World News

At least nine workers are trapped inside a flooded coal mine in India’s northeastern Assam state, officials said Tuesday, as authorities summoned the army to help in the rescue operation.

The miners became trapped on Monday morning in the Umrangso area in Dima Hasao district, about 125 miles (200 kilometers) south of the state capital, Guwahati.

13 YOUNG MINERS FEARED DEAD IN INDIA'S REMOTE NORTHEAST

The workers are "feared trapped 300 feet below the ground after water gushed in from a nearby unused mine. We are mobilizing resources to rescue them," said Kaushik Rai, a local government minister who is monitoring the rescue efforts.

Army soldiers and a national disaster management team at the site used ropes and cranes to assist the ongoing operation.

Rescuers found three helmets, some slippers and a few other items, Rai said. "The divers have been able to dive into 35 or 40 feet of water inside the mine. The water level now is estimated at 100 feet," he said.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on the social media platform X that the mine appeared to be illegal and that police had arrested one person as they investigate the case.

Workers at the site said over a dozen miners had been trapped inside the mine, which has minimum safety measures, and some managed to escape as water from a nearby unused mine began filling the mine.

In India’s east and northeast, workers extract coal in hazardous conditions in small "rat hole" mines that are narrow pits in the ground, usually meant for one person to go down, and are common in hilly areas. The coal is usually placed in boxes that are hoisted to the surface with pulleys. In some cases, miners carry coal in baskets up on wooden slats flanking the walls of the mines.

Accidents in illegal mines are frequent and the livelihoods of those who do such mining depend on the illegal sale of coal. At least 15 miners were killed after getting trapped in one such mine in Meghalaya state in 2019.

President-elect Trump reiterated that "all hell will break out" if the hostages still held in Gaza have not been freed by the time he enters office in two weeks on Jan. 20. 

Trump was asked about the threats he first levied in early December at the Hamas terrorist organization that has continued to hold some 96 hostages, only 50 of whom are still assessed to be alive, including three Americans. 

"All hell will break out," Trump said, speaking alongside Steve Witkoff, special envoy to the Middle East and who has begun participating in cease-fire negotiations alongside the Biden administration and leaders from Egypt, Qatar, Israel and Hamas. 

PARDONS, ISRAEL, DOMESTIC TERRORISM AND MORE: BIDEN'S PLANS FOR FINAL DAYS OF PRESIDENCY

"If those hostages aren't back – I don't want to hurt your negotiation – if they're not back by the time I get into office, all hell will break out in the Middle East," he added in reference to Witkoff.

Trump again refused to detail what this would mean for Hamas and the Trump transition team has not detailed for Fox News Digital what sort of action the president-elect might take. 

In response to a reporter who pressed him on his meaning, Trump said, "Do I have to define it for you?"

"I don't have to say any more, but that's what it is," he added. 

ISRAELI PM OFFICE DENIES REPORTS THAT HAMAS FORWARDED LIST OF HOSTAGES TO RELEASE IN EVENT OF DEAL

Witkoff said he would be heading to the Middle East either Tuesday night or Wednesday to continue cease-fire negotiations. 

In the weeks leading up to the Christmas and Hanukkah holidays, there was a renewed sense of optimism that a cease-fire could finally be on the horizon after a series of talks over the prior 14 months had not only failed to bring the hostages home, but saw a mounting number of hostages killed in captivity. Once again, though, no deal was pushed through before the New Year. 

After nearly 460 days since the hostages were first taken in Gaza in the aftermath of the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks, Witkoff appeared to be holding onto hope that a deal could be secured in the near future. 

"I think that we've had some really great progress. And I'm really hopeful that by the inaugural, we'll have some good things to announce on behalf of the president," Witkoff told reporters. "I actually believe that we're working in tandem in a really good way. But it's the president – his reputation, the things that he has said that are driving this negotiation and so, hopefully, it'll all work out and we'll save some lives."

In addition to the roughly 50 people believed to be alive and in Hamas captivity, the terrorist group is believed to be holding at least 38 who were taken hostage and then killed while in captivity, as well as at least seven who are believed to have been killed on Oct. 7, 2023, and then taken into Gaza.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Tuesday there is not a ‘snowball’s chance in hell’ his country will become part of the U.S., as President-elect Trump continues to make his push to make the neighbor to the north the United States’ 51st state.

"There isn’t a snowball’s chance in hell that Canada would become part of the United States," Trudeau wrote on X. "Workers and communities in both our countries benefit from being each other’s biggest trading and security partner."

Trudeau’s response came after Trump said Canada should be a state, while speaking at a news conference on Tuesday at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida.

TRUMP PLANS TO ‘IMMEDIATELY’ REVERSE BIDEN’S ‘RIDICULOUS’ BAN ON NEW OIL AND GAS DRILLING ALONG US COAST 

Trump also highlighted that if Canada were to join the U.S., it would not be by using military force, but instead through "economic force."

On Monday, the president-elect said in a social media post that "many people in Canada LOVE being the 51st State."

But he also stressed that if Canada and the U.S. were to merge, there would be no tariffs, taxes would drop, and Canada would be "totally secure" from threats of Russian and Chinese ships "constantly surrounding them."

TRUMP TROLLING CANADA AS 51ST STATE COULD BOOST DEMOCRATS WITH ‘BLUE-STATE BEHEMOTH’

"Together, what a great Nation it would be!!!" Trump exclaimed in his social media post.

Over the past few weeks, Trump has trolled Canada by musing about it becoming the 51st state, while also posting a doctored photo of the president-elect standing on top of a mountain, next to a Canadian flag.

Trump also mocked Trudeau, repeatedly referring to him as "governor," and threatened to impose massive tariffs on Canada, which likely factored into Trudeau announcing his resignation from the post on Monday.

WHAT TRUMP IS SAYING ABOUT CANADA BECOMING THE 51ST STATE

Trudeau announced that he intends to resign as party leader and prime minister after pressure from within his own Liberal Party increasingly grew amid heightened criticisms over his handling of the economy and threats levied by Trump. He said he will resign once the party selects a new leader. 

Trudeau, who led the nation for nearly a decade, has been grappling for months with significant drops in his approval ratings over mounting frustration relating to issues like the soaring cost of living and rising inflation. 

Trudeau’s resignation means the Liberal Party can appoint an interim prime minister to lead the country until the elections next fall, giving them potentially a fighting chance to bring renewed support back to the Liberal Party. 

Along with his fixation on Canada, Trump has also called on Denmark to sell Greenland to the U.S.

Fox News Digital’s Paul Steinhauser, Caitlin McFall and Danielle Wallace contributed to this report.

Iran’s nuclear program is nearing the "point of no return," French President Emmanuel Macron is now warning. 

Iran is the top "strategic and security challenge" for France and Europe this year, Macron said this week during an annual foreign policy conference with French ambassadors, according to Reuters. 

"The acceleration of the nuclear program leads us nearly to the point of no return," the French leader was quoted as saying. 

"In the coming months we will have to ask ourselves whether to use... the mechanism to restore sanctions," Macron added. 

BIDEN, JAKE SULLIVAN DISCUSSED POSSIBILITY OF HITTING IRAN NUCLEAR PROGRAM: REPORT 

The comments come after International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Grossi told Reuters in December that Iran is enriching uranium close to the 90% level required for weapons grade. 

French, German and British diplomats are now set to meet their Iranian counterparts on Jan. 13 in an effort to defuse tensions, according to Reuters. 

Iran has argued that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes. 

IRAN EXECUTES OVER 1,000 PRISONERS IN 2024, HIGHEST TOTAL IN 30 YEARS, REPORT SAYS 

Axios recently reported that in a top meeting with National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan roughly a month ago, President Biden was presented with a series of strike options should Iran make a move to develop a nuclear weapon.

Biden has vowed not to let Iran develop a nuclear weapon on his watch, but it remains unclear what steps Iran would have to take in order for the Biden administration to respond with direct hits, given that Tehran has already been reported to have stockpiled near-weapons-grade uranium and to be bolstering its weaponization capabilities.

The president was reportedly presented with a series of scenarios and response options during the meeting, though sources told the outlet that Biden has not made any final decisions regarding the information he was given.  

Another source reportedly told Axios there currently are no active discussions on militarily hitting Iran’s program.

Fox News’ Caitlin McFall contributed to this report. 

A North Korean M1989 Koksan self-propelled howitzer has allegedly been spotted on Russia’s front lines, according to reports on Tuesday after news regarding the shipment of two of the big guns was first reported in November.

The artillery weapon has a reported range of up to 37 miles when employing rocket-assisted shells and is capable of firing between one and two shells every five minutes. 

News of the weaponry, along with a video apparently showing one of the howitzers in a combat location, was first reported by East 2 West news, and images of the howitzer popped up on social media, though Fox News Digital could not independently verify the location of the weapon.

UKRAINE: HOW THE WAR SHIFTED IN 2024

According to open-source intelligence posted on X in November, the howitzers were geolocated and found to have been passing through Siberia by rail less than a month after the U.S. confirmed North Korea had deployed up to 12,000 soldiers to Russia and some five months after Pyongyang and Moscow signed a defensive treaty pledging to militarily back each other.  

It remains unclear if the video of the North Korean big gun was taken from Russia’s Kursk region, where Pyongyang’s soldiers have been sent to counter Ukraine’s incursion first launched in August. 

Both Ukraine and Russia have reported heavy losses in the region, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy claiming that some 3,800 North Korean troops have been killed or wounded in a Sunday interview. 

The Ukrainian military on Monday claimed that some 15,000 Russian soldiers had been killed and 23,000 injured in Kursk during the past five months.

ZELENSKYY SAYS TRUMP COULD BE ‘DECISIVE’ IN BRINGING AN END TO THE WAR

Moscow, according to a Tuesday BBC report, alleged that at least 49,000 Ukrainian troops had been lost, though it has not differentiated between the number of Ukrainians wounded or killed.

Fox News Digital has not been able to independently verify either nation’s casualty reports. 

The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) assessed on Monday that Ukrainian forces made "tactical advances amid continued intensified offensive operations" in Kursk. 

"Ukrainian forces may be continuing to conduct long-range strikes against Russian rear areas in Kursk Oblast as part of efforts to use integrated strike capabilities to support ground operations," the think tank added. 

Russian forces continued limited ground operations towards the city of Kharkiv in northern Ukraine on Sunday and Monday, but reportedly saw little advances – an operation Ukraine has in large part successfully countered since May.  

Head of the Kharkiv Oblast Military Administration, Oleh Synehubov, said on Monday that Ukraine's recent offensive operations in Kursk have been able to reduce the number of Russian ground attacks in northern Kharkiv Oblast, reported the ISW.

Reports on Monday suggested that Russian forces had made some advances in Donetsk and had captured Kurakhove, a front-line town in the Donbas region. The seizure of this town could indicate Russian forces are closing in on Ukrainian troops, who have been hammered for months looking to stop Russian forces from encircling the town of Pokrovsk, and which could give Russian forces a strategic win and access to supply routes connecting the area to Zaporizhzhia. 

Ukraine has not officially confirmed whether Kurakhove has fallen.

Russian forces are not assessed to have made any strategic advances along other front-line areas at this time. 

Canada's Justin Trudeau announced his resignation as prime minister Monday, with his Liberal Party in turmoil amid declining poll numbers and an election on the horizon. 

Whoever assumes leadership in the unpopular governing party will become the next prime minister, and that person must tackle rising costs of living, an immigration crisis and aggressive economic pressure from President-elect Trump – not to mention the challenge from Canada's ascendant Conservative Party in the next election, to be held no later than October. 

The next Liberal Party leader will be chosen in a national leadership contest, according to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Party President Sachit Mehra said Monday he would call a meeting "to be held this week to begin the nationwide democratic process of selecting a new leader of the party."

TRUMP REACTS TO TRUDEAU RESIGNATION: ‘MANY PEOPLE IN CANADA LOVE BEING THE 51ST STATE’

Several of Trudeau's current ministers and former Liberal Party figures are in the mix to replace him. Here's a quick look at the top contenders: 

Former Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland heralded the end of Trudeau's 11-year grip on party power when she, one of his most powerful and loyal ministers, resigned from the Cabinet last month. 

Freeland, who was deputy prime minister, said she found herself "at odds" with Trudeau over his economic policies, including a two-month sales tax holiday and $250 Canadian ($175) checks to Canadians. She called these plans "costly political gimmicks" that Canada could "ill afford" in the face of Trump's threat to impose a sweeping 25% tariff on Canadian imports.

As the ex-No. 2 official, Freeland is a frontrunner to assume leadership, but she may also be too close to Trudeau and his policies to successfully lead the Liberal Party in the next election. She is also disliked by Trump, who called her "totally toxic" and "not at all conducive to making deals." 

As a former liberal Canadian journalist who sits on the board of the World Economic Forum, Freeland's background and worldview would seem to directly clash with Trump and his priorities.

Another top candidate for the Liberals – and per the New York Times the reported favorite of Trudeau – is Mark Carney, the former governor of the Bank of Canada. Carney has been in contact with Liberal MPs in advance of a bid for leadership, the Toronto Star reported.

He is a deeply respected economist and the first foreigner to serve as governor of the Bank of England since its founding in 1694. Carney is widely credited with helping Canada quickly recover from the 2008 global financial crisis, and helping the U.K. manage Brexit.

However, he has never held elected office and Conservative critics have already begun to define him as a Trudeau clone.

JUSTIN TRUDEAU'S RESIGNATION MET WITH GLEEFUL REACTION FROM CONSERVATIVES ONLINE: ‘THE WINNING CONTINUES!’

Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc, who succeeded Freeland after her resignation, is also a top candidate.

Formerly public safety minister, LeBlanc is a close friend of Trudeau. He was Trudeau's babysitter when both were younger. Now, he operates as Trudeau's "fixer," often taking over policy portfolios that others have bungled – LeBlanc became public safety minister after previous minister Marco Mendicino was widely criticized for his handling of the Freedom Convoy, Canada's National Observer reported.

LeBlanc recently accompanied Trudeau on a trip to Mar-a-Lago to meet with Trump for tariff talks. He has won praise as a gifted communicator, though his close ties to Trudeau could be a disadvantage for Liberals in the upcoming election.

Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly also went to Mar-a-Lago last month to discuss plans to secure the U.S.-Canada border with Trump's incoming "border czar" Tom Homan. 

Joly is a rising star in the Liberal Party who sits on Trudeau's Cabinet committee on U.S. relations, formed after Trump's 2024 victory. As Canada's top diplomat, she has been tested by the Russian invasion of Ukraine and handled issues specific to Canada, including deteriorating relations with China and a controversy with India related to the alleged murder of Canadian citizens, the New York Times reported.

An Oxford-educated lawyer and public relations specialist, Joly quickly rose through the ranks of Liberal Party leadership since becoming an MP in 2015. She has urged "pragmatic diplomacy" to engage with countries around the world and prevent conflict.

WHO IS PIERRE POILIEVRE? CANADA'S CONSERVATIVE LEADER SEEKING TO BECOME NEXT PRIME MINISTER AFTER TRUDEAU EXIT

Christy Clark, the former premier of British Columbia, has publicly expressed interest in leading the Liberal Party. Last October, at a time when several MPs were questioning Trudeau's leadership, she said: "I would want to be part of the conversation on the future direction of the Liberal Party and of the country."

On Tuesday, after Trudeau's resignation, she posted a message on social media thanking the outgoing prime minister for his service.

"As a lifelong Liberal I look forward to joining tens of thousands of Canadians to choose our next leader," she said. "This is the biggest opportunity in over a decade that we've had to grow our Party and welcome new Liberals – including Canadians concerned about the future of our country – let's seize it." 

Canadian pundits have observed Clark may be a strong choice for Liberals given her outsider status and distance from Trudeau's government. 

Former Montreal MP and businessman Frank Baylis is the first to declare his candidacy for Labor Party leadership.

"I intend to run, but I’ll formally announce when the rules are out," Baylis told The Hill Times in an interview. "But, yes, it's my intention to run. I am running." 

Baylis served in Parliament from 2015 to 2019. He is an electrical engineer by training and is currently executive chairman of Baylis Medical Technologies. He has argued that his successful career in business, negotiating contracts with parties in both Canada and the U.S., makes him an ideal person to deal with Trump. 

"Quite frankly, there’s a need for a non-professional politician," he told The Hill Times.  

Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro is poised to begin his third six-year term on Jan. 10. The ruling party-controlled congress is set to host the swearing-in ceremony, despite widespread skepticism over the legitimacy of last year’s July 28 election. International and domestic critics question the fairness of the electoral process.

The contested election saw Maduro claiming victory by more than 1 million votes. However, opposition candidate Edmundo González is widely believed to have won by a landslide. The U.S.-based Carter Center, which Maduro’s government invited to observe the presidential election, ratified that the tally sheets published by the opposition are legitimate.

"Maduro assuming another term on Friday is a blatant violation of the votes of the Venezuelan people. The published tally sheets back that up," Jason Marczak, the vice president and senior director of the Atlantic Council’s Adrienne Arsht Latin America Center, told Fox News Digital.

VENEZUELAN PRESIDENT NICOLAS MADURO CLAIMS ELECTION VICTORY, REFUSES TO PUBLISH RESULTS

Taking the oath of office will allow Maduro to cement a mix of policies for a country that has been plagued by cronyism, inflation and food insecurity throughout his more than 11 years in power. 

The opposition has called for mass protests a day before Maduro's inauguration. However, the government's brutal post-election crackdown, which has included the arrests of over 2,000 people, has created a climate of fear that may deter the protesters. Venezuela’s popular opposition leader, María Corina Machado, is planning a return to the public stage after months in hiding, in a last-ditch attempt to stop Maduro.

MADURO CRACKDOWN ON POLITICAL OPPONENTS FOLLOWING RIGGED ELECTION: 'CHILLED PEOPLE INTO SILENCE'

Edmundo González, recognized by the United States as Venezuela’s president-elect, was forced to flee to Spain in September after a judge issued a warrant for his arrest. He has recently emerged from hiding and is currently on an international tour to shore up support for Venezuela's opposition party. As part of this effort, González met with President Biden at the White House Monday, describing their conversation as "long, fruitful, and cordial." He is also in contact with President-elect Trump. 

His meetings come just days after Venezuelan authorities announced a $100,000 reward for information on González's whereabouts, doubling down on its intention to arrest the opposition leader.

VENEZUELAN OPPOSITION LEADER WHO CLAIMED VICTORY OVER MADURO MEETS WITH BIDEN

With Maduro’s regime coinciding with a second Trump administration, questions have arisen about how the president-elect will approach Maduro. During his first term, Trump was a fierce critic of Maduro, and the two leaders frequently exchanged insults. However, Maduro is now seemingly extending an olive branch to Trump, congratulating him on his re-election and inviting him to foster a relationship based on "respect, common sense dialogue, and understanding." 

"The only negotiation between Trump and Maduro must be the liberation of Venezuela," warned Isaias Medina III, a former Venezuelan diplomat on the United Nations Security Council and Harvard fellow.

He told Fox News Digital that, "Tren de Aragua, Maduro’s illegal immigration terrorist proxy army, is a clear example of the regime’s strategy of exporting crime and chaos. Using human trafficking, drug smuggling, and organized violence, they threaten American security and regional stability. Stronger sanctions, unwavering resolve, and decisive action are essential to dismantle the threat this criminal regime poses to the United States and its allies. Freedom for Venezuela must remain the non-negotiable goal."

Some analysts are skeptical that Trump will endorse the same "maximum pressure" strategy he pursued during his first term, especially given his interest in curbing migration. An estimated 7.7 million Venezuelans have fled the tumultuous country since 2014. 

"The incoming Trump administration will chart a new course on Venezuela to reflect the lessons learned from the previous ‘maximum pressure policy.’ The incoming national security adviser, Rep. Mike Waltz, R-Fla., co-sponsored the Bolivar Act as a congressman to further turn the screws on Maduro and support the ‘brave democratic opposition’ while Secretary of State nominee Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., was one of the first to publicly call for recognizing Edmundo González as president-elect," Marczak told Fox News Digital.

Over the last few months, the Maduro regime has detained multiple foreigners, including some U.S. citizens, allegedly to use as bargaining chips with the incoming Trump administration. The charges include allegations of espionage or terrorism.

Jean-Marie Le Pen, the founder of the far-right National Front party who tapped into working class concerns over immigration and globalization and built a career on provocative rhetoric that many saw as racist and xenophobic, has died aged 96.

His death was confirmed by his daughter Marine Le Pen's political party, National Rally (Rassemblement National).

Jean-Marie Le Pen spent his life fighting, whether as a soldier in France's colonial wars, as a founder of the far-right National Front party, for which he contested five presidential elections, or in feuds with his daughters and ex-wife, often conducted publicly and furiously.

FRENCHMAN FOUND GUILTY IN HORRIFIC RAPE TRIAL THAT SHOCKED THE WORLD

Controversy was Le Pen's constant companion: accusations of racism and antisemitism dogged the National Front from when he co-founded the party in 1972.

He was tried, convicted and fined in 1996 for contesting war crimes after declaring that the Nazi gas chambers were "merely a detail" of World War Two history and that the Nazi occupation of France was "not especially inhumane".

Those comments provoked outrage in France, where police had rounded up thousands of Jews who were deported to the Nazi death camp at Auschwitz.

"I stand by this because I believe it is the truth," he said in 2015 when asked if he regretted the gas chamber comment.

Commenting on Le Pen's death, President Emmanuel Macron said: "A historic figure of the far right, he played a role in the public life of our country for nearly seventy years, which is now a matter for history to judge."

A populist and fiery orator, Le Pen helped rewrite the parameters of French politics in a career spanning 40 years that, riding waves of voter discontent and harnessing discontent over immigration and job security, in some ways heralded Donald Trump's rise to the White House.

He reached a presidential election run-off in 2002 but lost by a landslide to Jacques Chi as voters backed a mainstream conservative rather than bring the far right to power for the first time since Nazi collaborators ruled in the 1940s.

Le Pen was the scourge of the European Union, which he saw as a supranational project usurping the powers of nation states, tapping the kind of resentment felt by many Britons who later voted to leave the EU.

Marine Le Pen learned of her father's death during a layover in Kenya as she returned from the cyclone-hit French overseas territory of Mayotte.

Born in Brittany in 1928, Le Pen studied law in Paris in the early 1950s and gained a reputation of rarely spending a night out on the town without a brawl. He went on to join the Foreign Legion as a paratrooper fighting in Indochina in 1953.

Le Pen campaigned in the later 1950s to keep Algeria French, as an elected member of France's parliament and a soldier in the then French-run territory. He publicly justified the use of torture but denied using such practices himself.

In his memoirs he said he lost an eye in 1965 when, out campaigning for an extreme-right presidential candidate, the mainstay of a marquee tent snapped and whipped him in the face before a rally.

After years on the periphery of French politics, his fortunes changed in 1977 when he was bequeathed a mansion outside Paris by a millionaire backer, along with 30 million francs, around $5.2 million in today's money.

That allowed Le Pen to further his political ambitions and agenda despite being shunned by traditional parties.

"Lots of enemies, few friends and honor aplenty," he said in an interview with a website linked to the far-right. He wrote in his memoir: "No regrets."

His wife eloped with his biographer in the 1980s, posing half-naked in Playboy to avenge a man she denounced as violent. She left with one of his spare glass eyes and returned it only when he agreed to give her back her cremated mother's ashes.

Le Pen continued to tap white, working-class anger over immigration and resentment against the Paris-based business and political elites and the National Front surged in local, regional and then European elections.

Traditional parties sought to win back voters with tougher talk on immigration. That tactic helped conservative Nicolas Sarkozy secure the presidency in 2007, and being tough on crime and immigration is now more mainstream.

In 2011, after keeping a tight personal rein on the National Front, Le Pen was succeeded as party chief by daughter Marine, who campaigned to shed the party's enduring image as antisemitic and rebrand it as a defender of the working class.

She has reached - and lost - two presidential election run-offs, but opinion polls make her the frontrunner in the next presidential election, due in 2027.

The rebranding did not sit well with her father, whose inflammatory statements and sniping forced her to expel him from the party.

A powerful magnitude 7.1 earthquake centered about 50 miles from Mount Everest left at least 95 dead in Tibet on Tuesday, reports say. 

Another 130 people have been injured on the Chinese side of the border, state broadcaster CCTV reported, citing the vice mayor of Shigatse. 

Rescue workers climbed mounds of broken bricks, some using ladders in hard-hit villages, as a search is now ongoing for survivors. More than 1,000 homes are believed to have been damaged in the region. 

Videos posted by China's Ministry of Emergency Management showed two people being carried out on stretchers by workers treading over the uneven debris from collapsed homes. 

CDC MONITORING POSSIBLE SPIKE OF HMPV CASES IN CHINA 

The morning quake also woke up residents in Nepal’s capital of Kathmandu – about 140 miles from the epicenter – and sent them running out of their homes into the streets. 

The U.S. Geological Survey said the earthquake measured magnitude 7.1 and was relatively shallow at a depth of about six miles. 

About 50 aftershocks were recorded in the three hours after the earthquake, and the Mount Everest scenic area on the Chinese side was closed, according to The Associated Press. 

CHINA ROLLS OUT ITS CRIME-FIGHTING BALL TO CHASE DOWN CRIMINALS 

The news agency cited CCTV as saying that more than 3,000 rescuers were deployed to the region to help with disaster relief. 

About 7,000 people live in three townships and 27 villages within 12.5 miles of the epicenter on the Chinese side, state media added. The average altitude in the area is about 13,800 feet, the Chinese earthquake center said in a social media post. 

On the southwest edge of Kathmandu, a video viewed by the AP showed water spilling out into the street from a pond in a courtyard with a small temple. 

"It is a big earthquake," a woman can be heard saying. "People are all shaking." 

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

A group of Afghan nationals landed in the Philippines on Monday for the processing of special immigrant visas for their resettlement in the U.S.

Their arrival comes as part of an agreement between the Filipino and U.S. governments.

The Philippines agreed in July to temporarily host a U.S. immigrant visa processing center for a limited number of Afghan nationals seeking to make America their new home.

Afghan nationals who landed in the Philippines on Monday were given entry visas, according to Teresita Daza, a spokesperson for the Philippines' Department of Foreign Affairs.

BLINKEN SAYS HE HAS 'NO APOLOGIES' FOR ENDING AMERICA'S 'LONGEST WAR IN AFGHANISTAN'

Daza said the Afghan nationals had completed extensive security vetting and undergone full medical screenings before they arrived. She also said the U.S. government is covering the costs of their stay in the Philippines, including food, housing, security, medical and transportation expenses.

It is unclear how many Afghan nationals arrived in the Philippines or how long the visa processing will take, but the Philippines' rules state that visa applicants cannot stay for longer than 59 days.

A senior Filipino official said last year that only 150 to 300 applicants would be accommodated in the Philippines under the "one-time" deal with the U.S. government.

The Afghan nationals seeking to resettle in America primarily worked for the U.S. government in Afghanistan or were considered eligible for U.S. special immigrant visas but were left behind during the chaotic withdrawal of troops and civilians from the country in 2021, which resulted in the Taliban taking back control of the region.

BIDEN NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER JAKE SULLIVAN OFFERED TO RESIGN OVER CHAOTIC AFGHANISTAN WITHDRAWAL: REPORT

Secretary of State Antony Blinken first made the request for the Philippines to host the processing center to his Filipino counterpart in 2022. President Biden later discussed the request with Filipino President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. when he visited the U.S. last year.

Marcos Jr. has renewed relations with the U.S. since coasting to a presidential election win two years ago. Nearly a year ago, he allowed the American military to expand its presence under a 2014 defense agreement, a move that upset Chinese officials.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

A young woman was killed by an Asian elephant at a sanctuary in Thailand on Friday during a bathing session gone wrong, according to officials.

Spanish citizen Blanca Ojanguren, 22, was visiting Koh Yao Elephant Care on Yao Yai Island with her boyfriend at the time of the incident, Spanish newspaper El Mundo reported over the weekend. She studied law at the University of Navarra at the time.

Koh Yao Elephant Care told the Spanish outlet that a 50-year-old elephant pushed Ojanguren with its trunk while she bathed it, causing a fatal blow. Around 18 people were at the sanctuary at the time, including the victim's boyfriend.

The tourist was rushed to a local hospital where she later died, the sanctuary owner said. The business temporarily closed as a result.

'INCREDIBLY SOCIAL': RESEARCHERS MAKE STUNNING FIND ON HOW AFRICAN ELEPHANTS INTERACT WITH EACH OTHER

Experts told Argentine newspaper Clarin that the elephant was likely stressed from interacting with tourists outside its natural habitat, but officials have not released details about what led up to the attack. 

Koh Yao Elephant Care offers tourist packages ranging from $50 to $85 USD, according to its booking website. The company offered two-hour sessions with elephants that included activities ranging from cooking classes to kayak sessions. 

"Visitors often have the opportunity to join guided tours led by knowledgeable staff who educate guests about elephant behavior, biology, and the sanctuary's mission," the website reads. "This experience allows for a close encounter with these magnificent animals while respecting their well-being."

Elephants, which are profoundly gentle and intelligent animals, are known to occasionally kill humans when under physical and psychological distress. In 2022, an Asian elephant ripped its trainer in half with its tusk in Thailand's Phang Nga province.

Officials later discovered that the elephant's handler had it haul wood to a rubber plantation in hot weather, causing the animal to become overwhelmed.

VIOLA THE CIRCUS ELEPHANT WITH HISTORY OF ESCAPES BREAKS FREE AGAIN IN MONTANA, HEADS TOWARD CASINO SLOTS

At the time, Save the Asian Elephants CEO Duncan McNair told Newsweek that elephants are sensitive to abuse and can become stressed by human behavior.

"[It] is yet another stark reminder that Asian elephants are, and always remain, wild animals that can attack and kill when they are abused or overly stressed by humans," McNair said.

At zoos in the United States, visitors and most staff members are usually prohibited from touching elephants. But elephant sanctuaries in Thailand lure tourists with promises of up-close interactions with the animals.

According to the Global Federal of Animal Sanctuaries, the quality of animal sanctuaries, including elephant sanctuaries, varies widely.

"It is a poorly regulated industry, in which facilities that keep animals in deplorable conditions can identify themselves as compared to those of the highest quality," the site reads. "For anyone invested in the welfare of captive animals, there is a need to differentiate the best sanctuaries and rescues to determine where funds would be best invested, where the need for help is greatest, who provides a model to follow and who can be turned to in times of crisis."

Koh Yao Elephant Care did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment. Fox News Digital reached out to wildlife experts for more information.

Venezuelan opposition leader Edmundo González Urrutia, who claimed victory in last year’s presidential election against current President Nicolás Maduro, met with President Biden on Monday in search of support in removing the incumbent from office.

Biden and González Urrutia met at the White House, where the latter, who represented Venezuela’s main opposition coalition in the country’s presidential election in July, tried to rally support for his effort to remove Maduro from office by Friday, when the South American country’s next presidential term starts.

"We had a long, fruitful and cordial conversation with President Biden and his team," González Urrutia told reporters. "We, of course, thanked the United States government for the support it has given us in this fight for democratic recovery in Venezuela. That is a commitment that we take with us and that we will continue to follow until the last day of the president’s government."

White House officials said in a statement that the two leaders met to discuss shared efforts to restore democracy in Venezuela.

BIDEN ADMINISTRATION IMPOSES SANCTIONS AGAINST VENEZUELAN PRESIDENT MADURO'S 'CRONIES'

"President Biden emphasized that the world was inspired by the millions of Venezuelans who courageously voted for democratic change in Venezuela’s deeply flawed July 28 presidential election, as demonstrated through the collection of voting tally sheets that indicated that Gonzalez Urrutia received the most votes by an insurmountable margin," the statement read. "Both leaders agreed there is nothing more essential to the success of democracy than respecting the will of the people, as expressed through a transparent and accountable electoral process, and that Gonzalez Urrutia’s campaign victory should be honored through a peaceful transfer back to democratic rule.

"Both leaders also expressed deep concern regarding Nicolás Maduro and his representatives’ unacceptable and indiscriminate use of repression against peaceful protesters, (sic) democracy activists, and civil society," the statement continued. "President Biden reiterated his support for Venezuela’s democratic aspirations and underscored the U.S. commitment to continue to hold Maduro and his representatives accountable for their anti-democratic and repressive actions, including by working closely with democratic allies in the hemisphere and around the world."

VENEZUELA SAYS 4TH US CITIZEN ARRESTED IN PLOT TO KILL PRESIDENT MADURO

On Saturday, González Urrutia began touring the Americas, making stops in Uruguay and Argentina.

Ahead of his stop in Washington, González Urrutia’s team called on Venezuelans in the area to gather outside the offices of the Organization of American States on Monday.

As González Urrutia continues to search for support in removing his opponent from office, the National Assembly has invited Maduro to be sworn in to a sixth term on Friday. The swearing-in would take place five months after the National Electoral Council declared Maduro the winner of the July 28 election, though the Associated Press reported the council was stacked with loyalists to Maduro’s party.

Unlike past presidential elections, election officials did not provide detailed vote counts. But the opposition obtained tally sheets from more than 80% of the electronic voting machines in the country and posted them online. Along with the post, the opposition said the tally sheets show González Urrutia won the election with twice as many votes as Maduro.

US SANCTIONS 21 MORE MADURO ALLIES ACCUSED OF POST-ELECTION REPRESSION IN VENEZUELA

As such, the U.S. and most European governments have rejected the official results of the election and consider González Urrutia the legitimate winner.

In fact, the Carter Center, which Maduro’s government invited to observe the presidential election, has said the tally sheets González Urrutia posted online are legitimate.

The AP reported that Venezuelan Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello was asked about González Urrutia’s plans, to which he responded by insulting and attacking the politician, even threatening him with arrest.

Cabello insisted Maduro would be sworn in as president on Friday.

BIDEN URGED TO CRACK DOWN ON OIL COMPANIES DOING BUSINESS WITH VENEZUELA AFTER MADURO'S REFUSAL TO CEDE POWER

"Coward," Cabello said of the retired diplomat, who he accused, without offering any proof, of being a CIA agent. "He has neither courage nor disposition. ... Mr. González Urrutia knows that as soon as he steps in Venezuela he will be arrested."

González Urrutia fled Venezuela for Spain in September after a judge issued a warrant for his arrest in connection with an investigation into the publishing of the election’s tally sheets.

The Venezuelan government also announced a $100,000 reward for information on his whereabouts last week.

On Monday, González Urrutia told reporters his campaign has been in contact with President-elect Trump’s team.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

More than 170 inmates on death row were flown from Congo’s capital to a high-security prison in the north where they will be executed, Congolese authorities said.

Seventy of the convicts were transported on Sunday, Congolese Minister of Justice Constant Mutamba said, adding to 102 other prisoners who have already been sent to Angenga prison in the northern Mongala province.

The men have been convicted of armed robbery and are locally known as "Kulunas" or "urban bandits." They're aged between 18 and 35, Mutamba said in a statement. He did not say when the executions would take place.

Some have welcomed the measure as a means of restoring order and security in the cities, while others are concerned about the risks of abuse and human rights violations.

3 AMERICANS IN CONGO SENTENCED TO DEATH AFTER COUP ATTEMPT

"We welcome this decision by the minister because it will help put an end to urban crime. From 8 p.m. onwards, you can’t move around freely because you’re afraid of running into a Kuluna," said Fiston Kakule, a resident of the eastern city of Goma.

Espoir Muhinuka, a human rights activist, warned of the possibility of extrajudicial executions and called for a strict respect for judicial procedures and fundamental guarantees. He fears that political pressure could lead to unjust convictions and arbitrary executions.

"The situation in the DRC is complex and requires a multidimensional approach. The fight against urban gangs must go hand in hand with efforts to combat poverty, unemployment and social exclusion, which are often contributing factors to crime," he said.

Congo abolished the death sentence in 1981, but it was reinstated in 2006. The last execution took place in 2003.

In March 2024, the Congolese government announced the resumption of capital punishment in cases of treason by military personnel.In May, eight soldiers were sentenced to death, and in July, 25 soldiers were convicted of similar offences. None is known to have been executed.

OTTAWA, Canada— With Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s announcement on Monday morning that he will step down as Liberal Party leader, whoever succeeds him will face Official Opposition Leader Pierre Poilievre, whose Conservative Party has nearly three times the support of committed voters (47% compared to 18% for the Liberals) in this year’s general election.

First elected to the House of Commons in 2004, 45-year-old, Calgary-born Poilievre, 45, became leader of the Canadian Conservatives in 2022 and has seen his party grow in popularity as Canadians have grown tired of 53-year-old Trudeau, whose Liberals formed government in 2015.

"Bring home the Canadian dream" has been one of the Conservatives’ major themes, and Poilievre has cast the Liberals as governing with ‘an extremely radical ideology,’ which he described as "basically authoritarian socialism," in a recent 90-minute interview with popular podcast host Jordan Peterson.

CANADA’S TRUDEAU ANNOUNCES RESIGNATION FOLLOWING PARTY PRESSURE AMID CRITICISMS OF TRUMP, BUDGET HANDLING

"People are sick and tired of grandiosity," said Poilievre. "Horrendous, utopian wokeism" serves, he said, "egotistical personalities on top," rather than "common people."

Trudeau has said that Poilievre wants to "make Canada great again," comparing the Tory leader to incoming U.S. President Donald Trump and his "Make America Great Again" mantra.

But while Poilievre’s populist messaging has generated comparisons to Trump’s political approach, the Canadian Conservative leader has pushed back the president-elect’s recent comments about making Canada the 51st state.

"I have the strength and the smarts to stand up for this country and my message to incoming President Trump is that first and foremost, Canada will never be the 51st state of the U.S.," Poilievre said in an interview with Canadian broadcaster, CTV News, before Christmas.

The incoming Trump administration will almost assuredly deal with a Poilievre government as the Conservatives are poised to win the next Canadian election, which could come as early as this spring. When the House of Commons resumes sitting on March 24, the opposition parties are likely to defeat the minority Liberal government in a vote of no-confidence, which would trigger a national vote.

In his Peterson interview, Poilievre acknowledged that Trump — who has proposed a 25% tariff against Canadian exports — "negotiates very aggressively, and he likes to win." But as prime minister, the Conservative leader said that he would seek "a great deal that will make both countries safer, richer and stronger."

TRUMP SAYS US SUBSIDIES TO CANADA MAKE ‘NO SENSE,’ SUGGESTS CANADIANS WANT ‘TO BECOME THE 51ST STATE’

Poilievre said that he would accelerate approvals to build oil refineries, liquefied natural gas plants and nuclear facilities, and increase its electricity surplus with the U.S.

He also told Peterson that Canada sells its oil and gas to the U.S. at "enormous discounts," which he characterized as a "ripoff," in which "Canada is ripping itself off."

A Poilievre-led government would also embark on "the biggest crackdown on crime in Canadian history" and that "habitual offenders will not get out of jail anymore," the Conservative leader said.

On foreign affairs, the Canadian Conservatives’ 2023 policy document states that it would, as government, "take the required steps to renegotiate the Safe Third Country Agreement with the U.S. to close the gaps relating to illegal entries in Canada," and that the Conservative Party recognizes Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. Canada’s embassy in Israel is currently in Tel Aviv.

In a statement released in response to Trudeau’s resignation on Monday, Poilievre said that "this changes nothing" and that a Conservative Canadian government would "take back control of our border, take back control of immigration, take back control of spending, deficits and inflation. Take back control of our streets by locking up criminals, banning drugs, treating addiction and stopping gun smugglers."

The Conservatives, added Poilievre, "would secure borders, rearm our forces, restore our freedom and put Canada First."

President-elect Trump on Monday reiterated his suggestion that Canada should become the 51st U.S. state, just hours after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced his plan to resign.

"Many people in Canada LOVE being the 51st State. The United States can no longer suffer the massive Trade Deficits and Subsidies that Canada needs to stay afloat. Justin Trudeau knew this, and resigned," Trump wrote on Truth Social. 

"If Canada merged with the U.S., there would be no Tariffs, taxes would go way down, and they would be TOTALLY SECURE from the threat of the Russian and Chinese Ships that are constantly surrounding them. Together, what a great Nation it would be!!!" he added. 

Sources told Fox News in December that Trump brought up the merger idea to Trudeau in person when the pair met at Mar-a-Lago in late November. 

CANADA’S TRUDEAU ANNOUNCES RESIGNATION FOLLOWING PARTY PRESSURE AMID CRITICISMS OF TRUMP, BUDGET HANDLING 

Trudeau jetted to Trump’s Florida residence unannounced that month after the president-elect threatened to impose sweeping tariffs on Canadian products. Trump is warning of 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico over failures by both nations to curb the flow of illegal immigrants and illicit drugs from those countries into the U.S.  

"We discussed many important topics that will require both countries to work together to address, like the fentanyl and drug crisis that has decimated so many lives as a result of illegal immigration, fair trade deals that do not jeopardize American workers and the massive trade deficit the U.S. has with Canada," Trump wrote on Truth Social at the time. 

Trudeau announced earlier this morning that he will resign as prime minister and as the leader of Canada’s Liberal Party. 

TRUMP PLANS TO ‘IMMEDIATELY’ REVERSE BIDEN’S ‘RIDICULOUS’ BAN ON NEW OIL AND GAS DRILLING ALONG US COAST 

"I intend to resign as party leader, as Prime Minister, after the party selects its next leader through a robust nationwide competitive process," Trudeau said in a Monday morning address. "Last night, I asked the president of the Liberal Party to begin that process. This country deserves a real choice in the next election, and it has become clear to me that if I'm having to fight internal battles, I cannot be the best option in that election." 

Trudeau, who has led Canada for nearly a decade, has been grappling for months with significant drops in his approval ratings over mounting frustration relating to issues like the soaring cost of living and rising inflation.  

The long-time prime minister saw an increase in calls for his resignation — from at least seven Liberal Members of Parliament as well as opposition party leaders — following the abrupt departure of his finance minister, Chrystia Freeland, who wrote a scathing letter of resignation mentioning Trudeau's handling of certain economic policies as well as the threats levied by Trump. 

Fox News’ Michael Dorgan, Caitlin McFall and Danielle Wallace contributed to this report. 

U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Monday hit back against attacks over his handling of the child grooming gang scandal that has repeatedly rocked the nation, and has seen more scrutiny in the last week fueled by SpaceX CEO Elon Musk.

"Those that are spreading lies and misinformation as far and wide as possible, they’re not interested in victims, they’re interested in themselves," Starmer said in response to questions from reporters about Musk’s comments, although he did not mention Musk directly.

The U.K. grooming scandal, where it was revealed that gangs of predominantly South Asian or British Pakistani men had exploited and abused children for decades in towns in northern England, resurfaced last week amid fresh calls for a national inquiry.

ELON MUSK DEMANDS UK ACT ON GROOMING GANG SCANDAL AMID GROWING CALLS FOR PROBE

Previous reports in towns like Rotherham and Telford had found evidence of horrific crimes against children over decades and that authorities had either suppressed information or had concerns about stoking racism. It is frequently cited as a failure of multiculturalism and the impact of mass immigration. 

Musk had slammed the government for its rejection of a call for a new national inquiry into the handling of authorities' actions in Oldham. Home Office Minister Jess Phillips responded to the request in October, saying that any such inquiry should be organized locally. 

A 2022 report into Oldham's actions between 2011 and 2014 found that children were failed by local agencies, but it also found that there was no cover-up despite "legitimate concerns" that the far-right would capitalize on "the high-profile convictions of predominantly Pakistani offenders across the country."

Musk, along with top conservative officials, including Conservative Party Leader Kemi Badenoch, demanded a full inquiry. Musk went further, calling for King Charles III to step in.

"They oppose an inquiry, because it will show that those in power were complicit in the cover-up," he said of the government on X.

Musk had called for the prosecution of Starmer, who was director of public prosecutions at the time the scandal broke, as well as Phillips – who he called a "rape genocide apologist."

BRITAIN HIT BY ANOTHER ASIAN GROOMING GANG SCANDAL AS REPORT EXPOSES CHILD SEX ABUSE IN MANCHESTER

Starmer made reference to those remarks in his answer, as he defended his record as prosecutor, saying he had reopened closed cases and "changed the whole prosecution approach" to the abuse.

"When the poison of the far-right leads to serious threats to Jess Phillips and others, then in my book, a line has been crossed," Starmer said. "I enjoy the cut and thrust of politics, the robust debate that we must have, but that’s got to be based on facts and truth, not on lies."

NIGEL FARAGE RESPONDS AFTER ELON MUSK DECLARES HE ‘DOESN’T HAVE WHAT IT TAKES' TO LEAD REFORM UK PARTY

He also criticized politicians he said "are casual about honesty, decency, truth and the rule of law, calling for inquiries because they want to jump on a bandwagon of the far-right."

Musk shot back.

"What an insane thing to say! The real reason is that it would show how Starmer repeatedly ignored the pleas of vast numbers of little girls and their parents, in order to secure political support. Starmer is utterly despicable," he said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced on Monday that he intends to resign as party leader and prime minister after pressure from within his own Liberal Party increasingly grew amid heightened criticisms over his handling of the economy and threats levied by President-elect Donald Trump. He said he will resign once the party selects a new leader. 

"I intend to resign as party leader, as Prime Minister, after the party selects its next leader through a robust nationwide competitive process," Trudeau told reporters. "Last night, I asked the president of the Liberal Party to begin that process. This country deserves a real choice in the next election, and it is become clear to me that if I'm having to fight internal battles, I cannot be the best option in that election."

"As you all know, I am fighter and I'm not someone who backs away from a fight. Particularly when the fight is as important as this one is. But I have always been driven by my love for Canada, by my desire to serve Canadians, and by what is in the best interests of Canadians and Canadians deserve a real choice in the next election," Trudeau added. "And it has become obvious to me with,, the internal battles that I cannot be the one to carry the liberal standard into the next election."

Trudeau, who led the nation for nearly a decade, has been grappling for months with significant drops in his approval ratings over mounting frustration relating to issues like the soaring cost of living and rising inflation. 

Though there was no official path for his party to boot him from the top job, the now nearly-former prime minister faced either the threat of a Parliamentary vote of no confidence, or a lengthy fight to hold on to his position until the October 2025 elections – either option was expected to see a crushing end to Trudeau’s time in office.

TRUMP SAYS US SUBSIDIES TO CANADA MAKE ‘NO SENSE,’ SUGGESTS CANADIANS WANT ‘TO BECOME THE 51ST STATE’

The long-time prime minister saw an increase in calls for his resignation, with at least seven Liberal Members of Parliament as well as from opposition party leaders calling on him to set aside, following the abrupt departure of his finance minister, Chrystia Freeland, who wrote a scathing letter of resignation, citing criticisms over his handling of certain economic policies as well as the threats levied by Trump.

Freeland, once seen as Trudeau’s chief ally and who helped oversee the 2020 U.S.-Mexico-Canada deal during the last Trump administration, warned that how Canada responds to Trump’s November threat to slap a 25% tariff on Canadian imports "will define us for a generation, and perhaps longer."

"For the past number of weeks, you and I have found ourselves at odds about the best path forward for Canada," she wrote. "Our country today faces a grave challenge."

 TRUDEAU ON THE BRINK AS ALLY, FINANCE MINISTER ABRUPTLY QUITS OVER TRUMP TARIFF THREATS

"The incoming administration in the United States is pursuing a policy of aggressive economic nationalism," she continued, urging the prime minister to show more backbone when it comes to standing up to Trump and his "coming tariff war."

The comments made by Freeland sent shockwaves across the Canadian government, with many backing her calls to show strength in the face of the potentially tough economic times ahead. 

Trudeau, who appointed close friend Dominic LeBlanc to take over as finance minister, later held a special meeting with his caucus, during which, according to LeBlanc, he said that he "heard very clearly, and listened carefully to their concerns, and he would reflect on it."

Trudeau’s resignation means the Liberal Party can appoint an interim prime minister to lead the country until the elections next fall, giving them potentially a fighting chance to bring renewed support back to the Liberal Party. 

It remains unclear who will likely take over Trudeau’s seat, but LeBlanc – who also met with Trump at his Mar-a-Lago residence earlier this month alongside the former prime minister – was reported to be a leading contender.

Trump has not yet pubically commented on Trudeau's resignation and his transition team did not respond to previous Fox News Digital questions over his impact on Canadian politics. 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is vowing Monday to capture the "despicable murderers" behind a terror attack in the West Bank that left three Israelis dead, including a police officer. 

Off-duty Master Sgt. Elad Yaakov Winkelstein and sisters-in-law Rachel Cohen and Aliza Raiz were killed by gunmen who opened fire on vehicles in the Palestinian village of Al-Funduq, according to The Times of Israel. 

The attack left eight others injured – including a 63-year-old bus driver – and the Israeli military has launched a manhunt for two suspected shooters affiliated with the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorist group, the Jerusalem Post reported. 

"My wife and I send our deepest condolences to the families of the three people murdered in this morning's horrific attack and wish the injured a full recovery," Netanyahu wrote on X. "We will reach the despicable murderers and bring them to justice and everyone who helped them. No one will be spared." 

ISRAELIS LOOK TO TRUMP DURING DEBATE ON GAZA’S FUTURE 

An eyewitness who spoke to The Press Service of Israel called the attack a "shooting spree." 

"I saw a Palestinian ... take out an M16 from his back window and aim it at vehicles and then I realized it was an attack," he said. "And I saw the vehicles turning around and all this chaos and then I realized they were coming at me in a second and I was next in line so I started shooting at them." 

"I am a civilian and I have my own private gun. If they had given me an M16 I think their situation would have been different," the eyewitness added. 

ISRAELI PM OFFICE DENIES REPORTS THAT HAMAS FORWARDED LIST OF HOSTAGES TO RELEASE IN EVENT OF DEAL 

A paramedic with Israel’s Magen David Adom emergency medical service told the Jerusalem Post that the attack "spread across multiple scenes where vehicles and a bus were hit by gunfire." 

"During our initial searches for casualties, we found 2 women ... in a vehicle, unconscious without pulse or breathing, with gunshot wounds," Avichai Ben Zuria said. "About 150 meters away, there was an unconscious driver who also suffered gunshot wounds. After medical assessments, unfortunately, their injuries were severe, and we had to pronounce them deceased." 

Winkelstein is described as being in his 40s, while Cohen, 73, is a school counselor and mother of five children, according to the Jerusalem Post. Raiz, who is 70, is a school counselor as well, the outlet added. 

The Palestinian terrorist group Hamas released a statement praising the attack, The Associated Press reported.

Business tycoon Elon Musk asserted in a post on X that Reform UK Party leader Nigel Farage does not "have what it takes" and should be replaced.

"The Reform Party needs a new leader. Farage doesn’t have what it takes," Musk declared in a tweet. 

Farage, a member of the UK Parliament, disagreed.

ELON MUSK DEMANDS UK ACT ON GROOMING GANG SCANDAL AMID GROWING CALLS FOR PROBE: ‘NATIONAL INQUIRY NOW!’

"Well, this is a surprise! Elon is a remarkable individual but on this I am afraid I disagree. My view remains that Tommy Robinson is not right for Reform and I never sell out my principles," he tweeted.

Musk has been speaking out in support of Robinson, who is currently imprisoned. 

But Farage has noted that he does not want Robinson to join the Reform UK Party. 

MUSK RENEWS HARSH REBUKE OF DEMS WHO REJECTED DEPORTING SEX OFFENDERS: VOTE OUT ‘EVERY ONE’

Farage has said that Robinson is not in prison "for exposing grooming gangs," but for "contempt of court." 

"I know he’s in prison for contempt of court ffs, but there is NO justification for such a long prison sentence or for solitary confinement!" Musk wrote in a post on X.

Robinson's real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, reports indicate.

ELON MUSK SAYS TESLA WILL GET CYBERTRUCK ‘BACK ON THE ROAD' AFTER LAS VEGAS EXPLOSION

Musk, who strongly supported President-elect Donald Trump during America's 2024 presidential contest, has claimed that if Trump had not won the election, "civilization would be lost."

North Korea test fired a ballistic missile for the first time since President-elect Trump secured re-election on Monday.

North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un's regime last launched a missile test on Nov. 5 as Americans were headed to the polls. Monday's test is another sign that Kim apparently has no plans to develop a closer relationship with Trump than he had with President Biden.

The test comes more than a week after North Korea's ruling party held its annual meeting in Pyongyang. State media outlet KCNA said party leaders condemned ongoing partnerships between the U.S., Japan and South Korea, as a "nuclear military bloc."

"This reality clearly shows to which direction we should advance and what we should do and how," the Workers' Party of Korea said in a statement.

SOUTH KOREA IMPOSES A TRAVEL BAN ON PRESIDENT YOON OVER MARTIAL LAW DECLARATION

The meeting came as North Korea faces mounting tension with Western governments after sending troops to assist in Russia's invasion of Ukraine this fall.

SOUTH KOREAN PRESIDENT APOLOGIZES FOR DECLARING MARTIAL LAW AHEAD OF IMPEACHMENT VOTE

Kim's regime also condemned South Korea as an "anti-communist outpost" following this week's meetings, a reference to President Yoon Suk-Yeoul's attempt to impose martial law in December.

North Korea had remained silent for roughly a week after Yoon's attempt, which was foiled by the nation's legislature. Kim Jong Un's regime finally commented on the issue through its state-run news outlet on Dec. 11.

"The shocking incident of the puppet Yoon Suk Yeol regime, which was faced with a serious governance crisis and an impeachment crisis, suddenly declared a martial law decree and unhesitatingly wielded the guns and knives of its fascist dictatorship," KCNA said in a report.

"The international community is sternly watching, with assessments that the martial law incident exposed vulnerabilities in South Korean society ... and that Yoon Suk Yeol’s political life could face an early end," KCNA added.

South Korea's legislature impeached Yoon soon after his power grab, and a national court is deliberating over whether to uphold his removal.