World News

Japan enlisted the help of hundreds of volunteers to move a portion of a 360-tonne castle more than six feet back into position, inch by inch, following renovations to the structure.

About 1,800 people gathered over the weekend to pull large ropes attached to the Hirosaki Castle keep in Aomori Prefecture, The Independent reported.

The keep — which is a fortified tower within a castle — was moved so repairs could be completed on a wall damaged during a major earthquake. The wall has since been rebuilt, with all 2,185 stones returned to their original positions.

JAPAN MALL REBUILT AFTER DEADLY 2016 EARTHQUAKE DESTROYED IN MAJOR TEMBLOR WEEKS AFTER 'FRESH START' REOPENING

Rotating teams used an ancient technique known as hikiya, in which buildings are placed on rollers or rails and moved intact. The technique is used to preserve historic Japanese buildings that might otherwise be damaged or destroyed.

"We had about 8,000 applications for the 1,800 slots over the last two days, roughly four times oversubscribed, so not everyone could participate," Kensuke Hayasaka, head of the parks and green spaces division in Hirosaki City, told The Guardian.

"Not only from the city, but from across Japan and overseas; a fair number from Southeast Asia, Europe and North America."

MASSIVE 7.7-MAGNITUDE EARTHQUAKE HITS OFF JAPANESE COAST

Pulling the castle keep by hand will continue through the end of August, with about 4,100 people scheduled to move it a total of more than 16 feet, The Guardian reported.

The Hirosaki Castle keep was originally a five-story tower, but it was destroyed by a lightning strike in 1627, the newspaper reported, citing the Japan National Tourism Organization.

The current three-story structure was rebuilt in 1811. Many Japanese castles were dismantled after the end of the Samurai era in 1868 or were destroyed during World War II.

A video taken after flash flooding on the border between Nepal and China shows mudslides enveloping multiple buildings as people fled in Gyirong, Tibet, near China's border with Nepal.

The mudslides followed a 4.4-magnitude earthquake which occurred just seven minutes before video captured people sprinting away from the disaster, according to the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ).

Shishir Khanal, Nepal's foreign minister, also suggested that earthquakes could be the cause in remarks to the country's parliament, according to Reuters.

COLOMBIA BUILDING COLLAPSES ON CAMERA AS EARTHQUAKE BRINGS DEATH, DESTRUCTION

Authorities believe the earthquake caused an ice-rock avalanche that flowed into the Lhende Khola River in Nepal, according to Reuters.

At least 95 people have been confirmed dead after rescue authorities in Nepal recovered at least that many bodies.

Nepal's tourism authority said at least 484 tourists have also been reported missing, at least three of whom are U.S. citizens.

Reports claim as many as several dozen more Americans are missing. No official count of Americans was immediately released by the U.S. government.

The U.S. State Department said it was monitoring the situation closely and communicating with authorities in Nepal.

"The Trump administration has no higher priority than the safety and security of Americans," a State Department spokesperson told Fox News Digital in a statement.

"The State Department is aware of Americans impacted by the floods in Nepal and is closely tracking the situation. The embassy is working closely with local tour agencies and local authorities to assist Americans in the affected areas. We extend our deepest condolences for the victims and to the families of all those affected.

"We strongly encourage U.S. citizens in the affected areas to monitor local news, follow the emergency instructions provided by local authorities, and enroll in STEP.state.gov to receive important emergency information," the spokesperson added.

The State Department's office of Consular Affairs also relayed travel advisories for specific areas within Nepal.

"The flood destroyed buildings and damaged roads, bridges, electricity infrastructure, and communications. Nepali authorities ordered people living along riverbanks and in low-lying areas to move to safer locations," the department posted on X.

"Avoid travel on the Prithvi Highway, the Galchhi–Nuwakot–Rasuwa–Syafrubesi road, and the Mugling–Narayangadh road until authorities lift restrictions. If you are in Rasuwagadhi, Timure, Syafrubesi, Langtang, or another affected area, contact the U.S. Embassy when safe to do so and provide your name, location, and status," the advisory said.

MORE THAN 3,000 MISSING AFTER COLOMBIA EARTHQUAKE AS TRUMP ADMINISTRATION PROVIDES $15.5 MILLION IN RELIEF

Sixty-five people are being treated at hospitals in and around Nepal's capital of Kathmandu, according to local officials.

Authorities also warned a second flood is possible since there is still a blockage on the Lhende Khola River.

33 RESCUED FROM VENEZUELAN RUBBLE: SURVIVAL WINDOW DESPERATELY FADING WITH NEARLY 50,000 MISSING

China deployed 574 rescuers to Tibet's Gyirong land crossing, though one rescuer told CCTV it would take hours to reach the deluged site, Reuters reported.

India's government and the European Union (EU) have publicly offered support to Nepal and China.

US MILITARY DEPLOYS MTVRS, AIRLIFTS AID TO VENEZUELA FOLLOWING DEADLY EARTHQUAKES

"Spoke to Prime Minister Balendra Shah and conveyed condolences on the loss of lives due to the floods in Nepal. The people of India stand in solidarity with their sisters and brothers in Nepal at this difficult time. India is ready to provide all possible humanitarian assistance to Nepal. Our teams are coordinating closely on rescue and relief efforts," Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrote in a post on X.

Shah responded on X, calling Modi's gesture "a reflection of the enduring bonds of friendship between our two countries, which we profoundly value."

"Devastating floods have struck communities in Nepal and China. My thoughts are with all those affected, especially the families who have lost loved ones or are still waiting for news... Copernicus has been activated to help map the affected areas in Nepal and support the response on the ground. We stand ready to mobilise further European assistance," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also wrote on X, offering up the use of Copernicus, the EU's Earth monitoring satellite program.

Fox News Digital also contacted Nepal's Ministry of Foreign Affairs for more information.

Reuters contributed to this report.

A solemn candle-lighting ceremony honoring United Nations employees who died in 2025 while working for the world body has sparked criticism after it unwittingly named an employee who was later revealed to be a Hamas commander.

At the annual memorial service in June honoring 136 employees who died in service to the U.N. in 2025, Secretary-General António Guterres, General Assembly President Annalena Baerbock, and then - Security Council President Leonor Zalabata Torres helped light a candle representing "an eternal flame." An official later read Imad Youssif El Samhouri’s name alongside those of other U.N. employees as a violinist played somber music.

El Samhouri was employed by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) as a teacher and associate principal before becoming principal of UNRWA Rafah Preparatory Boys School B. On Aug. 8, Hamas identified El Samhouri through messaging site Telegram as a field commander in the Al-Qassam Brigades.

UN CHIEF BACKS OFFICIAL WHO REPOSTED ANTI-ISRAEL ACTIVIST'S CLAIMS AMID CALLS FOR INVESTIGATION

During the event, Guterres said that "more U.N. colleagues have been killed in Gaza than in any other conflict or disaster in the history of the United Nations. Some died alongside their families, in their homes, in the places they sought refuge. Others were killed while carrying out their duties in offices, in shelters, and in communities they served. These tragedies weigh heavily on us all and should be remembered by the entire world. Let me be clear. U.N. personnel must never be targeted."

Guterres also said that "In keeping with long-standing practice, we have sought the consent of families to read aloud the names of those we honor. Tragically, in the case of men who served with UNRWA, we could not reach those families because they, too, have been killed or forced to flee."

Hillel Neuer, executive director of UN Watch, has written an open letter to Guterres and Baerbock asking both to issue an apology for the incident and acknowledge that UNRWA is "unwilling or unable" to roust terrorists from its schools.

Stéphane Dujarric, spokesperson for Guterres, told Fox News Digital during a press briefing last week, "[UNRWA] and we are always very deeply concerned when allegations against the former staff is raised. Obviously, when his name was included, the agency was not aware. I will remind you that the list of all UNRWA staff is shared with the Israeli parties as they are every year. His name was shared in the list of 2024. No concerns were raised based on that information from the Israeli side, and obviously, had those allegations been raised before, his name would likely not have been included."

When pressed further about whether Guterres would retract the honors or issue an apology, Dujarric seemed to put the blame on Israel, "We're now stating our position, which makes it clear. Had we known, and had we been told, his name would probably not have been included."

Israel’s U.N. Ambassador Danny Danon told Fox News Digital that "it is outrageous to watch the U.N. spokesperson struggle to clearly condemn the crimes committed by former UNRWA employees. Israel repeatedly warned the U.N. that active Hamas terrorists were operating within UNRWA and played a significant role in the atrocities of Oct. 7. The U.N. spokesperson’s response reflects Secretary-General Guterres’ entire tenure: the organization has lost its moral compass. It is because of terrorists like Imad Youssif El Samhouri and others that Israel ended UNRWA’s operations in Israel."

Neuer has accumulated multiple social media posts that he says are attributed to El Samhouri, which demonstrate his support of so-called Palestinian martyrs, his praise for the kidnapping of Israeli teens, and his support for the "good news" of Hamas attacks between 2012 and 2014. 

El Samhouri’s case is one of about 200 cases that senior fellow at UN Watch Salo Aizenberg told Fox News Digital he has cataloged in which terror groups shared posthumous proof that journalists, NGO personnel, aid workers, lawyers, and medical personnel were part of their organizations. Citing the Institute for Palestine Studies, which says El Samhouri was killed June 8, 2025, when Israeli forces targeted his tent with no warning, Aizenberg noted on X that El Samhouri was "using the cover of the humanitarian zone as a human shield" when he was targeted.

ISRAEL ACCUSES UN OF PLACING IT ON SAME SEXUAL VIOLENCE BLACKLIST AS HAMAS TERRORISTS, SEVERS TIES

In a martyr video viewed by Fox News Digital that the Israel Defense Forces provided, El Samhouri stands before multiple grenades and a weapon and states that "the call to arms has resounded in the hearts of the faithful and they have answered the call." He also says that "we have chosen jihad as our path; our anthem is that Death in the cause of Allah is our highest aspiration, and our resolve will not waver, no matter how long the road or how great the sacrifices." 

In the same video, while standing within what appears to be an underground tunnel, El Samhouri thanks God, "who has honored us with the tunnels and made them a means of resistance, a means by which the Zionist enemy never imagines we will emerge from beneath the ground."

Neuer told Fox News Digital that "Samhouri publicly glorified terrorism, circulated Hamas battlefield propaganda, and brought Hamas officials into UNRWA school life. Photographs show his own principal, Muhammad Al-Bardawil, repeatedly appearing at school events with Jumaa Al-Ghoul, Hamas’s representative in Rafah." He explained that "the evidence shows clearly that many officials in the UNRWA school system knew about Samhouri’s support for terrorism and ties to Hamas, and that they actually tolerated or even encouraged it."

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION TOUTS MORE THAN $1B IN UN BUDGET CUTS AS REFORM PUSH GAINS MOMENTUM

El Samhouri is far from the first UNRWA employee exposed for support of Hamas. Neuer added that "in UN Watch's network map of more than 400 UNRWA employees, Hamas terrorists and their supporters have served as school principals, teachers, and leaders of UNRWA’s powerful staff unions. Hamas influences UNRWA hiring and promotions, mobilizes strikes to protect extremists, and intimidates international managers whenever even mild disciplinary action is attempted. Hamas pays some of its agents by getting them hired by UNRWA."

According to Neuer, "the deeper problem is that the international leadership of UNRWA and of the U.N. rarely act. This is hardly a vetting oversight — it's a system failure. UNRWA has demonstrated that it is either unwilling or unable to remove Hamas terrorists from its schools. UNRWA cannot be reformed; it must be dismantled if Gaza is ever to be deradicalized and given a real future for peace and success."

ISRAELI AMBASSADOR, UN OFFICIAL SHOUT OVER EACH OTHER IN TENSE EXCHANGE OVER SEXUAL VIOLENCE BLACKLIST

UNRWA did not respond to Fox News Digital’s questions about El Samhouri’s social media activities, or whether his employment with the agency was further proof of its infiltration by Hamas.

The USAID Office of Inspector General is currently investigating 1,500 UNRWA employees for possible ties to Hamas. Thus far, the USAID OIG has referred 108 UNRWA staff to the State Department, requesting they be suspended or barred from further cooperation with organizations that receive U.S. funding.

A senior State Department official briefed on the USAID OIG’s UNRWA investigation told Fox News Digital that "USAID OIG’s independent and ongoing investigation is revealing the pervasive extent to which UNRWA has aided and abetted Hamas. The investigation demonstrates that UNRWA hired droves of Hamas-linked terrorists and turned over their infrastructure to the terrorist group."

The official stated that "This can never happen again, and other UN agencies would be wise to study the USAID OIG’s ongoing work to understand how to avoid a repeat."

At least 14 babies at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences died in nursery fire Wednesday, while one infant was rescued, according to hospital officials.

The blaze at the major government hospital in capital Islamabad broke out at about 6:45 a.m. after an air conditioning unit compressor exploded, hospital and rescue officials said. The fire was contained to the nursery in the hospital's gynecology ward and did not affect any other hospital wards.

"One baby was rescued by a doctor," hospital spokesperson Dr. Aneeza Jalil said, adding that six of the deceased infants' bodies had been given over to families, while the remaining bodies would be given over soon.

NYC 5-ALARM FIRE INJURES AT LEAST 17 FIREFIGHTERS, OTHERS AS BLAZE DAMAGES MULTIPLE APARTMENT BUILDINGS

Video showed grieving families distraught with sorrow as investigators examined blasted out windows and authorities worked to secure the scene.

"I don’t know what to say or whom to blame," a woman The Associated Press (AP) identified as Mrs. Mohammad Sami said.

"I have lost my child," she told the outlet, just three days after she reportedly gave birth.

TRUMP’S FAVORITE FIELD MARSHAL: WHO IS PAKISTAN’S POWERFUL ARMY CHIEF ASIM MUNIR WITH DEEP INTEL TIES

The incident prompted Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to remove Health Secretary Aslam Ghauri, the country's highest civil servant, from office.

Sharif ordered an immediate investigation.

"A tragedy involving children is an irreparable loss," he said.

Shortly after the incident, Sharif convened a high-level meeting in which he expressed anger at officials for the incident and removed Ghauri.

Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari also weighed in, offering condolences to the families and saying the deaths amounted to a "heartbreaking and an irreparable loss."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Video captured a U.S. military transport plane coming in for a landing Tuesday at Moscow's Vnukovo airport, in a flight that the Kremlin reportedly claimed it had no information about.

Data from the website Flightradar24 showed that the Boeing C-17A Globemaster III left Joint Base Andrews in Maryland early Sunday afternoon on a flight to Riga, Latvia. The aircraft then traveled from Riga to Moscow, Russia on Wednesday morning.

The last time a U.S.-registered jet made a direct flight to Russia from Europe was in January when special envoy Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, visited Moscow for a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin about the war in Ukraine, according to Reuters.

A Department of War spokesperson told Fox News Digital on Tuesday, "We have nothing to provide on this subject." Fox News Digital also has reached out to the White House and the U.S. Embassy in Moscow for comment.

PUTIN 'PANICKED' AS DEFIANT UKRAINE MARKS INDEPENDENCE DAY UNDER RUSSIAN BOMBARDMENT

The Kremlin said it had no information about the latest flight, Reuters reported.

Yury Ushakov, an aide to Putin, said following January’s meeting with Witkoff and Kushner that "our counterparts arrived from Davos after taking part in a series of events together with President Donald Trump, including those concerning the Ukraine settlement."

MARINE VETERAN ROBERT GILMAN RETURNS TO US SOIL AS TRUMP ADMINISTRATION FULFILLS REQUEST: 'NO AMERICAN LEFT BEHIND'

"They offered what can be called their first-hand accounts of these events and shared their impressions, as well as their latest thoughts and assessments regarding the meeting between the President of the United States and [Ukraine President Volodymyr] Zelenskyy in Davos" during the World Economic Forum, he added.

"Overall, I can say that the focus of the meeting between the President of Russia and US representatives was to obtain information resulting from the contacts the United States had with the Ukrainians and Europeans in order to define further steps between our two countries," Ushakov also said.

Denmark's left-wing prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, has sent shockwaves throughout the European left after recent comments about the Scandinavian nation's — and the continent's — failure to deal with radical Islam among migrant communities.

Her comments come after the mass migration chaos in the Spanish exclave of Ceuta, when Frederiksen criticized the actions of Spain's leftist leader, Pedro Sánchez, during a special session on Ceuta in the Danish Parliament. 

Responding to a question from a far-left legislator on Denmark’s apparent lack of "solidarity" with Spain against "anti-democratic forces" pressuring Europe, Frederiksen said, "If we talk about undemocratic forces, then Russia is our biggest enemy. The problem is that a big enemy has started to grow from within, and it is foreigners who have come to Europe," according to an English translation.

MIGRANT CRISIS PUSHES ITALY TO RESTORE BORDER CHECKS WITH SPAIN, TESTING EUROPE'S OPEN-BORDER SYSTEM

While not singling out Denmark's integrated immigrant population, she continued, "It is Hamas supporters. It is people who commit terror against European societies. It is people who do not recognize our fundamental European values. It is people who sympathize with some of the darkest forces in this world. So, Europe is threatened. The problem is that we are threatened both from outside and now from within, but it is not because of a disagreement between the Danish and Spanish governments, but because of people with an Islamic background who do not want the open, free European society, unfortunately."

Sweden-based foreign policy expert and author Daniel Schatz told Fox News Digital, "What is striking is not that a conservative politician is talking about illegal immigration, failed integration and Islamist extremism, it is that one of Europe’s leading center-left prime ministers is saying it in such blunt terms. That tells you how far the European immigration debate has shifted."

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Frederiksen came to power in Denmark’s 2019 elections on what Reuters called a "platform of radical reforms to reach climate targets, lowering the pension age for manual workers - and stricter migration policies." Denmark already had some of the strongest asylum laws in Europe before 2019, including a 2018 law targeting "parallel societies." That law allowed the government to "demolish or sell off social housing areas where more than half of residents are from a ‘non-Western’ background," if certain criteria were met, and refugees in those areas are not eligible for family reunion.

In 2021, Frederiksen introduced a new deportation law allowing for refugees to be returned to their country of origin, if Denmark deemed it safe, even if Denmark had no diplomatic relations with that country, and even as the European Commission deemed Danish legislation on transferring asylum seekers to third countries while their claims were processed "incompatible with EU law."

Since June, Frederiksen has been a leading voice in opposition to the immigration policies of Spain’s Pedro Sánchez, telling Parliament, "It is no secret that I and the Spanish Prime Minister deeply disagree on immigration policy… I and we will not accept that Danish society has to pay the price for decisions in Spain that we fundamentally disagree with."

On Aug 1, Frederiksen joined conservative Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and 20 other EU government leaders in a letter saying the EU "cannot allow mass crossings, the instrumentalization of migration or other hybrid threats to create the perception that illegal entry into the European Union is possible."

ITALY-SPAIN BORDER FEUD EXPOSES EUROPE’S DEEPENING IMMIGRATION DIVIDE

The two, currently the only female heads of government in the EU, followed that letter with an Aug 10 joint statement saying they "are both proud of Europe’s Christian cultural heritage and we want to protect it. We expect that those who arrive in our countries and choose to make Europe their home respect our values and do not try to impose ways of life that we do not share. We believe that this is the right path to protect Europe and our common values. And we believe that millions of Europeans share this conviction."

Emma Schubart of the Henry Jackson Society told Fox News Digital, "Frederiksen is right to name the ‘enemy within’. Europe has spent years pretending that uncontrolled migration and failed integration come without consequences. They do not… Parallel societies have taken root, Islamist extremism has been allowed to fester and support for groups such as Hamas is no longer confined to the margins. Denmark understands the cost."

Daniel Schatz said Frederiksen "is essentially arguing that Europe faces threats from two directions: Russia from outside and anti-democratic extremism from within. For a center-left European leader, that is remarkably strong language." He noted Frederiksen’s "political formula has been straightforward: protect Denmark’s generous system of public benefits and social services, control the border and deny the populist right a monopoly on immigration. For an American audience, that is probably the most important thing to understand about the Danish model."

Frederiksen’s position is important, he said, because she did not move politically "because Danish voters suddenly became concerned about immigration. She moved because she realized years ago that many of them already were." He added, "The important distinction is that this is not an argument that immigrants are inherently criminal. It is an argument that a democratic society must be willing to confront failed integration when it occurs."

Schubart added, "Other leaders now need to show the same courage, secure their borders, deport those with no right to remain and make clear that integration into our laws and values is not optional."

Reuters contributed to this report.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s Monday announcement that America will impose the economic equivalent of the military campaign that defeated Nazi Germany on the Islamic Republic of Iran could set off a series of events leading to the dissolution of the nearly 47-year-old dictatorship in Tehran, according to Iran experts.

Bessent’s declaration of economic warfare follows President Donald Trump’s commitment last week to launch an "economic D-Day" against the Tehran regime. The comprehensive U.S. economic pressure point campaign targeting Iran’s already troubled economy could have dramatic effects on the restive population in the country of over 90 million people.

"In the Second World War, D-Day marked the historic beginning of a campaign with our allies to target and drive the enemy from its positions, including those in third countries. Today, in that same spirit, we are launching an economic onslaught against Iran's financial connections around the globe," said Bessent. He added that "Our objective is to sever every economic lifeline that sustains this tyrannical regime until Tehran stands alone. Iran's fanatics devote themselves to death to America and seek nuclear weapons to do just that. They have murdered and maimed more of our citizens and service members than any other terrorist regime on Earth."

TRUMP THREATENS 'UNPRECEDENTED' ECONOMIC CONSEQUENCES FOR ANY NATION AIDING IRAN

Just hours before Bessent spoke, Iran’s currency, the rial, plunged to an all-time low. The rial fell to 2.02 million to the U.S. dollar. Iranians are struggling to afford basic goods.

Jonathan Harounoff, an Iran expert and British author of Persian heritage, told Fox News Digital that "Ultimately, this pressure campaign will likely continue to cripple the regime and set the stage for perhaps yet another domestic uprising. The precise timing of such a revolt is impossible to predict."

Harounoff, who has written extensively on upheavals in Iran against the clerical leadership, added, "What isn't impossible to predict is that the regime is governing brutishly over a repressed population that has endured sustained economic and social immiseration. It's only a matter of time before more protests break out, and the real question is whether international organizations like the U.N. and Western governments will choose to stand by — or tangibly support the Iranian people and actively sever any cooperation they maintain with the regime."

LEAKED IRAN REPORT FINDS RECORD PUBLIC ANGER AS REGIME FOCUSES ON HOLDING POWER

He warned that, "Too often, outsiders speak of regime change as if it were a passive exercise. Certainly, only the people of Iran can bring about organic, homegrown, transformational change — and they have 47 years of turmoil and repression driving them toward it. But there are real ways to support the Iranian people (Starlink, supporting think tanks and foundations, raising awareness of the plight of Iranians, etc.) and help them achieve what has, until now, been a quixotic dream."

Jason Brodsky, policy director at United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI), told Fox News Digital that "The question is often asked what makes this iteration of the maximum pressure campaign different from all other iterations? The answer is this iteration is taking place against a backdrop where there is a synchronization of economic and military pressure against the Iranian regime — a combination which has never been deployed by a U.S. administration until now. The U.S. naval blockade currently in place against Tehran is unprecedented. The Iranian regime's industrial base — for example, steel plants — has also been damaged following kinetic strikes. The Iranian regime’s military capacity has likewise been degraded."

IRAN ACCELERATES EXECUTION CAMPAIGN AGAINST ANTI-REGIME ACTIVISTS AMID INTERNET CENSORSHIP

He noted that "So Operation Economic Outcast is being launched at a time of true weakness in terms of its national power. The regime's risk tolerance may be increasing, but so is its desperation. The drivers pushing the Iranian people into the streets to protest have only gotten worse since January — with political, economic and social forces all deteriorating. The regime is seeking to use the tussle over the Strait of Hormuz as a distraction from all of this."

Alireza Nader, an independent Iran expert, however, expressed skepticism that the tightening of the economic screws could provoke a mass revolt. "I don’t think starving the civilian population in Iran will lead to an American victory. The regime has demonstrated an extreme brutality toward the population, having massacred thousands of unarmed protestors this past January. And Iranians are less likely to rise up when the promised help to them from Trump and Netanyahu never materialized."

Nader said that" The Woman, Life, Freedom movement against the regime prior to the war had the best chance of overthrowing the regime. This war has disrupted the Iranian people’s struggle for freedom."

Beni Sabti, an Iran expert at the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) in Israel, told Fox News Digital "that "there are some protests inside Iran for pensioners and those who did not get their salaries."

He said the January protests began with "economic problems." President Trump has said that the Iranian regime murdered 52,000 Iranian demonstrators during the Jan 8 and 9 mass protests against the regime.

Sabti, who was born in Tehran and has deep sourcing in Iran, said Trump’s economic offensive campaign against Iran could "bring out the people again." He said there were some "rumors" that lower-rank army soldiers did not receive their salaries.

The U.S. Treasury Secretary Bessent seized on the point that the regime will have payroll problems today. He said, "To the ordinary soldiers supporting this regime, as more and more of your paychecks stop or are supposedly just delayed, ask whether your commanders are leading your country to triumph or to ruin, and recall that the Berlin Wall fell when ordinary soldiers decided not to shoot at their own people."

The United States on Monday formally removed Syria from its list of state sponsors of terrorism, a move Secretary of State Marco Rubio said eliminates the final major barriers to investment and economic recovery in the country.

Rubio said in a statement that he had authorized the formal rescission after a mandatory 45-day congressional notification period ended.

President Donald Trump had initiated the countdown in July after confirming to Congress that Syria’s government had ceased supporting acts of international terrorism.

"I have also delisted Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham’s (HTS) designation as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT)," Rubio said Monday.

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The actions, he said, represent "another historic step by President Trump to give the Syrian people a path to prosperity."

Rubio said Washington had taken unprecedented steps over the past year to provide sanctions relief to the Syrian people.

He pointed to Trump’s June 2025 executive order, "Providing for the Revocation of Syria Sanctions," which accelerated sanctions relief by terminating the Syria Sanctions Program and the national emergency with respect to Syria while directing reviews of other Syria-related sanctions and terrorist designations.

"These actions were all taken in recognition of the positive actions taken and further commitments by the Syrian government under President Ahmed al-Sharaa to fully distance Syria from acts of international terrorism," Rubio said of the Syrian government.

Al-Sharaa ousted President Bashar al-Assad in December 2024 in an offensive led by HTS rebels. Syria had been on the State Sponsors of Terrorism list since 1979, with the designation in force throughout al-Assad’s rule.

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"In the past year, the Government of Syria has taken significant steps to counterterrorism, to include formally joining the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS in November and conducting operations to disrupt the terror networks of ISIS, al-Qa’ida, Hizballah, and Iran-aligned groups," Rubio said.

He added that rescinding Syria’s designation as a state sponsor of terrorism and HTS’ designation as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist "eliminates the final major barriers for private-sector investment in Syria and promotes Syria’s economic recovery and reintegration into the global economy."

EVANGELICAL LEADER SAYS US MUST PROTECT SYRIAN CHRISTIANS FROM ATTACKS BY JIHADI TERRORISTS

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani told Reuters on Aug. 22 that lifting the designation would help restore Syria’s links to the global financial system and encourage investment following nearly 14 years of war.

"There is no longer any obstacle to investment, doing business and rebuilding economic life in Syria," he said.

"Today’s action will help foster additional investment in Syria to promote political and economic stability," Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent also said in a statement, adding that it is "in line with President Trump’s promise to deliver sanctions relief to Syria."

The governor of the Central Bank of Syria said Monday that lifting Syria’s designation as a state sponsor of terrorism is a "historic step that returns it to its natural place within the global economic system."

On Monday, Trump also posted a photo on Truth Social of al-Sharaa and al-Shibani holding his signed June 2025 executive order directing sanctions relief for Syria.

Cuba, Iran and North Korea remain the three countries designated by Washington as state sponsors of terrorism.

Ukraine marked its 35th Independence Day on Monday under the shadow of continued Russian attacks, with one regional security expert arguing that Russian President Vladimir Putin is "panicked" as Ukrainian forces strike deeper inside Russia.

The anniversary, commemorating Ukraine's Aug. 24, 1991, declaration of independence from the Soviet Union, came amid intensified Russian strikes on civilian infrastructure and heightened security concerns after Ukraine's Security Service warned of possible terrorist attacks ahead of the holiday.

European leaders joined Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv for Independence Day events in a show of support as the war grinds on. Zelenskyy declared that Ukraine wants peace but is not prepared to surrender to Moscow's demands.

A Russian drone strike Friday on a packed shopping center in Kryvyi Rih, Zelenskyy’s hometown, killed at least 16 people and injured 130, according to The Associated Press.

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Putin has warned that Ukrainian strikes on Russian economic targets open a "Pandora’s box," while Kyiv maintains deep strikes are vital to disrupting Moscow’s logistics.

Ukraine has targeted Russian economic infrastructure, including warehouses belonging to online retailers Wildberries and Ozon.

"The war with Russia has seen a lot of advances for the Ukrainians over this year," former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Carrie Filipetti, now executive director of the Vandenberg Coalition, told Fox News Digital.

"They've recently been able to actually penetrate much deeper into Russian territory, including close to Moscow and St. Petersburg."

"Their success on the military front has now resulted in the Russians getting panicked and starting to attack more inside Ukraine and what they're really trying to do is weaken their will and capabilities," Filipetti said, adding that Putin "gets very anxious when he's put in a corner."

"What we're seeing is these sorts of gasps at trying to retain some kind of control," Filipetti added. "This is why he recently targeted a shopping mall inside Ukrainian territory. He is not focused on targeting military assets. He is really focused on trying to defeat the will of Ukrainians by attacking them."

RUSSIA UNLEASHES NEARLY 600 MISSILES AND DRONES ON KYIV IN DEADLIEST STRIKE SINCE MAY

Filipetti warned the targeting of civilian areas created heightened security risks as Ukraine marked its 35th Independence Day, more than four years into Russia's full-scale invasion.

Several European leaders traveled to Kyiv for Ukraine’s Independence Day events, including European Council President António Costa and leaders from Finland, Lithuania, Norway, Denmark, Estonia and Latvia.

Filipetti said the high-level participation underscored continued international support for Ukraine.

TRUMP'S TURKEY ARMS SALE PROPOSAL SPARKS CONGRESSIONAL QUESTIONS BEFORE NATO SUMMIT

"Independence Day is a really important moment for the allies of the Ukrainians to really show that we are not losing steam, that we continue to support their operations, to continue to support their sovereignty," Filipetti said. "But anytime there's massive public gatherings, particularly to demonstrate patriotism and support for the Ukrainian state, it increases the security risk."

Ukrainian authorities urged citizens to stay vigilant on public transport and guard against potential sabotage or sharing media that could reveal military positions, as well as possible attacks, Ukrainian News reported.

"They should be particularly mindful about sharing any videos or photographs that could betray the locations of some of their frontline soldiers," Filipetti warned.

DRONE OFFENSIVE HITS RUSSIAN OIL TANKERS AND REFINERIES AT 'INDUSTRIAL SCALE' AS MOSCOW BANS DIESEL EXPORTS

Monday's holiday came after a lethal exchange of drone and missile strikes. Ukrainian officials reported at least seven deaths from Russian attacks, while a Ukrainian drone strike in Russia's Krasnodar region killed three, according to Russian officials, The Associated Press reported.

"The Russians really want to bleed the Ukrainians of people, equipment, and will before the Russians are bled of those same three things," Filipetti said. "And what we've seen over the course of this year is almost no territorial gains on behalf of the Russians."

They are losing more soldiers each month than they can recruit, forcing them to rely on North Korean, Cuban and other foreign fighters to fill the gap, Filipetti added.

ZELENSKYY SAYS PUTIN 'LOST THE INITIATIVE' AS UKRAINE'S TECH INDUSTRY RESHAPES THE WAR

"Remember, Putin thought that this was going to be a special military operation that was going to last a matter of weeks," Filipetti said.

Ultimately, she emphasized that Ukraine's resolve delivers a firm deterrent beyond Moscow.

"It sends a message to the Russians that any invasion of sovereign territory, like their invasion of Ukraine, is going to create more consequences for them," Filipetti said. "We are not losing steam, and we continue to support their operations, to continue to support their sovereignty."

Filipetti said it also sends an important message to other American adversaries like China.

"These adversaries of the United States really learned from how the United States handles conflicts in other theaters. It's really important that our adversaries of China, Russia, Iran, and others understand that if they invade another country unilaterally, there are going to be consequences, not rewards."

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Iran of attempting to assassinate one of his sons on Monday.

Netanyahu made the accusation during an interview with the Israel's Channel 14J, saying he has asked Israeli law enforcement to boost protection measures for any prime ministerial candidate.

"This is an unbelievable case. Iran targeted one of my sons. Iran tried to murder him, tried to murder one of my sons," Netanyahu told the station, as reported by the Jerusalem Post.

ISRAEL SHARES INTELLIGENCE WARNING IRAN PLOTTED NEW ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT AGAINST TRUMP: REPORT

"Is this part of the intelligence provided to you?" a Channel 14 reporter asked.

"Iran tried to murder one of my sons. And this is why this promise [I am making] is more than a luxury - without it, they could succeed [in killing my son.] People need to show some restraint, especially during an election campaign," Netanyahu said.

ISRAELI POLICE SAY IRAN USING WHATSAPP, FACEBOOK, BLACKMAIL TO RECRUIT SPIES AS LATEST ATTEMPT FOILED

Netanyahu did not clarify which of his two sons was the target of the plot.

The Israeli security agency Shin Bet granted extended protection services to Netanyahu's wife, Sara, and their sons, Yair and Avner, beginning in July.

ISRAEL FORTIFIES BORDER WITH JORDAN AS IRAN SEEKS NEW TERROR PATH

The prime minister did not describe details of the assassination plot nor did he say how Israeli intelligence became aware of it.

The accusation comes as Israel remains in negotiations for a withdrawal of Israeli forces from Lebanon, where they had been fighting the Iran-backed Hezbollah terrorist group.

LEBANON ACCUSES IRAN OF INSERTING IRGC TERRORISTS INTO COUNTRY 'UNDER GUISE OF DIPLOMATIC ACTIVITY'

The news comes after Israel publicized a massive store of rockets, grenades, drones, sniper rifles, automated weapons, anti-tank rocket launchers, mortars and other military firepower it has confiscated from Hezbollah and Hamas in recent months.

The seized arsenal of weapons, ranging in manufacturers from the Islamic Republic of Iran to Russia, China to homegrown producers in Lebanon and Gaza and even a Nazi-era gun, were part of the war machinery used by Hamas and Hezbollah against Israeli civilians and the IDF since Hamas terrorists attacked southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.

IRAN'S WAR ON AMERICANS BEGAN DECADES AGO. THESE FAMILIES STILL CARRY THE SCARS

Hezbollah and Hamas, known proxies of Iran, have killed over 300 American citizens, according to reports.

The Jewish state fought a multi-front war against Iran and its proxies at the height of the conflict. The remains of Iranian rockets litter the ground outside the weapons storage facility at Tzrifin for journalists to inspect.

At least 30 people were killed in a massive landslide in Guinea on Sunday when a mountainous open-air landfill collapsed and buried nearby shacks, trapping numerous victims beneath a mass of garbage.

The incident happened at Dar Es Salam, the largest waste dump in the West African country's capital, Conakry, according to a report from The Associated Press (AP).

Guinea News reported that the weight of the waste caused a three-story building beneath it to cave in.

Authorities said heavy rainfall also washed over the refuse overnight, creating hazardous conditions at the landfill, according to the AP.

EARTHQUAKE SHAKES PERU'S ANDES REGION, KILLING AT LEAST 5, DISPLACING HUNDREDS

Six people were seriously injured and several homes were destroyed in the incident, according to reports. Officials launched a search-and-rescue operation to find any survivors.

The AP reported that the landfill was originally scheduled to close Sunday after officials warned of hazardous conditions, citing Lt. Col. Baldé Mamadou Bailo, the sanitation officer for the military engineering battalion.

The decision followed reports of a similar incident at the landfill in recent years, raising concerns about its safety.

As a precautionary measure, residents who lived near the site had also been given eviction notices and were forced to vacate the area, the AP said.

However, many people remained nearby at the time of the disaster, according to reports.

"We will ensure that the remaining families are relocated elsewhere," Dienabou Touré, the minister of territorial administration and decentralization, said at the scene, according to the AP.

Reuters reported that the landfill suffered a similar incident in 2017, when torrential rains caused a mudslide that killed at least eight people.

Reuters and the Associated Press contributed to this report.

Embattled Sinaloa, Mexico, Gov. Rubén Rocha Moya abruptly requested an indefinite leave of absence Saturday, just one day after returning to office following a three-month absence triggered by U.S. drug trafficking charges against him.

Rocha, 77, shared a letter on social media asking for "temporary leave of an indefinite nature, for more than 30 days" from his position as governor.

The letter, dated Aug. 22 and stamped received by the Sinaloa State Congress that day, does not say when Rocha plans to return or why he is stepping away again.

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The request came just a day after Rocha announced his return and said it was his "duty to fulfill the mandate" of voters who elected him to serve through Oct. 31, 2027.

"Today, I return to the exercise of my responsibility as Governor of Sinaloa with a clear conscience and head held high, with the strength of truth on our side," Rocha wrote Friday on X.

Rocha said he spent 112 days away from office while making himself available to Mexican authorities investigating what he called "false accusations" by the U.S. government.

He said he personally appeared before Mexico’s Attorney General’s Office and answered investigators’ questions.

Rocha insisted the investigation had produced no evidence that he committed a crime and accused political opponents in Mexico and abroad of trying to damage both the country’s sovereignty and the left-wing movement he represents.

MEXICAN PRESIDENT IN THE DARK ABOUT DRUG OPERATION AFTER WHICH US, MEXICAN OFFICIALS WERE KILLED

"I am unrelated to and innocent of the fabrications woven against me," Rocha wrote.

Rocha’s return Friday did not get a warm reception from Mexico’s ruling Morena party or the government of President Claudia Sheinbaum.

Morena said it had no advance knowledge of Rocha’s decision and distanced itself from the move, according to Reuters. Mexico’s Interior Ministry said returning to office was Rocha’s decision alone and noted that the attorney general’s investigation remained open.

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Sheinbaum also posted a pointed message on X.

"No personal interest can ever stand above the interests of the people and the Nation," she wrote.

"Mexico deserves public servants who understand that positions are temporary, but responsibility to the Nation is eternal," Sheinbaum added.

U.S. prosecutors charged Rocha and nine other current and former officials in April with drug trafficking and related weapons offenses. The current and former high-ranking government and law enforcement officials are alleged to have partnered with the Sinaloa cartel to distribute massive quantities of narcotics to the United States.

Rocha is the first sitting Mexican governor to face charges from the U.S., according to Reuters.

The case has strained relations between the U.S. and Mexico. Sheinbaum has called the charges foreign interference, while Mexico says Washington has not provided enough evidence to justify Rocha’s arrest or extradition.

As global attention remains fixed on tankers moving through the Strait of Hormuz, a petroleum geologist is warning that the more consequential energy story may be unfolding thousands of feet underground — and could continue long after any political agreement ends the fighting.

Art Berman, a petroleum geologist and energy consultant with more than four decades of industry experience, told Fox News Digital that millions of barrels of Persian Gulf oil production remain shut in and warned that restoring those wells is far more complicated than simply reopening the strategic waterway.

"This is potentially a kind of a world-changing event, even if we resolve the political issues," Berman said.

"The bigger story and the more important one long term is that 8 million barrels of Persian Gulf production is currently shut in and world production is down about 10 million barrels a day," Berman explained.

"We can move tankers around and we can obsess about, you know, are there 4 million barrels getting through or are there 6 million or 9 million or whatever the right number is," he added. "But eventually, those tankers have to be filled with oil."

A White House official, speaking on background, pointed to the sharp decline in oil prices following the signing of the MOU and said the Strait of Hormuz is open, with the U.S. naval blockade in full effect.

Berman's estimate of Gulf shut-ins is broadly consistent with the latest assessment from the International Energy Agency. The IEA said in its Aug. 12, 2026, Oil Market Report, "Gulf oil production rose by a further 2.5 mb/d in July to 23.9 mb/d, still 8.3 mb/d below pre-war levels."

Global oil supply remained 6.3 million bpd below year-earlier levels, according to the agency.

The U.S. Energy Information Administration offers a somewhat different estimate.

EIA assessed production shut-ins at an average 5.5 million bpd in July, while warning that continuing constraints on Hormuz transit had forced the agency to increase its forecast for shut-in production in August. EIA expects production and trade patterns to generally return to pre-conflict conditions in early 2027, but says some Gulf producers may not regain their previous output during its forecast period.

The distinction is important because much of the public discussion has centered on what the industry calls the midstream problem — whether tankers can safely transport oil through Hormuz — while Berman argues that the upstream problem of producing the oil itself could prove more enduring.

"The very last thing in the world I ever want to do is to shut in a well," Berman told Fox News Digital.

Restarting a well requires restoring communication between equipment at the surface and reservoirs thousands of feet underground, he explained, and extended shutdowns can create complications inside the reservoir and well.

"This is not like turning on a switch for a light bulb," Berman said. "It's a complicated, high-risk, relatively long-term process, and we don't know the outcome."

Berman estimated that roughly 80% of affected wells could return close to their previous production levels, although he said that could take weeks or months. He said many of the remainder could require additional engineering work and some could ultimately produce at lower rates.

"Some of that production will never come back," he predicted.

Other energy analysts agree that restarting Gulf production presents substantial technical challenges. But Wood Mackenzie is more optimistic than Berman about the ultimate recovery.

Its analysis projects that fields affected by the Hormuz closure could return to approximately 70% of their previous production within three months and 90% within six months, assuming a controlled restart. The final roughly 1 million bpd could take considerably longer.

Berman also warned against assuming that a ceasefire or political agreement would immediately restore pre-war energy flows.

Shipowners, insurers and crews would first have to become confident that tankers could safely navigate the waterway, while other logistical and security issues could continue even after governments reached an agreement.

"A simple political agreement doesn't mean the problem's over," Berman said.

Berman's argument goes considerably further than predicting a slow oil-market recovery.

He contends that the Persian Gulf conflict represents a fundamental shock to the global energy and economic system — one whose consequences will persist even after the immediate crisis ends.

Asked about his comparison with the COVID-19 pandemic, Berman told Fox News Digital that the scale of oil production affected by the current crisis makes it comparable to the largest economic disruptions of recent years.

"This is not just a news cycle," Berman said. "This is potentially a kind of a world-changing event, even if we resolve the political issues."

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The United States is the world's largest oil producer, but Berman argues that does not isolate American consumers from the disruption.

"The oil market and the refined products market is global," he told Fox News Digital.

Berman noted that U.S. refineries require different grades of crude to produce the country's mix of gasoline, diesel, jet fuel and other petroleum products, meaning domestic production alone cannot eliminate America's exposure to international markets.

"The problem for the U.S. isn't that we don't have enough oil, we almost do," Berman said. "It's that the oil we have isn't the right kind" for everything American refineries produce.

EIA reported July 15 that Hormuz disruptions had already pushed international buyers toward alternative sources of petroleum products, contributing to higher U.S. refinery margins, production and exports.

Whether that recovery proceeds as EIA expects or encounters the technical obstacles Berman warns about could determine how long the economic consequences of the conflict linger after the shooting stops.

For Berman, the question is no longer simply when tankers return to Hormuz. It is whether the global energy system that emerges afterward will ever operate quite the way it did before.

The White House pushed back on concerns that the disruption represents a lasting threat to U.S. energy security, pointing to record American production and blaming Iran for instability in the critical shipping corridor.

"Thanks to President Trump, the United States is now the world’s number-one producer and exporter of oil and gas. Record oil and gas production strengthens our energy independence and national security," White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers told Fox News Digital.

"The Iranian regime’s terrorist actions in the Strait of Hormuz have proven that our allies need to invest in reliable, affordable, and secure energy sources and advance new partnerships with the United States that enhance the world’s energy security," Rogers added.

Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House, U.S. Energy Information Administration and Defense Intelligence Agency for comment.

A woman in Brazil was found guilty this week of living with a foster family for more than a year while pretending to be a child, officials said.

Amanda Maria Souza de Oliveira, who is in reality 37 years old, was convicted of fraud and false identity on Thursday, according to a translated release from the Court of Justice of Santa Catarina in Brazil.

Oliveira, who the family took in as their daughter for 14 months until her scheme was uncovered, claimed she had fled abuse.

FEDS BUST ONE OF LARGEST ALLEGED MARRIAGE FRAUD SCHEMES IN US HISTORY INVOLVING 1,000-PLUS CHINESE SHAM UNIONS

The woman later admitted to creating a false identity and age, the court said.

Oliveira had been living falsely as a child for 15 years in an "elaborate fraud," the Washington Post reported, using a high-pitched, childlike voice and even telling people she had been forced to get hormones to make her look older.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL NATIONAL CHAMPION WHO WORE WIGS IN FRAUD SCHEME PLEADS GUILTY TO CHARGES

She was sentenced to one year, six months and 10 days in prison, along with four months and 18 days of detention.

One of her lawyers, Lúcio Sousa, said that Oliveira’s scheme was how she "survived."

"She admits that she invented an identity," Sousa said before the verdict, according to the Post. "It was the way she found to survive. But she has been a vulnerable person for more than 20 years. 

"She has lived on the streets, and there has been no allegation that she obtained any financial advantage, or committed robbery or theft, which, in theory, means the elements of fraud have not been established."

Oliveira said she never meant to hurt anyone.

"Of course, I deceived people, I lied," she said, according to police, the Post reported. "But I didn’t intend to scam anyone."

She said she wanted to experience the love she never got as a child.

"There was a certain void in me, a need to have that kind of care, so I always sought it out," she said.

After the verdict, Sousa said in a statement on Instagram, they would "pursue all appropriate legal measures and appeals before the higher courts."

Portuguese President António José Seguro has enacted a measure that largely prohibits individuals from covering up their faces while out in public, a restriction broadly viewed as aimed at Muslim women, according to AFP.

But the report noted various carve-outs to the prohibition, including for health, professional, artistic or weather-linked issues and for when people are at locations of worship, diplomatic missions or aboard planes.

Those who fail to comply could be slapped with fines of 150 euros to 3,000 euros, according to the outlet. Those figures convert to around $175 and $3,500.

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The final edition of the measure, which has been characterized by local media as the "burqa law" in reference to the body and face covering that some Muslim women wear, was adopted by the Portuguese parliament last month, according to AFP.

The law bans sporting coverings meant to hide a person's face or block identification in public areas and bans requiring someone to cloak their face due to gender, religion, age or origin, the report states.

EL-SAYED BOOKED FOR MAJOR ISLAMIC CONVENTION ALONGSIDE CLERICS WITH RADICAL PASTS

"For the president of the republic, the uncovered face constitutes a structuring dimension of social trust, a characteristic of Portuguese society," according to an English translation of a Portuguese-language press release.

"Social integration, non-discrimination based on gender and the security resulting from similar decisions by the European Court of Human Rights underpin this decision. The president of the republic shares this court's conviction that the face is central to human identity and communication, serving as a minimum element for mutual recognition among fellow citizens.

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"And to admit that women, and only women, must hide their entire faces implies an asymmetry incompatible with the values ​​of parity and equal dignity between men and women, values ​​that shape European democracies," the release added.

Authorities in Liberia received the country’s first deportation flight from the U.S. on Thursday under an agreement with Washington to accept up to 1,200 foreign nationals over the next year.

The West African nation, which was expected to receive 20 deportees, received nationals mostly from Latin America, including Venezuela, Cuba and Colombia, Liberian Information Minister Jerolinmek Piah told Reuters.

Many of the deportees were sent to Liberia to seek protection from being returned to their home countries, where judges determined they could face torture or other abuse, Liberian officials said. Liberia has said the arrivals reflect its longstanding role as a sanctuary for displaced people.

Officials said the migrants will be "free to depart the country" when desired or apply for formal asylum. The deportees will also receive services from the International Organization for Migration and the U.N. refugee agency, officials said, Reuters reported.

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According to Reuters, the plane departed from Louisiana and stopped in Senegal before landing in Monrovia at 12:45 p.m. local time.

In a statement Tuesday, Liberia highlighted its history of accepting people "seeking refuge from political and other crises" and said it will not repatriate anyone until legal proceedings are complete.

"The Government of the Republic of Liberia agrees not to return any person transferred to Liberia by the Government of the United States of America to their home country or country of former habitual residence until a final decision has been made regarding any pending protection claims," officials said.

"The Government wants to emphasize that those being brought to Liberia are not criminals and are not being prosecuted in any manner under United States or Liberian law. They are being received as guests of the Republic of Liberia," officials said.

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Liberia said it is not demanding compensation under the deal but will receive "support to help manage the program and strengthen its migration system more broadly."

Reuters said the U.S. awarded Liberia $5 million this year for "migration management activities."

Liberia’s agreement to accept up to 1,200 deportees makes it one of the largest such deals on the African continent.

The U.S. also reached agreements with several other African countries, including the Democratic Republic of Congo, Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Cameroon, Ghana and Sierra Leone, Reuters said.

Reuters contributed to this report.

China is testing whether the top of the world can become a new strategic trade corridor, launching regular seasonal container service to Europe through Russia’s Arctic as Beijing and Moscow deepen their commercial and military footprint in a region Washington increasingly views as critical to U.S. security.

The service remains limited in scale, with just over eight voyages planned this season, but China analyst Gordon Chang told Fox News Digital that its significance goes beyond the number of containers currently making the journey.

"China has a major strategic push on the Arctic for various reasons," Chang said in an interview. "Arctic ice is melting, and this means that the Northern Sea Route, which hugs Russia's north coast, does become viable at least for a few months in the summer."

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Sea Legend Shipping’s Dubai Tower departed Ningbo-Zhoushan Port on Aug. 15 for Europe via Russia’s Northern Sea Route, with the journey to Felixstowe, England, scheduled to take about 20 days, according to China Daily on Aug. 17.

The move comes as a new U.S. congressional commission staff report warns that Russia’s increasing isolation and dependence on Beijing are giving China greater leverage — including greater access to the Arctic.

Chang warned that Washington needs a stronger physical presence in response. "We need to be in the Arctic, and President Trump has authorized more icebreakers," he told Fox News Digital. "We are woefully short in that department."

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A White House official told Fox News Digital on background that, "The Arctic is a critical region for U.S. national security and the economy. As an Arctic nation, the United States will pursue its security and economic interests and ensure safety, stability, and prosperity in the face of growing competition from China and Russia."

A fact sheet released Aug. 20 by staff of the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission said Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and subsequent economic isolation from the West have "compelled Russia to accept a greater Chinese presence in the Arctic," a region Moscow has traditionally regarded as central to its sovereignty and national security.

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The report said Chinese state-owned enterprises now hold a combined 20% stake in the U.S.- and EU-sanctioned Arctic LNG 2 project, while China and Russia are developing year-round commercial shipping along the Northern Sea Route. The two countries have also established a joint venture to manufacture ice-class container vessels, with the first ship planned to enter service in 2027.

The Pentagon’s 2024 Arctic Strategy similarly said changing climate conditions are increasing accessibility in the region while China seeks greater influence and access there. The strategy identified Beijing’s proposed "Polar Silk Road" as a vehicle for infrastructure and natural-resource investments in the Arctic and warned that growing cooperation between China and Russia could "‘alter the Arctic’s stability and threat picture.’"

For China-Europe commerce, the Northern Sea Route offers a radically different path from the traditional westbound journey through the Strait of Malacca, Indian Ocean, Bab el-Mandeb, Red Sea and Suez Canal.

"This of course avoids some choke points, like the Strait of Malacca, the Bab el-Mandeb, the Suez Canal, the Strait of Gibraltar," Chang said. "So this is important for China."

The new USCC report argues that China is increasingly benefiting from an asymmetric relationship in which Moscow needs Beijing more than Beijing needs Moscow. It says China has become indispensable to Russia since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, giving Beijing growing leverage to obtain discounted energy and greater access to Russian military technology while avoiding the obligations of a formal alliance.

Energy is a major part of that imbalance. According to the report, China accounts for roughly half of Russia’s crude oil exports, while Russian crude represents only about one-fifth of China’s oil imports. The report says China has purchased approximately $372 billion in Russian fossil fuels since the invasion of Ukraine.

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Moscow is now making increasingly aggressive use of the same Arctic passage to move oil east.

Reuters reported Aug. 11 that Russia had sent seven crude shipments totaling roughly 6 million barrels toward Asia through the Northern Sea Route so far this season, nearly half the amount transported during the entire 2025 season. China is the principal destination for those shipments, according to Reuters.

The growing Arctic activity comes as Washington has become increasingly concerned about Chinese and Russian cooperation close to Alaska.

Chang pointed to the Bering Strait — separating Russia from Alaska — as a strategic vulnerability even on the Arctic route.

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"There is one choke point though, which is of interest," he said. "You have to go between Russia on the west and our 49th state on the east. And that gives the U.S. some leverage over here."

The military relationship is also expanding. The new USCC fact sheet says China and Russia had participated in at least 119 combined military exercises as of April 2026, while their joint naval operations in July included submarine, anti-submarine and drone activity. It also noted that Chinese bombers entered the Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone for the first time during a joint China-Russia bomber patrol in 2024.

For Chang, the issue extends beyond whether the Northern Sea Route itself ever becomes a competitor to Suez.

"There are some U.S. national security strategists who say, ‘Oh, the Arctic is a distraction. There are more important places in the world,’" Chang said.

"But even more important, regardless of what one thinks of the importance of the Arctic, the Chinese and the Russians are pressing us in the Arctic," he added. "So we've got no choice to respond. Whether we think the Arctic is strategic or not, the Chinese and Russians are there in force. We have to be there too."

Fox News Digital has reached out to the Chinese and Russian embassies in Washington and the White House for comment.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz issued a stark warning to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan early Thursday, accusing him of dragging Turkey into "dangerous adventures in Syria" and warning the Turkish leader not to test Israel’s resolve.

"Israel will not allow any actor to threaten its security," Katz wrote on X. "It would be better for Erdoğan to continue his detached-from-reality, fanciful rhetoric against Israel in the Turkish Grand National Assembly than to attempt to test Israel's determination to defend itself."

The warning comes two days after Israel struck Syria’s Abu al-Duhur Airbase. The increasingly heated rhetoric has put Washington in the position of trying to contain tensions between Turkey, a NATO member, and Israel, Washington’s closest security partners in the Middle East. Israel said Syria was on the verge of breaching a security understanding by allowing Turkish troops to deploy there, while Ankara rejected Israel’s account.

Syria said there were no plans for a permanent Turkish base or troop deployment, although Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani acknowledged that Turkish military officers had visited the facility for training and exchanges of expertise. Turkey’s Defense Ministry said no Turkish military delegation was present at the base before or during the strike, Reuters reported.

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On Wednesday, Turkey called these allegations from Israel "untenable," arguing that they are "intended to legitimize Israel’s unlawful airstrikes targeting Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. ... The imputations voiced stem from Netanyahu’s intent to pursue expansionist and destabilizing policies in the region ahead of the elections in Israel," Turkey's government said in a social media post.

U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee told Reuters Thursday that Washington was working on "a de-escalation process" that was already in place but still needed to be refined. Asked whether the dispute could lead to a direct Israeli-Turkish confrontation, Huckabee said, "I don't think we're even close to that." He said Israel viewed Turkey as "moving further south" in Syria and perceived that as potentially threatening.

U.S. Ambassador to Turkey and special envoy for Syria Tom Barrack sounded a sharper warning after the strike. Barrack said Turkey had received no advance notice and could have prepared a military response after detecting Israeli aircraft heading north toward Turkish territory. He said Washington was working to establish a more robust deconfliction mechanism among Turkey, Israel and Syria to prevent miscalculation or an accidental confrontation.

Sinan Ciddi, director of the Turkey Program at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told Fox News Digital that Ankara is portraying the confrontation through a sharply different lens.

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"Turkey is chalking up the increasingly escalatory climate between Turkey and Israel to election antics/propaganda by Netanyahu and driving a narrative that Israel does not want stable neighbors and regional powers in the Middle East," Ciddi said.

At the same time, Ciddi said Erdoğan "seems intent on taking actions inside Syria that are perceived by Israel as military escalation," citing proposed arms sales, military training and assistance, continued Turkish influence over former militia members integrated into Syria’s new army and, most significantly, "developing military bases with Turkish troops and sensitive equipment."

"Israel established clear red lines about what it was willing to tolerate in Syria," Ciddi said. "Deconfliction only works if parties implement the agreed upon rules."

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The dispute was already being discussed at senior levels before the strike. Mossad chief Roman Gofman spoke with al-Shaibani on Aug. 14, four days before the attack, according to three sources cited by Reuters. The conversation focused on Israel’s concerns about Turkey’s military presence in Syria, including potential troop deployments, weapons sales and drones supplied to the Syrian military.

Attempts to prevent an Israeli-Turkish clash are not new. Turkey and Israel began technical talks in Azerbaijan in 2025 aimed at preventing misunderstandings or military incidents in Syria. Turkey’s defense minister said in June 2025 that those contacts were continuing as Ankara trained and advised Syria’s military.

Ciddi argued that a mechanism alone would not prevent further Israeli action if Ankara continued pushing against what Jerusalem considers its security red lines.

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"To the extent that Ankara will push boundaries and attempt to position military capabilities that Israel feels is harmful to its safety, we are likely to see pre-emptive action by Jerusalem," Ciddi said. "The ball is in Erdoğan's court to not raise the temperature."

Netanyahu is also facing criticism from inside Israel. Former Prime Minister Ehud Barak, a longtime Netanyahu adversary, accused the prime minister Wednesday of deliberately escalating tensions with Turkey for political purposes ahead of the Israeli election.

"Turkey is not Iran or Assad’s Syria," Barak wrote in Hebrew on X, arguing that Israel’s strategic disputes with Ankara could be resolved, moderated or postponed through discreet diplomacy coordinated with the United States.

Fox News Digital reached out to the White House, the Turkish Embassy in Washington, D.C., and Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz for comment.

A melting glacier in the Swiss Alps revealed the remains of two Belgian mountaineers who vanished more than three decades ago, authorities said Wednesday.

A hiker spotted the remains on the Trift Glacier on July 26 after melting ice exposed them, according to police in Switzerland’s Valais canton.

Authorities recovered the remains and sent them to a forensic medicine institute at a hospital in Sion for identification.

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DNA testing showed they belonged to two Belgian men who disappeared in the Weissmies region in 1992, police said. The men were 39 and 41 when they went missing.

Valais police have kept records of missing-person cases dating to 1925. Many involve people who disappeared in the mountains or in bodies of water.

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As glaciers retreat, remains hidden beneath the ice for decades can emerge, police said.

Similar discoveries have been made in Switzerland in recent years. In 2023, DNA testing identified a body found on a glacier near the Matterhorn as a German mountaineer who disappeared in 1986.

Switzerland’s glaciers have been melting at an increasing rate, a trend some scientists have linked to rising global temperatures.

A major visitors center in the West Bank town of Har Bracha in Samaria was inaugurated last month by The Israel Guys, a Christian Zionist organization that has spent nearly two decades bringing more than 5,000 volunteers from 35 countries to help develop the Land of Israel.

Joshua Waller, CEO of The Israel Guys, originally established as HaYovel, said the organization’s mission is to bring people to see for themselves how the biblical heartland is flourishing, despite what he says are media narratives portraying the area as beset by conflict.

"We live here, we see the people who live here, and then we tell everyone what is actually happening. Our role is to expand that and bring thousands of internationals to come and see for themselves," he told Fox News Digital.

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"You may love the Jewish people but be unsure how to deal with the propaganda, specifically the term ‘settler violence.’ Jews in Judea and Samaria have been branded as a radical group that would probably be dangerous to encounter. Well, come to the visitor center, and you will see the exact opposite," he said.

"You will see that it is a fake narrative built by the international community … it is a straight-up war against the Jewish [people]," he added.

The organization’s volunteer programs include the Heartland Experience, a 10-day trip to Israel combining touring, volunteer work and interaction with local residents; the Grape Harvest trip, a two-week program held in late summer and early fall that focuses on helping farmers with the harvest; and the Men’s Pruning trip, a two-week program in early spring focused on pruning vineyards.

Other programs include Zion Ops, a four-week program for young adults ages 18 to 30, and Day Visits, which offer two-hour visits to Har Bracha.

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In 2004, Tommy Waller, Joshua Waller’s father, traveled to Israel for the first time, where he met Nir Lavi, founder of Har Bracha Winery. Lavi shared his plan to fulfill the vision of the Prophet Jeremiah: "You shall again plant vineyards on the mountains of Samaria; the planters shall plant and eat them as ordinary food" (Jeremiah 31:5).

Waller Sr. asked how he could help.

In 2007, after moving with his wife, Sherri, and their 11 children from Tennessee to Har Bracha, Waller Sr. established HaYovel, a U.S. nonprofit that provides Christian volunteers with an opportunity to work the land alongside Israeli farmers.

In 2013, the organization sought to counter anti-Israel rhetoric by launching The Joshua & Caleb Report TV show, its first dedicated pro-Israel media project, which in 2018 transitioned into a weekly podcast. Five years ago, the organization rebranded as The Israel Guys and stepped up its advocacy efforts.

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The Israel Guys currently counts more than 20 team members and, since its founding, has helped develop some 120 farms. Volunteers who come to Judea and Samaria work alongside local farmers, planting trees, erecting fences, harvesting crops and assisting with infrastructure projects.

In the aftermath of the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, massacre of 1,200 Israelis, The Israel Guys launched Operation Ittai and raised $3.85 million to provide tactical supplies to communities in the area and strengthen their defenses against possible terrorist attacks.

The group went viral at the time after bringing American cowboys to Israel to help farmers whose workers had been called up as reservists.

Addressing media coverage of recent incidents involving Christians in Israel, Waller said the narrative that they are no longer welcome in the country is false.

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"People put a lot of money into trying to make it seem as though Christians would somehow be better off living in Iran, Lebanon, Syria, Egypt, Jordan or other Arab countries surrounding Israel. Factually, that is completely wrong," he told Fox News Digital.

"I know Christians living in those places, and I even know Christians living in areas under the control of the Palestinian Authority, and they suffer immensely. The fact is that Israel is the safest place for Christians in the entire Middle East. It is the only place where the Christian population is growing," he added.

Volunteers, Waller explained, have come from a wide range of Christian denominations, including Catholics, Protestants, Evangelicals, Mormons, Amish and Mennonites.

He emphasized that Israel is a partner for peace and urged nations to align themselves with biblical values, which he said could pave the way for "some incredible days ahead."

If antisemitism leads to efforts to destroy Israel, he added, "that’s not an option," saying Israel would have to fight that war while The Israel Guys would continue to "help on the information side."

"The Bible says that this land that was desolate will become like the Garden of Eden. We are literally seeing it happen. It’s beautiful to see volunteers participate in the fulfillment of that prophecy and witness the ancient words of the Bible come back to life," Waller said.