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The Israel Defense Forces and the country's domestic security agency Shin Bet have announced that it is investigating whether Hamas terror chief Yahya Sinwar was killed on Thursday in the Gaza Strip.

The agencies said in a joint statement that "During IDF operations in the Gaza Strip, three terrorists were eliminated" and that it was "checking the possibility that one of the terrorists was Yahya Sinwar." 

"In the building where the terrorists were eliminated, there were no signs of the presence of hostages in the area," they added. "The forces that are operating in the area are continuing to operate with the required caution." 

Referred to by Israel as the Butcher of Khan Younis for his violent and cruel torture methods against his enemies, both Israeli and Palestinian, Sinwar, 60, is widely seen as being behind the massacre of Israeli civilians carried out by thousands of Hamas militants on Oct. 7. 

HAMAS NAMES YAHYA SINWAR, MASTERMIND OF OCT. 7 ATTACKS, AS ITS NEW LEADER  

Israeli Defense Forces spokesman Lt. Col. Richard Hecht had told reporters last October that "Sinwar is the leader of Hamas in Gaza and he’s a dead man walking." 

"We will get to him, however long it takes… and this war could be long," he said. 

Sinwar was believed to be somewhere in the Palestinian enclave but hidden deep underground in the warren of tunnels Hamas uses to transport weapons and fighters and where they may even be keeping the hostages, was born in the Khan Younis refugee camp when the area was part of Egypt. 

According to multiple sources, he was always a militant activist and joined Hamas not long after its founding in 1987. Two years later, he was arrested by Israel for his involvement in the abduction and killing of two Israelis, as well as the torturing and murder of four Palestinians he considered to be collaborators.  

ISRAEL’S HUNT FOR HAMAS TERROR LEADER YAHYA SINWAR: ‘DEAD MAN WALKING’ 

Sentenced to life in prison, Sinwar ended up serving 22 years in an Israeli jail and was eventually released as part of a prisoner exchange for the abducted Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit in 2011. 

"Sinwar has been active since the early days of Hamas," Kobi Michael, a senior researcher at the Institute for National Security Studies in Tel Aviv, previously told Fox News Digital. "In jail, he became a prominent leader of Hamas prisoners and was a very influential figure among all Palestinian prisoners."  

After being returned to Gaza as part of the Shalit deal, Sinwar became a popular leader in Hamas, an affiliate of the Muslim Brotherhood, and in 2017 was elected by secret ballot to replace the incumbent political leader, Ismail Haniyeh, who was killed in Iran this July. 

Following Haniyeh’s death, Sinwar was named Hamas’ new leader.  

The United States has attacked five military sites controlled by Houthi forces in Yemen by using B-2 bombers for precision strikes against weapons storage locations.

"U.S. forces targeted several of the Houthis’ underground facilities housing various weapons components of types that the Houthis have used to target civilian and military vessels throughout the region," Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III said in a statement. 

"This was a unique demonstration of the United States’ ability to target facilities that our adversaries seek to keep out of reach, no matter how deeply buried underground, hardened, or fortified."

DISAPPROVAL MOUNTS BOTH AT HOME AND ABROAD AS US AVOIDS DIRECT ACTION AGAINST HOUTHI REBELS

Austin said the employment of U.S. Air Force B-2 Spirit long-range stealth bombers demonstrated U.S. global strike capabilities to "take action against these targets when necessary, anytime, anywhere." 

"For over a year, the Iran-backed Houthis, Specially Designated Global Terrorists, have recklessly and unlawfully attacked U.S. and international vessels transiting the Red Sea, the Bab Al-Mandeb Strait, and the Gulf of Aden," he said. 

The Houthis’ illegal attacks continue to disrupt the free flow of international commerce, threaten environmental catastrophe, and put innocent civilian lives and U.S. and partner forces’ lives at risk, he said. 

U.S. FORCES DESTROY MULTIPLE HOUTHI WEAPONS, VEHICLES IN PAST 24 HOURS: CENTCOM

Austin said the attack was approved by President Joe Biden.

"At the direction of President Biden, I authorized these targeted strikes to further degrade the Houthis’ capability to continue their destabilizing behavior and to protect and defend U.S. forces and personnel in one of the world’s most critical waterways.

"Again, the United States will not hesitate to take action to defend American lives and assets; to deter attacks against civilians and our regional partners; and to protect freedom of navigation and increase the safety and security in these waterways for U.S., coalition, and merchant vessels. 

"We will continue to make clear to the Houthis that there will be consequences for their illegal and reckless attacks. I am grateful for the professionalism and skill of the brave American troops who took part in today’s actions and who continue to stand guard in defense of our Nation."

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Early assessments by the U.S. Central Command indicate that none of the strikes injured any civilians. Here's some background about the Houthi effects in the Middle East and throughout shipping corridors in the region:

The Taliban is reportedly enforcing a ban against certain media outlets airing "images of living beings" in Afghanistan.

An Afghan official confirmed the news to the Associated Press on Tuesday. The militant group, through its Vice and Virtue Ministry, is currently enforcing the rule in certain provinces, and it is unclear when or if it will apply to all media outlets across the country, including foreign media.

The new rule reflects laws announced by the Vice and Virtue Ministry in August, which also banned women's voices and bare faces. The legislation marked the first declaration of such rules in Afghanistan since the Taliban took over after the U.S. withdrawal.

Article 17 of the legislation, which was approved by supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada, bans the publication of any images depicting living beings.

TALIBAN PARADES AMERICAN WEAPONS 3 YEARS AFTER CHAOTIC WITHDRAWAL FROM AFGHANISTAN

Vice and Virtue Ministry spokesman Saif ul Islam Khyber confirmed that media in the Afghan provinces of Maidan Wardak, Kandahar and Takhar have been advised not to show images of anything with a soul.

Aghan Independent Journalists Union director Hujjatullah Mujadidi reported that state media was directly told not to air such images by the ministry. It was later extended to all media in the provinces.

TALIBAN VOWS TO PUBLICLY STONE WOMEN TO DEATH IN DIRECT MESSAGE TO WESTERN DEMOCRACIES

"Last night, independent local media (in some provinces) also stopped running these videos and images and are instead broadcasting nature videos," Mujadidi said.

Afghanistan is the only Muslim-majority country enforcing this broadcasting rule. The extremity of the legislation announced by the Vice and Virtue Ministry caused international concern, especially the laws pertaining to women.

The Vice and Virtue Ministry deemed that women's voices were considered too "intimate" and banned women from singing or reading aloud in public. The legislation also requires women to wear veils in public.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Sitting in the Indian Ocean is a unique destination filled with wildlife and memorable experiences for those who visit.

The Australian external territory of Christmas Island is largely made up of Christmas Island National Park. It is a spot full of luscious rainforests, diverse wildlife and beautiful beaches. The destination got its unique name after the island was officially titled by Capt. William Mynors of the British East India Company in 1643 when it was spotted on Christmas Day, according to Parks Australia.

There is no shortage of things to do while visiting Christmas Island National Park, though one famous phenomenon tourists often strive to see during their trip is the annual red crab migration.

UNDERGROUND WINE CITY IN MOLDOVA OWNS NEARLY 2 MILLION BOTTLES, THE WORLD'S LARGEST COLLECTION

Each year, millions of red crabs leave the forest and make their way toward the ocean for breeding, according to Parks Australia.

This migration happens after the first rainfall of the wet season, according to the source. This traditionally falls in October or November, but it could possibly be as late as December or January. 

If you visit Christmas Island during peak migration time, expect last minute road closures to occur, Parks Australia notes. 

SET SAIL ON WORLD'S LARGEST CRUISE SHIP, WHICH CAN ACCOMMODATE OVER 7,000 GUESTS PER VOYAGE

There are places spread around Christmas Island that are ideal for watching the red crab migration, including Drumsite, Flying Fish Cove, Ethel Beach and Greta Beach, according to Parks Australia.

Just about a month after spawning, you can spot the baby crabs leaving the ocean and heading back into the forest, the source notes. 

While watching the red crab migration is a top tourist attraction of Christmas Island National Park, there are so many other activities for guests to take part in during their trip.

Other highly favored activities to consider while visiting Christmas Island are bird-watching and hiking as well as scuba diving, with more than 60 different dive sites where divers can explore diverse marine life, which includes 88 species of coral and more than 650 different types of fish that fill the waters.

You also might be able to catch a turtle hatch during your time on Christmas Island. Dolly and Greta beaches are two spots where turtles nest, according to Parks Australia.

The site notes that when watching hatchlings, stand back from the nest, avoid using lights, don't stand between the tiny turtles and the ocean, and allow them to walk into the water on their own.

JERUSALEM—The Biden administration on Tuesday designated the Palestinian non-governmental organization Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network as an "international fundraiser" for a Palestinian terrorist group.

The classification of Samidoun as a terrorist organization comes six months after Fox News Digital published a May expose on calls for the Biden administration to outlaw the Palestinian group in the U.S.

The U.S. Treasury Department announced on its website that "In a joint action with Canada, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated the Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network, or ‘Samidoun,’ a sham charity that serves as an international fundraiser for the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) terrorist organization."

NEW REPORT FINDS NEARLY 200% INCREASE IN ANTISEMITIC INCIDENTS IN US SINCE OCT. 7 HAMAS TERROR MASSACRE

The U.S. government designated the PFLP a foreign terrorist organization in 1997. According to Treasury, the PFLP "uses Samidoun to maintain fundraising operations in both Europe and North America. Also designated today is Khaled Barakat, a member of the PFLP’s leadership. Together, Samidoun and Barakat play critical roles in external fundraising for the PFLP."

Samidoun has chapters in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Iran, as well as in numerous European countries, including Sweden, France and Spain. Germany outlawed Samidoun in November and Israel classified the Palestinian organization as a terrorist entity in 2021. 

"Organizations like Samidoun masquerade as charitable actors that claim to provide humanitarian support to those in need, yet in reality divert funds for much-needed assistance to support terrorist groups," said Bradley T. Smith, acting under secretary of the treasury for terrorism and financial intelligence. "The United States, together with Canada and our like-minded partners, will continue to disrupt those who seek to finance the PFLP, Hamas, and other terrorist organizations."

FIGHTING THE DISTURBING SPIRAL OF JEW-HATRED IN CANADA

Dominic LeBlanc, Canada's minister of public safety, democratic institutions and intergovernmental affairs, followed suit, annoucing that "Canada remains committed to working with our key partners and allies, like the United States, to counter terrorist organizations and their fundraisers." He continued, "Today’s joint action with the U.S. sends a strong message that our two nations will not tolerate this type of activity and will do everything in our power to ensure robust measures are in place to address terrorist financing."

The Trudeau administration has faced criticism for failing to act to combat huge levels of antisemitism since the Oct. 7 Hamas massacre of Israelis. Canada's Global News reported a Jewish school for girls was shot at for a second time in a year on the eve of Yom Kippur on Friday in Toronto.

ELITE UNIVERSITY JOURNALISM PROFESSOR EXPOSED FOR MONTHSLONG CAMPAIGN JUSTIFYING HAMAS

The Treasury Department said the ban on Samidoun builds on its actions to counter terrorism after Hamas’ massacre of nearly 1,200 people, including over 30 Americans, in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.

The goal of the latest Treasury sanction is to crack down on "terrorists and terrorist organizations that abuse the nonprofit organization sector by raising funds under the guise of charitable work," wrote the agency.

Samidoun lashed out at the U.S.and Canada for listing its organization as a terrorist group, writing on its website, "Samidoun is particularly targeted because of our political and vocal support for the Palestinian prisoners movement and the Palestinian people’s right to resistance."

The outlawed group defiantly declared, "Our response to this designation is clear: we will keep struggling to stop the genocide, stop imperialist support for Israel, until the liberation of Palestine from the river to the sea." 

The slogan "from the river to the sea" is widely viewed as a genocidal call to abolish the Jewish state and replace it with a Muslim-majority Palestinian state. In April, the House of Representatives passed a resolution condemning the slogan as antisemitic.

The oldest stone tools discovered were found in a 3.3-million-year-old archaeological site in West Turkana, Kenya, according to findings published in 2015 in the journal, "Nature." The authors called the find "a new beginning to the known archaeological record," as these stone tools predate those of the Oldowan toolkit by 700,000 years. 

Archaeological excavations of a site called Lomekwi 3 began in 2011, when the first ancient artifacts were found. 

In 2012, archaeological work continued. Even more finds were uncovered at this time, including stone tools and fossils, according to the study. There were a total of 149 artifacts excavated from the location. 

ARCHAEOLOGISTS UNEARTH UNEXPECTED FIND INSIDE A TOMB LIKELY BELONGING TO A ROMAN GLADIATOR

Among the stone tools discovered were sharp flakes of stone, according to the research. Dating of the volcanic ash and minerals around the area helped to give the stone tools an age of 3.3 million years. 

These stone artifacts predate the genus Homo, but who exactly was responsible for their creation is unknown, though there are numerous theories.  

"There was a hominin called Kenyanthropus platyops, which has been found very close to where the Lomekwi 3 tools are being excavated. And that hominin was around at the time the tools were being made," Dr. Nick Taylor, from the National Centre of Scientific Research in France and the University of Leiden in the Netherlands said, per the BBC. 

ARCHAEOLOGISTS UNEARTH WELL-PRESERVED 4,000-YEAR-OLD EGYPTIAN TOMB

"More widely, in the East African region there is another hominin, Australopithecus afarensis, which is famously known from the fossil Lucy, which is another candidate," Taylor also said, per the source. 

This find begged many questions for researchers about the sophistication of these ancient species. 

"It suggests that species like Australopithecus might have been intelligent enough to make stone tools - that they had the cognitive and manipulative abilities to carry tasks like this out," said Dr. Ignacio de la Torre of University College London's Institute of Archaeology, per BBC. 

12-YEAR-OLD BOY STUMBLES UPON STUNNING ANCIENT FIND WHILE WALKING DOG IN ENGLAND: ‘RELATIVELY RARE’

These 3.3-million-year-old stone tools are not the latest to be found in Kenya. In fact, a study published in February 2023 in the journal "Science" highlighted more stone tools that were found in Kenya, that were also among some of the world's oldest. 

Those particular tools date back 2.9 million years, with the intent of cutting up hippos for meat, the researchers reported in the study. 

While these stone tools may not date back quite as far as the 3.3-million-year-old tools, the newer find fits more in line with the Oldowan tools that have appeared throughout Africa and other places throughout the world, Shannon McPherron, an archaeologist at Germany’s Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology who The Associated Press noted was not involved with the study, told the outlet. 

These tools were made by holding a rock in one hand and then hitting it with another stone, causing sharp flakes to chip off, Kathy Schick of the Stone Age Institute in Indiana, who the Associated Press noted wasn’t involved in the research, told the outlet. 

These particular tools were found at the Nyayanga site, during excavations that commenced in 2015. 

Israel reportedly has decided on the targets that it could strike in Iran in retaliation for the barrage of missiles Tehran fired at the country on Oct. 1, with Defense Minister Yoav Gallant vowing that there will be "a precise and deadly response." 

The Times of Israel, citing Channel 12 news, reports that the Israeli Defense Forces have presented a list of potential targets to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Gallant as officials are conducting "sensitive coordination" with other countries in the Middle East. 

"The targets are clear. Now it’s a matter of time," one source reportedly told Israel’s Kan news. 

Another source told Kan that "the targets could also change at the 11th hour," according to The Times of Israel. 

FROM CEASE-FIRE PUSH TO BOOTS ON THE GROUND IN ISRAEL: US SEEMINGLY ACCEPTS INVOLVEMENT IN ESCALATING WAR 

The newspaper quoted Gallant as saying Tuesday that he sees "eye-to-eye" with Netanyahu and military chief Herzi Halevi on "both the need and essence of the response" to Iran, which he described as being "precise and deadly." 

Following the attack by Tehran, in which the U.S. helped defend Israel against the more than 180 missiles fired at it, Netanyahu vowed to make Iran "pay," prompting immediate speculation over what the counterattack would look like. 

BIDEN-HARRIS ADMINISTRATION WARNS ISRAEL OVER GAZA HUMANITARIAN AID, LEAKED LETTER REVEALS 

No casualties were reported in Israel, though one Palestinian was killed in the West Bank, and Biden has urged Netanyahu to issue nothing more than a "proportionate" counterstrike.  

However, speculation has mounted over the type of attack Israel could hit Iran with, and security analysts have begun reviewing strike options that range from hitting military sites, infrastructure important to the Iranian regime like oil refineries and ports, to even an attack on Iran’s expanding nuclear program. 

Following Iran’s attack in April, during which it levied some 300 missiles and drones at Israel, Jerusalem responded to Western calls for restraint by hitting Iran’s air defenses and destroying part of an S-300 long-range air defense system. 

Fox News’ Caitlin McFall contributed to this report. 

JERUSALEM—Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., recently sent a letter to the head of the U.S. Agency for International Development, disclosing that some of the $1 billion in American taxpayer money was likely diverted to Hamas.

Cotton’s shocking claim came just weeks after the U.S.-designated terrorist organization, Hamas, executed the 23-year-old American-Israeli Hersh Goldberg-Polin in late August.

Cotton slammed the main U.N. relief agency for Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, known as the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), for its links to Hamas terrorists.

The senator told Fox News Digital "It has become very clear that not another dime of American taxpayer money should ever go to UNRWA again. All aid to Gaza should be paused immediately."  

BIDEN-HARRIS ADMIN WARNS ISRAEL OVER GAZA HUMANITARIAN AID, LEAKED LETTER REVEALS

Last month, Fox News Digital reported that Israeli Ambassador to the U.N. Danny Danon said the scandal-plagued UNRWA has been taken over by Hamas terrorists.

Cotton wrote in his letter to Samantha Power, the administrator of USAID, that he has "grave concerns about the likely misuse of more than one billion dollars in U.S. humanitarian aid sent to Gaza since October 2023. As I predicted would happen from the outset, credible reporting indicates that Hamas terrorists have diverted this aid; indisputable evidence demonstrates that the aid was always at high risk of diversion."

He added that "In all likelihood, the Biden-Harris administration has prolonged the Gaza war, allowed aid to flow to Israel’s enemies, and misused taxpayer funds."

Cotton wrote that last month, USAID "announced approximately $336 million in additional humanitarian funding for Gaza, Judea, and Samaria. On the same day, the United Nations acknowledged that Fateh al-Sharif, a Hamas leader in Lebanon killed in an Israeli airstrike, was employed by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency. UNRWA, a major USAID partner before October 7, remains a chief conduit for U.N. humanitarian assistance in Gaza despite extensive evidence of its ties to Hamas." 

Judea and Samaria is also known as the West Bank. 

DOSSIER REVEALS INFORMATION USED TO EXPLAIN UN AGENCY'S DEEP TIES TO HAMAS IN GAZA

Hamas invaded Israel on Oct. 7, 2023 and slaughtered nearly 1,200 people, including over 30 Americans.

When approached for a comment about Cotton’s accusations, UNRWA Washington Office Director William Deere told Fox News Digital, "We wish the Senator’s office would have reached out to us as the letter contains numerous errors, the sum of which renders it largely a series of mismatched facts and unsubstantiated allegations - particularly its assertion that providing desperate people with food, medicine and shelter somehow prolongs a war. First, UNRWA is not a partner with USAID, not before or after October 7, which makes even the letter’s addressee, USAID Administrator Power, the wrong person to whom to write if the Senator’s concerns are with UNRWA."

He added that "The only credible reporting on possible aid diversion by Hamas in Gaza comes from the recent U.S. Special Envoy for Middle Eastern Humanitarian Affairs, Ambassador David Satterfield, who stated, ‘No Israeli official has come to me, come to the administration, with specific evidence of diversion or theft of assistance delivered by the U.N.’"

Deere said "Fateh al-Sharif was placed on administrative leave without pay in March and the Agency investigation was proceeding despite protests, which included the closing of UNRWA’s Lebanon field office for several months and ongoing threats against UNRWA staff."

Cotton added that "In July, the USAID Inspector General identified multiple ‘shortcomings and vulnerabilities in its overnight mechanisms’ for Gaza aid, such as inadequate vetting of local partners, reliance on self-reporting of terrorist ties from partners, reliance on inadequate vetting by U.N. partners."

He urged Power to "immediately suspend all aid until taking credible and serious steps to stop Americans’ tax dollars from funding terrorists."

A USAID spokesperson refuted the allegations against it, claiming in a statement to Fox News Digital that, "USAID does not provide any funding to UNRWA, nor did we do so prior to October 7, 2023. In addition to extensive risk mitigation procedures, USAID works closely with the Government of Israel to assist with the coordination of and discuss potential risks to all humanitarian assistance entering Gaza. USAID has not received evidence from the Government of Israel, our partners, or other sources to support the claims in Senator Cotton’s letter."

ISRAELI DEFENSE MINISTER: 'DOZENS' OF UNRWA STAFF TOOK PART IN HAMAS’ OCT 7 MASSACRE

A spokesperson for the U.S. State Department told Fox News Digital, "The United States ceased funding UNRWA in January immediately following knowledge of allegations that some UNRWA staff may have participated in the heinous October 7th attacks."

The spokesperson added "In March, the U.S. Congress prohibited any U.S. funding of UNRWA through at least 2025. We have and continue to redirect our assistance to other partners and avenues to help Palestinians. We support steps to strengthen UNRWA impartiality and neutrality, including to respond to allegations of ties to terrorism. "

According to the State Department spokesperson, "UNRWA is not a terrorist organization.  We appreciate UNRWA’s critical role in providing life-saving assistance to Palestinians and essential education, health, relief and social services programs and emergency assistance in Gaza and the West Bank, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria."

In July, Israeli lawmakers approved the first reading of a bill that would cut ties with the controversial UNRWA agency and declare it a terrorist entity. Knesset member Yulia Malinovsky, the bill’s sponsor, called UNRWA "a fifth column within the State of Israel" and said it was high time that the agency was outlawed in the country.

Congress’ House Foreign Affairs Committee passed initial legislation in July that would build on an already existing funding freeze of the multimillion-dollar organization and direct the State Department to recover previously donated monies.

After Israel revealed that UNRWA employed Hamas terrorists, including many who reportedly participated in the massacre on Oct. 7, the U.S. suspended aid to UNRWA. 

Deere said that "Left out of Senator Cotton’s analysis was the fact the Israeli Government had not informed UNRWA since 2011 of any concerns relating to Agency staff."

A spokesman for Cotton told Fox News Digital in response to UNRWA's charges that, "Administrator Power and USAID do not have an adequate vetting process to ensure that American taxpayer dollars do not end up with terrorists. If a terrorist front organization like UNRWA is the only "distribution system" in Gaza, Power should reconsider sending aid there in the first place. Our tax dollars should not fund a group that has assisted in the kidnapping and murder of Americans." 

Former President Donald Trump’s administration had pulled the plug on UNRWA. The Biden administration quickly restored funding. 

Last week, Israel’s mass circulation daily, Israel Hayom, reported that "The Israel Land Authority (ILA) is seizing the land of UNRWA's headquarters in Jerusalem, in order to build 1,440 housing units."

The paper said "As the extent of UNRWA and its employees' collaboration in the massacre at Gaza border communities by Hamas and their role in providing assistance for murder, kidnapping, and more continues to be revealed, a significant step has been taken for the first time against the refugee agency."

Fox News' Ruth Marks Eglash contributed to this report.

FIRST ON FOX - Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov spoke with Fox News Digital about Ukraine's war efforts as Russia's full-scale invasion enters its fourth year in February 2025, with both sides making very little gains on the battlefield.

As the winter fighting season begins soon, the Ukrainian government needs to step up its efforts to recruit new soldiers, train them and provide the necessary military equipment to win the war.

Even as the war has no end in sight, mobilization is proceeding according to plans laid out by the Ukrainian government.

HARRIS' OFF-PUTTING MANNER PUT ZELENSKYY ON DEFENSIVE AHEAD OF RUSSIAN INVASION, NEW BOOK REVEALS

"Since the adoption of the law on mobilization this spring, we have increased mobilization indicators by 2.5 times. Twelve percent of military personnel now voluntarily join the ranks of the army thanks to a new recruitment system," Umerov told Fox News Digital in an email sent through the Ministry of Defense’s press office due to operational security concerns.

Ukraine passed a mobilization law in April to reform the military recruitment process while the war drags on and battlefield casualties mount.

The aim of the mobilization law, according to the defense minister, is to make the recruitment process more efficient and more transparent.

Umerov said that the positive numbers show that Ukrainians are ready to "defend their land with weapons in their hands."

PUTIN WARNS US, NATO RISK WAR WITH RUSSIA IF LONG-RANGE STRIKE BANS LIFTED FOR UKRAINE

What Ukraine needs, according to the defense minister, is help from their international partners.

"We have enough troops. However, we need support from international partners in weapons and equipment, and we require it fast."

Umerov said Ukraine desperately needs modern Western-made air defense systems and a sufficient supply of ammunition for these systems. Ukraine needs a multi-layered air defense system to protect critical infrastructure and long-range capability to strike airfields and other military facilities deep inside Russia. 

So far, the Biden administration is hesitant to consent to the need for long-range systems for fear of antagonizing Russian President Vladimir Putin and escalating a possible confrontation with Russia.

Ukraine also introduced an online app called Reserve+ that helps streamline the conscription process and makes it easier for those liable to serve to update their personal data. More than 3.4 million Ukrainians updated their conscription data through the app in just a little over two months, according to the defense minister.

ZELENSKYY DOWNPLAYS COMMENT THAT TRUMP DOESN'T KNOW HOW TO END RUSSIA'S WAR WITH UKRAINE

Kyiv recently lowered the draft age for men from 27 to 25, which will expand the pool of eligible fighters and help replenish the depleted ranks. Ivana Strader, who focuses on Russia’s psychological operations at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said that Putin's most powerful weapon is information, and he understands that by putting Ukraine on the defensive in this sphere he can accomplish all his security objectives.

"Putin has been launching influence operations to target Ukrainians and to make sure [Ukrainian President Volodymyr] Zelenskyy is in an uncomfortable situation with his own population for lowering the age of military service. This is very unpopular in Ukraine, and Putin knows this," Stradner said.

The government still has to come up with creative ways to increase its troop levels in addition to the new draft law. The Ukrainian parliament passed a law that would allow some prisoners who have less than three years left in their sentences and were not convicted of serious or violent crimes to serve in the army if they choose.

The U.K. is also considering sending a small group of military advisers to train new soldiers before heading to the front lines. 

Orysia Lutsevych, head of the Ukraine Forum at Chatham House, told Fox News Digital that 2024 saw some of the most intense fighting on land with infantry in the Donbas region throughout the whole war and that Ukraine needs to draw more people into the armed forces and prepare them for combat.

Lutsevych agrees with Umerov's assessment of the conflict. The problem for Ukraine’s war prospects, according to Lutsevych, are twofold: equipment and training.

"Ukrainians don't say we don't want to fight. Of course, there is a fear of death, obviously. But the number one concern is will they be equipped to fight," Lutsevych said.

Lutsevych explained that when the war first broke out, a majority of those who voluntarily signed up to fight were people who already had combat experience from 2014, when Russia first invaded eastern Ukraine and annexed Crimea. These veterans made up the bulk of Ukraine’s fighting force in the early stages of the war. Many of these veterans were killed in action or severely wounded, forcing the Ukrainian government to replenish its forces.

Following this first wave of experienced combat veterans are average civilians with no combat experience and these individuals lack the proper training and necessary equipment needed to carry on repelling further Russian advances. 

PUTIN LOWERS THRESHOLD FOR NUCLEAR RESPONSE AS BIDEN ADMINISTRATION PLEDGES NEW FUNDING TO UKRAINE

Russia currently has approximately 550,000 military personnel deployed in Ukraine and is steadily increasing the number of troops involved in combat operations. As 2025 approaches, the war is entering a critical phase and has settled into a war of attrition with both sides enduring significant costs. 

"It's a difficult situation for both parties, but neither side appears prepared to give up," Maria Snegovaya, senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told Fox News Digital. Except for Ukraine’s Kursk incursion, Snegovaya said that the front lines in the east have not moved much, while Russia has pushed further into the Donbas region.

The battlefield stalemate has not impacted Ukrainians' perceptions of the war or their desire to defend their land.

"For Ukraine, it’s not just losing some territory, it's potentially losing their right to exist altogether, it’s an existential fight for them," Snegovaya said.

Ukrainians remain committed to fighting even if there are no significant breakthroughs. The Kyiv International Institute of Sociology conducted a survey in early 2024 showing that despite some waning belief in victory, an overwhelming 89% still believe in victory for Ukraine.

Official data on Ukrainian battlefield casualties are unreliable, but the U.S. estimates that some 70,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed and between 100,000 and 120,000 wounded. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the goal is to mobilize up to 500,000 additional conscripts for future war efforts. 

Ukrainian officials fear the number will be significantly lower. Defense Minister Umerov said while Ukraine has managed to counter Russia’s initial invasion with its current fighting force, more must be done.

"We believe these changes to mobilization and the support of our international partners will give the Ukrainian military the capacity for greater success against Russian occupation forces," Umerov said.

Have you ever wondered what it's like to set sail on the world's largest cruise ship? In order to cross that item off your bucket list, you'll need to book a trip on Royal Caribbean's Icon of the Seas, which currently holds the record for the largest cruise ship in the world. 

Icon of the Seas was built at the Meyer Turku Shipyard in Turku, Finland, according to Royal Caribbean's Press Center Fact Sheet, and set sail on its first voyage on Jan. 27, 2024.

The ship has 20 decks, 18 of which are accessible to guests, with 2,350 crew members, 2,805 staterooms and the capability to hold 5,610 guests at double occupancy on each trip, according to the fact sheet. At maximum capacity, the cruise ship can hold 7,600 passengers, per the Economic Times. 

PASSENGER REFLECTS ON 9 MONTHS AT SEA AFTER EMBARKING ON CRUISE THAT WENT VIRAL ON TIKTOK

The Royal Caribbean ship weighs 248,663 gross tons and is 1,196 feet long, per the fact sheet.

Icon of the Seas departs out of Miami and offers both Western and Eastern Caribbean seven-night vacations for guests. 

There is one Western Caribbean option for guests who wish to travel on Icon of the Seas. The itinerary for this vacation is a departure from Miami, a day at sea, followed by the first stop in Puerto Costa Maya, Mexico, immediately followed by Roatan, Honduras, and Cozumel, Mexico. The sixth day of the vacation is spent at sea, and then the ship stops at Perfect Day at CocoCay, Bahamas, Royal Caribbean's private island. 

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There are five different Eastern Caribbean options guests can choose to set sail on, varying slightly in the stops made. 

Stops of the Eastern Caribbean Icon of the Seas cruise include Labadee, Haiti, San Juan, Puerto Rico, Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, Perfect Day at CocoCay, Bahamas, Philipsburg, St. Maarten, and Basseterre, St. Kitts and Nevis. 

Not all the Eastern Caribbean cruises stop at all these destinations. Some vacations are filled with more destinations, while others are filled with more days spent at sea. 

For those full days at sea and hours spent on the ship after exploring a stop, there is so much for guests to do. 

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Guests certainly won't be hungry while traveling, with 13 dining options included in the price of your vacation. 

Complimentary dining options include Royal Caribbean favorites like Windjammer for breakfast, lunch and dinner, Sprinkles for a soft-serve ice cream cone whenever you desire and Sorrento's for a late night slice of pizza. 

There are also new complementary dining options on Icon of the Seas, such as Aquadome Market, The Pearl, Basecamp, Surfside Bites and The Grove. 

If you want specialty dining while on board, there are, again, Royal Caribbean stables like Izumi and Chops Grille, as well as new places to dine, like Celebration Table and Pier 7. 

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For days spent lounging in the sun, guests can relax at one of Icon of the Sea's seven pools, including Royal Bay, which is the largest at sea, containing over 40,000 gallons of water, according to Royal Caribbean's website. 

Icon of the Sea's also broke a record for the largest swim-up bar at sea, with Swim & Tonic, according to Royal Caribbean's website, which is the only swim-up bar on any Royal Caribbean ship. 

The Hideaway Pool is an adult-only area, which features the first ever infinity pool at sea, according to Royal Caribbean. 

Cloud 17 is another adult-only area, featuring a more secluded pool overlooking the ocean on the top deck of the ship.

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The Cove Pool is another option guests can spend time in, with plenty of loungers and daybeds to ensure a relaxing experience. 

For the kids, there's an aqua park, as well as record-breaking watersides that can be enjoyed by kids and adults alike. 

Among the six watersides on Icon of the Seas are Frightening Bolt, the tallest at sea, according to Royal Caribbean's website, as well as Pressure Drop, which is the first free fall waterside on a cruise ship.

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Throughout the day, there is often live music and other entertainment at the pools for guests to enjoy. 

After a day in the sun, there is plenty to do going late into the night with over 15 bars and lounges for guests to visit while onboard Icon of the Seas, like Boleros, Schooner Bar and Spotlight Karaoke. New bars and lounges on Icon of the Seas include Bubbles, Dueling Pianos and The Lemon Post.

Additionally, there are several different shows, including Broadway-style productions, ice shows in the Absolute Zero rink, as well as water shows in the Aquadome (Icon of the Seas' version of Royal Caribbean's popular AquaTheater), that guests can see during their vacation. 

As for accommodations, there are many options to choose from, including interior state rooms, ocean view rooms, balcony rooms and large family suites, such as the two-bedroom, three-level Ultimate Family Townhome fit for eight cruisers.

Police in the UK found their suspect in what they're calling "a first" while executing a search warrant in an unlikely location, according to bodycam footage recently shared on social media.

Bedfordshire Police shared the video via Facebook in a post which now has over 138k views on the site. In the video, a suspect is seen from behind in his undergarments, hidden inside the base of a couch.

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"Look, he's hiding in the sofa," said the officer to the suspect. "Out you come."

"We’ve seen some things in our time, but we must say this is a first!" wrote the Bedfordshire Police on Facebook on October 11.

According to their post, the Biggleswade Community Policing Team was executing a warrant in Potton and "thought there was nothing more to be found in the property bar a friendly dog."

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It may have been that friendly dog that led officers to the suspect, who was then discovered hiding in the base of the couch after officers lifted the furniture off the floor. The suspect was found wearing only his undergarments for unclear reasons.

"We thought the man would be more comfortable tucked into bed, so he’ll be spending the next few hours in a custody cell – little less of a squeeze that way," continued the Bedfordshire Police in their Facebook post.

One top comment on their video reads, "Bet he was ace at hide n seek as a kid."

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Bedfordshire Police did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.

U.S. officials said Tuesday they are "concerned" about reports of North Korean soldiers fighting in Ukraine on behalf of Russia.

This week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused North Korea of transferring soldiers to Russia’s military, saying his intelligence agencies briefed him on "the actual involvement of North Korea in the war" in Ukraine.

The briefing came a week after Seoul’s defense minister, Kim Yong-hyun, told South Korean politicians it was "highly likely" six North Korean officers were killed in a recent Ukrainian missile strike on Donetsk.

Despite the reports, Russia has dismissed the allegations as "fake news."

NORTH KOREAN TROOPS NOW FIGHTING FOR RUSSIA IN UKRAINE, SEOUL SAYS

Still, officials in the U.S. are taking notice of the reports.

"We are concerned by reports of DPRK [Democratic People's Republic of Korea] soldiers fighting on behalf of Russia, which if true would mark a significant increase in the DPRK-Russia defense relationship," said Lt. Col. Charlie Dietz, a spokesperson for the Department of Defense. "Such a move would also indicate a new level of desperation for Russia as it continues to suffer significant casualties on the battlefield in its brutal war against Ukraine."

Also weighing in Tuesday was State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller, who echoed Dietz.

NORTH KOREA BLOWS UP PARTS OF INTER-KOREAN ROAD AND RAIL LINKS IN A SYMBOLIC DISPLAY OF ANGER

"We are concerned by the reports of DPRK soldiers fighting on behalf of Russia," Miller said. "If that's true, it would mark a significant increase in the relationship between those two countries, the relationship that you have seen develop over the past several months. It would also indicate a new level of desperation by Russia as it continues to suffer significant casualties."

Washington says North Korea has supplied Russia with ammunition and ballistic missiles, though Moscow and Pyongyang have denied the arms transfers. But the two countries have not denied but instead have vowed to boost military ties, which could include joint drills.

NORTH KOREA SENDS WARNING TO SOUTH KOREA, SAYING TROOPS READY TO STRIKE IF MORE DRONES APPEAR

Russia and North Korea have deepened relations since Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The two nuclear-armed states signed a defense pact in June when Russian President Vladimir Putin visited North Korea.

Both Russia and Ukraine have resorted to foreign fighters as their numbers of draft-age men dwindle.

North Korea has recently ramped up production and testing of artillery and cruise missiles.

In March, Russia used its veto power on the United Nations Security Council to end monitoring for violations of a ban on North Korea testing ballistic technology.

Fox News’ Liz Friden and Morgan Phillips as well as Reuters and the Associated Press contributed to this report.

A diplomatic row that has strained bilateral relations between India and Canada for over a year has boiled over as the countries expelled each other’s top diplomats over the killing of a Sikh activist in Canada and allegations of other crimes.

Experts say the diplomatic standoff will make it difficult for both countries to move forward with a once-promising partnership, and could impact India’s ambitions as it tries to project itself as a rising world power.

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"India-Canada bilateral relations, which have been on a downslide since last year, will take a further hit which will take a long time to repair," said Praveen Donthi, senior analyst with the International Crisis Group.

Monday’s tit-for-tat expulsions came after Canada told India on Sunday that its top diplomat in the country is a person of interest in the 2023 assassination of Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, and that police have uncovered evidence of an intensifying campaign against Canadian citizens by agents of the Indian government.

Canadian Foreign Minister, Mélanie Joly also tied five other expelled Indian officials to Nijjar’s assassination and said Canada had gathered "ample, clear and concrete evidence which identified six individuals as persons of interest in the Nijjar case."

India foreign ministry rejected the accusations as absurd, and said it was expelling Canada’s acting high commissioner and five other diplomats in response.

New Delhi’s anxieties about Sikh separatist groups have long been a strain on its relationship with Canada, where some 2% of the population is Sikh. India has increasingly accused Justin Trudeau’s government of giving free rein to Sikh separatists from a once-strong movement to create an independent Sikh homeland known as Khalistan.

Nijjar was a local leader of the Khalistan movement, which is banned in India. India designated him a terrorist in 2020, and at the time of his death was seeking his arrest for alleged involvement in an attack on a Hindu priest in India.

Canadian police said Nijjar was shot as he was leaving the parking lot of the Sikh temple where he served as president in British Columbia on June 18, 2023. He suffered multiple gunshot wounds and died at the scene.

India’s foreign ministry in its statement Monday ascribed Canada’s allegations to the "political agenda of the Trudeau government." The Canadian leader faces national elections next year.

Michael Kugelman of the Wilson Center, an American think tank, said India's strong reaction is partly explained by how publicly Canada has made its accusations.

"New Delhi is extremely sensitive to any external criticism of its policies. And yet Canada isn’t only criticizing Indian policy. Its government, on the highest levels, is publicly voicing some of the most serious allegations that another government can make," he said.

Last year, in response to similar allegations made by Trudeau, India told Canada to remove 41 of its 62 diplomats in the country.

Kugelman said the relationship is on "life support right now" and India’s concerns about the Khalistan movement in Canada "is essentially holding the relationship hostage."

Canada is not the only country that has accused Indian officials of plotting an association on foreign soil.

Last year, U,S, prosecutors said an Indian government official directed a failed plot to assassinate another Sikh separatist leader in New York. The official was neither charged nor identified by name, but was described as a "senior field officer" with responsibilities in security management and intelligence.

New Delhi at the time expressed concern after the U.S. raised the issue and said India takes it seriously. On Monday, the U.S. State Department said in a statement that an Indian inquiry committee set up to investigate the plot would travel to Washington on Tuesday as part of its ongoing investigations.

Canada’s foreign minister on Monday noted that India is cooperating with U.S. officials but said it had refused to cooperate in the Canadian investigation.

Donthi said India’s diplomatic posturing against Canada was more aggressive because of the relatively low stakes.

"The U.S.-India relations also have a larger geopolitical framework and context, unlike India’s relations with Canada," Donthi said, adding that India's strong reaction was also meant to deliver a message to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's supporters at home.

"Any public criticism is anathema to the Indian government, which is personified Modi. Such aggressive reaction is aimed at the international community and, more importantly, at Modi’s domestic constituency," he said.

Yet, experts say the standoff could have ramifications for Modi's global ambitions as he seeks to cast India as a rising global power and grows closer to the U.S., which like India is watching China’s growing assertiveness with concern.

Donthi said the growing rift between India and Canada will also "impact the growing strategic understanding between the U.S. and Western democracies" that are wooing New Delhi as a counterweight to Beijing.

"The Canadian allegations against India come against the grain, as New Delhi has been enjoying a favorable external environment," Donthi said. "This will throw a spanner in the works for India’s great power ambitions."

In a symbolic display of anger, North Korea on Tuesday blew up the northern sections of unused road and rail routes that once linked it with South Korea, with the rivals exchanging threats days after the North claimed that the South flew drones over its capital Pyongyang.

The choreographed demolition underlines North Korea’s growing anger against South Korea’s conservative government. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has vowed to sever relations with South Korea and abandon the goal of achieving peaceful Korean unification.

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Observers say it’s unlikely Kim will launch a preemptive, large-scale attack on South Korea because of fear that an almost certain massive retaliation by the more superior forces of the United States and South Korea would threaten Pyongyang's survival.

In response to the explosions, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said its military fired warning shots within southern sections of the border as it bolstered its readiness and surveillance posture. The statement did not give details, but the move could have been an attempt to avert cross-border fire by North Korea.

South Korea’s Unification Ministry, which handles affairs with North Korea, separately condemned the North’s detonations as a "highly abnormal" and "regressive" measure that violates previous inter-Korean agreements.

Video provided by South Korea’s military showed a cloud of white and gray smoke emerging from the explosion at a road near the western border town of Kaesong. North Korean trucks and excavators could be seen clearing out debris. Another video showed smoke emerging from a coastal road near the eastern border.

During a previous era of inter-Korean detente in the 2000s, the two Koreas reconnected two pairs of road and rail links across their heavily fortified border — one pair called Gyeongui Line on the western portion and the other called Donghae Line on the eastern portion. But their operations were later suspended as the Koreas wrangled over North Korea’s nuclear program and other issues.

Parts of the road route on Gyeongui Line and parts of both road and rail routes on Donghae Line were destroyed Tuesday. North Korea has already removed ties and rails from the northern side of Gyeongui Line's rail track, according to the South Korean military.

North Korea has a history of staging the choreographed destruction of facilities on its own soil as a political message.

In 2020, North Korea blew up an empty, South Korean-built liaison office building just north of the border in retaliation for South Korean civilian leafleting campaigns. In 2018, North Korea demolished tunnels at its nuclear testing site at the start of nuclear diplomacy with the United States. In 2008, North Korea blew up a cooling tower at its main nuclear complex when earlier disarmament-for-aid negotiations with Washington and others were happening.

Destroying the road and rail links, mainly built with South Korean money, would be in line with leader Kim Jong Un’s order in January to abandon the goal of peaceful Korean unification and formally designate South Korea as the country’s "invariable principal enemy." That order surprised many outside North Korea watchers because it seemed to break from his predecessors’ long-cherished dreams of peacefully unifying the Korean Peninsula on the North’s terms.

Experts say Kim likely aims to diminish South Korea’s voice in the regional nuclear standoff and seek direct dealings with the United States. Kim may also hope to diminish South Korean cultural influence and bolster his family's dynastic rule at home.

North Korea has accused South Korea of infiltrating drones to drop propaganda leaflets over Pyongyang three times this month and threatened to respond with force if it happened again. South Korea has refused to confirm whether it sent drones but warned that North Korea would face the end of its regime if the safety of South Korean citizens is threatened.

Kim Yo Jong, the powerful sister of Kim Jong Un, said Tuesday that North Korea has secured unspecified clear evidence that South Korean "military gangsters" are behind the alleged drone flights. She warned that South Korea "will have to pay a dear price."

North Korea's state media reported Tuesday that Kim Jong Un laid out unspecified tasks related to "immediate military action" and the operation of his war deterrent during a meeting Monday. North Korea's military earlier threatened to turn South Korea into "piles of ashes," saying its frontline army units were ready to open fire.

The South Korean Unification Ministry said the cross-border roads and the rail links were built with South Korean materials and equipment worth $132.9 million provided in the form of loans, and the North is still obligated to pay back the aid.

Last week, North Korea said it would permanently block its border with South Korea and build front-line defense structures. South Korean officials said North Korea had been adding anti-tank barriers and laying mines along the border since earlier this year.

In recent years North Korea has performed a run of provocative missile tests, and South Korea and the United States have expanded military drills and cooperation.

Emergency crews in Russia rescued a man adrift at sea for more than two months in an inflatable boat, but his brother and nephew have died, officials said Tuesday.

According to the prosecutor's office in the far east of Russia, the man was rescued Monday in the Sea of Okhotsk after a fishing vessel spotted him off the Kamchaka Peninsula, the Associated Press reported. 

Russian news media identified the man as Mikhail Pichugin, 46, who in early August had set out on a whale-watching expedition with his 49-year-old brother and 15-year-old nephew. Their bodies were reportedly found in the boat when the Angel fishing vessel rescued Pichugin, per the AP.

Media reports said the three men traveled to the Shantar Islands off the northwestern shore of the Sea of Okhotsk in early August. They went missing after setting off for Sakhalin Island from Cape Perovsky in the Khabarovsk region on Aug. 9. A rescue effort was launched but failed to locate them.

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The three men had only a small food ration and about 5.2 gallons of water when the boat's engine failed and they were left adrift, according to Russian media reports.

The crew of the fishing vessel did not immediately realize the blip on their radar was a boat but instead thought it might be a buoy or piece of junk, the news reports said. They were shocked when they used their spotlight and found a starving man in a boat.

Pichugin reportedly weighed just 110 pounds at the time of his rescue, having lost half of his body weight. 

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He didn't immediately say how he managed to survive in the Sea of Okhotsk, the coldest sea in East Asia and known for its gales, or how his brother and nephew died. The crew of the ship that rescued Pichugin found their bodies tied to the boat to prevent them from being washed away by the sea, news reports said.

When Pichugin's boat was found, it was drifting about 11 nautical miles of Kamchatka's shore, about 540 nautical miles from their point of origin on the other side of the Sea of Okhotsk. 

Video released by the prosecutor's office showed an emaciated man desperately shouting "come here!" at his rescuers, the AP reported. 

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"I have no strength left," Pichugin told the rescue crew as they worked to get him to safety.

Prosecutors say they have opened an investigation into the incident and are eying charges related to safety rule violations that resulted in deaths.  

Pichugin was taken to an emergency care unit at the Magadan hospital, the AP reported. Chief doctor Yuri Lednev told reporters he was suffering from dehydration and hypothermia, but was in stable condition. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

The National Archaeological Museum in Athens, Greece, houses significant artifacts dating back thousands of years. The museum includes five main permanent collections, as well as temporary ones, for guests to explore during their visit. 

The museum was founded in 1829, originally headquartered in Aegina, the first capital of Greece, before being transferred to Athens in 1834, according to the National Archaeological Museum's website. 

Antiques were originally held in different buildings and monuments, before Eleni Tositsa donated land and the Bernardakis family sponsored the construction of the original building in 1866, which was designed by Ludwig Lange and saw modifications under Ernst Ziller, per the source. 

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In 1889, the museum first opened its doors for visitors, according to the National Archaeological Museum's website. 

From 1932 to 1939, the National Archaeological Museum saw further expansion with the designs of George Nomikos, according to the museum's website.  

Then was the start of World War II. During this time, all the artifacts were put in boxes and placed underground for safekeeping, the source reports, with repair work commencing after the conclusion of the war. 

The National Archaeological Museum includes five main permanent collections; "Prehistoric Antiquities," "Sculpture Collection," "Vase and Minerals Collection," "Metallurgical Works Collection" and "Egyptian and Eastern Antiquities." 

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Each of the collections is unique in the artifacts included and brings pieces of the past into the present. 

"Prehistoric Antiquities" includes work from the Neolithic period and the Bronze Age, from mainland Greece, the Aegean Islands and Troy, according to the museum's website. Notable pieces part of this collection include the royal tombs of Mycenae, Cycladic marble figurines as well as wall paintings of Thera, per the source. 

The "Sculpture Collection" is full of intricate sculptures dating from the 7th century B.C. up until the 5th century A.D., according to the National Archaeological Museum's website. 

The sculptures part of this collection include ones that have come from sanctuaries, necropolises as well as public buildings in Attica, Eastern Sterea Ellada, the Peloponnese and the Aegean Islands, according to the source. 

Additionally, there are pieces of sculpted art as part of this collection that have come from Thessaly, Western Greece, Macedonia, Thrace and Cyprus, the website notes. 

The "Vase and Minerals Collection" includes Greek ceramics from the 11th century B.C. up through the Roman Era, according to the National Archaeological Museum. 

Bronze works, heavily from excavations of the 19th and early 20th century make up the "Metallurgical Works Collection," according to the museum's website. 

As for "Egyptian and Eastern Antiquities," many pieces included have been thanks to donations from various donors, including Ioannis Dimitriou and Alexandros Rostovich. 

More donations were from the Greek Archaeological Society in 1894 as well as the government of Egypt in 1893. 

For more than four decades, the Iranian regime has meticulously constructed a "Ring of Fire" around Israel, employing various terror groups to extend its influence across the Middle East. However, recent military actions by Israel have begun to unravel this intricate network, indicating a potential turning point in the ongoing conflict.

Amnon Sofrin, former head of the Intelligence Directorate at Mossad, told Fox News Digital, "In central Tehran, there is a huge clock that was set up in 2015, showing how much time is left for Israel, indicating that by 2040, Israel should no longer exist. They have been preparing for this moment. Some of the Iran-backed militias conducted reconnaissance with Hezbollah in southern Lebanon and claimed they would assist once the [Israel Defense Forces] IDF entered Lebanon. 

"However," Sofrin added, "we are already inside Lebanon, and no pro-Iranian militia has yet provided help. Iran isn’t giving the order to its other proxies in the region to join the ground war—at least not yet."

While Tehran's other terror proxies have yet to engage directly in ground battles, they have demonstrated their "support" in other ways. Earlier this month, drones loaded with explosives were launched by pro-Iranian militias from Iraq against an Israeli military base in the Golan Heights, killing two Israeli soldiers and injuring 24. 

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This is not the first time these pro-Iran militia groups in Iraq have claimed responsibility for attacks on Israel. In April, an unmanned aerial vehicle launched from Iraq infiltrated Israeli territory through Jordan and exploded on a structure at an IDF base in Eilat without being intercepted. "That was a sophisticated maneuver, sending it through Jordan to Eilat," said Sofrin, "showing their high capabilities."

In Iraq, the Popular Mobilization Forces consist of approximately 25 to 30 Shiite militias that emerged in response to ISIS. These groups have served as Iran's boots on the ground, reinforcing its foothold in both Iraq and Syria.

Professor Uzi Rabi, director of the Moshe Dayan Center for Middle Eastern Studies at Tel Aviv University, explains, "The ones benefiting from ISIS's defeat are the pro-Iranian militias. Iraqi militias number around 60,000 to 70,000 individuals, making them a formidable force. This contingent is supported by the Shiite regime in Iraq and is woven into the fabric of the state, possessing military capabilities that extend beyond being mere militias; like Hezbollah in Lebanon, they are more than just a faction."

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Rabi pointed out another concerning development. "There is a process of rapprochement between the Houthis in Yemen and the militias in Iraq; the Houthis have opened a liaison office in Baghdad and are training there. 

"There are reports that the Houthis have already sent a forward unit to southern Syria, consisting of experts in operating missiles and rockets, to assist in training the militias in southern Syria to operate these systems. The Houthis are recruiting many people and training various militias, which could lead to their presence in Iraq or southern Syria, from where they might attack Israel and American forces in the region, either physically or through missiles."

"Iran is deploying forces, and it is possible that the pro-Iranian militias in Iraq and Syria will join in targeting Israel," Rabi elaborated, "However, I believe that the Iraqi arena serves more as a facilitator; its function is to create an Iranian corridor from one side of the region to the other, facilitating logistical capabilities and weaponry to the focal point, which is Hezbollah."

"We still have an open bill with the Iran-backed Iraqi militias," said Avner Golov, former senior director of Israel’s National Security Council. "They killed two of our soldiers, and I will criticize Israel for not retaliating. I cannot imagine that if it were American soldiers, America would not have retaliated." 

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In Syria, three brigades of militias operate under Iranian guidance: the Fatemiyoun Brigade, populated by Afghan mercenaries; Liwa' Zaynabiyun, composed of Pakistani mercenaries; and Imam Ali, comprising fighters from other Muslim countries. Each soldier is paid about $500 to $800 a month.

"These are individuals who are either criminals who will be freed in exchange for enlisting in the Iranian war effort or members of their families who are being kidnapped or seeking some form of patronage," explained Rabi. 

"It is a steady practice that we have seen throughout the years adopted by Iran," Rabi added, "demonstrating how tyrannical and cruel Iran can be as it capitalizes on the sorrow and agony of people in these failed states."

So far, the militias in Syria have served mostly as operators of the corridor for arms from Iran and as a logistical hub. Earlier this month, the IDF bombed the Al Mazna border crossing between Lebanon and Syria, a central passage used to transfer weapons from Iran.

"We have intelligence capabilities that allow us to monitor events and neutralize threats before they occur," said Sofrin. "There was an attack in Syria … near an airport held by the Russians for 49 years, called Khmeimim, which is located near a weapons depot intended for transfer to Lebanon. Despite the proximity of the Russians, Israel attacked it, destroying the systems."

As Israel intensifies its military operations, several scenarios may unfold. Sofrin warns of the potential for escalated hostilities if Iranian terror proxies are activated. "While these groups are ready to attack, they await orders from Iran, which complicates the situation," adding that "the potential for these groups to engage in sporadic attacks against American forces in the Middle East adds another layer of complexity."

Looking ahead, the Iranian "Ring of Fire" faces unprecedented challenges. As Sofrin asserts, "We are beginning to change the equation in the Middle East," highlighting the necessity for ongoing pressure on Iranian proxies to prevent them from regrouping.

As winter approaches, operational challenges in Lebanon will increase, limiting the effectiveness of military responses. However, Golov believes that a renewed focus on dismantling the Iranian axis is essential, and the way to do it is by sending a clear message to Bashar al-Assad. 

"If Assad collaborates with Iran, if he continues to serve as an Iranian tool, he’s the next target. He must understand that he risks his regime," Golov said, emphasizing that this pressure could compel Assad to reconsider his alliances with Iran, impacting the broader Iranian strategy in the region.

The Pentagon announced on Tuesday that the first components of a U.S. missile defense system aimed at protecting Israel from attacks by Iran have arrived in the Middle East and that it will be "fully operational" soon. 

Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said on Monday, "an advance team of U.S. military personnel and initial components necessary to operate the Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery arrived in Israel. 

"Over the coming days, additional U.S. military personnel and THAAD battery components will continue to arrive in Israel," he continued. "The battery will be fully operational capable in the near future, but for operations security reasons we will not discuss timelines. 

"The deployment of the THAAD battery to Israel underscores the United States' commitment to the defense of Israel and to defend Americans in Israel from any ballistic missile attacks by Iran," Ryder added. 

US TO DEPLOY MISSILE DEFENSE SYSTEM, MILITARY PERSONNEL TO ISRAEL 

The deployment comes after Iran and its proxy terrorist groups launched massive waves of missiles against Israel earlier this year in April and again on Oct. 1.  

THAAD has previously been deployed to Israel in 2019, but only for an exercise, Pentagon officials say. 

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"It is part of the broader adjustments the U.S. military has made in recent months, to support the defense of Israel and protect Americans from attacks by Iran and Iranian-aligned militias," the Pentagon said in a statement on Sunday. 

Around 100 U.S. troops are being sent to Israel to operate the THAAD system. 

President Biden was asked why he approved the deployment on Sunday, and he replied by saying "To defend Israel." 

Fox News’ Anders Hagstrom contributed to this report. 

One person was killed and four others were injured in a shooting near Ashdod, Israel, that has now been deemed a terrorist attack Tuesday.

Authorities say an assailant opened fire on a police officer in the area before turning his weapons on civilians. The police officer died of his wounds while being transported to a nearby hospital. The attacker was killed by an armed civilian.

At least one of the injured civilians was considered to be in moderate condition. Volunteer EMTs were the first to respond to the scene, and they offered a public statement describing the situation.

"We provided initial treatment at the scene and performed CPR on a 30-year-old man in critical condition," EMTs said. "We were also told that other first responders and a United Hatzalah ambulance team treated at two additional locations a person in light to moderate condition who was transported to the hospital by the United Hatzalah ambulance, and a lightly injured man."

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"It was also reported that another driver was injured by shards of glass and continued driving to the Nir Galim intersection," the EMTs said.

US TO DEPLOY MISSILE DEFENSE SYSTEM, MILITARY PERSONNEL TO ISRAEL

Another local hospital, the Kaplan Medical Center, reported receiving a 37-year-old man who was injured in the incident, according to the Jerusalem Post.

The shooting comes one day after Israeli authorities announced four Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers were killed and nearly 60 people were wounded in a drone strike on a military base in Binyamina, Israel. The Lebanon-based Hezbollah militant group has claimed responsibility for the attack, according to reports.

AMERICAN FATHER OF HAMAS HOSTAGE ITAY CHEN PUSHES US, ISRAEL ON ‘PLAN B’ AS NEGOTIATIONS FALTER

On Sunday, as Israelis were celebrating Yom Kippur, there was another drone strike in a Tel Aviv suburb that damaged the area but did not cause any injuries.

Sunday’s strike came the same day the U.S. said it would send a new air-defense system to Israel to increase protection from missiles.

"The THAAD Battery will augment Israel’s integrated air defense system. This action underscores the United States’ ironclad commitment to the defense of Israel, and to defend Americans in Israel, from any further ballistic missile attacks by Iran. It is part of the broader adjustments the U.S. military has made in recent months, to support the defense of Israel and protect Americans from attacks by Iran and Iranian-aligned militias," the Pentagon said in a statement.

Fox News' Greg Wehner contributed to this report.

Democrat 'Squad' member Rashida Tlaib is now calling Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a "genocidal maniac," prompting a sharp rebuke from the country’s ambassador to the United Nations. 

"Genocidal maniac Netanyahu is burning Palestinians alive, bombing hospitals, starving people, and killing aid workers," the Michigan representative wrote Monday night in a post on X. 

"When will our country stop funding this madness? When?" she added. 

Israeli ambassador to the U.N. Danny Danon responded to her by writing "The only ones who burned children alive were your buddies over at Hamas." 

ISRAELI FORCES SEIZE DOCUMENTS THAT REVEAL HAMAS PLAN FOR MORE ELABORATE ATTACKS: REPORT 

Tlaib is one of Netanyahu’s fiercest critics in Washington. 

Last week, she wrote on X "The war crimes being committed by the government of Israel are being funded by our own country while families at home suffer from displacement due to hurricanes and growing poverty. Our country is obsessed with war and destruction." 

When the Israeli prime minister delivered a speech to a joint session of Congress in July, she silently protested for much of it, holding up a double-sided sign that read "guilty of genocide" on one side and "war criminal" on the other. 

ISRAEL REVEALS HEZBOLLAH SPECIAL FORCES TERRORIST ‘BUNKER’ LOCATED UNDER HOME WITH WEAPONS, MOTORCYCLES 

Fox News Digital observed a member of the House sergeant-at-arms' staff speaking to Tlaib multiple times during the speech, after which she put the sign down. 

Prior to Netanyahu’s July 24 address, Tlaib released a statement saying "Netanyahu is a war criminal committing genocide against the Palestinian people.  

"It is utterly disgraceful that leaders from both parties have invited him to address Congress. He should be arrested and sent to the International Criminal Court," she said at the time. 

Fox News’ Alexander Hall contributed to this report.