarters were shut down a year ago, and its leader Rached Ghannouchi – a former parliament speaker – was sentenced to 15 months in prison on charges of glorifying terrorism. His supporters say the charge is politically driven.

Under the constitutional changes Saied introduced, the president can appoint members of the electoral authority as well as magistrates.

Tunisia's earlier charter had been seen as a model for democracies in the region.

Tunisia built a widely praised but shaky democracy after unleashing Arab Spring popular uprisings across the region in 2011. Its economic woes have deepened in recent years, and it is now a major jumping off point for migrants from Tunisia and elsewhere in Africa who take dangerous boat journeys toward Europe.

from Latest World News on Fox News https://ift.tt/Rd7q3wJ

Armed men kill patient at Mexican hospital

Armed men burst into a hospital in central Mexico on Tuesday and killed a patient who was being treated for a previous gunshot wound, authorities said.

Prosecutors in the state of Morelos, just south of Mexico City, said the attack occurred early Tuesday in the city of Cuernavaca, the state's capital.

AMLO CALLS GANGS, CARTELS 'RESPECTFUL PEOPLE' WHO 'RESPECT THE CITIZENRY'

The killers made their way into an intensive care unit and shot the patient to death. They fled after the attack. The victim was a 23-year-old man who had been admitted Saturday for a gunshot wound.

Killings inside hospitals are infrequent but not unknown in Mexico.

A day earlier, local media reported that an assailant disguised as a doctor had tried unsuccessfully to kill a patient with an injection at a hospital in the northern state of Sinaloa.

In 2023, hitmen stormed a hospital in the city of Culiacán, Sinaloa in a bid to kill a patient. But they clashed with other gunmen already inside, sparking a gun battle that left four people dead, including a doctor apparently caught in the crossfire.

Gangs in Mexico have been known to try to finish off wounded rivals by attacks in hospitals or ambulances. In 2021, two paramedics were murdered while transporting a patient in the violence-plagued northern state of Zacatecas.

from Latest World News on Fox News https://ift.tt/hEFUkJ8

Infant, grandparents among those killed by wrong-way police chase crash in Canada

Two grandparents and their infant grandchild were killed on a highway east of Toronto when a van being chased by police crashed while going the wrong way, causing a six-vehicle collision, Canadian police said Tuesday.

CANADIAN POLICE SAY 9 PEOPLE WILL BE CHARGED AFTER $20 MILLION WORTH OF GOLD WAS STOLEN LAST YEAR FROM AIRPORT

The chase late Monday was triggered by an alleged liquor store robbery, and the crash also left the suspect in the chased van dead, police said.

The two grandparents, aged 55 and 60, and their infant grandchild were killed, and an additional person was injured and taken to a hospital, police spokeswoman Monica Hudon of the Special Investigations Unit, or SIU, told a news conference Tuesday.

The unit investigates any time a police officer has been involved in a serious injury or death.

Hudon said the SIU's investigation was in "early stages," and would look into whether police officers were authorized to continue chasing the suspected van onto the highway.

She also said police were still confirming the number of victims in the crash.

from Latest World News on Fox News https://ift.tt/QGdsCvU

Explosion kills 6 UAE-backed secessionists in Yemen; al-Qaeda blamed

An explosive device detonated and killed six troops loyal to a United Arab Emirates-backed secessionist group Monday in southern Yemen, a military spokesman said, the latest attack blamed on al-Qaida militants in the impoverished Arab country.

The explosion hit a military vehicle as it passed in a mountainous area in the Modiyah district of southern Abyan province, said Mohamed al-Naqib, a spokesman for the Southern Armed Forces, the military arm of the secessionist Southern Transitional Council.

Eleven other troops were wounded, he added.

IRANIAN-BACKED HOUTHIS CLAIM RESPONSIBILITY FOR US REAPER DRONE CRASH OFF YEMEN COAST

The UAE-backed council controls much of Yemen’s south. It is at odds with the internationally recognized government, although they are allies in Yemen’s yearslong war against the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels who control the north and the capital Sanaa.

Al-Naqib blamed al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula, or AQAP, for the attack.

AQAP is seen as one of the more dangerous branches of the terror group still operating more than a decade after the killing of founder Osama bin Laden.

It is active in several regions in Yemen, exploiting the country’s civil war to cement its presence in the nation at the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula.

Yemen’s ruinous civil war began in 2014 when the Houthis seized the capital of Sanaa and much of northern Yemen and forced the internationally recognized government into exile.

from Latest World News on Fox News https://ift.tt/URc1qdh

Chinese doping on their mind, US athletes send letter to America's drug czar asking for answers

Two key American athlete groups sent a letter to the country's drug czar calling for a "truly independent" investigation of the case that led to 23 Chinese swimmers not being sanctioned despite testing positive for a banned heart medication.

The USA Swimming Athletes' Advisory Council and the Team USA Athletes' Commission sent the letter Monday to Rahul Gupta, the director of the federal government's Office of National Drug Control Policy.

WORLD ANTI-DOPING AGENCY SAYS WHY CHINESE SWIMMERS WERE CLEARED DESPITE POSITIVE TESTS FOR BANNED SUBSTANCE

Gupta is on the World Anti-Doping Agency's executive committee and is expected to take part in a special meeting Tuesday with other government officials in the Americas to discuss the doping case.

His role is important because governments fund half of WADA's annual budget; the U.S. has held up payments in the past when it felt WADA wasn't following through on its mission.

"As athletes, we have to trust WADA to set and enforce standards that will ensure fair play and protect our rights," the athletes wrote to Gupta. "WADA’s failure to follow its own rules and procedures in the wake of the positive tests of these 23 Chinese athletes has broken this trust."

WADA has strongly denied that any rules were broken, saying Chinese anti-doping authorities ruled the swimmers' samples from January 2021 had been contaminated and there was no effective way for the world's top anti-doping watchdog to appeal that ruling. Some of those swimmers went on to compete at the Tokyo Olympics later that year.

Last week, WADA announced it was appointing a veteran Swiss prosecutor, Eric Cottier, to review how it handled the cases. But that decision was criticized both because the prosecutor comes from the same Swiss canton (state) as where the International Olympics Committee and World Aquatics are located, and also for what critics say is a limited scope of review.

After a scheduled meeting of government leaders from the Western Hemisphere last week, Gupta put out a statement calling WADA's appointment of Cottier "an important first step in addressing the recent doping allegations."

Gupta's office did not immediately return an email from The Associated Press seeking comment about Monday's letter.

Among those on the swimming athletes' council is Lilly King, who has long been outspoken about doping in her sport.

"Once again, we are heading into another Olympic and Paralympic games with serious concerns about whether the playing field is level and the competition fair," the athletes wrote to Gupta.

from Latest World News on Fox News https://ift.tt/cd5hQTC

40 confirmed dead after dam collapses in western Kenya, police say

A dam collapsed in western Kenya early Monday, killing at least 40 people after a wall of water swept through houses and cut off a major road, police said.

The Old Kijabe Dam, located in the Mai Mahiu area of the Great Rift Valley region that is prone to flash floods, collapsed and water spilled downstream, police official Stephen Kirui told The Associated Press.

Ongoing rains in Kenya have caused flooding that has already killed nearly 100 people and caused the opening of schools to be postponed.

AT LEAST 70 PEOPLE KILLED BY FLOODING IN KENYA AS MORE RAIN IS EXPECTED

Heavy rains have been pounding the country since mid-March and the Meteorology Department has warned of more rainfall.

The East African region is experiencing flooding due to the heavy rains, and 155 people have reportedly died in Tanzania while more than 200,000 people are affected in neighboring Burundi.

Kenya’s main airport was flooded on Saturday, forcing some flights to be diverted, as videos of a flooded runway, terminals and cargo section were shared online.

More than 200,000 people across Kenya the country have been affected by the floods, with houses in flood-prone areas submerged and people seeking refuge in schools.

President William Ruto had instructed the National Youth Service to provide land for use as a temporary camp for those affected.

from Latest World News on Fox News https://ift.tt/hm2sQFO

Lawmakers call for release of Putin’s ‘political prisoner number one'

A bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers marked the two-year anniversary of Kremlin critic Vladimir Kara-Murza’s imprisonment by calling for his immediate release. 

Kara-Murza, who lives in solitary confinement in a Siberian maximum-security prison, was sentenced to 25 years last April for treason and other related charges as Russian authorities continue their crackdown on domestic dissent.

The Moscow City Court claimed Kara-Murza was guilty of "high treason" for "disseminating knowingly false information about the Russian Armed Forces" when he delivered a speech to the Arizona House of Representatives in 2022 that criticized Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

His sentence is the longest term handed down to a political prisoner in the post-Soviet era.

Sens. Ben Cardin, D-Md., and Roger Wicker, R-Miss., co-led a group of 80 bipartisan lawmakers urging the Biden administration to declare the Russian dissident as "unlawfully and wrongfully detained."

Fox News Digital obtained a letter sent to Secretary of State Antony Blinken from Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chair Cardin and other lawmakers demanding Kara-Murza’s release and the aforementioned designation.

"There is little time left to end the ongoing and unjust detention of U.S. Legal Permanent Resident and Russian dissident Vladimir Kara-Murza," the letter read in part. "Mr. Kara-Murza’s family has grave concerns that he may not survive much longer. His situation is even more perilous following the killing of Alexei Navalny. Mr. Kara-Murza is the most prominent imprisoned democracy activist still alive in Russia."

The State Department referred Fox News Digital to spokesperson Matthew Miller’s remarks on Kara-Murza's two-year imprisonment anniversary but did not provide specifics when asked about efforts to give the Russian opposition leader the designation sought by U.S. lawmakers.

"The Department of State continuously reviews the circumstances surrounding the detentions of U.S. nationals overseas, including those in Russia, for indicators that they are wrongful. When making assessments, the Department conducts a legal, fact-based review that looks into the totality of the circumstances for each case individually," a spokesperson said.

Russian human rights lawyer and the Center for European Policy Analysis’ Democracy Fellow Grigory Vaypan told Fox News Digital that Kara-Murza is now Russia’s "prisoner number one." 

AMERICAN BALLERINA WITH DUAL CITIZENSHIP ARRESTED IN RUSSIA, FACING LIFE IN PRISON FOR DONATING $51 TO UKRAINE

"He's definitely political prisoner number one on Putin's list, and his life is certainly in danger now that we see with the murder of Navalny that Putin's regime demonstrates to the world that it's willing to kill political prisoners in Russia," Vaypan said. 

He added that Kara-Murza, who was reportedly poisoned twice in 2015 and 2017 by agents of the Russian state, is essentially on "Putin’s death row." 

"His health is deteriorating. He has never fully recovered from the effects of those two poisonings. Now, he is not only in prison, he's on solitary confinement, which is basically indefinite. He can be in his tiny prison cell for many months, and with the effects of those two poisonings, his health is getting worse," Vaypan explained. "This is why it would be fair to say that he's essentially on Putin's death row now."

Memorial, Russia's oldest human rights group, counts roughly 700 political prisoners in Russia today. 

Political prisoners are further isolated and punished in an effort to prevent them from continuing to speak out against the Russian authorities. They can be put into solitary confinement, deprived of food, mail, phone calls with relatives or family visits. 

RUSSIAN POET SENTENCED TO 7 YEARS IN PRISON FOR RECITING VERSES AGAINST WAR IN UKRAINE

"There's a wide array of those measures that the Russian prison authorities can resort to. And we're increasingly seeing that, especially after the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion [of] Ukraine, we've seen more people jailed for exercising their right to free speech," Vaypan told Fox News Digital. "And we've seen an increasing number of people being further harassed and pressured even while in prison."

Kara-Murza’s wife, Evgenia, reflected on the deaths of other Russian opposition figures like Alexei Navalny and Boris Nemtsov at the hands of the Putin regime.

"[They] target the most courageous, the most principled, those Russians who risk not only their freedom but very often their lives to show you that Russia can be different," she said at an event on Capitol Hill.

"As my husband put it, and I quote, ‘It is my hope that when people in the free world today think and speak about Russia, they will remember not only the war criminals who are sitting in the Kremlin but also those who are standing up to them because we are Russians too.’"

from Latest World News on Fox News https://ift.tt/B2lgu1b

EU requires cars come with tech that slows cars when speeding, UK opts out

All new cars and trucks sold within the European Union and Northern Ireland after July 6, 2024, will be mandated to have safety technology activated to let drivers know they are speeding by beeping, vibrating or even slowing the vehicle down, to prevent car crashes.

The United Kingdom has chosen not to require intelligent speed assistance (ISA) to be used on its roads, though the safety feature will still be installed on vehicles and drivers will have the option to activate the technology each day.

ISA technology uses a camera on the front of the vehicle that can read speed limit signs. The information from the signs, along with GPS mapping data in the vehicle’s software, help the car with knowing which speed limit is in place where the vehicle is traveling.

Once the driver breaks the speed limit, ISA will either beep or vibrate the speed limit to let the driver know they are speeding.

EUROPEAN UNION WILL BEGIN INVESTIGATION TO SEE IF CHINA IS DENYING ACCESS TO MEDICAL DEVICE MARKET

If the driver does not slow down, the technology will then take over and reduce the speed of the vehicle to the posted speed limit.

The Telegraph reported that Ford and other manufacturers have been offering ISA as an option since 2015, and since 2022, all new cars in Europe have required ISA to be installed.

The European Transport Safety Council estimates that ISA will reduce collisions by 30% and deaths by 20%.

EU COMMISSION PRESIDENT URGES UNITY AS FINLAND CLOSES RUSSIAN BORDERS OVER MIGRATION SURGE

According to the safety council’s website, the technology will also help drivers avoid speeding tickets.

Leeds University said in a study that the U.K. could see a 12% decline in injuries caused by vehicle crashes, with ISA in place.

The European Union moved to require vehicles to have ISA technology in 2018.

It estimated at the time that every year, 25,000 people died on the roads, adding it was up to the EU to take action to reduce the number of deaths.

from Latest World News on Fox News https://ift.tt/nIAXUTq

Protesters in Germany call for Islamic fundamentalism: 'Caliphate is the solution'

More than 1,000 protesters gathered in Hamburg, Germany to take part in an Islamist demonstration over the weekend, German media reported.

According to German newspaper Die Welt, the demonstration took place in the Steindamm neighborhood of Hamburg on Saturday afternoon.

Muslim protesters carried a variety of signs in support of Islamic fundamentalism. One of the signs read "Kalifat ist die Lösung," which translates to, "Caliphate is the solution."

The protesters also yelled "Allahu Akbar," meaning "God is great," in Arabic. Hamburg police told Die Welt that there were roughly 1,100 participants.

ANTI-ISRAEL AGITATORS FLOOD DC STREETS, TAKE AIM AT WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENTS' DINNER: 'SHAME ON YOU!'

The protest was reportedly organized by a group called Muslim Interaktiv. According to the organization's social media, the protest was meant to stand against the "demoniz[ation of] all Islamic life in Germany."

"We will raise our voices together, inshallah," a translated post on X read. "Together against Islamophobic reporting, both in recent weeks and in recent months."

The Hamburg protests came as anti-Israel protests have intensified across the world, while the Israel-Hamas war inches towards its eighth month. In the U.S., protesters at Columbia University, Harvard University, University of Texas at Austin and other schools have set up tents on their universities' quads as a sign of solidarity with Palestinians.

ANTI-ISRAEL AGITATORS CONTINUE NATIONWIDE DISRUPTIONS WITH ESCALATIONS AT USC, HARVARD AND COLUMBIA

The war began on October 7, when Hamas terrorists attacked Israel on the Jewish holiday of Simchat Torah. Around 1,200 Israeli civilians were killed, igniting a fierce response from the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).

Israel's military response has been criticized by anti-war groups for exacerbating a humanitarian crisis in Gaza, which IDF supporters have blamed on Hamas. In December, police in Berlin banned a pro-Palestinian rally planned for New Year's Eve out of fear of potential chaos and crimes.

"The situation is emotional," Berlin police chief Barbara Slowik said at the time. "An influx of troublemakers is to be expected who could use the meeting to commit crimes. No meeting leader could keep such a development under control. That's why the police banned the demonstration."

Fox News Digital's Anders Hagstrom contributed to this report.

from Latest World News on Fox News https://ift.tt/hXfzg9s

Climate activist who allegedly defaced sculpture at National Gallery of Art charged

A climate activist who allegedly smeared paint on a case surrounding 19th century French artist Edgar Degas’ "Little Dancer Aged Fourteen" sculpture at Washington, D.C.’s National Gallery of Art was charged.

Joanna Smith, 54, of Brooklyn, N.Y., got 60 days of prison time out of a possible maximum sentence of five years for defacing the historic statue, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Washington, D.C., said in a release. 

Judge Amy Berman Jackson also ordered Smith to serve 24 months of supervised release and 150 hours of community service, with 10 hours that must involve cleaning graffiti.

Smith also paid restitution for the damage to the Degas sculpture and was barred from entering the nation's capitol and all museums and monuments for two years.

CLIMATE ACTIVISTS INDICTED FOR SMEARING PAINT ON DEGAS SCULPTURE CASE AT NATIONAL GALLERY

Smith, along with other co-conspirators, traveled to Washington D.C. on April 27, 2023, and allegedly targeted the sculpture, the attorney's office said.

The two allegedly smuggled the paint in plastic water bottles and had other conspirators film them smearing the paint of the base and the see-through case, while sometimes hitting the roughly 143-year-old priceless artwork with force, on their phones, according to the release. 

According to the government’s evidence, Smith, along with other co-conspirators, created video statements explaining their intent.

ACTIVISTS VANDALIZE SCOTLAND'S ‘BRAVEHEART’ MONUMENT IN CLIMATE PROTEST

They also alerted two reporters from the Washington Post who arrived and took photos of the vandalism. 

The April 27 incident caused $4,000 in damage and forced staff to remove "Little Dancer" from the galleries for 10 days for repairs, the release said. 

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

The case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office, specifically the FBI’s Art Crime Team, with assistance from the National Gallery of Art Police, and U.S. Park Police.

from Latest World News on Fox News https://ift.tt/D0BSALs

British tourist has hand, thigh severed after being mauled by bull shark in Caribbean: 'Lucky to be alive'

A 64-year-old British tourist has lost his arm and leg after being mauled by a bull shark on the southeastern Caribbean island of Tobago.

According to Tobago House of Assembly (THA) Chief Secretary Farley Augustine, Peter Smith was in waist-deep water when the attack happened near the Starfish Resort in Courland Bay, a popular tourist destination in Tobago.

Augustine said the bull shark was approximately 8 to 10 feet long, and 2 feet wide.

"He’s lucky to be alive," fellow tourist Stephanie Wright told The Mirror. "I saw a dorsal fin come out of the water and thought, ‘’Oh my God, it’s a shark.’’

A BRITISH TOURIST IS IN A HOSPITAL AFTER A SHARK ATTACK; TOBAGO CLOSES SEVERAL BEACHES

Augustine said that the attack happened just 30 feet from the shore on Friday, April 26, at 9:15 a.m. 

Officials said that the tourist was hospitalized in an intensive care unit following the attack.

He said the victim’s left hand had been severed from the elbow down, his left thigh was also severed, and he also received lacerations to his stomach.

TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO FACING 'NATIONAL EMERGENCY' AFTER MAJOR COASTAL OIL SPILL

Photos from the Chief Secretary's office showed graphic images of Smith's severe shark bites along his body.

The Chief Secretary said that he had spoken to the British High Commissioner and the Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard and the agencies were closely monitoring the area.

"Currently, we are doing drone reconnaissance/surveillance, Coast Guard surveillance, and the Department of Fisheries is combing the area to ensure safety," Augustine said. 

Shark attacks are rare. Last year, there were 69 unprovoked attacks and 22 provoked bites worldwide, along with 14 fatalities, according to the Florida-based International Shark Attack File.

from Latest World News on Fox News https://ift.tt/Z2oIHth

Putin likely didn’t intend for Navalny to die in February, US intelligence agencies assess: report

Russian President Vladimir Putin likely didn’t order the death of opposition leader Alexei Navalny when the 47-year-old collapsed and died in February at an Arctic penal colony, U.S. intelligence agencies have concluded, according to a report. 

While the U.S. has concluded that the Kremlin attempted to kill Navalny in 2020, when he was poisoned by a Soviet-era Novichok nerve agent, and Putin has culpability in his death earlier this year, agencies like the CIA, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, and the State Department have assessed that Putin likely wouldn’t have wanted him killed at that moment, according to the Wall Street Journal citing people familiar with the matter. 

One factor among many in the assessment was that Navalny’s death when he collapsed after a walk at the prison overshadowed Putin’s reelection, sources told the Journal. 

The U.S. increased sanctions on Russia after Navalny’s death. "Make no mistake. Putin is responsible for Navalny’s death," President Biden said earlier this year. 

A WINDOW INTO ALEXEI NAVALNY'S MIND BEFORE HIS DEATH

Former President Trump told Fox News in March that he thought Putin was "probably" to blame for Navalny's death after "Media Buzz" host Howard Kurtz asked him if he thought the 71-year-old leader bore "some responsibility." 

"I don’t know, but perhaps, I mean possibly, I could say probably, I don’t know," Trump said. "He’s a young man, so statistically he’d be alive for a long time … so something happened that was unusual,"

Navalny had been in prison since 2021, after he returned to Russia from Germany where he had been in a hospital recovering from his poisoning. 

ALEXEI NAVALNY'S DEATH REPRESENTS MAJOR BLOW TO POLITICAL DISSENT IN RUSSIA

After his death, the Federal Penitentiary Service of the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous District in Russia put out a statement that said: "On Feb. 16, 2024, in penal colony number 3, convict Navalny A.A. felt unwell after a walk, almost immediately losing consciousness. 

"The medical staff of the institution arrived immediately, and an ambulance team was called. All necessary resuscitation measures were carried out, which did not give positive results. Doctors of the ambulance stated the death of the convict. The causes of death are being established."

His cause of death has not been determined by the U.S. Russian media reports have claimed it was a blood clot. 

Navalny’s allies have called the U.S. assessment naive, and some European countries are skeptical that it wouldn’t have been directed by Putin. 

Navalny’s ally Leonid Volkov said in a statement that anyone claiming Putin didn’t order his death, "clearly do not understand anything about how modern day Russia runs. The idea of Putin being not informed and not approving killing Navalny is ridiculous."

Slawomir Dębski, of the Polish Institute of International Affairs, said the chances of Navalny’s death being unintentional were small. 

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

"Navalny was a high-value prisoner, politically, and everybody knew that Putin was personally invested in his fate," he said, according to the Journal. "The chances for this kind of unintended death are low." 

Navalny's Anti-Corruption Foundation has also said that Putin ordered his death to prevent his release in a potential prisoner swap with the U.S. Putin said in March that the two agreed to the swap. 

from Latest World News on Fox News https://ift.tt/ON1oVs7

Burkina Faso suspends BBC, Voice of America radio stations over mass killing reports

Burkina Faso suspended the BBC and Voice of America radio stations for their coverage of a report by Human Rights Watch on a mass killing of civilians carried out by the country's armed forces.

Burkina Faso's communication spokesperson, Tonssira Myrian Corine Sanou, said late Thursday that both radio stations would be suspended for two weeks, and warned other media networks to avoid reporting on the story.

According to the report published by Human Rights Watch on Thursday, the army killed 223 civilians, including 56 children, in villages accused of cooperating with militants. The report was widely covered by the international media, including the Associated Press.

BURKINA FASO'S MILITARY MASSACRED MORE THAN 200 CIVILIANS, HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH SAYS

Burkina Faso, a once-peaceful nation, has been ravaged by violence that has pitted jihadis linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group against state-backed forces. Both sides have targeted civilians caught in the middle, displacing more than 2 million people, of which over half are children. Most attacks go unpunished and unreported in a nation run by a repressive leadership that silences perceived dissidents.

Earlier in April, the AP verified accounts of a Nov. 5 army attack on another village that killed at least 70 people. The details were similar — the army blamed the villagers for cooperating with militants and massacred them, even babies.

"VOA stands by its reporting about Burkina Faso and intends to continue to fully and fairly cover activities in the country," the network said in a news article reporting on its suspension.

The BBC didn't respond to a request for comment.

On Friday, the United Nations called on Burkina Faso to reverse the suspension of the two international broadcasters.

"Restrictions on media freedom and civic space must stop immediately. Freedom of expression including the right of access to information is crucial in any society, and even more so in the context of the transition in Burkina Faso," it said in a statement.

In the same statement, the U.N. said it had received additional reports that large numbers of civilians, including children, had been killed in several villages in the Yatenga and Soum provinces of northern Burkina Faso. The AP couldn't immediately verify those reports.

More than 20,000 people have been killed in Burkina Faso since jihadi violence linked to al-Qaida and IS first hit the West African nation nine years ago, according to the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project, a U.S.-based nonprofit group.

Burkina Faso experienced two coups in 2022. Since seizing power in September 2022, the junta led by Capt. Ibrahim Traoré has promised to beat back militants. But violence has only worsened, analysts say. Around half of Burkina Faso’s territory remains outside of government control.

Frustrated with a lack of progress over years of Western military assistance, the junta has severed military ties with former colonial ruler France and turned to Russia instead for security support.

from Latest World News on Fox News https://ift.tt/YGKZRDh

Massive policing for Paris Olympics to include security checks for some of the capital's residents

Special anti-terrorism measures being put in place to safeguard the unprecedented opening ceremony for the Paris Olympics on the River Seine will also apply to all buildings along the route, meaning people who work and live there and their guests will be subjected to background security checks, Paris police chief Laurent Nunez said Thursday.

Those affected will be cross-checked against security services' databases, to see whether they have previously been flagged as suspected Islamist extremists or for other radicalism, Nunez said.

MACRON TAKES PART IN CHARITY SOCCER GAME AHEAD OF PARIS OLYMPICS

The wildly ambitious July 26 ceremony is proving to be a gargantuan security challenge. Athletes will be paraded through the heart of the French capital on 94 boats along a 6-kilometer (nearly 4-mile) stretch of the Seine, from east to west. They'll be accompanied by 87 other boats for security, media and other people.

All of the parade route will be inside a high-security zone that Nunez described as an "anti-terrorism perimeter." He said it will include the first row of buildings along the route.

"We wanted to include in the perimeter all of the buildings that have a view on the parade," Nunez said.

The zone will be put in place from July 18 and be extended even further along both banks of the river on July 26, in the final hours before the evening ceremony.

Anyone who wants to enter the zone in the eight days before the ceremony and on July 26 itself will need to pre-register online and will "systematically" be subjected to the background security checks known in France as an "administrative investigation," Nunez said.

Those affected will include people who work and live inside the perimeter, as well as their guests, and people going to hotels or restaurants inside the zone, he said.

Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo said about 20,000 people live and work inside the perimeter. In the days before the ceremony, there will be places to cross the river and ways to visit the Louvre and other museums along the river without having to enter the security zone.

Nunez said the security check for those affected won't include searching through their communications. "It’s not as intrusive as that," he said.

"We verify if the person is known in a certain number of intelligence files," he said.

Anyone flagged by the checks could be barred from the zone. "It will obviously be case by case," Nunez said.

Ticket-holders for the ceremony won't need to pre-register on the online platform that will open May 10. But Nunez said French intelligence services can do checks on them, too.

Separately, the top administrative official for the Paris region, Prefect Marc Guillaume, pledged that tests on the water quality in the Seine will be made public, without specifying when or how regularly.

Marathon swimmers and Olympic and Paralympic triathletes are scheduled to race in the river, which is being cleaned up for the Games. From July 1, samples will be collected from 36 spots on the river and its tributary, the Marne, Guillaume said.

"We will be totally transparent about our results," he said.

from Latest World News on Fox News https://ift.tt/e2hYcfK

French air traffic controllers cancel strike, but Paris airport delays remain pervasive

Air passengers traveling to and from Paris experienced significant disruptions Thursday, despite a decision by air traffic controllers to cancel a strike after last-minute negotiations. Flight operations were substantially reduced because of adjustments made to schedules ahead of the proposed industrial action.

PARIS CHARLES DE GAULLE AIRPORT UNVEILS NEW BAGGAGE HANDLING SYSTEM AHEAD OF OLYMPICS

French civil aviation authorities had preemptively requested airlines to cut their flights significantly — by 75% at Paris-Orly, 55% at Charles-de-Gaulle, and 65% at Marseille-Provence, with varying reductions across other French airports. As a result, operations were severely limited, also affecting international flights that cross French airspace.

While the flights that did operate faced only moderate delays, significant cancellations and scheduling adjustments led to continued travel difficulties for thousands of passengers. The fallout was particularly noticeable at major airports like Paris-Orly, where delays compounded the day’s challenges.

from Latest World News on Fox News https://ift.tt/8HVBPkL

Iran rejects Argentina's push to arrest interior minister for 1994 Jewish center bombing

Iran lashed out at Argentina on Wednesday after the South American country sought the arrest of Iran's Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi over his alleged involvement in the deadly 1994 bombing of a Buenos Aires Jewish community center.

Without mentioning Vahidi by name, Iran’s Foreign Ministry warned Argentina against "making baseless accusations against citizens of other countries." The warning Wednesday came a day after Argentina demanded that Pakistan act on an Interpol red notice to arrest Vahidi during an official visit to Islamabad.

ARGENTINE COURT BLAMES IRAN AND HEZBOLLAH FOR DEADLY 1994 JEWISH CENTER BOMBING

Vahidi, who is wanted by Interpol, cut his government trip to Southeast Asia short, making an unexpected return to Tehran Wednesday.

There was no immediate response from Pakistani authorities.

Argentina's renewed push to hold Iran accountable for the worst such attack in its history comes as right-wing President Javier Milei reshapes foreign policy to align more closely with Iran's bitter enemy, Israel, and as tensions surge between the Mideast foes.

In an apparent reference to Israel, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanani urged Argentina "not to be influenced by those who are enemies of our bilateral relations."

No one has been convicted for planning or carrying out the 1994 bombing that killed 85 people and wounded over 300 others. But in recent weeks — as Iran faces increasing global isolation and sanctions — Argentina has escalated efforts to condemn Iran and its overseas militant network for its alleged involvement. Iran has repeatedly denied any connection to the attack.

In a move cheered by Israel, Argentina's highest criminal court this month ruled the Iranian government had plotted the 1994 attack — as well as a 1992 bombing of the Israeli Embassy in Buenos Aires that killed 29 people. Judges singled out three former Iranian officials for their involvement in the Jewish community center attack — including Minister Vahidi who at the time led the Revolutionary Guard's expeditionary Quds Force. The court also accused the Iran-backed militant Hezbollah group of executing the attack.

Earlier this week Vahidi accompanied Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi to Islamabad, where he met with his Pakistani counterpart to discuss intelligence-sharing. Although expected to continue on with Raisi’s delegation to Sri Lanka, Vahidi abruptly turned back, raising speculation that Argentina's request had complicated his international travel.

He made a surprise appearance Wednesday at a Cabinet meeting in Tehran, where he praised his trip to Pakistan in interviews with state-linked Iranian news outlets. Meanwhile, President Raisi landed in Sri Lanka.

Argentine authorities said Tuesday they had coordinated with diplomats in Pakistan and India to request Vahidi’s detention and extradition to Buenos Aires. "They continue to hold positions of power with total impunity," a government statement said. Kanani, the foreign minister spokesperson, accused Argentina of making "illegal and false requests" to defame Iran.

For years, Argentina has tried in vain to leverage Interpol red notices to press for the arrests of accused Iranian officials. The country's elusive quest for justice in the 1992 and 1994 bombings has been mired in controversy and alleged government coverups.

from Latest World News on Fox News https://ift.tt/v7kCqNd

Russia sinks space nuke ban at UN amid rumors of Putin's orbital weapon

A U.S.-led resolution that would prevent using nuclear weapons in outer space received dozens of co-sponsors, but Russia vetoed the measure amid reports it has deployed a weapon that can destroy satellites. 

"The detonation of a nuclear weapon in space would destroy satellites that are vital to communications, agriculture, national security, and more worldwide, with grave implications for sustainable development, and other aspects of international peace and security," the U.S. Mission to the United Nations wrote in a press release prior to the vote. 

"The diverse group of cosponsors of this resolution reflects the strong shared interest in avoiding such an outcome," the statement read. "We join these Member States in calling on the Security Council to meet this moment today and adopt the resolution unanimously, consistent with its mandate to maintain international peace and security."

The U.S. and Japan presented the resolution to the U.N. Security Council for a vote on Wednesday, but Russia shot the measure down. Prior to the vote, Russia's Deputy U.N. Ambassador Dmitry Polyansky reported that his country's initial impression was that the resolution served as "yet another propaganda stunt by Washington" and called it a "very politicized" effort "divorced from reality," The Associated Press reported. 

GOVERNMENT'S REFUSAL TO DECLASSIFY UFO DOCS IS A ‘COVER-UP’ COSTING TAXPAYERS MILLIONS: GOP CONGRESSMAN

The draft resolution, which received backing from 60 member states, states that "the prevention of an arms race in outer space would avert a grave danger for international peace and security." It affirms that countries that ratified the 1967 Outer Space Treaty must comply with their obligations.

The tug-of-war over hypothetical space-based weapons follows claims from the White House in February that Russia had deployed a "troubling" anti-satellite weapon – though no one has yet confirmed the weapon is operational or even in a testing phase. 

SOLAR-POWERED, UNCREWED FLIGHTS ARE THE ‘FUTURE’ OF AVIATION: ROBERT MILLER

The weapon would allegedly be capable of destroying satellites by creating a massive energy wave when detonated, Foreign Policy reported. The weapon could therefore potentially cripple countless other satellites that serve both commercial and government purposes, including cellphone use and internet access.

Russia at the time argued that it would uphold the international 1967 treaty, which bans the deployment of "nuclear weapons or any other kinds of weapons of mass destruction" into orbit or the stationing of "weapons in outer space in any other manner." 

"Our position is quite clear and transparent: we have always been and remain categorically opposed to the deployment of nuclear weapons in space," Russian President Vladimir Putin said in February. "Just the opposite, we are urging everyone to adhere to all the agreements that exist in this sphere."

However, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu cryptically added at another time that Russia has only developed space capabilities that "other nations, including the U.S., have." 

RARE STAR EXPLOSION EXPECTED TO BE ‘ONCE-IN-A-LIFETIME VIEWING OPPORTUNITY,' NASA OFFICIALS SAY

U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres later warned that "geopolitical tensions and mistrust have escalated the risk of nuclear warfare to its highest point in decades."

Putin, throughout the conflict with Ukraine, has dangled threats of nuclear weapons. He said that "from a military-technical point of view, we are, of course, ready," when asked in March about a potential nuclear war. 

Putin has used the threat of nuclear weapons in Ukraine as a means of preventing more direct intervention from the U.S. and other NATO allies, repeatedly stressing that any deployment of troops or similar more direct moves against Russia would be viewed as intervening in the war. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

from Latest World News on Fox News https://ift.tt/XbeSWmF

Haitian officials scramble to impose security measures with council inauguration imminent

Armored vehicles roll slowly past Haiti’s National Palace as police scan the horizon for gangs. Every day, bullets whiz past the area, striking buildings and people alike.

Gangs control most of the territory that surrounds the palace, but a transitional council charged with selecting a new prime minister and Cabinet for Haiti is demanding that its members be sworn in at the palace.

HAITI'S HEALTH SYSTEM PUSHED TO THE BRINK OF COLLAPSE BY RAMPANT GANG VIOLENCE

The ceremony is scheduled for Wednesday even as officials scramble to impose tight security measures, according to two high-ranking regional officials with knowledge of the matter who asked that their names be withheld because they were not authorized to speak to the media.

The push to hold the ceremony at the palace is considered by some a show of force to suggest the Haitian government is still in charge despite marauding gangs who have previously attacked the palace and have promised to derail the ceremony as a daily barrage of gunfire persists in downtown Port-au-Prince.

"No one out here is safe," said Josil Djaimeska, 33, as he waved his hand in reference to the sprawling public park known as Champ de Mars where he sat Tuesday morning near the palace.

Just steps from where he sat, a stray bullet struck Djaimeska late last week. The bullet is still in his calf, and he’s hoping a doctor will operate on him soon.

Shortly after he spoke, a pop-pop-pop of gunfire erupted briefly nearby.

More than 2,500 people were killed or wounded across Haiti from January to March, a more than 50% increase compared with the same period last year, according to a recent U.N. report. Much of the violence is concentrated in Port-au-Prince.

In a speech Monday at the U.N. Security Council, María Isabel Salvador, the U.N. special envoy for Haiti, said the council’s priorities should include a plan for near-term security.

"Gang leaders and other spoilers have stated their intention to violently disrupt the current political process," she said. "I cannot stress enough the need to assist Haiti with its efforts to reestablish security."

While gangs have long operated in Haiti, they now control 80% of Port-au-Prince, and the coordinated attacks launched starting Feb. 29 have paralyzed the capital and beyond. They have burned police stations and hospitals, opened fire on the main international airport that remains closed since early March and stormed Haiti’s two biggest prisons, releasing more than 4,000 inmates.

"I am 63 years old and this is the first time I see something like this in Port-au-Prince," said Renoir Auxil, who now lives in an abandoned bathroom in the Champ de Mars park after gangs raided his neighborhood.

He said the ongoing violence should not deter Haiti from moving forward.

"Whatever the circumstance is, they have to swear in the council," he said.

The transitional council consists of nine members, seven of them with voting powers. Those awarded a seat are Petit Desalin, a party led by former senator and presidential candidate Jean-Charles Moïse; EDE/RED, a party led by former Prime Minister Claude Joseph; the Montana Accord, a group of civil society leaders, political parties and others; Fanmi Lavalas, the party of former President Jean-Bertrand Aristide; the Jan. 30 Collective, which represents parties including that of former President Michel Martelly, and the private sector.

As preparations to install the council continue, sporadic gunfire broke out several times near the National Palace on Tuesday.

It’s a sound that hundreds of people who were forced to flee their homes and are now living in a makeshift shelter close to the palace have gotten used to. But they are still talking about the shooting that occurred Sunday. One of their own was hit in the back by a stray bullet in the yard of the shelter while buying spaghetti.

The man remains hospitalized and requires surgery, said Chesnel Joseph, 46, director of the shelter, which previously housed Haiti’s Ministry of Communications.

Joseph once worked as a math teacher, but since nearly all schools in Port-au-Prince have closed as a result of the violence, he is now unemployed.

Regional officials told The Associated Press that swearing in the council at the National Palace is considered too risky and that they are urging members to choose a safer venue.

While the venue of the ceremony is still being debated, some Haitians like Marie-André Blain, 46, doubt it will be held at the palace.

"There is no security in this country. You just basically pray to God," she said. "If the higher ranks aren’t safe, we ourselves aren’t safe."

 

from Latest World News on Fox News https://ift.tt/VqxY8H0

Greek skies turn orange as dust clouds roll in from Sahara Desert

Skies over southern Greece turned an orange hue on Tuesday as dust clouds blown across the Mediterranean Sea from North Africa engulfed the Acropolis and other Athens landmarks.

Strong southerly winds carried the dust from the Sahara Desert, giving the atmosphere of the Greek capital a Martian-like filter in the last hours of daylight.

WILDFIRE RESPONSE PLANS OVERHAULED IN GREECE AHEAD OF SUMMER FIRE SEASON

The skies are predicted to clear on Wednesday as winds shift and move the dust, with temperatures dipping. On Tuesday, the daily high in parts of the southern island of Crete topped 86 degrees Fahrenheit, more than 68 degrees higher than what was registered in much of northern Greece.

The strong southerly winds over the past few days have also fanned unseasonal early wildfires in the country's south.

The fire service said Tuesday evening that a total 25 wildfires broke out across the country in the past 24 hours. Three people were arrested on the Aegean Sea resort island of Paros on suspicion of accidentally starting a scrub blaze on Monday, it added. No significant damage or injuries were reported, and the fire was quickly contained.

Another blaze that broke out on Crete near a naval base was brought under control Tuesday.

Greece suffers devastating, and often deadly, forest blazes every summer, and last year the country recorded the European Union's largest wildfire in more than two decades. Persistent drought combined with high spring temperatures has raised fears of a particularly challenging period for firefighters in the coming months.

from Latest World News on Fox News https://ift.tt/m6wEJAz

Georgian opposition parties urge mass protests against 'Russian' bill

Six Georgian opposition parties appealed on Thursday for mass protests against a government bill on "foreign agents" which they say aims to block the South Caucasus country's path towards the European Union and NATO.

The bill, which critics compare to legislation that Russia has used extensively to crack down on dissent, has already prompted three straight nights of demonstrations this week in the capital Tbilisi.

POLAND 'READY' TO HOST NATO MEMBERS’ NUCLEAR WEAPONS TO COUNTER RUSSIA, PRESIDENT SAYS

Up to 10,000 protesters gathered outside the parliament on Wednesday evening before marching on the prime minister's office. At least 13 people have been detained over the past two days and one police officer was injured in altercations, the interior ministry said.

In their jointly published statement, the opposition parties hailed the protesters' "fighting spirit" and slammed the ruling Georgian Dream party for supporting the bill.

"The Russian law initiated by 'Georgian Dream' is in contradiction with the Constitution of Georgia, the will of the Georgian people to become a full-fledged member of the European Union and NATO, and the long-term goal of securing the sovereignty of our country," the parties said.

The Kremlin has denied any association with the bill.

UKRAINE'S 1-TON PAYLOAD DRONES CAN HELP RETAKE CRIMEA AS KYIV SEEKS TO DESTROY BRIDGE: REPORT

The opposition specifically singled out Bidzina Ivanishvili, a billionaire former prime minister who founded Georgian Dream, for "trying to kill the European future of Georgia".

Ivanishvili could not be reached for comment.

The bill would require organizations receiving more than 20% of their funding from abroad to register as agents of foreign influence. Georgian Dream says it will help promote transparency and combat "pseudo-liberal values" imposed by foreigners.

Eighty-three of parliament's 150 deputies backed the bill on its first reading on Wednesday in a vote boycotted by opposition parties. It must clear two more readings to become law.

The EU said the bill risks blocking Georgia's path to membership, while the U.S. State Department also expressed disappointment over Wednesday's parliamentary vote.

ISRAELI LEADERS CONDEMN EXPECTED US SANCTIONS, NETANYAHU VOWS TO FIGHT IT WITH ALL HIS MIGHT

"(The bill) could limit freedom of expression, stigmatize organizations that deliver these benefits to the citizens of Georgia, and impede independent media organizations working to provide Georgians with access to high quality information," State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said in a statement.

Georgia's pro-European opposition is deeply divided, including over the legacy of jailed former president Mikheil Saakashvili, whose United National Movement (UNM) party remains the country's second largest.

The UNM was among the six signatories to Thursday's appeal.

from Latest World News on Fox News https://ift.tt/0ZeX18i

Dozens detained by Greek police in soccer violence crackdown

Police in Greece have raided multiple homes in Athens and detained dozens of suspects in a crackdown on soccer violence that led to the death of a police officer in December.

Police officer Giorgos Lyggeridis, 31, died on Dec. 27 after being hit by a flare during violence between rival fans at a volleyball game in Athens.

GREEK POLICE OFFICER BUSTED ON DUTY WITH 225 POUNDS OF MARIJUANA

Greek police chief Dimitris Mallios said 60 people were arrested by Monday afternoon, in an operation that started late Sunday.

Mallios said the arrests followed an investigation carried out under "high secrecy" over the past four months that confirmed links between sports violence and organized crime.

"Evidence emerged about a criminal organization, consisting of 158 people, that since 2019 at least carried out criminal acts" in the greater Athens region and the cities of Volos and Ioannina to the north, Mallios said.

He added 58 homes and 15 vehicles were searched in the crackdown, and seized items included handguns, knives, drugs and wooden clubs.

"We have an absolute commitment to fight sports violence," the police chief said.

Violent soccer fans in Greece often choose lightly policed events in other sports to confront rivals.

After the police officer's death, fans were banned from attending all top-flight soccer games for two months while security measures were overhauled.

Match attendees must now carry a government-issued QR code on their mobile phone to gain stadium access.

from Latest World News on Fox News https://ift.tt/Wx5tlYI

Hezbollah claims to shoot down Israeli drone over Lebanon

The Lebanese terrorist group Hezbollah is claiming to have shot down an Israeli drone that was on a combat mission, a report says. 

Hezbollah said in a statement that the drone, which was "waging its attacks on our steadfast people," was brought down in the Al Aishiyeh area of southern Lebanon near the country’s border with Israel, according to Reuters. 

It reportedly described the drone as a Hermes 450 made by Israel-based weapons manufacturer Elbit Systems. 

"A surface-to-air missile was launched at a remote manned aircraft of the air force that was operating in the skies of Lebanon, as a result the vehicle was hit and fell in Lebanese territory," the Israeli Defense Forces later said in a statement. "The incident is being investigated." 

AGITATOR BEHIND ‘DEATH TO AMERICA’ CHANTS IN CHICAGO CONTRIBUTES TO IRAN STATE TV, HEZBOLLAH-LINKED CHANNEL 

More than 240 Hezbollah fighters have been killed in cross-border skirmishes with Israel since the Oct. 7 surprise attack by Hamas that launched the ongoing war in Gaza, Reuters reports. 

On the Israeli side, 18 people, including soldiers and civilians, have died, it added. 

The reported downing of the drone comes as the head of Israel’s military intelligence directorate has resigned for failing to prevent the Oct. 7 massacre. 

ISRAELI MILITARY INTELLIGENCE CHIEF RESIGNS OVER FAILURE TO PREVENT DEADLIEST ATTACK IN ISRAEL’S HISTORY 

"In coordination with the Chief of the General Staff, the Head of the Intelligence Directorate, MG Aharon Haliva, has requested to end his position, following his leadership responsibility as the Head of the Intelligence Directorate for the events of October 7," the IDF wrote on X. 

"The Chief of the General Staff thanked Major General Aharon Haliva for his 38 years of service in the IDF, during which he made significant contributions to the security of the State of Israel as both a combat soldier and commander," it added. 

In a resignation letter quoted by The Associated Press, Haliva wrote, "The intelligence directorate under my command did not live up to the task we were entrusted with. I carry that black day with me ever since, day after day, night after night. I will carry the horrible pain of the war with me forever." 

Fox News’ Lawrence Richard contributed to this report. 

from Latest World News on Fox News https://ift.tt/VAoefhR

Israeli military intelligence chief resigns over failure to prevent deadliest attack in Israel's history

The head of Israel's military intelligence directorate has resigned, the Israel Defense Forces said on Monday.

Maj. Gen. Aharon Haliva announced his resignation after he failed to prevent Hamas' unprecedented Oct. 7 attack, the deadliest terror attack in Israel's history, the military said.

"The intelligence directorate under my command did not live up to the task we were entrusted with. I carry that black day with me ever since, day after day, night after night. I will carry the horrible pain of the war with me forever," Haliva wrote in his resignation letter, according to a translation by the Associated Press.

Haliva is the first senior figure to step down after Hamas terrorists invaded Israel nearly six and a half months ago and rampaged through Israeli communities, killing 1,200 people – mostly civilians – and taking roughly 250 hostages back into Gaza.

ISRAELI LEADERS CONDEMN EXPECTED US SANCTIONS, NETANYAHU VOWS TO FIGHT IT WITH ALL HIS MIGHT

The decision to resign was made with the approval of Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant. The military chief of staff accepted Haliva’s request to resign and thanked him for his 38 years of service, the IDF said.

Haliva’s resignation could set the stage for additional fallout from Israel's top security brass over Hamas' attack, which triggered a war in Gaza between the Jewish state and Hamas. The war will cross its 200th day this week.

BIDEN ADMIN SANCTIONS ISRAEL NATIONAL SECURITY MINISTER ALLY, REPORTEDLY WEIGHS EXPANDING TO IDF UNIT

Shortly after the war was initiated, Haliva said publicly that he shouldered blame as the head of the military department for not preventing the assault.

Other military and security leaders are also reportedly expected to resign in response to intelligence failures that did not catch the impending Oct. 7 attack.

The timing of these resignations, however, has been unclear as Israel remains in a war with Hamas, while battling the militant group Hezbollah in Lebanon and Syria.

Tensions in the region remain high after Israel traded direct attacks with Iran last week, leading some military experts to say Israeli resignations are irresponsible while the military is fighting on multiple fronts, according to the Associated Press.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is not among those expected to resign and has indicated that he will not step down, despite growing protests.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

from Latest World News on Fox News https://ift.tt/AMZajiW

Conservative Brazilians laud Elon Musk at rally in support of Bolsonaro

Conservative Brazilians heaped praise Sunday on Elon Musk at a rally in support of former President Jair Bolsonaro, whose legal troubles are mounting in tandem with the billionaire entrepreneur’s feud with the South American nation’s Supreme Court.

"Brazil Thanks Elon Musk," read one giant sign in English at the rally alongside Copacabana beach in the seaside city of Rio de Janeiro. Thousands of die-hard supporters of Bolsonaro attended.

ELON MUSK TO FUND NEW FIRST AMENDMENT CAMPAIGN TO COMBAT 'RELENTLESS ATTACKS ON FREE SPEECH'

Musk, a self-declared free speech absolutist, is a target in an ongoing investigation over the dissemination of fake news by supporters of Bolsonaro. Musk said the social platform X wouldn’t comply with a high court justice’s order to remove certain accounts accused of spreading disinformation.

Musk, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX who took over Twitter — now X — in late 2022, accused Justice Alexandre de Moraes of suppressing free speech and violating Brazil’s constitution. He noted on X that users could seek to bypass any shutdown of the social media platform by using VPNs, or virtual private networks.

AMERICA FIRST FOREIGN POLICY ‘PROFOUNDLY DANGEROUS,' INVITES MULTI-FRONT WAR, EMINENT HISTORIAN WARNS

That prompted de Moraes to include Musk in an ongoing investigation into so-called digital militias and open a new investigation into obstruction, incitement and criminal conspiracy.

Several speakers lauded Musk at Sunday’s rally.

CHINESE HACKERS PREPARING TO ‘PHYSICALLY WREAK HAVOC’ ON US CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE: FBI DIRECTOR

"What you see here are people who love liberty, who will not give up and will not kneel down to dictators, people who are willing to give their lives for freedom," said Gustavo Gayer, a pro-Bolsonaro congressman.

For his part, the former president lauded Musk for demonstrating "courage" in the face of what he called censorship by de Moraes.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

"He is the man who really preserves true freedom for all of us," said Bolsonaro, who is himself under investigation for a plethora of crimes ranging from aiding an effort to overturn the 2022 election results and plotting a coup against his leftist successor, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

Brazil is an important market for social media companies. About 40 million Brazilians, or about 18% of the population, access X at least once per month, according to the market research group Emarketer.

from Latest World News on Fox News https://ift.tt/mHUQt8l

Israeli leaders condemn expected US sanctions, Netanyahu vows to fight it with all his might

Leaders in Israel criticized potential sanctions that are expected to be imposed by the U.S. as early as this week against an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) military battalion accused of violating human rights back in 2022.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken could announce sanctions against IDF battalion "Netzah Yehuda" within days, marking the first time the U.S. will have placed sanctions on military units operated by Israel. If Blinken follows through with the sanctions, it could further strain relationships between the allies, which have already become tense as Israel continues its war in Gaza.

U.S. officials have not identified the sanctioned unit, though Israeli leaders and local media identified it as Netzah Yehuda, a battalion established nearly 25 years ago.

Israeli officials have condemned the expected sanctions, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who said he would oppose them.

BIDEN ADMIN SANCTIONS ISRAEL NATIONAL SECURITY MINISTER ALLY, REPORTEDLY WEIGHS EXPANDING TO IDF UNIT

"If anyone thinks they can impose sanctions on a unit in the IDF, I will fight it with all my might," Netanyahu said.

Some of the battalion’s members have been linked to abuse of Palestinians. The group faced harsh criticism from the U.S. in 2022 after a 78-year-old Palestinian-American man, Omar Assad, was found dead after being detained at a West Bank checkpoint.

An autopsy conducted by Palestinian officials found Assad suffered a heart attack caused by "external violence," adding he had underlying health conditions.

WHITE HOUSE ANNOUNCES NEW SANCTIONS ON IRAN FOLLOWING ATTACK AGAINST ISRAEL: ‘THE PRESSURE WILL CONTINUE’

The autopsy also noted that Assad had bruises on his head, redness on his wrists caused by being bound, and bleeding in his eyelids after being tightly blindfolded.

The country’s military also investigated and found Israeli soldiers assumed Assad was sleeping when they cut off the cables binding his hands. When the soldiers saw Assad was unresponsive, they failed to offer medical help and left the scene.

The Israeli military said at the time that one officer was reprimanded, and two others were reassigned to non-commanding roles because of the incident.

BIDEN SILENT AFTER BEING PRESSED ABOUT IRANIAN STRIKE AGAINST ISRAEL: 'WHAT NOW?'

The uproar from the U.S. resulted in Israel relocating Netzah Yehuda to northern Israel in 2022, after it had been stationed in the West Bank. After the attack on Israel on Oct. 7 by Hamas-led terrorists, the battalion was relocated again to the southern border near Gaza. The battalion is now reportedly helping with the war effort in the Gaza Strip, according to the Israeli military.

"The battalion is professionally and bravely conducting operations in accordance to the IDF Code of Ethics and with full commitment to international law," it said. It said that if the unit is sanctioned, "its consequences will be reviewed."

Axios reported that if sanctions were imposed, the battalion and its members would no longer receive any type of training or assistance from the U.S. military, according to sources.

The U.S. is prohibited under the Leahy Law, from providing any sort of foreign aid or defense department training to countries responsible for alleged human rights violations based on credible information.

HOUSE TEES UP 17 BILLS RELATED TO IRAN/ISRAEL FOR THIS WEEK

While speaking to reporters on Friday, Blinken was asked about Israel’s violations of human rights in the West Bank and recommendations made by his department to cut military aid to certain Israeli units.

Blinken started by saying the Leahy Law was important and applied across the board.

"When we’re doing these investigations, these inquiries, it’s something that takes time, that has to be done very carefully both in collecting the facts and analyzing them – and that’s exactly what we’ve done," he said. "And I think it’s fair to say that you’ll see results very soon. I’ve made determinations; you can expect to see them in the days ahead."

Fox News Digital reached out to the State Department for comment.

RADICAL IRANIAN PROVINCE HIT BY ISRAEL HIGHLIGHTS REGIME'S WEAKNESS

The Associated Press reported that Benny Gantz, a member of Israel’s War Cabinet, issued a statement saying he spoke with Blinken on Sunday and told him the decision is a "mistake." Gantz added that sanctions would hurt the country’s legitimacy during a time of war.

The wire service also learned from two U.S. officials familiar with the sanctions that the announcement could come as early as Monday.

The officials reportedly said five units were investigated, and of the five, four acted to remedy violations they were accused of committing.

On Friday, the U.S. imposed sanctions on an ally of Israel’s national security minister and two entities that raised money for Israeli men who allegedly committed settler violence. The new sanctions came in addition to others placed on five settlers and two unauthorized outposts earlier this year. 

Friday’s sanctions will reportedly freeze U.S. assets held by those targeted, while also barring American forces from dealing with them.

Fox News Digital's Andrea Vacchiano and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

from Latest World News on Fox News https://ift.tt/Dax9ygS

America First foreign policy ‘profoundly dangerous,' invites multi-front war, eminent historian warns

FIRST ON FOX – The United States needs to maintain its global focus and efforts to stymie the growing cooperation and ambition of "axis of evil states," according to historian and journalist Andrew Roberts, Baron Roberts of Belgravia. Roberts sits in the British House of Lords.

"When it comes to the axis of evil states, frankly, it’s not the worst thing in the world to have a forever war, especially if you will not actually fight," Roberts, a biographer of several British leaders, including Winston Churchill, told Fox News Digital. "It can be done for an amount which is a really very impressive return on investment." 

Roberts, along with retired Gen. David Petraeus, wrote "Conflict: The Evolution of Warfare from 1945 to Ukraine," an assessment of U.S. foreign conflict involvement examined through the lens of successful strategic leadership. Roberts is currently working on new chapters for the paperback release, which will focus on the war in Gaza and Chinese President Xi Jinping’s ambitions for Taiwan. 

He argued that the United States, as a global superpower, can and should "walk and chew gum" – so to speak – and that American isolationism would prove "a profoundly dangerous force… not just for the rest of the world but for America as well, ultimately." 

HOUSE PASSES $60B UKRAINE AID BILL AS GOP REBELS THREATEN TO OUST JOHNSON

"If the United States decides to essentially shrug off the responsibility of a great global superpower that you’ve been really since the Great White Fleet circumnavigated the world in 1909, a long time ago now… one can understand that any titan gets weary," Roberts said. "However, if you were to embrace isolationism, the ultimate response would be from the alliance of anti-democratic nations that we are seeing is working closer and closer… ultimately it will rebound terribly on you."

The desire for an "America First" policy has grown stronger as the U.S. faces down two significant conflicts – first from Russia, now in its third year of invading Ukraine, and from the bubbling tension between Iran and Israel.

Some Republicans particularly have opposed the continued funding of Ukraine without a clear plan as to how the conflict could end, raising fears of another "forever war" like those the U.S. maintained in the Middle East over the past two decades. 

House Republicans have worked to condition aid for Ukraine, which has surpassed $113 billion as of March 2024. Freedom Caucus Chairman Bob Good, R-Va., called for any funding to Ukraine to be balanced out by spending cuts elsewhere and for it to be paired with U.S. border policy changes. The House finally passed the $60 billion funding bill for Ukraine on Saturday.

TRUMP DEMANDS EUROPE COUGH UP MORE CASH FOR UKRAINE, SAYS WAR WITH RUSSIA WOULDN'T HAVE HAPPENED ON HIS WATCH

"We cannot continue to borrow and spend money we don’t have for wars overseas while failing to protect Americans from the Biden border invasion here at home," Good told Fox News Digital earlier this month. "At a bare minimum, any package for military aid to Ukraine should be fully offset and must include H.R. 2 with performance metrics to secure our own border."

Roberts argued that the U.S., as a "great superpower… some might argue the only superpower" can protect both itself and support allies in a conflict that has proven an "extremely impressive" return on investment. 

"The Ukrainians have taken out well over half of the Russian tank fleet," Roberts noted. "Now, at any stage in American post-war history, if you offer the president that deal, he'd have snapped it up."

"You've got a $825 billion per annum defense budget to spend, [and] less than a 10th of that, take out your opponent's tank fleet, essentially – at least, over half of it – is an amazing return on investment," he added. 

'NOTHING MORE BACKWARDS' THAN US FUNDING UKRAINE BORDER SECURITY BUT NOT OUR OWN, CONSERVATIVES SAY

"After 20 years of the forever war in Afghanistan before Biden's, in my view, outrageous scuttle from that country, you'd got it down to the situation where no Americans had died for 18 months, and the whole American cost of this conflict was down to about 20 to $25 billion a year," he said. "That's an amazing thing, to be able to keep the Taliban out of power."

However, Roberts stressed that there should remain limits to the U.S. ambitions overseas, dismissing the idea that Washington should seek Russian regime change as "not our duty, not our job, not our responsibility, and certainly not a very sensible thing." 

"The obvious reason is that it would just stoke anti-Western nationalism in Russia," he explained. "No, they can do those things themselves, and I think the point at which they might do that is, as has happened so often in history, when Russian aggression has been shown not to succeed."

Roberts lamented, though, that Russia has made strides in Ukraine’s easternmost territories, with a breakthrough on the front and potentially bigger gains to come "if the West doesn’t help Ukraine more."

Indeed, more and more analysts and commentators have grown increasingly dismal about Ukraine’s potential successes: The BBC, Politico EU and other outlets in the last week have run articles discussing why and how Ukraine could face defeat this year. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says any victory hinges on continued funding from allies to keep pace with Russia.

Roberts suggested that such doomsday prophecies may prove premature, stressing that "there’s no such thing as inevitability in history."

"So many times in history, you've seen one thing about to happen and then the opposite happens," Roberts mused. "These breakthroughs the Russians are having in certain theaters… not major ones so far, but they are fighting with a shell advantage, and that's because the United States and Europe are not providing the shells."

"It's certainly not inevitable that either the Ukrainians win or lose that war unless, of course, we stopped providing them with the wherewithal to continue to fight," he warned. "It's them that are putting up in the blood, huge amounts of it, but simply because Russia is a bigger country does not mean that it's automatically going to win: If that was the case, you'd have won in Vietnam."

Fox News Digital's Brooke Singman contributed to this report. 

from Latest World News on Fox News https://ift.tt/n8HPjbv

UN newsletter exposed for sharing ways to protest in US against Israel on Tax Day

FIRST ON FOX — An April 11 edition of the United Nations Division for Palestinian Rights’ NGO Action News, which provides updates about civil society organizations worldwide "relevant to the Palestine issue," linked readers to the U.S. Campaign for Palestinian Rights (USCPR) list of "5 Ways to Take Action for Tax Day."

Included within the list were instructions about how protesters who did not "want [their] tax dollars to fund genocide" could "disrupt for a free Palestine." 

The second item on USCPR’s list was a hyperlink for protesters seeking to engage in a "coordinated multi-city economic blockade to free Palestine," an effort organizers noted was "not affiliated with USCPR." 

In the destination page, blockade organizers A15 describe efforts to "identify and blockade major choke points in the economy, focusing on points of production and circulation with the aim of causing the most economic impact," effectively "blocking the arteries of capitalism and jamming the wheels of production." 

ANTI-ISRAEL AGITATORS SHUT DOWN TRAFFIC, DISRUPT CITIES ALL ACROSS US IN DEMAND FOR GAZA CEASEFIRE

Anne Bayefsky, president of Human Rights Voices and director of the Touro University Institute on Human Rights and the Holocaust, told Fox News Digital "the U.N. has been caught red-handed aiding and abetting pro-Hamas anarchists in American cities and streets" by "distributing a newsletter, in multiple languages and to a worldwide network, that contains links to radical anti-American and anti-Israel agitators, their agendas and plans."

Fox News Digital reported on the April 15 blockades when anti-Israel protesters stopped traffic outside Washington’s Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, Chicago’s O’Hare Airport, California’s Golden Gate Bridge and on the I-5 in Eugene, Ore. Gatherings also took place outside the New York Stock Exchange and Philadelphia’s City Hall, at San Antonio’s Valero headquarters and in Los Angeles, Oakland, Tampa and Miami. 

PRO-PALESTINIAN PROTESTER DERAILS DINNER AT UC BERKELEY LAW SCHOOL DEAN’S HOME, REFUSES TO LEAVE

At an attempted traffic disruption in Detroit, police told Fox 2 Detroit protesting vehicles "ignored multiple traffic control signals," which led to "traffic obstructions" and "nearly caus[ed] accidents."

During the day’s events, dozens around the country were arrested. 

The UN’s NGO Action News site contains a disclaimer warning that third-party links "are not under the control of the United Nations and the United Nations is not responsible for the content of any linked site or any link contained in a linked site." 

Bayefsky says the U.N. disclaimer "is totally bogus." She claims "it is U.N. staff who produce summaries of activist plans," and that "the inclusion of any announcement or link to a third party must receive prior approval from the U.N."

Fox News Digital reached out to the chair of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, Ambassador Cheikh Niang of Senegal, for comment about whether U.N. staff approve items within and author summaries for NGO Action News. He did not immediately respond.

JEWISH COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY STUDENT TOLD TO ‘KILL YOURSELF’ DURING ANTI-ISRAEL PROTEST: REPORT

The USCPR’s protest guide contains other inflammatory remarks, including referencing President Biden as "Genocide Joe," and alleging that "Israel is mass murdering Palestinian families with [U.S.] tax dollars." To summarize USCPR’s messaging, NGO Action News pulls from the more measured tones within its guide for action, explaining USCPR "urged the public to pressure for the end of U.S. military funding to Israel’s massive violence."

Stéphane Dujarric, spokesman for U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres, told Fox News Digital "the secretary-general does not have the legal authority to label an event as ‘genocide.’ For the United Nations, that determination needs to be made by a competent court."

In its Jan. 26 preliminary ruling, the International Court of Justice did not rule that Israel had committed genocide but urged Israel to allow Gazans access to humanitarian aid and attempt to assist Palestinian civilians.

When asked whether the secretary-general supports NGO Action News’ instructions in an official U.N. publication that protesters engage in civil disobedience, Dujarric stated that NGO Action News "is compiled in accordance with a mandate conferred by the member states of the U.N. General Assembly" and "does not fall under the authority or direction of the Secretary-General." 

"You have all this anarchy on the streets of the U.S.," Bayefsky said, which "ought to be a major wake-up call for American lawmakers and the criminal justice system since we are talking about an operation based in New York City itself. It is also a stunning reminder of the U.N.'s history of anti-Israel and anti-Jewish bias and its vicious post-Oct. 7 campaign to deny Israel its lawful right of self-defense."

On April 16, the Anti-Defamation League released its annual Audit of Antisemitic Incidents, which found that antisemitic incidents rose 140% between 2022 and 2023. This included a 45% increase in assaults, a 69% increase in vandalism and a 184% increase in harassment. The ADL noted it "observed explicitly antisemitic and anti-Zionist rhetoric at 1,352 anti-Israel rallies across the United States" after Oct. 7.

When asked if he recognized that anti-Israel protests are among the reasons for the rise in antisemitic incidents in the U.S. following Oct. 7, Dujarric said "the Secretary-General has publicly, and repeatedly, raised his voice against what he believes is the rise of antisemitism in many of our societies, whether that be in Europe, North America and other parts of the world.  

"In addition, the secretary-general has also stated publicly that those that call for the destruction of the state of Israel is a form of modern antisemitism."  

Both Israel's foreign minister and the United Nations ambassador have called for Guterres to resign over his treatment of Israel.

from Latest World News on Fox News https://ift.tt/OWHBm6s