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Chinese and Philippine coast guard ships collided at sea, damaging at least two vessels, in an encounter early Monday near a new flashpoint in their increasingly alarming confrontations in the disputed South China Sea.

Each blamed the other for the collision near Sabina Shoal, a disputed atoll in the Spratly Islands, where Vietnam and Taiwan also have overlapping claims. There were no reports of injuries.

China’s coast guard accused the Philippines of deliberately crashing one of its ships into a Chinese vessel. It said in a statement on its website that two Philippine coast guard ships entered waters near the shoal, ignored a warning from the Chinese coast guard and intentionally collided with one of the Chinese boats at 3:24 a.m.

A TIMELINE OF CLASHES BETWEEN CHINA AND THE PHILIPPINES IN SOUTH CHINA SEA, FOLLOWING LATEST SHIP COLLISION

"The Philippine side is entirely responsible for the collision," spokesperson Gan Yu said. "We warn the Philippine side to immediately stop its infringement and provocation, otherwise it will bear all the consequences arising from that."

Jonathan Malaya, assistant director-general of the Philippine government’s National Security Council, accused the Chinese coast guard of falsely saying the Philippine coast guard ships had rammed its vessels.

Video and photographs, including ones taken by journalists from a U.S. TV network who were on board one of the Philippine coast guard ships, showed that the Chinese ships caused the collisions, Malaya told a news forum in Manila.

The Philippines’ National Task Force on the West Philippine Sea said two of the coast guard ships, BRP Bagacay and BRP Cape Engaño, "encountered unlawful and aggressive maneuvers" from Chinese coast guard vessels while en route to Patag and Lawak islands, which are occupied by Filipino forces, in the contested region.

"These dangerous maneuvers resulted in collisions, causing structural damage to both Philippine Coast Guard vessels," the statement said.

CHINA, PHILIPPINES ANNOUNCE DEAL TO STOP CLASHES IN SOUTH CHINA SEA

The Philippine coast guard said one of the Chinese ships rammed the BRP Cape Engaño, ripping a 3.6-foot hole on the right side. An engine exhaust was also damaged, it said.

About 16 minutes later, the other Philippine ship, BRP Bagacay, was rammed twice on its left and right sides by another Chinese vessel, leaving a hole 3 feet wide and 2.5 feet long and a dent that was 1 foot deep, the Philippine coast guard said.

"This is the biggest structural damage we have incurred as a result of the dangerous maneuvers carried out by the Chinese coast guard," Commodore Jay Tarriela of the Philippine coast guard said at the news forum.

The task force said the Philippine coast guard "stands firm in its responsibility to ensure the safety and security of our maritime domain while addressing any threats to our national interests."

Gan, the Chinese coast guard spokesperson, said China claims "indisputable sovereignty" over the Spratly Islands, known in Chinese as the Nansha Islands, including Sabina Shoal and its adjacent waters. The Chinese name for Sabina Shoal is Xianbin Reef.

In a separate statement, he said a Philippine ship that was turned away from Sabina Shoal entered waters near the disputed Second Thomas Shoal, ignoring the Chinese coast guard’s warnings. "The Chinese coast guard took control measures against the Philippine ship in accordance with law and regulation," he added.

China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs also blamed the Philippines for the incident. "Not only did they ignore China’s coast guard's warnings, the vessels deliberately collided into Chinese coast guard vessels that were carrying out law enforcement operations in a dangerous manner," ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said at a daily briefing Monday.

Sabina Shoal, which lies about 85 miles west of the Philippines' western island province of Palawan, has become a new flashpoint in the territorial disputes between China and the Philippines.

The Philippine coast guard deployed one of its key patrol ships, the BRP Teresa Magbanua, to Sabina in April after Filipino scientists discovered submerged piles of crushed corals in its shallows that sparked suspicions that China may be preparing to build a structure at the atoll. The Chinese coast guard later deployed a ship to Sabina in a new territorial faceoff.

THE PHILIPPINES' PUBLICITY APPROACH TO SOUTH CHINA SEA CLASHES TESTS BEIJING

Sabina is near Philippine-occupied Second Thomas Shoal, which has been the scene of increasingly alarming confrontations between Chinese and Philippine coast guard ships and accompanying vessels since last year.

China and the Philippines reached an agreement last month to prevent further confrontations when the Philippines transports replacement sentry forces, along with food and other supplies, to Manila’s territorial outpost in Second Thomas Shoal, which has been closely guarded by Chinese coast guard, navy and suspected militia ships.

The Philippine navy transported food and personnel to Second Thomas Shoal a week after the deal was reached and no incident was reported, sparking hope that tensions in the shoal would ease. But Monday's incident raises questions about whether the deal will make a difference.

"We are of course disappointed again," Malaya said. "Despite this preliminary understanding, which we hoped was the first page in a new chapter between the Philippines and (Chinese) relations, we have … another incident."

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao said, "We hope the Philippines will keep its promise, earnestly abide by the preliminary agreement it has reached with China, and not take actions that could complicate the situation so as to work with us to jointly manage and control the maritime situation."

China has been at odds with many other countries in the Asia-Pacific for years over its sweeping maritime claims, including almost all of the South China Sea, a strategic and resource-rich waterway.

Beijing is rapidly expanding its military and has become increasingly assertive in pursuing its territorial claims, giving rise to more frequent confrontations, primarily with the Philippines, though it is also involved in longtime territorial disputes with Vietnam, Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei.

U.S. Ambassador MaryKay Carlson said on the social media platform X that the United States stands with the Philippines "in condemning the China coast guard’s dangerous maneuvers near Sabina Shoal that endangered lives and caused damage" to the two Philippine vessels. "We are committed to supporting the rights of our friends, partners, allies under international law," the statement said.

A 2016 arbitration ruling by a United Nations tribunal invalidated Beijing’s claims in the South China Sea, but China did not participate in the proceedings and rejected the ruling.

Thousands of Indian junior doctors on Monday refused to end protests over the rape and murder of a fellow medic, disrupting hospital services nearly a week after they launched a nationwide action demanding a safer workplace and swift criminal probe.

Doctors across the country have held protests and declined to see non-emergency patients following the Aug. 9 killing of the 31-year-old medic, who police say was raped and murdered at a hospital in the eastern city of Kolkata where she was a trainee.

A police volunteer has been arrested and charged with the crime. Women activists say the incident has highlighted how women in India continue to suffer from sexual violence despite tougher laws brought in after the 2012 gang-rape and murder of a 23-year-old student on a moving bus in New Delhi.

PROTESTS SWEEP INDIA OVER RAPE AND MURDER OF DOCTOR

The government has urged doctors to return to duty while it sets up a committee to suggest measures to improve protection for healthcare professionals.

"Our indefinite cease-work and sit-in will continue till our demands are met," said Dr. Aniket Mahata, a spokesperson for protesting junior doctors at the R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital, where the incident happened.

In solidarity with the doctors, thousands of supporters of West Bengal state's two biggest soccer clubs marched on the streets of Kolkata on Sunday evening with chants of "We want justice".

Groups representing junior doctors in neighbouring Odisha state, the capital New Delhi, and in the western state of Gujarat have also said their protests will continue.

Gita Gopinath, deputy managing director of the International Monetary Fund, told India's Business Standard daily that workplace safety was important to raise the country's female labor force participation rate, which was 37% in fiscal year 2022-23.

"One cannot raise that (female participation) without ensuring safety at the workplace and safety of women in getting to the workplace. That is absolutely critical," Gopinath said in the interview published on Monday.

Hamas and Islamic Jihad claimed joint responsibility Monday for a bombing the day before in Tel Aviv that killed the apparent attacker and wounded a bystander and that Israeli officials confirmed was a terrorist attack.

The bomb appeared to go off before it was intended, and the presumed attacker was shown in security footage walking down the street wearing a large backpack just before the explosion, according to the Associated Press. Israeli media quoted police officials as saying the intended target was a nearby synagogue.

In a statement Monday, Hamas’ militant wing said it and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad’s militant wing were responsible for the blast. 

Al-Qassam Brigades, in cooperation with Saraya Al-Quds, announced "the execution of a martyrdom operation that took place last night, Sunday, in the city of ‘Tel Aviv.’" 

The groups threatened "martyrdom operations within the occupied territories will return to the forefront as long as the massacres by the occupation, the displacement of civilians, and the assassination policy continue."

Reuters reported that was a reference to Israel's offensive in Gaza and the July 31 killing of top Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in an explosion in Tehran that was blamed on Israel.

ANTI-ISRAEL PROTESTERS EXPECTED TO GATHER IN CHICAGO BY THE THOUSANDS DURING DNC

The Israeli police spokesperson’s unit and the Shin Bet spokesperson’s unit released a joint statement of their own confirming the large explosion that detonated the night before in Tel Aviv was a "terror attack." 

Since Sunday night, Tel Aviv District police officers, officers from the police bomb disposal unit, and forensic investigators, in collaboration with the Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet), "have been working at the scene where a powerful bomb exploded on Lechi Road in Tel Aviv. All necessary actions and examinations are being carried out in coordination with the Shin Bet," Monday's statement said. "It can now be confirmed that this was a terror attack involving the explosion of a powerful explosive."

BLINKEN ARRIVES IN MIDDLE EAST TO RENEW CEASE-FIRE NEGOTIATIONS IN GAZA

Israeli officials said the explosion moderately injured a passerby who was transported to receive medical treatment.

"Immediately following the incident, the Tel Aviv District Commander conducted a special situational assessment with all investigative and support units, directing an increase in alert levels and extensive searches throughout the greater Tel Aviv area," the statement added. "The Israel Police continues to operate with heightened security measures in crowded areas, in collaboration with special units and volunteers from the emergency response teams, to ensure the safety and security of the public. We urge citizens to remain vigilant and to report any suspicious person or object to the Israel Police by calling the 100 emergency hotline."

Police said Sunday that the explosion killed one person, presumed to be the bomber.

"We know that the mutilated body is not that of an innocent bystander but the one who carried the bomb," Tel Aviv District Police Commander, Deputy Commissioner Peretz Amar said, according to the AP. 

The bombing happened about an hour after U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Tel Aviv on Sunday to renew ceasefire negotiations, Reuters reported. Blinken said it is "maybe the last opportunity" to reach a Gaza cease-fire agreement that would return hostages held by Hamas and bring relief to Palestinians after 10 months of war in Gaza.

Blinken on Monday was on his ninth urgent mission to the Middle East since the conflict began. His visit came days after mediators, including the United States, expressed renewed optimism a deal was near. But Hamas has voiced deep dissatisfaction with the latest proposal and Israel has said there were areas it was unwilling to compromise, the AP reported.

The trip also comes amid fears the conflict could widen into a deeper regional war following the killings of top militant commanders in Lebanon that Iran blamed on Israel.

"This is a decisive moment, probably the best, maybe the last, opportunity to get the hostages home, to get a cease-fire and to put everyone on a better path to enduring peace and security," Blinken said as he opened talks with Israeli President Isaac Herzog in Tel Aviv.

Fox News' Yonat Friling and the Associated Press contributed to this report.

The surprise Ukrainian invasion of Russia's Kursk region is intended to create a "buffer zone" between the two countries and further complicate Moscow's cross-border offensive, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Sunday.

"It is now our primary task in defensive operations overall to destroy as much Russian war potential as possible and conduct maximum counteroffensive actions," Zelenskyy said in his nightly address, the first public acknowledgment of the offensive's true intent. 

"This includes creating a buffer zone on the aggressor’s territory – our operation in the Kursk region," Zelenskyy continued.

Ukrainian forces destroyed one bridge in the region this weekend and struck a second in a bid to disrupt Russian supply lines. Pro-Kremlin war bloggers have since acknowledged that the former strike, which targeted a bridge on the Seim River near the village of Glushkovo, Russia, was successful. The location and efficacy of the second attack were not specified as of Sunday morning.

PUTIN SCRAMBLES AS UKRAINE ADVANCES TROOPS ALONG 'DORMANT FRONT' IN BORDER SECURITY OPERATION

The reported strikes' effect on Russian infrastructure further complicates a situation that has already placed Moscow on an unexpected defensive, forcing it to re-evaluate its strategy along Ukraine's northeastern border, which is a region that was largely written off as insignificant to the conflict just months after it began in 2022.

"The Ukrainian operation in Kursk Oblast [has forced] a decision-point on the Kremlin and the Russian military command about whether to view the 1,000 kilometer-long international border with northeastern Ukraine as a legitimate front line that Russia must defend," the Institute for the Study of War’s George Barros previously told Fox News Digital.

"Russia has spent considerable resources to build fortifications along the international border area," Barros noted, "but has not allocated the manpower and [matériel] to significantly man and defend those fortifications."

Ukraine has claimed roughly 400 square miles of Russian territory since launching the operation on Aug. 6.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Tel Aviv in Israel on Sunday as he begins a Middle East tour with hopes of intensifying diplomatic pressure for a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza this week.

The trip marks Blinken’s 10th time visiting the region since October, when the war between the terrorist organization and Israel began.

The secretary is expected to meet with senior Israeli leaders, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, on Monday, a senior State Department official said.

After his visit to Israel, Blinken will travel to Egypt to continue his tour.

BIDEN SAYS ADMIN IS ‘CLOSER THAN WE’VE EVER BEEN' TO CEASE-FIRE DEAL IN MIDDLE EAST

A senior Biden administration official told reporters on the way to Tel Aviv that talks to strike a deal for a cease-fire and release of hostages held in Gaza were at an "inflection point," adding that Blinken would be stressing to all parties the importance of getting this deal locked in.

"We think this is a critical time," the official said.

"The secretary is going to use this trip, starting with Israel, to just continue to stress the importance of getting this done," the official added. "I think it is apparent that a deal would not only be in the interest of the Israeli people but would also help alleviate some of the suffering in Gaza."

SON OF HAMAS FOUNDER INSISTS ‘NO SUCH THING’ AS ISRAEL, HAMAS CEASE-FIRE UNTIL AYATOLLAH IS GONE

Qatar, the U.S. and Egypt are mediating the discussions, though none have been able to get Israel and Hamas to reach an agreement after months of on-off negotiations.

Netanyahu’s office released a statement on Sunday, saying serial leakers are harming the ability to advance a deal.

"They claimed for months that Hamas would never agree to give in on ending the war as a condition for a deal, and proposed giving in to Hamas’s demand," the statement read. "They were wrong then – and they are also wrong today. The Prime Minister has strongly insisted on this fundamental demand, which is vital to achieving the goals of the war, and Hamas changed its position."

The prime minister’s office said Netanyahu continues to insist that Israeli forces remain on a border strip between Gaza and Egypt, known as the Philadelphi Corridor, to prevent weapons from being smuggled into Gaza.

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"The Prime Minister will continue to work on advancing a deal that will maximize the number of living hostages and which will enable the achieving of all of the war objectives," the office added.

Fox News' Yonat Friling and Reuters contributed to this report.

One-time Israel double agent and son of a Hamas founder Mosab Hassan Yousef warned there is "no such thing" as a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas until Iran’s supreme leader is removed from power.

"This is an open war, and I'm afraid that we haven't seen the worst of it yet," Yousef told Fox News Digital. "And let me tell you something: This whole thing is only for one purpose – to just bring the hostages back, and whenever there is an opportunity to just bring the hostages, I think this is where Israel is compromising."

"But, eventually, this war is not going to stop until Islamists are removed from power, and I'm afraid now that we are coming to realize, without removing ayatollah from power, the Middle East would never experience peace and prosperity," Yousef said. 

The son of a Hamas founder details in his new book, "From Hamas to America," the deeply psychological impact of his harrowing life as a member of Hamas, his time as a double agent working for the Israeli Security Agency (Shin Bet) and his exit to America after a decade of service. 

BIDEN SAYS ADMIN IS ‘CLOSER THAN WE’VE EVER BEEN' TO CEASE-FIRE DEAL IN MIDDLE EAST

This provides Yousef a unique perspective on the conflicts in the Middle East, and his message is stark: "A cease-fire now, a temporary cease-fire that could bring some of the hostages back home alive is not a bad thing, but I’m afraid that this is just a temporary situation." 

"The approach of the current administration that is hesitant, that is trying to please everybody, to win votes… well, this is a short, political interest at the expense of the fundamentals of the country," Yousef argued. 

"I think this is where Hamas can sense the compromise, when they see their hesitation, when they see the conflict within the administration, when they sense hypocrisy, they know that the politicians have been compromised," he said. "And this is when they can actually find a way to infiltrate and to press toward creating more division and more chaos."

Yousef stressed that the result of the U.S. presidential election will not impact Hamas or Iran’s other proxy groups, who will "hate America – it doesn’t matter who’s in office," but he did worry about a president who "is not firm enough, not strong enough behind the fundamentals of America."

HAMAS RELEASES LIST OF DEMANDS AMID CEASE-FIRE TALKS IN QATAR

In previous conversations, Yousef has expressed his frustration with college campus protesters in the U.S., saying that students "found an angry cause, and this is very dangerous to advocate on behalf of something they don’t understand." 

"Many people don’t understand that by legitimizing violence, let’s say in the Middle East, for example, by justifying or validating the acts of killing innocent civilians indiscriminately or by raping women, by killing children, by kidnapping civilians, by killing people in their living rooms – if they think that is a legitimate thing by the name of resistance or… occupation, colonialism, whatever it is… they are inciting violence," he said. 

"It’s about principle, and many people have been indoctrinated with so many strange ideologies," Yousef continued. "We have Islamists and communists, socialists – all type of extreme opposites have been at play since the beginning of this conflict." 

The Free Press’ Bari Weiss earlier this month related how the Palestinian community ostracized her for condemning the Oct. 7 terror attack on Israel, saying it "put me in a very dangerous position" and that she has been "called a traitor multiple times by multiple people." 

IRAN'S NEW PRESIDENT ASSERTS RIGHT TO RETALIATION IN RARE PHONE CALL WITH MAJOR US ALLY

Yousef grew up in the West Bank amid limited opportunities and resources, with many of his classmates either dropping out of school or working manual labor in Israel. He was taught to fear Jews and only met Israelis in "uniform" when he turned 27. 

Yousef, in his book, discusses his life as a member of Hamas, including sexual abuse he suffered as a child and his time in Israeli prisons before agreeing to work with Shin Bet. He ultimately fled to the U.S., where he continues to live and work, speaking out about his experiences with Hamas. 

During his time in prison, Yousef started studying the Bible, and he converted to Christianity in 1999. He then fled to the U.S. in 2007, where he experienced some culture shock due to the "false ideologies" that have flooded Western nations, such as "new age theories" that he finds can be "as dangerous as extreme or terrorist ideologies." 

"I am not shocked anymore by human delusion," Yousef said. "You can say whether if it’s in the West or in the East, it’s the human condition, and time will prove every theory to be actually based according to the universal design, evolution – even though evolution is a very sensitive term – or narratives with dead ends."

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"I appreciate the freedom of speech, even though I have been canceled many times by liberals and mainstream media, which is basically – I don’t want to say it’s shocking, but it’s fascinating to see people who swear by the name of liberty and democracy, but in practice, they are the opposite," he added. 

"For me, this is my journey, and it doesn’t matter what people perceive on the outside," he stressed. "What matters to me is what I’m learning, what I am seeing as I evolve and integrate." 

U.S. citizen Mahmood Habibi ended his second year of detention in Afghanistan, as his Taliban captors continued to deny they hold him prisoner. Earlier this month, and for the first time, the State Department verbally countered the Taliban’s narrative that only two American citizens are in their custody.

Responding to questions sent by Fox News Digital, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said in an Aug. 8 press conference that the State Department is "deeply concerned about the well-being of Americans unjustly detained in Afghanistan," naming Habibi as well as George Glezmann and Ryan Corbett. 

In his press briefing, Miller explained that Glezmann and Corbett have been classified as "wrongfully detained," while Habibi is considered "unjustly detained." "We can’t make a wrongful determination because we don’t have access to certain types of information or because the situation is unclear," Miller explained. 

On Aug. 10, the FBI released a statement that they too are "seeking information into the disappearance" of Habibi.

AMERICAN NEARING 600 DAYS IN TALIBAN CAPTIVITY AS WIFE PLEADS WITH BIDEN OFFICIALS FOR HELP

Habibi’s brother, Ahmad Shah Habibi, talked to Fox News Digital about the circumstances surrounding Mahmood’s detention. He said Mahmood traveled to Afghanistan in August 2022 for his position with Fairfax, Virginia-based ARX Communications because the Taliban had "welcomed" Afghans to return to the country and work for the future of Afghanistan.

The welcome was short-lived. On Aug. 10, the Taliban General Directorate of Intelligence arrested Habibi and 29 of his colleagues, asking them whether they had information about the July 30 drone strike in Kabul that killed al Qaeda senior leader Ayman al-Zawahiri. All but two ARX Communications personnel were later released.

Ahmad firmly denies that his brother was involved in the strike on Zawahiri. He believes that the Taliban detained his brother because Mahmood was the deputy minister of the Civil Aviation Authority for the former Afghan government, and is a U.S. citizen. Mahmood gained citizenship in 2021.

Because the Taliban do not publicly acknowledge Mahmood’s detention, he is not allowed to call family or receive wellness checks from international diplomats. Ahmad said individuals inside Afghanistan told the family that Mahmood is alive, but he was reticent to provide further details about the source of this information. "We are concerned. I am not sure about his current condition or how he is doing," Ahmad said. 

FORMER AFGHAN PROSECUTORS HUNTED DOWN, KILLED BY TALIBAN 3 YEARS AFTER US WITHDRAWAL

Ryan Corbett, also arrested Aug. 10, 2022, and George Glezmann, arrested Dec. 5, 2022, have suffered in Taliban custody. A Senate Resolution calling for Glezmann’s immediate release states that he experiences "facial tumors, hypertension, severe malnutrition, and other medical conditions," and is facing rapid decline in his physical and mental health. A House resolution calling for Corbett’s immediate release states that he has been held in a basement cell with little access to sunlight, is fed scraps of fatty meat, and now experiences "seizures, fainting, and discolored extremities."

Unlike Habibi, Corbett and Glezmann have had sporadic access to wellness checks from Qatari diplomats, and are occasionally allowed to call their families.  

Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid first acknowledged that the Taliban held two Americans in their prisons in March 2024, according Voice of America. Mujahid reiterated the message in July at the conclusion of controversial meetings in Doha between Taliban representatives and international leaders. Mujahid mentioned that the Taliban "also have prisoners in America, prisoners in Guantánamo. We should free our prisoners in exchange for them." 

NO AFGHAN WOMEN ALLOWED TO ATTEND UN-LED MEETINGS WITH TALIBAN; ‘CAVING TO TERRORIST DEMANDS’

Three unnamed senior Taliban leaders indicated to CBS News in July that they would consider trading three American prisoners held in Afghanistan for Guantánamo Bay detainee Muhammad Rahim and two Afghans charged with drug-related offenses in U.S. prisons. By August, two officials "changed their previous statements," claiming that only two American prisoners were held, while the third "denied the [Taliban] held Habibi at all." 

Last week, Mujahid told Ariana News that the Taliban hold just two Americans "found guilty in Afghanistan for violating Afghan laws," and said "we don’t have anyone named Habibi in our prisons." Ariana News has likely become a mouthpiece for the Taliban since their return to power.

Rahim is the final Afghan detainee in Guantánamo Bay, according to Bill Roggio, senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and editor of the FDD’s Long War Journal. Roggio told Fox News Digital that the al Qaeda facilitator is "as nasty as they come." 

Roggio provided a Guantánamo Bay detainee report on Rahim from March 2016 that confirmed the prisoner has "become even more deeply committed to the group’s jihadist doctrine and Islamic extremism" in prison. Rahim reportedly "continues to view the U.S. and the West as enemies, has expressed support for and praised attacks by other terrorist groups, and has said he intends to return to jihad and kill Americans."  

Citing the Director of National Intelligence, Fox News reported in December that about 27% of released Guantánamo detainees "have returned to the battlefield."

AFGHAN DIPLOMAT SHUNS TALIBAN RULE BY REFUSING TO LEAVE POST, CALLS ON WEST TO ‘MOBILIZE’ AGAINST ABUSES

Fox News Digital reached out to Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid, head of the Taliban political office in Doha Suhail Shaheen, and Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Abdul Qahar Balkhi for information about Habibi’s case. Shaheen said he was not aware of Habibi’s case. Balkhi and Mujahid did not respond to questions about Habibi, or about which Afghans the Taliban seeks to exchange for American captives.

In their efforts to advocate for Mahmood, Ahmad says his family has met with the State Department and White House, as well as senators and representatives from California, Virginia and New Jersey. Ahmad reports that they are all "working hard to bring [Mahmood] home." 

Ahmad noted that his brother’s arrest has impacted his entire family, including his elderly parents and Mahmood’s wife, Zulhija, who was a doctor in Afghanistan. Because of the stress of advocating for Mahmood and caring for their young daughter, Zulhija has been forced to put aside studying for the medical boards that will let her practice in the U.S. 

"Mahmood is in detention, but the family is like they’re all detained," Ahmad explained. 

Banksy's work is known around the world, but his identity is a complete mystery to fans that span the globe.

The individual known as Banksy is one of the most famous artists in the world. Banksy's work sells for millions of dollars, and his clientele includes A-list stars, such as Brad Pitt and Christina Aguilera.

Much of his immersive work includes political undertones and highlights global issues in artistic form, while others depict lighter, more playful themes.

FANS OF ELUSIVE ARTIST BELIEVE BANKSY HAS COMPLETED WEEKLONG SERIES OF ARTWORK WITH GORILLA SILHOUETTE

The mystery behind Banksy remains, but of course, speculation has swirled about whom the famous artist could be.

Banksy is believed to be from Bristol, England.

Banksy rose to fame as a graffiti artist through his spray-painted stenciled designs around Bristol. 

Regardless of his unknown identity, Banksy has received high acclaim, such as being named one of Time magazine's 100 most influential people in 2010. In the photo submitted to the magazine, Banksy kept his identity hidden by placing a paper bag over his head. 

Banksy has also made his mark in Hollywood. In 2006, Banksy's work was featured in the film "Children of Men."

NEW BANKSY MURAL WITH A ‘GREEN’ THEME APPEARS IN LONDON

In 2010, Banksy directed a documentary called "Exit Through the Gift Shop," which went on to be nominated for an Academy Award.

Banksy's first piece was a stencil mural called "The Mild Mild West." 

The work was painted in the Stokes Croft area of Bristol in 1999. 

The mural depicts a teddy bear with a Molotov cocktail in hand, ready to throw at three riot police. 

Since then, Banksy has created many recognizable pieces, including "Pulp Fiction," a piece depicting a scene from the 1994 film, and "Love Is In The Air," also known as "Flower Thrower," which was placed on the West Bank Wall in Israel.

To date, Banksy has never officially revealed himself, but theories about whom the famous artist is have swirled for decades. 

One theory is that Banksy is Robert Del Naja, frontman of the band Massive Attack. This speculation mostly stems from the fact that murals by the artists have emerged in places where the band has performed. 

BANKSY'S LONDON TREE MURAL COVERED IN PLASTIC, FENCED OFF AFTER APPARENT VANDALISM

Interest has continued to grow in finding the true identity of the artist, especially in 2023, when a 2003 interview with a BBC reporter resurfaced. Although Banksy's face was not revealed in the video, the reporter asked him if his real name was "Robert Banks," and the artist replied by saying "It's Robbie." 

One of the most popular speculations is that Banksy is Robin Gunningham. Jamie Hewlett and Neil Buchanan are others suspected to be the infamous artist. 

Even though speculation has been made public, and evidence has been sought after, the artist has never revealed himself as any of these individuals, or any other. 

Banksy's most expensive piece is called "Love Is In the Bin." 

The artwork was sold on Oct. 14, 2021 at Sotheby's in London for £18,582,000 ($25,327,400), according to Guinness World Records. 

This iconic piece of art started as the famous "Girl with Balloon". As soon as the art was sold, it started moving downward in the frame, and split into shreds. Inside the bottom of the artwork was a shredder which made the shocking trick real.

Originally, the artwork displayed a girl, with her arm far extended, reaching towards a heart-shaped balloon which was out of her reach. 

When it was sold in October 2021, the bottom half of the artwork was neatly shredded into strips, only exposing the heart balloon. 

Military experts have suggested to Fox News Digital that it remains a distinct possibility Iran could declare itself a nuclear power this year with the United States' political future uncertain amid a tightly contested presidential election. 

"I think that's a real option," said James Carafano, vice president of foreign and defense policy studies for The Heritage Foundation. "I mean, if I were the Iranians and I were going to do it, I would do it now because Biden will do nothing.

"The Israelis are bogged down, and you've got months before — if Trump wins — before he comes to power, and by then you have established nuclear power and what's going to happen.

"He's not going to start World War III, right?" Carafano added. "He's not going to come in on day one and bomb Iran. He’s not going to do that, and they know that."  

PENTAGON SAYS THERE IS A ‘DEEPENING COOPERATION AND RELATIONSHIP’ BETWEEN RUSSIA AND IRAN

The Biden administration has repeatedly warned throughout the past year that Iran is on the brink of achieving a nuclear weapon. U.S. State Secretary Antony Blinken in July told the Aspen Security Forum Iran "is now probably one or two weeks away" from achieving "breakout capacity of producing fissile material for a nuclear weapon." 

Blinken blamed the collapse of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), commonly known as the Iran Nuclear Deal, for Iran’s accelerated development. He stressed  the U.S. had not at that time seen any evidence to suggest Iran already has a nuclear weapon, Barron's reported. 

A U.S. State Department spokesperson told Fox News Digital, "We are committed to never letting Iran obtain a nuclear weapon, and we are prepared to use all elements of national power to ensure that outcome."

Carafano argued the uncertainty of the U.S. presidential election, particularly President Biden’s lame-duck status after deciding not to seek a second term, has given Iran a key opportunity. 

DHS, FBI PROBED FOR INFO ON ALLEGED IRANIAN AGENT'S ASSASSINATION PLOT POSSIBLY TARGETING TRUMP

"It doesn't matter if you could deploy a nuclear weapon or not," Carafano explained. "They’ll just say that, and everybody would just freak out. They can say, 'Well, I declare myself a nuclear power now, and I'll defend myself with nuclear weapons.' And, of course, it's even worse if you say that and people know that you can actually defend yourself if you carry weapons.

"Once you're a nuclear state, there's this kind of perceived, ‘I have a forcefield around me,’ like the Starship Enterprise," Carafano added. "If you look at the timing of that … are the Israelis going to attack you? I mean, they're a bit busy at the moment. What's Biden going to do? Biden's not going to do anything between now and the election and January, and if Trump wins, it'll be several months before he comes in office."  

Retired Lt. Gen. Charles Moore of the U.S. Air Force agreed with Carafano’s assessment, calling it a "distinct possibility," but he noted the limited power of declaring nuclear capabilities, mainly that "declaring yourself a nuclear power and being able to actually effectively deploy and employ a nuclear weapon are two entirely different things."

"I don’t think it is unreasonable to assume that following any ‘declaration’ by Iran or during the final steps required to effectively test a weapon and make it to a delivery vehicle, we would see Israel and/or the United States take action to prevent that from happening," Moore said. 

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Carafano admitted that, in the long run, having nuclear weapons acts as only a deterrent against other nuclear weapons. He pointed to the Sept. 11 terrorist attack and Russia’s recent invasion, with Ukraine rebuffing Moscow and this month even pushing into Russian territory. 

"Nuclear weapons have a very limited utility, which is to really deter nuclear conflict with another nuclear power, but other than that … if you can't win a conventional war, you don't start a nuclear war, right?" He said. "It's not the get out of jail free card free for the Iranians, and … five seconds after they become a declared nuclear power, the Saudis and the Turks and the Egyptians and others want to be a nuclear power." 

Behnam Ben Taleblu, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said nuclear incrementalism "has given way to significant nuclear advances by Khamenei while Biden has been in office" and speculated that "it’s entirely plausible that these are gains Tehran might want to lock in or immunize should Trump return." 

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"Lest we forget, Iran originally aimed to have a nuclear fait accompli for the world before it was detected in 2002," Taleblu said. "Tehran pursued a crash program designed to produce a handful of nuclear weapons that it hoped would buy it both status and security.

"Fundamentally, weaponization is a political decision but composed of a whole series of technical processes," he added. "The decision to undertake either can be shaped by Western policy, for good or for ill."

The massive intelligence failure in the lead up to the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan not only led to a chaotic evacuation, the death of 13 U.S. service members and 170 Afghans, as well as the complete Taliban takeover – it created a security vacuum that U.S. adversaries are taking advantage of.

The U.S. and its allies have seen a rise in anti-Western sentiment that has been largely spearheaded by China and Russia, who have bolstered ties in the wake of Washington’s opposition to Moscow’s war in Ukraine and Beijing’s aggressive posture in the Indo-Pacific and beyond. 

However, as the U.S. looks to distance itself from its decadeslong War on Terror, adversaries like China and Russia have increasingly expanded their influence in South Asia and the Middle East.

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"We don't understand that when we turn our back to Afghanistan, and we just want to close the door and move on…we are leaving a vacuum there," Michael Rubin, senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and expert on security issues in the Middle East and South Asia, told Fox News Digital. "Someone else is going to fill it."

While no nation has officially recognized the Taliban as the legitimate government of Afghanistan, some nations, including the U.S.’s top adversaries, have moved forward with establishing diplomatic relations with the extremist group. 

Last year, Beijing said the Taliban should not be "excluded from the international community," and reports earlier this year suggested Moscow was considering removing the Taliban from its terrorist list – a further indication that both China and Russia are looking to use the region for their strategic aims. 

Not only does the Taliban’s opposition to Western ideology play into Russian hands in spreading anti-American sentiment, Moscow is looking to expand trade with Afghanistan and other nations in the region to further alleviate economic pressure caused by Western sanctions. 

Though sanctions are not the only motivating factor in expanding trade across South Asia.

The Taliban last year announced its intent to join China’s Belt and Road Initiative, and reports have suggested that Beijing is supplying the Taliban with drones, which could hamper the U.S.'s "over-the-horizon" strategy when it comes to Afghanistan.   

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The U.S.’s inability to foresee the Taliban takeover was not just an intelligence failure, it was indicative of a greater lapse in understanding of adversarial threats, explained Rubin. "The other issue, which I wouldn’t call an intelligence failure, I would call it a diplomatic failure – was the refusal to address Pakistan realistically," Rubin said.

Rubin pointed to findings one decade into the war in Afghanistan that showed 90% of the ammonium nitrate being used in Taliban roadside bombs were coming from two fertilizer factories in neighboring Pakistan. 

Pakistani authorities claimed to be working with Washington in 2011 to stop smuggling efforts at a time when the U.S. was scrambling to stop al Qaeda and Taliban attacks, just months after the U.S. saw its deadliest year in Afghanistan, with the death of nearly 500 American soldiers and more than 700 coalition forces. 

Though the additional discovery and subsequent assassination of al Qaeda leader and 9/11 mastermind Usama Bin Laden in May 2011, left many questioning the reliability of the Washington-Islamabad relationship – a question that remains to this day. 

Pakistan has engaged in a shadow war with insurgent groups on its border with Afghanistan, but Islamabad is also suspected of having aided the Taliban through covert operations.

Despite its ambiguous security position, the U.S. continues to keep close ties with Pakistan, remaining its largest export market and a leading investor in the nation – a relationship that has not gone unnoticed by China and Russia.

Beijing has also looked to Islamabad to expand bilateral economic partnerships through its Belt and Road Initiative, particularly the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, in which Beijing has invested some $62 billion.

Additionally, despite international pressure to walk a fine line when it comes to Russia, Pakistan has signaled it may be willing to aid Moscow in sidestepping the Western sanctions aimed at crippling its war effort through a "barter" trading system – potentially expanding an alliance that could further burden the U.S. in a region where it needs to maintain positive relations. 

"It's wrong, simply, to look at Afghanistan in isolation," Rubin said, nodding to the root of the U.S.’s failure to assess the region’s overall state of security. "We have a tendency not to see the forest through the trees."

A yearslong probe released in 2023 showed that the collapse in U.S. intelligence spanning across the Trump and Biden administrations was rooted in Washington’s failure to correctly interpret the Afghan government’s ability to function without U.S. support.

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"The Taliban were running roughshod over us, and our intelligence wasn't picking up a thing," Rubin said. "We were looking at Afghanistan through the lens of idealism and ideology. Here we were building a democracy. From an Afghan point of view, they were looking at it through the lens of survival."

The expert explained that Kabul fell as quickly as it did because the Taliban had been making inroads across the nation with local governors and district chiefs for one to two years ahead of the withdrawal – meaning the fall of Afghanistan came down to momentum and defections. 

"You actually had lots of families that would send one son to the Afghan National Security Forces – the army we were training – and the other son to the Taliban," Rubin explained. "The idea wasn't that they were favoring one power over the other, but this way if one of their family members were kidnapped at a checkpoint, they would always have someone they could call to try to get them sprung free."

Ultimately, the U.S.’s inability to understand Afghans, who lived under the constant threat of war for half a century following a coup in 1973, the Soviet-Afghan war throughout the 1980s, Taliban rule in the1990s and then the 20-year-long U.S. War on Terror, meant they did not recognize that the everyday Afghan would not fully trust that they could rely on the Afghan government without U.S. backing. 

"It's what Usama Bin Laden said," Rubin continued, "when you have a choice between a strong horse and a weak pony…it's natural to tie yourself to the strong horse. That's what Afghans do."

Open source intelligence also showed that the Taliban had been making gains across Afghanistan in the year leading up to the withdrawal and questions have since mounted over why neither the Trump nor the Biden administration adjusted withdrawal plans accordingly.

"Unfortunately, ego always trumps good judgment when it comes to Washington policymaking," Rubin said. "The second issue was just exhaustion, and this notion that it was a two-decade war, the longest war in American history, and that by supporting the resistance, we would be restarting."

"It was a persuasive argument," he added.

A Ferris wheel at a festival near Leipzig, Germany, caught fire Saturday evening, leading to multiple injuries, according to reports.  

More than two dozen people were injured in the fire, two seriously, the European country's taxpayer-funded broadcaster, DW, reported, citing police and the German Red Cross. 

Most of the injuries involved mild smoke inhalation, according to DW, and four police officers were among the injured. 

Four people also had burns, and one person was hurt in a fall, France's AFP news agency said. 

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"Those affected are receiving treatment and are doing well considering the circumstances," the Highfield music festival said in a statement, according to Britain's Sky News. "We are in close coordination with the fire brigade, the police and the rescue and medical services."

Photos and videos showed flames rising and smoke billowing from two of the Ferris wheel's cars. 

The cause of the fire is not yet known. 

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German rapper Ski Aggu, who was performing when the fire broke out, took to his Instagram story to say he was shocked and dismayed about the fire, adding he hoped everyone affected would be better soon. 

"For me, the priority was that the situation did not escalate further, which fortunately also worked," he wrote in German. "Thank you for staying so calm and possibly preventing worse."

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Around 18 of the victims were taken to a hospital, Sky News reported, adding that performances continued about an hour after the fire started with the Ferris wheel remaining closed. 

The oldest ever first-time giant panda mom just welcomed twins into the world at Ocean Park in Hong Kong.

Ying Ying, 19, gave birth to a male and female "following over five hours of labor," according to Ocean Park.

In a social media post, Ocean Park shared that it is "thrilled to welcome the birth of the first-ever giant panda twins in Hong Kong!"

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The park has tried over the years to successfully breed pandas. Giant panda females only ovulate once per year, making the birth of these twins even more special.

The cubs were born Aug. 15 at Ocean Park, just one day before Ying Ying's 19th birthday. She is the world's oldest first-time panda mom.

"This birth is a true rarity, especially considering Ying Ying is the oldest giant panda on record to have successfully given birth for the first time," the park said in a social media post. 

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"As a first-time mother, Ying Ying was understandably nervous throughout the process. She spent much of her time lying on the ground and twisting."

The twins were born over an hour apart, with Ocean Park adding, "the Park’s team and CCRCGP experts provided comfort, allowing Ying Ying to safely deliver the twin cubs at 2:05am and 3:27am respectively."

The cubs are "very fragile" as newborns, especially the female. The twins are under 24-hour care and supervision by Ocean Park's animal specialists and veterinary team.

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The unnamed female panda cub "has a lower body temperature, weaker cries, and lower food intake" than her brother.

The post concluded, "We are all looking forward to meeting the giant panda cubs. Please wait a few months patiently to make their debut and officially meet everyone!"

Indonesia marked 79 years of independence on Saturday with a ceremony in the unfinished future capital of Nusantara, which was planned to relieve pressure on Jakarta but whose construction has lagged behind schedule.

Hundreds of officials and invited guests wearing the traditional clothes of Indonesian tribes gathered on a stretch of grass amid the ongoing construction of government buildings and view of construction cranes in the center of the Nusantara city.

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President Joko Widodo and his Cabinet ministers attended the Independence Day ceremony at the new Presidential Palace, built in the shape of the mythical eagle-winged protector figure called Garuda.

The celebration was initially planned to inaugurate Nusantara as the country's new capital, but with construction behind schedule it's not clear when the transfer will take place.

Widodo said earlier in the week that 8,000 guests would be invited, but the number was later reduced to 1,300 because adequate infrastructure was not yet in place.

The celebration at the new State Palace on the island of Borneo was held simultaneously with a celebration at the Merdeka Palace in Jakarta that was attended by Vice President Ma'ruf Amin.

Widodo began working at the new presidential palace in Nusantara in late July and held his first Cabinet meeting there on Tuesday.

More than 5,000 officers from Indonesia’s police and military were deployed for the ceremony and 76 honorary flag-bearers marched behind the national red-and-white banner.

Jakarta, with about 10 million people in the city limits and three times that number in the greater metropolitan area, floods regularly and its streets are so clogged that congestion costs the economy an estimated $4.5 billion a year.

The air and groundwater in the old capital, on the northwestern coast of the Java island, are heavily polluted, and it has been described as the world’s most rapidly sinking city. It is estimated that one-third of the city could be submerged by 2050, because of uncontrolled groundwater extraction, as well as the rise of the Java Sea due to climate change.

The construction of the new capital began in mid-2022, spread over an area of about 2,600 square kilometers (1,000 square miles) carved out of Borneo's jungle. Officials say it will be a futuristic green city with abundant forests and parks, powered by renewable energy sources and using smart waste management.

But the project has been dogged by criticism from environmentalists and Indigenous communities, who say it degrades the environment, further shrinks the habitat of endangered animals such as orangutans, and displaces Indigenous people who rely on the land for their livelihoods.

Since the start of construction, seven groundbreaking ceremonies have taken place for the construction of government and public buildings, as well as hotels, banks and schools.

With a population of about 275 million, Indonesia is Southeast Asia’s largest economy. Most of the new capital's investors are Indonesian companies. The government is contributing 20% of the $33 billion budget and relying significantly on private sector investment for the rest.

To attract investors, Widodo recently offered incentives for the new capital, including land rights lasting up to 190 years and generous tax incentives. Widodo, who has led the country for 10 years, will leave office in October.

Thailand's parliament elected political neophyte Paetongtarn Shinawatra as its youngest prime minister on Friday, only a day after she was thrust into the spotlight amid an unrelenting power struggle between the country's warring elites.

The 37-year-old daughter of divisive political heavyweight Thaksin Shinawatra sailed through a house vote and now faces a baptism of fire, just two days after ally Srettha Thavisin was dismissed as premier by a judiciary central to Thailand's two decades of intermittent turmoil.

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At stake for Paetongtarn could be the legacy and political future of the billionaire Shinawatra family, whose once unstoppable populist juggernaut suffered its first election defeat in over two decades last year, and had to do a deal with its bitter enemies in the military to form a government.

She will become Thailand's second female prime minister and the third Shinawatra to take the top job after aunt Yingluck Shinawatra, and father Thaksin, the country's most influential and polarizing politician.

In her first media comments as prime minister-elect, Paetongtarn said she had been saddened and confused by Srettha's dismissal and decided it was time to step up.

"I talked to Srettha, my family and people in my party and decided it was about time to do something for the country and the party," she told reporters.

"I hope I can do my best to make the country go forward. That's what I'm trying to do. Today I'm honored and I feel very happy."

Paetongtarn won easily with 319 votes, or nearly two-thirds of the house. Her response after winning was posting on Instagram a picture of her lunch - chicken rice - with the caption: "The first meal after listening to the vote."

Paetongtarn has never served in government and the decision to put her in play is a roll of the dice for Pheu Thai and its 75-year-old figurehead Thaksin.

She will immediately face challenges on multiple fronts, with the economy floundering, competition from a rival party growing, and Pheu Thai's popularity dwindling, having yet to deliver on its flagship cash handout program worth 500 billion baht ($14.25 billion).

Thailand's benchmark index.SETI was up about 1.1% by 0900 GMT on Friday, having after lost nearly 9% this year.

"The Shinawatras' gambit here is risky," said Nattabhorn Buamahakul, Managing Partner at government affairs consultancy, Vero Advocacy.

"It puts Thaksin's daughter in the crosshairs and a vulnerable position."

The fall of Srettha after less than a year in office will be a stark reminder of the kind of hostility Paetongtarn could face, with Thailand trapped in a tumultuous cycle of coups and court rulings that have disbanded political parties and toppled multiple governments and prime ministers.

The Shinawatras and their business allies have borne the brunt of the crisis, which pits parties with mass appeal against a powerful nexus of conservatives, old money families and royalist generals with deep connections in key institutions.

Nine days ago, the same court that dismissed Srettha over a cabinet appointment also dissolvedthe anti-establishment Move Forward Party - the 2023 election winner - over a campaign to amend a law against insulting the crown, which it said risked undermining the constitutional monarchy.

The hugely popular opposition, Pheu Thai's biggest challenger, has since regrouped under a new vehicle, People's Party.

The upheaval in the past few days also indicates a breakdown in a fragile truce struck between Thaksin and his rivals in the establishment and military old guard, which had enabled the tycoon's dramatic return from 15 years of self-exile in 2023 and ally Srettha to become premier the same day.

Thaksin's gamble on Paetongtarn at such a critical juncture surprised many analysts, who expected him to delay his dynasty and avoid exposing his daughter to the type of battles that led to the downfall of himself and sister Yingluck, who both fled overseas to avoid jail after their governments were ousted by the military.

"This is a big bet for Thaksin. There is a possibility for her to fail and that is a big risk for the entire Shinawatra dynasty," said Titipol Phakdeewanich, a political scientist at Ubon Ratchathani University.

"If she can't bring the economy back and bring the party back then it could be the end because the People's Party is gaining more momentum after their dissolution."

In the hours before Ukrainian soldiers stormed across Russia's western border, there was no sign from Moscow that anything was amiss.

At midnight at the start of Aug. 6, the Russian defense ministry posted good news: more than 2,500 members of the regiment responsible for the capture of a town in eastern Ukraine would receive state awards for heroism.

Later that morning, as Ukraine began the biggest invasion of Russia since World War Two, the ministry published video showing General Valery Gerasimov, commander of the Russian war effort, visiting a different combat zone, also in Ukraine. He heard reports from commanders and set "tasks for further actions," it said.

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The footage did not specify the exact time of the visit, but revealed no concerns, or knowledge, of the events unfolding in Russia's western Kursk region that threatened to upset Gerasimov's plans and shift the course of the two-and-a-half-year war.

Panic spread quickly among local Russian residents in the early hours of the assault, despite repeated attempts by authorities to assure them that everything was under control, according to a timeline by Reuters of the first two days of the incursion, based on public statements, social media posts and analysis of video footage.

The idea that Ukraine could turn the tables on Russia and burst onto the territory of its much bigger neighbor seemed unthinkable to most observers before last week. The shock operation has raised questions about the effectiveness of Russia's surveillance, as well as the caliber of its border fortifications and the forces guarding them.

"The Russians had a complete intelligence failure here," French military expert Yohann Michel, research fellow at the IESD institute in Lyon, said in an interview.

With Ukraine's forces retreating in eastern Ukraine, one of the most strategic sectors of the front line, Moscow may well have assumed that Kyiv would not make a high-stakes gamble that even now it is far from clear will pay off, Michel said.

"I would understand if it was difficult for the Russians to think something that big could happen," he said.

Ukrainian goals in Kursk include distracting Russian forces from the front line in the eastern region of Donetsk. Instead, fighting has intensified in that region in recent days, and the risks for Ukraine are rising as it tries to hold ground in Kursk.

A Russian member of parliament and former military officer, Andrei Gurulyov, said in a television interview two days after the incursion that Russian military leaders had been warned in a report about a month beforehand that there were signs of preparations for a Ukrainian attack, but it was not heeded.

The Russian defense ministry did not reply to requests for comment. Ukraine's armed forces declined to comment about the ongoing operations, and the U.S. State Department, Pentagon and White House did not immediately respond to questions.

It was not until the afternoon of the following day, Aug. 7, that President Vladimir Putin and Gerasimov, his armed forces chief of staff, made their first public remarks on the Kursk events, which the Kremlin leader called "another major provocation" by Ukraine.

Gerasimov, fresh from his ill-timed trip, told Putin in the televised comments that Russian forces had "stopped" a force of up to 1,000 Ukrainian soldiers from thrusting deep inside the Kursk region.

Michel, the military analyst, said it was unclear whether Gerasimov was misinformed by his own subordinates, or whether he felt compelled to deliver good news to Putin in front of the TV cameras.

Russian officials in such staged settings "say what they think the boss wants to hear or to see in public at that specific moment", Michel said.

It took nearly 12 hours from the time of the incursion, which Gerasimov stated as 5:30 a.m. on Aug. 6, for the defense ministry to publicly acknowledge that Ukraine had attacked the border, let alone broken through it.

It was left to Kursk's acting regional governor, Alexei Smirnov, only months into the job, to fill the communications vacuum and try to coordinate with the multiple defense and security agencies responsible for protecting the border.

In the first of many Telegram posts on Aug. 6, Smirnov issued missile warnings at 1:51 and 3:11 a.m. local time, urging residents to take cover. At 3:15, he said that air defenses had knocked out three incoming Ukrainian drones. At 6:16, 11 more.

Regions either side of the border have long grown used to tit-for-tat missile and drone attacks. But strikes against the Kursk region, recorded by Smirnov in Telegram posts, had been more than usually persistent for the previous 10 days. Among the targets hit were oil depots, power substations and, according to the Ukrainian military, a storage facility for weapons and military equipment.

From about 5 a.m., alarm began to spread on social media. Locals posted that shelling in Sudzha, a Russian town on the border, had been going on for three hours.

"What's going on with the lights? I've got no light or water," said a woman posting as "Ekaterina Picasa." A user called Denis reported nine explosions in Korenevo, about 16 miles from the border.

Reuters made multiple attempts to contact residents via social media, but these were ignored or blocked.

A stream of posts appeared in "Native Sudzha," a community channel on the social network VKontakte, but it was not clear whether the information was from official sources. "We advise people to leave the town," said one such message at 7:34 a.m. People were warned to beware of drones and watch out for unexploded shells.

By 8:15 a.m. Native Sudzha was reporting "active fighting on the border itself." But a widely read Russian war blog was dismissive.

The "Two Majors" Telegram channel, followed by more than a million people, said a small group of "the enemy" had managed to get only as far as 300 meters inside Russia and was "being destroyed." It suggested the operation was being staged by Ukrainian "TikTok units" as a media exercise.

Ukraine's government has said little about the planning of the incursion.

In May, shortly after Russian troops crossed the border and seized territory in the nearby Kharkiv region, Ukraine's military intelligence chief publicly warned of small groups of Russian forces gathering around the Sudzha area and said Moscow had planned an operation into Ukraine's Sumy region from there.

Reuters could not independently verify whether Russia had been preparing an offensive into Sumy.

On Friday, Ukraine's paratrooper corps said its fighters spent the first hours of the operation demining, breaching the border and destroying defensive lines, using aviation and artillery.

"Careful preparation, planning, surprise, fighting spirit and informational silence became decisive in the initial stage of the operation," the Airborne Assault Troops said in an online post.

A Ukrainian soldier called Dmytro, 36, said he initially thought the Ukrainian army's build-up was to prevent a Russian cross-border raid.

Instead, he found himself supporting the advance toward the border crossing near Sudzha after the assault units moved in, he said in an interview, giving his only first name in line with military protocol.

"We worked to preempt them, and they did not see this coming at all," he said.

Just after 10 a.m., Governor Smirnov confirmed for the first time that Ukraine had attempted an incursion but said Russian soldiers and border guards of the FSB security service had "prevented" the border from being breached.

It was the first of numerous statements that were to be quickly disproved by events.

Just before noon, the defense ministry published its video of Gerasimov visiting Russian forward positions in Ukraine. On events in Kursk, it was silent.

So too was the Kremlin, with spokesman Dmitry Peskov on a summer break and reporters left without his usual daily briefing. As of Aug. 16, 10 days later, he had not returned to work.

"Tell me please, is it true that Ukrainian tanks have broken through to Sudzha and Darino?" a user, "Nestik," posted on Telegram.

Smirnov posted that help was being provided to residents of areas that had been struck overnight by missiles and drones. "The situation is under control," he wrote at 12:46 p.m.

About an hour later, Russian news agencies published the first word from the central authorities about the situation. It was from the FSB, saying Russia had "repelled an armed provocation."

By now, however, an exodus was under way. Sudzha residents were "leaving en masse", a woman called Anna said on Telegram.

"Of course. Everyone wants to live," someone replied.

In the chaos, some were left behind. A search network, Liza Alert, said it has posted over 100 "missing" notices for people who have disappeared since Aug. 6, including many pensioners in their 70s and 80s.

Smirnov's predecessor as governor, Roman Starovoit, had repeatedly told the public that Russia had boosted its border fortifications in Kursk region.

In December 2022, he posed in a snowy field beside pyramid-shaped "dragon's teeth" anti-tank defenses. The following month, he wrote: "Right now the risk of an armed invasion of the territory of Kursk region from Ukraine is not high. However, we are constantly working to strengthen the region’s defense capabilities."

Yet last fall Ukraine's National Resistance Center, created by the special operations forces, said in an online post that reconnaissance showed "almost all the strongholds are deserted of personnel and equipment" along the border with Kursk, and said corruption was a factor.

The video published by Ukraine's paratroopers showed columns of armored vehicles pouring in through rows of dragon’s teeth, part of fortifications in Kursk that Russia media outlets have said cost $168 million.

Pasi Paroinen, an analyst with Finland's Black Bird Group, said the video appeared to show mine-clearing line charges blowing paths through minefields, dozer blades on armored vehicles used to clear paths through the dragon's teeth and bridging vehicles to cross ditches and small rivers.

"It's clear that substantial amounts of different engineer equipment were prepared and used," said Paroinen, who studies publicly available footage from the Russia-Ukraine war.

Brady Africk, a U.S. analyst mapping Russia’s defenses, said those in Kursk region had fewer anti-vehicle ditches, obstacles and fighting positions when compared to Russian positions in occupied southern Ukraine, where a Ukrainian counteroffensive stalled last summer.

"It was likely easier for Ukrainian forces to progress around and through Russia's fortifications in the region, especially if they were manned by fewer or poorly trained personnel," he said.

Responsibility for defending the Russian border is shared between regular troops, FSB border forces and the national guard. Governor Smirnov was apparently referring to these various agencies when he said on mid-afternoon of the first day that he had met with "representatives of the security structures."

Already, he was backtracking from his initial line that they had prevented the border from being pierced. "The situation in the border area remains difficult, but our defenders are successfully working to destroy the enemy," Smirnov said.

At 5:05 p.m., the defense ministry mentioned the incursion for the first time and said Russia had transferred reserves to the area.

"Troops covering the state border, together with units of the border troops of the FSB of Russia, are repelling the attacks and inflicting fire on the enemy in the area of ​​the state border and on its reserves in the Sumy region (of Ukraine)," it said.

At the briefing on Aug. 7, Gerasimov told Putin: "The operation will end with the smashing of the enemy, and (Russian forces) reaching the state border."

Ten days later, with more than 100,000 Russians displaced and Ukraine claiming control of more than 390 square miles of Kursk region, Moscow's forces are still far from achieving that goal.

Members of minority groups in Bangladesh spoke to Fox News Digital about the violence and mistreatment they have faced following the government's collapse earlier this month, all using false names for fear of reprisal.

Violence, even murder and the burning down of minority-owned businesses, places of worship and residences have been a major problem since the government of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was overthrown following violent protests. Bangladesh is 90% Muslim, with some Christians but mostly Hindus and Buddhists making up the rest of the population.

Sathya, a Hindu from Chittagong, told Fox News Digital that the Hasina government "wasn't the best" towards the Hindu minority, pointing out cases of land-grabbing of Hindu homes and temples under her governance, but suggested that they faced better treatment than under other governments - "the lesser evil," but only when "we are out of options."  

"Hindus have always been the ‘scapegoats’ and were blamed whenever there was an economic crisis or other political issue that we had no control over," Sathya said. Indian outlet the Deccan Herald reported that 278 Hindu-owned locations have been ransacked since Hasina fled the country. 

BANGLADESH PROTESTS THREATEN SAFETY OF RELIGIOUS MINORITIES AS TEMPLES BURNED, HOMES RANSACKED

He claimed that if a Hindu home sat empty, squatters would intrude and start building, and the government and legal system would do little to help protect Hindu land rights. Mobs would walk in and take whatever they wanted, such as furniture, cash and food.

Even within the Muslim community, the Ahmadiya sect has faced persecution from the Sunni majority who call them "heretics," Ali, told Fox News Digital. "Our group has also been increasingly targeted just like the Hindus and other religious minorities."

A Bangladeshi citizen who now lives in the U.S., says that when he looks at his homeland, he sees "no law and order" and that "Hindus have to stay vigilant, especially at night, worried that our homes will be raided and looted." 

"The government seems to not care about minorities," he said while withholding his name. "A hotline was provided for Hindus to call if they are targeted, but nobody answers the phone number provided." 

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"Even though the region in general is a Buddhist minority today, Buddhism originated not far from here in nearby Nepal and has had a very long history here and is one of the major world religions. We wonder why the rest of the world stays silent when we are in such a crisis,' Rajarshi, told Fox News Digital. 

He felt that the latest violence portrays that any group that is not Sunni is not safe. "What’s the use of all of us having fought for independence from Pakistan if we are told we have no place in this country now?" 

While Christians make up a tiny minority of the country's population, Fox News Digital recently reported that the organization Open Doors, which tracks discrimination of Christians worldwide, ranked Bangladesh as having "very high" persecution levels, claiming that "converts to Christianity face the most severe restrictions, discrimination and attacks."

"Religious beliefs are tied to the identity of the community, so turning from the locally dominant faith to following Jesus can result in accusations of betrayal," the group wrote on its website. "Bangladeshi converts often gather in small house churches due to the risk of attack."

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Earlier this week Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrote on social media platform X that he had spoken with the country's interim leader Professor Muhammad Yunus, and the duo had "exchanged views on the prevailing situation."

"Reiterated India’s support for a democratic, stable, peaceful and progressive Bangladesh," Modi wrote. "He assured protection, safety and security of Hindus and all minorities in Bangladesh." 

The Washington Post reported that Modi’s government had pressured the United States to ease up on criticism of then-Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, and the Biden administration complied – even putting plans for further sanctions against the Bangladeshi government on hold. 

The U.S. State Department told Fox News Digital that "Our sustained engagement on democracy and human rights in Bangladesh and around the world speaks for itself," and added that "We do not comment on our private diplomatic communications."

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Bangladesh re-elected Hasina’s Awami League party in January, extending its rule, which had started in 2008, prompting student protests at universities that ultimately spilled out into nationwide demonstrations against the party’s rule. 

Both the party and its leader have faced accusations of "iron-fisted" and authoritarian rule, with many claiming the 2014 and 2018 elections as "shams" since the opposition either boycotted or were reduced to a "hopeless minority," according to the New Yorker. 

Shrinking employment and high inflation marred the Awami League’s last term, and the economic stress proved too much for many, especially a new policy that implemented a quota for civil service work – thereby withholding coveted jobs in what the protesters claimed was a kleptocratic move. 

Ultimately, Hasina resigned and fled to India, taking many by surprise but allowing the protesters to have the change they wanted, which included putting humanitarian and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus in place as the chief adviser to the interim government ahead of fresh elections in November.

Student protesters plan to create a new party to contest the elections and end the two-party monopoly that has burdened the country for almost two decades, Reuters reported. The student groups at the center of the protest want to talk with citizens across the country before deciding on their platform and will finalize their decision in a month. 

"We don't have any other plan that could break the binary without forming a party," Tamid Chowdhury, one of the student coordinators at the center of the push to oust Hasina, told reporters. 

Another student said that the "spirit of the movement was to create a new Bangladesh, one where no fascist or autocrat can return." 

"To ensure that, we need structural reforms, which will definitely take some time," Nahid Islam, a protester who took up a role in Yunus’s temporary cabinet, explained. 

Reuters contributed to this report. 

The New York Times has taken disciplinary action against an employee who leaked the personal information of a group of Jewish business owners earlier this year.

Personal information belonging to hundreds of Australians in a private WhatsApp group chat for Jewish business professionals began appearing online early this year, with affected individuals reportedly receiving death threats and vandalism against their businesses.

The group of over 600 individuals was created following the Oct. 7 terrorist attack launched by Hamas last year. 

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Natasha Frost, a NYT reporter based in Melbourne, Australia, is accused of leaking hundreds of pages of data from a private WhatsApp group for Jewish businesses in the area. 

Frost told The Wall Street Journal that she only shared the data with one other person before it was then released widely to anti-Israeli protesters. 

"It has been brought to our attention that a New York Times reporter inappropriately shared information with the subject of a story to assist the individual in a private matter, a clear violation of our ethics," a spokeswoman for the New York Times said, according to The Wall Street Journal. 

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"This was done without the knowledge or approval of The Times," the spokeswoman clarified.

Frost remains on staff at The New York Times. She offered a statement to The Wall Street Journal via a company spokesperson.

"I shared this document with one individual. Its subsequent dissemination and misuse happened entirely without my knowledge or consent," Frost said, according to the Journal.

She added, "I was shocked by these events, which put me and many others at terrible risk. I deeply regret my decision." 

Mark Dreyfus, the Jewish attorney general of Australia, was inspired by the data leak and subsequent harassment to propose a law explicitly outlawing doxxing.

"The increasing use of online platforms to harm people through practices like doxxing, the malicious release of their personal information without their permission, is a deeply disturbing development," said Dreyfus.

The three years following the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan have been a deadly game of cat and mouse for employees and allies of U.S. and NATO forces left behind under Taliban rule. Among the de facto government’s targets are thousands of Afghan prosecutors trained by U.S. personnel to enforce the rule of law and prosecute terrorists.

As the Taliban rapidly gained Afghan territory in the summer of 2021, they released convicted terrorists from government jails across the country. The Taliban had been conducting deadly attacks to target Afghan prosecutors for years before taking over Kabul on Aug. 15. The newly-released prisoners were out for revenge against the prosecutors who put them behind bars.

Joe Maida IV was a former Texas prosecutor who supported the Afghan legal system’s growth inside the country between 2006 and 2013 and worked on Afghan policy at U.S. Special Operations Command and with Special Operations and Combating Terrorism at the Pentagon through 2019. He told Fox News Digital that "The Taliban continues to hunt down individuals who supported the Afghan government." In addition to military personnel, Maida says the Taliban "are seeking out terrorism prosecutors for retribution. They're doing that by sending special teams to the provinces, but then also writing letters to the mosques to identify these individuals, who then disappear."

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Saeed, who spoke to Fox News Digital on condition that he is identified by a pseudonym, is the executive director of the Afghan Prosecutors Association and was a prosecutor in the Attorney General’s Office of Afghanistan. Saeed provided an Excel file the Afghan Prosecutors Association has compiled containing details about 32 prosecutors and their family members who have been killed since July 5, 2021. 

Victims’ manners of death are gruesome. Most were shot, either in a public location or at their homes. Some were killed by anonymous gunmen, while others were specifically murdered by the Taliban. Two prosecutors were killed by improvised explosive devices. Others were arrested and tortured. Three victims were women. More than a third of the entries included photos of the victim after their death. 

Saeed said that an additional 100 prosecutors have been injured since the U.S. withdrawal, and another 50 are believed to be "locked up in Taliban prisons and their fate is unknown." 

About 1,000 of the 3,800 prosecutors believed to be in practice prior to August 2021 have fled to European countries, Saeed estimates. He said that 1,500 who remain stuck in Afghanistan are "in need of urgent assistance." Saeed believes that about 500 prosecutors fled to Pakistan, Tajikistan and Iran, where they live in "a state of despair" amid harassment and forced deportations. 

Legal professionals who protected women’s rights have also seen their efforts made null and void under the Taliban. One of thousands of hidden Afghan legal professionals, Amina spoke to Fox News Digital on condition that she was referred to by a pseudonym. Amina said she was "on the verge of qualifying to be a lawyer" when the government collapsed. In 2021, Amina was working as an assistant lawyer in the Kabul courts, focusing on domestic violence cases.

According to a report by the United States Institute for Peace, divorce is no longer a legal option for women in Afghanistan, with the Taliban issuing a blanket revocation of all divorce decrees granted by the prior Afghan government in March 2023. With domestic abuse shelters closed since August 2021, women experiencing violence at the hands of their husbands are now taken to Taliban jails, where some Afghan women have reportedly been raped and even murdered by the Taliban.

Amina says she has felt personally responsible for not "doing enough to educate women about human rights." She now devotes herself to educating Afghan women online and providing mental health consultations for Afghans in crisis. "This is the time that my people need me," she explained. 

NO AFGHAN WOMEN ALLOWED TO ATTEND UN-LED MEETINGS WITH TALIBAN; ‘CAVING TO TERRORIST DEMANDS’

Many U.S.-based attorneys have joined the fight to support Afghan prosecutors, including East Baton Rouge District Attorney Hillar Moore. As a member of the Association of Prosecuting Attorneys (APA), Moore has been supporting prosecutors in their fight to remain alive in Afghanistan. Moore told Fox News Digital that the APA is in touch with "hundreds of prosecutors who are now begging for help." He estimates that about 20% of Afghan prosecutors and judges were women and are at special risk inside their country. 

Unlike military translators and employees of American institutions, prosecutors did not serve the U.S. directly and are not eligible for special immigrant visas. Legislative efforts to extend access to the SIV program, including the Afghan Adjustment Act and Afghan Allies Protection Act, have not gained passage in Congress. 

BLINKEN PRESSURED TO FREEZE AFGHANISTAN AID AFTER REVELATION NEARLY $300M COULD HAVE GONE TO TALIBAN

Some legislators have expressed concern about the vetting process for Afghan refugees. Moore explained that prosecutors "have been vetted repeatedly" and have "passed background checks that most American citizens could never pass," which informs his opinion that "there’s little to fear and much to be gained by helping these people resettle in the United States." 

To help prosecutors reach safety three years after the U.S. withdrawal, Moore said the APA is raising funds to move the 1,500 prosecutors living in hiding in Afghanistan to safe third countries. The estimated cost will be around $15 million, about $10,000 per family.

There is some hope that government support for prosecutors is forthcoming. Moore said that the State Department "has been more receptive to including former prosecutors, especially women," in the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP). Moore reported that the APA has been working on getting prosecutors’ applications ready for review. 

A State Department spokesperson did not respond to questions about whether it is working to include prosecutors in the USRAP. The spokesperson said that the State Department "remain[s] focused on honoring our promises to these allies and are grateful to the Americans from all walks of life who have helped us welcome more than 160,000 Afghans to communities across the United States during the past three years." 

Saeed was referred to the Priority-1 program within the USRAP three months ago and recently received his notification of acceptance. He now awaits his interview and at least 12–18 months of processing. 

Saeed desperately longs for peace. In 2020, he was targeted for death by Talibs released from prison. After the Taliban searched his home in December 2022, he fled to Pakistan to protect himself and his family. Saeed says he still experiences "a hopeless and problematic situation" inside Pakistan, where the cost of living is high and refugees cannot work or seek education for their children. 

Threats of deportation continue to loom, with Pakistan deporting thousands of Afghan refugees illegally into the country in November 2023. Though Afghans with letters verifying they have a pending application for a pathway to safety in the U.S. were meant to be protected from deportation, a source who asked to remain anonymous told Fox News Digital that in July, Pakistan deported some Afghans with USRAP referrals. A State Department spokesperson told Fox News Digital that they "have no comment on this specific incident." 

The issue of aiding prosecutors is personal for Kevin Rardin, a career prosecutor with the Memphis District Attorney’s office, who was also a Judge Advocate in the Army Reserves. As the legal advisor to the commander of the U.S. and NATO training mission, Rardin was a mentor for his Afghan counterparts. He told Fox News Digital that "the worst days of my deployment came 13 years after I left the country, in August 2021." 

"You don’t have to be a lawyer to understand that this is wrong. You just have to be a decent person with moral principles," Rardin continued. "When I was in Afghanistan, Afghans protected me. They kept me out of trouble, they introduced me to their culture. They accepted me, I ate with them. They included me. And now we just up and left. You can’t call yourself a human being and do that." 

The U.S. topped another study that looked at the fastest-developing artificial intelligence (AI) industries in the world, according to a new report. 

"AI technology is advancing rapidly worldwide," ZeroBounce founder and CEO Liviu Tanase said about the report. "This is driven by significant private investments and a growing number of AI start-ups."

"Over the past decade, billions have been invested, and we see a substantial increase in AI-related job opportunities and innovation," Tanase said in a statement. "Companies are developing skilled AI workforces to stay competitive."

"As various industries will continue to integrate AI, these investments and developments will play a pivotal role in shaping the future of global technology," he added. 

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The report from ZeroBounce looked at 10 countries that have showcased strong AI development and capabilities: the United States, China, United Kingdom, Singapore, Canada, South Korea, Israel, Germany, Japan and Australia, according to the Jerusalem Post. 

The company noted that it relied heavily on data from websites Statista and GlobalData as well as a general AI index calculated by Tortoise Media, a British news website founded by former BBC News director and The Times editor James Harding in 2018.

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By composite score and global index rating, the U.K. ranks lower than other countries due to lower available AI job postings and talent, but the country has invested third-most in AI over the past decade and in the past year alone.

The study focused on private investment made over the past decade along with the number of AI start-ups and available AI-specific jobs in the market.

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The U.S. has plowed $335 billion in private investment into AI technology over the past decade and $67.22 billion in the last year alone with around 5,500 start-ups. The U.S. also had 71,000 job openings for AI in 2024 alone, according to Enterprise Times, accounting for 1.62% of job postings. 

Those numbers eclipse China, which has about a third as much investment made in the same period and far fewer start-ups and job openings. But what China lacks in those areas it makes up for with a greater number of specialists. 

Israel ranked high, and many reports have detailed the heavy drive into AI investment and development that the country has pushed to stay ahead of regional allies. Before Oct. 7, Israel detailed its incredible capabilities and potential, particularly in law enforcement and military capabilities. 

In a video that featured animated segments to demonstrate the Barak tank’s potential, an Israel Defense Forces operator was able to identify targets both in front and behind his tank, thanks to a specially designed helmet that helped him filter battlefield data. The tank also seamlessly communicated the information to a nearby tank, which immediately responded to the data and identified the target instead.

The Church of England is apparently dropping the word "church" in the hopes of drawing in more crowds, according to a recent study.

The study, called "New Things: A theological investigation into the work of starting new churches across 11 dioceses in the Church of England," was conducted by the Centre for Church Planting Theology and Research in Durham.

The qualitative study inspected language used by 11 Church of England dioceses to describe their new churches.

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Traditionally, new churches are referred to as "church plants." In this study, the Centre for Church Planting Theology discovered that even though more than 900 new churches were established by 11 dioceses in the past 10 years, none of them used the word "church plant" or "church."

"Not one diocese used the term ‘church’ in their main descriptor. ‘Church plant’ is not used by any of the 11 dioceses. Only one diocese used ‘fresh expressions’ of ‘pioneering’ in its descriptor," reads the study's conclusion.

The study refers to these not-quite-church-plants as "new things," as there was no specificity offered as to what these "things" are.

"That the term ‘church’ is not used, in favour of other terms (community, congregation etc.) is worthy of theological reflection. We explore whether the question, ‘what is church?’ is worth asking."

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Six of the 11 dioceses preferred the language of "worship" as their main descriptor for new church projects. Seven used "community," and only two used "congregation," according to the Reverend Dr. Will Foulger. 

Foulger is the main author of the report as well as the vicar of St. Nicholas' Church in Durham, England.

The vicar of St. Anne's in Kew, Dr. Giles Fraser, expressed to the Telegraph that the sudden drop of the word "church" shows "a misplaced desire to be relevant and modern-sounding".

Dr. Foulger admitted in his study that these new language changes are "forcing us to redefine what we think a church is in the Church of England".

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The Church of England did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.