World News
Hezbollah rocket barrage hammers homes in Golan Heights
Terrorist organization Hezbollah rained rockets down on Israeli territory this week as cease-fire negotiations between Hamas and Israel continue to deteriorate.
Over 50 rockets struck the Golan Heights during a Wednesday attack that injured one individual and destroyed two houses – part of a deadly exchange still ongoing between the Lebanese group and Israel.
"Hezbollah continues to indiscriminately fire projectiles toward Israel," the Israel Defense Forces said in a statement Wednesday. "Just now, approx. 50 projectiles were fired and some fell in the town of Katzrin."
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Israel claims the attack was a response to their successful strike on a weapons storage facility in Lebanon. That strike reportedly killed at least one person.
"There was no other target in the area other than a civilian neighborhood and kids on their summer vacation," Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani said following the attack. "Attacks against our civilians will not go unanswered."
Israel has controlled the Golan Heights since capturing it at the end of the Six Days War.
Israel maintains the Golan Heights is necessary for national security and the territory was officially annexed in 1967. The United States has recognized it as Israel's territory since 2019.
Israel and Hezbollah have consistently exchanged missile strikes since October of last year, when the Hamas-led terrorist attack on the Jewish state initiated the ongoing conflict. Hamas and Israel have been unable to finalize a cease-fire deal, despite extensive assistance from United States diplomats.
Speaking to reporters from Israel, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Monday that a proposal put forward last week by the White House in coordination with leaders from Qatar and Egypt looked to "bridge the gaps" between the warring parties and has been "accepted" by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
"He supports it," Blinken said. "It's now incumbent on Hamas to do the same."
"The parties – with the help of the mediators, the United States, Egypt and Qatar – have to come together and complete the process of reaching clear understandings about how they'll implement the commitments that they've made under this agreement," he added.
Fox News Digital's Caitlin McFall contributed to this report.
Hezbollah rocket barrage hammers homes in Israeli-annexed Golan Heights
Terrorist organization Hezbollah rained rockets down on Israeli-annexed territory this week as cease-fire negotiations between Hamas and Israel continue to deteriorate.
Over 50 rockets struck the Golan Heights during a Wednesday attack that injured one individual and destroyed two houses – part of a deadly exchange still ongoing between the Lebanese group and Israel.
"Hezbollah continues to indiscriminately fire projectiles toward Israel," the Israel Defense Forces said in a statement Wednesday. "Just now, approx. 50 projectiles were fired and some fell in the town of Katzrin."
DEMONSTRATORS SHOUT 'F--- YOU' AT CHICAGO POLICE, MORE THAN 70 ARRESTED ON 2ND NIGHT OF DNC
Israel claims the attack was a response to their successful strike on a weapons storage facility in Lebanon. That strike reportedly killed at least one person.
"There was no other target in the area other than a civilian neighborhood and kids on their summer vacation," Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani said following the attack. "Attacks against our civilians will not go unanswered."
The Golan Heights has been occupied by civilian residents since Israel captured the patch of land from Syria at the end of the Six Days War.
Israel claimed the Golan Heights was necessary for national security and the territory was officially annexed in 1967. Except by the United States, the area is internationally recognized as Israeli-occupied Syrian territory.
Israel and Hezbollah have consistently exchanged missile strikes since October of last year, when the Hamas-led terrorist attack on the Jewish state initiated the ongoing conflict. Hamas and Israel have been unable to finalize a cease-fire deal, despite extensive assistance from United States diplomats.
Speaking to reporters from Israel, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Monday that a proposal put forward last week by the White House in coordination with leaders from Qatar and Egypt looked to "bridge the gaps" between the warring parties and has been "accepted" by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
"He supports it," Blinken said. "It's now incumbent on Hamas to do the same."
"The parties – with the help of the mediators, the United States, Egypt and Qatar – have to come together and complete the process of reaching clear understandings about how they'll implement the commitments that they've made under this agreement," he added.
Fox News Digital's Caitlin McFall contributed to this report.
UK looks to treat misogyny as extremist violence, raising free speech crackdown concerns
The United Kingdom is looking to treat some forms of misogyny as a form of extremism under the new government’s Home Office, according to reports.
"Hateful incitement of all kinds fractures and frays the very fabric of our communities and our democracy," British Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said during an interview with LBC. "Action against extremism has been badly hollowed out in recent years, just when it should have been needed most."
Cooper revealed that she has ordered a "rapid analytical sprint on extremism" that will "map and monitor extremist trends," looking for ways to divert at-risk individuals from extremist views and "identify any gaps in existing policy."
That catch-all for a range of views includes Islamist and far-right extremists as well as extreme misogyny or "fixation on violence" and causes of radicalization.
The Home Office in March – under the previous, Conservative government – redefined extremism as that which aims to "negate or destroy the fundamental rights and freedom of others" or "undermine, overturn or replace the U.K.’s system of liberal parliamentary democracy and democratic rights."
Including misogyny in that review has raised concerns that the government could lay the foundations to target free speech, to which Minister for Safeguarding and Violence against Women and Girls Jess Phillips has claimed, "You just use the exact same test you would with far-right extremism and Islamism, wouldn’t you?"
"People can hold views about women all they like, but it’s not OK anymore to ignore the massive growing threat caused by online hatred towards women and for us to ignore it because we’re worried about the line, rather than making sure the line is in the right place as we would do with any other extremist ideology," Phillips argued, according to The Guardian.
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Peter Lloyd, author of "Stand by Your Manhood," branded the policy a "sexist move" and an "Orwellian attack on free speech," which left his debate partner Joanna Jarjue stunned during a debate on GB News. Lloyd insisted that there were "other issues" such as terrorism that "are the priority" and "not people like Andrew Tate."
Jarjue said she was "offended" by Lloyd's comments, accusing him of minimizing the issue and citing a figure of two million women victimized by men in the U.K. each year. She called the issue an "epidemic" that "snowballs into a bigger position where women are dying and being raped."
"When you have women being attacked specifically because they're women, and specifically because there are some men within our society who have an ideology that women are fair game, or they're entitled to a woman's body – which is exactly what someone who would go and rape somebody would be thinking… that is very specific to a very specific group and gender," Jarjue insisted.
The British government has had a review of how it responds to misogyny squarely in its crosshairs for a few years: The House of Lords held a debate in November 2021 to determine whether they would consider misogyny a hate crime.
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The Lords recognized calls for stronger action on misogyny "for years," including a campaign by Citizens UK in 2015 that called for sex and gender to be recognized as a protected characteristic for hate crime.
The Nottinghamshire Police were the first constabulary in England and Wales to recognize misogyny as a hate crime, leading to other constabularies to follow their example.
The Home Office changed the title of its junior ministerial role to the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Preventing Abuse, Exploitation and Crime a few times since its creation in 2014, but expanded the role to include specifically Safeguarding and Violence against Women and Girls following the Labour Party victory on July 4, appointing MP Jess Phillips just days later.
Phillips this week told Glamour UK that "the last few weeks have been pretty tough on women and girls in our country" following the stabbing of several young girls that killed three at a Taylor Swift-themed dance workshop in Southport.
"I want to make sure that people realize that we recognize, here in government, how difficult it is and how much grief is currently being felt in the country, and say that we hear you," Phillips said.
"And we know that we have to do everything that we can to start preventing rather than just cleaning up the violence committed by men against women and girls in our country," she added.
Biden revamps US nuclear deterrence posture in face of China, Russia, North Korea aggression
President Biden in March reportedly approved in secret a change to the highly classified U.S. nuclear posture in the wake of growing aggression from nations like Russia and China, but the White House on Tuesday said this step was just business as usual.
In response to a report by the New York Times that suggested Washington’s nuclear posture had been altered to address Beijing’s expanding nuclear arsenal, a White House spokesperson told reporters the "guidance issued earlier this year is not a response to any single entity, country, nor threat."
"This administration, like the four administrations before it, issued a Nuclear Posture Review and Nuclear Weapons Employment Planning Guidance," White House spokesperson Sean Savett said.
"While the specific text of the Guidance is classified, its existence is in no way secret," he added.
US MUST EXPAND NUCLEAR ARSENAL IN FACE OF RUSSIA AND CHINA THREAT, WARNS TOP OBAMA DEFENSE ADVISER
Questions have mounted regarding any potential changes to the U.S. nuclear strategy of deterrence after The New York Times reported on Tuesday that Biden shifted Washington’s strategy for the "first time" to focus on China.
But in 2022, the Department of Defense released its "National Defense Strategy, Nuclear Posture Review, and Missile Defense Review" in which it said the U.S. would take an "integrated" approach to U.S. security threats, detailing China first and Russia second.
Last year the Pentagon confirmed that Beijing had some 400 nuclear warheads in its stockpiles, a level the U.S. previously estimated it would not reach until the end of this decade. China is now expected to more than triple its nuclear stockpile by 2035, according to the Arms Control Association (ACA).
Despite concerns surrounding China’s growing nuclear capabilities, Russia and the U.S. individually still possess more than 11 times the number of nuclear warheads than China – accounting for 90% of the world’s nuclear stockpiles, according to a review released by the ACA in July.
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In response to Fox News Digital’s questions on Wednesday, the White House pointed to comments made by Savett, who said, "We have repeatedly voiced concerns about the advancing nuclear arsenals of Russia, PRC [the People’s Republic of China], and the DPRK [Democratic People's Republic of Korea]."
"As we have always done, we review our policies and update when necessary to account for emerging geopolitical conditions," he added. "We will continue to focus our efforts on reducing nuclear risk by enhancing deterrence and our preference for resolving differences through arms control diplomacy."
The guidance remains classified, but Congress is expected to receive an unclassified revision of the document before Biden leaves office next year, reported Reuters.
"There is far more continuity than change," Savett said in reference to the March updates.
China on Wednesday responded to the report by The New York Times and said it was "gravely concerned."
"We have no intention to engage in any form of arms race with other countries," Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said, further criticizing the U.S. strategy of deterrence and accusing Washington of "shirking" its commitment to disarmament.
Police raid Andrew Tate's home in Romania as new allegations involving minors surface
Masked police officers in Romania carried out fresh raids early Wednesday at the home of divisive internet influencer Andrew Tate, who is awaiting trial on charges of human trafficking, rape and forming a criminal gang to sexually exploit women.
Romania’s anti-organized crime agency, DIICOT, said it was searching four homes in Bucharest and nearby Ilfov county, investigating allegations of human trafficking, the trafficking of minors, sexual intercourse with a minor, influencing statements and money laundering. The agency added that hearings will later be held at its headquarters.
Tate’s spokesperson, Mateea Petrescu, said in response to the raids that "although the charges in the search warrant are not yet fully clarified, they include suspicions of human trafficking and money laundering" and added that his legal team is present. Petrescu did not address the allegations involving minors.
ROMANIAN COURT RULES THAT ANDREW TATE'S TRIAL ON CHARGES OF RAPE AND HUMAN TRAFFICKING CAN START
Dozens of police officers and forensic personnel were scouring Tate’s large property on the edge of the capital Bucharest. "During the entire criminal process, the investigated persons benefit from the procedural rights and guarantees provided by the Code of Criminal Procedure, as well as the presumption of innocence," DIICOT noted in its statement.
The 37-year-old Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan, 36, both former kickboxers and dual British-U.S. citizens who have amassed millions of social media followers, were arrested in 2022 near Bucharest along with two Romanian women. Romanian prosecutors formally indicted all four last year. They have denied the allegations.
In April, the Bucharest Tribunal ruled that the prosecutors’ case file against the four met the legal criteria and that a trial could start but did not set a date for it to begin. That ruling came after the legal case had been discussed for months in the preliminary chamber stages, a process in which the defendants can challenge prosecutors’ evidence and case file.
After the Tate brothers’ arrest in 2022, they were held for three months in police detention before being moved to house arrest. They were later restricted to the Bucharest and Ilfov counties, and later to all of Romania.
Last month, a court overturned an earlier decision that allowed the Tate brothers to leave Romania as they await trial. The earlier court ruled on July 5 that they could leave the country as long as they remained within the 27-member European Union. The decision was final.
Andrew Tate, who is known for expressing misogynistic views online and has amassed 9.9 million followers on the social media platform X, has repeatedly claimed that prosecutors have no evidence against him and that there is a political conspiracy to silence him. He was previously banned from various social media platforms for misogynistic views and hate speech.
In March, the Tate brothers also appeared at the Bucharest Court of Appeal in a separate case, after British authorities issued arrest warrants over allegations of sexual aggression in a U.K. case dating back to 2012-2015. The appeals court granted the British request to extradite the the Tates to the U.K., but only after legal proceedings in Romania have concluded.
Yacht sinks: Missing tech billionaire's co-defendant died in car crash days before Italy disaster
A co-defendant of British tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch was killed in England after being struck by a car just days before Lynch and five others went missing when a luxury superyacht sank off the coast of Italy on Monday, authorities confirmed Tuesday.
Stephen Chamberlain, 52, was a former Autonomy Corp. executive who was acquitted alongside Lynch in June of charges in a multibillion-dollar fraud case related to Hewlett Packard’s $11 billion takeover of Lynch’s company.
Chamberlain "was fatally struck by a car on Saturday while out running" in Cambridgeshire, his lawyer Gary Lincenberg said in a statement.
"He was a courageous man with unparalleled integrity. We deeply miss him," Lincenberg said. "Steve fought successfully to clear his good name at trial earlier this year, and his good name now lives on through his wonderful family."
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Chamberlain, formerly a vice president of finance at the company, was accused of artificially inflating Autonomy’s revenues and making false and misleading statements to auditors, analysts and regulators.
Chamberlain’s family released a statement through Cambridgeshire Police, saying he "was a much-loved husband, father, son, brother and friend."
"He was an amazing individual whose only goal in life was to help others in any way possible," the statement said.
Police said the driver, a 49-year-old woman, remained at the scene in the village of Stretham, England, and was assisting with the investigation.
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The strange coincidence of Chamberlain’s death occurred just days before Lynch and five others, including Christopher Morvillo, one of Lynch’s lawyers who defended him in the fraud case, and Morgan Stanley International chairman Jonathan Bloomer, who testified in Lynch’s defense, went missing when the Bayesian superyacht sank off the coast of Sicily early Monday.
The other three people still missing are believed to be Lynch’s 18-year-old daughter Hannah, Bloomer’s wife Neda, and Morvillo’s wife Judy.
On Wednesday, divers found two bodies inside the superyacht, sources familiar with rescue operations told NBC News. It was unclear whose bodies were found.
Ten crew members and 12 passengers, including British, American and Canadian nationals were onboard when the vessel capsized. One man's body was recovered, identified as onboard chef Recaldo Thomas, an Antiguan citizen. Fifteen people were rescued, including a 1-year-old girl, authorities said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Gustav Klimt masterpiece ‘Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer,’ dating back over a century, took 4 years to complete
The "Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I" is a famous piece of art by Gustav Klimt. The subject of the painting is Adele Bloch-Bauer, wife of Ferdinand Bloch-Bauer. Klimt was commissioned by the Jewish industrialist to paint the portrait in 1903. The distinguished piece of artwork was finally unveiled four years later. A second painting of Adele, the "Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer II," was created by Klimt in 1912.
The well-known portrait is considered a masterpiece from Klimt's "golden style" of artwork, according to Neue Galerie, the New York City museum that has the portrait on permanent display today.
The year Klimt was commissioned for the artwork, he visited the Church of San Vitale in Ravenna, Italy, according to the source, where he became deeply inspired by the sixth century mosaics. The "Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I" was made in a style he had great admiration for.
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After many sketches were drawn out and four years of work, the "Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I" was completed in 1907. The portrait displays Adele in golden tones in an ambiguous position, leaving the viewer unsure if the Jewish socialite is sitting or standing.
She is covered in expensive jewelry, including bracelets on her wrists and a diamond choker around her neck, a wedding present from her husband, according to Neue Galerie.
In January 1925, Adele died suddenly after contracting meningitis at the age of 43. After her death, the portrait was displayed in the Bloch-Bauer home in Vienna until the Nazis invaded Austria in 1938. Ferdinand fled from his home, leaving his valuable art collection, including the "Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I" behind. The collection was seized by the Nazis, according to Christie's.
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In November 1945, Ferdinand died and was never able to retrieve his art collection. The "Portrait of Adele Bach-Bauer I" spent many years being displayed in Vienna, renamed "Woman in Gold," according to Neue Galerie.
The family heirs, specifically Maria Altmann, who escaped from Vienna and settled in California, fought for the return of the art collection. In 1998, the Federal Art Restitution Act was passed in Austria, which declared stolen works of art and cultural objects be returned to their rightful owners or heirs.
Altmann and her lawyer, Eric Randol Schoenberg, began a legal battle to reclaim her family's art collection in a case that garnered a lot of attention from the public.
In January 2006, the United States Supreme Court ruled in favor of Altmann, and she took possession of the paintings.
The 2015 movie "Woman in Gold" depicts this legal battle with Helen Mirren as Altmann and Ryan Reynolds as her lawyer.
In June 2006, the portrait was purchased for $135 million by Ronald Lauder, according to Christie's.
The "Portrait of Adele Bach-Bauer I" is permanently displayed at Neue Galerie in New York City.
Moscow targeted with largest drone attack of war with Ukraine: Russian officials
Ukraine targeted Moscow on Wednesday in what Russian officials called one of largest drone strikes on the capital since the war began in 2022.
All 11 drones heading toward the capital in the Moscow region were destroyed, Russia’s Ministry of Defense said. In total, Russia said its air defenses downed 45 Ukrainian drones, including 23 over the Bryansk region, six over Belgorod, three over Kaluga and two over Kursk.
"This was one of the biggest attempts of all time to attack Moscow using drones," Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin said on his Telegram channel, adding that strong air defenses around the capital prevented the drones from striking their intended targets.
Some Russian social media channels shared videos of drones apparently being destroyed by air defense systems, which then set off car alarms.
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In Russia's Kursk region, one person was killed and two were wounded after a Ukrainian drone dropped an explosive device on their car, Acting Regional Governor Alexei Smirnov said on Telegram, according to Reuters.
UKRAINE TARGETS RUSSIAN BRIDGES IN MOVE AGAINST MOSCOW COUNTEROFFENSIVE IN KURSK
Ukraine has been attacking Russia with drones, targeting oil refineries and airfields, in an attempt to weaken Russia's fighting potential and also has targeted the capital several times.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian forces continue to push into Russia’s western Kursk region while the Russians drive forward slowly in a land conflict in eastern Ukraine.
Kyiv’s incursion into Russia appears to have raised morale in Ukraine and changed the dynamic of the fighting with the Russians, though it is uncertain how long the Ukrainians can hold what territory they have seized in Kursk.
Kamala Harris' choice of Jewish liaison director draws criticism over Israel, Iran stance: 'Red flag'
JERUSALEM — Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign has stirred up a hornet’s nest with the selection of a liaison for the American Jewish community who has been criticized for holding views that undermine Israel’s security and for being soft on Iran, according to some prominent American Jews and Israelis.
Harris appointed Jerusalem-born Ilan Goldenberg — he renounced his Israeli citizenship to work for former President Obama’s first administration — last week, sparking intense criticism from sectors of the American Jewish community and among Israeli Americans.
In 2021, Goldenberg worked for the Biden administration’s Department of Defense. In 2023, he became Harris’ Middle East adviser. The 46-year-old Goldenberg, who was raised in New Jersey, is seen as a lightning rod selection, according to his critics, because he has pushed policies that hurt Israel.
A senior Republican Congressional staffer who has engaged with him told Fox News Digital, "Goldenberg's job in the Biden-Harris administration has been to undermine Israel. He played a key role inside and outside the Vice President's Office dragging the entire administration in a direction hostile to Israel and in favor of the Palestinians, and interfered with efforts to make peace between Israel and Saudi Arabia."
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In February, Fox News Digital reported on the Biden administration reportedly ignoring Palestinian terrorism in the biblical heartland of Judea and Samaria of Israel, known as the West Bank outside of Israel, while imposing sanctions on some extremist Jewish residents of the disputed area during Israel’s existential war against the Iran-backed Hamas terrorist movement.
Israel’s government argues its advanced legal system is capable of meting out punishment against Israeli Jews who commit crimes against Palestinians in the settlements.
On Monday, Goldenberg delivered his first speech as Harris’ director of outreach to the Jewish community at a side event at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago.
According to Jewish Insider, speaking about Harris, he told the audience, "From the very beginning, she was completely adamant that Israel has a right to defend itself. Israel was attacked on Oct. 7, and Hamas is a terrorist organization, and we’re going to be behind Israel supporting its response. And, two, this is just part of a much longer record of hers that she has an unwavering commitment to Israel’s security that goes back long before Oct. 7."
American-Israeli law professor Eugene Kontorovich, told Fox News Digital, "The Jewish community has been united in its opposition to Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions [targeting Israel]; Goldenberg is one of those in the Biden-Harris administration who has made sanctions on Israelis official government policy."
Kontorovich, who teaches at George Mason University’s Antonin Scalia Law School claimed, "The celebration of his selection by the most extreme far-left Jewish groups shows that when it comes to the Jewish vote, Harris feels no need to run to the center. She thinks she has it in her pocket regardless of how hostile she is to Israel."
Fox News Digital asked Halie Soifer, the CEO of the Jewish Democratic Council of America, about the criticism leveled against Goldenberg.
"I have publicly commented on the appointment of Ilan Goldenberg," she said, referring to her comments on X.
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"Goldenberg is a national security and Middle East expert who brings a wealth of experience to this critically important role," she wrote of him. "His appointment says a lot about how much @KamalaHarris prioritizes outreach with the Jewish American community."
She also said Goldenberg is "not just a political or campaign hire. He’s an experienced foreign policy expert who has worked directly with the @VP on Middle East policy, which says a lot about how they view the scope & importance of this role."
Fox News Digital reached out numerous times to members of the Harris campaign and separately to Goldenberg but did not receive a response.
According to an article by Commentary magazine editor Seth Mandel, Goldenberg has been frequently wrong about Middle East policy. Goldenberg predicted that former President Trump’s relocation of the American embassy from Tel Aviv to Israel’s capital, Jerusalem, would unleash regional upheaval. There was no Mideast violence after the U.S. established its embassy in Jerusalem.
The article titled, "Harris’s Ominous Message to Jewish Voters", Mandel took Goldenberg to task for arguing Obama’s controversial Iran nuclear deal "will create a situation in which Iran will be deterred from ever pursuing a bomb." Mandel bluntly wrote again, "It didn’t." Fox News Digital reported Aug. 4 that Iran’s regime has moved dangerously close to securing a nuclear weapon device during the Biden administration.
David Milstein, who served as special assistant to the U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman under President Trump, told Fox News Digital, "Ilan Goldenberg’s appointment should raise another red flag to Americans who strongly support Israel as another reason not to vote for Harris-Walz, who have already demonstrated to embrace and support the antisemitic, pro-Hamas wing of their own party."
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"Ilan has a long record of anti-Israel views outside the bipartisan mainstream in the pro-Israel community and has held senior positions advising some of the most anti-Israel political leaders in recent times including Secretary John Kerry during the Obama Administration, Elizabeth Warren's presidential campaign and Vice President Kamala Harris during the Biden administration," Milstein added.
"There is a reason radical, left-wing, anti-Israel groups such as J Street are excited about his appointment."
The public spat over Goldenberg’s fitness to be the campaign’s liaison impacted Israel’s intense news cycle. The Jerusalem Post, a centrist English language newspaper read by many American Jews, published an article by the paper’s editor-in-chief, Zvika Klein, warning, "Why Harris’s golden boy should alarm every friend of Israel."
The charged debate over Goldenberg’s appointment prompted David Makovsky, director of the Program on Arab-Israel Relations at the Washington Institute of Near East Policy on Sunday to write on X, "I am concerned about personal attacks on a colleague @ilangoldenberg Of course, one can agree or disagree with specific policy prescriptions. To be sure Ilan and I have had our share of spirited debates, but completely wrong to insist Ilan does not care about Israel's security.
"If one doubts, ask Israel Maj.-Gen. (Res.) Gadi Shamni. Gadi has served in many senior positions, including top military advisor to Israel's PM and top military general for the West Bank (Pikud Mercaz). Gadi co-authored a @CNASdc 2017 study with Ilan on security arrangements when it comes to final status deal between Israel and the Palestinians."
Israeli-American academic Richard Landes told Fox News Digital, "On one level, if this is her liaison to the Jewish community (and not her foreign policy adviser), it is a slap in the face to the vast majority who care about Israel. On another, it's a clear signal to the rest of the country that her administration (and Walz's) will be playing the Muslim-hard ‘left’ constituency. If Britain's current dilemmas are a sign of the democratic future, then putting Kamala in the White House is giving wings to our participation in the Olympic race to self-destruction."
Alleged Kenyan 'vampire' killer, who confessed to 42 murders, escapes custody: police
A suspect who police said confessed to killing 42 women and was being detained over the discovery of dismembered bodies in Kenya’s capital has escaped from police custody, officials said Tuesday.
Mohamed Amin, the head of the Directorate of Criminal Investigations, said Collins Jumaisi Khalusha escaped along with 12 other inmates of Eritrean nationality who had been arrested for being in the country illegally.
Acting police inspector general Gilbert Masengeli said disciplinary measures have been taken against eight officers, including the area and station commanders and officers who were on duty.
"Our preliminary investigations indicate that the escape was aided by insiders considering that officers were deployed accordingly to guard the station," he said.
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A police report said the inmates escaped early Tuesday morning after they cut through wire mesh in the cell and scaled the perimeter wall. The escape was discovered as breakfast was being taken into the cell.
Khalusha, 33, was being detained at the police station after a court allowed detectives seven more days to investigate his alleged crimes before charging him.
Khalusha was arrested in July after 10 bodies and several body parts were found wrapped in plastic sacks in the Kware area of Nairobi.
Police said Khalusha confessed to killing 42 women, including his wife.
"This was a high-value suspect who was to face serious charges. We are investigating the incident and will take action accordingly," Amin said.
Khalusha’s lawyer, John Maina Ndegwa, told journalists his client was tortured and forced to confess and maintained he was not guilty.
Ndegwa told the AP that he last spoke to Khalusha on Friday when he was presented in court.
"I’m also confounded by the news," he said.
The police station from which the suspects escaped was cordoned off with crime scene tape and senior police officers visited it on Tuesday afternoon.
Two other suspects who were arrested after being found with cellphones belonging to some of the deceased women are to return to court next Monday.
Police in July said the bodies were discovered after relatives of one missing woman said they had a dream in which she told them to search in a quarry.
The relatives asked a local diver to help and he discovered the bodies wrapped in sacks. Six bodies were identified after DNA tests, but several body parts remain unidentified.
Jewish locals implore Israeli activist to flee Chicago before DNC; safety probed ahead of political gathering
An Israeli activist and spokesperson is catching people's attention as she tells the heartbreaking story of twin Israeli brothers who were kidnapped from their apartments Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas terrorists invaded their homes.
The terror group executed a barbaric assault on innocent civilians in Israel in the early morning, and residents in one apartment building fell victim to the violence when the building was set on fire and twin brothers Ziv and Gali Berman were kidnapped.
"We have this unwritten protocol where, whenever there is sirens at his place, or my place or both of ours, we will text each other, and he will ask me if I’m OK. I will ask him if he’s OK," Noa Reuveni, 25, of Tel Aviv, told Fox News Digital during a phone conversation.
Near the Gaza-Israel border, Hamas terrorists committed war crimes, slaying Israeli men, women and children on day 1 of what would become the Israel-Hamas war and the deadliest attack on Jews since the Holocaust.
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At the time of the invasion, Reuveni was visiting California when she received a phone notification of missiles. Upon receipt, she texted Ziv, her best friend, to make certain he was safe.
Reuveni said she did not hear back for over 40 minutes.
"The first thing he said to me was, ‘I’m scared to death,’" she said.
Reuveni said sirens, missiles and rockets were a normal occurrence for the Middle East country.
"We’re not afraid of it anymore," she said.
Shortly after 7 a.m., Reuveni said, Ziv communicated that he’d heard Arabic being spoken outside. He barricaded himself and remained still and quiet until 9:45 a.m. In the meantime, Reuveni said he sent over 20 text messages relaying his fear and inability to remain calm.
"I tried to tell him that I’m taking care of it. I'm getting help for him," she said.
LAWMAKERS SLAM COLUMBIA U'S ‘BLATANT INACTION’ AGAINST ‘PRO-TERRORIST’ STUDENTS AFTER DAMNING REPORT
Unable to get through to the Israeli police, Reuveni assured Ziv the IDF and Special Forces would be on their way.
"I couldn't get a hold of anybody," she said. "I was very, very helpless. He was basically begging for help."
Unaware of the magnitude of the surprise attack by Iran-backed terrorists, she said kidnapping was an unimaginable thought that she hadn’t considered.
"At 9:45, I received my last message from him, which was ‘I’m scared,'" Reuveni said. "That was the last time that I’d heard from him."
Reuveni’s final message of warmth said, "I’m with you," before Ziv’s phone was shut off indefinitely.
IRANIAN-AMERICAN LAWYER WHOSE RESPONSE TO ANTI-ISRAEL PROTESTS WENT VIRAL PREDICTS NEW WORLD WAR
Amid a temporary truce between Israel and Hamas, from Nov. 24, 2023, through Nov. 30, 2023, over 100 hostages were released by Hamas. Though neither brother was released, Reuveni said the first and last signal of life she and the twin's family received was from released hostages who advised that the siblings were seen in Gaza tunnels "separately, unfortunately."
"Ever since Oct. 7, I left my life. I left college. I left my job," Reuveni said. "I left everything I had in my life out of the realization that now my friends need me and my loved ones need me, and I can't do anything else. Nothing else matters more than this."
Reuveni moved from a village in Israel, Shahar, to Tel Aviv to be close to Hostages Square, where she implores Israeli citizens to talk about the hostages and tell their stories.
"Sometimes I speak seven days a week, sometimes six times back-to-back," she said. "I don't regret it for a single second."
Today, Reuveni is speaking in Cleveland, Ohio, on the heels of her speaking arrangements in Chicago, which she left due to the 2024 Democratic National Convention.
"All Jews actually told me to leave," she said of Chicago. "They all told me that I shouldn't be there during that time because it will get hectic and crazy. I thought that was just crazy for me to hear that Jews are leaving town. They're leaving the city because of the DNC."
Buses of anti-Israel protesters swarmed the streets outside the four-day 2024 DNC and breached police barricades to oppose Democrats’ support for the Israeli military and their fight against Hamas.
"I think that the best thing that people around the world, Jews around the world, can do right now is get together, is not give the bully what they want, is not go into hiding and not surrender to that fear and the violence that they’re projecting but instead be proud of who they are," Reuveni said.
BIDEN SAYS DNC ANTI-ISRAEL AGITATORS ‘HAVE A POINT,’ RIPS TRUMP AS ‘NOT WORHTY’ OF OVAL OFFICE
New York City and Long Island are next on Reuveni’s list of cities before she travels back to Israel. In October, as the one-year anniversary of the devastating attacks approaches, Reuveni will return to the states and remain for four weeks to continue her mission.
"We need to continuously raise awareness and make sure we never stop talking about them because the day we stop talking about them is the day that we’re giving up on them," she said.
Reuveni described Ziv and Gali as "loyal" and "best friends." She added that friendship and family mean everything to them.
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"They have so much respect and admiration for their mother," she said. "I always say I have never heard a man in my life speak about their mother with so much respect like I've heard them speak about theirs."
In the over 300 days since the unprovoked attacks, Reuveni hopes the brothers have found their way back to one another.
"They have never been apart," she said. "They have this twin power."
Today, over 100 hostages are still believed to be held captive in Gaza, according to Reuters.
Spanish woman believed to be the oldest person in the world has died at age 117
Maria Branyas, an American-born Spaniard considered the world’s oldest person at 117 years old, has died, her family said on Tuesday.
In a post on Branyas' X account, her family wrote in Catalan: "Maria Branyas has left us. She has gone the way she wanted: in her sleep, at peace, and without pain."
TEXAS WOMAN TURNS 115, MAKING HER THE OLDEST LIVING PERSON IN THE US
The Gerontology Research Group, which validates details of people thought to be 110 or older, listed Branyas as the oldest known person in the world after the death of French nun Lucile Randon last year.
The next oldest person listed by the Gerontology Research Group is now Japan’s Tomiko Itooka, who is 116 years old.
Branyas was born in San Francisco on March 4, 1907. After living for some years in New Orleans, where her father founded a magazine, her family returned to Spain when she was young. Branyas said that she had memories of crossing the Atlantic Ocean during World War I.
Her X account is called "Super Catalan Grandma" and bears the description: "I am old, very old, but not an idiot."
At age 113, Branyas tested positive for COVID-19 during the global pandemic, but avoided developing severe symptoms that claimed tens of thousands of older Spaniards.
At the time of her death she was living in a nursing home in Catalan town of Olot.
Her family wrote that Branyas told them days before her death: "I don’t know when, but very soon this long journey will come to an end. Death will find me worn down from having lived so much, but I want to meet it with a smile, feeling free and satisfied."
Ancient treasure dating back thousands of years unearthed in burial mound
In the Turkish region of Kazakhstan, archaeologists discovered ancient treasures in a burial mound dating back approximately 2,000 years.
Researchers point to the Kangyu Era as the time period that these ancient objects belong to. Kangyu state was located along Silk Road, which refers to a network of routes that traders used, connecting the East and West, according to National Geographic.
A translated press release published on Turkistan's regional government website in May 2024 shared the findings of a jug, a bronze mirror and a Roman fibula, among other items, during the excavation of three burial mounds. Two of the burial mounds had been looted, but one contained the ancient relics.
The bronze mirror is thought to have originated in China, according to the press release, during the Han dynasty (206 BCE–220 CE). Mirrors similar to the one recently unearthed have been found in Afghanistan and the southern Ural region.
The bronze mirror was an item of high value, an object used by those rich and influential. The finding of this mirror is a clue that the woman who was buried beside it held high status, according to the press release.
The gold earrings took the shape of the moon, embellished with turquoise and noble ruby, according to the press release.
UNDERWATER ARCHAEOLOGISTS DISCOVER ANCIENT OBJECTS DURING DIVE IN BULGARIA BAY
A shoe and belt buckle, as well as an arrowhead specifically designed for bird hunting were also found.
The discovery was led by a team from Kazakhstan’s Ozbekali Zhanibekov University and local government archaeologists, according to Live Science.
The ancient artifacts display the powerful empires that Kangyu had diplomatic relationships with, according to the press release, including ancient Rome and China.
Professor Alexander Podushkin, who led the expedition, explained that these ancient relics will be brought to the National Museum of the Republic of Kazakhstan in Astana, according to the press release.
SEE IT: Circus performer falls while performing tightrope stunt in England, is 'doing well'
A tightrope performer who plunged from the high wire during a circus performance is "doing well," according to Gravity Circus.
A female tightrope artist with the High Wire Troupe fell during an act featuring two other male performers on the high wire. The distance she fell is unknown.
The moment she fell was captured on camera by one anonymous member of the crowd present at Gravity Circus' performance in Hastings, East Sussex, England.
FIRST-GENERATION CIRCUS PERFORMER TALKS ROAD TO PERFECTING HIS UNIQUE UNICYCLE ACT
Audience member Hayley Welsh shared with BBC Radio Sussex that "it looked like her leg gave way. She lost balance and went flying down wrapped around the wire."
"She smashed down onto the metal floor," Welsh added.
In a Facebook comment, Gravity Circus said, "She is doing well and is in safe hands."
According to reporting from the BBC, a more detailed statement from the circus said the performer "had suffered facial and other injuries consistent with a fall."
VIOLA THE CIRCUS ELEPHANT WITH HISTORY OF ESCAPES BREAKS FREE AGAIN IN MONTANA, HEADS TOWARD CASINO SLOTS
"She was treated at the scene and taken by ambulance to the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton with serious injuries, although her condition was not thought to be life-threatening", the statement said.
While her name remains unreported, Gravity Circus confirmed she is a member of an act called the High Wire Troupe from Colombia.
A spokesperson for Gravity Circus told the BBC that the show will go on: subsequent performances will continue as-scheduled.
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Gravity Circus UK did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
Panama deports 29 Colombians on first US-funded flight
Panama deported 29 Colombians on Tuesday on a flight that the government said was the first paid for by the United States under an agreement the two countries signed in July.
The Colombians had entered Panama illegally through the Darien jungle, a path used by more than 500,000 migrants headed north last year. The vast majority of those were Venezuelans.
PANAMA PRESIDENT DISMISSES THIS KEY ISSUE AS A 'UNITED STATES PROBLEM'
But at least for now, Panama is not able to deport Venezuelans because the relationship between the two countries has turned tense since Panama — like most other countries in the region -– has refused to recognize the results of Venezuela’s election giving President Nicolas Maduro another term. The two countries have suspended their diplomatic relations.
Panama President José Raúl Mulino, who took office July 1, pledged to stop that migration flow, an interest he shares with the U.S. government.
Mulino had originally said the flights would be "voluntary" repatriations, but those deported Tuesday had criminal records, officials said.
Roger Mojico, director of Panama’s National Immigration Service, told reporters Tuesday that Panama is speaking with other countries such as Ecuador and India about coordinating repatriation flights.
Israel recovers 6 dead hostages in 'complex rescue operation,' says bodies held under humanitarian area
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) recovered the bodies of six deceased Israeli hostages in a rescue operation Monday, the forces announced.
"Overnight our forces returned the bodies of six of our hostages that had been held by the murderous Hamas terrorist organization," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement.
"Our hearts grieve over the terrible loss," Netanyahu said. "My wife Sara and I convey our heartfelt condolences to the dear families."
"I would like to thank the brave IDF and ISA fighters and commanders for their heroism and determined action," he added. "The State of Israel will continue to make every effort to return all of our hostages – the living and the deceased."
BIDEN SAYS DNC ANTI-ISRAEL AGITATORS ‘HAVE A POINT,’ RIPS TRUMP AS ‘NOT WORHTY’ OF OVAL OFFICE
The bodies of Nadav Popplewell, Yagev Buchshtab, Yoram Metzger, Chaim Peri, Alexander Dancyg, and Avraham Munder returned from Khan Yunis area in Gaza thanks to the efforts of the IDF’s 98th Division and carried out by the "Yahalom" Unit of the Paratroopers Brigade, along with others, the IDF announced.
In a statement, IDF International spokesperson Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani said, "This was a complex rescue operation that was conducted both above and below ground. We have not yet finished all our missions in the area. We are still operating inside the tunnels". He continued, "The bodies were being held in a tunnel under an area previously designated as part of the Humanitarian Area in Khan Yunis".
The forces located a tunnel shaft about 10 meters deep leading to an underground tunnel route where the bodies of the hostages were found, according to a statement released on Wednesday.
"The soldiers of the Yahalom Unit and the ISA investigated the route and neutralized the obstructions, blast doors, weapons, explosives and hideouts used by the terrorists," the IDF explained. "The rescue was carried out after prolonged combat in a built-up area and in multi-story buildings, in which the forces carried out operations and searches that led to the elimination of terrorists and the destruction of terrorist infrastructure."
The IDF and ISA stressed that they continue to deploy "all operational and intelligence means in order to fulfill the supreme national mission of bringing back all the hostages," according to their statement.
"The recovery of the bodies of Abraham, Alex, Chaim, Yagev, Yoram, and Nadav crucially provides their families with necessary closure and grants eternal rest to the murdered," the Hostages and Missing Families Forum said in a statement.
"Israel has a moral and ethical obligation to return all the murdered for dignified burial and to bring all living hostages home for rehabilitation," the organization said. "The immediate return of the remaining 109 hostages can only be achieved through a negotiated deal."
"The Israeli government, with the assistance of mediators, must do everything in its power to finalize the deal currently on the table," the organization said.
BLINKEN SAYS ISRAEL ACCEPTS BIDEN CEASE-FIRE PROPOSAL, CALLS ON HAMAS TO DO THE SAME
Hamas still has 109 hostages in their custody, with 36 of them presumed dead and their bodies still in Gaza. Eight of those remaining hostages are American, with three believed to have been murdered in captivity by Hamas.
The rescue operation occurred as U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday announced that Netanyahu had "accepted" President Biden's cease-fire plan, even though Netanyahu has not yet formally agreed to any cease-fire at this time. The U.S. will continue to coordinate with Egyptian and Qatari leadership to "bridge the gaps" between warring parties.
"The parties – with the help of the mediators, the United States, Egypt and Qatar – have to come together and complete the process of reaching clear understandings about how they'll implement the commitments that they've made under this agreement," Blinken said without specifics on what was included.
"But there is, I think, a real sense of urgency here across the region on the need to get this over the finish line and to do it as soon as possible," Blinken added. "The United States is deeply committed to getting this job done – getting it done now."
FETTERMAN SPOKESWOMAN REAMED FOR REPORTEDLY CONTRADICTING BOSS ON ISRAEL: ‘UNPARALLELED HUBRIS’
Blinken then met on Tuesday with Egyptian counterparts with the aim of trying to finalize a cease-fire deal in Gaza "that would secure the release of all hostages, surge humanitarian assistance and create a path for broader regional stability," according to U.S. State Department principal deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel.
"They also discussed other regional issues and priorities relevant to our bilateral relationship," Patel said. "The Secretary and the Foreign Minister also agreed to continue close coordination on ending the Sudan conflict, and the need for the Sudanese Armed Forces to join negotiations in Switzerland."
Additionally, the Israeli Air Force (IAF) struck two Hezbollah launchers in the areas of Mansouri and Taybeh in southern Lebanon. The launchers were ready to be used immediately against Israeli territory.
The U.S. has also held strategic dialogue with Egyptian counterparts to "further strengthen the bilateral partnership" between the two countries on a range of issues.
Netanyahu assured families of the remaining hostages that the IDF is using "all necessary force to dismantle Hamas’ rule and its military capability, and this is moving forward."
"At the same time, [we are] making an effort to return the hostages and preserve our strategic security assets in the face of major domestic and foreign pressure."
"The first thing is to eliminate Hamas and achieve victory," he told the families in a forum on Tuesday. "We are approaching this step by step."
Belarusian president claims Ukraine is ‘pushing’ Russia to strike with nuclear weapons
Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko claimed in an interview posted on Sunday that Ukraine’s invasion of Russia is an attempt to "push" Moscow to hit it with nuclear weapons.
"Such escalation on the part of Ukraine is an attempt to push Russia to asymmetric actions. Let's say to use nuclear weapons," he said in an interview with local outlet Rossiya, according to a translation by BelTA. "I know for sure that Ukraine would be very happy if Russia or we used tactical nuclear weapons there. They will applaud it."
The top ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed Kyiv was goading Moscow into taking nuclear action in an attempt to further rally a united front against Russia.
"We would hardly have allies left," Lukashenko continued. "There would be no… sympathetic countries left."
Concerns over nuclear escalation in the conflict in Ukraine have been heightened since the war began more than two years ago when Putin warned, "whoever tries to impede us, let alone create threats for our country and its people, must know that the Russian response will be immediate and lead to consequences you have never seen in history."
Former DIA intelligence officer and author of "Putin’s Playbook," Rebekah Koffler, told Fox News Digital that following Ukraine’s incursion last week, "Technically, a tactical nuclear strike can be justified under the Russian doctrine, given that Russia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity have been violated."
But the expert also said she doesn’t anticipate a nuclear strike at this time.
Lukashenko's comments regarding the threat of nuclear warfare were not the first issued by the Putin ally since Russia invaded Ukraine.
Similarly, Lukashenko last week warned that Belarus would "use nuclear weapons if the enemy crosses the border of the Union State. There will be no red lines, the answer will be instant."
The Union State refers to a 1999 agreement between Belarus and Russia that forms a "supranational union" binding the two nations under a tight alliance.
Koffler said she believes Lukashenko’s comments were "almost certainly… coordinated with Putin."
"Russia and Belarus are part of the Union State. Their military doctrines are aligned, and their forces are loosely integrated from the command and control standpoint," she continued.
UKRAINE TARGETS RUSSIAN BRIDGES IN MOVE AGAINST MOSCOW COUNTEROFFENSIVE IN KURSK
But despite the close ties the two nations share, Minsk has yet to send troops into Ukraine to aid Russia in its more than two-year-long invasion. Though it has allowed Russian soldiers to deploy from its borders into Ukraine.
Lukashenko on Sunday said he had moved one-third of Belarus’ military to its shared border with Ukraine after Kyiv allegedly stationed some 120,000 troops there, reported Reuters, citing Belarusian news outlet BelTA.
"The goal of this move likely is, at minimum, to create the perception of opening the second front or to pre-stage forces for the possibility of opening the second front on behalf of Russia – threatening Ukrainian forces and making them feel stretched," Koffler said.
But the former DIA intelligence officer also said Lukashenko’s comments serve a second purpose by attempting to put "psychological pressure" on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his government and create "uncertainty about what the next step will be, as far as Russia-Belarus joint actions."
The exact number of Belarusian troops at the border remains unclear, but according to figures cited in a report by Reuters, one-third of Minsk’s fighting force is believed to number around 20,000.
Andriy Demchenko, a spokesperson for the Ukrainian border service, on Sunday said despite Lukashenko’s comments, the situation at the Ukraine-Belarus border remains unchanged.
"As we can see, Lukashenko's rhetoric does not change either, constantly escalating the situation with regularity to please the terrorist country," Demchenko said, according to Reuters.
"We are not seeing any increase in the number of equipment or personnel of Belarusian units near our border."
Yacht expert breaks down luxury superyacht tragedy after boat capsizes in freak storm: 'Always limits'
A luxury superyacht like the Bayesian, which capsized and sank early Monday with more than a dozen people on board, is typically built to withstand extreme weather conditions, but not everything is 100% guaranteed, says one expert.
Fox News Digital spoke with eSysman of the YouTube channel eSysman SuperYachts, to find out what could have gone wrong with the vessel.
The host, who identifies publicly as eSysman, told Fox News Digital that a high-caliber yacht like the Bayesian, should typically be able to withstand up to "extreme weather conditions," but qualified that "there are always limits."
"Obviously, any voyage plan will take into account the weather. Wind, wave sizes, and frequencies of the waves will be studied and precise prediction of weather has improved over the years, but it’s still not 100%," eSysman said, noting that it is ultimately the captain who is responsible for the vessel.
WHO IS MIKE LYNCH, THE BRITISH TECH ENTREPRENEUR MISSING AFTER YACHT SANK?
The Bayesian was notable for its single 246-foot mast — one of the world's tallest made of aluminum and which was lit up at night, just hours before it sank. Online charter sites listed it for rent for up to 195,000 euros – or around about $215,000 – a week.
Sicily's civil protection agency said that a tornado over the water known as a waterspout had struck the area overnight.
British tech magnate Mike Lynch and five other people were missing after their luxury superyacht sank during a freak storm off Sicily early Monday, authorities said.
Lynch's wife and 14 other people survived. Lynch was among six people who remain unaccounted for after their chartered sailboat sank off the Italian city of Porticello, near Palermo, sometime after 4 a.m.
"There’s always the possibility of survivors. This is why the search and rescue will keep going, no matter how slim the chances are," eSysman said. "But life expectancy in cold water is short."
If a vessel is caught in high-winds, eSysman, [they] will start their engines, and maneuver into a position where the wind is on the bow, avoiding the beam or the side of the vessel from being against the wind.
"We’re not sure if the yacht was at anchor or was sailing. The eyewitness report seems to suggest the vessel was anchored in the bay, but the AIS data's lost position said she was underway, so we're not sure which is correct," eSysman said.
"AIS" refers to "Automatic Identification System," which is a short-range coastal tracking system used on ships.
Per its YouTube channel, the team at eSysman SuperYachts comprises all serving or ex-maritime professions, with eSysman himself having more than two decades in the industry working on various SuperYachts of all sizes "including some of the largest in the world."
The crew and passengers of the Bayesian hailed from a variety of countries: In addition to Britain and the United States, passengers and crew were from Antigua, France, Germany, Ireland, Myanmar, the Netherlands, New Zealand and Spain.
The UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch is deploying a team of four inspectors to Italy to conduct a preliminary assessment. The Foreign Commonwealth and Development office said it was "providing consular support to a number of British nationals and their families."
Built in 2008 by the Italian firm Perini Navi, the yacht can accommodate 12 passengers in four double cabins, a triple and the master suite, plus crew accommodations, according to Charter World and Yacht Charters.
Blinken says Israel accepts Biden cease-fire proposal, calls on Hamas to do the same
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday "accepted" President Biden’s cease-fire plan that could end the 10-month war in Gaza, but whether the fighting actually stops depends on Hamas.
Speaking to reporters from Israel, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the proposal put forward last week by the White House in coordination with leaders from Qatar and Egypt looked to "bridge the gaps" between the warring parties and has been "accepted" by Netanyahu.
"He supports it," Blinken said. "It's now incumbent on Hamas to do the same."
"The parties – with the help of the mediators, the United States, Egypt and Qatar – have to come together and complete the process of reaching clear understandings about how they'll implement the commitments that they've made under this agreement," he added.
ISRAELI OFFICIALS CONFIRM TEL AVIV BOMBING WAS A TERRORIST ATTACK, HAMAS CLAIMS RESPONSIBILITY
Blinken did not give specifics on what was included in the proposal and Netanyahu has not yet formally agreed to any cease-fire at this time.
Blinken said both Jerusalem and Hamas have "complex issues" that will "require hard decisions" before the war can truly be considered over.
"But there is, I think, a real sense of urgency here across the region on the need to get this over the finish line and to do it as soon as possible," Blinken added. "The United States is deeply committed to getting this job done – getting it done now."
BLINKEN ARRIVES IN MIDDLE EAST TO RENEW CEASE-FIRE NEGOTIATIONS IN GAZA
The news that Netanyahu had "accepted" the terms put forward in the proposal came after a two-and-a-half-hour meeting between Blinken and the Israeli prime minister, as well as months of negotiations.
The proposal is expected to include language to ensure the release of all hostages who have been held since Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attack.
It remains unclear if the proposal omitted Israeli control over strategic corridors inside Gaza, like the Philadelphi Route that runs between the Gaza Strip and Egypt, and which Hamas has said is a non-starter when it comes to any peace agreement.
Though according to a report by the Times of Israel, an official familiar with the meeting between Netanyahu and Blinken,"the Americans did not reject Israel’s strategic logic."
The official said Israel remains firm in its position that the route is a security issue while Hamas continues to exist.
Blinken’s visit to Israel concluded his ninth trip to the Middle East since the war began, and the secretary is set to head to Egypt and Qatar in the coming days.
Concern remains heightened in the region that a greater regional war could break out amid threats from Iran and other Islamic extremist groups like Hezbollah.
Ukraine targets Russian bridges in move against Moscow counteroffensive in Kursk
Ukrainian forces have begun targeting key Russian transportation routes in the Kursk region in a move to block Moscow from resupplying troops as Ukraine looks to create a "buffer zone" between it and Russia.
As Kyiv’s incursion entered its second week, reports surfaced Monday suggesting that Ukraine had struck a third, and potentially the final, usable bridge in Russia’s Kursk region.
According to local news outlet Kyiv Independent, which cited comments made Monday by an official from the Russian Investigative Committee, a bridge near the Karyzh village over the Seim River had been damaged by Ukrainian forces.
PUTIN SCRAMBLES AS UKRAINE ADVANCES TROOPS ALONG 'DORMANT FRONT' IN BORDER SECURITY OPERATION
Fox News Digital could not verify the extent of the damage caused to the bridge.
The news came after multiple reports over the weekend said two other bridges had been damaged or made inoperable in Zvannoye, just over four miles east from Karyzh, as well as Glushkovo, which sits another five miles east along the Seym River – all of which are in the Kursk region.
Ukrainian defense officials have not yet commented on the operations surrounding the bridge strikes, though reports have said damage to the bridges has stopped or stymied Russia's ability to transport heavy machinery across the river as it looks to oust Ukrainian troops.
It is unclear how the bridge strikes have affected Russian moves to redeploy troops to the Kursk region as Ukrainian forces continue to advance.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenksyy has been tight-lipped on the overall goal of the Kursk operation, but some have theorized it is an attempt to divide Russia’s war efforts and force Moscow to draw troops away from the front lines in Ukraine.
Reporting by the Wall Street Journal on Saturday said some 5,000 Russian troops had been called in large part from Ukraine’s Donetsk region to Kursk between Aug. 6 –13.
Despite President Vladimir Putin’s determination to squash the Ukrainian incursion – which Zelenskyy said was done to make Moscow "feel" the repercussions of its war – Ukrainian troops appear to still be making advances in the Russian region.
"Russian redeployments have allowed Russian forces to slow Ukraine's rapid gains in Kursk Oblast and start containing the extent of the Ukrainian incursion, but containment is only the first and likely least resource-intensive phase of the Russian response in Kursk Oblast," said the Institute for the Study of War in a Sunday assessment.
UKRAINE BRINGS WAR TO RUSSIA IN ‘MASSIVE’ DRONE STRIKE ON MILITARY, GOVERNMENT TARGETS
"Although it is too early to assess when Russian forces will stop Ukrainian advances in Kursk Oblast completely and seize the battlefield initiative to launch such an effort," the assessment added. "This likely future Russian counteroffensive effort will very likely require Russia to commit even more manpower, equipment, and material to Kursk Oblast."
The Wall Street Journal cited a source familiar with Kyiv’s push in Kursk and said some 6,000 Ukrainian troops are currently in the Russian region, though it is believed that Moscow would need to dedicate some 20,000 soldiers to recapture its territory.
In an address to the nation Sunday, Zelenskyy said, "It is now our primary task in defensive operations overall to destroy as much Russian war potential as possible and conduct maximum counteroffensive actions."
"This includes creating a buffer zone on the aggressor’s territory – our operation in the Kursk region," he added.
Despite the war effort in Kursk, Ukraine is still anticipating Russian advances in its Donetsk region, particularly around Pokrovsk, where Russian forces continue to push west.
The city is expected to be engulfed in the brutal battles that have taken place in Eastern Ukraine within the next two weeks, according to comments made by Donetsk administration official Serhii Dobriak to Radio Free Europe.
And Donetsk Gov. Vadym Filashkin reportedly told the Kyiv Independent that a mandatory evacuation for the nearly 5,000 children remaining in the city will likely be issued later this week.
In July, Zelenskyy warned that Russia was "throwing everything they have" into the region after failing again to take Kharkiv.
Images surfaced on Monday allegedly showing multiple explosions along Russia's Trans-Siberian railway line,- which has been used to transport arms to Moscow's war effort in Ukraine, reported East2West.
Though Fox News Digital could not confirm what caused the explosions, pro-Ukrainian forces have carried out similar sabotage efforts on Russian targets since the war began.
Images over the weekend showed that Ukrainian forces struck an oil depot in Russia’s Rostov Oblast, which neighbors Donetsk – a move that nods to Ukraine’s push to hit key Russian targets that perpetuate its cross-border war effort.
Some have suggested Zelenskyy, who last week said that "Russia must be forced into peace if Putin wants to continue waging war," may be looking to use his incursion into Russia as a bargaining chip to end Moscow’s deadly war.
Though a Putin aide on Monday said Moscow was not willing to engage in peace talks "at this stage" following the incursion.