World News
Colombia president decrees emergency powers to restore order in coca region wracked by rebel combat
Colombia’s president issued a decree Friday giving him emergency powers to restore order in a coca-growing region bordering Venezuela that has been wracked in recent days by a deadly turf war among dissident rebel groups.
President Gustavo Petro's decree, which can be extended, gives him 90 days to impose curfews, restrict traffic and take other steps that would normally violate Colombians' civil rights or require congressional approval.
AT LEAST 80 PEOPLE KILLED IN NORTHEAST COLOMBIA AS PEACE TALKS FAIL, OFFICIAL SAYS
It is the first time in more than a decade that a Colombian president has used such an extreme measure and underscores the seriousness of the current conflict in a country that for decades was paralyzed by political violence.
However, it applies only to the rural Catatumbo region near the border with Venezuela, where the Colombian state has struggled for decades to gain a foothold. In the past week, at least 80 people have been killed and an estimated 36,000 more displaced as fighting intensifies between the National Liberation Army, or ELN, and holdouts from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC.
Petro's conservative opponents have criticized the move, accusing the former guerrilla of riding roughshod over the constitution. But some activists have celebrated it, saying they are hopeful the move translates into better infrastructure, health care and schools in the traditionally lawless region.
"Why are the armed groups here? Because the last government hasn't made investments. They've abandoned us," Jaime Botero, an activist in the town of Tibu, told The Associated Press.
Earlier this week Petro reactivated arrest orders against 31 top ELN commanders that had been suspended as part of an effort to woo the the Cuban revolution-inspired insurgency into a peace deal to end its 60 year war against the state. Petro also suspended all peace talks, which have advanced slowly since he took office in 2022.
The ELN has traditionally dominated in Catatumbo but has been losing ground to holdouts from the FARC, a guerrilla group that largely disbanded after signing a peace deal in 2016 with the government.
The current conflict is spilling across the border into Venezuela, where some of those fleeing the violence have sought refuge.
The current whereabouts of the ELN peace negotiators is unknown. But Cuba's government this week said they are not there, leading some to speculate they may be hiding in Venezuela, which is one of the sponsors of Petro's peace initiative with the ELN.
Hamas releases names of 4 female hostages to be released next, possibly violates deal
The families of Israeli hostages Karina Ariev, Daniella Gilboa, Naama Levy and Liri Albag have been informed that that their daughters, held in Gaza for 475 days, are slated to be freed on Saturday in the second round of hostage releases.
Hamas revealed the names of the four women, all of whom are members of the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) Friday, though the media was asked to wait until their families had been informed before releasing their identities.
While the exchange of another four hostages under the deal is a positive step forward in the continued ceasefire, it also could be in direct violation of the agreement as female civilians were supposed to be released ahead of all female soldiers, followed by the elderly and wounded men.
SURVIVOR OF NOVA MUSIC FESTIVAL HAMAS TERROR ATTACK WINS SLOT TO REPRESENT ISRAEL AT EUROVISION
Of the 30 remaining people Hamas has agreed to release in the first phase of the ceasefire following the release of three women last week, two others were female civilians, including Arbel Yehud and Shiri Bibas, along with her two sons Kfir, who was just 9 months old when he was abducted with his 4-year-old brother Ariel.
Israel had instructed Hamas to release Yehud this week amid concerns that her captivity may be prolonged as she is believed to be held by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror group, not Hamas.
The world has also been waiting for news of the Bibas family.
Hamas claimed in November 2023 that Shiri, Kfir and Ariel were killed in an Israeli airstrike, though Israel has said it has no intelligence to support these claims.
Shiri and her sons have therefore never been assessed by Israeli officials to be deceased, and many have held out hope they will be reunited with Yaren Bibas, husband to Shiri and father to the two boys, who was separated from his family following their abduction on Oct. 7, 2023.
He is also slated to be released within the first phase of the ceasefire.
DR. AYELET LEVY SHAHAR: A MOTHER'S MESSAGE TO AMERICA: DON'T FORGET THE HOSTAGES
Israeli officials reportedly told the families of the four women that though their daughters have been listed by Hamas for release tomorrow, this could still change.
Officials also apparently spoke with the family of a fifth female IDF soldier still held by Hamas, Agam Berger, as well as Yehud’s family, though it is unclear what was discussed in either conversation.
The four female soldiers set for release on Saturday were believed to have been, at least at one time, held all together along with Berger.
The state of the young women has long remained unknown and concerns of sexual violence against the female Israeli soldiers has remained a persistent issue since their brutal capture from the Nahal Oz post in October 2023.
Video footage on the day of the attack showed the women lined up, bloodied and injured as the Hamas terrorists yelled at them.
The women were then loaded into a truck as Hamas terrorists fired guns into the air, and then driven into Gaza.
In exchange for their freedom, Israel has agreed to release a reported 50 Palestinian prisoners per female soldier, including those facing life sentences.
Israel’s military will remain in Lebanon as ceasefire deadline nears
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on Friday confirmed that it will keep its forces in southern Lebanon as the 60-day truce comes to an end on Sunday.
Under the ceasefire deal agreed to in November, Jerusalem was to begin withdrawing troops from its northern neighbor – where it launched operations last fall in an effort to dismantle Hezbollah – and have all troops removed within 60 days.
But Israeli officials have argued that the IDF will not withdraw its forces, because stipulations under the deal, including the removal of Hezbollah terrorists and weapons from the southern region of Lebanon, and the deployment of Lebanese and U.N. troops to the area, have not been adequately fulfilled.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said in a statement Friday, "Since the ceasefire agreement has not yet been fully enforced by the Lebanese government, the gradual withdrawal process will continue, in full coordination with the United States.
"The State of Israel will not endanger its communities and citizens," the statement added, noting that the withdrawal of Israeli forces was "conditional" on the security guarantees from Hezbollah and Beirut.
The U.S. backed Israel's decision and in a statement first reported by The Times of Israel said, "President Trump is committed to ensuring Israeli citizens can safely return to their homes in northern Israel, while also supporting President Aoun and the new Lebanese government.
"All parties share the goal of ensuring Hezbollah does not have the ability to threaten the Lebanese people or their neighbors. To achieve these goals, a short, temporary ceasefire extension is urgently needed," White House National Security Council spokesperson Brian Hughes told the outlet.
"We are pleased that the IDF has started the withdrawal from the central regions, and we continue to work closely with our regional partners to finalize the extension," he added.
The news that Israel may not be pulling all troops from Lebanon by the intended Jan. 26, 2025 deadline first emerged on Thursday.
Hezbollah, in return, issued a statement and called on the Lebanese government and the nations that helped broker the truce, including the U.S. and France, "to move effectively" to "[ensure] the implementation of the full withdrawal and the deployment of the Lebanese army to the last inch of Lebanese territory and the return of the people to their villages quickly."
The statement urged governments "not to give room to any pretexts or arguments to prolong the occupation."
ISRAELI OFFICIAL REVEALS HOW 'TO TRULY DEFEAT HEZBOLLAH'
More than 1.2 million people were reportedly displaced in Lebanon after fighting erupted amid Israel's October incursion – a move prompted following months of missile exchanges with Hezbollah in the aftermath of the Hamas Oct. 7, 2023 attacks.
According to Israeli government spokesperson David Mencer, "There have been positive movements where the Lebanese army and UNIFIL [United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon] have taken the place of Hezbollah forces, as stipulated in the agreement."
However, these movements in southern Lebanon "have not been fast enough, and there is much more work to do," he told reporters on Thursday, according to Reuters.
Israeli reports on Friday suggested that Jerusalem had petitioned the Trump administration to grant it a 30-day extension on fully withdrawing its forces from its northern neighbor.
Fox News Digital could not immediately reach the White House, State Department or Lebanese government for comment.
Trump's pick for UN ambassador hailed by Israeli minister as 'warrior against antisemitism’
TEL AVIV - The Trump administration will do more than its predecessor to combat the tidal wave of Jew-hatred unleashed by Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, massacre, Israeli Minister for Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism Amichai Chikli told Fox News Digital.
Chikli noted that, when confirmed, the new U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, former Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., will enter into one of the epicenters of the global assault on the Jewish people and their state.
"We saw Stefanik at the hearing on campus antisemitism in Congress," he said, noting that once confirmed as a senior member of the Trump administration she will be "stationed in one of the most hostile arenas: the U.N." Chikli added that she's "A warrior against antisemitism, we are very happy with her appointment."
STEFANIK TOUTS GRILLING COLLEGE ADMINISTRATORS IN SENATE CONFIRMATION HEARING
In December 2023, Stefanik was widely praised during a congressional hearing on the explosion of antisemitism at American universities. She asked the presidents of Harvard University, University of Pennsylvania and Massachusetts Institute of Technology if calling for genocide against Jews violated their codes of conduct.
A year later, Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson unveiled the U.S. House of Representatives Staff Report on Antisemitism, compiled by six congressional committees.
Chikli told Fox News Digital four actionable measures to curb the phenomenon: "Enforcing strict compliance with Title VI to prohibit discrimination and address antisemitism on campus; withholding federal funding to institutions that boycott Israel or tolerate antisemitic behavior; requiring universities to disclose foreign contributions and tightening government oversight; and revoking funding and tax exemptions for groups and universities that propagate antisemitism or support terror-related activities."
"This report from the speaker of the House shows that this [Trump] administration is highly committed to countering antisemitism," Chikli said.
In her new role, Stefanik has also promised to fight Jew-hatred at Turtle Bay, which she described as a "den of antisemitism."
"Even before the barbaric terrorist attacks by Hamas on Oct. 7, the U.N. has continuously betrayed Israel and betrayed America, acting as an apologist for Iran and their terrorist proxies," Stefanik said in November after her nomination.
During her Senate confirmation on Tuesday, she said the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), a conduit for international aid to the Palestinians, should be "at the bottom of the list" of organizations to receive American funding.
In January 2024, then-President Joe Biden halted funding to UNRWA after Israel released evidence that the agency's staff participated in the Oct. 7 massacre.
According to Chikli, UNRWA effectively serves as Hamas's educational system, which in turn makes it the engine fueling antisemitism throughout Gaza and Palestinian-administered territories in the West Bank, known by Israelis as Judea and Samaria.
"It takes a village to raise a child, and it takes a village to raise a terrorist. And if you put a child in UNRWA schools, you can be sure that he will graduate with the mindset of a terrorist," Chikli told Fox News Digital.
NEW REPORTS CLAIM UNRWA WORKS WITH TERRORISTS, TEACHES HATE AS AGENCY HITS BACK AT CRITICS
"[Palestinian children] will learn to admire suicide bombers, Hamas Nukhba terrorists who butchered innocent people. They go to schools named after terrorists, with textbooks that include math problems about how many Israeli soldiers were attacked or how many stones were thrown at them," he continued.
"That is why it is critical to make sure UNRWA is shut down," he added.
In October, the Israeli parliament banned UNRWA from operating in the Jewish state. The law takes effect on Jan. 30.
A spokesperson for Israeli Opposition Leader Yair Lapid told Fox News Digital that "the government and the international community has had 90 days to find alternatives to UNRWA."
He declined to say whether Lapid was in contact with the Trump administration to discuss "day after" plans once UNRWA ceases operations.
In August, UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini confirmed the probable involvement of at least 19 UNRWA employees in the Oct.7 massacre, saying that "the evidence – if authenticated and corroborated – could indicate that the UNRWA staff members may have been involved in the attacks."
He later confirmed that at least nine UNRWA staffers were fired after an internal probe.
UNRWA Director of Communications Juliette Touma told Fox News Digital that "we are committed to staying and delivering [aid] in the occupied Palestinian territories, including the Gaza Strip, the West Bank and East Jerusalem, until we cannot."
"UNRWA has the most robust systems in place in comparison to other United Nations agencies when it comes to the adherence to the principle of neutrality with regards to our programs that we do and our staff," she said.
Asked whether the organization has put together a plan for ongoing operations once the Israeli ban kicks in, she said, "We have not."
Ayelet Samerano’s son, Yonatan, was kidnapped by a terrorist who also reportedly worked for UNRWA on Oct. 7, 2023. A video of the terrorist dragging Yonatan's lifeless body into a car went viral.
"I will not let it go. I am pressuring the government very hard for the law, which passed in the Knesset, to be implemented," Samerano told Fox News Digital. "I didn’t know UNRWA before, but then I investigated and found many documents that prove it's involved in terror. That they were involved in taking hostages on Oct. 7 and holding kidnapped Israelis in their homes and buildings means there is no reason for this organization to continue to exist."
"We must ensure that UNRWA will be replaced by another organization that will help the Gazans and make sure terror does not infiltrate them," she continued. "People outside of Gaza and interested in real peace must teach a new curriculum that will create opportunities for Gazans, not terror."
Israeli Ambassador to the U.N. Danny Danon told Fox News Digital that Stefanik is "a staunch ally of Israel and of the Jewish people."
"She leads with moral clarity and a strong commitment to justice and truth," he said. "I am looking forward to working with her at the U.N., where the demonization and distortions about Israel are out of control."
A 2,000-year-old statue is found abandoned in a garbage bag in Greece
A marble statue of a woman believed to be more than 2,000 years old was found abandoned in a garbage bag near the Greek city of Thessaloniki, police said Wednesday.
A resident discovered the 80-centimeter (31-inch) headless statue beside a trash bin in Neoi Epivates, outside Greece’s second-largest city. The man turned it over to local authorities, who contacted archaeologists to assess its significance.
US RETURNS TO GREECE 30 ANCIENT ARTIFACTS WORTH $3.7 MILLION, INCLUDING MARBLE STATUES
Police said experts, following an initial evaluation, determined the piece dates to the Hellenistic era, a period roughly between 320 and 30 B.C. that was marked by a flourishing of art and culture following the conquests of Alexander the Great.
The statue was sent for further examination by archaeologists. It will ultimately be handed over to the local antiquities authority for preservation and study.
Police opened an investigation to determine who discarded the statue and briefly detained a man for questioning who was later released without charge.
Accidental archaeological discoveries are relatively common in Greece, a country renowned for its ancient heritage, and often made during building construction or public works. In December, workers installing natural gas pipelines near Athens uncovered a Roman-era statue of Hermes buried upright in a brick-lined pit near the Acropolis.
Thessaloniki weeks ago unveiled a trove of antiquities found during the decades-long construction of its metro system, which officially opened in November. Key finds, including a marble-paved Roman thoroughfare and tens of thousands of artifacts spanning the Greek, Byzantine, and Ottoman periods, are now showcased at subway stations.
Survivor of Nova music festival Hamas terror attack wins slot to represent Israel at Eurovision
A survivor of the Nova music festival terrorist attack by Hamas Oct. 7, 2023, has channeled her therapeutic journey through music and on Thursday secured the slot to represent Israel at the Eurovision Song Contest in Basel, Switzerland.
Yuval Raphael, 24, reportedly began singing as a way to cope with the trauma she endured after she, four of her friends and roughly 40 others attempted to hide in a roadside bomb shelter near Kibbutz Re'im after they fled the festival by car after the attack.
Raphael, who was forced to hide under the bodies of those killed in front of her for about eight hours before help arrived, has shared her story and described how Hamas terrorists repeatedly returned to the bomb shelter and opened fire on those hiding inside.
Eventually, the terrorists began throwing grenades into the concrete shelter, a story similar to what dozens endured that day, including American-Israeli Hersh Goldberg-Polin.
IDF KILLS HAMAS TERRORIST IT SAYS WORKED FOR UNRWA, LED CHARGE ON REIM BOMB SHELTER MASSACRE
"Music is one of the strongest ingredients in my healing process," she said during the competition Thursday, The Times of Israel reported.
Despite having no previous experience as a singer, Raphael secured her top spot after singing "The Writings on the Wall" followed by a rendition of ABBA’s "Dancing Queen" dedicated to "all the angels" killed in the October 2023 terrorist attack.
Raphael had previously garnered international attention not with her powerhouse voice but by sharing her experience with the United Nations Human Rights Council in a move she said was not politically motivated but an attempt to bring attention to what innocent civilians endured that tragic day.
TRUMP ENVOY SAYS GAZA CEASEFIRE COULD PAVE WAY FOR MIDEAST NORMALIZATION DEAL: 'INFLECTION POINT'
"I want to tell them the story of the country, of what I went through, of what others went through," she reportedly said ahead of the final. "I want to tell the story, but not from a place of seeking pity. I want it to be from a place of standing strong in the face of this and in the face of the boos I’m 100% sure will come from the crowd."
Raphael’s comments were in reference to the pushback she and other Israelis have faced during the international competitions, including in 2024, following the terrorist attack and subsequent Israel Defense Forces’ (IDF) operations in Gaza.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Israel has faced calls to be banned from the international competition, but the European Broadcasting Union has rejected the push, affirming that Eurovision is a non-political music event. The 2024 Israeli contestant, Eden Golan, faced anti-Israeli protests and had to be granted a Shin Bet security detail.
Golan was also required to change the name of her song, "October Rain," to "Hurricane" because event officials believed it was too political, The Times of Israel reported.
Benjamin Netanyahu comes to defense of Elon Musk: 'falsely smeared'
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has defended Elon Musk after media outlets described a gesture that the Tesla CEO made at President Donald Trump’s inauguration rally on Monday as a Nazi salute.
Netanyahu took to X on Thursday to post that Musk is "being falsely smeared."
"Elon is a great friend of Israel," the prime minister said. "He visited Israel after the October 7 massacre in which Hamas terrorists committed the worst atrocity against the Jewish people since the Holocaust. He has since repeatedly and forcefully supported Israel’s right to defend itself against genocidal terrorists and regimes who seek to annihilate the one and only Jewish state."
Netanyahu went on to thank Musk for his support.
MEDIA OUTLETS ACCUSE ELON MUSK OF GIVING ‘FASCIST SALUTE’ AT TRUMP INAUGURATION RALLY
Musk made the gesture in question while speaking to a crowd of MAGA faithful at the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.
"This is what victory feels like! And this was no ordinary victory, this was a fork in the road for human civilization… I just want to say thank you for making it happen, thank you. From my heart to yours," an ebullient Musk said as he placed his hand over his own heart and reached out to the crowd.
PBS News Hour fired out a post on X that said the Tesla CEO "gave what appeared to be a fascist salute," while the Jerusalem post wrote, "US billionaire Elon Musk appeared to make a Heil Hitler salute at the Washington DC Trump parade on Monday, following Trump's inauguration."
CNN host Erin Burnett played the clip of the gesture and called it an "odd salute."
ELON MUSK JOINS TRUMP AT DC RALLY: 'LOOKING FORWARD TO MAKING A LOT OF CHANGES'
Musk addressed the controversy Wednesday on X, which he owns, writing, "The radical leftists are really upset that they had to take time out of their busy day praising Hamas to call me a Nazi."
On Thursday, Musk poked fun at the reports in another post on X.
"Don’t say Hess to Nazi accusations! Some people will Goebbels anything down! Stop Gőring your enemies! His pronouns would’ve been He/Himmler! Bet you did nazi that coming," Musk wrote, adding a crying laughing emoji.
The Anti-Defamation League also defended Musk in a statement saying that the tech billionaire had made an "awkward gesture in a moment of enthusiasm, not a Nazi salute."
"In this moment, all sides should give each one another a bit of grace, perhaps even the benefit of the doubt and take a breath," the statement said.
Fox News Digital's David Spector contributed to this report.
At least 12 train passengers killed in India after jumping onto tracks to flee alleged fire
At least 12 train passengers were killed in western India Wednesday after being struck by another train on an adjacent track after they jumped from their coaches in panic to escape a rumored fire incident, the Press Trust of India reported.
At least six other people were injured, the news agency cited police officer Dattatraya Karale as saying.
The accident occurred in Maharashtra State, near the Pardhade railroad station, 255 miles northeast of Mumbai, India’s financial capital.
PTI said the victims jumped off the Pushpak Express train, which had stopped after some passengers pulled an emergency chain. Those who disembarked were hit by another express train on the adjacent railroad track, PTI quoted railway spokesman Swapnil Nila as saying.
"Our preliminary information is that there were sparks inside one of the coaches of the Pushpak Express due to either a ‘hot axle’ or ‘brake-binding’ (jamming), and some passengers panicked. They pulled the chain, and some of them jumped down on the tracks. At the same time, Karnataka Express was passing on the adjoining track," a senior railway official told PTI.
Despite government efforts to improve rail safety, hundreds of accidents occur every year on India’s railways, which comprise the largest train network under one management in the world.
In 2023, two passenger trains collided after derailing in eastern India, killing more than 280 people and injuring hundreds in one of the country’s deadliest rail crashes in decades.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is focusing on the modernization of the British colonial-era railroad network in India, which has become the world’s most populous country with 1.42 billion.
Putin reportedly concerned over Russia's economy ahead of possible Trump tariffs
Russian President Vladimir Putin is reportedly worried about the state of his country’s economy as President Donald Trump returns to the Oval Office. According to a Reuters report citing five sources, Trump's push to end the war in Ukraine is only adding to Putin's concerns.
Throughout his campaign, Trump pushed to end world conflicts, including the Russia-Ukraine war, which began with Putin’s 2022 invasion.
"I really do have a lot of confidence in his [Trump’s] ability to actually get to a position where this war is actually over," Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, Trump's pick for envoy to Ukraine & Russia, told "America Reports."
Russia’s economy has thrived despite international sanctions due to its oil, gas and mineral exports, but, according to Reuters, labor shortages and high interest rates have put strain on the economy. These challenges have allegedly led Russia’s elite to see a negotiated settlement with Ukraine as prudent, Reuters reported, citing two sources.
"There are problems, but unfortunately, problems are now the companions of almost all countries of the world," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Reuters. "The situation is assessed as stable, and there is a margin of safety."
In the same conversation with Reuters, Pskov reportedly acknowledged "problematic factors" in Russia’s economy, but said it was able to meet "all military requirements incrementally."
PUTIN SAYS RUSSIA READY TO COMPROMISE WITH TRUMP ON UKRAINE WAR
Last month, Putin said he was ready to compromise over Ukraine in possible talks with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on ending the war and had no conditions for starting talks with the Ukrainian authorities.
"We have always said that we are ready for negotiations and compromises," Putin said at the time, after saying that Russian forces, advancing across the entire front, were moving toward achieving their primary goals in Ukraine.
"In my opinion, soon there will be no one left who wants to fight. We are ready, but the other side needs to be ready for both negotiations and compromises."
PUTIN, XI VOW TO ‘DEEPEN’ ALLIANCE HOURS AFTER TRUMP RE-ENTERS THE WHITE HOUSE
Putin has made major foreign policy moves in preparation for the possible consequences of Trump’s return, including fortifying ties with Iran and China. On Jan. 21, less than a day after Trump entered office, Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping pledged to "deepen strategic coordination."
Recently, Russia and Iran signed a partnership pact, which caused concern with the US and its allies. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov claimed the treaty was "not directed against anyone," comparing it to the country’s 2024 agreement with North Korea.
Pages
Advertisement
