World News
UN resolution demanding Israel exit 'occupied territories' can hurt 'highly volatile' situation, expert says
The United Nations on Wednesday passed a Palestinian-drafted resolution demanding Israel withdraw from the "Occupied Palestinian Territory" within 12 months, with Israel’s new ambassador calling the measure "shameful."
"This is a shameful decision that backs the Palestinian Authority’s diplomatic terrorism," Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon said after the vote.
"Instead of marking the anniversary of the Oct. 7 massacre by condemning Hamas and calling for the release of all 101 of the remaining hostages, the General Assembly continues to dance to the music of the Palestinian Authority, which backs the Hamas murderers," Danon added.
The draft proposal received support from 124 countries, with 43 abstaining from voting and 14 others voting against it. The U.S. voted against the resolution and was joined by Argentina, Czech Republic, Fiji, Hungary, Israel, Malawi, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Tonga and Tuvalu.
The resolution has no legally binding effect, but the General Assembly has also called on members to "take steps towards ceasing the importation of any products originating in the Israeli settlements, as well as the provision or transfer of arms, munitions and related equipment to Israel… where there are reasonable grounds to suspect that they may be used in the Occupied Palestinian Territory."
This is the first resolution proposed by the Palestinians after gaining additional powers as a member following a vote in May, including granting them the ability to propose resolutions.
The Palestinian territories pushed for the resolution on the back of a July advisory opinion by the United Nations’ International Court of Justice (ICJ) that determined Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian territories and settlements is illegal and should be withdrawn.
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Andrew Tucker, the director general of The Hague Initiative for International Cooperation, told Fox News Digital ahead of the resolution vote that the proposal would essentially seek to implement the ICJ advisory opinion with a hard timeline, whereas the ICJ merely said it should be done "immediately."
"The court came out with an opinion in July," Tucker explained. "It's an opinion: It's not a ruling, it's not a criminal case. They're not deciding a dispute. It's a legal opinion that the court is being asked to give by the General Assembly."
"But it goes to the heart of the Israel-Palestinian conflict," Tucker said. "In essence, the court is being asked to give its opinion on really the key issues that have been disputes between Israel and the Palestinians for decades, and the General Assembly is now implementing that opinion."
ISRAEL'S UN AMBASSADOR SLAMS WORLD BODY, SAYS UNRWA TAKEN OVER BY HAMAS TERRORISTS IN GAZA
"The court [is] saying: [It] doesn't matter what Israel's security concerns are, doesn't matter [that] there's a war going on in Gaza," Tucker continued. "It doesn't matter that Hezbollah is threatening to attack from the north. All of these things are irrelevant."
"The Palestinians have a kind of absolute right to self-determination, and that means that Israel's presence in the territories has become illegal," he added. "Now, legally… there's a lot to be said about this. For example… never before has the right to self-determination been given this level of priority."
Tucker argued that the implications of such a decision could lead to "greater conflict" because Israel’s expedited exit could leave open the chance for Iran to dig into the West Bank the same way it did with Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
"If Israel withdraws from these territories… It's only 10 kilometers from there at the smallest [point] between the West Bank and Tel Aviv," Tucker said.
"So whoever gets control of these territories, if it's hostile toward Israel, which is unfortunately the case, we're facing a highly, highly volatile security situation," he added.
Reuters contributed to this report.
Rosetta Stone found in 1799, wasn’t used to decipher hieroglyphs for many years
The Rosetta Stone was vital in understanding the writing system of hieroglyphics, which spent years as a forgotten writing system.
After the stone was first discovered, it took many years for it to be deciphered.
Now, it belongs to The British Museum in London, England, where it has been since 1802, briefly being moved during World War I for its safe keeping.
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The Rosetta Stone was discovered in 1799 by Napoleon Bonaparte's soldiers, while he was campaigning in Egypt, according to The British Museum.
The stone was found built into an ancient wall near the town of Rashid (Rosetta).
When the British defeated the French, the ancient stone was put into British possession in 1801, according to History.com.
WHO IS BANKSY? THE ENGLAND-BASED STREET ARTIST'S WORK IS WELL-KNOWN, BUT HIS IDENTITY IS A MYSTERY
The Rosetta Stone has remained in British possession ever since.
The Rosetta Stone is a broken part of a bigger stone slab. It measures 44 inches tall and 30 inches wide, according to History.com.
The Rosetta Stone is inscribed with the same text in different scripts; Demotic, hieroglyphic and Greek.
The stone is important as it played a vital role in scholars deciphering Egyptian hieroglyphs.
After the 4th century A.D., the writing system was no longer used, making it forgotten for many years, until it was understood with the deciphering of the message inscribed on the ancient artifact.
Decoding the message of the Rosetta Stone was a combined effort of several scholars over the course of many years.
The first to make major progress on decoding the Rosetta Stone was an English physicist named Thomas Young.
In 1814, Young determined that the hieroglyphs that were enclosed in ovals, called cartouches, were royal names, according to History.com.
French scholar Jean-François Champollion, built upon Young's work, and announced in 1822 that he successfully deciphered the message.
The message inscribed on the stone is a decree regarding Ptolemy V Epiphanes, according to The British Museum, who was king of the Ptolemaic dynasty of Ancient Egypt. It was issued by a council of priests and stated that "the priests of a temple in Memphis supported the king," per the museum.
The stone's decree dates back to 196 B.C., according to Britannica and details many of his accomplishments, including tax reductions and restoring peace in Egypt, per the source.
Rare ancient Celtic artifact unearthed in Poland, 2,300-year-old metal object excavated from charcoal pit
Nearly 350 artifacts have been unearthed during research at the Łysa Góra archaeological site in Poland, including a rare 2,300-year-old Celtic helmet, providing further confirmation of the Celtic presence in northeastern Poland.
The Celtic helmet was discovered on Aug. 10, 2024 in research conducted by the Archaeological Museum in Warsaw with participation from the Faculty of Archaeology of the University of Warsaw, Dr. Bartłomiej Kaczyński, who led the excavations, told Fox News Digital in an email.
"The discovery is important because it is the first such early (IV BC) La Tène helmet found on Polish soil, and the second in history," Kaczyński said, explaining that the first was found over 40 years ago in southern Poland and dated back to the 1st century B.C.
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The Ancient Celts were a widespread group of people who occupied Western and Central Europe. Monumental relics uncovered, like the ancient helmet, further solidify the presence of the Celts in northern Poland.
"Discovered in the northern part of Mazovia (northeastern Poland), it is a find completely isolated from the native lands of the Celts - southern Poland, Slovakia and the Czech Republic. Its presence, along with several dozen artifacts of La Tène provenance (tools, women's ornaments, clasps for fastening clothes), testify to the presence of Celts at this site," Kaczyński went on to say.
The reason for Celtic settlement in the north can be traced to amber, according to Kaczyński, which he described as a "desirable commodity in the Mediterranean world."
The bronze helmet, originally lined with leather or fabric, was discovered in a charcoal pit, alongside four iron axes. The item likely belonged to a Celtic elite and served greater purpose than protection from harm in military battle.
MOM, SON DIG UP ANCIENT OBJECT OFTEN-FOUND NEAR BURIAL GROUNDS WHILE GARDENING
"Helmets, especially bronze ones, did not have a military function only - thin sheet metal did not protect against the impact of spearheads, axes and swords. Visible and shiny from a distance, it indicated the exceptional position of the owner - most likely wealthy or in power - a kind of tribal 'crown.' This shows that far beyond the Celtic world there was a group of Celts, with a leader, administrator, who fulfilled a specific function - most likely guarding the trade route."
During 2024 research of Łysa Góra, the Celtic helmet was one significant find of nearly 350 that were found.
Among other artifacts unearthed include iron tools and jewelry such as bracelets, necklaces and earrings, Kaczyński said. Other artifacts found included "harness elements" that pointed to horse breeding in the area.
As for the Celtic helmet, the artifact was found in poor condition, so restoration efforts at the Museum Conservation Department of the PMA are currently underway, which Kaczyński estimates to take around six months.
Beginning in 2026, those who visit the State Archaeological Museum in Warsaw will be able to see the ancient item on display.
Australian police bust Ghost cybercrime app, leading to dozens of global arrests
Australian police said Wednesday they have infiltrated Ghost, an encrypted global communications app developed for criminals, leading to dozens of arrests.
The app's alleged administrator, Jay Je Yoon Jung, 32, appeared in a Sydney court Wednesday on charges including supporting a criminal organization and benefiting from proceeds of crime.
Jung did not enter pleas or apply to be released on bail. He will remain behind bars until his case returns to court in November.
FBI DIRECTOR WRAY SAYS BUREAU STOPPED SECOND CHINESE HACKING GROUP
Australian police arrested 38 suspects in raids across four states in recent days while law enforcement agencies were also making arrests in Canada, Sweden, Ireland and Italy, Australian Federal Police Deputy Commissioner Ian McCartney said.
"We allege hundreds of criminals including Italian organized crime, motorcycle gang members, Middle Eastern organized crime and Korean organized crime have used Ghost in Australia and overseas to import illicit drugs and order killings," McCartney told reporters.
Australian police had prevented 50 people from being killed, kidnapped or seriously hurt by monitoring threats among 125,000 messages and 120 video calls since March, Assistant Commissioner Kirsty Schofield said.
NEW ONLINE 'MISINFORMATION' BILL SLAMMED AS 'BIGGEST ATTACK' ON FREEDOMS IN AUSTRALIA
Police allege the Jung developed the app specifically for criminal use in 2017.
Australia joined a Europol-led global taskforce targeting Ghost in 2022.
Col. Florian Manet, who heads France’s Home Affairs Ministry National Cyber Command Technical Department, said in a statement issued by Australian police that his officers provided technical resources to the task force over several years that helped decrypt the communications.
McCartney said the French had "provided a foot in the door" for Australian police to decrypt Ghost communications.
Australian police technicians were able to modify software updates regularly pushed out by the administrator, McCartney said.
"In effect, we infected the devices, enabling us to access the content on Australian devices," McCartney said, adding that the alleged administrator lived in his parents’ Sydney home and had no police record.
Jung was arrested at his home on Tuesday.
Police say Jung used a network of resellers to offer specialized handsets to criminals around the world.
The modified smartphones sold for $1,590, which included a six-month subscription to Ghost and tech support.
ITA Airways flight attendant dies after boarding plane in Italy
An off-duty flight attendant for ITA Airways has died after boarding a flight that was set to take off for Rome, Italy, the airline tells Fox News Digital.
Gabriella Cario, identified by the Manchester Evening News as a 57-year-old mother of three, passed away on Saturday after she got onboard ITA Airways Flight 1156 at the Reggio Calabria Airport outside of Naples.
"Our colleague, Gabriella Cario was off duty when she died last Saturday in Reggio Calabria (South Italy). She was returning home as a passenger and died on the plane before the flight from Reggio Calabria to Rome took off," the airline said in a statement. "The company is providing all possible support to her family."
The Manchester Evening News reports that Cario was already feeling unwell at the boarding gate but was eager to return home to her husband and children in the Rome area. However, once inside the aircraft, her condition deteriorated and she died within minutes, it added.
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Efforts by paramedics to revive Cario were unsuccessful and all passengers on the plane were forced to disembark, the Manchester Evening News reports.
Her exact cause of death was not immediately clear.
FLIGHT ATTENDANT GOES VIRAL ON TIKTOK FOR ATTEMPTING TO EASE COMMON FLYING FEAR
Data from the website FlightAware shows that the plane, which normally departs in the late afternoon, didn’t take off from Naples until after 9 p.m. local time on Saturday night.
"I knew Gabriella. She was a bright, always-smiling, and kind woman," Alberto Mosca, the mayor of Cario’s hometown of Sabaudia, was quoted by the Manchester Evening News as saying.
"On behalf of the administration and the entire community, I extend our heartfelt condolences to her husband and her beloved three children," he added.
Israel degrades Iran-backed Hezbollah terrorists in spectacular pager explosion operation: Experts
JERUSALEM - The Jewish state’s James Bond-style alleged hack attack on Tuesday that caused explosions of handheld pagers carried by thousands of members of the U.S.-designated terrorist movement Hezbollah was a devastating setback for the Lebanon-based organization.
Fox News Digital spoke to leading U.S. and Israeli experts about the setback for the Iranian regime proxy.
According to a Reuters report, Israel’s foreign intelligence agency, Mossad, planted explosives inside of 5,000 pagers imported by Hezbollah months before Tuesday's detonations that killed nine people, a senior Lebanese security source and another source told Reuters.
The Iranian regime-backed Hezbollah organization switched from mobile phones to pagers to prevent Israeli interception of their communications. Hezbollah joined Hamas’ war against Israel a day after the Gaza-based terrorist movement invaded the Jewish state on Oct. 7.
Walid Phares, a leading U.S. expert on Lebanon and Hezbollah, told Fox News Digital that the reported Israeli operation, "is certainly a strike against Hezbollah’s national security apparatus. We are talking about thousands and thousands of individuals who are at the heart of the security force of Hezbollah, who are, according to sources we know, in charge of manning many things. One is the missile force."
Hezbollah is estimated to have over 150,000 missiles aimed at Israel. The de facto ruler of Lebanon, Hezbollah, has amassed new sophisticated missiles, rockets and drones since its 2006 war against Israel. Hezbollah has launched more than 7,500 missiles, rockets, and drones into Israel since Oct. 8.
One Hezbollah official said the detonation of the pagers was the group's "biggest security breach" since the Gaza conflict began.
HEZBOLLAH'S NEIGHBORS: ISRAELI BORDER COMMUNITY UNDER CONSTANT ATTACK FROM TERROR GROUP
Phares added that the "Israeli electronic bomb" operation also degraded many Hezbollah special forces, commandos, electronic forces, and internal security and intelligence apparatus members. He warned, however, that Hezbollah would eventually recover.
Phares noted that Israel’s strike "weakened the image of Hezbollah within the Lebanese population." He said the psychological benefits of the strike have showed that the Lebanese are now convinced that Hezbollah "can eventually be defeated" and its "grip on Lebanon" can be weakened.
He said the Israeli cyber strike could also encourage opposition among Sunnis, Druze and Christians to mobilize against the Shi’ite Hezbollah organization.
ISRAEL STRUCK BY LONG-RANGE MISSILE FROM YEMEN, 40 PROJECTILES FROM LEBANON IN EARLY MORNING ATTACKS
An Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesman was tight-lipped when Fox News Digital approached him for a comment. Israel frequently retains a policy of deliberate ambiguity about high-profile attacks on its enemies. The Israeli government’s policy is to neither confirm nor deny spectacular assassinations or other covert operations. A senior U.S. official later confirmed that Israel was behind the attack, but Israel has yet to do so.
The alleged Mossad operation, with a trail running from Taiwan to Budapest, was an unprecedented Hezbollah security breach that saw thousands of pagers explode across Lebanon, wounding some 2,500 people, including many of the group's fighters and Iran's envoy to Beirut.
Hezbollah said in a statement on Wednesday that "the resistance will continue today, like any other day, its operations to support Gaza, its people and its resistance, which is a separate path from the harsh punishment that the criminal enemy (Israel) should await in response to Tuesday's massacre."
Jonathan Conricus, senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told Fox News Digital that "Beyond shock and humiliation, the immediate impact on Hezbollah is not yet clear, neither are the Iranian terror proxy’s intentions to retaliate. While the pager attack was a brilliant tactical success unlike anything previously accomplished against a terror organization during combat, the strategic benefits of this tremendous move are limited, if not supplemented with swift Israeli action against Hezbollah as it reels from the shock of impact."
Conricus, a former IDF spokesman, continued. "It seems that this action was more aimed at softening Hezbollah to agree to a war-avoiding diplomatic solution, and less as a preamble of an Israeli offensive. Israel’s main focus remains to facilitate the safe return home of almost one hundred thousand Israelis displaced by Hezbollah attacks for over 11 months. If the pager operation brings this about, then it will have been worth the risk. If not, it will be added to a long list of Israeli tactical successes that were not complemented by strategic thought and action."
Israel’s Mossad has garnered a worldwide reputation as one of the most formidable intelligence agencies. Within the last two months, Israel reportedly killed Fuad Shukr, a top Hezbollah terrorist in Beirut, eliminated the Hamas terrorist leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, and its special forces raided an Iranian weapons facility in the Masyaf area in Syria.
Nadav Eyal, a prominent Israeli columnist for the large Hebrew daily Yedioth Ahronoth, told Fox News Digital that while Israel has not claimed responsibility for the operation, "This will be remembered as one of the most brilliant Israeli intelligence operations ever. It is a substantially meticulous operation."
Eyal continued, "This is a very effective operation if you want to restore deterrence in the region. Israel’s major strategic problem in the region that it has lost its deterrent force, deterring its enemies from attacking it. Hamas attacked on October 7. Hezbollah attacked Israel on October 8. Iran attacked Israel in April. All of these parties, together with the Houthis, are not deterred."
The Israeli military expert added, "By these kinds of operations Israel is really showing those different forces what it can do. And it has done also in its response to the Iranian aerial assault back in April. It's showing them it can operate in ways and means that they did not anticipate. Whether or not it is effective in the long run, we need to see."
He noted, "Israel has been preparing for the war in the north with Hezbollah since 2007. These have been 17 years of Israeli preparations… Israel has not been preparing for an invasion of Hamas."
"We need to push Hezbollah out of south Lebanon and hit their capabilities," IDF Reserve Brig. Gen. Amir Avivi told Fox News Digital.
Avivi, the founder and chairman of Israel's Defense and Security Forum, added that while Israel did not take responsibility for the attack in Lebanon on Tuesday, "This is the first step in really moving the center of gravity from Gaza to Lebanon. In my opinion, war is imminent. We will have to hit Hezbollah and we will have to do a ground incursion. We cannot have Hezbollah on our borders. Israel is sending a very, very strong message. We have knowledge and capabilities. We know everything about Hezbollah and Iran. If they do not retreat, the end game is clear: Hezbollah is going to be destroyed in south Lebanon."
Reuters contributed to this report.
Ukrainian drone strike on Russia causes earthquake-sized blast picked up from space
Ukrainian drones allegedly attacked a massive arms depot some 240 miles west of Moscow on Wednesday, causing an earthquake-sized blast and forcing the evacuation of thousands from the area.
Ukrainian officials have not yet claimed responsibility for the attack, though sources in the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) reportedly confirmed the attack to the Kyiv Independent and other reports pointed to military bloggers and local officials who said Ukrainian drones had been shot down over the Tver region in Russia, where a known military arsenal was located.
Video footage obtained by Fox News Digital depicted a huge blast erupting during the early morning hours on Wednesday, though the cause of the explosions or the targets could not be independently verified.
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Intense heat sources were reportedly picked up by NASA satellites emanating from an area of roughly five square miles, where a "weak" 2.8 magnitude earthquake was detected causing "light shaking near [the] epicenter" in the Tver region, just 55 miles away from the border with Belarus.
Russian state media, tightly regulated by the Kremlin, did not appear to report on the explosion as of Wednesday afternoon Moscow time.
The governor of the Tver region, Igor Rudenya, said a fire had broken out and that Ukrainian drones had been shot down, though he did not confirm what was burning, first reported Reuters.
Rudenya also said some residents had been evacuated, though reports by East2West said some 3,000 Russians had fled the area.
Fox News Digital could not immediately reach Ukraine’s military intelligence agency, GUR, for comment.
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Russian defense units were reported to have destroyed 54 drones launched across five Russian regions, though Moscow did not mention any drone strikes over the Tver region, and it is unclear where the drone strikes levied by Ukraine originated.
The explosions at the arms depot are reported to have occurred in the town of Toropets, which is nearly 480 miles from Kursk in southwest Russia, where Ukrainian forces launched an invasion last month, and roughly 400 miles from Ukraine’s northernmost border with Russia.
Ukraine has ramped up its attacks against Moscow in recent months by increasingly hitting targets against its homeland, and Kyiv has called on the U.S. and NATO allies to allow it to use Western-supplied long-range missiles to hit military targets deep inside Russia.
These strike bans have not been lifted, and it is unclear how Ukraine was able to target a top military site using drones without detection hundreds of miles into Russian territory.
Russia condemns exploding pagers that wounded Hezbollah members across Lebanon: 'Explosive situation'
The Russian government is speaking out against the apparent use of exploding pagers to simultaneously strike thousands of individuals connected with a terrorist group in Lebanon.
Over 3,000 members of the Iran-backed Hezbollah terror group were killed on Tuesday after a near simultaneous detonation of the organization's pagers erupted across Lebanon, killing at least 12.
"What has happened, whatever it is, is certainly leading to an escalation of tensions," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told the press, according to translations from Agence France-Presse.
HEZBOLLAH PAGERS THAT EXPLODED WERE MADE IN HUNGARY, TAIWANESE COMPANY SAYS
"The region itself is in an explosive situation," he added. "And every incident like this has the potential to be a trigger."
The pagers started heating up and exploding around 3:30 p.m. Tuesday. The blasts were concentrated in areas where Hezbollah has a strong presence, particularly a southern Beirut suburb and in the Beqaa region of eastern Lebanon and in Damascus, Lebanese security officials and a Hezbollah official told the Associated Press.
Russia maintains a strategic alliance with Iran, which backs Hezbollah as a proxy combatant against Israel.
"We strongly condemn the unprecedented attack on friendly Lebanon and its citizens, which constitutes a flagrant violation of its sovereignty and a serious challenge to international law through the use of unconventional weapons," said Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, according to Agence France-Presse.
HEZBOLLAH'S NEIGHBORS: ISRAELI BORDER COMMUNITY UNDER CONSTANT ATTACK FROM TERROR GROUP
She added, "Amid growing tension along the Lebanese-Israeli border, such irresponsible actions are fraught with extremely dangerous consequences, as they provoke a new round of escalation.
A senior U.S. official has confirmed to Fox News that Israel was behind the explosions as fresh blasts are being reported in Beirut.
Lebanon Health Minister Firas Abiad told reporters Wednesday morning that many of the wounded had severe injuries to the eyes, and others had limbs amputated.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has affirmed his nation's intent to bolster cooperation with Russia in the coming months.
"My government will seriously follow ongoing cooperation and measures to upgrade the level of relations between the two countries," Pezeshkian told Russian Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu on Tuesday.
He continued, "Relations between Tehran and Moscow will develop in a permanent, continuous and lasting way. Deepening and strengthening relations and cooperation between Iran and Russia will reduce the impact of sanctions."
Fox News Digital's Stephen Sorace and Greg Norman contributed to this report.
Israel was behind Lebanon pager attack targeting Hezbollah, senior US official says, as new blasts reported
A senior U.S. official has confirmed to Fox News that Israel is behind the explosions of pagers used by members of Hezbollah in Lebanon as fresh blasts are being reported in Beirut.
Near-simultaneous detonations of pagers used by those belonging to the Iran-backed Hezbollah terror group killed at least 12 people, including two children, and wounded nearly 3,000 on Tuesday.
The development comes as multiple blasts were heard in Beruit on Wednesday during a funeral for Hezbollah members and a child that were killed in Tuesday's explosions, according to The Associated Press.
Hezbollah’s Al Manar TV reported explosions in multiple areas of Lebanon, which it said were the result of walkie-talkies detonating.
HEZBOLLAH PAGERS THAT EXPLODED WERE MADE IN HUNGARY, TAIWANESE COMPANY SAYS
Hezbollah also is claiming Wednesday to have attacked Israeli artillery positions with rockets in the wake of the blasts, Reuters reports.
An American official told the AP that Israel briefed the United States after Tuesday's attack, in which small amounts of explosives hidden in pagers were detonated. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the information publicly.
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When asked this morning about Tuesday's pager explosions, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said "the United States, did not know about, nor was it involved in, these incidents."
"And we're still gathering, the information and gathering the facts. Broadly speaking, we've been very clear, and we remain very clear about the importance of all parties avoiding any steps that could further escalate the conflict that we're trying to resolve in Gaza," Blinken added. "To see it spread to other fronts. It's clearly not in the interest of anyone involved to see that happen. And that's why, again, it's imperative that all parties refrain from any actions that could escalate the conflict."
The Israel Defense Forces also announced Wednesday that troops in its Northern Command are continuing "offensive and defensive activity."
"This week, two brigade-level exercises of the 179th and 769th Brigades took place. The exercises, which focused on readiness for terrain in the north, included simulating operations in enemy territory, evacuating wounded from the field under fire, the operations of the various headquarters, and defending the northern region," it said.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
Fox News' Stephen Sorace and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Venezuela says fourth US citizen arrested in alleged plot to kill President Maduro
A fourth U.S. citizen has been arrested in Venezuela in connection with an alleged plot to kill President Nicolás Maduro, according to the country’s interior minister, Diosdado Cabello.
The citizen, who has not been named, was detained Tuesday in the capital, Caracas, while taking photos of electrical and oil-industry infrastructure as well as military units, Cabello said during a speech before the National Assembly, whose members applauded the detention.
"Those who try to mess with Venezuela, we will screw them, regardless of their name," Cabello said. "It is not the first time he has come to Venezuela."
BIDEN ADMINISTRATION IMPOSES SANCTIONS AGAINST VENEZUELAN PRESIDENT MADURO'S 'CRONIES'
A State Department spokesperson tells Fox News Digital that it is aware of unconfirmed reports of an additional arrest in Venezuela but is unable to make further comment.
The State Department says its ability to provide assistance to U.S. citizens in Venezuela is severely constrained and it is working diligently for additional information.
Relations between the U.S. and Venezuela have been frosty in recent times, with the Biden Administration easing sanctions on its oil industry and other sectors in late 2023, but by April 2024 the administration had rolled back most sanctions relief due to Maduro officials’ antidemocratic actions, including barring opposition primary winner Maria Corina Machado from running. Earlier this year, Venezuela stopped accepting flights of migrants deported from the U.S. and Mexico.
The arrest comes just days after Cabello said three Americans, two Spaniards and a Czech had been detained for trying to assassinate Maduro and overthrow the Venezuelan government, Reuters reported.
The Associated Press identified the American service member as Wilbert Joseph Castañeda Gomez, a member of the Navy.
Cabello is accusing the CIA, Spain’s intelligence agency, organized crime groups, sex workers and members of the opposition of being behind the plot to take out Maduro following his disputed election win in July which was marred by allegations of fraud.
NAVY SAILOR DETAINED IN VENEZUELA WHILE ON 'PERSONAL TRAVEL'
During a press conference on Saturday, Cabello said the detainees were allegedly linked to plans to assassinate Maduro and other officials.
"These groups seek to seize the country's wealth, and we as a government will respond firmly to any destabilization attempt," Cabello said, adding that officials seized about 400 rifles originating in the U.S.
The State Department denies the allegations with a spokesperson telling Fox News Digital that "any claims of U.S. involvement in a plot to overthrow Maduro are categorically false."
"The United States continues to support a democratic solution to the political crisis in Venezuela," the spokesperson said.
While Maduro was declared the winner in July by Venezuelan officials, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said last month there was "overwhelming evidence" Maduro's opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez secured the most votes.
Venezuela’s National Electoral Council, which is stacked with Maduro loyalists, said Maduro won a third six-year term, but it did not provide a detailed breakdown of the results.
Members of the opposition, however, surprised the government by collecting tally sheets from 80% of the nation’s electronic voting machines and publishing them online. The tally sheets, they said, indicate that former diplomat Edmundo González won the election with twice as many votes as Maduro.
According to the Congressional Research Service, a public policy research institute of Congress, Maduro officials have enforced the election results they claim through harsh postelection repression of protesters, activists, and opposition leaders.
After the attorney general issued an arrest warrant accusing González of terrorism, he fled into exile. In response, on Sept. 12, the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) imposed financial sanctions on 16 Maduro officials for their role in either electoral fraud or repression.
"These officials impeded a transparent electoral process and the release of accurate election results," Blinken said in a statement.
"Rather than respecting the will of the Venezuelan people as expressed at the ballot box, Maduro and his representatives have falsely claimed victory while repressing and intimidating the democratic opposition in an illegitimate attempt to cling to power by force."
Earlier this month, the U.S. seized a plane owned by Maduro in the Dominican Republic, after it was purchased through a straw company in violation of sanctions laws and export controls, officials said.
Fox News’ Landon Mion and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
Hezbollah pagers that exploded were made in Hungary, Taiwanese company says
Hundreds of pagers that exploded in Lebanon and Syria in an apparent operation targeting members of Hezbollah bore the brand of a Taiwanese company, though the firm’s chair told reporters Wednesday that another company in Budapest manufactured the devices.
Near-simultaneous detonations of pagers used by members of the Iran-backed Hezbollah terror group killed at least 12 people, including two children, and wounded nearly 3,000 on Tuesday.
Taiwanese pager firm Gold Apollo said in a statement that the firm had licensed its AR-924 brand of pager to BAC Consulting KFT, based in Hungary’s capital, and was not involved in the production.
"According to the cooperation agreement, we authorize BAC to use our brand trademark for product sales in designated regions, but the design and manufacturing of the products are solely the responsibility of BAC," the statement read.
LEBANON EXPLOSIONS: HEZBOLLAH APPARENTLY TARGETED AS PAGERS DETONATE, SEVERAL DEAD, THOUSANDS HURT
Gold Apollo chair Hsu Ching-kuang told reporters Wednesday that his company has had a licensing agreement with BAC for the past three years, though he provided no evidence of the contract.
The pagers started heating up and exploding around 3:30 p.m. Tuesday. The blasts were concentrated in areas where Hezbollah has a strong presence, particularly a southern Beirut suburb and in the Beqaa region of eastern Lebanon and in Damascus, Lebanese security officials and a Hezbollah official told the Associated Press.
Lebanon Health Minister Firas Abiad told reporters Wednesday morning that many of the wounded had severe injuries to the eyes, and others had limbs amputated.
HEZBOLLAH'S NEIGHBORS: ISRAELI BORDER COMMUNITY UNDER CONSTANT ATTACK FROM TERROR GROUP
Hezbollah and the Lebanese government blamed Israel for what appeared to be a sophisticated remote attack. The Israeli government has not commented.
Experts believe a sophisticated supply chain infiltration occurred, during which explosive material was secreted into the pagers prior to their delivery and use.
Osher Assor, managing partner at Israeli cybersecurity consulting firm Auren, told the Wall Street Journal that such an operation would have taken at least a year to plan.
"The moment the specific message arrived, the devices were activated," Assor told the newspaper. "This is unprecedented – both the size and the scale – we haven’t seen something like that before."
While it appeared that members of Hezbollah possessed many of the pagers that exploded, it was not immediately clear if non-Hezbollah members also carried any of the pagers.
Hezbollah, which has pointed the blame at Israel, said in a statement Wednesday morning that it would continue its normal strikes against Israel "as in all the past days" as part of what it describes as a support front for its ally Hamas, and Palestinians in Gaza.
Both U.S. State Department spokesman Matt Miller and White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters during separate daily briefings on Tuesday that the U.S. was not involved in the incident or aware of the incident prior to the explosions.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Germany clamps down on illegal immigrants as country forced to rethink policies amid voter anger
Germany has tightened control at all land border crossings in an effort to clamp down on immigration issues amid panic across the European continent over extremism.
"Like the United States under dangerously liberal Kamala, the world is learning that wide open borders mixed with soft-on-crime policies is a recipe for criminals and terrorists to unleash rampant and violent crime in our communities," RNC spokesperson Taylor Rogers told Fox News Digital.
The arrival of "irregular migrants," which is an alternative term for illegal immigration, has dropped across Europe this year by around 36%, but the concerns over the impact of such immigration remains a chief concern for the European Union as a whole, according to the bloc’s migration agency Frontex.
The bloc signed a series of migration agreements with Tunisia, Egypt and Lebanon, and the members worked out an agreement called the "Pact on Migration and Asylum," finalized in the summer, according to French outlet Le Monde.
NEARLY 530,000 MIGRANTS CAME TO US ‘LEGALLY,' PAROLED INTO US UNDER CONTROVERSIAL BIDEN PROGRAM: CBP
Germany has taken its own initiative to empower authorities to reject migrants directly at its borders – a controversial decision for a region that allows free movement between its member states. The new measures will kick in on Sept. 16 for a trial run of six months, German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser announced this week.
"We are strengthening internal security and continuing our hard line against irregular migration," Faeser said.
TOP HOUSE COMMITTEE RAMPS UP PRESSURE TO OBTAIN ‘IMPORTANT’ DOCS ON HARRIS' ROLE IN BORDER CRISIS
Germany has experienced a surge of migrants from the war-torn Middle East and parts of North Africa. German authorities have blamed small increases in crime on the increased levels of migration. Foreigners committed around 41% of crimes in Germany in 2023 while making up 15% of the population.
The issue has pushed Germans to hand a far-right party its first state election win in decades. The election occurred just days after a Syrian immigrant killed three people in a stabbing spree in the country, with ISIS claiming responsibility for the attack.
SEN. BLACKBURN SLAMS MAYORKAS OVER BORDER CRISIS: LIST OF FAILURES CONTINUES TO GROW
Similar extreme Islamist attacks across Europe have revived fears of immigration and prompted strong wins for right-wing parties in individual countries and in the European Parliament itself.
Germany has handled the brunt of this movement, accepting over a million people fleeing from countries such as Syria during the 2015/16 migrant crisis, according to Reuters.
However, these new measures, due to the free movement in the European Union, pose a challenge as it will potentially shift the burden onto Germany’s neighbors.
Austrian Interior Minister Gerhard Karner told German outlet Bild that "there’s no room for maneuver" to accept migrants rejected at the German border. As the largest country in Central Europe, Germany borders on Denmark, Belgium, Luxembourg, France, Switzerland, Austria, the Czech Republic and Poland.
Reuters contributed to this report.
Canadian PM Trudeau says 'there's more work to do' as his party loses long-held seat in Quebec
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's Liberal Party was handed another loss at the ballot box on Monday.
Louis-Philippe Sauvé won on the Bloc Québécois' ticket to represent LaSalle-Émard-Verdun in parliament against Trudeau's personally endorsed candidate, Liberal Laura Palestini.
CANADA'S POILIEVRE SIGNALS PLANS FOR NO-CONFIDENCE VOTE AGAINST TRUDEAU GOVERNMENT
The race was a tight one, with Sauvé taking in 28 percent of the vote. The Bloc Québécois candidate beat the Liberal candidate by less than 250 votes according to Elections Canada results.
"Obviously it would have been nicer to be able to win," said Trudeau in Ottowa in a press conference Tuesday. "…But there’s more work to do."
"The big thing is to make sure that Canadians understand the choice they get to make in the next election," Trudeau added.
Trudeau has held the position of Prime Minister for nine years, meaning the Liberal Party has maintained power in the Canadian parliament for nearly a decade.
CANADA LAUNCHES SUDDEN IMMIGRATION CRACKDOWN AMID PUBLIC PRESSURE: REPORT
In a recent Ipsos poll tracking the "best Prime Minister," Canadians rate Trudeau at 26%. For comparison, Canada's Conservative Party PM candidate Pierre Poilievre was given a 45% rating in the same poll.
The Liberal Party has lost other by-elections over the course of the summer. Toronto-St. Paul's fell from being considered a Liberal stronghold in June when the Conservatives won the seat by a hair.
The Bloc Québécois, which describes itself as "the only party who defends the interests of Quebec," seeks independence from Canada.
Sauvé, the new Bloc Québécois MP, said "it was a roller coaster night, I had many emotions," in a press conference.
"But today I’m feeling good. I’m feeling grateful, grateful towards the people in my neighborhood of having chosen me as their MP," Sauvé added.
Prime Minister Trudeau is up for re-election on October 25, 2025.
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The office of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
Budapest and Poland’s Wroclaw reinforce river banks ahead of more flooding in Central Europe
Soldiers and firefighters used sandbags to reinforce river embankments and delivered food and drinking water to cut-off communities as the worst flooding in years moved Tuesday across a broad swath of Central Europe, taking lives and destroying homes.
Heavy flooding has affected a large part of the region in recent days, including the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Austria. Around 20 deaths were reported in the flooding, which followed heavy rainfall but the full human cost was still not clear. Casualties have been reported in Romania, Austria, the Czech Republic and Poland.
ONLINE INFLUENCERS LEAD THOUSANDS DEMANDING CHANGE IN HUNGARY FOLLOWING PRESIDENT'S RESIGNATION
In some areas, the waters were receding, leaving behind mounds of debris. As reports of looting came in, government and military authorities vowed to crack down on perpetrators. Gen. Wiesław Kukuła, Chief of the General Staff of the Polish Army, said the military was deploying soldiers equipped with night vision and thermal imaging devices to support the police in areas where people had to leave for higher ground.
"Looters, night and lack of electricity will no longer be your ally," he tweeted late Monday.
Other places braced for the worst yet to come, including two Central European gems: Budapest, the Hungarian capital on the Danube River, and Wroclaw, a city in southwestern Poland on the Oder River which boasts a Gothic cathedral and other historic landmarks.
Hungary deployed soldiers to reinforce barriers along the Danube as thousands of volunteers filled sandbags in dozens of riverside settlements.
In Budapest, authorities closed the lower quays, which were expected to be breached by rising waters. The lower half of the city’s iconic Margaret Island was also closed.
In Wroclaw, firefighters and soldiers worked through the night to reinforce river embankments with sandbags. The city zoo, located on the Oder, appealed for volunteers to fill sandbags on Tuesday morning.
"We and our animals will be extremely grateful for your help," the zoo said.
The city said it expected the flood wave to peak there around Friday, though some had predicted that would happen sooner. Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk met with a crisis team early Tuesday and said there are contradictory forecasts from meteorologists.
Tusk's government has declared a state of natural disaster across southern Poland.
To the south of Wroclaw, residents spent the night fighting to save Nysa, a town of 44,000 people, after the Nysa Klodzka River broke its banks the day before. Mayor Kordian Kolbiarz said 2,000 "women, men, children, the elderly" came out to try to save their town from the rising waters, forming a human chain that passed sandbags to the river bank.
"We simply … did everything we could," Kolbiarz wrote on Facebook. "This chain of people fighting for our Nysa was incredible. Thank you. We fought for Nysa. Our home. Our families. Our future."
Later on Tuesday, authorities in Nysa said the city center had been saved from the flooding.
In Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia, the deputy mayor for the environment, Jakub Mrva, said the level of the Danube had peaked and would slowly decrease. He said that mobile barriers had saved the historic center, but that there was still damage, including to tram lines.
"We also observed major damage at the zoo, which is flooded, and there is relatively high damage in the city forests of Bratislava, where many trees have perished," Mrva told The Associated Press in an interview, speaking next to the flooded banks of the Danube.
In the Czech Republic, waters have been receding in the two hardest-hit northeast regions. The government approved the deployment of 2,000 troops to help with clean-up efforts. The damage is expected to reach billions of euros.
The Czech government also scrambled to help local authorities organize regional elections on Friday and Saturday as several schools and other buildings serving as polling stations were badly damaged. However, a planned evacuation of some 1,000 in the town of Veseli nad Luznici could be postponed as the waters had not reached critical levels so far.
Militants launch deadly attack on training camp in Mali’s capital
Islamic militants attacked a military training camp and other locations in Mali’s capital Tuesday, sparking deadly gunbattles and the temporary closure of a nearby airport before troops were able to subdue the assailants, officials said. No details of casualties were immediately released.
The militants tried to infiltrate the Faladie gendarme school in Bamako in a rare attack for the capital, prompting a sweep by government troops who later were able to "neutralize" the attackers, army Chief of Staff Oumar Diarra said on national TV, without elaborating.
MILITARY-LED MALI SUSPENDS ALL POLITICAL ACTIVITY UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE
The attack caused "loss of life and material damage," a security official told The Associated Press, but didn’t provide numbers or details. At least 15 suspects were arrested, said the official, who was inside the training camp at the time of the attack. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn’t authorized to talk to reporters.
Later, the military said that the militants also had attacked other locations, but did not provide details.
The al-Qaida-linked militant group JNIM claimed responsibility for the attacks on its website Azallaq. Videos posted by JNIM on the site show fighters setting a plane at the airport on fire. The group claimed to have inflicted "major human and material losses."
An AP reporter heard two explosions in the area earlier Tuesday and saw smoke rise from a location on the outskirts of the city where the camp and airport are located.
Soon after the attacks, Mali’s authorities closed the airport, with Transport Ministry spokesman Mohamed Ould Mamouni saying flights were suspended because of the exchange of gunfire nearby. The airport reopened later in the day.
The U.S. Embassy in Bamako told its staff to remain at home and stay off the roads.
Mali, along with its neighbors Burkina Faso and Niger, has for more than a decade battled an insurgency fought by armed groups, including some allied with al-Qaida and the Islamic State group. Following military coups in all three nations in recent years, the ruling juntas have expelled French forces and turned to Russian mercenary units for security assistance instead.
Since taking power, Col. Assimi Goita has struggled to stave off growing attacks by the jihadis. Attacks in central and northern Mali are increasing. In July, approximately 50 Russian mercenaries in a convoy were killed in an al-Qaida ambush.
The mercenaries had been fighting mostly Tuareg rebels alongside Mali’s army when their convoy was forced to retreat into jihadi territory and ambushed south of the commune of Tinzaouaten.
Attacks in the capital of Bamako are rare, however.
"I think JNIM wanted to show they can also stage attacks in the south and in the capital, following the battle on the north near the Algeria border where Wagner suffered losses," said Ulf Laessing, head of the Sahel program at the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, which promotes democracy.
In 2022, gunmen struck a Malian army checkpoint about 60 kilometers (40 miles) outside the city, killing at least six people and wounding several others. In 2015, another al-Qaida linked extremist group killed at least 20 people, including one American, during an attack on a hotel in Bamako.
Tuesday’s attack is significant because it showed that JNIM has the ability to stage a large-scale attack, Wassim Nasr, a journalist and senior research fellow at the Soufan Center, told the AP.
It also shows that they are concentrating their efforts on military targets, rather than random attacks on civilian targets, he said.
Top Russian official lands in Iran amid US, UK concerns over alleged nuclear deal
Top Russian security official Sergei Shoigu landed in Iran on Tuesday for talks with his counterpart just one day after reports surfaced suggesting the U.S. and the U.K. are increasingly concerned over an alleged nuclear deal between Tehran and Moscow.
Details of Shoigu’s meeting in Iran remain scarce, but U.S. officials have increasingly begun sounding the alarm that the burgeoning relationship between Iran and Russia amid the war in Ukraine may have reached concerning new levels.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken first referenced these concerns last week during a visit to the U.K., where he confirmed reports that Iran had supplied Russia with short-range ballistic missiles to aid its continued war effort against Kyiv.
RUSSIA, CHINA HOLD BIGGEST WAR GAMES SINCE SOVIET ERA
But in comments that largely fell under the radar given the confirmation that ballistic missiles had been given to Moscow, Blinken also said, "Russia is sharing technology that Iran seeks – this is a two-way street – including on nuclear issues as well as some space information."
A report by The Guardian on Monday suggested that President Biden and U.K. Prime Minister Kier Starmer allegedly discussed the potential of a secret deal having been forged in which Russia has agreed to provide Iran with the technological know-how it needs to develop a nuclear weapon.
Nuclear experts, including the U.N.'s own watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), have warned that Tehran has continued to develop its nuclear program unchecked for the last three and half years.
Iran is said to have increased its stockpiles of highly enriched uranium to levels of 60% purity – just shy of weapons-grade uranium, which is achieved with 90% purity levels.
While information surrounding Shoigu’s meeting Tuesday remains unknown, his trip came just days after he traveled to fellow nuclear-armed nation, North Korea, and met with leader Kim Jong Un in Pyongyang.
UKRAINE HITS MOSCOW IN LARGEST DRONE STRIKE SINCE WAR BEGAN
Details of that trip also remain murky, but reports suggested Shoigu’s trip was an opportunity to deepen the Russia-North Korea partnership following the signing of a mutual defense treaty in June earlier this year.
Western nations have accused North Korea of supplying Russia with arms to aid its war effort in Ukraine, and concerns have mounted that Pyongyang could escalate its military deliverables to Moscow.
The U.S. and its Western allies have pledged to hold nations accountable for aiding Russia in its illegal war in Ukraine, but Shoigu’s trips with the top adversarial nations coincided with threats leveled by Putin at Washington last week.
Neither the U.S. nor the U.K. have lifted their strike bans on Ukrainian supplied long-range weapons in order to permit Kyiv to strike deep into Russia – a move it argues is critical for ending the war with Moscow.
But Putin last week said any move by the U.S. and its NATO allies to reverse these strike bans will be seen as its direct involvement in the conflict and would mean they are "at war" with Russia – possibly extending the threat of a Russian strike outside of Ukraine.
Putin has made these threats against the West before, though no strike ban reversals were announced during the top meetings last week between Biden and Starmer.
Reuters contributed to this report.
Mass rape trial lays bare France's disturbing culture of sexual assault, critics allege
WARNING: Content in the following story may be disturbing for some readers.
A mass-rape trial in France has exposed what many have called a "rape culture" that has run rampant in the country.
"Today I maintain that, along with the other men here, I am a rapist,″ Dominique Pélicot, 71, said during a court appearance on Tuesday. "They knew everything. They can’t say otherwise."
Gisèle Pélicot, 72, alleged that her husband had drugged her and allowed dozens of men to sexually abuse her over nearly a decade between 2011 and 2020 while the couple lived in the small town of Mazan. Dominique Pélicot admitted to the crime in addition to filming the assaults.
His decision to forego anonymity in the trial is unprecedented and has taken many by surprise, but he stands by his conviction that he must face his crimes.
CANADIAN MAN CAUGHT AT BORDER PLEADS GUILTY TO 4 COUNTS OF CHILD MOLESTATION
"One is not born a pervert. One becomes a pervert," he told the court, claiming he had been raped by a male nurse in a hospital when he was nine years old and then forced to participate in a gang rape at 14.
"From my youth, I remember only shocks and traumas, forgotten partly thanks to her. She did not deserve this, I acknowledge it," he said of his wife. If convicted, Dominique Pélicot faces 20 years in prison.
PENNSYLVANIA MAN ACCUSED OF RAPING WOMEN FROM DATING WEBSITE, INCLUDING TEENAGER
He now stands trial along with around 50 other men that authorities have identified and arrested through matching the media provided by Dominique Pélicot — many of whom have denied the allegations brought against them.
Dominique Pélicot’s testimony stirred media attention due to the shocking nature of his crime. He spoke for an hour while confined to a wheelchair following some health complications due to a kidney stone and urinary infection.
The court proceedings cannot be filmed or photographed, per French law, and Dominique Pélicot enters and leaves the court through a special entrance inaccessible to the media as he and some other defendants remain in custody during the trial.
The other defendants instead claim they were manipulated by the husband or believed she had consented to the act.
CALIFORNIA STATE SENATOR FORCED CHIEF OF STAFF TO PERFORM SEX ACTS THAT LEFT HIM INJURED: LAWSUIT
Dominique Pélicot first crossed law enforcement after they caught him taking photos of women’s crotches at a supermarket. An investigation uncovered the trove of thousands of pictures and videos that depicted the assaults on his wife.
The couple remained married for 50 years until the attacks came to light and police shared the media with Gisèle Pélicot, who called the revelation "unbearable." The couple had three children together.
"For me, everything collapses," Gisèle Pélicot testified. "These are scenes of barbarity, of rape."
French authorities have determined that a total of roughly 72 men participated in the decadelong rape scheme. Their ages range from 26 to 68 and come from a variety of backgrounds, including firefighters, journalists and pharmacists, according to the BBC.
The Fondation des Femmes told NBC News that the trial is a "symbol of the worst that male violence can do," describing the crimes against Gisèle Pélicot as "barbaric" and her decision to publicly testify as brave.
"It is not for myself that I am testifying, but for all the women who suffer chemical submission," Gisèle Pélicot said during her testimony.
Céline Piques of the group Osez le Féminisme has argued that this case counters the narrative of "the rapist who is a psychopath" who "raped because they were sure of their impurity."
Piques pointed to the website that Dominique Pélicot used to invite men to his home, which had over 500,000 visitors a month last year, noting that "100% of these people… never made a phone call to stop this abuse."
"Not one man thought about informing the police of these criminal facts," Piques said.
Fox News Digital’s Jasmine Baehr and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Blinken travels to Egypt for cease-fire talks as Israel adds new war goal
The Biden administration’s efforts to secure a cease-fire agreement between Israel and Hamas via shuttle diplomacy continued Tuesday as Secretary of State Antony Blinken was due to fly to Egypt in another attempt to "establish broader regional security."
The U.S., in coordination with Egypt and Qatar, has been leading indirect negotiations in the pursuit of ending the deadly war in Gaza, which has persisted for nearly a year following the horrific Oct. 7 massacre by Hamas which saw the death of 1,139 people along with the abduction of 251 people from Israel.
However, hopes of finding an end to the war remain unlikely during Blinken’s latest visit, which is the 10th trip he has taken to the Middle East since the October 2023 terrorist attacks.
State Department spokesperson Matt Miller told reporters Monday amid U.S. envoy Amos Hochstein’s trip to Israel, where he met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, that there is "no timeline" for a deal.
"We are working expeditiously to try to develop that proposal, [to] try to find something that would bring both the parties to say yes," he added.
A cease-fire deal, which the Biden administration appeared hopeful they were close to achieving last month, appears to have reached an impasse as both Hamas and Israel have made stipulations over access to the Philadelphi Corridor, a non-negotiable issue for both sides.
Blinken’s latest trip is not expected to result in any major breakthroughs and comes just one day after Israel’s security cabinet updated its war aims against not only Hamas, but Hezbollah.
The goals, which already included the elimination of Hamas' military and government bodies in Gaza, the return of all hostages and ensuring a safe environment for Israelis living along the southern border, now also includes the safe return of some 60,000 Israeli citizens to their homes in the north.
Following the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks, more than 65,000 Israelis were evacuated from their homes along the northern border with Lebanon over concerns that Hezbollah could carry out a similar Hamas-style attack.
Despite the devastating effects Hamas achieved in its gruesome attack last year, security experts have long warned that Hezbollah – which is financially and militarily stronger than Hamas – poses a greater threat to Israeli security.
In a late-night statement Monday, Netanyahu’s office said, "Israel will continue to take active measures" to achieve its new "goal" in returning citizens to their northern homes.
The statement followed comments made by both the prime minister and the defense minister on Monday that said Israel is looking to change its force posture along its northern border.
Neither Netanyahu nor Gallant have detailed what these security changes will entail, but both have looked to make clear to the U.S. that Israel will do what it believes is best for its security.
Fox News' Yonat Friling contributed to this article.
Lebanon explosions: Hezbollah apparently targeted as pagers detonate, dozens reported hurt
Hundreds of handheld pagers exploded across Lebanon on Tuesday, injuring dozens of people, in an apparent targeting of Hezbollah members, according to a state media report.
Lebanon's state-run National News Agency reported that in Beirut’s southern suburbs and other areas "the handheld pagers system was detonated using advanced technology, and dozens of injuries were reported." It wasn't immediately clear if people were killed.
A security source in Lebanon told Reuters that the pagers were carried by members of Hezbollah. A Hezbollah official, speaking to the outlet on condition of anonymity, described the incident as a detonation that was the 'biggest security breach' during the nearly year-long war with Israel.
A Hezbollah official said that at least 150 people, including members of the group, were wounded in different parts of Lebanon when the pagers they were carrying exploded.
HEZBOLLAH'S NEIGHBORS: ISRAELI BORDER COMMUNITY UNDER CONSTANT ATTACK FROM TERROR GROUP
Photos and videos from Beirut’s southern suburbs circulating on social media and in local media showed people lying on the pavement with wounds on their hands or near their pants pockets.
This is a breaking news story; check back for updates.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Possible ancient meteor crater found by Canadian man planning trip using Google Maps
If you see something unusual, don't overlook it. It could just be an ancient discovery.
Joël Lapointe from Quebec, Canada, was investigating the Côte-Nord region ahead of a camping trip using Google Maps when he found what could be a crater left behind by an ancient space rock.
While using Google Map's satellite feature, Lapointe came across a pit he found unusual.
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After seeing this strange pit, Lapointe decided to investigate it further. He contacted a French geophysicist named Pierre Rochette, who believed the find could be a rare discovery.
"Looking at the topography, it's very suggestive of impact," Rochette told CBC News.
Rochette later received samples from the site in question, and found that at least one contained zircon, a mineral that undergoes transformation in the event of a meteor impact.
More research is being done to find more definitive answers about the potentially rare discovery.
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"It could tell us about when it was delivered to Earth," Tara Hayden, postdoctoral associate at Western University's department of Earth sciences, told CBC. "That's the wonderful thing about impact craters. We get to have this link between Earth and the outside universe."
The study of impact craters allows scientists to better understand "the past, present and future of collisions" across the solar system, per the American Museum of Natural History.
So far, there have been 200 total confirmed impact craters found, 31 of which have been discovered in Canada, Gordon Osinski, an Earth sciences professor at Western University, told CBC.
He added that there are many geologists hunting down a find like this one, but true discoveries are very rare.
"It's quite easy with Google Earth these days to go on and find structures that are circular or semicircular in origin. You know, nine times out of 10 they're not [craters]," Osinski said.
The next order of business is for Osinski and his team to potentially head on location to find out more about the find.
"It's super exciting," Osinski told CBC. "It doesn't happen too often."