Feed aggregator

The Marine who died alongside three defense contractors last Thursday when their surveillance flight crashed in the Philippines has been identified as Sgt. Jacob M. Durham, according to officials.

Last week, a Department of Defense-contracted aircraft went down in the southern province of Maguindanao del Sur while "providing intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance support at the request of our Philippine allies," according to the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command.

There were no survivors, officials said, who added that there were four personnel on the plane, including a U.S. military service member.

On Sunday, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command identified Durham as the Marine on the plane. The three contractors have not been identified.

US MILITARY SURVEILLANCE FLIGHT CRASHES IN PHILIPPINES, KILLING 4

The California native was trained as an electronic intelligence/electromagnetic warfare analyst and assigned to the 1st Radio Battalion, I Marine Expeditionary Force Information Group, I Marine Expeditionary Force.

In a press release, Indo-Pacific Command said Durham joined the Marine Corps in January 2021 and had just been promoted to his current rank on Feb. 1.

Durham earned numerous awards and decorations, including the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal, Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, a Meritorious Mast and Naval Aircrew Insignia.

US MILITARY FLYING SURVEILLANCE AIRCRAFT FOR RECONNAISSANCE MISSIONS ALONG SOUTHERN BORDER WITH MEXICO

"We mourn the loss of Sgt. Jacob Durham, who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country," said Lt. Col. Mabel B. Annunziata, commanding officer of 1st Radio Battalion. "Sgt. Durham embodied the highest traditions of the Marine Corps – exemplifying composure, intelligence, and selfless leadership. He was deeply respected and loved by his fellow Marines. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends, and his fellow Marines during this profoundly difficult time."

The aircraft involved in the crash was a Marine Corps Beechcraft King Air 350, a senior U.S. defense official told Fox News.

Military officials say the plane crashed during a routine mission in support of U.S.-Philippine security cooperation activities.

Officials added that the aircraft was providing surveillance, intelligence and reconnaissance support for the ally nation.

The cause of the crash is under investigation.

Fox News Digital’s Greg Norman contributed to this report.

The chief executive of an Italian salami and prosciutto company died in a helicopter crash in north-central Italy on Wednesday, along with two other victims.

Lorenzo Rovagnati, who was the chief executive of the Rovagnati food company, in Noceto, near Parma, when his helicopter crashed, according to Biassono Mayor Luciano Casiraghi.

Video of the scene shows heavy fog around the area. The crash happened on the grounds of Castelguelfo di Noceto, a medieval castle owned by the Rovagnati family.

"I can't believe it: a sad day for Biassono," Casiraghi said in a Facebook post translated to English. "This evening, the mayor of Noceto called me and I learned with shock and deep sadness the news of the untimely demise of our fellow citizen Lorenzo Rovagnati, due to a tragic accident in Castelguelfo."

HISTORIC ROME LANDMARK'S TEMPORARY CLOSURE CAUSES UPROAR: 'SADDEST THING I’VE SEEN IN ITALY'

"Lorenzo was a good, honest and hardworking young man, loved and valued by all who knew him in the company and beyond."

Casiraghi described Rovagnati, 40, as a "young man who still had a great future ahead of him, as a father and as an entrepreneur."

"I am [in] disbelief by what happened," the local politician wrote. "I send my deepest condolences to the whole family and his beloved wife."

The city of Biassono observed a mourning period from Feb. 6 to Feb. 8. In another post, Casiraghi wrote that Lorenzo and his family "actively participated in the social and economic development of Biassono in the interest of our whole community."

ROME COULD CHARGE ENTRY TO HISTORIC LANDMARK IN LATEST ATTEMPT TO TACKLE OVERTOURISM

"We will never forget him and we will always be grateful!" the mayor said. "What I can say is: we are united in the pain of the tragic demise of our fellow citizen Lorenzo and we express closeness to the family."

Rovagnati produces various types of salumi, or Italian antipasto meat, including proscuitto, salami and mortadella. 

"Italian salumi is one of the foods that heavily represents Italian food culture and its values," Rovagnati's American website reads. "All our products are made with the typical methods of the Italian tradition: steam cooking, curing or brick oven cooking that preserves the properties and natural characteristics of the meat, by ensuring at the same time a high digestibility."

Authorities are investigating the crash. Fox News Digital reached out to Rovagnati for comment.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Two unusual black wolves that are believed to be siblings, were caught on camera crossing a stream in a forest in Poland, according to a conservation organization.

The rare sighting, which was captured on video last year, has prompted the SAVE Wildlife Conservation Fund Poland to retrieve scat droppings in the forest that the wolves were observed in, so scientists can learn more about the genetics of the black wolves.

The Associated Press reported that the video camera was set up by Joanna Toczydlowska, a project coordinator with the wildlife organization, to study beavers.

But she was surprised when she reviewed the recorded footage and saw wolves instead. She decided to leave the camera in place to learn more about the rare animals.

COLORADO RANCHERS CALL ON OFFICIALS TO LETHALLY REMOVE WOLVES

"It’s something new and unusual," Toczydlowska told the wire service.

In one of the clips captured, a gray wolf and black wolf crossed a stream in the forest, though slowly as the water was nearly up to their bellies. Once near the other side, the two wolves jumped onto the bank before walking away.

In another clip recorded in the fall, two black wolves and a gray wolf were seen crossing the same stream.

The researchers would not disclose the location of the sightings, in order to protect the rare wolves.

WOLVES REINTRODUCED IN COLORADO BLAMED FOR REPEATED ATTACKS ON LIVESTOCK

In Poland, the majority of the nearly 3,000 wolves are gray with red or black accents.

The black fur is likely from a genetic mutation that occurred with domesticated dogs thousands of years ago.

In Europe, dark fur is rare, though in Yellowstone National Park in the United States, at least half of the wolf population has black fur.

WOLF FIGHT PITS RANCHERS AGAINST WILL OF THE PEOPLE IN STORY RIPPED FROM THE PAGES OF A ‘YELLOWSTONE’ SCRIPT

Toczydlowska said the two black wolves were likely siblings and about a year old, which she hypothesized on the basis that wolves travel in families and the two were about 66 pounds. She also said at least one of the black wolves spotted was a male.

Wolves were nearly extinct in Poland by the 1950s, though the population has rebounded in recent years, particularly in the central part of the country.

Toczydlowska and her colleagues help educate the public on how to safely live in areas inhabited by packs of wolves.

"For people, it’s a new phenomenon," Roman Gula, head of the organization's wolf monitoring project, told the AP. "Education is one of our major, major goals."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

JOHANNESBURG — President Donald Trump’s executive order penalizing South Africa released on Friday has hit a raw nerve in the African nation. The order primarily aimed at land seizures comes as Pretoria has faced ongoing U.S. criticisms that it has operated against U.S. interests, including its support of the Palestinians in the International Criminal Court and its warm relations with China, Russia and Iran.

Friday’s executive order stated in part, "In shocking disregard of its citizens' rights, the Republic of South Africa recently enacted Expropriation Act 13 of 2024, to enable the government of South Africa to seize ethnic minority Afrikaners' agricultural property without compensation."

"It is the policy of the United States that, as long as South Africa continues these unjust and immoral practices that harm our Nation:
(a) the United States shall not provide aid or assistance to South Africa; and
(b) the United States shall promote the resettlement of Afrikaner refugees escaping government-sponsored race-based discrimination, including racially discriminatory property confiscation."

TRUMP FREEZES AID TO SOUTH AFRICA, PROMOTES RESETTLEMENT OF REFUGEES FACING RACE DISCRIMINATION

Friday’s executive order pointedly took aim at Pretoria’s foreign policy: "South Africa has taken aggressive positions towards the United States and its allies, including accusing Israel, not Hamas, of genocide in the International Court of Justice, and reinvigorating its relations with Iran to develop commercial, military, and nuclear arrangements … The United States cannot support the government of South Africa's commission of rights violations in its country or its undermining United States foreign policy, which poses national security threats to our Nation, our allies, our African partners, and our interests."

On Saturday the South African government responded, "It is of great concern that the foundational premise of this order lacks factual accuracy and fails to recognize South Africa’s profound and painful history of colonialism and apartheid," Chrispin Phiri, spokesperson for the country’s International Relations Department, posted on X.

Phiri added that "we are concerned by what seems to be a campaign of misinformation and propaganda aimed at misrepresenting our great nation. It is disappointing to observe that such narratives seem to have found favor among decision-makers in the United States of America."

Although it lost its majority in last year’s elections, the African National Congress (ANC) is still the main party in South Africa’s present government of national unity. The party’s secretary general reacted to the offer that White Afrikaners can go become U.S. citizens by posting a photo on X. In it, a black man is standing by an open door and gesturing with both arms outside the door, suggesting Afrikaners should leave.

The government has claimed Whites of all backgrounds, not just Afrikaners, still own approximately 70% of South Africa’s land. The government is on record saying the Expropriation Act will only be used to take land needed for public purposes – such as for a new school – from people of any color when the owner refuses to sell, and even then there would be "fair and equitable compensation."

Emma Powell, the international relations spokesperson for South Africa’s main opposition party, the Democratic Alliance, told Fox News Digital that "for decades, the DA has opposed the ANC’s race-based policies. These policies have benefited the political elite while the vast majority of South Africans continue to languish in poverty."

SOUTH AFRICAN PRESIDENT SIGNS CONTROVERSIAL LAND SEIZURE BILL, ERODING PRIVATE PROPERTY RIGHTS 

She continued that the DA "will be pursuing legal action to safeguard property rights. It is now time for the ANC to re-evaluate both their domestic and foreign policy positions, which actively undermine our national interests."

Powell told Fox News Digital about "a high-level delegation to Washington, D.C., in coming weeks to engage with decision makers. The DA remains committed to protecting private property rights, fostering economic growth, and strengthening diplomatic ties with the U.S."

Afrikaners, descendants of predominantly Dutch settlers who landed in Southern Africa in 1652, became the country’s rulers and are widely believed to have developed the apartheid system that separated Whites and Blacks, treating Blacks as second-class citizens.

In a statement released on Saturday, AfriForum, a civil rights group that largely represents Afrikaners, expressed "great appreciation" for Trump’s action, which it said was "a direct result of President Cyril Ramaphosa and his government’s irresponsible actions and policies."

It continued, "However, the civil rights organization and its sister institutions in the Solidarity Movement remain committed to Afrikaners’ future at the southern tip of Africa and insist that urgent solutions must therefore be found for the injustices committed by the South African government against Afrikaners and other cultural communities in the country."

One of the more outspoken and extreme members of the government of national unity, Julius Malema, head of the South African minority party Economic Freedom Fighters, said on X, "In light of the aggression by the USA against South Africa, we must as a nation seriously consider strengthening ties with Russia, China and nations who belong to (the international trade body) BRICS to avoid unnecessary confrontations with maniacs such as Donald Trump."

Malema has been taken to court on hate crime charges. In one instance, he sang the genocidal anti-apartheid struggle song "Kill the Boer, the farmer," referring to the White descendants of Dutch settlers or "Boers" in South Africa.

The parents of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, an American kidnapped from Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, and murdered by Hamas terrorists after surviving 11 months in captivity, made a video plea to President Donald Trump after the latest hostage release. 

In a video message shared on Instagram, Jon Polin and Rachel Goldberg-Polin reacted to the release of civilians Eli Sharabi, 52; Or Levy, 34, and Ohad Ben Ami, 56. They were among the 250 people who were taken during the Hamas-led attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. The three gaunt, frail-looking Israeli hostages were forced to speak during a Hamas handover ceremony, igniting outrage, as Israel in turn released nearly 200 Palestinian prisoners on Saturday. 

"We received the wonderful news that Eli, Or and Ohad we released today," Rachel Goldberg-Polin said in a video shared to the "Bring.Hersh.Home" account, which has garnered more than 173,000 followers. "We also felt this real connection to Or and his family because Or and Hersh were both kidnapped together from the same bomb shelter on the same pickup truck on Oct. 7. And in fact, Or's brother, Mikha'el, contacted us right after Shabbat today to tell us that one of Or's first questions he asked his brother this morning was ‘how is Hersh doing?’ Because he had assumed that Hersh had been released long ago, and his brother had to explain to him that Hersh had been murdered five months ago." 

Jon Polin then addressed Trump, as well as U.S. special envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff, imploring them to secure the release of the remaining 76 hostages this week. 

HAMAS FREES 3 MORE HOSTAGES AS PART OF CEASEFIRE AGREEMENT WITH ISRAEL

"Seeing the condition of these three hostages, hearing that Or had no idea what happened to Hersh, that Eli was unaware of the fate of his wife and his daughters, is just a gut punch to all of us that we need to do more," Jon Polin said. "And I'm turning directly to President Trump and to Mr. Witkoff, you have shown that you are the only ones who are able to get this situation moving, moving forward, and my plea to you, our plea to you right now is – now that you've done the hard part in getting movement, getting a deal started, let's not think about Phase 1 and Phase 2 and Phase 3 in many months. Let's think bigger and faster. All 76 hostages out this week. End of war. Who benefits from dragging it out for so long? Not the people of this region. Let's get it done right now. Thank you." 

"Godspeed," Rachel Goldberg-Polin added. 

Hersh Goldberg-Polin and five other hostages were murdered by Hamas terrorists last August shortly before Israeli troops reached the tunnel where they were being held in southern Gaza. Israeli troops recovered the six bodies from the tunnel, and Israeli forensic experts said they had been shot at close range after surviving nearly a year in captivity. 

Goldberg-Polin, a native of Berkeley, California, was attending a music festival when Hamas-led terrorists stormed into southern Israel, killing some 1,200 people and taking 250 others hostage. He lost part of his left arm to a grenade blast during the attack. In April, a Hamas-issued video showed him speaking under duress with his left hand missing, sparking new protests in Israel.

TRUMP UNVEILS SANCTIONS AGAINST INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT FOR NETANYAHU ARREST WARRANT

In their first hours as free men, the three Israeli hostages released on Saturday were beginning to confront the tragic realities to which they returned

Sharabi returned to Israel after 16 months of captivity. He was told only after his return that his wife and two daughters had been killed in the Oct. 7 attack, according to reports in Israeli media.

Levy "was not sure" what happened to his wife on that day, his mother, Geula, told Israeli media on Saturday, adding that he was not exposed to media reports while in Gaza. Levy was taken from a bomb shelter near the Nova music festival in southern Israel and his wife, Einav, was killed in the attack. His mother said he also asked about Goldberg-Polin, who was abducted from the same bomb shelter. Levy was reunited Saturday with his 3-year-old son.

A third released hostage, Ben Ami, sat huddled with his wife and three daughters in a hospital corridor. He told them: "I have a lot of things to catch up on." Ben Ami is a resident of Kibbutz Be’eri, one of the hardest hit communities on Oct. 7. "I need to get answers to a lot of things, and I know some of them will be difficult answers," he said in footage released by the Israeli Prime Minister’s office. "I need to know what happened on that day."

It was the fifth swap of hostages for prisoners since the current Israel-Hamas ceasefire began on Jan. 19. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

After the release of British-Israeli hostage Emily Damari, she and her mother, Mandy, revealed Emily was held captive in a United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) center in Gaza, a location tied to Hamas operations. 

During a phone call with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Emily, 28, and Mandy described how Emily was denied proper medical care while being detained in one of UNRWA’s schools, where Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) later discovered tunnels and ammunition linked to Hamas. 

Emily was abducted Oct. 7, 2023, by Hamas terrorists who shot her in the hand and leg. She was denied treatment, with only an outdated bottle of iodine provided as medical aid. The IDF’s discovery of Hamas infrastructure beneath UNRWA buildings, including tunnels linked to terror activities, has raised serious concerns about the agency’s role in Gaza. 

NEW REPORTS CLAIM UNRWA WORKS WITH TERRORISTS, TEACHES HATE AS AGENCY HITS BACK AT CRITICS

Emily and Mandy emphasized the need for international pressure on Hamas and UNRWA to allow the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) access to the remaining 82 hostages.

"We are asking for maximum pressure to be placed on Hamas and UNRWA to allow the ICRC access to the remaining hostages," Mandy Damari told Starmer. "The suffering is far from over for those still in captivity, many of whom are elderly or severely injured." 

This followed revelations the U.K. government is still an active supporter of the controversial U.N. agency.

Last week, President Donald Trump reinforced his administration's stance on UNRWA by continuing a freeze on U.S. funding to the agency. Trump's decision, initially enacted during his first term, remains in effect amid ongoing investigations into the agency’s ties to Hamas. This move reflects growing concerns over UNRWA’s failure to meet international standards of neutrality and accountability.

The troubling allegations of UNRWA facilities being used by Hamas to hold hostages emerged early in the crisis, but the U.N. and UNRWA initially dismissed the claims. Despite growing evidence, both have been criticized for their slow response. 

When the accusations surfaced, the U.N. dismissed them as "big accusations," failing to conduct a thorough investigation. It wasn’t until significant public pressure mounted that UNRWA, in a tweet Jan. 21, acknowledged the claims and said it was taking them "extremely seriously."

Philippe Lazzarini, UNRWA’s commissioner-general, expressed relief at Emily's release in his Jan. 21 tweet but continued to downplay the gravity of the allegations. 

"Claims that hostages have been held in UNRWA premises are deeply disturbing & shocking. We take any such allegations extremely seriously," Lazzarini wrote.

However, Lazzarini also said UNRWA was forced to vacate its northern Gaza facilities, including those in Gaza City, Oct. 13, 2023, and had no control over them after military evacuation orders were issued. 

He added, "UNRWA has not been involved in any negotiation related to hostage release as it is not within its mandate."

Peter Gallo, a former U.N. investigator, questioned his statement. 

"So who has control? UNRWA has 12,000 staff in Gaza, and the agency has been begging for money and aid to support people sheltering in its premises. Does UNRWA want it both ways? Yes, they want funding to support those in the facilities, but they also claim no responsibility for what goes on inside them," Gallo said.

TRUMP CUTS US OFF FROM UN HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL, BANS UNRWA FUNDING

"Somebody must have been distributing — even if it was just two sacks of potatoes among 1,000 people. Somebody must have been reporting the conditions, the numbers of people in these facilities while UNRWA tried to function. And you're trying to tell me that nobody knew about a young Israeli woman with gunshot injuries? We didn’t know where she came from?" Gallo added, emphasizing the inconsistency in UNRWA’s position.

The continued lack of transparency and accountability from both the U.N. and UNRWA in response to the allegations has drawn widespread criticism. Gallo has heavily criticized the internal investigation carried out by UNRWA, describing it as a "farce." 

"The U.N. investigation FAILED to actually prove that ANY of them were involved in acts of terrorism," Gallo said. 

He claimed the staff members who were "fired" by the U.N. after being seen on cameras participating in the Oct. 7 massacre were not actually terminated for misconduct. Instead, they were made redundant and received severance payments. 

"You’ve had U.N. staff members engaged in crimes, crimes recognized by the ICC as crimes against humanity, and the U.N. is now going to give them a severance package because they were dismissed from their positions," Gallo said.

While an UNRWA spokesperson did not respond to Fox News Digital's questions on Gallo's allegations, Lazzarini released a statement Friday in response to critics.

"UNRWA has the most robust systems in place to ensure adherence to neutrality compared to other similar UN organizations and entities," Lazzarini said. "This applies to both the Agency’s staff and our programs across the region, as confirmed by an independent review conducted last year under the leadership of France’s former foreign minister. 

"Safeguarding the Agency’s neutrality is central to our ability to continue delivering lifesaving aid in Gaza, as well as education and primary health services across the region. As one of the largest U.N. agencies in the world, UNRWA is committed to U.N. values and principles, which strengthens our response during one of the most challenging periods in the history of the Palestinian people. We remain dedicated to staying and delivering."

Yona Schiffmiller, director of research at NGO Monitor, further illuminated Hamas’ involvement in the humanitarian aid process. 

"Hamas used the Ministry of Social Development (MOSD) to direct aid distribution. The head of MoSD, Ghazi Hamad, who was recently designated by the U.S. Treasury as a Hamas leader, met with U.N. officials and international NGOs while promoting Hamas interests," Schiffmiller explained. 

"The data from MoSD influenced aid distribution across various organizations, solidifying Hamas’ grip on Gaza’s humanitarian aid. We’ve got pictures of Hamad meeting with U.N. officials, and if you look closely in the background, you can actually see the Hamas logo on the map on the wall where they’re meeting."

The Israeli Knesset passed legislation banning UNRWA from operating in Israel, which took effect at the end of January. The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs reiterated its position on UNRWA’s ties to terrorism.

"Humanitarian aid doesn’t equal UNRWA, and UNRWA doesn’t equal humanitarian aid. UNRWA equals an organization infested with Hamas terror activity," its statement said. "Israel remains committed to facilitating humanitarian aid through alternative organizations that are independent and not complicit in terror."

The Shoah Museum in Rome has acquired a piece by reserved contemporary pop artist aleXsandro Palombo after it was defaced in an apparent act of antisemitism.

The mural, which depicts Liliana Segre and Sami Modiano, the last two Italian survivors of Auschwitz, was defaced multiple times and even erased by vandals.

Segre and Modiano are shown in striped clothing under green bullet-proof vests with yellow Stars of David on them, and there are even representations of the serial numbers tattooed on them by the Nazis. The perpetrators vandalized Segre and Modiano’s faces, as well as the stars on their chests, but left the numbers on their arms untouched.

"They took away my face, my identity, they erased the yellow star, but they left the number tattooed on my arm," Segre said.

ANTI-ISRAEL AGITATORS VANDALIZE HOME OF JEWISH MEDIA SUPER AGENT

Palombo eventually reproduced the piece, and it is now part of the museum’s permanent collection.

"Art is the highest expression of freedom, and repeatedly attacking a work that portrays two survivors of Auschwitz highlights how the very value of democracy and all our freedoms is in danger," Palombo said in a statement. "The gesture of courage and resistance of the Shoah Museum of Rome and the Italian Jewish community is a great and precious lesson in civilization for all of us, who responded to the antisemitic violence and hatred of these new forms of social and cultural terrorism with a powerful action of the Risorgimento."

Palombo has made several pieces honoring the Holocaust, and his other works have not been spared from vandalism.

A piece entitled "Arbeit macht frei," which shows Hungarian writer and Holocaust survivor Edith Bruck wrapped in an Israeli flag was also defaced, with much of the flag being erased. The title of this mural is the same phrase the Nazis put on the gates of Auschwitz, and it translates to "work makes you free."

Bruck told Italian newspaper La Stampa that she was saddened but not surprised by the vandalism, saying that "antisemitism is a tsunami."

The mural of Bruck has also been acquired by the Shoah Museum in Rome.

'SURROGATES' FOR HAMAS: UNIVERSITY REGENT SLAMS 'APPALLING' LETTER FROM ETHNIC STUDIES FACULTY

Another one of Palombo’s pieces that was vandalized was entitled "Halt! Stoj!," which depicted Segre, Modiano and Burk alongside Pope Francis, who is outfitted with a cross and a sign reading "antisemitism is everywhere." The four are depicted as Simpsons characters, a common motif for Palombo. While the image of the pope was not damaged, vandals defaced the Stars of David on the three Holocaust survivors.

Palombo, a contemporary pop artist and activist, used pop culture references in his artwork, including celebrities and cartoon characters from the Simpsons and Disney. One of his most iconic works is the "Simpsons deported to Auschwitz," which shows Marge, Homer, Maggie, Bart and Lisa before and after the concentration camp, referencing the emaciated state of Holocaust survivors liberated from Nazi camps.

President Donald Trump’s revelation this week that he wants to negotiate with Iran raised eyebrows in the security sector. A former national security advisor cautioned the president against forming a Kim Jong Un-type relationship with the Ayatollah. 

Trump has described his relations with Kim as a "love" affair, but his first-term efforts at diplomacy with the hermit kingdom failed to prevent North Korea from advancing its nuclear program.

"On the question of negotiations, we'll see where this goes," said John Hannah, former national security advisor to Dick Cheney and current Randi & Charles Wax senior fellow at the Jewish Institute for National Security of America (JINSA).

Hannah spoke Thursday evening during a discussion hosted by JINSA in Washington, D.C., on Trump’s new plans to start negotiations with Iran. 

IRAN'S SUPREME LEADER SAYS NUCLEAR TALKS WITH TRUMP ADMIN WOULD NOT BE 'WISE'

"Trump and Kim Jong Un — that’s a worst-case [scenario] — he comes out hot and heavy against. He gets engaged and snared in a negotiation. He gets sweet talked to. It's dragged out for the rest of his presidency," Hannah said. "And we make absolutely zero progress on dismantling or neutralizing the North Korean nuclear program.

"That’s the nightmare." 

Trump’s decision to pursue negotiations with Iran to dismantle its nuclear program was announced by the president in a post Wednesday night on his Truth Social media platform, when he stated his desire for a "Verified Nuclear Peace Agreement."

"We should start working on it immediately, and have a big Middle East Celebration when it is signed and completed," he wrote. "God Bless the Middle East!" 

His post came one day after Trump signed an executive order directing the Treasury Department to begin a "maximum pressure" campaign on Iran through sanctions targeting the regime's oil exports in a move to deter Tehran from continuing its nuclear development. 

PRESIDENT TRUMP SAYS ‘WE WILL HAVE RELATIONS WITH NORTH KOREA’; IT'S A ‘BIG ASSET’ THAT HE GETS ALONG WITH KIM

But, after the order, he told reporters he was "torn" about signing the directive and added he was "unhappy to do it." 

The Trump administration has not released details on who will lead these negotiations, how they will differ from the negotiations attempted by the Biden administration or what a new deal would include that wasn't in the international deal reached during the Obama administration under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). That deal was finalized by the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council — China, France, Russia, the U.K. and the U.S.

The so-called Iran nuclear deal, which Trump pulled out of in 2018, was also signed onto by Germany and the European Union.

Hannah said Trump’s change in tune on securing a nuclear deal with Iran could be a negotiating tactic, though he warned that "25 years of negotiations with the Iranians on the nuclear program have led nowhere except an Iran right on the cusp of having nuclear weapons."

The former national security advisor, along with the former special representative for Iran and Venezuela Ambassador Elliott Abrams, together warned that the Trump administration is facing a serious deadline when it comes to taking on negotiations with Iran.

Come October, Russia, a top ally to Iran, will take on the lead role of the United Nations Security Council, filling the presidency for one month, which could pose its own security concerns.   

TRUMP REINSTATES ‘MAXIMUM PRESSURE’ CAMPAIGN AGAINST IRAN

But there is another October deadline looming over international attempts to block Iran’s nuclear development. The ability for the nations remaining in the JCPOA to apply "snapback" sanctions on Tehran will expire Oct. 18, 2025.

"There have to be negotiation discussions between Trump and [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu on how long are we going to wait to see this negotiation drag on," Abrams said, referring to the years-long talks by the Biden administration that proved fruitless. 

"I'm sure the Iranians will say if you impose snapback [sanctions] the negotiations are over, and we will leave the nuclear nonproliferation treaty."

Iran, particularly in recent years, has been found to have repeatedly violated the treaty, though proponents of a nuclear deal argue it is a useful tool to keep Tehran involved in nuclear nonproliferation discussions. 

But Abrams also warned that the U.S. and Israel should engage in military drills to remind Iran of what it is potentially facing should it move forward with nuclear development. 

Retired Israel Defense Forces Major General Yaakov Amidror echoed this sentiment and said he believes it is unlikely that Iran completely ignores the threat of U.S.-Israeli strike force capabilities because it relies on the legitimate aspects of this nuclear program for economic stability.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Friday rejected the possibility of engaging in any future negotiations with the Trump administration. 

Eli Sharabi, who was ripped from his home in Kibbutz Be’eri by Hamas terrorists during the Oct. 7 attacks, has returned to Israel after 491 days in captivity. Sharabi’s family watched excitedly as he returned home, but three people were noticeably absent. Sharabi will not be greeted by his wife or daughters because Hamas terrorists murdered them during the 2023 massacre.

Sharabi and his family lived on Kibbutz Be’eri, a border community in southern Israel that was hit particularly hard on Oct. 7, 2023. In January 2024, just months after Hamas’ attacks, Israel confirmed that Sharabi’s brother, Yossi, who was also taken hostage, was killed in captivity.

HAMAS FREES 3 MORE HOSTAGES AS PART OF CEASEFIRE AGREEMENT WITH ISRAEL

Kibbutz Be’eri saw 98 men, women and children slaughtered in Hamas’ Oct. 7 attacks and 30 kidnapped. Among them were Sharabi and Ohad Ben-Ami, who was also released on Feb. 8, 2025. The kidnapped and killed accounted for approximately a tenth of the population of Kibbutz Be’eri, which is less than four miles from the Gaza border.

It is unclear whether Sharabi knows what happened to his wife, Lianne, and daughters, Noiya, 16, and Yahel, 13. It is also unknown whether Or Levy, who was taken from the Nova festival and released to Israel on Saturday, is aware that his wife was killed on Oct. 7, 2023.

Sharabi is not the first hostage to be released from captivity to a reality without his wife and children. Yarden Bibas, who was taken from Kibbutz Nir Oz, was released from Hamas captivity on Feb. 1, after spending over 480 days as a hostage in Gaza. Yarden’s wife, Shiri, and their two young sons, Ariel and Kfir, remain in Hamas captivity.

The image of Shiri, Ariel and Kfir Bibas’ kidnapping went viral as the two red-headed boys were seen clinging to their mother. Kfir, who is now two years old, was just nine months old when he was kidnapped, making him the youngest hostage. Ariel and Kfir are the only children taken on Oct. 7 who remain in Gaza. The condition of Shiri, Ariel and Kfir remains unknown.

"Sadly, my family hasn't returned to me yet. They are still there. My light is still there, and as long as they're there, everything here is dark. Thanks to you, I was brought back - help me bring the light back to my life," Yarden said in a statement distributed by the Hostages and Missing Families Forum. This is his first statement since being freed.

THE HISTORY OF GAZA AMID TRUMP'S PLAN TO REBUILD ENCLAVE

While in captivity, Bibas was forced to make a hostage film in which he was seen breaking down as Hamas claimed his wife and children had been killed. Hamas often uses these types of videos as part of what the IDF calls "psychological terror." However, the terror organization included Shiri, Kfir and Ariel on the list of 33 hostages set to be released in the first phase of the ceasefire deal.

Yarden referenced the video in his statement and made a plea directly to Prime Minister Netanyahu.

"Prime Minister Netanyahu, I'm now addressing you with my own words, which no one dictated to me: Bring my family back. Bring my friends back. Bring everyone home."

The release of Sharabi, Levy and Ben-Ami marks the fifth round of hostage releases. While they too were forced to participate in a ceremony with Hamas prior to leaving Gaza, the images of the three men were strikingly different from many of those who had been freed before them. The three of them looked starved and exhausted, with many on social media comparing them to Holocaust victims.

Israeli President Isaace Herzog said that the "emaciated and pained" men were a visual representation of a "crime against humanity." In response to the images of the men, Prime Minister Netanyahu vowed to take action, saying their condition would "not be ignored."

In a statement to Fox News Digital, Ruby and Hagit Chen, whose son Itay Chen remains in Hamas captivity, noted the "disturbing images" and demanded Netanyahu begin "intensive negotiations" to bring the remaining hostages, including their son, home.

There are still 76 hostages in Hamas captivity, many of whom are believed to be alive. So far, as part of the current ceasefire deal, Hamas has released 18 hostages. In exchange for the hostages, Israel has released more than 550 Palestinian prisoners.

MANCHESTER, England — The trial of Lucy Letby made headlines around the world due to the sheer horror and scale of the crimes for which she was convicted, but some believe the neonatal nurse is innocent and the victim of a miscarriage of justice.

Letby, 35, was found guilty of murdering seven babies and attempting to kill seven more at the Countess of Chester Hospital in North West England during a year-long killing spree between June 2015 and June 2016.

She was portrayed by the prosecution as a "constant malevolent presence" on the hospital’s neonatal unit and a "calculating and devious" nurse who liked "playing God."

'COLD-BLOODED' NURSE LUCY LETBY FOUND GUILTY OF MURDERING 7 BABIES AT HOSPITAL NEONATAL UNIT

In an apparent handwritten confession note found by police, she said she had killed babies "on purpose."

She also wrote, "I am a horrible evil person" and "I AM EVIL I DID THIS."

Letby, considered to be the United Kingdom's worst serial child killer, was sentenced to 15 life prison terms and has lost two bids to appeal her convictions.

But there has been a growing clamor among leading medical professionals, legal experts and commentators that she is innocent.

Ex-Conservative cabinet minister Sir David Davis has also spoken out and called for a new trial, telling fellow members of parliament (MPs) there was "no hard evidence" against her.

This week, a fresh report presented by a panel of 14 international experts has claimed there is "no medical evidence" she murdered or harmed any of the babies in her care.

During her first ten-month trial — Letby later faced a second trial — she was accused of murdering four of the seven babies by injecting air into their bloodstreams and attempting to kill others by the same method.

The prosecution claimed other babies were harmed by insulin poisoning, being force-fed milk or by trauma to the liver.

But the experts’ report rules out any criminality and points to babies deteriorating due to natural causes or "bad medical care."

Therefore, it’s claimed Letby is the victim of "one of the major injustices of modern times."

Letby’s new lawyer, Mark McDonald, told The Guardian newspaper the report demolished the case against her, and there was "overwhelming evidence this conviction is unsafe."

LUCY LETBY TRIAL: FATHER TESTIFIES BABY GIRL WAS LEFT SEVERELY DISABLED AFTER NURSE TRIED TO KILL HER

The report’s findings have been sent to the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC), the body that investigates potential miscarriages of justice, which is now formally examining the case.

The CCRC will also be tasked with reexamining the contentious medical evidence used to convict Letby.

In particular, questions have been raised about the prosecution’s main medical expert, Dr. Dewi Evans, who claimed babies died from having air injected into their bloodstreams, causing air embolism, a fatal condition.

During Letby’s trial, he pointed to skin discoloration in several victims as an indicator of air embolism, citing a 1989 academic paper.

NURSE LUCY LETBY WROTE SYMPATHY CARD TO PARENTS OF BABY GIRL SHE’S ACCUSED OF MURDERING

But retired Canadian neonatologist Shoo Lee, a co-author of the paper and chair of the panel, believes the research was misinterpreted by the prosecution, and Dr. Evans’ findings have "no basis in evidence."

The panel has also cast doubt on supposed insulin poisonings after Letby’s original defense team did not dispute them.

It’s claimed that babies were not properly cared for, and there were failures to carry out "basic medical procedures, delays in their treatment and the misdiagnosis of diseases."

Dr. Lee also claimed the hospital was overworked and inadequately staffed, saying, "If this had happened at a hospital in Canada, it would be shut down."

It will take many months for the CCRC to review the case, and there’s no guarantee it will be referred back to the Court of Appeal. So, Letby will remain in prison for the foreseeable future, with any bail application likely to be resisted by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).

Meanwhile, a public inquiry examining events at the hospital is due to conclude next month while prosecutors are considering bringing further charges against Letby in other baby deaths at a second hospital, Liverpool Women’s Hospital.

A CCRC spokesperson told Fox News Digital, "We have received a preliminary application in relation to Ms. Letby’s case, and work has begun to assess the application.

"At this stage, it is not possible to determine how long it will take to review this application. A significant volume of complicated evidence was presented to the court in Ms Letby’s trials.

"We anticipate further submissions being made to us." 

A CPS spokesperson told Fox News Digital, "Two juries and three appeal court judges have reviewed a multitude of different strands of evidence against Lucy Letby. She has been convicted on 15 separate counts following two separate jury trials.

"In May 2024, the Court of Appeal dismissed Letby’s leave to appeal on all grounds, rejecting her argument that expert prosecution evidence was flawed."

The Maha Kumbh Mela, or Great Pitcher Festival, is drawing hundreds of millions of pilgrims and tourists to India. The 45-day festival, which began Jan. 13, is the largest gathering of humanity in the world. It is expected to draw approximately 420 million. 

That is about 200 times the number of Muslim pilgrims who participated in the annual Hajj in Mecca and Medina, Saudi Arabia, last year. It is so large it can be seen from outer space.

According to Hindu scriptures, gods and demons once churned the cosmic ocean in search of the nectar of immortality. During this struggle, drops of nectar fell at four sacred sites. The spiritual Hindu festival takes place once every 12 years at one of those four locations. 

This year, it is being held in the city of Prayagraj in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. This year’s event is considered particularly special because it aligns with a rare, once-in-a-century celestial configuration.

WORLD'S LARGEST RELIGIOUS GATHERING BEGINS IN INDIA, HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF HINDUS EXPECTED TO ATTEND

Throngs of devotees have been descending on northern India to take a dip at the confluence of the Ganges and Yamuna rivers. Hindus, who account for nearly 80% of India’s more than 1.4 billion people, believe a third invisible river, the mythical Saraswati, also meets at the confluence. 

Legend holds that a dip in the holy waters will cleanse them of sins and grant salvation. Bathing occurs daily, but on the most auspicious dates, Naga Sadhus, Hindu ascetics, head into the holy rivers at dawn. 

Ava Poonawala, a resident of Mumbai, India, made the journey not as a pilgrim, but to "witness the world’s largest religious event in our lifetime," she explained to Fox News Digital. She took an early 6 a.m. dip just as the sun was rising. 

After her chilly dip, she expressed feeling invigorated and at peace. 

"Everyone seemed to be there with one purpose," she told Fox News Digital. "And that was spiritual awakening."

The Maha Kumbh Mela is a massive undertaking by any standard. To accommodate the tens of thousands of holy men, pilgrims and tourists, authorities have built a sprawling tent city on the riverbanks. It’s equipped with more than 150,000 tents and toilets, 3,000 kitchens and 11 hospitals, as well as roads, electricity, water and communication towers. 

It covers some 15 square miles. About 50,000 security personnel, supported by artificial intelligence-powered cameras, are stationed in the city to maintain law and order and manage the crowds.

"I was blown away by the incredible magnitude of this event," Poonawala told Fox News Digital. "It’s just unimaginable how they put this all together."

STAMPEDE THAT KILLED 121 IN INDIA WAS CAUSED BY SEVERE OVERCROWDING AND LACK OF EXITS, AUTHORITIES SAY

A predawn stampede broke out at the festival last week, reportedly killing roughly three dozen people and injuring many more. Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered condolences to "devotees who have lost their loved ones" without specifying the number dead. 

Police reported the stampede occurred as hundreds of millions of pilgrims rushed to dip in sacred waters on the most auspicious day of the festival. Uttar Pradesh’s chief minister said some devotees attempted to jump crowd management barricades, triggering the crush. The Kumbh’s grand processions, which had been curtailed last week, have since resumed. 

Prior to the stampede, the festival saw a brief but large fire, which was quickly extinguished. 

AT LEAST 30 DEAD IN STAMPEDE AT THE MASSIVE MAHA KUMBH FESTIVAL IN INDIA, POLICE SAY

For many, the marvel of the Maha Kumbh Mela lies neither in the religious nor spiritual experience, but rather the cultural extravaganza. It not only brings together ash-smeared monks, naked ascetics and priests dressed head-to-toe in saffron. It also attracts tourists with selfie sticks and awed foreigners.

Uttar Pradesh has gone to great lengths to promote this year’s festival as a tourist event, offering luxury packages and experiences. The government even organized helicopters to shower flower petals on the saints and seers taking a holy dip. The state has allocated more than $765 million for this year’s event. 

The Kumbh has drawn people from all strata of society, whether it be billionaires like Laurene Powell Jobs, the wife of the late Steve Jobs, or athletes like Olympic boxer Mary Kom. Bollywood stars and celebrities like Coldplay frontman Chris Martin and his fiancée, actress Dakota Johnson, have descended on the festival. 

Even royalty, like King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck of Bhutan, have made an appearance. On Wednesday, exactly a week after the stampede, Prime Minister Modi arrived in Prayagraj to take a sacred dip.

The Kumbh Mela’s popularity has steadily increased in size over the years as improved infrastructure and facilities have attracted more people. This year, for the first time ever, the massive event also boasts being plastic-free and eco-friendly. The festival is a significant test for India to showcase Hinduism and culture, as well as handle tourism and crowd management.

"The ground was buzzing at all hours, right through the night into the morning," Poonawala said. "It was so surreal with such purity. I can’t even begin to explain it."

Hamas released three more hostages on Saturday in exchange for dozens of Palestinian prisoners as part of the ceasefire deal reached with Israel.

Or Levy, 34; Eli Sharabi, 52; Ohad Ben Ami, 56, were released by Hamas after they were abducted during the terror group's Oct. 7, 2023, attack against Israel that prompted the war in Gaza.

The trio were released from Deir al-Balah in the central part of the Gaza Strip. The hostages arrived at the hand-over point in a Hamas vehicle.

TRUMP UNVEILS SANCTIONS AGAINST INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT FOR NETANYAHU ARREST WARRANT

THE HISTORY OF GAZA AMID TRUMP'S PLAN TO REBUILD ENCLAVE

Red Cross vehicles also arrived at the location. 

This was the fifth time since the ceasefire began on Jan. 19 that Hamas released hostages in exchange for prisoners. Eighteen hostages and more than 550 Palestinian prisoners have been released thus far.

The ceasefire paused the 15-month war in Gaza sparked by Hamas' attack on the Jewish State, leading to military retaliation from Israeli forces.

Fox News' Yael Rotem-Kuriel and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

President Donald Trump hosted Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba at the White House Friday and said the U.S. will have relations with the North Korean regime of dictator Kim Jong Un.

"We will have relations with North Korea, with Kim Jong Un. I get along with them very well," Trump told reporters alongside Ishiba.

Trump, who first met Kim in 2018 in Singapore and became the first sitting president to meet with the leader of North Korea, is looking to build off his personal diplomacy he established with Kim during his first term.

NORTH KOREAN SOLDIERS IN RUSSIA RESORT TO SUICIDE AMID CAPTURE OF FIRST POWS BY UKRAINE

"We had a good relationship. And I think it's a very big asset for everybody that I do get along with them," the president said. 

Trump met Kim again in 2019 and became the first president to step foot inside North Korean territory from the demilitarized zone.

Trump said Japan would welcome renewed dialogue with North Korea because relations between Japan and North Korea remain tense since diplomatic relations have never been established.

"And I can tell you that Japan likes the idea because their relationship is not very good with him," Trump said.

NORTH KOREA SLAMS RUBIO'S 'ROGUE STATE' LABEL AS 'NONSENSE,’ VOWS TO PUSH BACK AGAINST TRUMP ADMINISTRATION

Ishiba said it's a positive development Trump and Kim met during Trump's first term. And now that he has returned to power, the U.S., Japan and its allies can move toward resolving issues with North Korea, including denuclearization.

"Japan and U.S. will work together toward the complete denuclearization of North Korea," Ishiba added.

Prime Minister Ishiba also addressed a grievance involving the abduction of Japanese citizens by North Korea in the 1970s and 1980s. Although North Korea released some of the prisoners in the early 2000s, Pyongyang never provided Japan with any explanation for the abduction of its citizens, and there can be no normalization of relations between Japan and North Korea until the issue is resolved.

"And so our time is limited," Ishiba warned.

"So, I don't know if the president of the United States, if President Trump is able to resolve this issue. We do understand that it's a Japan issue, first and foremost. Having said that, we would love to continue to cooperate with them," the prime minister added.

Brazil's leftist president recently told the country's citizens not to purchase expensive grocery items in an effort to combat soaring food prices. 

In a video being shared online, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva urged Brazilians to be frugal when grocery shopping. 

"If you go to the supermarket in Salvador and you suspect that a certain product is expensive, don't buy it," he said. "Look, if everyone thought like that and didn't buy things they thought were expensive, whoever is selling is going to have to lower the price in order to sell it.

HOW BRAZILIAN POLICE SAY BOLSONARO PLOTTED A COUP TO STAY IN OFFICE

"Because if they don't, it's going to spoil."

On Thursday, da Silva said he was worried about rising food prices but projected the increases would slow and voiced an optimistic tone about the economy.

"The Brazilian economy is living its best moment," Lula said during an interview with radio stations, Reuters reported. 

The leftist leader noted that Brazil's real was still at a low level against the U.S. dollar but sees the rate "adjusting," according to Reuters. 

BERING AIR PLANE VANISHES IN ALASKA WHILE CARRYING 10 PEOPLE 

In January, Brazilian Finance Minister Fernando Haddad said he expected food prices to decline this year due to strong agricultural production.

Prices tend to stay at high levels until food production "corrects this price distortion to an adequate level," he told a local news outlet. 

Haddad added that officials predict Brazil's economy will grow 2.5% in 2025, slowing from an expected 3.5% last year.

"I believe we have room to grow 2.5% by reducing inflation," he told RedeTV, according to Reuters. 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday warned that the only way Gaza can see a peaceful future is if Hamas is "destroyed," though the tough rhetoric out of Washington this week has hostage families, and at least one former hostage, concerned that it could jeopardize the safe return of the hostages still held by the terrorist group.

"I was deeply moved by the reception that we got, the substantive things that we discussed, making sure that Iran never gets a nuclear weapon, and also making sure that Hamas is destroyed," Netanyahu said in reference to his meetings with President Trump and lawmakers on the Hill. "We're not going to have a future for Gaza or for a future for peace in our part of the world if Hamas remains there."

Netanyahu’s comments came just three days after Trump sent geopolitical shockwaves by announcing his supposed plans for the U.S. to "take over" the Gaza Strip and called for the mass removal of millions of Palestinians living there.

NETANYAHU GIFTS TRUMP CONTROVERSIAL ITEM THAT HELPED TURN TIDE IN WAR AGAINST HEZBOLLAH

Netanyahu, who spoke alongside House Speaker Mike Johnson from the U.S. Capitol and championed their "warm personal bond," did not take any questions from the press.

Ruby Chen, father of American-Israeli hostage Itay Chen, an IDF soldier who was captured while fighting Hamas on Oct. 7, responded to Fox News Digital's questions and said, "Netanyahu needs to keep the eye on the ball: priority is the release of all the hostages and then the other issues."

"Netanyahu was responsible for Oct. 7 and needs to release the hostages taken," he added. 

Hamas, along with dozens of other nations in the Middle East and across the globe, not only rejected the plans but on Friday delayed the release of names for the next round of hostages set to be freed on Saturday under the agreements of the ceasefire deal.

Following an hours-long delay, Hamas on Friday said it would release Eli Sharabi, 52, Or Levy, 34, and Ohad Ben Ami, 56, the Times of Israel reported. 

Sharabi was taken from Kibbutz Beeri while his wife and daughters were killed in their safe room. Levy was taken from the Supernova music festival where his wife was killed. Ami was taken alongside his wife from Kibbutz Beeri, and his wife Raz Ben Ami was freed in the November 2023 hostage deal. 

The delay came as reports suggested that families of the hostages still held in Gaza, at least one former hostage, as well as mediators involved in the ceasefire talks, have grown concerned the comments coming from the Trump-Netanyahu meeting could derail the continued release of hostages. 

Just 13 of the 33 hostages slated to be released during the first phase of the ceasefire have been freed. 

At least eight of the hostages scheduled to be returned during the first 42 days were confirmed by the IDF to have been killed while in Hamas activity, though the fates of Shiri Bibas and her two children, Ariel who was four years old when he was abducted alongside his brother Kfir, who was nine months old, remain unknown despite claims by Hamas that they were killed by an Israeli airstrike. 

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU PRAISES TRUMP'S 'REMARKABLE IDEA' ABOUT A US TAKEOVER OF GAZA

At least nine hostages are still believed to be alive who are scheduled to be released in the first round, while the release of the remaining 65 hostages, at least 26 of whom are believed to also have been killed, will be negotiated for release following the initial 42-day period. 

Reports have indicated that officials are still set to travel to Qatar on Saturday to begin negotiations for the second phase of the ceasefire – a process that was delayed one week.

A spokesman for Netanyahu on Friday said that the prime minister views Hamas’ delay in releasing the names of the hostages intended to be released on Saturday as "serious" and a "violation" of the ceasefire agreement. 

The prime minister’s office confirmed to Fox News Digital that he will be monitoring the fifth hostage release scheduled for Saturday from Washington, D.C., where he will remain through the weekend. 

Reports this week suggested that Netanyahu had presented Trump with a plan to end the war in Gaza in exchange for assurances from Hamas that it would relinquish its power in the war-torn region and that its leaders would go into exile.

Netanyahu’s office denied these claims to Fox News Digital. 

JERUSALEM - President Donald Trump's executive order sanctioning the Hague-based International Criminal Court (ICC) will prevent a slippery slope of U.S. military and government officials facing prosecution from a nebulous judicial bureaucracy in the Netherlands, argue critics of the global criminal body.

Richard Goldberg, a former Trump official who served on his first National Security Council, told Fox News Digital, "This is a critical first step in defending American soldiers and officials from further lawfare illegitimately waged by radical anti-Americans at what’s become an international kangaroo court. Israel may be in the news today, but tomorrow it will be the Americans who are still being wrongfully investigated by the court for supposed war crimes in Afghanistan."

Goldberg, a senior adviser at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, added, "These ICC officials have crossed a line, they have entered the battlefield against the United States and Israel by perverting international law and using it as a tool of warfare. The president has preserved an escalation ladder here, too. These sanctions only apply to officials and service providers, not to the court itself. We could absolutely go the next step and shut down the court if this lawfare isn’t terminated."

TRUMP-NETANYAHU MEETING: RADICAL PROTESTS WAVE APPARENT HAMAS FLAG OUTSIDE WHITE HOUSE

The ICC fired back in a statement and said it "condemns the issuance by the U.S. of an Executive Order seeking to impose sanctions on its officials and harm its independent and impartial judicial work. The Court stands firmly by its personnel and pledges to continue providing justice and hope to millions of innocent victims of atrocities across the world, in all Situations before it. We call on our 125 States Parties, civil society and all nations of the world to stand united for justice and fundamental human rights."

Trump signed the executive order punishing the ICC on Thursday in response to its May 2024 arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israel's former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. 

Netanyahu praised the order in a statement. "Thank you, President Trump for your bold ICC Executive Order. It will defend America and Israel from the anti-American and antisemetic corrupt court that has no jurisdiction or basis to engage in lawfare against us. The ICC waged a ruthless campaign against Israel as a trial run for action against America. President Trump's Executive Order protects the sovereignty of both countries and its brave soldiers."

Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said on Friday that Trump’s sanctions on the ICC are "absolutely understandable." He added the ICC has become "a biased political tool" and that the central European country was evaluating its cooperation with the ICC. 

‘LEVEL IT’: TRUMP SAYS US WILL ‘TAKE OVER’ GAZA STRIP, REBUILD IT TO STABILIZE MIDDLE EAST

Dozens of countries expressed their "unwavering support" for the ICC on Friday, a day after Trump authorized potentially far-reaching economic and travel sanctions against the court's staff.

"We reaffirm our continued and unwavering support for the independence, impartiality and integrity of the ICC," a group of almost 80 countries said in a joint statement. "The court serves as a vital pillar of the international justice system by ensuring accountability for the most serious international crimes, and justice for victims."

The signatories came from all parts of the world but make up only about two-thirds of the 125 member states of the permanent court for the prosecution of war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide and crimes of aggression.

Among the countries who agreed to the statement were France, Germany and Britain. Among those absent were Australia, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Italy.

Goldberg said that "The president wasn’t going to wait around on Schumer’s games to act. The minute Senate Democrats blocked the bill it was a guarantee you would see an executive order follow. But if Schumer now says he supports the order, Senate Republicans should move quickly to codify it and force Schumer back to a vote."

Senate Minority Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer,D-NY., torpedoed a GOP-led bill to sanction the ICC in January.

Reuters and Fox News' Diana Stancy contributed to this article

Two people are dead in Brazil on Friday after a small plane crashed into a bus on a busy road in São Paulo. 

Video taken at the scene showed firefighters surrounding the smoldering wreckage of the aircraft, which plunged from the sky shortly after taking off from a nearby private airport.  

A piece of the plane hit a bus, injuring one woman inside, while a motorcyclist was struck by another piece of wreckage, according to local firefighters. 

"Unfortunately, we began the day with this tragic plane crash in the capital of São Paulo, with the confirmed deaths of the pilot and co-pilot of the aircraft," São Paulo Governor Tarcisio de Freitas wrote on X.  

BERING AIR PLANE VANISHES IN ALASKA WHILE CARRYING 10 PEOPLE 

"Two people who were on the ground were injured and were taken to the Vergueiro Emergency Care Unit. It is worth highlighting the quick action of the Fire Department, which put out the flames of the accident in a few minutes, preventing an even greater tragedy," he added. "My condolences to the families and friends of the victims." 

The plane went down in the busy Barra Funda neighborhood on the city's west side, near its downtown. 

US MILITARY SURVEILLANCE FLIGHT CRASHES IN PHILIPPINES, KILLING 4 

Images on local media showed the plane’s fuselage and the bus on fire, with firefighters working to extinguish the blaze. The avenue is home to office buildings and there is a key bus, train and subway station nearby. 

The aircraft was heading to the city of Porto Alegre.  

It’s not immediately clear what caused the crash. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei told air force officers in Teheran on Friday that nuclear talks with the U.S. "are not intelligent, wise or honorable."

Khamenei added that "there should be no negotiations with such a government," but did not issue an order to not engage with the U.S., according to The Associated Press.

Khamenei’s remarks on Friday seem to contradict his previous indications that he was open to negotiating with the U.S. over Iran’s nuclear program. In August, Khamenei seemed to open the door to nuclear talks with the U.S., telling his country’s civilian government that there was "no harm" in engaging with its "enemy," the AP reported.

IRAN'S FOREIGN MINISTER RESPONDS TO TRUMP 'MAXIMUM PRESSURE' CAMPAIGN AMID REGIME PANIC

President Donald Trump floated the idea of a "verified nuclear peace agreement" with Teheran in a post on his Truth Social platform. In the same post, he also slammed "greatly exaggerated" reports claiming that the U.S. and Israel were going to "blow Iran into smithereens."

"I would much prefer a Verified Nuclear Peace Agreement, which will let Iran peacefully grow and prosper. We should start working on it immediately, and have a big Middle East Celebration when it is signed and completed," Trump wrote on Truth Social.

In 2018, during his first term, Trump exited the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), also known as the Iran Nuclear Deal, saying that it was not strong enough to restrain Iran’s nuclear development. At the time, President Trump argued that the deal, which was made during former President Barack Obama’s second term, was "one of the worst and most one-sided transactions the United States has ever entered into."

Just days before his call for a "verified nuclear peace agreement" with Iran, Trump signed an executive order urging the government to put pressure on the Islamic republic. He also told reporters that if Iran were to assassinate him, they would be "obliterated," as per his alleged instructions.

According to the AP, on Friday, Khamenei slammed the U.S. because, in his eyes, "the Americans did not hold up their end of the deal." Furthermore, Iran’s supreme leader referenced Trump’s withdrawal from the JCPOA, saying that he "tore up the agreement."

"We negotiated, we gave concessions, we compromised— but we did not achieve the results we aimed for."

Iran has insisted for years that its nuclear program was aimed at civilian and peaceful purposes, not weapons. However, it has enriched its uranium to up to 60% purity, which is around 90% the level that would be considered weapons grade.

IRAN'S WEAKENED POSITION COULD LEAD IT TO PURSUE NUCLEAR WEAPON, BIDEN NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER WARNS

International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Grossi told Reuters in December 2024 that it was "regrettable" that there was no "diplomatic process ongoing which could lead to a de-escalation, or a more stable equation."

In addition to his remarks on Iran, President Trump made global headlines with his proposal that the US take over Gaza as the Israel-Hamas war rages on. Khamenei, according to the AP, also seemed to reference the president’s remarks on Gaza without mentioning them outright.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

"The Americans sit, redrawing the map of the world — but only on paper, as it has no basis in reality," Khamenei told air force officers, according to the AP. "They make statements about us, express opinions and issue threats. If they threaten us, we will threaten them in return. If they act on their threats, we will act on ours. If they violate the security of our nation, we will, without a doubt, respond in kind."

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave President Donald Trump an unusual gift during his most recent trip to Washington, D.C., this week — a gold-plated pager.

The present was a nod to the controversial mass attack believed to have been carried out by Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency against Hezbollah Sept. 17, 2024, in which thousands of pagers, walkie-talkie-like devices and radios simultaneously exploded across Lebanon and Syria around 3:30 p.m. 

A statement from Netanyahu’s office to Fox News Digital said, "The pager symbolizes the prime minister’s decision that led to a turning point in the war and marked the beginning of Hezbollah’s strategic collapse.

ISRAELI DEFENSE MINISTER ORDERS IDF TO PLAN FOR GAZANS TO LEAVE IN LINE WITH TRUMP'S CONTROVERSIAL PROPOSAL

"This strategic operation reflects Israel’s strength, technological superiority and tactical ingenuity in confronting its adversaries."

An image obtained by Fox News Digital showed the pager mounted to a wooden plaque with a message on the device that said, "Press with both hands," accompanied by a double downward arrow sign, the same message that reportedly showed moments before the devices detonated. 

The plaque also came with a message to Trump calling him Israel's "greatest friend and ally."

The statement appears to be the first time Netanyahu’s office has publicly commented on the strike against the terrorist network in the summer. 

Though the attacks were intended to target Hezbollah terrorists, the explosions also injured, maimed and killed civilians, including at least two children. In total, the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) reported that 32 people were killed and 3,250 others were injured. 

ALLIES AND FOES REJECT TRUMP'S 'RIVIERA' PLANS FOR GAZA: 'NEW SUFFERING AND NEW HATRED'

U.N. Human Rights experts condemned the operation and said the indiscriminate nature of the attacks amounted to "war crimes."

"These attacks violate the human right to life, absent any indication that the victims posed an imminent lethal threat to anyone else at the time," one expert told the OHCHR. "Such attacks require prompt, independent investigation to establish the truth and enable accountability for the crime of murder."

Despite the limited number of terrorists killed in the widespread attacks, Israeli officials have championed the operation as a successful psychological blow to Hezbollah.

TRUMP'S GAZA ‘TAKEOVER’ RANKLES AMERICA FIRST CONSERVATIVES, ALLIES SUGGEST NEGOTIATOR-IN-CHIEF IS AT WORK

Though Israel was immediately suspected of being involved in the reported years-in-the-making operation, Jerusalem had not officially confirmed its role publicly before.

However, by November 2024, Israeli reports revealed comments leaked from a Cabinet meeting in which Netanyahu was quoted as saying, "The pager operation and the elimination of [Hezbollah leader Hassan] Nasrallah were carried out despite the opposition of senior officials in the defense establishment and those responsible for them in the political echelon."

The prime minister’s comments were an apparent dig at former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, who he fired just weeks prior to the comments over disagreements regarding the war effort against Hamas and Hezbollah.

Neither the White House nor the U.N. immediately responded to Fox News Digital’s requests for comment.

Yael Rotem-Kuriel contributed to this report.

President Donald Trump’s second administration has made the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) a prime target for spending cuts. Under Trump, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by Elon Musk, is taking a serious look at the foreign aid agency — and America’s allies and enemies alike are taking notice.

In an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital at the United Nations, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjártó didn’t hide his disdain for USAID. While insisting that he was not interested in interfering with US domestic issues, Szijjártó did speak about what he saw from the agency under former President Joe Biden.

"The former administration couldn’t digest that we weren’t ready to give up our national positions. We were not ready to give up representing our national interests," Szijjártó told Fox News Digital. "And we were not ready to give up our non-liberal, patriotic, conservative type of approach."

'VIPER'S NEST': USAID ACCUSED OF CORRUPTION, MISMANAGEMENT LONG BEFORE TRUMP ADMIN TOOK AIM

Szijjártó also accused the Biden administration of using USAID to "destabilize the situation in other countries" and to fund "programs which were totally alien and strange compared to the culture and the heritage of other countries."

"If you ask me whether it’s good to us that there’s a revision period of 90 days when it comes to payments regarding USAID and others, we are very happy," Szijjártó added.

USAID HAS 'DEMONSTRATED PATTERN OF OBSTRUCTIONISM,' CLAIMS TOP DOGE REPUBLICAN IN LETTER TO RUBIO

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, a longtime ally of Trump, also ripped USAID after it was reported that the agency was funding Politico.

Prime Minister Orbán followed up in another tweet saying, "We had to endure for years that the ultra-progressive, self-proclaimed human rights champions of the mainstream media demonized Patriotic political forces for years. They did it because they were paid to do so by USAID and the previous, left-wing US administration. I agree with President [Trump]: this is too big and too dirty to hide from."

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed during Wednesday’s press briefing that "more than $8 million taxpayer dollars" went to Politico, adding that DOGE is "working on canceling those payments." However, the publication denied that it has ever been a "beneficiary of government programs."

Musk, who is heading up Trump’s cost-cutting efforts through DOGE, described the agency as a "viper’s nest of radical-left Marxists who hate America."

MEET THE BIDEN-ERA USAID LEADER FACING BACKLASH AMID MUSK'S DOGE CRACKDOWN

On Monday, Trump’s White House issued a list of examples of "waste and abuse" at USAID. This included $6M to fund tourism in Egypt, $1.5M in funding for DEI programs in Serbia’s workplaces, $47,000 for a "transgender opera" in Colombia and more.

The White House also accused the agency of spending "hundreds of millions of dollars" on "irrigation canals, farming equipment, and even fertilizer used to support the unprecedented poppy cultivation and heroin production in Afghanistan," adding that this was "benefiting the Taliban."

At the end of its list, the White House noted that the highlighted examples were part of a longer list of projects.

"Under President Trump, the waste, fraud, and abuse ENDS NOW," the White House added.