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RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Rio de Janeiro has declared a public health emergency because of an outbreak of mosquito-borne dengue fever, the city said in its official gazette on Monday, just days before Carnival celebrations kick off across Brazil.

But the outbreak wasn't expected to disrupt Carnival, which officially starts on Friday evening and runs until Feb. 14.

MAN DIES AFTER COOKING AND EATING HIGHLY POISONOUS PUFFERFISH

Rio city hall announced the opening of 10 care centers, the creation of an emergency operations center and the allocation of hospital beds for dengue patients. Authorities will also use "smoke cars" in regions with the highest incidence of cases, diffusing an insecticide in the air.

Since the beginning of 2024, the municipality has registered more than 10,000 dengue cases. That is just under half of the total cases — 23,000 — recorded throughout all of 2023.

The announcement comes as tourists and revelers are pouring into Rio to take part in street parties and attend the samba schools’ flamboyant parades.

Dengue is a viral infection transmitted to humans through the bite of infected mosquitoes and is more common in tropical climates. Frequent rains and high temperatures, which accelerate the hatching of mosquito eggs and the development of larvae, make the famously hot city of Rio susceptible to dengue outbreaks.

But the problem is national. The explosion of dengue cases across Brazil has caused at least four states — Acre, Minas Gerais and Goias, in addition to the Federal District — to declare public health emergencies.

On Monday, the Brazilian air force set up a 60-bed field hospital in the Federal District in Ceilandia that was due to begin treating patients.

"Our objective is to relieve emergency care units in the region, given that today the Federal District accounts for around 20% of dengue cases in the country," air force commander Lt. Brig. Marcelo Kanitz Damascene said in a statement.

Most people who get dengue don’t develop symptoms, but if they do these can include high fever, headache, body aches, nausea and a rash, according to the World Health Organization. While most get better after a week or so, some develop a severe form and require hospitalization. In such cases, dengue can be fatal.

Climate change, which leads to increased temperatures and high rainfall, is associated with a higher risk of dengue, WHO said in December.

Rio Mayor Eduardo Paes urged "cariocas" — as the residents of Rio are known — to eliminate sources of still water, used by mosquitoes as breeding grounds.

"Unlike the COVID-19 pandemic, in which individual citizens couldn’t do much more than demand that governments get the vaccine, in the case of dengue much depends on the action of each citizen," Paes said.

In March 2023, Brazil approved a vaccine against dengue and became the first country in the world to offer a dengue vaccine through the public health system, according to the health ministry. More than 3 million people were due to receive a jab in 2024.

Namibia's president and founding prime minister Hage Geingob died Sunday at age 82 while receiving treatment for cancer, and the southern African nation quickly swore in his deputy to complete the term in office.

Geingob played a central role in what has become one of Africa's most stable democracies after returning from a long exile in Botswana and the United States as an anti-apartheid activist. He was the country’s third president since it gained independence in 1990 following more than a century of German and then apartheid South African rule.

He had been president since 2015 and was set to finish his second and final term this year. His deputy, Vice President Nangolo Mbumba, was sworn in as acting president in the capital, Windhoek, to complete the term as allowed by the constitution.

NAMIBIAN PRESIDENT TO UNDERGO CANCER TREATMENT

Elections are set for November. A government statement said Mbumba will lead Namibia until Mar. 21 of next year, when the winner takes office.

The presidential office said Geingob died in a local hospital with his family by his side. He had returned to Namibia last month from the United States, where he underwent a trial two-day "novel treatment for cancerous cells," according to his office. In 2014, he said he had survived prostate cancer.

Soft-spoken but firm on advancing Africa’s agenda as an important stakeholder in world affairs — "the exclusion of Africa from the Security Council is an injustice," he once said in a United Nations address — Geingob maintained close relations with the U.S. and other Western countries but also, like many African leaders, forged a warm relationship with China and other powers.

Russian President Vladimir Putin was among the leaders who sent condolences Sunday, saying he would "forever cherish" his memories of meeting Geingob. "It is difficult to overestimate his personal contribution to developing friendly relations between Namibia and Russia," a statement said.

Geingob hosted U.S. first lady Jill Biden last year as she visited ahead of what had been an expected trip to Africa by her husband in 2023. That didn’t take place.

Namibia, with just over 2.5 million people, is rich in minerals such as diamonds, gold and uranium. Despite being classified as an upper-middle-income country, socioeconomic inequalities are still widespread, according to the World Bank.

The nation on the southwestern coast of Africa enjoys political and economic stability in a region that has long seen conflict and disputed elections. Namibia's opposition criticized Geingob last year for endorsing disputed elections in Zimbabwe.

But opposition leader McHenry Venaani paid tribute on Sunday.

"Indeed, President Geingob’s passing is a great loss not only to Namibia, but to the African continent as a whole," Venaani said. "Such was the caliber of this master negotiator and statesman, a lighthouse of steadfast leadership in turbulent times."

Geingob, who was Namibia’s first prime minister from 1990 to 2002 and served in the same capacity from 2008 to 2012, could be outspoken on issues at home and abroad. In January, he criticized former colonial master Germany for supporting Israel after South Africa filed a case against Israel at the International Court of Justice accusing it of genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.

"Germany cannot morally express commitment to the United Nations convention against genocide, including atonement for the genocide in Namibia, whilst supporting the equivalent of a holocaust and genocide in Gaza," Geingob said.

He was referring to events between 1904 and 1908 when colonial security forces in Namibia killed tens of thousands of people while putting down an uprising. Germany in 2021 acknowledged that the actions amounted to genocide and pledged more than $1 billion for infrastructure projects in the country.

Condolences from African leaders poured in on Sunday.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa described Geingob as "a towering veteran of Namibia’s liberation from colonialism and apartheid."

Kenyan President William Ruto said Geingob "strongly promoted the continent’s voice and visibility at the global arena."

Zimbabwe's President Emmerson Mnangagwa posted on X that Geingob’s "leadership and resilience will be remembered."

El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele, self-described as the "world's coolest dictator," secured what global observers deemed a landslide re-election victory on Sunday. 

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken issued a statement on Monday congratulating Bukele on the win. 

"The United States commends the work of electoral observers and looks forward to working with President-elect Bukele and Vice President-elect Felix Ulloa following their inauguration in June," Blinken said. 

"The United States values our strong relationship with the people of El Salvador, forged over 160 years and built on shared values, regional ties, and family connections. Events in El Salvador have a direct impact on U.S. interests at home and abroad. Only by working together can we achieve our full potential and overcome the greatest obstacles in our hemisphere and globally," Blinken said. "Looking ahead, the United States will continue to prioritize good governance, inclusive economic prosperity, fair trial guarantees, and human rights in El Salvador under our Root Causes Strategy."

'SQUAD' MEMBER ILHAN OMAR IN SPAT WITH PRESIDENT OF FORMER 'MURDER CAPITAL' AHEAD OF HIS RE-ELECTION

Reuters reported that provisional election results available on Monday morning showed Bukele winning 83% support, far ahead of the 7% for his nearest competitor, the leftist Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front, with just over 70% of the ballots counted. 

Bukele had already announced he was the winner before official results were announced, stating he secured more than 85% of the vote. 

Ballots from 31% of polling places had been counted late Sunday, according to the Supreme Electoral Tribunal's preliminary results.

"All together the opposition was pulverized," Bukele, standing with his wife on the balcony of the National Palace, said Sunday, according to Reuters. "El Salvador went from being the most unsafe (country) to the safest. Now in these next five years, wait to see what we are going to do." 

His New Ideas party is also projected to pick up almost all the 60 seats in the legislative body, Reuters reported. 

Bukele made clear that he expects the newly elected Legislative Assembly to continue extending the special powers he has enjoyed since March 2022 to combat the country’s feared gangs.

EL SALVADOR'S BUKELE RESPONDS TO DEMOCRATIC LAWMAKERS ATTACKING HIM FOR HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS AND MORE

"We are not substituting democracy, because El Salvador never had democracy," he said. "This is the first time in history that El Salvador has democracy. And I’m not saying it, the people say it."

Under the state of emergency approved in March 2022, the government has arrested more than 76,000 people – over 1% of the Central American nation’s population. It has spurred accusations of widespread human rights abuses and a lack of due process, but violence has plummeted in a country known just a few years ago as one of the most dangerous in the world. And Salvadorans championed being able to take back their neighborhoods long ruled by gangs. 

El Salvador’s constitution prohibits re-election. After his party was victorious in 2021 legislative elections, the newly-elected congress purged the country’s constitutional court and replaced judges with those who ruled that Bukele could run for a second term. Critics say he has chipped away at the country’s system of checks and balances.

Sara Leon, 48, was among throngs of people who flocked to El Salvador’s previously gang-controlled downtown to celebrate. When she was 23, Leon risked her life to migrate from El Salvador to the United States with her 6-year-old daughter. She returned to her homeland in October because of the state of emergency and hopes her daughter will be able to return.

"If the gangs saw a cute girl, they abducted her, abused her and killed her," she told The Associated Press. "I didn't want that to happen to my daughter."

"He is a genius," she said of Bukele, tearing up when asked what his administration has meant. "If he's a dictator, may we have a dictator for 100 more years."

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

France’s new foreign minister on Monday used his first visit to Israel to urge the government to allow an "immediate cease-fire" and a "massive influx" of humanitarian aid in Gaza.

Foreign Minister Stéphane Séjourné, who became France's top diplomat last month, met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem during his trip.

Speaking later at a news conference, Séjourné said it was France’s role as a "friend" to tell Israeli leaders some truths they "may have difficulties hearing."

UN APPOINTS INDEPENDENT REVIEW OF UNRWA AMID ALLEGATIONS ITS WORKERS JOINED HAMAS-LED ATTACK ON ISRAEL

"For four months now, the people of Gaza have been living under bombs and an almost full siege. They are being deprived of the minimum aid they need to treat their wounds, protect against epidemics and feed themselves," he said.

Séjourné stressed that France "strongly supported Israel’s right to defend itself" after the Hamas-orchestrated attack in southern Israel that triggered the war in Gaza. At the same time, he called the death and destruction in the Palestinian territory a tragedy.

"The tragedy in Gaza must end," he said. "We call for international humanitarian law to be respected by all and for an immediate and lasting cease-fire and a massive influx of humanitarian aid."

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Saudi Arabia on Monday for a Mideast trip that also will take him to Egypt, Qatar, Israel and the West Bank this week. Blinken hopes to make progress on a potential cease-fire deal.

Séjourné also called for the "immediate and unconditional release" of all the remaining hostages held by Hamas in Gaza. Three French nationals are believed to be among them, he said.

A French top official, speaking about sensitive information on the condition of anonymity, said Monday that France was working with Qatar and other partners in the region to get proof that medicines shipped to Gaza for dozens of hostages have been delivered.

France and Qatar last month mediated the first agreement between Israel and the militant group since a weeklong cease-fire in November. The deal authorized supplying medicines for both hostages and for use by Palestinian civilians.

As he greeted the visiting foreign minister, Netanyahu praised France's "stalwart and consistent support from Day 1" and said they planned to discuss issues related to Lebanon, from where the militant group Hezbollah has fired at targets in northern Israel during the Israel-Hamas war.

Lebanon is a former French protectorate. Séjourné said France is committed to preventing any escalation of regional hostilities.

The minister's first trip to the Middle East since his appointment started with stops in Egypt on Saturday and Jordan on Sunday.

Séjourné was scheduled to meet later Monday with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank city of Ramallah and to travel to Lebanon on Tuesday.

A Chicago children's hospital has been forced to take its networks offline after an unspecified digital attack, limiting access to medical records and hampering communication by phone or email since the middle of last week.

Lurie Children's Hospital initially described the issue Wednesday as a network outage. On Thursday, officials released public statements saying the hospital had taken its networks offline as part of its response to a "cybersecurity matter."

"We are taking this very seriously, investigating with the support of leading experts, and are working in collaboration with law enforcement agencies," the hospital said in a statement Thursday. "As Illinois’ leading provider for pediatric care, our overarching priority is to continue providing safe, quality care to our patients and the communities we serve. Lurie Children’s is open and providing care to patients with as limited disruption as possible."

MULTISTATE CYBERATTACK DISRUPTS HOSPITAL SERVICES

On Friday, the hospital announced a separate call center for patients to get prescriptions refilled or ask non-urgent questions about care or appointments.

Media representatives for the hospital did not immediately return messages from The Associated Press on Monday seeking more information, including whether the attack was caused by ransomware. The extortion-style attack is popular among those seeking financial gain by locking data, records or other critical information then demanding money to release it back to the owner.

EMERGENCY ROOM PATIENTS FORCED TO SEEK LIFE-SAVING CARE ELSEWHERE AFTER RANSOMWARE ATTACK

A 2023 report by the Department of Health and Human Services warned of dramatic increases in digital attacks on health care and public health entities in recent years, causing delayed or disrupted care for patients across the country.

Health care providers aren't alone; state courts, county or state governments and schools all have struggled to recover from cyber-based attacks.

The latest annual report for Lurie Children's said the hospital treated around 260,000 patients last year. Chicago-area pediatrician practices that work with the hospital also have reported being unable to access digital medical records because of the attack.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Saudi Arabia's crown prince Monday at the start of his fifth visit to the Middle East since the outbreak of the war in Gaza, hoping to press ahead with a potential cease-fire deal and postwar planning while tamping down regional tensions.

But on all three fronts he faces major challenges: Hamas and Israel are publicly at odds over key elements of a potential truce. Israel has dismissed U.S. calls for a path to a Palestinian state, and Iran's militant allies in the region have shown little sign of being deterred by U.S. strikes.

In Gaza, meanwhile, Hamas has begun to re-emerge in some of the most devastated areas after Israeli forces pulled back, an indication that Israel's central goal of crushing the group remains elusive. Video footage from the same areas shows vast destruction, with nearly every building damaged or destroyed.

BIDEN ADMIN CUTS FUNDING TO CONTROVERSIAL UN AGENCY AMID ALLEGATIONS MEMBERS ASSISTED IN HAMAS MASSACRE

Blinken met with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman shortly after arriving in the Saudi capital, Riyadh. Saudi officials have said the kingdom is still interested in normalizing relations with Israel in a potentially historic deal, but only if there is a credible plan to create a Palestinian state.

But any such grand bargain appears a long way off as the war still rages in Gaza, where 113 bodies were brought to hospitals in the last 24 hours alone, according to the Health Ministry in the Hamas-ruled territory. It says another 205 people were wounded.

The fatalities bring the overall Palestinian death toll from nearly four months of war to 27,478. The ministry does not distinguish between civilians and combatants in its count but says most of the dead were women and children.

The war in Gaza has leveled vast swaths of the tiny enclave, displaced 85% of its population and pushed a quarter of residents to starvation.

A video circulating online Monday showed masked gunmen leading a line of shirtless detainees past bombed-out buildings in northern Gaza, forcing them to shout out that they are thieves. The Associated Press was not able to independently confirm the incident, but it is consistent with AP reporting.

It was the latest sign that Hamas, which has ruled Gaza since seizing power from rival Palestinian forces in 2007, is reasserting control in parts of the north. Residents say Hamas-led security forces, which numbered in the tens of thousands before the war, have begun to reappear in some areas where they focus on distributing civil salaries and cracking down on looters.

The Israeli military says it has launched targeted operations in northern Gaza over the last week to prevent Hamas from rebuilding its capabilities.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to continue the war until Israel crushes Hamas' military and governing abilities and wins the return of the 100-plus hostages still held by the militant group after the Oct. 7 cross-border raid that ignited the war.

Hamas and other militants killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, in the attack and abducted around 250. More than 100 captives, mostly women and children, were released during a weeklong cease-fire in November in exchange for the release of 240 Palestinians imprisoned by Israel.

Meeting with troops on Monday, Netanyahu said Israel had defeated 18 of Hamas’ 24 battalions, without providing evidence. "We are on the way to absolute victory, and I want to tell you that we are committed to it and we will not give it up."

The United States, Qatar and Egypt have drawn up a proposal for a cease-fire of several weeks and the phased release of the remainder of the hostages.

But Hamas, which has yet to publicly respond to the proposal, has said it won't release any more captives until Israel ends its offensive. The militants are expected to demand the release of thousands of Palestinian prisoners in return — demands Netanyahu has publicly ruled out.

The war has ignited tensions across the region, with a flurry of strikes and counterstrikes raising the risk of a wider conflict.

Israel and Lebanon's powerful Hezbollah militant group trade fire across the border on a daily basis, and in recent weeks apparent Israeli strikes have killed senior Hezbollah commanders.

A drone attack launched by Iran-backed militants killed three U.S. soldiers near the Jordan-Syria border last week, prompting a wave of retaliatory U.S. strikes. The United States and Britain have also carried out strikes on the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen in response to their attacks on international shipping in the Red Sea.

Turkey has seen its fifth central bank leader depart in as many years as Hafize Gaye Erkan, the first woman in the top role, stepped down after just eight months in the job.

She announced her resignation late Friday after recent claims of nepotism emerged in local media, allegations that Erkan, a former senior Goldman Sachs executive, strongly rejected.

While President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has previously fired central bank governors who spurned his unorthodox belief in keeping interest rates low to fight inflation — which runs contrary to mainstream economic thinking — Erkan has blamed a "major reputation assassination campaign."

ERDOGAN APPOINTS FORMER US BANKING EXECUTIVE TO HEAD CENTRAL BANK

Her replacement, Deputy Governor Fatih Karahan, indicates that Turkey will maintain higher interest rates overseen by Finance Minister Mehmet Simsek.

A series of rate hikes after Erdogan was reelected in May has marked a turnaround from his unconventional policies that economists say helped trigger a currency crisis and drove up the cost of living, leaving households struggling to afford basic goods.

Here are key things to know about the central bank shakeup and what it means for Turkey's battered economy:

Erkan resigned after weeks of media stories about her father’s undue influence in the central bank’s Istanbul office.

Although she received some degree of support from Erdogan, who spoke out against "unreasonable rumors " that undermined Turkey’s economic progress, critics continued to question her leadership.

In particular, they highlighted a magazine interview in which she said her family had moved in with her parents because they could not afford to rent a home in Istanbul due to high prices.

Previous changes in central bank leadership has seen Erdogan row back on efforts to bring inflation under control through interest rate hikes.

Following last May’s parliamentary and presidential elections, Simsek and Erkan were appointed to tackle the country’s economic woes through higher borrowing costs. Interest rates have gone from 8.5% in June to 45% late last month, a move widely welcomed by foreign investors who had previously turned their backs on Turkey.

Despite such hikes, inflation remains high — consumer prices rose to an eye-watering 64.86% in January from a year earlier, according to figures released Monday, up from 64.77% seen in December.

The Saturday appointment of Karahan, another member of Finance Minister Simsek's team, strongly suggests there will be no reversal of economic policy this time.

Like Erkan and Simsek, the new bank governor has plenty of experience working in the U.S. He was brought in as the bank’s deputy head at the same time Simsek took over the Finance Ministry and Erkan was appointed to lead the central bank.

Karahan, who is in his early 40s, completed his master’s degree and doctorate in economics at the University of Pennsylvania before starting a 10-year career at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York in 2012.

He was then appointed chief economist at Amazon, while working as a part-time lecturer at Columbia and New York universities.

Following Karahan’s appointment on Saturday, Simsek said those running the Turkish economy were "committed to supporting the disinflation process through restoring fiscal discipline."

He added: "Our president has full support and confidence in our economic team and the programme we are implementing."

Turkey faces local elections in March that will see Erdogan attempt to retake several major cities won by the opposition in 2019, including Ankara and Istanbul.

It's possible that a poor showing for the president’s party could shake his resolve to stick with Simsek and his "rational" approach.

TURKEY HIKES KEY INTEREST RATE IN BID TO STEM INFLATION

The argument in favor of a further rate hike later this month was "compelling and would underline the central bank’s commitment to tackle inflation" while also building Karahan’s credibility, said Liam Peach, senior emerging markets economist at Capital Economics.

However, Can Selcuki, managing partner at Istanbul Economy Research, said another rate hike seemed unlikely even though Turkey’s economy "is not out of the woods by a long shot."

"It’s not the governor that matters — it’s Simsek. As long as he’s in position, he will ensure the current policy’s not changed," Selcuki said, referring to Karahan’s appointment.

A group of women at a resort in Thailand were captured on video Sunday posing for photos on a second-floor balcony when part of the structure collapsed, and they tumbled to the ground.

Twelve tourists, all of whom were women who volunteered at a local public health office, were snapping photos on the balcony that overlooked a garden at the Rommai Reunngam Resort in Chiang Mai, according to Viral Press.

The section of the concrete balcony that the group was standing on buckled under the weight and sent the women crashing to the ground.

"Nobody knew that the balcony was not strong enough," a hotel staff member told the outlet. "Lots of people take selfies there, because there is a nice view of the garden."

CORONER NAMES VICTIMS OF BOISE AIRPORT HANGAR COLLAPSE

Paramedics were called and took the injured women to a hospital.

Two women suffered fractures, two others had head injuries, and the rest of the group sustained bruises and scratches, authorities told the outlet.

Hang Dong District Chief Chalit Thipkhamlater said that the bolts used to add an extension to the balcony were not strong enough to hold the weight of the group.

NEW LONDON, CONNECTICUT CHURCH COLLAPSE CAUGHT ON VIDEO

"The balcony was built in line with the approved construction plans," Chalit said, according to the outlet. "However, the owner added an extension, which was fastened with bolts, without proper authorization."

Engineers will inspect the structures at the resort and if determined to be unsafe, the resort may be temporarily closed, he said.

Those injured in the collapse would be compensated for their expenses, the Hang Dong District Office said.

Hundreds of angry farmers took to the streets in Bulgaria’s capital, Sofia, on Monday to complain of what they called "the total failure" of the government to meet the mounting challenges of the agricultural sector.

They called on Agriculture Minister Kiril Vatev to step down for not keeping his promises to ease the administrative burden on the farming sector, to seek state compensation for high costs and falling incomes.

PROTESTING FRENCH FARMERS PLAN 'SIEGE OF THE CAPITAL' IN PARIS, REJECTING GOVERNMENT CONCESSIONS

Like their colleagues elsewhere in Europe, Bulgarian farmers are frustrated with domineering European Union regulations, the hardships stemming from the surge in fertilizer and energy costs because of Russia’s war in Ukraine, the increasing imports of farm products that are flooding local markets and the undercutting of prices.

Ventsislav Varbanov, who chairs the Association of Agricultural Producers, complained that the government is adding more undue burdens, instead of seeking some relief for the farmers.

"Let me remind you that our interests were not protected neither as the Ukrainian goods flooded us," he said, referring to cheaper products exported from Ukraine, "nor had we budget guarantees for the losses we suffered because of the war in Ukraine."

Varbanov pleaded for a long-term government policy: "We want to know what will be in tomorrow, in the next year, in the next five years."

Meanwhile, the grain producers’ association announced that its members might join the protests on Tuesday by blocking main roads with their farming vehicles.

The association expressed discontent with a statement made by Prime Minister Nikolay Denkov in response to their demands for compensation that only grain producers who can prove a loss for 2023 will receive financial support. The association wants some form of compensation for all grain producers.

The United Nations has appointed an "independent Review Group" to examine internal policies at the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), amid allegations some of the agency's workers participated in the Oct. 7 Hamas terrorist attack in Israel.

Secretary-General António Guterres and UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini said Monday the group will review whether the agency is remaining neutral in foreign conflicts and is responding appropriately to allegations that this neutrality has been breached.

The inquiry comes as several countries around the world, including the United States, have suspended payments to UNRWA over Israeli allegations that 12 of its staffers assisted Hamas fighters during the attack on Israeli border communities or held Israelis hostage following the attack.

Catherine Colonna, the former minister of foreign affairs of France, will lead the inquiry, the officials said. She will work with the Raoul Wallenberg Institute in Sweden, the Chr. Michelsen Institute in Norway, and the Danish Institute for Human Rights.

HOUSE COMMITTEE TO LAUNCH INVESTIGATION INTO UN AGENCY FOR ALLEGED 'TROUBLING CONNECTION' TO HAMAS

The Review Group will begin work on Feb. 14 and is expected to submit its initial findings in a report to the secretary-general at the end of March.

It will submit a final report, which will be made public, by late April 2024, the U.N. said.

According to the U.N., the Review Group is tasked with satisfying four objectives. These include identifying "the mechanisms and procedures that the Agency currently has in place to ensure neutrality and to respond to allegations or information indicating that the principle may have been breached."

UN CALLS ON COUNTRIES TO RESUME UNRWA FUNDING DESPITE REPORT EMPLOYEES PARTICIPATED IN OCT 7 MASSACRE

The group will also "ascertain how those mechanisms and procedures have, or have not, been implemented in practice and whether every practicable effort has been made to apply them to their full potential, taking into account the particular operational, political and security environment in which the Agency works."

It will also "assess the adequacy of those mechanisms and procedures and whether they are fit for purpose… taking into account the particular operational, political and security context in which the Agency works," and to "make recommendations for the improvement and strengthening, if necessary, of the mechanisms and procedures that are currently in place or for the creation of new and alternative mechanisms and procedures that would be better fit for purpose."

UNRWA, which contributes to the largest humanitarian relief effort in the Middle East, has said it is delivering life-saving assistance to roughly 2.3 million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said the U.S. supports "the work that UNRWA does," and called it "critical" for the survival of the civilians who have been impacted by Israel’s war with Hamas in Gaza.  

UNRWA has warned it only has enough funding to continue its operations through the "end of February."

"If funding remains suspended, we will most likely be forced to shut down our operations by the end of February, not only in Gaza but also across the region," Lazzarini said in a post on X. 

The U.N. Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) is also conducting an independent external review into the allegations of UNRWA's involvement in the Oct. 7 attack.

Fox News’ Nicholas Kalman contributed to this report.

Senegal’s government on Monday restricted mobile internet access and impeded protesters as federal lawmakers considered a bill to extend President Macky Sall’s tenure following his decision to postpone the country's Feb. 25 presidential election.

Sall announced in July that he would not seek a third term in office. On Saturday, he cited questions over the approved list of candidates and other election controversies for his decision to delay this month's vote.

Members of the National Assembly were deliberating on a bill that recommends a postponement of up to six months. If approved, the legislation would put the next likely election date in August, four months after Sall’s presidency is due to end.

POLITICAL VIOLENCE ROCKS SENEGAL, THREATENS STABILITY, AS NATION CLOSES OVERSEAS CONSULATES

On Monday, two opposition parties filed a court petition challenging the election delay. Their request for Senegal’s Constitutional Council to direct "the continuation of the electoral process" could likely set up a prolonged legal dispute and further deepen existing tensions between lawmakers and the judiciary.

The African Union urged the government to organize the election "as soon as possible" and called on everyone involved "to resolve any political dispute through consultation, understanding and civilized dialogue."

Outside the legislature, security forces fired tear gas to disperse opposition supporters who assembled to protest against the bill. Protesters also burned tires and blocked access roads in Dakar, Senegal's capital. Several were arrested.

"We will not accept a constitutional coup in this country. It is up to the people to come out and liberate themselves," said Guy Marius Sagna, an activist and opposition lawmaker.

None of Senegal's presidential elections have been postponed before. Sall said he signed a decree to delay the upcoming one because of a dispute between the judiciary and parliament over the disqualification of some candidates and the reported dual-nationality of some qualified candidates. Opposition leaders condemned his action as a "coup."

‘PSEUDO-LEGITIMATE’ TRAVEL AGENCIES IN SENEGAL OFFERING ‘COMPLETE PACKAGES’ TO GET MIGRANTS TO US BORDER

The Ministry of Communication, Telecommunications and Digital Economy said mobile internet services were cut Monday "due to the dissemination of several hateful and subversive messages relayed on social networks in the context of threats and disturbances to public order."

Political tensions have run high in Senegal for at least a year. Authorities also cut internet access from cellphones in June 2023 when supporters of opposition leader Ousmane Sonko clashed with security forces. Sonko is one of two opposition leaders whom election authorities disqualified from the final list of presidential candidates this month.

Analysts say the crisis in Senegal could further threaten West Africa’s stability at a time when the region is struggling with a recent surge in coups and threats to democratic institutions.

Lawyers for Cambodia’s ruling Cambodian People’s Party filed a lawsuit Monday at the order of the party's leader, former Prime Minister Hun Sen, accusing a leading rights activist of defamation and seeking damages of half a million dollars.

The complaint was filed in Phnom Penh Municipal Court against Soeng Sen Karuna, deputy chief of Cambodia’s biggest rights group, ADHOC. The lawsuit asserts that remarks by Soeng Sen Karuna caused dishonor to the ruling party. The court is expected to determine which law would be applicable for the complaint.

There have been previous cases in which political opponents of the ruling party have been ordered to pay punitive damages after being found guilty of defamation.

CAMBODIA'S PRIME MINSTER HUN SEN HINTS THAT HE INTENDS TO STEP DOWN WHEN NEW GOVERNMENT IS INSTALLED

The complaint, according to a copy seen by The Associated Press, referred to comments Soeng Sen Karuna made in a recent interview in which he allegedly said that the Cambodian People’s Party used the country’s courts as a tool to thwart or intimidate its political opponents.

The lawsuit alleges that the remarks were exaggerated and dishonest and could cause the public to hate the ruling party ahead of Senate elections this month.

The interview was posted online by The Cambodia Daily, a U.S.-based news website that evolved from a newspaper of the same name that stopped publishing in Cambodia in 2017 due to a tax dispute with the government then led by Hun Sen.

In a response to the lawsuit, Soeng Sen Karuna said his interview was in support of strengthening social justice and democracy without serving the goals of any political party. He said he had no intention to attack any individual or political party, and that anyone who claimed he was attacking a specific party was misconstruing his words.

HUN SEN PLAYS HARDBALL TO KEEP HIS GRIP ON CAMBODIA

Hun Sen on Sunday announced his intention to file a lawsuit.

"There is no more tolerance from me to all of you anymore when you have attacked the Cambodian People’s Party or attacked me, have you ever shown tolerance toward us?" Hun Sen said in a Facebook post.

"I wish to clarify that the Cambodian People’s Party will not give a chance to any individual to insult our party anymore. We need to get justice for ourselves through the court system," he said.

The 71-year-old Hun Sen retired as prime minister last August after leading Cambodia for 38 years. His son, Hun Manet, succeeded him.

The leaders of Japan and Italy said Monday they will bolster their cooperation in security and defense, including their joint next-generation fighter jet development with Britain, as Tokyo welcomed the European nation's shift toward playing a greater role in the Indo-Pacific.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, after meeting his Italian counterpart Giorgia Meloni, welcomed Italy's move to increase its presence in the Indo-Pacific region, where several visits by Italy's warships, including its strike group, and joint exercises are planned this year.

"Japan and Italy are valuable strategic partners that share values and principles such as freedom, democracy, human rights and the rule of law," Kishida said.

‘IMPROVISED AND ATROCIOUS’: ITALY LOOKS TO LEAVE CHINA DEAL, REVERSING DECISION OF PREVIOUS GOVERNMENT

Kishida also praised progress in their joint development of a new advanced fighter jet with Britain.

The three countries in December signed an agreement to establish a joint organization to develop a new advanced jet fighter for deployment in 2035.

Meloni said that the next-generation fighter jet meant "innovation, growth and jobs." She indicated joint military exercises with Japan later this year would include an Italian aircraft carrier and fighter jets.

US AMBASSADOR PRAISES JAPAN'S MILITARY OVERHAUL, ALLOWING EXPORT OF PATRIOT MISSILES

Japan, which is rapidly building up its military, hopes to have greater capability to counter China’s rising assertiveness while welcoming Britain’s bigger presence in the Indo-Pacific region. Italy recently left China's global Belt and Road Initiative after apparently seeing little benefit from it.

The joint fighter jet development involves Japan’s Mitsubishi Heavy, Britain’s BAE Systems PLC and Italy’s Leonardo.

The project, however, hinges on Japan easing its postwar ban on exporting jointly developed lethal weapons to third countries, which Kishida's government is struggling to finalize by the end of February.

Kishida promised a full backing for Meloni to successfully convene their Puglia summit in June.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he is thinking about dismissing the country's top military officer as part of a broader leadership shakeup, a possibility that has shocked the nation fighting a war to end Russia's invasion and also worried Ukraine's Western allies.

Zelenskyy confirmed in an interview with Italian broadcaster RAI TV released late Sunday that he was thinking about removing Gen. Valerii Zaluzhnyi, the popular commander-in-chief of Ukraine's armed forces. He said he was contemplating the move to ensure the country remains led by individuals who are "convinced of victory" against Russia.

"A reset, a new beginning is necessary," Zelenskyy said. The review is "not about a single person but about the direction of the country’s leadership."

UKRAINE'S DIMINISHED FORCES DRIVE RECRUITMENT PUSH, PROPOSAL TO LOWER DRAFT AGE

"I’m thinking about this replacement, but you can’t say here we replaced a single person," Zelenskyy said. "When we talk about this, I mean a replacement of a series of state leaders, not just in a single sector like the military. If we want to win, we must all push in the same direction, convinced of victory. We cannot be discouraged, let our arms fall. We must have the right positive energy."

Zelenskyy's comments were his first acknowledgement of Zaluzhnyi,'s possible firing. The potential ouster of the general already has caused an uproar in Ukraine and delighted the Kremlin as the war approaches its second anniversary.

Zaluzhnyi is widely respected among Ukrainian service members and considered a national hero. He is credited with stalling Russia’s full-scale invasion in the early days of the war and expertly pushing back Moscow’s troops.

ZELENSKYY WILL FACE 'RECKONING' WHEN WAR WITH RUSSIA ENDS, EXPERT SAYS

Kyiv Mayor Vitalii Klitschko criticized the possibility of Zaluzhnyi’s firing, saying it was due to the general's leadership that "many Ukrainians truly trust the armed forces."

"Today is a moment when politics might prevail over reason and country’s interests," Klitschko said on social media. The mayor of Ukraine's capital city has been a vocal critic of Zelenskyy. The presidency in turn has accused Klitschko's office of inefficiencies.

It is unclear who might replace Zaluzhnyi and if his successor would command the same level of respect from Ukraine's troops and foreign defense leaders. His firing could risk degrading morale at a critical time in the war.

According to Ukrainian and Western media reports, Zelenskyy asked Zaluzhnyi to resign last week, but the general refused. Zaluzhnyi has not commented publicly on the reports.

Tensions between him and the president have been rising since a much anticipated Ukrainian counteroffensive, which was launched in June with the help of an array of Western weapons, failed to produce major territory gains in Russian-occupied areas, disappointing allies.

Ukraine now is grappling with ammunition and personnel shortages while Russia is on the offensive, mounting relentless attacks. Four people were killed and at least one was injured in a Monday afternoon strike over the city of Kherson in southern Ukraine, the head of the local military administration said.

The need for a broad mobilization to beef up the number of Ukrainian troops has reportedly been one of the areas of disagreement between Zelenskyy and Zaluzhnyi.

Zelenskyy said at the end of last year that he had turned down the military’s request to marshal up to 500,000 people, demanding more details about how the mobilization would be organized and paid for.

A rift between Zaluzhnyi and Zelenskyy first broke into the open in the fall when the general acknowledged in an interview with The Economist that the fighting with Russia had stalemated. The president strongly denied that was the case.

For his part, Zaluzhnyi has published two essays laying out his vision for how Ukraine can win the war. In his writings, he said it was critical for Ukraine to have air superiority, to extending its efficiency in countering enemy artillery, to build up reserves and to increase electronic warfare capabilities.

Dutch Defense Minister Kajsa Ollongren announced Monday that the Netherlands was preparing six additional F-16 fighter jets to give Ukraine on top of 18 the country previously pledged.

Ukraine’s "aerial superiority is essential for countering Russian aggression," Ollongren said in a message on X, formerly Twitter. Denmark also has promised to donate 19 F-16s to Ukraine.

Lt. Gen. Serhii Nayev, the commander of the Ukrainian military's joint forces, said Monday that the country was set to receive missiles with a range of 186 to 310 miles along with the F-16s as part of upcoming defense aid packages from its allies, according to Ukrainian news agency RBK-Ukraine.

ZELENSKYY SAYS UKRAINE CAN BEAT PUTIN'S TROOPS BUT NEEDS WESTERN HIGH-TECH HELP

Ukraine desperately needs more Western military assistance as Russian forces maneuver from many directions along the drawn-out war's 900-mile front line. House Republicans in the U.S. are moving forward with a military spending package that provides aid to Israel but leaves out more help for Ukraine. Zaluzhnyi’s dismissal could fuel further uncertainty among Western allies.

Russia has rejoiced at the prospect, with Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov saying that the talk about Zaluzhnyi's dismissal exposed rifts in the Ukrainian leadership.

The Ukrainska Pravda newspaper reported Monday that Zelenskyy also was considering the removal of General Staff Chief Serhii Shaptala.

Zaluzhnyi on Monday congratulated Shaptala on his birthday and posted a picture of them together on Facebook.

"It will still be very difficult for us, but we will definitely never be ashamed," Zaluzhnyi wrote.

Authorities in Rome have arrested 14 migrants from nine countries for alleged involvement in unrest in a repatriation center following the death of a migrant from the African nation of Guinea, police said Monday.

After the body was discovered Sunday morning, migrants in the center began setting mattresses on fire and throwing objects at law enforcement personnel. Migrants used phone booths to knock down two partitions. One group reached parked police vehicles, setting one on fire, while another group entered a room where law enforcement personnel kept personal items, which they took and destroyed. The suspects also destroyed eight video cameras, police said.

HOUTHI LEADER THREATENS TO ATTACK ITALY SHOULD IT JOIN ATTACKS AGAINST YEMEN

Authorities used tear gas to calm the unrest, which lasted into the evening. Three officers were injured.

The suspects are from Morocco, Pakistan, Guinea, Cuba, Chile, Senegal, Tunisia, Nigeria and Gambia, police said.

An Italian lawmaker who visited the center on Sunday said the 21-year-old Guinean migrant had hanged himself after expressing desperation at not being able to go home to join his family.

"These centers are black holes for rights and humanity,’’ lawmaker Riccardo Magi told La Repubblica television, calling for them to be closed. "Most people who are being held here will never be repatriated."

A Chinese court gave a suspended death sentence to a China-born Australian democracy blogger on Monday. The Australian government, which has repeatedly raised his case over the years, said it was appalled.

Yang Hengjun was found guilty of espionage and sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said. Such sentences are often commuted to life in prison after two years.

"The Australian Government is appalled," Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said in a statement. "This is harrowing news for Dr. Yang, his family and all who have supported him."

CHINA REJECTS TORTURE CLAIM IN TRIAL OF AUSTRALIAN WRITER

Yang, a former Chinese diplomat and state security agent who became a political commentator and writer of spy novels in Australia, was detained on Jan. 19, 2019, when he arrived in the southern China city of Guangzhou from New York with his wife and teenage stepdaughter.

He was tried behind closed doors in May 2021. The details of his case have not been disclosed. Yang, who became an Australian citizen in 2002, has denied working as a spy for Australia or the United States.

In a letter to his sons in August last year, Yang said he hadn’t experienced direct sunlight in more than four years. He told his family he feared he would die in detention after being diagnosed with a kidney cyst, prompting supporters to demand his release for medical treatment.

'WE NEED TO WIN' AI RACE AGAINST BEIJING, HOUSE CHINA COMMITTEE MEMBER WARNS

Australia "will be communicating our response in the strongest terms" and will continue to press for his interests and well-being, including appropriate medical care, the Australian foreign minister said in her statement.

Wang, the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson, said the court had protected Yang’s procedural rights and arranged for the Australian side to attend Monday’s sentencing, likely referring to a diplomat or diplomats from the Australian Embassy.

In October last year, Australian journalist Cheng Lei was freed after more than three years in detention in China for breaking an embargo with a television broadcast on a state-run TV network.

The plights of Yang and Cheng had frequently been on the agendas of high-level meetings between the countries in recent years.

Brazilian soccer star Dani Alves went on trial Monday, a year after he was arrested for allegedly sexually assaulted a young woman at a Barcelona nightclub.

Alves, a former Barcelona player, has been in pre-trial custody for over a year since he was detained for allegedly sexually assaulting the woman on the night of Dec. 31, 2022. He denies any wrongdoing.

Dressed in a white dress shirt and jeans, Alves took a seat in the courtroom after arriving in a police van. His mother was also present at the Barcelona courthouse. After a short recess when the courtroom was emptied, Alves’ mother blew her son a kiss and made a heart-shaped gesture as Alves was escorted in handcuffs back inside.

LIONEL MESSI'S ARRIVAL IN MIAMI PROVES MLS IS NO LONGER A 'RETIREMENT LEAGUE,' STAR DEFENDER SAYS

State prosecutors are seeking a nine-year prison sentence for Alves if convicted while the lawyers representing his accuser want 12 years.

Under Spain’s 2022 sexual consent law, the crime of sexual assault takes in a wide array of crimes from online abuse and groping to rape, each with different possible punishments. A case of rape can carry a maximum sentence of 15 years.

The trial is scheduled to run through to Wednesday.

The court ordered that the accuser’s testimony on Monday be behind closed doors with no media access and that no image of her can be taken to protect her identity. That decision came after a video circulated on social media last month that allegedly identified the woman.

A screen was placed between the accuser and Alves when she testified and the court ordered that the video recording of her testimony be pixelated and her voice distorted as preventative measures to ensure her privacy in the case of a leak.

Alves, now 40, was arrested on Jan. 20, 2023, after answering a police summons during a visit to Spain. A court ordered him to be jailed after analyzing the initial police investigation and hearing testimony from the alleged victim, witnesses and the player himself.

Three days after his arrest, Alves was transferred by officials for safety reasons to the Brians 2 prison about 45 minutes northwest of Barcelona. He has been there ever since.

Alves’ requests for bail were denied because the court considered him a flight risk, even though he offered to hand over his passport and wear a tracking device. Brazil does not extradite its own citizens when they are sentenced in other countries.

In testimony given to state prosecutors, the woman said that she met Alves late at the Sutton nightclub in one of Barcelona’s upscale neighborhoods after midnight. She accompanied him into a VIP area and into a private bathroom where he allegedly slapped her, used insulting language and raped her, according to her testimony.

Before he was indicted by an investigative judge in August, Alves’ lawyers unsuccessfully tried to discredit testimony by his accuser and other witnesses by presenting security camera footage at the nightclub. The court has said that any alleged flirting should not "in any way justify an eventual sexual assault."

Alves has modified his defense several times.

At first, he denied having ever seen the woman when he went dancing on the night in question.

Upon his arrest, he denied any sexual contact with her, only to admit three months later to a sexual encounter that he said was consented to by the woman. He said he had been trying to save his marriage by not admitting to the sexual encounter initially.

In the only interview Alves has given since his arrest, he told Spanish newspaper La Vanguardia in June that "my conscience is clear about what happened that early morning. ... What happened and what did not happen. And what did not happen is that I forced that woman to do what we did."

Alves, whose legal name is Daniel Alves, has changed attorneys three times. At the trial he will be represented by Inés Guardiola, a defense specialist who was hired in October.

The alleged victim is represented by Ester García, a specialist in prosecuting sex crimes.

The trial will be held before a three-judge panel presided over by magistrate Isabel Delgado. Twenty-eight witnesses will give testimony between Monday and Tuesday before the court hears Alves, along with experts, on Wednesday.

Alves has been ordered to set aside 150,000 euros ($162,000) to pay his alleged victim if he is found guilty and ordered to pay damages.

Alves’ arrest shattered his image of a charismatic winner with a lengthy and successful career.

He won major titles with several elite clubs, including Barcelona, Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain. He also helped Brazil win two Copa America trophies and an Olympic gold medal at age 38. He played at his third World Cup, the only major title he’s not won, in 2022.

The right back was a key part of Barcelona’s golden years playing between 2008-16 as a teammate of Lionel Messi. He won the Champions League three times during that stretch with the Catalan club, which he briefly rejoined in 2022.

Alves had his contract with Mexican club Pumas terminated immediately after his arrest.

More than 1,000 migrants from sub-Saharan countries arrived in Spain’s Canary Islands in 18 boats over the past three days, Spain’s marine rescue service said Monday. A body was found in one of the boats.

The archipelago off northwest Africa has seen a surge in migrant arrivals in recent weeks as more people from West Africa attempt the dangerous journey. Officials say 7,270 migrants arrived in January, about as many as in the first six months of 2023.

Most of the boats depart from Mauritania. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will visit the West African country on Thursday to encourage authorities to try to curtail the departures.

SPAIN'S CANARY ISLANDS SEE RECORD NUMBERS OF AFRICAN MIGRANTS SEEKING BETTER LIVES

Spain and the European Union have cooperation agreements with both Mauritania and neighboring Senegal to try to reduce the number of migrants arriving on the islands. But some young people insist on taking their chances and say there are few opportunities and sometimes political turmoil at home.

Spain's interior ministry says a record 55,618 migrants arrived by boat — most of them in the Canary Islands — last year, almost double the number of the previous year.

THOUSANDS OF MIGRANTS DIED TRYING TO REACH SPAIN BY BOAT IN 2023, OFFICIALS SAY

The Spanish non-profit organization Caminando Fronteras (Walking Borders) says more than 6,600 migrants died while trying to reach Spain by boat last year, most of them on the Atlantic route. The figure is more than double the number reported by the organization for 2022.

Caminando Fronteras says it compiles its own figures from families of migrants and rescue statistics.

The Iran-backed Houthis warned it could launch strikes against Italy should the country join Western coalition forces in carrying out attacks in Yemen, a senior official for the group said Monday.

Mohamed Ali al-Houthi, the head of the Houthis supreme revolutionary committee, said in an interview with the daily La Repubblica that Italy should remain neutral amid the ongoing conflict.

He then warned the Mediterranean country it would make itself a target of retaliatory action should it contribute to attacks against the Houthis, which the U.S. State Department said it was officially re-designating as a foreign terrorist group last month.

The comment came after Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto said on Friday that an Italian admiral would help lead the European Union Red Sea naval mission tasked with protecting ships from Houthi militia attacks.

US FORCES LAUNCH SELF-DEFENSE STRIKE ON HOUTHIS, ACCUSE GROUP OF PRESENTING 'AN IMMINENT THREAT' IN RED SEA

European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said last week that he hopes the naval mission — named Aspides, meaning "protector" in ancient Greek — will be launched on Feb. 17.

Italy then announced it was tasked with providing the leader of the naval mission.

"The European Union today asked Italy to supply the Force Commander for the Aspides Operation in the Red Sea," Crosetto said, noting Greece would probably take overall command of the mission. This has not yet been officially announced.

The plan for Italy to be involved with the mission to defend commercial ships along the vital trade route was first announced in Dec. 2023, following a meeting between Crosetto and U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.

US STRIKES HOUTHI ANTI-AIRCRAFT MISSILE INSIDE YEMEN, OFFICIAL SAYS

During the virtual meeting, Crosetto affirmed Italy would "play its part" in ensuring stability in the region.

"During the meeting we affirmed the importance of the freedom of navigation principle, assessed impacts on international commerce and discussed possible options aimed to guarantee the security of sea lanes and avoid repercussions on the international economy, with dangerous dynamics for raw material prices. Italy will play its part, together with the International Community, to counter the terrorist destabilizing activities of the Houthis that we have already publicly condemned, and to protect the prosperity of trade and ensure freedom of navigation and compliance with international law," Crosetto said.

He added, "It is necessary to increase our presence in the area to create the conditions for stabilization, avoid environmental disasters and, moreover, prevent the resumption of inflation peaks."

Houthis, who control much of Yemen, have carried out dozens of attacks against U.S. Navy vessels and commercial merchant ships in the Red Sea. They claim the attacks are in solidarity with Palestinians who have been killed amid Israel's war on Hamas in Gaza.

The mandate of the naval mission is to protect commercial ships and intercept attacks, but not to carry out strikes against the Houthis, Borrell said.

Reuters contributed to this report.

A drone attack late Sunday evening that struck a military base in eastern Syria, where U.S. troops are stationed, left at least six allied Kurdish soldiers dead, officials said.

The attack hit a training ground at al-Omar base in Syria’s eastern province of Deir el-Zour, the U.S.-backed, Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) said in a statement Monday. According to the statement, the drone attack struck an area where the forces' commando units were being trained.

No U.S. troops were killed or injured in the attack, they said.

The strike was the first significant attack in Syria or Iraq since the U.S. launched strikes over the weekend against Iran-backed militias. Militia fighters have been carrying out assaults on U.S. forces and civilian targets in the region since the breakout of the Israel-Hamas war in October.

HOUTHIS VOW 'ESCALATION' AFTER US, UK LAUNCH MORE STRIKES IN YEMEN

The SDF initially blamed "Syrian regime-backed mercenaries" for Sunday's attack, but after investigating the attack, they accused "Iran-backed militias."

The Islamic Resistance, an umbrella group of all Iran-backed Iraqi militias in the country, claimed responsibility for Sunday's attack and released a video they claim showed them launching the drone used in the attack.

Sunday’s attack came after the U.S. military carried out strikes against Houthi militant targets in Yemen over the weekend.

U.S. Central Command forces said Sunday they conducted a "self-defense" strike against a Houthi land attack cruise missile at approximately 5:30 a.m. Sanaa time.

Later, at approximately 10:30 a.m., U.S. forces struck four anti-ship cruise missiles in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen, which they determined "presented an imminent threat to U.S. Navy ships and merchant vessels" in the Red Sea.

BIDEN DEFENDS ORDER TO ATTACK IRAQ, SYRIA, USING WAR POWERS RESOLUTION AND AUTHORIZATIONS FROM 2001 AND 2002

Sunday’s strikes also came a day after the U.S. and Britain launched a wave of strikes against 36 Houthi targets, meant to degrade their capabilities.

Houthi rebels vowed "escalation" in reaction to the strikes, with a spokesman for the group vowing to continue its own attacks "no matter the sacrifices it costs us."

"The US-British coalition’s bombing of a number of Yemeni provinces will not change our position, and we affirm that our military operations against Israel will continue until the crimes of genocide in Gaza are stopped and the siege on its residents is lifted, no matter the sacrifices it costs us," Houthi spokesman Mohammed al-Bukhaiti wrote on X.

The Houthi spokesman also called such attacks "ineffective," and predicted a wider war would end the U.S. presence in the region.

"If the regional war breaks out, it equals the end of US hegemony in the region," he said.

The Islamic Resistance was responsible for the January drone attack on Tower 22 of the logistics support base in Jordan that left three U.S. service members dead and wounded 40 others.

The U.S. Defense Department identified the three deceased soldiers as Sgt. William Jerome Rivers of Carrollton, Georgia; Spc. Kennedy Ladon Sanders of Waycross, Georgia; and Spc. Breonna Alexsondria Moffett of Savannah, Georgia.

They were assigned to the 718th Engineer Company, 926th Engineer Battalion, 926th Engineer Brigade, Fort Moore, Georgia.

"I am outraged and deeply saddened by the deaths of three of our U.S. service members and the wounding of other American troops in an attack last night against U.S. and coalition forces, who were deployed to a site in northeastern Jordan near the Syrian border to work for the lasting defeat of ISIS," Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said after the attack. "These brave Americans and their families are in my prayers, and the entire Department of Defense mourns their loss."

The umbrella group has launched dozens of attacks, primarily using drones, against U.S. military bases in Iraq and Syria. They have repeatedly called for American forces to withdraw from the region.

Fox News' Anders Hagstrom, Liz Friden and The Associated Press contributed to this report.