World News

Archaeologists discover 12,000-year-old pebbles that could provide new insights about the wheel

Fox World News - Nov 20, 2024 9:00 PM EST

12,000-year-old perforated stones found over years of excavations in Israel may "represent early evidence for the adoption of spinning with the ’spindle and whorl' device," according to newly published research in PLOS ONE.

The wheel-shaped stones were found at Nahal Ein-Gev II in the Jordan Valley of Israel, over many years of excavations. A total of 113 perforated stones have been discovered in the area since 1972. 

Of those stones found, 48 of them had complete perforation, 36 were broken items with partial holes present and 29 were unfinished items with one or two drill marks, according to the research. 

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The stones were "dominantly limestone," co-authors Talia Yasuv and Leore Grosman of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem wrote in their published research, ranging in weight from 1 to 34 grams. 

Researchers came up with several theories about what these perforated stones could be.

"An initial thought was they may have been related to fishing," Yasuv told Fox News Digital in an email. Researchers ultimately came to the conclusion that, because of the shape of the stones, the material, plus the shape and size of the holes made, that they were most likely spindle whorls. 

ARCHAEOLOGISTS FIND SEVERAL ROCK CARVINGS OF ANCIENT BOARD GAME DATING BACK 4,000 YEARS

High-resolution 3D models were used in this research to study the stones in much more detail. 

"For the naked eye, the collection of stones seems highly variable, with no standardization in the sense that every stone in the assemblage is different and unique," Yashuv said. 

"However, the 3D analysis pointed out morphological parameters that showed there are standard measures — for example, width/length ratio, a central location of the centre of mass, the fact that the perforations were located at that point too, and that the minimal width of the perforation is at a constant measure," Yashuv continued.

The authors of the study noted that their theory could be strengthened by "use wear analysis," but explained that the particular method was "beyond the scope of the present article." 

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What was done as part of this study, beyond 3D modeling, was a feasibility test to test the functionality of the items as ancient spindle whorls. This was done with the help of Yonit Kristal, a traditional craft-making expert, per the study. 

"Although those parameters pointed to the functionality of spindle whorls, we were left with a doubt and therefore ran a feasibility test with replicas we produced," Yashuv said.

Though Kristal's first initial attempt didn't work well, the authors explained in their research, she eventually was able to spin both wool and flax using the pebbles as spindle whorls.   

"Surprisingly, the experiment demonstrated that not only do the replicas function well as spindle whorls, but that the parameters we suspected as disadvantageous were actually beneficial for this purpose," Yashuv said. 

Yashuv believes that this discovery is bigger than just a matter of "who's first." 

"The ‘earliest’ spindle whorl could easily become irrelevant when an additional earlier find will be found," Yashuv pointed out. "However, since we suggest an explanation to how come the innovation disappeared, if an earlier find would be retrieved, it could join into the general scheme we presented."   

Through the multistep process of studying the perforated rocks, the researchers came to the conclusion that these items could have been spindle whorls that were used to spin fibers. 

"In a cumulative evolutionary trend, they manifest early phases of the development of rotational technologies by laying the mechanical principle of the wheel and axle," the researcher wrote in their study. "All in all, it reflects on the technological innovations that played an important part in the Neolithization processes of the Southern Levant."

Categories: World News

Pope Francis rejects tradition, opts for humble wooden casket and burial outside Vatican

Fox World News - Nov 20, 2024 5:01 PM EST

Pope Francis has announced that he will forgo the traditional, elaborate burial rites of his predecessors in a decision that may modernize the Catholic Church.

When the time comes, the 87-year-old pontiff has chosen to be laid to rest in a single wooden casket lined with zinc, breaking from the centuries-old practice of interring popes in three interlocking caskets made of cypress, lead, and oak.

The Vatican made the announcement on Wednesday, unveiling a new formal rite that reflects Francis’ vision of a more modest Church. Pope Francis approved a new edition of the liturgical rites in April this year and received the first copy of the printed volume on Nov. 4.

The new edition of the liturgical book was presented following its predecessor, the "editio typica" or "typical edition" of the "Ordo Exsequiarum Romani Pontificis" or "Order of Roman Pontifical Funerals."

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The edition was approved in 1998 by Saint John Paul II and published in 2000. It was used in Saint John Paul II's funeral rites in 2005 and in those of Pope Benedict XVI in 2023 with some adaptations.

"A second edition became necessary," said Archbishop Diego Ravelli, Master of Apostolic Ceremonies in a release, "first of all because Pope Francis has requested it, as he himself has stated on several occasions of the need to simplify and adapt certain rites so that the celebration of the funeral of the Bishop of Rome may better expresses the faith of the Church in the Risen Christ."

"The renewed rite also needed to emphasize even more that the funeral of the Roman Pontiff is that of a pastor and disciple of Christ and not of a powerful person of this world," added the Archbishop.

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Additionally, the pontiff will become the first pope in more than a century to be buried outside the Vatican grounds. He has requested burial at Rome’s Basilica of St. Mary Major, a church he frequently visits to pray before and after his international trips.

The last pope to be buried outside the Vatican was Leo XIII in 1903, who rests at Rome’s Basilica of St. John Lateran.

Francis’ decision to reject the traditional three-casket practice—which creates an airtight seal and accommodates objects such as coins or papal documents—is part of his broader effort to simplify papal customs. 

The late pontiff’s body will also not be displayed on a raised platform in St. Peter’s Basilica for public viewing, as has been customary. Instead, while visitors will still be able to pay their respects, his body will remain inside the casket with the lid removed.

Last year, Francis stated his desire to simplify the intricate and lengthy funeral rites traditionally used for popes.

Categories: World News

Chief opponent to Uganda's president appears in court days after going missing

Fox World News - Nov 20, 2024 4:28 PM EST

A well-known Ugandan opposition figure appeared in a military court Wednesday days after he was reported missing in neighboring Kenya, and denied a charge of seeking military support from abroad to destabilize Uganda’s military forces.

Kizza Besigye, a fierce critic of Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni and once his personal doctor, has faced arrest and assault on previous occasions. He has contested and lost four presidential elections.

Besigye, who at first appeared in court without lawyers and in a cage, rejected government legal representation and said he should be tried in a civilian court because he's not a member of the armed forces.

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The former president of the opposition Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) party also was charged with possessing an illegal firearm, which he denied. He will stay in custody until Dec. 2 with FDC member Hajj Lutale Kamulegeya, who was also charged and denied wrongdoing.

Besigye's reappearance came four days after he went missing in Nairobi. On Saturday his wife, UNAIDS executive director Winnie Byanyima, claimed he had been kidnapped and put in a Ugandan military jail.

The Ugandan government has not commented.

Kenya’s foreign affairs permanent secretary, Korir Singoei, told local media that Kenya was not involved in the alleged incident.

Besigye's lawyer, the Kampala mayor and FDC member Erias Lukwago, expressed concern that his client was arrested abroad.

"For his liberty to be curtailed in a sovereign state like Kenya, and no actions being taken by the Kenyan government against the sister country violating the territorial integrity of Kenya, that is a very serious matter and we are not going to let it lie down," he said.

Museveni, who has ruled the East African country since 1986, has long been criticized by human rights groups over alleged violations against opposition figures.

Categories: World News

Japan says it will watch China’s military activity after Beijing admits violating Japanese airspace

Fox World News - Nov 20, 2024 3:35 PM EST

Japanese officials said Wednesday they are closely watching to see if China keeps its promise to prevent further violations of Japan's airspace after explaining that an incursion by a Chinese military aircraft nearly three months ago was unintentional and caused by turbulence.

Tokyo protested and sought an explanation from Beijing after a Chinese Y-9 reconnaissance plane briefly entered Japanese airspace off the southern main island of Kyushu on Aug. 26, prompting Japan's military to scramble fighter jets and warn the plane.

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Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said China acknowledged the airspace violation and assured Japan that it would make efforts to prevent a recurrence.

"We take note of China's explanation, and we will closely watch Chinese military activity from now on," Hayashi said.

China said the airspace violation occurred when the plane's pilot took emergency measures in response to turbulence in the area and was not intentional, Japan's Foreign Ministry said. Japanese officials did not disclose further details, such as when China provided the explanation, citing the protocol of diplomatic exchanges.

Even though aircraft can encounter turbulence, such a significant deviation from a flight route is unthinkable, Japanese officials said.

NHK public television reported that Japanese defense officials said they still find the airspace violation unacceptable because it was a serious breach of territorial sovereignty.

In Bejing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian did not confirm what Japanese officials said they were told. He said only the diplomatic and defense ministries of the two countries have been communicating on the issue and that "China has no intention of intruding into the airspace of any country."

Japanese officials are concerned about China's growing military activity around Japan's southwestern waters and airspace. It has led Tokyo to significantly reinforce its defenses in the area, which includes remote islands that are considered key to Japan's defense strategy.

Japan is also worried about joint military activities between China and Russia.

A Chinese survey ship violated Japanese territorial waters off a southern island in August. In September, the Chinese aircraft carrier Liaoning and two destroyers sailed between Japan’s westernmost island of Yonaguni — just east of Taiwan — and nearby Iriomote, entering Japan's "contiguous zone," an area just outside of a country’s territorial waters in which it can still exercise some control over maritime traffic.

Categories: World News

Biden admin vetoes UN Security Council draft resolution against Israel that would 'embolden Hamas'

Fox World News - Nov 20, 2024 1:07 PM EST

After growing calls from members of Congress and pro-Israel voices, the Biden administration vetoed a draft resolution against the Jewish state at the United Nations Security Council on Wednesday.

The U.N. Security Council voted 14-1 in favor of the resolution sponsored by the 10 non-permanent members on the 15-member council, but it was not adopted because of the U.S. veto.

U.S. Ambassador Robert A. Wood issued a scathing indictment of the draft resolution that favored the U.S.-designated terrorist movement, Hamas, over the release of more than 100 hostages, including seven Americans held by the jihadi organization in Gaza. Wood also took many of the council members to task for seeking a "cynical" outcome and "path of discord."

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Wood said some members of the council wanted the U.S. to veto the resolution, implying the states preferred to stoke a clash rather than secure the freedom of the hostages.

Sitting in for Ambassador Linda-Thomas-Greenfield, he said the draft's demand for "an unconditional cease-fire with Hamas means this council accepts Hamas retaining power in Gaza. The United States will never accept this." He termed the resolution as a way to "embolden Hamas."

The palpable frustration of the U.S. ambassador was repeatedly expressed, stating America "worked for weeks to avoid this outcome" and "could not support [an] unconditional cease-fire that failed to release hostages."

According to the resolution, which was overseen by Algeria, the measure sought for an "immediate, unconditional and permanent cease-fire" to be imposed on Israel. The resolution did not guarantee the release of the hostages.

"This resolution would have sent a dangerous message to Hamas. There is no need to come back to the negotiating table. Hamas would have seen it as a vindication of cynical strategy," noted Wood.

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He stressed that Hamas wants the international community to forget about the hostages from more than 20 member states who have been held for 410 days. Wood cited Hamas’ bad faith negotiation strategy.

"Hamas has rejected deal after deal after deal. Some members of this council, in their public statements, ignore the callous intransigence of Hamas and indeed, fail to condemn Hamas, "he said.

The proposed resolution omitted any criticism of the terrorist organization Hamas, which slaughtered nearly 1,200 people on Oct. 7, 2023. Hamas murdered more than 40 Americans on that day.

Wood noted that some members do not want to confront the reality that "It is not Israel standing in the way of the cease-fire. It is Hamas." He added that some members of the council would not recognize that Hamas instigated the war against Israel.

Following Wood's speech, French Ambassador Nicolas de Rivière thanked the sponsors of the draft and noted France "deeply regrets that it was not adopted today."

He warned that "The humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip is disastrous, and it continues to worsen day by day. International humanitarian law is being trampled underfoot. Against this background, the only response would have been, and remains, an immediate and permanent cease-fire."

On Monday, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, warned that "This resolution is just one of several assaults on Israel being planned at the United Nations, meant to preemptively and permanently undermine the incoming Trump administration and Republican Congress."

Cruz told Fox News Digital that "I will work with my Republican colleagues and with President Trump to take whatever steps are necessary to undo these measures, including fundamentally reevaluating our relationship with the U.N. and the Palestinians, broadly cutting aid, imposing sanctions on specific officials responsible for those measures, and countering governments and NGOs pushing or implementing them."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Categories: World News

Zelenskyy answers whether he's willing to cede Crimea, other territory in peace deal

Fox World News - Nov 20, 2024 11:32 AM EST

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told Fox News that his country "cannot legally acknowledge any occupied territory of Ukraine as Russian," when asked if he was willing to cede land as part of a peace deal. 

Zelenskyy made the remarks in an exclusive interview with Fox News' chief foreign correspondent Trey Yingst before the Pentagon announced Wednesday an additional $275 million in military assistance for Ukraine in its fight against Russia. 

"Have you accepted that under any sort of cease-fire agreement or peace deal that some Ukrainian territory may remain in Russian hands?" Yingst asked Zelenskyy. 

"We cannot legally acknowledge any occupied territory of Ukraine as Russian. That is about those territories... occupied by Putin before the full-scale invasion, since 2014," Zelenskyy responded. "Legally, we are not acknowledging that, we are not adopting that." 

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Yingst then asked Zelenskyy about the Russian annexation of the Crimea region in 2014, saying, "President Vladimir Putin has been very clear Crimea will never return to Ukrainian hands. Are you willing to give up Crimea in pursuit of a peace deal to end this war and stop the bloodshed in Europe?" 

"I was already mentioning that we are ready to bring Crimea back diplomatically," Zelenskyy said. "We cannot spend dozens of thousands of our people so that they perish for the sake of Crimea coming back... we understand that Crimea can be brought back diplomatically." 

US EMBASSY IN KYIV CLOSED AS ‘POTENTIAL SIGNIFICANT AIR ATTACK’ LOOMS 

Yingst also reported Wednesday that Zelenskyy told Fox News his country will keep fighting without the support of the U.S., but believes his side will ultimately lose the war if the U.S. withdraws its military funding. 

"As part of the surge in security assistance that President Biden announced on September 26 to put Ukraine in the strongest possible position, the Department of Defense today announced additional security assistance to meet Ukraine's critical security and defense needs," the Pentagon said Wednesday. 

"This announcement is the Biden Administration's seventieth tranche of equipment to be provided from DoD inventories for Ukraine since August 2021," it added. "This Presidential Drawdown Authority package, which has an estimated value of $275 million, will provide Ukraine additional capabilities to meet its most urgent needs, including: munitions for rocket systems and artillery and anti-tank weapons." 

Categories: World News

Netanyahu offers $5 million to Palestinians for every Israeli hostage they help free

Fox World News - Nov 20, 2024 10:26 AM EST

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday took steps to secure the release of the Israeli hostages still held by Hamas in Gaza, offering a $5 million reward per captive to any Palestinian who helps to secure their freedom.

Netanyahu made the announcement during a trip to the Netzarim Corridor in Gaza, which splits Northern Gaza and Gaza City from the rest of the Strip, where brutal fighting has occurred for more than a year as Israel looks to eradicate Hamas.  

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"To those who want to leave this entanglement I say: Whoever brings us a hostage, will find a safe way out for himself and his family," the prime minister said, speaking alongside Defense Minister Israel Katz, reported Israeli press agency TPS. "We will also give $5 million for every hostage. Choose, the choice is yours, but the result will be the same. 

"We will bring them all back," Netanyahu said.

Fox News Digital could not immediately reach Netanyahu’s office or the White House for comment on ongoing efforts to return the hostages.

The Hostage Family Forum also told Fox News Digital that it had no comment at the time of this report.

There are still 101 hostages believed to be held by Hamas of the 251 people who were abducted during the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks, including seven Americans

At least 33 of the hostages still held by the terrorist network are believed to have been killed. Their bodies continue to be held by Hamas as supposed bargaining chips, including three Americans. 

Ruby Chen, the father of one of the American hostages, Itay Chen, who was ambushed near the border while serving in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on Oct. 7, said he "doubts" Netanyahu's reward system will be successful.

"I think [Netanyahu's] initiative is a smoke screen and tactical but not strategic," Chen said. 

The father of Itay said Netanayhu is maneuvering with this latest announcement by refusing to detail what Israel will not do, like leave Gaza, and instead "say what he is willing to offer to get all the hostages" rather than a smaller number of hostages during a cease-fire. 

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Netanyahu, who also met with Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, chief of staff of the IDF, vowed that Hamas would never be able to return to power in Gaza.

"Hamas will not rule in Gaza," Netanyahu reportedly said. "We are eliminating its military capabilities in very impressive fashion. We are moving on to its governing abilities, and we are not yet done. Hamas will not be in Gaza."

The prime minister championed the success of IDF forces in combating the terrorist group and, along with his defense minister, spoke with IDF reserve brigade commanders on the Gaza coast about ongoing challenges and operational activity. 

The IDF in September assessed that Hamas had largely been defeated and that the remnants of the terrorist group continue to operate through guerrilla combat-based activities that will take time to dismantle. 

Israel has not detailed a timeline for when it will end its military operations in Gaza and peace talks earlier this year appeared to come to a standstill over apparently insurmountable disagreements regarding security corridors in the Strip. 

It remains unclear where peace talks stand today between Israel and Hamas. 

The U.S., representing Israel, was working closely with Qatar and Egypt, which represented the Hamas side, for weeks in a move to end the brutal fighting that is reported to have killed some 43,000 people in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry, more than half of whom were reported to be women and children. However, these figures do not detail the number of terrorist deaths. 

Earlier this month Qatar said it could no longer be involved in mediation efforts due to a lack of willingness by both Hamas and Israel to engage in good faith attempts to end the deadly conflict.

Categories: World News

After 97 UN aid trucks in Gaza are ‘violently looted’ by armed men, food prices soar

Fox World News - Nov 20, 2024 8:56 AM EST

Food prices are soaring in the Gaza Strip after armed men attacked and robbed nearly 100 U.N. aid trucks that crossed over from Israel. 

Of the 109 trucks that entered central Gaza on Saturday, 97 were "violently looted" and "forced at gunpoint to unload aid," according to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). 

"Due to critical shortages of flour, all eight U.N.-supported bakeries in Deir al-Balah and Khan Younis have been operating at diminished capacity for weeks. Many have been forced to shut down entirely," the agency added. "Without immediate intervention, severe food shortages are set to worsen, further endangering the lives of over 2 million people who depend on humanitarian aid to survive." 

A woman in the city of Deir al-Balah told The Associated Press that the price of flour has now climbed to more than $100 a bag, if it can even be found. 

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U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said the convoy of 109 trucks was instructed by the Israeli military to take an "alternative, unfamiliar route" after the aid was brought through the Kerem Shalom crossing and that the trucks were robbed near the crossing itself. 

Israel is accusing criminal gangs and the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas of stealing the aid. 

However, Bassem Naim, a senior Hamas official based abroad, alleged the looters were young Bedouins who operate east of Rafah near Israeli military positions. 

Al-Aqsa TV, which is operated by the militants, claimed that Hamas-run security forces in Gaza had launched an operation against looters, killing 20 of them. 

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Nora Muhanna, a Gaza resident who has been displaced from Gaza City, told the AP, "From the beginning, there are no goods, and even if they are available, there is no money." 

UNRWA also said "The Israeli authorities continue to disregard their legal obligations under international law to ensure the population's basic needs are met and to facilitate the safe delivery of aid.  

"Such responsibilities continue when trucks enter the Gaza Strip, until people are reached with essential assistance," it wrote in a statement on X. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

Categories: World News

US Embassy in Kyiv closed as 'potential significant air attack' looms

Fox World News - Nov 20, 2024 4:26 AM EST

The U.S. Embassy in Kyiv, Ukraine, issued a warning after receiving "specific information of a potential significant air attack" allegedly taking place on Wednesday.

The embassy in Ukraine's capital is temporarily closed following the alert and employees are being asked to prepare to shelter in place.

"The U.S. Embassy recommends U.S. citizens be prepared to immediately shelter in the event an air alert is announced," the statement said.

PUTIN SIGNS REVISED DOCTRINE LOWERING THRESHOLD FOR NUCLEAR RESPONSE IF RUSSIA IS ATTACKED

Employees have been asked to take the following actions:

This comes after Ukraine fired American-supplied long-range missiles into Russia on Tuesday, marking the first time for Kyiv to do so in the 1,000 days of war, which was authorized by President Biden on Sunday.

BIDEN AUTHORIZES UKRAINE TO USE US LONG-RANGE MISSILES TO STRIKE INSIDE RUSSIA

This was not the first time the embassy has issued a warning of potential danger and a significant attack. 

A similar warning was issued around Ukraine's Independence Day on Aug. 24. 

Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a revised nuclear doctrine on Tuesday, warning that any attack on Russia supported by a country with nuclear power could be grounds for a nuclear response.

Fox News Digital's Elizabeth Pritchett contributed to this report.

Categories: World News

UN accused of downplaying Hamas terrorists' use of Gaza hospitals as new report ignores important details

Fox World News - Nov 20, 2024 4:00 AM EST

During the Israel Defense Forces’ military offensive in northern Gaza to strike at "the heart of Hamas," starkly different narratives between the IDF and the Hamas-run Gaza Ministry of Health have led to variable reporting on the conflict at large. Particularly divisive are recent reports on Hamas’ use of hospitals.

On Nov. 3, the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), which oversees the humanitarian-civil effort in Gaza, reported that during its attempts to evacuate patients and staff from Kamal Adwan and Al-Awda hospitals in northern Gaza, terrorists "detonated an explosive device only a few hundred meters away from the [Kamal Adwan] hospital." While the convoy was spared injuries, COGAT reported that six children in the hospital were injured. 

Hamas' Gaza Ministry of Health failed to mention the explosive device. An IDF spokesperson told Fox News Digital that the COGAT Gaza Coordination and Liaison Administration (CLA), with heads of the World Health Organization, discovered that the device had been "planted by the terrorist organizations in Gaza." 

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On Nov. 4, the Hamas Gaza Ministry of Health stated that "occupation forces continue to bomb and destroy Kamal Adwan Hospital violently, affecting all the hospital facilities." The ministry accused the IDF of deciding "to execute all the staff who refused to evacuate the hospital."

In its reporting, the New York Times noted the Ministry of Health assessment, giving a perfunctory mention of the detonation from the previous day. 

An IDF spokesperson told Fox News Digital that "after further review," they are "not aware of any attacks on the Kamal Adwan hospital" on Nov. 4. They stated that a terror target some 100 meters from the hospital was engaged with a "precise munition" that day. "It’s important to remember that Hamas is still heavily armed and operating ruthlessly in the Gaza Strip, often harming Gaza’s civilians, with over 3,000 rocket launches by the terrorist organization landing within Gaza itself," the spokesperson continued.

Previously, on Oct. 28, Reuters reported that an Israeli raid on Kamal Adwan Hospital resulted in the capture of about 100 suspected Hamas terrorists. The IDF told Reuters that "a few of the fully identified terrorists disguised themselves as medical staff," resulting in the need "to check the medical staff as well." While inside the hospital, the IDF found terrorist funding, weapons and intelligence documents. 

In the Gaza Ministry of Health’s version of events, "the occupation arrested and deported all the medical staff," leaving "only one pediatrician." 

The IDF spokesperson emphasized that the IDF had been "required… to take action" because "Hamas militants used medical facilities for military purposes, operating from within hospitals, disguising themselves as medical staff, and storing weapons in the hospital compounds." The IDF had also ensured "the continued treatment of patients with the necessary medical equipment or the evacuation of patients to other hospitals in Gaza."

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Brig. Gen. Elad Goren, head of COGAT, spoke to Fox News Digital about the Ministry of Health’s statement that the IDF was executing staff at Kamal Adwan Hospital. "We are focusing on trying to assist people that are not a part of the violent circle in Kamal Adwan and to evacuate them because we want to take the terrorists and have to investigate them to find out where are our hostages," Goren said. "If the world wants to believe Hamas, I think they have a problem with their values.". 

The use of Kamal Adwan Hospital by Hamas has been previously confirmed, including by Ahmad Kahlot, a high-ranking Hamas member and former director of the hospital. In December 2023, Kahlot admitted that Kamal Adwan Hospital was used "to hide high-ranking military activists," who know they "won’t be targeted when they are in the hospital." The hospital, he said, contained housing for the terrorists as well as "areas for interrogations, internal and special security."

COGAT released an interrogation conducted in October 2024 of an ambulance driver who claimed that Hamas fighters are present throughout the exterior and interior of Kamal Adwan Hospital, and "operate ambulances to transport their wounded military operatives and to transport them for their missions" rather than "using the ambulances for the benefit of civilians." 

A September 2024 report from the United Nations’ Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory purports to detail Israel’s treatment of Gazan medical facilities and staff. It does not mention Hamas’ presence in Kamal Adwan Hospital. 

This omission from commission chair Navi Pillay is the tip of a larger iceberg for Anne Bayefsky, president of Human Rights Voices and director of the Touro University Institute on Human Rights and the Holocaust. Bayefsky told Fox News Digital that Pillay’s commission "is a professional hit job, having nothing to do with facts or law." She added that Pillay’s latest report "traffics in blood libels."

The Commission states that it "interviewed senior medical personnel at hospitals and they denied that there was any military activity, emphasizing that the hospitals’ only role was to treat patients." In the instance of the tunnel and command center below Al-Shifa hospital, the commission "confirmed the presence of a tunnel and shaft" but could "not verify that they were used for military purposes." 

Bayefsky noted that Israel has "publicly exposed, with photographic and video evidence, the use of hospitals by Hamas for military purposes," including underground tunnels "that utilized the power sources and served as command centers and weapons depots; weapons and equipment on hospital floors alongside patient wards; weapons hidden in incubators; and the use of hospitals as operational facilities to direct military activity." 

In its report, the commission also described how "two [Israeli] hostages had been held in [Gazan] hospitals and received medical treatment for their wounds." What the commission failed to mention, according to Bayefsky, is that the hostages’ "treatment" involved "doctors pouring chlorine and vinegar onto hostage Maya Regev's dangling foot in order to cause pain," or cutting "into her without pain relievers." They also fail to address how "Gazan doctors pulled a bullet from hostage Itay Regev's leg without using anesthesia while Hamas members spat on him, slapped him and threatened to kill him if he screamed."

Fox News Digital asked the Commission of Inquiry why it did not include information about the use of Kamal Adwan Hospital by Hamas, why it failed to recount the maltreatment Israeli hostages received, and whether it believed there could be a non-military purpose for the Hamas tunnels found below medical facilities. 

A spokesperson from the commission told Fox News Digital that the report’s findings "were made in accordance with international standards and based on reasonable grounds to believe." The spokesperson explained the commission used "specific hospitals" as "emblematic cases," and lamented that the commission has not been allowed into Gaza "to conduct investigations on the ground or speak to victims and witnesses."

Dr. Tal Mimran of the Cyber Security Research Center at Hebrew University’s Faculty of Law talked with Fox News Digital about whether Hamas’ tunnels are used for other-than-military activities.

Mimran said "the existence of a tunnel is the best justification to enter a hospital, because it is not something that you can deal with without entering the hospital." He added that it would "be very hard to claim that the tunnels inside Gaza are not controlled and operated by Hamas and as such, even if they are used for non-military means… even if it only allows for a place to stay, if it only allows for a place to recuperate, even if it only allows for a place to gather and prepare, it’s more than enough to allow the IDF to operate within it."

Mimran also added that the provision of international law that protects against entry into a hospital "can be eroded if the hospital is being misused in order to bring about a military advantage to Hamas," whether it is being used to store weapons, act as a headquarters, or holds hostages. In those cases, "Israel has a right to enter the hospital, to operate from within the hospital," but must "minimize any harm to the functionality of the hospital." If a hospital is being used as a permanent structure to "promote attacks against an army," Israel could "treat the hospital as a military object." 

Other elements of disinformation and antisemitism have been witnessed in conflict coverage.

UN SECRETARY-GENERAL WON’T CONDEMN OFFICIAL ACCUSED OF ANTISEMITISM; US SAID TO GRANT VISA FOR VISIT

The Hamas-run Gaza Ministry of Health data on casualties elicit serious misgivings from researchers. As author Salo Aizenberg told Fox News Digital, "It's obvious that Hamas has been falsifying casualty figures in Gaza since the start of the war."

Aizenberg noted that during Operation Cast Lead in 2009, Hamas underestimated how many fighters it lost, only to later admit to numbers of losses that matched Israeli figures. Aizenberg explained that Hamas "continues to deny that they have lost many thousands of fighters," despite the IDF’s estimate that it has killed around 17,000. "For some reason," Aizenberg said, "a U.S. designated terrorist group that kidnaps babies and rapes hostages is seen as a credible source of information, while Israeli claims are considered suspect."

Meanwhile, officials of the U.N., including Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese, have been accused of trafficking in antisemitism. The U.N. Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food published a treatise on hunger in Gaza in August. In an Oct. 17 letter to U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Israel’s Ambassador to the U.N. Danny Danon called the rapporteur’s report an "attempt to re-write the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and promote incitement against the State of Israel."

Danon took particular offense at a 14-page "graphic report" that accompanied the full report. In it, the artist depicts Israel as a multi-headed hydra whose heads spew fire on the Palestinian flag. "Israel is not ‘defending itself’ against a ‘Terrorist organization,’ but is attacking the indigenous Palestinians as a people," text superimposed over the hydra reads.

Danon described the illustrations as "appalling" and said they corresponded "with Nazi and antisemitic propaganda."

Fox News Digital asked the Human Rights Council and Farhan Haq, deputy spokesperson for Guterres, whether they believed the graphic report contained antisemitic incitement against Israel. A spokesperson from the Human Rights Council responded that special rapporteurs are "independent human rights experts," and that "the positions taken by Special Rapporteurs do not necessarily reflect the positions of the Council."

Haq said "the Secretary-General is opposed to all expressions of antisemitism, from anyone."

Categories: World News

Brazil's first lady aims explicit joke at key target of husband's administration: 'F--k you, Elon Musk'

Fox World News - Nov 19, 2024 7:11 PM EST

The first lady of Brazil turned heads when she dropped an f-bomb directed at Tesla CEO Elon Musk during an official event over the weekend.

At the time, Brazil’s first lady, Janja Lula da Silva, was speaking about misinformation on social media during a pre-G20 social event on Saturday. The G20 summit began on Monday in Rio de Janeiro.

Lula, who is married to Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, stopped mid-speech when she heard a ship's horn blaring in the distance.

"I think it's Elon Musk," the first lady joked in Portuguese. "I'm not afraid of you, by the way."

ELIZABETH WARREN GETS SARCASTIC AFTER TRUMP TAPS MUSK, RAMASWAMY FOR DOGE: ‘YEAH, THIS SEEMS REALLY EFFICIENT’

"F–k you, Elon Musk," Lula added in English, prompting cheers from the audience.

The clip, which was posted on X, drew the attention of Musk, who responded with laughing emojis.

"They will lose the next election," the entrepreneur wrote.

‘FIRST BUDDY’: ELON EARNS FAMILY STATUS IN TRUMP WORLD AS MUSK EXPANDS POLITICAL FOOTPRINT

Brazil banned X in September, prompting outrage across the world. Brazilian Supreme Court’s Justice Alexandre de Moraes imposed the ban, citing misinformation on X, which the judge felt was not adequately moderated on the platform.

The country lifted the ban a month later, and de Moraes wrote that the decision "was conditioned, solely, on [X's] full compliance with Brazilian laws and absolute observance of the Judiciary’s decisions, out of respect for national sovereignty."

"X is proud to return to Brazil," X said in a statement at the time. "Giving tens of millions of Brazilians access to our indispensable platform was paramount throughout this entire process. We will continue to defend freedom of speech, within the boundaries of the law, everywhere we operate."

The Brazilian first lady's joke took place two days before the G20 summit officially began. President Biden was present at the summit, though he did not appear during the annual family photo with fellow world leaders and missed the photo-op "for logistical reasons," the White House said.

Reuters and the Associated Press contributed to this report.

Categories: World News

Leader of Georgia's separatist region of Abkhazia resigns, ending unrest

Fox World News - Nov 19, 2024 3:15 PM EST

The separatist leader of Georgia's breakaway region of Abkhazia resigned on Tuesday after days of unrest, in which the opposition and its supporters seized key government buildings and at least 14 people were injured in clashes with police.

Demonstrators stormed the buildings on Friday to protest new measures allowing Russians to buy property in the seaside region, and demanded the ouster of self-styled Abkhazian President Aslan Bzhania, who is backed by Moscow. Bzhania said that he was prepared to resign if the protesters cede control of the buildings, but the opposition refused to do so until he stepped down.

PROTESTERS STORM PUTIN-BACKED PARLIAMENT IN GEORGIA BREAKAWAY REGION

An agreement to end the unrest was reached on Tuesday, Russian media reported, with Bzhania submitting his resignation after all, and the opposition agreeing to leave the occupied buildings. Russian state media outlet Sputnik quoted Abkhazian Vice President Badra Gunba as saying that the agreement was reached after more than nine hours of negotiations.

Bzhania's resignation — which he promised to walk back if the protesters didn't cede control of government buildings — was approved by Abkhazia's parliament on Tuesday afternoon, and Gunba became the province's acting president, Spuntik reported.

Most of Abkhazia broke away from Georgia in fighting that ended in 1993, and Georgia lost control of the rest of the territory in a short war with Russia in 2008. Russia recognizes Abkhazia as an independent country, but many Abkhazians are concerned that the region of about 245,000 people is a client state of Moscow.

Abkhazia’s mountains and Black Sea beaches make it a popular destination for Russian tourists and the demand for holiday homes could be strong.

At least 14 people were injured Friday when opposition protesters clashed with police, Russian state news agencies reported.

Lawmakers had gathered at the region’s parliament building to discuss ratifying measures allowing Russian citizens to buy property in the breakaway state. However, the session was postponed as demonstrators broke down the gate to the building’s grounds with a truck and streamed inside. Some threw rocks at police, who responded with tear gas.

The arrest of five opposition figures at a similar demonstration last week set off widespread protests the next day in which bridges leading to Sukhumi were blocked.

Categories: World News

Son of Norway's crown princess arrested on suspicion of rape

Fox World News - Nov 19, 2024 3:00 PM EST

The 27-year-old son of Norway Crown Princess Mette-Marit is facing a preliminary rape charge after his arrest in the country’s capital, police say. 

Marius Borg Høiby, who was taken into custody in Oslo late Monday, is the stepson of the heir to the Norwegian throne, Crown Prince Haakon, and the son of Mette-Marit from a previous relationship. He has no royal title or official duties. 

Borg Høiby is accused of having "sexual intercourse with someone who is unconscious or for other reasons unable to resist the act," according to Sky News, which also cited local media as saying that he has denied the allegation. 

The Royal House of Norway did not immediately respond Tuesday to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. It gave no comment to news agency NTB.

FLIGHT ATTENDANT’S VIRAL VIDEO SHOWS PILOTS LANDING IN HEAVY RAINSTORM IN NORWAY 

It’s unclear when the alleged rape unfolded, but the victim’s lawyer says police are the ones who brought forth the charge and that his client "is having a hard time," Sky News reported. 

The arrest is the second time Borg Høiby has been taken into custody in the last few months. 

US ALLIES ACCUSE RUSSIA OF ‘ESCALATING HYBRID ACTIVITIES’ AGAINST NATO, EU NATIONS AFTER DATA CABLES SEVERED 

On Aug. 4, police officers responded to a disturbance in downtown Oslo and briefly detained him. Borg Høiby faced preliminary charges of bodily harm and criminal damage and was released. Details were unclear, according to the Associated Press, but police said there was "a relationship between the suspect and the victim." 

Borg Høiby lives with the royal couple and their two children, Princess Ingrid Alexandra and Prince Sverre Magnus. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Categories: World News

Sweden, Finland and Norway release new advice on surviving war amid concerns over Russia, Ukraine escalation

Fox World News - Nov 19, 2024 2:50 PM EST

The once solidly "neutral" Nordic nations in Northern Europe are taking precautions to ready their citizens to be able to cope under war-like conditions as the security apparatus on the continent continues to deteriorate amid the war in Ukraine

Sweden on Monday issued pamphlets to millions giving directions on what to do in the event that war breaks out or the nation is hit with an unexpected crisis. 

The booklet, dubbed "In case of crisis or war," has not only been updated from its previous version six years ago due to the worsening security situation in Europe, but it was also expanded and is nearly twice the size, reported the BBC.

US ALLIES ACCUSE RUSSIA OF 'ESCALATING HYBRID ACTIVITIES' AGAINST NATO, EU NATIONS AFTER DATA CABLES SEVERED

Issuing preparedness booklets out to its citizens is not new for Sweden, which has followed this practice since World War II when its first version titled "If War Comes" was reportedly distributed.

The guidance was updated during the Cold War, but one directive apparently highlighted in the middle of the booklet has been pushed forward noting that, "If Sweden is attacked by another country, we will never give up. All information to the effect that resistance is to cease is false."

Sweden, like Finland before it, joined NATO earlier this year after first announcing its bid to do so in the aftermath of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Sweden’s Civil Defense Minister Carl-Oskar Bohlin has also been sounding the alarm that "there could be war in Sweden" in a move to urge officials to bolster Stockholm’s defenses faster.

Unlike Sweden, neighboring Finland maintained a stronger defensive posture given its shared border with Russia, despite maintaining a decades-long neutrality status following World War II.

1,000 DAYS OF WAR IN UKRAINE AS ZELENSKYY DOUBLES DOWN ON AERIAL OPTIONS WITH ATACMS, DRONES AND MISSILES

But Finland, which joined NATO in 2023, also distributed its crisis preparedness on Monday, though its guidance was released by means of a digital copy for its citizens due to the cost of printing the booklets, noted the BBC.

The Finnish government said it is "well-prepared for self-defense" and assured its citizens that hostile parties threatening Helsinki does not necessarily mean it will be presented through direct military force, noting that in the event of an emergency the Finns should be prepared in case of long power or water outages, as well as disruptions to banking or internet services.

Similarly, Norway, which was a NATO founding member in 1949, released a pamphlet urging Norwegians to be prepared to cope for up to a week in the event of war, crises or extreme weather.

Over 2 million copies were sent out, urging citizens to have canned foods, pasta, pet food, water, matches, candles, first aid kits and medicines in store, including iodine tablets.

"The tablets can protect against radioactive iodine in the event of nuclear accidents and must only be taken on instruction from the authorities," the Norwegian government said in its instructions.

Denmark also encouraged its citizens over the summer to ensure they had three-days’ worth of essential items in store to help get through a crisis situation.

Western leaders continue to monitor Russia's war in Ukraine very closely, and have warned Moscow that any attack on a NATO nation will result in a united response from all 32 nations. 

Categories: World News

1,000 days of war in Ukraine as Zelenskyy doubles down on aerial options with ATACMS, drones and missiles

Fox World News - Nov 19, 2024 11:24 AM EST

Ukraine marked 1,000 days of war with Russia on Tuesday since Russian President Vladimir Putin launched his "special military operation" on Feb. 22, 2022, and initiated the largest conflict Europe has seen since World War II.

It isn't only the scale of the fight that has resembled the infamous war that ended more than 75 years prior to Putin’s invasion. Parents loaded their children onto trains in the early days of the war, veins of trenches have scarred eastern Ukraine, and cities and towns have been completely decimated by air, land and sea-based bombardments.

But the war has done more than remind Western leaders of the global repercussions that come when major nations enter into mass conflict. A new type of warfare emerged out of the fight in Ukraine and the reliance on cheaply made drones to target cities, troop locations and military equipment that cost millions, cemented a new era in combat strategy. 

UKRAINE FIRES FIRST BARRAGE OF US-MADE LONG-RANGE MISSILES INTO RUSSIA, KREMLIN SAYS

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Tuesday announced new plans to increase Ukraine’s production of long-range drones and missiles in its latest attempt to gain an edge over Russia, particularly as his troops grapple with dwindling artillery supplies and uncertainty mounts ahead of the Biden administration’s departure from the White House come January 2025.

Kyiv plans to produce some 30,000 long-range drones next year, along with 3,000 cruise missiles and "drone-missile hybrids," reported the Kyiv Independent.

The announcement made in a speech to Ukraine’s parliament on Tuesday came just two days after President Biden green-lit Ukraine’s use of U.S.-supplied Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) to hit targets inside Russia, and coincided with Kyiv’s first strike against a military arsenal near the Russian town of Karachev in the Bryansk region, more than 70 miles from Ukraine’s border, a U.S. official confirmed with Fox News Digital.

The move by the Biden administration marked a significant shift in U.S. policy, which has for years rejected calls that Ukraine should be able to use U.S.-supplied weaponry to target the Kremlin’s military depots inside Russia, fearing it would escalate the war beyond Ukraine’s borders. 

But security experts have long criticized this policy, arguing the administration has helped create a war of attrition by denying and then capitulating on military capabilities like tanks, fighter jets, ATACMS and then strike permission. 

British reports suggested that now that the U.S. has lifted its restrictions on U.S. supplied-ATACMS, the U.K. and France will likely follow suit and supply Ukraine with Storm Shadow and SCALP long-range missiles stipulation free, though no official announcements have been made.

The British Ministry of Defense would not comment on any plans to lift strike restrictions, but instead pointed to comments made Monday by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who emphasized "we need to double down" on support for Ukraine during his address to leaders of the G-20.

It remains unclear how providing Ukraine with these capabilities at this time will affect the trajectory of the war, but according to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) in Washington, D.C., there are "hundreds of known Russian military and paramilitary objects in Russia" that are in ATACMS strike range.

TRUMP ALLIES WARN BIDEN RISKING 'WORLD WAR III' BY AUTHORIZING LONG-RANGE MISSILES FOR UKRAINE

A report by ISW assessed that "conservatively" there are 245 military objects in range of Ukrainian manned ATACMS. 

The Institute concurred with reported observations that Russian aircraft – capable of conducting the deadly effective glide bomb strikes that have become a top combat resource for Moscow – have largely been redeployed out of range of Western-supplied long-range missiles. 

However, the Institute argued this still left hundreds of exposed military options needed by Russia to continue its war machine.

"The mass redeployment of assets away from such facilities would present significant challenges to Russian logistics throughout the theater, and neither open sources nor U.S. officials have indicated that Russian forces have engaged in such logistical upheavals," it assessed in an August report.

Putin took steps on Tuesday to lower Russia’s threshold for the use of nuclear arsenals and further escalated Western concerns over the eruption of nuclear warfare as both Ukraine and Russia look to bolster their bargaining capabilities ahead of a Trump presidency.

The deployment of some 12,000 North Korean troops to Russia – at least 10,000 of which are believed to have already engaged in combat operations against Ukraine in Russia’s Kursk region – is believed to be the contributing factor that shifted Biden’s stance on ATACMS strike permissions, according to reports this week.

Though the decision also closely followed escalating tensions in the Middle East involving Iran – which has also provided Moscow with drones since mid-2022 – as well as the 2024 presidential race secured by Trump, who has repeatedly claimed he will end the war, though he has yet to disclose how. 

Concern and uncertainty surrounding how the Trump administration will handle U.S. aid to Ukraine and ties with NATO allies have prompted the Biden administration to take steps to position Kyiv to handle the changing times as best as it can

Zelenskyy echoed this sentiment on Tuesday and said, "No one can enjoy calm water amid the storm. We must do everything we can to end this war fairly and justly. 

"One thousand days of war is a tremendous challenge," he added. "We must make the next year the year of peace."

Categories: World News

US allies accuse Russia of 'escalating hybrid activities' against NATO, EU nations after data cables severed

Fox World News - Nov 19, 2024 10:19 AM EST

U.S. allies in Europe allege Russia is "escalating hybrid activities" against NATO and EU nations following the severing of two data cables in the Baltic Sea. 

The declaration comes as Moscow says Ukrainian forces have fired six U.S.-made missiles into Russian territory on Tuesday. In the two days beforehand, the cables linking Finland to Germany and Sweden to Lithuania were slashed underwater, according to Reuters. 

"No one believes that these cables were cut accidentally," German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius was quoted by Reuters as saying Tuesday. "We also have to assume, without knowing it yet, that it is sabotage." 

"If Russia does not stop committing acts of sabotage in Europe, Warsaw will close the rest of its consulates in Poland," Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski reportedly added. 

UKRAINE FIRES FIRST BARRAGE OF US-MADE LONG-RANGE MISSILES INTO RUSSIA, KREMLIN SAYS 

The foreign ministers of France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain and the United Kingdom issued a joint statement saying that "Moscow’s escalating hybrid activities against NATO and EU countries are... unprecedented in their variety and scale, creating significant security risks." 

However, the Tuesday statement did not directly blame Moscow for the cable damage. 

"To live up to this historic challenge, we are determined to stand united with our European and transatlantic partners to think and act big on European security," that statement also said. "European countries must play a still greater role in assuring our own security, acting alongside our transatlantic and global partners." 

The Finnish state-controlled data services provider Cinia said the severed data cable was detected Monday in the C-Lion1 cable that runs nearly 750 miles from the Finnish capital, Helsinki, to the German port city of Rostock. 

PUTIN SIGNS REVISED DOCTRINE LOWERING THRESHOLD FOR NUCLEAR RESPONSE IF RUSSIA IS ATTACKED 

The C-Lion1, commissioned in 2016, is Finland’s only data communications cable that runs from the Nordic country directly to central Europe, according to Finnish public broadcaster YLE. 

"A data cable between Finland and Germany was damaged and service [was] cut off. Swedish authorities are investigating as the site is in Swedish waters," a senior European official told Fox News. 

The foreign ministries of Finland and Germany said in their own joint statement that the damage comes at a time when "our European security is not only under threat from Russia‘s war of aggression against Ukraine, but also from hybrid warfare by malicious actors." 

The statement said the countries were investigating the incident, and that it was crucial that such "critical infrastructure" be safeguarded. 

"The fact that such an incident immediately raises suspicions of intentional damage speaks volumes about the volatility of our times," the two countries added. 

Fox News’ Anders Hagstrom, Jennifer Griffin and The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

Categories: World News

Ukraine fires first barrage of US-made long-range missiles into Russia, Kremlin says

Fox World News - Nov 19, 2024 7:53 AM EST

Moscow says Ukrainian forces have taken advantage of President Biden's green light and launched 6 U.S.-made ATACMs into Russian territory Tuesday.

Russia says it shot down five of the missiles and damaged the sixth. It added that debris landed in the area of a Russian military facility, but that no casualties or damage beyond a small fire.

This is a developing story. Check back soon for updates.

Categories: World News

45 pro-democracy Hong Kong activists sentenced to up to 10 years in prison under China-backed law

Fox World News - Nov 19, 2024 7:09 AM EST

Authorities in Hong Kong sentenced 45 prominent pro-democracy activists to up to 10 years in prison on Tuesday for violating a wide-ranging national security law imposed on the area by China.

The activists are accused of agreeing to veto government-proposed budgets indiscriminately after securing a majority to force a dissolution of the legislature and ultimate ouster of the city's leader.

Of the 47 individuals charged, 31 pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit subversion, while 14 others were convicted following a trial. Two others were acquitted.

The drastic crackdown brought criticism from western countries. Australia, who had a citizen among those sentenced, objected to authorities both in Hong Kong and Beijing over the move.

HONG KONG JOURNALISTS CONVICTED OF SEDITION AS CHINA CRACKS DOWN ON FREE PRESS: REPORT

Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said her government was "gravely concerned" over the sentencing of Australian citizen Gordon Ng.

Officials in the U.K. similarly condemned the move, saying it was yet another example of Beijing using the 2021 national security law to snuff out pro-democracy voices.

"Those sentenced today were exercising their right to freedom of speech, of assembly and of political participation," said Catherine West, who serves as minister for the Indo-Pacific in Britain’s Foreign Office.

The U.S. consulate in Hong Kong expressed a similar view, condemning the sentences.

PROTEST ANTHEM 'GLORY TO HONG KONG' OUTLAWED IN CITY

"We call on (Beijing) and Hong Kong authorities to cease politically motivated prosecutions of Hong Kong citizens and to immediately release all political prisoners and individuals jailed for their peaceful advocacy for rights and freedoms," it said in a statement.

The sentencing comes less than a month after two pro-democracy journalists in Hong Kong were sentenced to prison for "seditious" activities and "illegal ideologies."

Chung Pui-kuen, 55, and Patrick Lam, 36, were found guilty in August of conspiring to publish seditious materials through their Stand News media outlet. 

Chung was the former editor-in-chief of Stand News and received a 21-month prison sentence. Lam, Chung's successor, was sentenced to 14 months but had his time reduced due to a variety of factors, such as his time served pre-trial and his health conditions.

The two men are the first journalists convicted of such crimes in Hong Kong since the United Kingdom handed it over to Chinese rule in 1997.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Categories: World News

Putin signs revised doctrine lowering threshold for nuclear response if Russia is attacked

Fox World News - Nov 19, 2024 5:54 AM EST

Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a revised nuclear doctrine on Tuesday stating that any attack on Russia supported by a country with nuclear power could be grounds for a nuclear response.

Putin signed the new policy on the 1,000th day of the war with Ukraine and the day after President Biden authorized Ukraine to use U.S.-supplied longer-range missiles to strike inside Russia.

The doctrine also states that Russia could respond to aggression against its ally Belarus with nuclear weapons, The Associated Press reported.

Though the doctrine doesn't specify that Russia will definitely respond to such attacks with nuclear weapons, it does mention the "uncertainty of scale, time and place of possible use of nuclear deterrent" as key principles of deterrence.

BIDEN AUTHORIZES UKRAINE TO USE US LONG-RANGE MISSILES TO STRIKE INSIDE RUSSIA

When asked if the updated doctrine comes in response to Biden's decision to ease restrictions on how Ukraine can strike Russia, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told the AP that the doctrine was published "in a timely manner." 

Peskov also said Putin told the government to update it earlier this year so that it's "in line with the current situation" – the Russian president led a meeting in September to discuss these proposed revisions to the doctrine.

TRUMP ALLIES WARN BIDEN RISKING 'WORLD WAR III' BY AUTHORIZING LONG-RANGE MISSILES FOR UKRAINE

Revealed in September, the doctrine now officially states that an attack on Russia by a nonnuclear power with the "participation or support of a nuclear power" will be seen as a "joint attack on the Russian Federation."

It also contains a broader range of conditions that would trigger the use of nuclear weapons, noting that they could be used in response to an air attack involving ballistic and cruise missiles, aircraft, drones and other flying vehicles.

The previous document threatened the use of Russia's arsenal if "reliable information is received about the launch of ballistic missiles targeting the territory of Russia or its allies."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Categories: World News

Foul play ruled out month after body of Walmart employee found inside walk-in oven at Canada store

Fox World News - Nov 18, 2024 9:07 PM EST

A month after the body of a Walmart employee was found inside a walk-in oven of a store in eastern Canada, police have determined that her death was not suspicious.

The Halifax Police Department released a statement to announce that an investigation into the death of the 19-year-old woman, who was found inside the walk-in oven of the Halifax Walmart on Oct. 19, was not suspicious and there was no evidence of foul play.

"We do not believe anyone else was involved in the circumstances surrounding the woman's death," Halifax Regional Police Constable Martin Cromwell announced in a video update on the department's Facebook page on Monday.

Cromwell added that they did not have many details they could share and did not expect any other updates anytime soon. 

WALMART EMPLOYEE FOUND DEAD INSIDE WALK-IN OVEN AT CANADA STORE: POLICE

"We acknowledge the public's interest in this case and that there are questions that may never have answers," said Cromwell. "Please be mindful of the damage public speculation can cause. This woman's loved ones are grieving."

Police have not yet released the name of the victim. However, the Gurudwara Maritime Sikh Society, an organization for Sikh immigrants, has identified the woman as Gursimran Kaur.

The group also created a GoFundMe page, which is no longer running, that raised more than $194,000 for Kaur's family.

"Gursimran Kaur was only 19 years old, a young beautiful girl who came to Canada with big dreams," a post on the website read.

IDENTITY OF 'BADLY DECOMPOSED' BODY FOUND IN OHIO CAR WASH RELEASED: REPORT

According to the post, Kaur and her mother both worked at Walmart for the last two years.

During the evening of her daughter's disappearance, the society executive said Kaur's mother tried to find her after not having contact with her for an hour but brushed it aside, assuming she was helping a customer.

Kaur's phone was reportedly also not reachable. 

"Mother started panicking as it was unusual for her to switch her phone off during the day. She reached out to the onsite admin for help," the post continued.

MISSOURI INFANT DIES AFTER MOTHER 'ACCIDENTALLY' PLACES BABY IN OVEN INSTEAD OF CRIB: POLICE

Sadly, after a few hours, her daughter's body was found inside a walk-in oven in the store's bakery.

"Imagine the horror that her mother experienced when she opened the oven, when someone pointed it out to her!" the society executive described. "This family's sufferings are unimaginable and indescribable."

Both Kaur's father and brother were both reportedly in India at the time of her death.

"Investigators met with family to share this update and extend condolences," Halifax police said. "Our thoughts remain with them at this difficult time."

A spokesperson for Walmart previously told Fox News Digital that the store "will be closed until further notice."

The Canadian Broadcasting Corp. reported that the store reopened on Monday and that the bakery oven was being removed from the store.

Fox News Digital reached out to Walmart for comment on the latest news but did not immediately receive a response.

Categories: World News

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