World News

The Israeli military claimed responsibility for a series of airstrikes in Yemen on Thursday that hit Sana’a International Airport and other targets in the Houthi-controlled capital.

The Israel Defense Forces said the strikes targeted military infrastructure used by the Houthis to conduct acts of terrorism. 

"The Houthi terrorist regime has repeatedly attacked the State of Israel and its citizens, including in UAV and surface-to-surface missile attacks on Israeli territory," the IDF said in a statement. 

"The targets that were struck by the IDF include military infrastructure used by the Houthi terrorist regime for its military activities in both the Sana’a International Airport and the Hezyaz and Ras Kanatib power stations. In addition, the IDF struck military infrastructure in the Al-Hudaydah, Salif, and Ras Kanatib ports on the western coast." 

The strikes come days after Israel's defense minister promised retaliation against Houthi leaders for missile strikes launched from Yemen at Israel. 

This is a breaking news story. Check back for updates.

An Azerbaijan Airlines flight that crashed in Kazakhstan on Wednesday, killing 38 people, was shot down by a Russian air defense system, Reuters reported Thursday.

The report cited four sources in Azerbaijan familiar with the investigation into the crash. One of the sources said preliminary results showed the plane was struck by a Russian Pantsir-S air defense system, and its communications were paralyzed by electronic warfare systems on the approach into Grozny, Reuters reported. 

"No one claims that it was done on purpose," the source told Reuters. "However, taking into account the established facts, Baku expects the Russian side to confess to the shooting down of the Azerbaijani aircraft."

Officials in Russia and Kazakhstan have remained tight-lipped after the Azerbaijan Airlines flight crashed near the Kazakh city of Aktau with dozens of souls aboard.

RUSSIA BEING BLAMED FOR AZERBAIJAN AIRLINES PLANE THAT CRASHED HUNDREDS OF MILES OFF COURSE, KILLING DOZENS

A Ukrainian national security official has blamed Russian air defense fire for the deadly crash, which killed 38 people on Christmas Day. 

The Embraer 190 passenger jet flying from Azerbaijan to Russia had 62 passengers and five crew on board, according to Kazakh authorities. It had flown hundreds of miles off its scheduled route to crash on the opposite shore of the Caspian Sea. Twenty-nine people survived. 

Video of the crash showed the plane descending rapidly before bursting into flames as it hit the seashore, and thick black smoke then rising, Reuters reported. 

Officials did not immediately explain why the plane had crossed the sea, but the crash came shortly after drone strikes hit southern Russia. Drone activity has shut down airports in the area in the past and the nearest Russian airport on the plane's flight path was closed on Wednesday morning.

On Thursday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the cause of the crash is under investigation. He told reporters that "it would be wrong to make hypotheses before investigators make their verdict," the Associated Press reported. 

Kazakhstan’s parliamentary Speaker Maulen Ashimbayev also warned against rushing to conclusions based on pictures of the plane’s fragments, describing the allegations of air defense fire as unfounded and "unethical."

Other officials in Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan have likewise declined to comment on the cause of the crash and pointed to the ongoing investigations for answers, according to the AP.

MORE THAN 30 DEAD IN BRAZIL BUS AND TRUCK COLLISION

Earlier, Ukrainian national security official Andriy Kovalenko blamed a "Russian air-defense system" for the crash in an X post on Wednesday.

"However, admitting this is inconvenient for everyone, so efforts will be made to cover it up, even the holes in the remaining parts of the aircraft," Kovalenko claimed. 

Aviation-security firm Osprey Flight Solutions also said the flight was "likely shot down by a Russian military air-defense sytem," the Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday night.

"Video of the wreckage and the circumstances around the airspace security environment in southwest Russia indicates the possibility the aircraft was hit by some form of antiaircraft fire," Matt Borie, Osprey's chief intelligence officer, said in an interview.

MALAYSIA AGREES TO RESUME 'NO FIND, NO FEE' HUNT FOR FLIGHT MH370, 10 YEARS AFTER PLANE DISAPPEARED

Russia's aviation watchdog, meanwhile, said it was an emergency that may have been caused by a bird strike.

The Kremlin did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Azerbaijan observed a national day of mourning on Thursday for the 38 victims of the plane crash. National flags were lowered across the country, traffic stopped at noon and signals were sounded from ships and trains as the people observed a nationwide moment of silence, the AP reported.

"We will never forget the beloved people we lost in the crash of the ‘Embraer-190’ aircraft," Azerbaijan Airlines said in a statement Thursday. "This loss left a deep wound in the heart of an entire community. It reminds us to be more compassionate and connected to one another." 

"May the souls of those who tragically lost their lives rest in peace, and may their memory live on forever." 

Kai Höss walks to the podium every Sunday at a small church in Germany to share a message of salvation and God’s grace and forgiveness. 

He’s the lead pastor at the Bible Church of Stuttgart, a non-denominational church that serves the English-speaking international community as well as U.S. service members and their families who are stationed in the area.

He’s also the grandson of former Auschwitz Commandant Rudolf Höss, a Nazi official who oversaw the mass murder of an estimated 1.1 million people, the majority of them Jews, at the notorious extermination camp in southern Poland.

Höss spoke with Fox News Digital from his home in Germany to share his thoughts on antisemitism today and how he reconciles his Christian faith with what his grandfather did nearly 80 years ago.

He was raised in a non-Christian home with non-believing parents, but his Grandma Caroline was a believer who "understood Christ" and the Gospel. 

"I thought she was really weird," Höss admitted.

He graduated from school, trained as a chef, joined the military and then studied hotel tourism management. He worked abroad for roughly 20 years, spending most of his time with big-name hotel chains like Sheraton and Shangri-La.

"I was a young urban professional full of myself, in love with myself, you know, Rolex, golden Amex, Mr. Cool, going to clubs, out every night. That was my life," he said.

It wasn’t until a medical operation went wrong that he turned his life around. He found a Bible in the hospital room, initially telling himself that he wasn’t going to read it, but continued book by book.

He was saved in Singapore in 1989. "God saved a wretch like me, you know? And that's what he does. And it never stops. His grace abounds," Höss said. 

The father of four openly speaks about his family’s past and his salvation and goes to schools to share his story and speak out against antisemitism.

Höss was in sixth or seventh grade when he discovered that Rudolf Höss was his grandfather, which left him feeling deeply ashamed.

WORLD WAR II SHOCKER: AUSCHWITZ MUSEUM GETS NAZI DEATH CAMP CONDUCTOR'S BATON

"I didn't go around telling people, 'Hey, you know, I'm the grandson of the greatest mass murderer in human history,'" he told Fox News Digital. "So, I just kept it quiet."

After he became a Christian, he felt compelled to share his grandfather’s dark legacy and share a message of forgiveness, grace and reconciliation. He shared his testimony at a U.S. military retreat in Germany, where he was embraced by a Jewish military officer whose family had been murdered in Auschwitz.

"I started thinking, ‘How can I give something back? How can I do something to’ – I know I can't make it undone. I can’t reverse history, but I thought, you know, I can do something. I can just love them and what I can do, I can proclaim the truth from God's word to Christians," Höss said. 

Through Jesus Christ, he believes God's grace is able to redeem even the darkest past. 

When speaking to students in Germany, Höss addresses antisemitism by drawing connections between the past and the present, specifically referencing World War II, his grandfather’s role and the power of hate.

He explains the concept of social Darwinism, which was used by the Nazis to justify their belief in racial superiority. He explains how Darwin’s theory of evolution was misapplied to humans, leading to the idea that certain races were "stronger" and more "superior" than others and thus had the right to dominate or eliminate "weaker" races.

Höss emphasized that this false ideology fueled much of the hatred against Jews, along with other marginalized groups, during World War II.

He connects his presentations to social media platforms today and how TikTok, for example, can be highly influential, especially with its short, emotionally charged clips. He warns students about the danger of being swayed by superficial or biased content, emphasizing the importance of thinking critically and not simply swallowing information "hook, line and sinker" without considering the deeper truths or questioning the narrative.

"One of my friends called it TikTok mentality, TikTok brains, you know, you get these endorphins, you get these, you know, little hormone boosts every time you see a little clip. Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom. And then it gets so addictive, right? And people get filled with the wrong idea. They don't look for deeper truth. They don't analyze," he told Fox News Digital.

TOP ISRAELI TIKTOK OFFICIAL QUITS COMPANY AMID ACCUSATIONS OF ANTISEMITISM ON PLATFORM

Höss reacted to anti-Israel protests that erupted on U.S. college campuses after Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel, noting how much of the support for violence on campuses comes from people acting emotionally, often without a full understanding of the historical and political complexities of the situation.

Julia Wax, a Georgetown University law student, told "Fox & Friends" in the wake of Oct. 7 that college campuses are a "hostile environment" for Jewish students. 

"People are scared to go to class. You have to sit next to classmates who are posting antisemitic rhetoric, who are promoting rallies that spew antisemitic rhetoric. People are scared, and the universities are not doing their part, and they're not stepping up, and they're staying silent," Wax said.

Höss told Fox News Digital he hears people chanting "From the river to the sea," but if you ask them what that river or sea is, "they have no idea." "They want to be part of something. They feel good about it. They get the basic message, the narrative. They've never really questioned both sides of the coin, so they don't really have the full information. They're not really interested because, again, it's emotional. It's an emotional response."

He critiqued how people, driven by ideologies or emotional narratives, can turn hatred into action, leading to harm and violence against others.

"We get infiltrated by ideas, ideologies, thoughts, emotions. And then we start going all for it. We go right out there, and we turn these thoughts into actions. And one of them is hatred and hatred turning into bloodshed. And that's exactly what we see on the campuses. We see people are willing to go out for this idea and do bad things. I mean, [they] don't realize that this Jewish person there is just, you know, a normal person like they themselves," Höss said.

"He's made of flesh and blood, right? He's a student. He's just a normal person. And here I hate someone because of something a government did somewhere on the other side of the planet, you know? And is everything that happened right? Perhaps not, you know, in that whole conflict there," he added, referring to the Israel-Hamas war. "I hope they're going to come to a point now where this whole thing sort of slows down and people can help."

Höss and his father traveled to Auschwitz three years ago when they were filming the HBO documentary "The Commandant’s Shadow." They met with Holocaust survivor Anita Lasker-Wallfisch in her home and came to terms with Rudolf Höss’ murderous past. 

"We pray for her," he added. "And I feel so privileged and thankful, humbled that we were allowed to go there and my dad and I and just see her and spend time with her. A person that had suffered so much under my grandfather's cruel, cruel system in that concentration camp."

Höss has plans to speak at a synagogue in Freiburg, Germany, in January as part of the commemoration services for the 80th anniversary of Auschwitz’s liberation. 

"[It’s] an amazing opportunity to speak up and to be part of something like that," he told Fox News Digital.

JOHANNESBURG – Key Republicans are already pressing the incoming Trump administration to kick South Africa out of lucrative trade arrangements, should the South African government not change its position on Russia, China, Iran and Israel.

Most at risk is South Africa’s duty-free exports to the U.S. of items such as cars and citrus fruit under AGOA – the African Growth and Opportunity Act, and with it the potential loss of tens of thousands of African jobs. South Africa is likely to be under intense scrutiny from the incoming administration. 

A publication from the Center for African Studies at Howard University, in 2023, warned that a country wanting AGOA’s preferential trade agreements "cannot act in a manner that undermines U.S. national security or foreign policy interests".

South Africa joins Russia’s military aircraft and naval vessels on exercises, allowing Pretoria’s naval bases to be used by the Kremlin and Russia’s sanctioned warships. Senior South African military officials have received training in Moscow. At the U.N., South Africa has refused to condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. 

BIDEN TRAVELS TO AFRICA WHERE POLICIES WERE ‘OVER-PROMISED AND UNDER-DELIVERED,' AMID MASSIVE CHINA EXPANSION

South Africa’s majority ANC party has met with terror group Hamas, and recently one branch of the ANC supported a local Muslim leader who reportedly shouted to a cheering crowd, "I am Hamas, Cape Town is Hamas, Viva Hamas!" The government also issued a statement condemning the killing this year of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh. The country’s foreign minister, Ronald Lamola, spoke out against the "assassination" of this designated terrorist leader, saying "such acts of extrajudicial killings violate international law."

South Africa has accused Israel of genocide at the International Court of Justice.

South Africa’s biggest trading partner is China, with the two countries being founder members of the BRICS trade organization. South Africa has welcomed the inclusion now of Iran in BRICS. There have been accusations of deep links between Tehran and Pretoria.

"Given the South African positions on the Russia-Ukraine and Mideast conflicts, South Africa is leaning away from American positions in a number of ways, most especially in its vigorous pursuit of Israel and its leaders in the international courts," J. Brooks Spector told Fox News Digital. 

Spector, a former U.S. diplomat now based in Johannesburg, and deputy editor of the respected Daily Maverick, added that "continuing action and rhetoric by South Africa in its pursuit of Israel in international court efforts will, however, encourage Republicans in Congress (and probably in the administration as well) to strip South Africa of benefits under the African Growth and Opportunity Act, assuming the act is renewed next year."

BIDEN-HARRIS ADMIN ACCUSED OF ‘TOO LITTLE, TOO LATE’ TO SAVE THE PEOPLE OF WAR-TORN, FAMINE-STRICKEN SUDAN

"Such pursuits by the South African government may also lead to efforts to cut back on assistance to important efforts such as PEPFAR – the aid program that, together with the Global Fund and local organizations, has been crucial in the country’s successful efforts combatting HIV and AIDS."

One such leading Republican, Sen. Jim Risch of Idaho, ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, told Fox News Digital, "I remain concerned about South Africa’s efforts to cozy up to Russia, China and Iran, including Iran’s terror proxies, and the impact this has on U.S. national security – a vital element in AGOA eligibility. The country’s foreign policy actions will remain a focus of my oversight efforts." 

Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Africa and member of the Senate Finance Committee, slammed South Africa in 2023, "South Africa has harbored sanctioned Russian ships, expanded relations with Iran and issued statements against Israel’s right to defend itself following Hamas’ recent terror attacks" 

Both of these influential Republican leaders are expected to become more powerful when President-elect Trump takes office in January, with Scott’s office staff telling Fox News Digital, "Sen. Scott looks forward to working with the Trump administration to ensure that AGOA participants are not undermining our national security interests."

South Africa’s moves are very definitely in an extremely bright spotlight in Washington. From inside the beltway, Richard Goldberg told Fox News Digital he’s worried particularly over potential links between South Africa and Iran. Goldberg is a former member of the National Security Council, and a senior adviser at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. He told Fox, "The first step is to build the case publicly, and give South Africa one last moment of choosing. We should declassify intelligence about South Africa’s deep relationship with Iran, and any other support or partnership with terrorist groups."

Goldberg continued, "And then we need to use our full diplomatic and economic weight to force Pretoria to choose between the United States and our terrorist adversaries. AGOA should be one of several items on the policy menu."

South Africa’s Department of International Relations didn’t respond to several requests for comment. But COSATU’s Parliamentary Co-ordinator, Matthew Parks did. COSATU is the Confederation of South African Trade Unions, historically aligned with President Cyril Ramaphosa’s ANC party. Parks is highly respected for his meaningful and dignified pursuance of workers’ rights. His members have much to lose, including potentially their jobs, if South Africa is pushed out of AGOA. But he appeared to be cautiously optimistic when talking to Fox News Digital, "We are confident that our relations with the U.S. will continue to grow, including through AGOA, simply because it is to the benefit of both our peoples."

"We’ve been extensively involved in engagements between South Africa and the U.S., on how to deepen our relations and toward the renewal of AGOA," Parks continued.  "We’ve engaged extensively with our colleagues in the U.S. labor movement, business community, Congress (both Republicans and Democrats), the State Department, Department of Labor, NSC and the White House."

As Trump moves into the White House, nearby Ebrahim Rassool will be starting his second term as South African ambassador to the U.S. This month he talked to the Daily Maverick on South Africa’s challenges with the new administration, referring to South Africa’s attack on Israel at the ICJ. "We will stick by the case, but let us now trust our legal team," he said, "trust the evidence that we have placed in front of the judges of the ICJ, trust the judges of the ICJ to come to a sustainable, just solution – but that we need to put away the megaphone now." 

THOUSANDS OF CHRISTIANS ‘DELIBERATELY TARGETED’ AND KILLED IN NIGERIA, NEW REPORT SAYS

Rassool pointed out that the South African oranges exported to the U.S. under AGOA enabled Americans to drink orange juice all year round, when Florida and California oranges were out of season. 

And Rassool added, "Why would you want to punish America with expensive cars when the BMWs coming from South Africa are going to be much cheaper than getting them from Germany or manufacturing your own?

"Likewise, to point out that American cancer patients are receiving medical nuclear isotopes that come from South Africa."

The expulsion of South Africa from AGOA would be "disastrous," Renai Moothilal wrote in the Business Day newspaper last year. Moothilal is CEO of the National Association of Automotive Component & Allied Manufacturers, and wrote, "It will be no surprise if some component manufacturers close their doors. U.S.-headquartered multinational manufacturers with plants here may exit the South African country if there are volume losses linked to our exclusion from AGOA, or other forms of political pressure are brought to bear."

Observers note there are loud threats coming from President-elect Trump himself, including a claim that he will slap a 100% import tariff on countries like South Africa if, as members of BRICS, they adopt a new currency to rival the dollar. In the other corner of the ring, South African politicians are taking a more placatory and reserved tone. The Democratic Alliance or DA is South Africa’s main opposition party. But since May, they have also been members of the government of national unity, working in a sometimes noisy coalition with President Ramaphosa’s ANC. 

Emma Powell, the DA’s national spokesperson for foreign affairs, told Fox News Digital that it’s likely the relationship between Pretoria and Washington "will become increasingly transactional, with greater emphasis placed on equitable reciprocity. This would contrast the Biden administration’s approach to beneficiation-based investment and development. There is also likely to be less tolerance for any action on the part of the South African government that may be perceived as undermining the national security interests of the United States."

Powell added "the Trump administration is also likely to take a more cautious approach on AGOA eligibility."

J. Brooks Spector told Fox News Digital he could take home one strong positive: "The incoming U.S. president’s often-expressed support for transactional foreign economic policies may possibly be an incentive for Africa's nations – urged on by South Africa – to come together with initiatives offering trade and market concessions in Africa to America."

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy excoriated Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday for launching attacks against energy infrastructure on Christmas Day.

Zelenskyy suggested the attacks were "inhumane," but said they would not ruin Christmas.

"Today, Putin deliberately chose Christmas for an attack. What could be more inhumane? Over 70 missiles, including ballistic ones, and more than a hundred attack drones. The targets are our energy infrastructure. They continue to fight for a blackout in Ukraine," he declared in a post on X.

The Russian Defence Ministry acknowledged a "massive strike" on its part, saying it hit energy facilities that supported Ukraine's "military-industrial complex," Reuters reported.

"The aim of the strike was achieved. All facilities have been hit," the ministry said.

RUSSIA BATTERS UKRAINE POWER GRID AMID RISING CONCERN PUTIN COULD ORDER BALLISTIC MISSILE ATTACK THIS WEEKEND

Strikes against Ukrainian fuel and energy sources involved 78 air, ground and sea-launched missiles, in addition to 106 Shaheds and other kinds of drones, Ukraine's air force claimed, according to The Associated Press.

"Unfortunately, there have been hits. As of now, there are power outages in several regions. Power engineers are working to restore power supply as soon as possible," Zelenskyy noted. 

Still, the Ukrainian leader declared that "Russian evil will not break Ukraine and will not spoil Christmas."

US CITIZEN IMPRISONED IN RUSSIA GIVEN NEW 15-YEAR SENTENCE IN WAKE OF ESPIONAGE CONVICTION

The U.S. has provided billions of dollars' worth of aid to help Ukraine fight the Russian onslaught that erupted in 2022, but Americans and their congressional representatives have been divided regarding whether the U.S. should continue supplying aid to Ukraine.

President-elect Trump, who will take office on Jan. 20, has called for a cease-fire and negotiations.

TRUMP MEETS WITH MACRON, ZELENSKYY AHEAD OF NOTRE DAME REOPENING CEREMONY IN PARIS

In a post on Truth Social this month, Trump declared that "Zelenskyy and Ukraine would like to make a deal and stop the madness. They have ridiculously lost 400,000 soldiers, and many more civilians. There should be an immediate ceasefire and negotiations should begin."

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.

More than 30 passengers are dead after an Azerbaijan Airlines flight crashed near the city of Aktau in Kazakhstan on Wednesday, reports say.

The Embraer 190 passenger jet flying from Azerbaijan to Russia had 62 passengers and five crew on board, Kazakh authorities announced. As of Wednesday afternoon, those authorities said there were 38 dead and 29 injured survivors.

Flight J2-8243 had flown hundreds of miles off its scheduled route to crash on the opposite shore of the Caspian Sea. Officials did not immediately explain why it had crossed the sea, but the crash came shortly after drone strikes hit southern Russia. Drone activity has shut airports in the area in the past and the nearest Russian airport on the plane's flight path was closed on Wednesday morning.

Russia's aviation watchdog, meanwhile, said it was an emergency that may have been caused by a bird strike.

MORE THAN 30 DEAD IN BRAZIL BUS AND TRUCK COLLISION

Aviation-security firm Osprey Flight Solutions said the flight was "likely shot down by a Russian military air-defense sytem," the Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday night.

"Video of the wreckage and the circumstances around the airspace security environment in southwest Russia indicates the possibility the aircraft was hit by some form of antiaircraft fire," Matt Borie, Osprey's chief intelligence officer, said in an interview.

Ukrainian national security official Andriy Kovalenko also blamed a "Russian air-defense system" for the crash in an X post on Wednesday.

Those aboard the plane included 42 Azerbaijani citizens, 16 Russian nationals, six Kazakhstani and three Kyrgyzstani citizens, according to Kazakhstani officials. 

Russian news agency Interfax reported that both pilots died in the crash, citing a preliminary assessment by emergency workers at the scene. The news agency also quoted medical workers who stated that four bodies had been recovered from the crash so far. 

The survivors have been hospitalized and include two children, the ministry told Russia's state news agency, RIA Novosti, The Associated Press reported. 

MALAYSIA AGREES TO RESUME 'NO FIND, NO FEE' HUNT FOR FLIGHT MH370, 10 YEARS AFTER PLANE DISAPPEARED

Video of the crash showed the plane descending rapidly before bursting into flames as it hit the seashore, and thick black smoke then rising, Reuters reported. Bloodied and bruised passengers could be seen stumbling from a piece of the fuselage that had remained intact.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, who had been traveling to Russia, returned to Azerbaijan upon hearing news of the crash, the president’s press service said. Aliyev was due to attend an informal meeting of leaders of the Commonwealth of Independent States, a bloc of former Soviet countries founded after the collapse of the Soviet Union, in St. Petersburg.

Aliyev expressed his condolences to the families of the victims in a statement on social media. 

"It is with deep sadness that I express my condolences to the families of the victims and wish a speedy recovery to those injured," he wrote.

Aliyev also signed a decree declaring Dec. 26 a day of mourning in Azerbaijan.

In a statement, Azerbaijan Airlines said it would keep members of the public updated and changed its social media banners to solid black.

"We ask God for mercy on the passengers and crew members who lost their lives," a translated statement on X said. "Their pain is our pain. We wish a speedy recovery to those injured." 

Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Dozens of passengers are feared dead after an Azerbaijan Airlines flight crashed near the city of Aktau in Kazakhstan on Wednesday, reports say.

The Embraer 190 passenger jet flying from Azerbaijan to Russia had 62 passengers and five crew on board, Kazakh authorities announced, saying 32 survivors had been rescued.

Flight J2-8243 had flown hundreds of miles off its scheduled route to crash on the opposite shore of the Caspian Sea. Officials did not immediately explain why it had crossed the sea, but the crash came shortly after drone strikes hit southern Russia. Drone activity has shut airports in the area in the past and the nearest Russian airport on the plane's flight path was closed on Wednesday morning.

Russia's aviation watchdog, meanwhile, said it was an emergency that may have been caused by a bird strike.

MORE THAN 30 DEAD IN BRAZIL BUS AND TRUCK COLLISION

Those aboard the plane included 42 Azerbaijani citizens, 16 Russian nationals, six Kazakhstani and three Kyrgyzstani citizens, according to Kazakhstani officials. 

Russian news agency Interfax reported that both pilots died in the crash, citing a preliminary assessment by emergency workers at the scene. The news agency also quoted medical workers who stated that four bodies had been recovered from the crash so far. 

A total of 29 survivors, including two children, have been hospitalized, the ministry told Russia's state news agency, RIA Novosti, the Associated Press reported. Many passengers have yet to be accounted for.

MALAYSIA AGREES TO RESUME 'NO FIND, NO FEE' HUNT FOR FLIGHT MH370, 10 YEARS AFTER PLANE DISAPPEARED

Video of the crash showed the plane descending rapidly before bursting into flames as it hit the seashore, and thick black smoke then rising, Reuters reported. Bloodied and bruised passengers could be seen stumbling from a piece of the fuselage that had remained intact.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, who had been traveling to Russia, returned to Azerbaijan upon hearing news of the crash, the president’s press service said. Aliyev was due to attend an informal meeting of leaders of the Commonwealth of Independent States, a bloc of former Soviet countries founded after the collapse of the Soviet Union, in St. Petersburg.

Aliyev expressed his condolences to the families of the victims in a statement on social media. 

"It is with deep sadness that I express my condolences to the families of the victims and wish a speedy recovery to those injured," he wrote.

He also signed a decree declaring Dec. 26 a day of mourning in Azerbaijan.

In a statement, Azerbaijan Airlines said it would keep members of the public updated and changed its social media banners to solid black.

"We ask God for mercy on the passengers and crew members who lost their lives," a translated statement on X said. "Their pain is our pain. We wish a speedy recovery to those injured." 

Reuters and the Associated Press contributed to this report. 

Pope Francis delivered his annual "Urbi et Orbi" (to the city and the world) Christmas message and blessing from the Vatican on Wednesday, calling for peace around the globe and an end to ongoing conflicts.

The leader of the Roman Catholic Church mentioned the war between Russia and Ukraine directly and called for "the boldness needed to open the door to negotiation" during the address that serves as a summary of the woes facing the world this year.

"May the sound of weapons be silenced in Ukraine," Francis said from the central balcony of St. Peter's Basilica to thousands of people in the square below. He also called for "gestures of dialogue and encounter, in order to achieve a just and lasting peace."

Francis, 88, is celebrating the 12th Christmas of his pontificate by calling for an end to conflicts, political, social or military, in places including Lebanon, Mali, Mozambique, Haiti, Venezuela, and Nicaragua.

POPE TO SKIP OUTDOOR SUNDAY PRAYER AFTER CATCHING COLD DAYS AHEAD OF CHRISTMAS EVE, DAY MASSES

Francis, who has been pope since 2013, was criticized by Ukrainian officials this year when he said the country should have the courage of the "white flag" to negotiate an end to the war with Russia.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had previously ruled out engaging in peace talks without the restoration of Ukraine's pre-war borders. But Zelenskyy has shown an increasing willingness in the weeks since Donald Trump's re-election as U.S. president to enter negotiations.

PRESIDENT-ELECT TRUMP APPOINTS OUTSPOKEN CONSERVATIVE AS VATICAN AMBASSADOR: ‘BLESSINGS AND RESPONSIBILITIES’

Francis, who has recently grown more critical of Israel's military campaign in Gaza, also renewed his call for a cease-fire in the Israeli-Hamas war and for the release of the remaining Israeli hostages held by Hamas.

He called the humanitarian situation in Gaza "extremely grave" and asked for "the doors of dialogue and peace (to) be flung open."

Christmas marked the start of the 2025 Holy Year celebration that is expected to bring about 32 million Catholics to Rome, according to the Associated Press.

Pilgrims lined up early Wednesday to walk through the great Holy Door at the entrance of St. Peter’s Basilica. Traversing the Holy Door is one way that the faithful can obtain indulgences, or forgiveness for sins during a Jubilee, a once-every-quarter-century tradition that dates from 1300. 

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

On Christmas Eve, Pope Francis knocked on the door and was the first to walk through it, inaugurating the 2025 Jubilee that he dedicated to hope.

A Catholic Holy Year, also known as a Jubilee, is considered a time of peace, forgiveness and pardon.

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report. 

A Russian-born U.S. citizen who was already behind bars in Russia on a bribery conviction has been handed a second sentence for espionage.

Eugene Spector was sentenced to a new 15-year term for his espionage conviction, according to Russian news agencies. Spector was born and raised in Leningrad, Russia, but later moved to the U.S. and became a citizen.

A Moscow court brought espionage charges against Spector in August of last year, although details surrounding the case were not made publicly available.

RUSSIA ARRESTS US CITIZEN ON ESPIONAGE CHARGES: REPORT

The U.S. State Department said it was aware of reports of a U.S. citizen in Russia being sentenced and that it was monitoring the situation.

Spector, a former executive at a medical equipment company in Russia, was sentenced in September 2022 to three and a half years in prison for enabling bribes to an aide of former Russian Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich.

WALL STREET JOURNAL'S EVAN GERSHKOVICH REVEALS SHADOWY KREMLIN FIGURE BEHIND IMPRISONMENT IN RUSSIA

The aide, Anastasia Alekseyeva, was sentenced to 12 years in April for accepting bribes of two expensive overseas vacation trips.

Dvorkovich was a deputy prime minister under former Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev in 2012 to 2018. Dvorkovich is currently head of the international chess federation FIDE.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wished Christians worldwide a merry Christmas and thanked the Christian community for its support amid the Jewish state's ongoing conflicts with terror groups.

Netanyahu published a video message on Christmas Eve on his account on the social media platform X.

"My dear Christian friends, as you gather with your family and friends this Christmas, I wish the Christian community in Israel and around the world blessings for a Merry Christmas from the Holy Land," he said.

NETANYAHU WARNS HOUTHIS AMID CALLS FOR ISRAEL TO WIPE OUT TERROR LEADERSHIP AS IT DID WITH NASRALLAH, SINWAR

This comes as Israeli forces have been involved in ongoing conflicts against terror groups including Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon following Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023 surprise attack, which led to military retaliation from Israel.

"At a time when Israel is fighting on seven fronts, we deeply appreciate the steadfast support of our Christian friends around the world. You've stood by our side, you've stood by our side resiliently, consistently, forcefully as Israel defends our civilization against barbarism," Netanyahu said.

ISRAELI AIRSTRIKES TARGET YEMEN'S HOUTHI-CONTROLLED CAPITAL OF SANAA, PORT CITY OF HODEIDA

"The people of Israel are united in defending our nation against those bent on our destruction," he continued. "We seek peace with all those who wish peace with us, but we will do whatever is necessary to defend the one and only Jewish state, the repository and the source of our common heritage."

There are more than 180,000 Christians who live in Israel, making up about 1.8% of the country’s population of more than 9.9 million people, according to the Israeli Central Bureau of Statistics.

The Christian population grew by 0.6% last year.

"Israel leads the world in fighting the forces of evil and tyranny, but our battle is not yet over," the prime minister said. "With your support, and with God's help, I assure you, we shall prevail. From Jerusalem, city of peace, I wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year."

TEL AVIV – Amid negotiations to forge a hostages-for-cease-fire deal between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, and as the truce with Hezbollah in Lebanon mostly holds, Jerusalem has an opportunity to direct additional military resources to cut Yemen’s Houthi leadership down to size, according to former Israeli officials.

"Israel has to accelerate and expand attacks [in Yemen], not only on national infrastructure but also on the political leadership," retired Maj. Gen. Amos Yadlin, former head of Israeli Military Intelligence and president of MIND Israel, told Fox News Digital. 

"Targeted killings are an option if there is good intelligence to enable such operations. The leaders of the Houthis should meet Sinwar and Nasrallah and the sooner the better," he added.

US NAVY SHIPS REPEL ATTACK FROM HOUTHIS IN GULF OF ADEN

An Israel Defense Forces strike killed Hezbollah terror master Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut, Lebanon, on Sept. 28, while Israeli ground troops eliminated Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar in the southern Gaza city of Rafah on Oct. 17, and Hamas' Ismail Haniyeh in Iran last summer.

The Houthis are led by Abdul Malik Badruddin Al-Houthi (Abu Jibril), whom the U.S. State Department designated as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist in 2021.

According to the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), other top officials include Abdul Khaliq Badruddin Al-Houthi (Abu Yunis), commander of the Republican Guard (Presidential Reserve), whom the U.S. also blacklisted in 2021; Muhammad Ali Al-Houthi (Abu Ahmad), a member of the Supreme Political Council; and Abdul Karim Amiruddin Husayn Al-Houthi, interior minister and director of the executive office of Ansar Allah.

Joe Truzman, a research analyst at FDD's Long War Journal, told Fox News Digital that intel-based assassination operations take time and that, to date, the Israelis have been preoccupied with Gaza and Lebanon.

"But it can be done. We’ve seen Israel target nuclear scientists and military personnel in Iran. This can be replicated in Yemen. If the Houthis continue these attacks, more of Israel’s focus turns to them," Truzman said.

Maj. Gen. (res.) Yaakov Amidror, a former national security adviser in Israel and a senior fellow at the Washington-based JINSA think tank, outlined to Fox News Digital the intricacy of such attempts.

US MILITARY CONDUCTS SUCCESSFUL AIRSTRIKES ON HOUTHI REBEL FORCES IN YEMEN

"You have to be sure that a target is in the place that you bomb. If he has three houses, how do you know which one he's in? You need real-time intel," said Amidror, who noted that it was relatively easy for Israel to hit Nasrallah from the moment his exact location was known.

"It took 15-20 minutes to strike [the Hezbollah headquarters] in Beirut because it is so close to Israel," he said. "Yemen is a huge logistical operation, it requires refueling jets, let alone the tactical issues on the ground. A totally different sort of intelligence is needed.

"Both Nasrallah and Sinwar were known enemies and we amassed information on them over many years, but the Houthis were not a priority," continued Amidror. "The way forward is to begin intensifying the collection of intelligence by building bridges with those who can provide it." 

Overnight Wednesday, the IAF struck targets some 1,200 miles away in Yemen, after a Houthi missile hit an elementary school in Ramat Gan, just east of Tel Aviv.

The pre-dawn strikes were conducted in two waves, targeting the Ras Isa oil terminal on the Red Sea, the Hodeidah and Salif ports, as well as the D’Habban and Haziz power stations in Sana'a, according to reports.

In July, a Houthi drone killed a civilian in Tel Aviv, prompting the IAF to strike Yemen’s Hodeidah Port. Israeli jets also conducted dozens of strikes in the area of Hodeidah in September.

Overall, the Houthis have launched over 200 missiles and 170 drones at Israel since Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, massacre of 1,200 people. Since then, the Houthis have also attacked more than six dozen commercial vessels – particularly in the Bab-el-Mandeb, the southern maritime gateway to Egypt’s Suez Canal.

"The distance to Yemen is about the longest range the IAF has ever flown, but they could expand that with more refueling," Brig. Gen. (res.) Relik Shafir, a former IAF pilot who took part in Operation Opera, the attack on Iraq's Osirak nuclear reactor on June 7, 1981, told Fox News Digital. 

"It’s uncomfortable for a pilot to sit in an F-15, F-16 or F-35 for seven hours. You need to be fully aware and at your top level of concentration," he continued. "Israel can strike far enough for any existing enemy and the air force uses guided missiles that fire at a precision of two or three feet."

On Monday, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz issued a warning to the Houthis, "We will strike their strategic infrastructure and decapitate their leaders. Just as we did to [former Hamas chief Ismail] Haniyeh, Sinwar and Nasrallah, in Tehran, Gaza and Lebanon – we will do in Hodeidah and Sanaa." 

Jerusalem had previously refrained from taking responsibility for the July 31 killing of Haniyeh, who traveled to the Iranian capital for the inauguration of the country’s president.

On Friday, U.S. Defense Department spokesman Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder stated that the Israelis "certainly have a right to defend themselves." 

The Houthis "are a danger to everybody in the Middle East," former Mossad head Efraim Halevy told Fox News Digital. "In the end, most countries in the region will be interested and willing to cooperate in efforts to bring about the end of these attacks, which have no justification whatsoever."

ISRAELI AIRSTRIKES TARGET YEMEN'S HOUTHI-CONTROLLED CAPITAL OF SANAA, PORT CITY OF HODEIDA

Halevy insisted that "terrorist activity of every kind is a challenge that has to be met with an appropriate response. The Houthis have incurred losses and if they continue to provoke us, we will have to do more."

In March 2015, a Saudi-led coalition launched a military intervention against the Houthis at the request of then-Yemeni President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi, who had been ousted from Sana'a the previous September. Yemen’s civil war remains stalemated, with the internationally recognized government, led by the Presidential Leadership Council since 2022, based in Aden, in the country’s south, since February 2015.

A source close to that government told Israel's Kan public broadcaster on Saturday that Jerusalem should initiate assassinations of Houthi leaders, while the Saudi outlet Al-Arabiya reported that senior Houthi officials had fled Sana’a out of concern they would be targeted.

"We need to understand more deeply what it is that would cripple the Houthis’ ability to operate," former Israeli national security adviser Eyal Hulata told Fox News Digital. "For this, we need more intelligence, more assessments and coordination between the different parties."

The big question, Hulata posited, is whether the Houthis will continue to pose a threat if Israel and Hamas agree to a cease-fire.

"If they become a major enemy, Israel will need to address this by directing resources it was hoping to avoid – and maybe is still hoping to," he said.

On Sunday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged Israelis to be "patient" while intimating Jerusalem was preparing to up the intensity of its campaign against the Houthis.

"We will take forceful, determined and sophisticated action. Even if it takes time, the result will be the same," he vowed. "Just as we have acted forcefully against the terror arms of Iran’s axis of evil, so too will we act against the Houthis."

The U.S. military conducted an airstrike on Monday in Syria, where they killed a pair of ISIS operatives and destroyed a truckload of weapons, according to U.S. Central Command.

A precision airstrike in the Dayr az Zawr Province, which was formerly controlled by the Syrian regime and Russians, killed two ISIS operatives and wounded another, CENTCOM said.

TRUMP COULD FACE RENEWED ISIS THREAT IN SYRIA AS TURKEY GOES AFTER US ALLY

The operatives were driving a truckload of weapons, which was destroyed, when they were targeted in the strike.

BIDEN ADMIN LIFTS $10M BOUNTY ON THE HEAD OF LEADER OF ISLAMIST GROUP NOW IN CHARGE OF SYRIA

"This airstrike is part of CENTCOM's ongoing commitment, along with partners in the region, to disrupt and degrade efforts by terrorists to plan, organize, and conduct attacks against civilians and military personnel from the U.S., our allies, and our partners throughout the region and beyond," CENTCOM said in a statement.

A Peruvian police officer dressed as the Grinch, the cantankerous and green-furred villain, busted suspected drug traffickers in the South American country's capital days before Christmas. 

The operation in San Bartolo in Lima resulted in the arrest of three suspects, according to a video posted online by the Peruvian National Police. 

"In an ingenious operation, agents of the Green Squad arrested the aliases La Reina del Sur, La Coneja and Pote, alleged members of the La Mafia de San Bartolo gang, dedicated to drug dealing," a police post on X states. "Various narcotics were seized."

FLORIDA MAN WHO WAS HALF-NAKED, 'HIGH ON METH' BREAKS INTO HOME, GRABS CARPET CLEANER

Using what appeared to be a sledgehammer, the officer walked down the street dressed as the infamous Christmas villain with a small heart before breaking down the front door of a home and entering, according to the video footage. 

The suspects were arrested, and the "Grinch" is seen rummaging through various items in the home before finding what authorities said were illegal drugs and other items related to drug trafficking.

MORE THAN $31M OF METH CONCEALED IN SHIPMENT OF PEPPERS SEIZED AT TEXAS-MEXICO BORDER

Peru is the second-largest producer of cocaine and cultivator of coca in the world, according to the State Department. 

"The majority of cocaine produced in Peru is transported to South American countries for domestic consumption, or for onward shipment to Europe, the United States, East Asia, and Mexico," the State Department website said. 

Peru's national police force has carried out similar operations in the past. 

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

On Halloween 2023, officers disguised as horror favorites Freddy Krueger, Jason Voorhees and Tiffany Valentine, the murderous doll in the "Child's Play" series, also broke into the home of alleged drug dealers. 

FIRST ON FOX: The former Prime Minister of Georgia, Nika Gilauri, told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview that the country now has Russian-styled elections, and the country has no credible or legitimate parliament, adding another blow to Georgia’s long struggle to join the European Union.

"The elections were rigged, and we have an illegitimate parliament right now," Gilauri told Fox News Digital.

For many in Georgia’s battle for democracy, the Russian-supported Georgian Dream’s election victory was no doubt a win for Russian President Vladimir Putin.

PUTIN LOOKS TO HALT NEIGHBORING GEORGIA'S WESTERN AMBITIONS IN VITAL ELECTION

"Putin was praising Georgia’s government on its standing against European pressure just within minutes of Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze’s announcement on stopping the European integration process of Georgia," Gilauri said.

"It all looks very much orchestrated," the former prime minister added.

Gilauri, who was prime minister of Georgia from 2009 to 2012, said that you can see Russia’s hands all over the events taking place in Georgia right now. The former prime minister said Russian President Vladimir Putin has a recent pattern of interfering in the affairs of its neighbors, citing a decision by the Romanian constitutional court annulling the country’s presidential election because of Russian involvement, as well as efforts to undermine Moldovan democracy by sowing chaos in its political system.  

"So, we have a very similar scenario, and it was written in Moscow. It was done in Romania, in Moldova, in Ukraine, and it is being done in Georgia right now," Gilauri said.

Thousands of Georgians have battled freezing temperatures and the authorities for nearly a month since the pro-Russia Georgian Dream party claimed victory in elections and halted efforts to join the European Union.

More than 460 people have been detained since peaceful protests broke out on Nov. 29, with around 300 reporting severe beatings and other ill-treatment, according to Amnesty International.

US WARNS RUSSIAN-LINKED ACTORS SEEKING TO 'FOMENT MANUFACTURED INSURRECTION' IN EUROPEAN COUNTRY

Gilauri also said that Georgia’s president, Salome Zourabichvili, should not step down and should remain in her post. Zourabichvili’s presidential term ends on Dec. 29, and the new Georgian Dream majority in parliament already appointed her successor, Mikheil Kavelashvili.

"Georgia’s president, Salome Zourabichvili, is the only legitimate institution that Georgia has right now," Gilauri said.

Zourabichvili, who is pro-Europe, declared that the elections were fraudulent, and that parliament was illegitimate and had no authority to appoint her replacement. The Georgian Dream-backed Kavelashvili is critical of the West, and the opposition views him as an extension of Georgian Dream’s ambitions of moving the country closer to Russia and away from their European ambitions.

President Zourabichvili said the October parliamentary elections were essentially stolen and that she would not step down. Thousands gathered to hear Zourabichvili speak at a rally on Rustaveli Avenue in central Tbilisi Sunday night, with the president calling on Georgian Dream leaders to negotiate and hold new elections.

"I am ready to sit down and find a solution on how to schedule elections, but the decision must be agreed upon by the 29th," the president posted on X.

While Zourabichvili has become the de facto leader of the protest movement, her decision could cause further chaos once her presidential term officially comes to an end on the 29th.

RUSSIAN INFLUENCE PEDDLING ADDS TO FEARS AFTER ELECTION OF UNTESTED PRESIDENT IN EUROPEAN NATION

Georgia’s current prime minister, Irakli Kobakhidze, suggested Zourabichvili be imprisoned if she does not step down from the presidency.

Georgian Dream, the Russian-supported party, claimed victory shortly after polls closed on election night, with around 54% of the vote. The united opposition garnered only 38%. Reuters reported that Georgian Dream says it remains committed to integration with the West, and to a pragmatic policy towards neighboring Russia.

Radio Free Europe reported that Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze said after voting in October's election said, "This is a referendum between war and peace, between immoral propaganda and traditional values. This is a referendum between the country's dark past and a bright future."

Many opposition figures reject the victory claimed by Georgian Dream and call the election stolen and rigged.

The Georgian president and many Western observers confirmed that the election results were marred by irregularities, including fraud and ballot stuffing.

The election was "marked by a tense environment and several incidents of physical altercations and widespread intimidation of voters," the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), noted in a statement. European Council President Charles Michel is calling for an investigation into the alleged irregularities.

Many Georgians have strong aspirations to join the EU, with polls showing up to 83% of them supporting such a move. The Georgian Dream Party has stalled Georgia’s efforts of joining the EU since it became a candidate member in 2023. The EU subsequently put Georgia’s process on hold after a controversial "foreign agent" law that required citizens, non-governmental organizations, media outlets and other civil society organizations that receive over 20% in funding from abroad to register as a foreign agent with the Justice Ministry.

Following the passage of the pro-Kremlin foreign agent law, the U.S. imposed sanctions and travel bans on Georgian officials who voted for the law and security agencies responsible for cracking down on dissent. The State Department also paused $95 million in assistance to the government.

Reuters contributed to this report.

Iran has recruited young children to commit attacks against Israeli and Jewish targets across Europe, a new trend amid several blows to Iranian proxies in recent months and dwindling influence in the Middle East.

The troubling pattern includes incidents in Sweden, Belgium and Norway as Tehran has expanded its proxy war against Israel into Europe.

In Stockholm, a 15-year-old boy with a loaded gun took a taxi in May and asked to be taken to the Israeli Embassy. However, he had to call an associate for directions when he was unable to locate the building. Swedish police stopped the cab before it reached the destination. 

IRAN HIDING MISSILE, DRONE PROGRAMS UNDER GUISE OF COMMERCIAL FRONT TO EVADE SANCTIONS

Authorities had been monitoring him for several months. 

A 13-year-old in Gothenburg was caught firing shots at Israeli defense firm Elbit Systems. At the same facility, a 16-year-old helped plant homemade explosives outside the main entrance, Bloomberg reported.

In Brussels, security services found children as young as 14 orchestrating an attack on the Israeli Embassy. 

Fox News Digital has reached out to the Iranian Mission to the United States for comment. 

Recruiters acting on behalf of the Iranian regime have reached out to minors on platforms like Telegram, TikTok or WhatsApp, according to Peter Nesser, a terrorism researcher at a Norwegian defense research institute. 

The new tactic comes as Iran's influence has severely weakened in the Middle East amid Israel's deadly response to devastating attacks from Hamas and Hezbollah, both Iranian proxies.

ISRAEL EYES IRAN NUKE SITES AMID REPORTS TRUMP MULLS MOVES TO BLOCK TEHRAN ATOMIC PROGRAM

In addition, the recent ouster of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has compounded Iran's woes in the region. 

While some young people recruited by Iran are acting out of frustration at Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza, some are motivated by money. In Sweden and Norway, they can't be prosecuted if they are under 15, the report said. 

"There are cases where the proxies aren’t aware or don’t realize that they are acting on behalf of a foreign power," the Swedish Security Service said in a statement this year.

The 16-year-old who attacked Elbit Systems used two thermos flasks packed with explosives in an attack on the Israeli defense company and was charged alongside a 23-year-old accomplice, according to Bloomberg. 

Sweden has seen an increasing presence of organized criminal gangs recruiting minors from immigrant communities. 

More than 1.5 million people have moved to the country since 1980 and now around 20% of the population has been born outside the country, but many struggle to assimilate, the report said.

A group of four NATO leaders and a representative from the European Union on Sunday said they agreed it was time to invest more in defense spending as Russia remains a chief security threat in Europe amid the war in Ukraine, and as Western leaders brace for the incoming Trump administration. 

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis argued the era of spending 2% of a nation’s GDP on defense was "probably history" but he, along with the other four leaders in attendance at the North-South Summit in Lapland, Finland fell short of saying what that figure should look like. 

"We know that we need to spend more than 2%," Mitsotakis said. "But it will become very clear… once we interact with the new president, what is the figure that we will agree on within NATO."

PUTIN SAYS RUSSIA READY TO COMPROMISE WITH TRUMP ON UKRAINE WAR

The summit was convened by Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo, and was also attended by Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas.

The leaders were questioned about a recent report by the Financial Times that said President-elect Donald Trump intends to push NATO to increase its defense spending requirement from 2% to 5% — a requirement that would demand all nations, including the U.S. which spends just over 3% of its GDP, to drastically increase spending on defense.

The Trump transition team did not answer Fox News Digital’s questions on whether Trump is going to be pushing all NATO nations, including the U.S., to drastically ramp up defense spending.

Instead, a spokesperson for the Trump transition team said, "President Trump believes European nations should meet their NATO defense spending obligations and step up their share of the burden for this conflict, as the U.S. has paid significantly more, which is not fair to our taxpayers. He will do what is necessary to restore peace and rebuild American strength and deterrence on the world stage."

Fox News Digital also could not get clarity over whether an increase in defense spending would be supported by GOP lawmakers given the large number of conservatives in Congress, as well as his Vice President-elect, who have called for cutting U.S. aid to Ukraine, as well as last week’s internal fighting in the House among Republican lawmakers over spending disagreements. 

Even as NATO leaders at the North-South Summit agreed Russia is Europe’s "greatest threat," they urged caution when it came to dealing with "rumors" surrounding the incoming Trump administration. 

NATO CHIEF URGES MEMBERS TO 'TURBOCHARGE' DEFENSE PRODUCTION AS HE PAINTS PICTURE OF A WORLD BOUND FOR WAR

"I would wait to understand exactly what is the real will of the new president of the US," Meloni said, according to a Bloomberg report. "On NATO, we all know and understand that we have to do more. A lot of what we can do is up to the tools that we are able to put on the table."

The Finnish prime minster echoed a similar sentiment and said, "Europe has to take greater responsibility for its own security. This means that European countries have to be strong leaders, both in the EU and in NATO.

"[Russia] is trying to consolidate power and sow discord in Europe. The geopolitical situation is also very challenging in the Middle East and North Africa, for example," Orpo added, according to Euro News. 

Kristersson said spending more on defense was important, in part, so that European nations were less dependent on the U.S. being "the main sponsor" of the alliance’s defense, but also to show Washington that European nations do take defense "seriously."

"European countries — individually, most of us, and collectively — need to strengthen our defense. And let’s do that," he said. 

Trump during his first administration pushed NATO leaders to meet their 2% defense spending pledge, which several did — increasing the number of allies to meet the terms of the NATO agreement from five in 2016 to nine in 2020.

But that number dropped to just six once Trump left in 2021.

By 2022, however, NATO leaders have once again began re-evaluating their defense budgets following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and by 2024, a historic number of NATO allies had met their spending agreements, with 23 out of 32 nations spending at least 2% of their GDP on defense. 

Only Poland spends over 4% of its GDP on defense, while four nations spend over 3%, including Estonia, the U.S., Latvia and Greece. 

Croatia, Portugal, Italy, Canada, Belgium, Luxembourg, Slovenia and Spain have yet to meet their defense spending commitments.

Concerns over a resurgence of the Islamic State in Syria remain heightened following the fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime and an increase in attacks targeting U.S.-aligned Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

President-elect Donald Trump may well face another round against the extremist group as the SDF faces a reality in which it may have to divide its focus between ISIS and threats levied at it by Turkey.

The SDF said five of its soldiers were killed Saturday in attacks by Turkish-backed forces in northern Syria, reported Reuters. 

TRUMP SAYS TURKEY ‘DID AN UNFRIENDLY TAKEOVER’ IN SYRIA AS US-BROKERED CEASE-FIRE APPEARS TO FAIL

The attacks came following an apparent collapse in a cease-fire agreement brokered by the Biden administration as the U.S. and the SDF ramp up efforts to counter ISIS. 

National security advisor Jake Sullivan on Sunday told CNN that his "single biggest concern" is the return of ISIS, which was deemed "defeated" in 2019. 

"ISIS loves vacuums," he said in reference to the extremist group’s use of power struggles in places like North Africa to gain footholds. "What we see in Syria right now are areas that are basically ungoverned because of the fall of the Assad regime. 

"Our goal is to ensure that we support the SDF — the Kurds — and that we keep ISIS in check," he added.

The U.S. has long had to balance its campaign against ISIS in Syria — which it is fighting with the help of the Kurdish coalition forces, despite Turkey deeming the SDF as akin to the terrorist network the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) — with Washington's partnership alongside Ankara as a NATO ally. 

"The SDF and the Assad regime were the primary opponents of ISIS," Bill Roggio, senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and founding editor of "The Long War Journal," told Fox News Digital. "With the former gone and the latter under pressure from Turkish proxies, concerns about the expansion of ISIS are warranted."

"Turkey wants to destroy the SDF," Roggio confirmed. "Turkey has the ideal opportunity to destroy the SDF, and it will take advantage of this unique situation. I expect attack[s] against the SDF to increase."

PRESIDENT-ELECT TRUMP’S SYRIA DILEMMA: INTERVENE OR LET IT TURN INTO TERROR STATE

The Biden administration has already taken steps to ramp up its campaign against ISIS, hitting more than 75 sites in a significant strike earlier this month on known "ISIS leaders, operatives and camps," U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed.

The operation coincided with the fall of Damascus on Dec. 8 following a sweeping takeover of Aleppo, Hama and Homs by Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which was aided by the Turkey-backed Syrian National Army (SNA).

In addition, CENTCOM on Thursday killed ISIS leader Abu Yusif aka Mahmud using a precision airstrike in eastern Syria — an area where, according to Syrian news outlets, ISIS has been able to seize weapons depots belonging to the former Syrian military under the Assad regime amid the "chaos."

SDF forces in an attempt to clamp down on ISIS uprisings captured 18 ISIS terrorists and suspected collaborators on Sunday near the city of Raqqa, which was once an ISIS stronghold, according to ANF News.

The campaign was reportedly done "in cooperation with the international coalition forces," but CENTCOM has not yet confirmed whether the U.S. was involved. 

But concern remains high that the SDF could see its operational abilities divided as attacks from the Turkey-backed SNA coalition forces increase — which could spell trouble for the upcoming Trump administration as it looks to prevent another resurgence of ISIS, while balancing U.S. relations with Turkey, which is further expected to exercise outsized influence over the new Syrian government.

"We continue to monitor the situation in Syria," Brian Hughes, Trump-Vance Transition spokesperson said in response to questions from Fox News Digital. "President Trump is committed to diminishing threats to peace and stability in the Middle East and to protecting Americans here at home."

Displaying a beautifully decorated and illuminated Christmas tree in homes is a beloved holiday tradition, but the origins of how this tradition came to be is one that is still debated today.

One country that claims to be the home of the world's first Christmas tree is Latvia. 

HOW TO SAY ‘MERRY CHRISTMAS’ IN 10 LANGUAGES TO FRIENDS AROUND THE WORLD

Several sources, including the National Christmas Tree Association, note that the first written record of a decorated Christmas tree was from Riga, Latvia. 

Men of the Brotherhood of the Blackheads, an association of unmarried merchants and foreign traders, are said to have decorated the tree with artificial roses. 

They brought the tree to the marketplace, danced around it and then set it on fire in 1510, according to the National Christmas Tree Association. 

Today, a plaque engraved with the words "The First New Year's Tree in Riga in 1510" in eight languages is on display in Latvia. 

PRESIDENT FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT SOLD CHRISTMAS TREES TO LOCAL RESIDENTS ON HIS OWN ESTATE IN THE 1930S

Each year, a Christmas tree is featured in Riga, where the first one is said to have stood. 

Tallinn, Estonia, contradicts the idea that Latvia was home to the first tree, claiming the title for itself.

Several sources, including Visit Tallinn, note that the Brotherhood of the Blackheads brought a tree to Tallinn Town Square in 1441, predating the tree in Latvia.

Similar to Riga, Tallinn also displays a Christmas tree in the main square annually during the holiday season.

CHRISTMAS TREES IN GERMANY WERE DECORATED WITH APPLES INSTEAD OF ORNAMENTS IN 1600S FOR ‘ADAM AND EVE DAY’

Both European cities boast holiday activities during the winter months, including Christmas markets, festive decor and merry performances. Visitors will find plenty to explore during the holiday season, so long as they don't mind the cold. 

The cold climate does bring plenty of snowfall in both Latvia and Estonia, so a white Christmas is definitely a possibility.  

Though the topic of where the first Christmas tree officially came from could result in a festive feud, where the tradition began of displaying trees inside homes is less of a debate. 

The tradition of bringing Christmas trees into homes is believed to have originated in Germany during the 1600s, according to the National Christmas Tree Association. 

During the time, apples, red strips of paper and gilded nuts were all popular decorations to add to a Christmas tree, according to the source. 

It was the 1800s when the Christmas tree tradition started gaining traction in the United States, according to History.com. 

It wasn't until 1901 when the first Christmas tree farm opened in the country. W.V. McGalliard was responsible for opening the country's very first Christmas tree farm in New Jersey when he planted 25,000 Norway spruce, according to the National Christmas Tree Association. 

Today, there are around 15,000 Christmas tree farms around the United States. 

Many families find holiday joy in going to the Christmas tree farm each year to pick out the tree that will be the festive centerpiece of their home for December.

Christmas, Navidad in Puerto Rico, extends far beyond Dec. 25. 

The island proudly proclaims itself as having the "longest holiday season in the world," according to the website Discover Puerto Rico. 

On average, the holiday festivities in Puerto Rico last about 45 days, per the source, commencing right after Thanksgiving, and stretching all the way through mid-January. 

HOW TO SAY ‘MERRY CHRISTMAS’ IN 10 LANGUAGES TO FRIENDS AROUND THE WORLD

The holiday season in Puerto Rico is full of rich traditions beloved by families. 

One tradition those who visit Puerto Rico will immediately notice during the holiday season is decorations. 

In Puerto Rico, decorations are typically put up by Thanksgiving, and kept up until the season concludes in mid-January, with opportune picture moments at every corner. 

Parrandas, Christmas caroling, is a holiday staple. 

17 SECRET TRAVEL TIPS FOR FALL AND WINTER THAT AREN'T SO SECRET AFTER ALL

Carolers choose houses of family and friends to visit, typically starting around 10 p.m., performing aguinaldos (traditional Christmas songs), with not only their voices, but often with instruments as well, according to Discover Puerto Rico. 

The group you begin caroling with is likely not the same group you end with. 

In Puerto Rico, when carolers visit a house, they'll often stop inside for conversation, food and drink before moving to the next residence. 

Usually, the residences of the house visited will join the group for the next house, according to Discover Puerto Rico. 

CHRISTMAS TREES IN GERMANY WERE DECORATED WITH APPLES INSTEAD OF ORNAMENTS IN THE 1600S FOR ‘ADAM AND EVE DAY’

A night of serenading loved ones can last quite a while, often stretching into the early morning hours of the following day, according to the source. 

The biggest day of the holiday season in Puerto Rico actually isn't Christmas, but instead, the night before. 

In Puerto Rico, Dec. 24 is Nochebuena. On that day, loved ones gather for the exchange of gifts, caroling and a large feast. 

Many families will also attend a midnight Mass on the day, known as Misa de Gallo. 

FLIGHT ATTENDANTS REVEAL THE SURPRISING DAY TO TRAVEL AHEAD OF THE CHRISTMAS RUSH

After Christmas passes, the festivities go on in Puerto Rico. 

Another big event in the holiday lineup is Three Kings Day on Jan. 6, a holiday that "commemorates the visit that the Three Wise Men paid to Jesus after his birth," according to Discover Puerto Rico. 

On the eve of the day, children fill up a shoebox with grass to be left for camels to munch on while the Three Kings leave behind gifts for them, according to PuertoRico.com. 

For a particularly festive Three Kings Day, Juana Díaz is the place to go, as it hosts the largest celebration in Puerto Rico for the holiday. In Juana Díaz, there is an annual festival and parade in honor of Three Kings Day that brings together over 25,000 people every year, according to Discover Puerto Rico. 

Then, eight days later is Octavitas, a post-holiday celebration where families get together and celebrate one last time for the season. 

The end of the holiday season is marked with the San Sebastián Street Festival.

This festival, spanning over multiple days, takes place in Old San Juan, and is filled with live music, dancing, shopping and parades. 

FIRST ON FOX - Aviva Siegel, the wife of American hostage Kieth Siegel and a former hostage herself, is pleading with everyone and anyone involved in the hostage negotiations to get her husband, and the others, freed from Hamas captivity after they have spent more than 440 days in deplorable conditions. 

"Hamas released a video of Keith, and I just saw the picture," Aviva told Fox News Digital in an emotional interview in reference to a video Hamas released in April. "He looks terrible. His bones are out, and you can see that he's lost a lot of weight.

"He doesn't look like himself. And I'm just so worried about him, because so [many] days and minutes have passed since that video that we received," she said. "I just don't know what kind of Keith that we're going to get back."

7 US HOSTAGES STILL HELD BY HAMAS TERRORISTS AS FAMILIES PLEAD FOR THEIR RELEASE: 'THIS IS URGENT'

"I'm worried about all the hostages, because the conditions that they are in are the worst conditions that any human being could go through," Aviva said. "I was there. I touched death. I know what it feels being underneath the ground with no oxygen. 

"Keith and I were just left there. We were left there to die," she added. 

Aviva and her husband of, at the time 42 years, were brutally abducted from their home in Kibbutz Kfar Aza by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023, and held together for 51 days before she was released in the November 2023 hostage exchange after suffering from a stomach infection that left her incredibly ill. 

She has since tirelessly fought for Kieth’s release, meeting with top officials in the U.S. and Israel, traveling to the United States nine times in the last year and becoming a prominent advocate for the hostages. 

"I just hope that he's with other people from Israel, and if he has them, he's going to be okay," Aviva said. "He’s just the person that will make them feel that they’re together. That's what he did when I was there – he was 100% for me and the hostages that we were with."

 "If you get kidnapped, get kidnapped with Keith, because he was outstanding to everybody. He was strong for all of us. And I'm sure that he's keeping strong and keeping his hope to come out," she said. 

Aviva recounted their last moments together before they were separated ahead of her release, telling Fox News Digital, "When I left him, I told him to be the strongest – that he needs to be strong for me, and I'll be strong for him."

PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY UNDER PRESSURE AMID RISING RESISTANCE, POPULARITY OF IRAN-BACKED TERROR GROUPS

Top security officials from the U.S., Egypt, and Qatar have been pushing Israel and Hamas to agree to a cease-fire and the return of hostages. 

Reports on Thursday suggested that negotiators are pushing for a 42-day cease-fire in which 34 of the at least 50 hostages still assessed to be alive, could be exchanged. 

Hamas is also believed to continue to hold at least 38 who were taken hostage and then killed while in captivity, along with at least seven who are believed to have been killed on Oct. 7, 2023 and then taken into Gaza. 

Though all the hostages are believed to have been held in deplorable conditions, the children, women – including the female IDF soldiers – the sick and the elderly have reportedly been front listed to be freed first in exchange for Hamas terrorists currently imprisoned. 

"I'm keeping my hope and holding on and just waiting – waiting to hug Keith, and waiting for all the families, to get their families back," Aviva said. "We need to get them back."

Aviva said she dreams of the moment that she gets to hug her husband again and watch their grandchildren "jump into his arms." 

"We’ll be the happiest people on Earth," she said. "All the hostages, I can't imagine them coming home. It'll be just the happiest moment for all of the families. We need it to happen."

Reports in recent weeks suggest there is an increased sense of optimism in bringing home the hostages, but Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged some caution when speaking with MSNBC Morning Joe on Thursday when he said, "We are encouraged because this should happen, and it should happen because Hamas is at a point where the cavalry it thought might come to the rescue isn’t coming to the rescue, [Hezbollah's] not coming to the rescue, [Iran's] not coming to the rescue."

"In the absence of that, I think the pressure is on Hamas to finally get to yes," he added. "But look, I think we also have to be very realistic.  We’ve had these Lucy and the football moments several times over the last months where we thought we were there, and the football gets pulled away.

"The real question is: Is Hamas capable of making a decision and getting to yes?  We’ve been fanning out with every possible partner on this to try to get the necessary pressure exerted on Hamas to say yes," Blinken added.