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A diplomatic row that has strained bilateral relations between India and Canada for over a year has boiled over as the countries expelled each other’s top diplomats over the killing of a Sikh activist in Canada and allegations of other crimes.

Experts say the diplomatic standoff will make it difficult for both countries to move forward with a once-promising partnership, and could impact India’s ambitions as it tries to project itself as a rising world power.

INDIA DEMANDS CANADA TO RECALL 41 DIPLOMATS AMID DIPLOMATIC TENSIONS OVER SIKH LEADER'S KILLING

"India-Canada bilateral relations, which have been on a downslide since last year, will take a further hit which will take a long time to repair," said Praveen Donthi, senior analyst with the International Crisis Group.

Monday’s tit-for-tat expulsions came after Canada told India on Sunday that its top diplomat in the country is a person of interest in the 2023 assassination of Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, and that police have uncovered evidence of an intensifying campaign against Canadian citizens by agents of the Indian government.

Canadian Foreign Minister, Mélanie Joly also tied five other expelled Indian officials to Nijjar’s assassination and said Canada had gathered "ample, clear and concrete evidence which identified six individuals as persons of interest in the Nijjar case."

India foreign ministry rejected the accusations as absurd, and said it was expelling Canada’s acting high commissioner and five other diplomats in response.

New Delhi’s anxieties about Sikh separatist groups have long been a strain on its relationship with Canada, where some 2% of the population is Sikh. India has increasingly accused Justin Trudeau’s government of giving free rein to Sikh separatists from a once-strong movement to create an independent Sikh homeland known as Khalistan.

Nijjar was a local leader of the Khalistan movement, which is banned in India. India designated him a terrorist in 2020, and at the time of his death was seeking his arrest for alleged involvement in an attack on a Hindu priest in India.

Canadian police said Nijjar was shot as he was leaving the parking lot of the Sikh temple where he served as president in British Columbia on June 18, 2023. He suffered multiple gunshot wounds and died at the scene.

India’s foreign ministry in its statement Monday ascribed Canada’s allegations to the "political agenda of the Trudeau government." The Canadian leader faces national elections next year.

Michael Kugelman of the Wilson Center, an American think tank, said India's strong reaction is partly explained by how publicly Canada has made its accusations.

"New Delhi is extremely sensitive to any external criticism of its policies. And yet Canada isn’t only criticizing Indian policy. Its government, on the highest levels, is publicly voicing some of the most serious allegations that another government can make," he said.

Last year, in response to similar allegations made by Trudeau, India told Canada to remove 41 of its 62 diplomats in the country.

Kugelman said the relationship is on "life support right now" and India’s concerns about the Khalistan movement in Canada "is essentially holding the relationship hostage."

Canada is not the only country that has accused Indian officials of plotting an association on foreign soil.

Last year, U,S, prosecutors said an Indian government official directed a failed plot to assassinate another Sikh separatist leader in New York. The official was neither charged nor identified by name, but was described as a "senior field officer" with responsibilities in security management and intelligence.

New Delhi at the time expressed concern after the U.S. raised the issue and said India takes it seriously. On Monday, the U.S. State Department said in a statement that an Indian inquiry committee set up to investigate the plot would travel to Washington on Tuesday as part of its ongoing investigations.

Canada’s foreign minister on Monday noted that India is cooperating with U.S. officials but said it had refused to cooperate in the Canadian investigation.

Donthi said India’s diplomatic posturing against Canada was more aggressive because of the relatively low stakes.

"The U.S.-India relations also have a larger geopolitical framework and context, unlike India’s relations with Canada," Donthi said, adding that India's strong reaction was also meant to deliver a message to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's supporters at home.

"Any public criticism is anathema to the Indian government, which is personified Modi. Such aggressive reaction is aimed at the international community and, more importantly, at Modi’s domestic constituency," he said.

Yet, experts say the standoff could have ramifications for Modi's global ambitions as he seeks to cast India as a rising global power and grows closer to the U.S., which like India is watching China’s growing assertiveness with concern.

Donthi said the growing rift between India and Canada will also "impact the growing strategic understanding between the U.S. and Western democracies" that are wooing New Delhi as a counterweight to Beijing.

"The Canadian allegations against India come against the grain, as New Delhi has been enjoying a favorable external environment," Donthi said. "This will throw a spanner in the works for India’s great power ambitions."

In a symbolic display of anger, North Korea on Tuesday blew up the northern sections of unused road and rail routes that once linked it with South Korea, with the rivals exchanging threats days after the North claimed that the South flew drones over its capital Pyongyang.

The choreographed demolition underlines North Korea’s growing anger against South Korea’s conservative government. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has vowed to sever relations with South Korea and abandon the goal of achieving peaceful Korean unification.

NORTH KOREA SENDS WARNING TO SOUTH KOREA, SAYING TROOPS READY TO STRIKE IF MORE DRONES APPEAR

Observers say it’s unlikely Kim will launch a preemptive, large-scale attack on South Korea because of fear that an almost certain massive retaliation by the more superior forces of the United States and South Korea would threaten Pyongyang's survival.

In response to the explosions, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said its military fired warning shots within southern sections of the border as it bolstered its readiness and surveillance posture. The statement did not give details, but the move could have been an attempt to avert cross-border fire by North Korea.

South Korea’s Unification Ministry, which handles affairs with North Korea, separately condemned the North’s detonations as a "highly abnormal" and "regressive" measure that violates previous inter-Korean agreements.

Video provided by South Korea’s military showed a cloud of white and gray smoke emerging from the explosion at a road near the western border town of Kaesong. North Korean trucks and excavators could be seen clearing out debris. Another video showed smoke emerging from a coastal road near the eastern border.

During a previous era of inter-Korean detente in the 2000s, the two Koreas reconnected two pairs of road and rail links across their heavily fortified border — one pair called Gyeongui Line on the western portion and the other called Donghae Line on the eastern portion. But their operations were later suspended as the Koreas wrangled over North Korea’s nuclear program and other issues.

Parts of the road route on Gyeongui Line and parts of both road and rail routes on Donghae Line were destroyed Tuesday. North Korea has already removed ties and rails from the northern side of Gyeongui Line's rail track, according to the South Korean military.

North Korea has a history of staging the choreographed destruction of facilities on its own soil as a political message.

In 2020, North Korea blew up an empty, South Korean-built liaison office building just north of the border in retaliation for South Korean civilian leafleting campaigns. In 2018, North Korea demolished tunnels at its nuclear testing site at the start of nuclear diplomacy with the United States. In 2008, North Korea blew up a cooling tower at its main nuclear complex when earlier disarmament-for-aid negotiations with Washington and others were happening.

Destroying the road and rail links, mainly built with South Korean money, would be in line with leader Kim Jong Un’s order in January to abandon the goal of peaceful Korean unification and formally designate South Korea as the country’s "invariable principal enemy." That order surprised many outside North Korea watchers because it seemed to break from his predecessors’ long-cherished dreams of peacefully unifying the Korean Peninsula on the North’s terms.

Experts say Kim likely aims to diminish South Korea’s voice in the regional nuclear standoff and seek direct dealings with the United States. Kim may also hope to diminish South Korean cultural influence and bolster his family's dynastic rule at home.

North Korea has accused South Korea of infiltrating drones to drop propaganda leaflets over Pyongyang three times this month and threatened to respond with force if it happened again. South Korea has refused to confirm whether it sent drones but warned that North Korea would face the end of its regime if the safety of South Korean citizens is threatened.

Kim Yo Jong, the powerful sister of Kim Jong Un, said Tuesday that North Korea has secured unspecified clear evidence that South Korean "military gangsters" are behind the alleged drone flights. She warned that South Korea "will have to pay a dear price."

North Korea's state media reported Tuesday that Kim Jong Un laid out unspecified tasks related to "immediate military action" and the operation of his war deterrent during a meeting Monday. North Korea's military earlier threatened to turn South Korea into "piles of ashes," saying its frontline army units were ready to open fire.

The South Korean Unification Ministry said the cross-border roads and the rail links were built with South Korean materials and equipment worth $132.9 million provided in the form of loans, and the North is still obligated to pay back the aid.

Last week, North Korea said it would permanently block its border with South Korea and build front-line defense structures. South Korean officials said North Korea had been adding anti-tank barriers and laying mines along the border since earlier this year.

In recent years North Korea has performed a run of provocative missile tests, and South Korea and the United States have expanded military drills and cooperation.

Emergency crews in Russia rescued a man adrift at sea for more than two months in an inflatable boat, but his brother and nephew have died, officials said Tuesday.

According to the prosecutor's office in the far east of Russia, the man was rescued Monday in the Sea of Okhotsk after a fishing vessel spotted him off the Kamchaka Peninsula, the Associated Press reported. 

Russian news media identified the man as Mikhail Pichugin, 46, who in early August had set out on a whale-watching expedition with his 49-year-old brother and 15-year-old nephew. Their bodies were reportedly found in the boat when the Angel fishing vessel rescued Pichugin, per the AP.

Media reports said the three men traveled to the Shantar Islands off the northwestern shore of the Sea of Okhotsk in early August. They went missing after setting off for Sakhalin Island from Cape Perovsky in the Khabarovsk region on Aug. 9. A rescue effort was launched but failed to locate them.

ISRAEL REVEALS HEZBOLLAH SPECIAL FORCES TERRORIST ‘BUNKER’ LOCATED UNDER HOME WITH WEAPONS, MOTORCYCLES

The three men had only a small food ration and about 5.2 gallons of water when the boat's engine failed and they were left adrift, according to Russian media reports.

The crew of the fishing vessel did not immediately realize the blip on their radar was a boat but instead thought it might be a buoy or piece of junk, the news reports said. They were shocked when they used their spotlight and found a starving man in a boat.

Pichugin reportedly weighed just 110 pounds at the time of his rescue, having lost half of his body weight. 

HARRIS' OFF-PUTTING MANNER PUT ZELENSKYY ON DEFENSIVE AHEAD OF RUSSIAN INVASION, NEW BOOK REVEALS

He didn't immediately say how he managed to survive in the Sea of Okhotsk, the coldest sea in East Asia and known for its gales, or how his brother and nephew died. The crew of the ship that rescued Pichugin found their bodies tied to the boat to prevent them from being washed away by the sea, news reports said.

When Pichugin's boat was found, it was drifting about 11 nautical miles of Kamchatka's shore, about 540 nautical miles from their point of origin on the other side of the Sea of Okhotsk. 

Video released by the prosecutor's office showed an emaciated man desperately shouting "come here!" at his rescuers, the AP reported. 

VLADIMIR PUTIN MEETS WITH IRANIAN PRESIDENT PEZESHKIAN TO CELEBRATE ‘VERY CLOSE’ RELATIONSHIP

"I have no strength left," Pichugin told the rescue crew as they worked to get him to safety.

Prosecutors say they have opened an investigation into the incident and are eying charges related to safety rule violations that resulted in deaths.  

Pichugin was taken to an emergency care unit at the Magadan hospital, the AP reported. Chief doctor Yuri Lednev told reporters he was suffering from dehydration and hypothermia, but was in stable condition. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

The National Archaeological Museum in Athens, Greece, houses significant artifacts dating back thousands of years. The museum includes five main permanent collections, as well as temporary ones, for guests to explore during their visit. 

The museum was founded in 1829, originally headquartered in Aegina, the first capital of Greece, before being transferred to Athens in 1834, according to the National Archaeological Museum's website. 

Antiques were originally held in different buildings and monuments, before Eleni Tositsa donated land and the Bernardakis family sponsored the construction of the original building in 1866, which was designed by Ludwig Lange and saw modifications under Ernst Ziller, per the source. 

ARCHAEOLOGISTS UNEARTH UNEXPECTED FIND INSIDE A TOMB LIKELY BELONGING TO A ROMAN GLADIATOR

In 1889, the museum first opened its doors for visitors, according to the National Archaeological Museum's website. 

From 1932 to 1939, the National Archaeological Museum saw further expansion with the designs of George Nomikos, according to the museum's website.  

Then was the start of World War II. During this time, all the artifacts were put in boxes and placed underground for safekeeping, the source reports, with repair work commencing after the conclusion of the war. 

The National Archaeological Museum includes five main permanent collections; "Prehistoric Antiquities," "Sculpture Collection," "Vase and Minerals Collection," "Metallurgical Works Collection" and "Egyptian and Eastern Antiquities." 

THE 4,000 ITEMS IN THE STAFFORDSHIRE HOARD MAKE IT THE LARGEST COLLECTION IN HISTORY OF ITS KIND

Each of the collections is unique in the artifacts included and brings pieces of the past into the present. 

"Prehistoric Antiquities" includes work from the Neolithic period and the Bronze Age, from mainland Greece, the Aegean Islands and Troy, according to the museum's website. Notable pieces part of this collection include the royal tombs of Mycenae, Cycladic marble figurines as well as wall paintings of Thera, per the source. 

The "Sculpture Collection" is full of intricate sculptures dating from the 7th century B.C. up until the 5th century A.D., according to the National Archaeological Museum's website. 

The sculptures part of this collection include ones that have come from sanctuaries, necropolises as well as public buildings in Attica, Eastern Sterea Ellada, the Peloponnese and the Aegean Islands, according to the source. 

Additionally, there are pieces of sculpted art as part of this collection that have come from Thessaly, Western Greece, Macedonia, Thrace and Cyprus, the website notes. 

The "Vase and Minerals Collection" includes Greek ceramics from the 11th century B.C. up through the Roman Era, according to the National Archaeological Museum. 

Bronze works, heavily from excavations of the 19th and early 20th century make up the "Metallurgical Works Collection," according to the museum's website. 

As for "Egyptian and Eastern Antiquities," many pieces included have been thanks to donations from various donors, including Ioannis Dimitriou and Alexandros Rostovich. 

More donations were from the Greek Archaeological Society in 1894 as well as the government of Egypt in 1893. 

For more than four decades, the Iranian regime has meticulously constructed a "Ring of Fire" around Israel, employing various terror groups to extend its influence across the Middle East. However, recent military actions by Israel have begun to unravel this intricate network, indicating a potential turning point in the ongoing conflict.

Amnon Sofrin, former head of the Intelligence Directorate at Mossad, told Fox News Digital, "In central Tehran, there is a huge clock that was set up in 2015, showing how much time is left for Israel, indicating that by 2040, Israel should no longer exist. They have been preparing for this moment. Some of the Iran-backed militias conducted reconnaissance with Hezbollah in southern Lebanon and claimed they would assist once the [Israel Defense Forces] IDF entered Lebanon. 

"However," Sofrin added, "we are already inside Lebanon, and no pro-Iranian militia has yet provided help. Iran isn’t giving the order to its other proxies in the region to join the ground war—at least not yet."

While Tehran's other terror proxies have yet to engage directly in ground battles, they have demonstrated their "support" in other ways. Earlier this month, drones loaded with explosives were launched by pro-Iranian militias from Iraq against an Israeli military base in the Golan Heights, killing two Israeli soldiers and injuring 24. 

HEZBOLLAH'S NEIGHBORS: ISRAELI BORDER COMMUNITY UNDER CONSTANT ATTACK FROM TERROR GROUP

This is not the first time these pro-Iran militia groups in Iraq have claimed responsibility for attacks on Israel. In April, an unmanned aerial vehicle launched from Iraq infiltrated Israeli territory through Jordan and exploded on a structure at an IDF base in Eilat without being intercepted. "That was a sophisticated maneuver, sending it through Jordan to Eilat," said Sofrin, "showing their high capabilities."

In Iraq, the Popular Mobilization Forces consist of approximately 25 to 30 Shiite militias that emerged in response to ISIS. These groups have served as Iran's boots on the ground, reinforcing its foothold in both Iraq and Syria.

Professor Uzi Rabi, director of the Moshe Dayan Center for Middle Eastern Studies at Tel Aviv University, explains, "The ones benefiting from ISIS's defeat are the pro-Iranian militias. Iraqi militias number around 60,000 to 70,000 individuals, making them a formidable force. This contingent is supported by the Shiite regime in Iraq and is woven into the fabric of the state, possessing military capabilities that extend beyond being mere militias; like Hezbollah in Lebanon, they are more than just a faction."

1 YEAR AFTER HEZBOLLAH STRIKES, ISRAEL REINFORCES TROOPS AND QUESTIONS MOUNT OVER ‘LIMITED’ OPERATION

Rabi pointed out another concerning development. "There is a process of rapprochement between the Houthis in Yemen and the militias in Iraq; the Houthis have opened a liaison office in Baghdad and are training there. 

"There are reports that the Houthis have already sent a forward unit to southern Syria, consisting of experts in operating missiles and rockets, to assist in training the militias in southern Syria to operate these systems. The Houthis are recruiting many people and training various militias, which could lead to their presence in Iraq or southern Syria, from where they might attack Israel and American forces in the region, either physically or through missiles."

"Iran is deploying forces, and it is possible that the pro-Iranian militias in Iraq and Syria will join in targeting Israel," Rabi elaborated, "However, I believe that the Iraqi arena serves more as a facilitator; its function is to create an Iranian corridor from one side of the region to the other, facilitating logistical capabilities and weaponry to the focal point, which is Hezbollah."

"We still have an open bill with the Iran-backed Iraqi militias," said Avner Golov, former senior director of Israel’s National Security Council. "They killed two of our soldiers, and I will criticize Israel for not retaliating. I cannot imagine that if it were American soldiers, America would not have retaliated." 

IRAN'S NATIONAL AIRLINER ACCUSED OF FLYING WEAPONS TO BEIRUT AIRPORT FOR TERROR PROXY HEZBOLLAH: REPORT

In Syria, three brigades of militias operate under Iranian guidance: the Fatemiyoun Brigade, populated by Afghan mercenaries; Liwa' Zaynabiyun, composed of Pakistani mercenaries; and Imam Ali, comprising fighters from other Muslim countries. Each soldier is paid about $500 to $800 a month.

"These are individuals who are either criminals who will be freed in exchange for enlisting in the Iranian war effort or members of their families who are being kidnapped or seeking some form of patronage," explained Rabi. 

"It is a steady practice that we have seen throughout the years adopted by Iran," Rabi added, "demonstrating how tyrannical and cruel Iran can be as it capitalizes on the sorrow and agony of people in these failed states."

So far, the militias in Syria have served mostly as operators of the corridor for arms from Iran and as a logistical hub. Earlier this month, the IDF bombed the Al Mazna border crossing between Lebanon and Syria, a central passage used to transfer weapons from Iran.

"We have intelligence capabilities that allow us to monitor events and neutralize threats before they occur," said Sofrin. "There was an attack in Syria … near an airport held by the Russians for 49 years, called Khmeimim, which is located near a weapons depot intended for transfer to Lebanon. Despite the proximity of the Russians, Israel attacked it, destroying the systems."

As Israel intensifies its military operations, several scenarios may unfold. Sofrin warns of the potential for escalated hostilities if Iranian terror proxies are activated. "While these groups are ready to attack, they await orders from Iran, which complicates the situation," adding that "the potential for these groups to engage in sporadic attacks against American forces in the Middle East adds another layer of complexity."

Looking ahead, the Iranian "Ring of Fire" faces unprecedented challenges. As Sofrin asserts, "We are beginning to change the equation in the Middle East," highlighting the necessity for ongoing pressure on Iranian proxies to prevent them from regrouping.

As winter approaches, operational challenges in Lebanon will increase, limiting the effectiveness of military responses. However, Golov believes that a renewed focus on dismantling the Iranian axis is essential, and the way to do it is by sending a clear message to Bashar al-Assad. 

"If Assad collaborates with Iran, if he continues to serve as an Iranian tool, he’s the next target. He must understand that he risks his regime," Golov said, emphasizing that this pressure could compel Assad to reconsider his alliances with Iran, impacting the broader Iranian strategy in the region.

The Pentagon announced on Tuesday that the first components of a U.S. missile defense system aimed at protecting Israel from attacks by Iran have arrived in the Middle East and that it will be "fully operational" soon. 

Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said on Monday, "an advance team of U.S. military personnel and initial components necessary to operate the Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery arrived in Israel. 

"Over the coming days, additional U.S. military personnel and THAAD battery components will continue to arrive in Israel," he continued. "The battery will be fully operational capable in the near future, but for operations security reasons we will not discuss timelines. 

"The deployment of the THAAD battery to Israel underscores the United States' commitment to the defense of Israel and to defend Americans in Israel from any ballistic missile attacks by Iran," Ryder added. 

US TO DEPLOY MISSILE DEFENSE SYSTEM, MILITARY PERSONNEL TO ISRAEL 

The deployment comes after Iran and its proxy terrorist groups launched massive waves of missiles against Israel earlier this year in April and again on Oct. 1.  

THAAD has previously been deployed to Israel in 2019, but only for an exercise, Pentagon officials say. 

DEADLY ISRAEL SHOOTING RULED A TERRORIST ATTACK 

"It is part of the broader adjustments the U.S. military has made in recent months, to support the defense of Israel and protect Americans from attacks by Iran and Iranian-aligned militias," the Pentagon said in a statement on Sunday. 

Around 100 U.S. troops are being sent to Israel to operate the THAAD system. 

President Biden was asked why he approved the deployment on Sunday, and he replied by saying "To defend Israel." 

Fox News’ Anders Hagstrom contributed to this report. 

One person was killed and four others were injured in a shooting near Ashdod, Israel, that has now been deemed a terrorist attack Tuesday.

Authorities say an assailant opened fire on a police officer in the area before turning his weapons on civilians. The police officer died of his wounds while being transported to a nearby hospital. The attacker was killed by an armed civilian.

At least one of the injured civilians was considered to be in moderate condition. Volunteer EMTs were the first to respond to the scene, and they offered a public statement describing the situation.

"We provided initial treatment at the scene and performed CPR on a 30-year-old man in critical condition," EMTs said. "We were also told that other first responders and a United Hatzalah ambulance team treated at two additional locations a person in light to moderate condition who was transported to the hospital by the United Hatzalah ambulance, and a lightly injured man."

IDF MEETS LITTLE RESISTANCE FROM HEZBOLLAH AFTER WEEKS OF HITTING TERROR TARGETS, OFFICIALS SAY

"It was also reported that another driver was injured by shards of glass and continued driving to the Nir Galim intersection," the EMTs said.

US TO DEPLOY MISSILE DEFENSE SYSTEM, MILITARY PERSONNEL TO ISRAEL

Another local hospital, the Kaplan Medical Center, reported receiving a 37-year-old man who was injured in the incident, according to the Jerusalem Post.

The shooting comes one day after Israeli authorities announced four Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers were killed and nearly 60 people were wounded in a drone strike on a military base in Binyamina, Israel. The Lebanon-based Hezbollah militant group has claimed responsibility for the attack, according to reports.

AMERICAN FATHER OF HAMAS HOSTAGE ITAY CHEN PUSHES US, ISRAEL ON ‘PLAN B’ AS NEGOTIATIONS FALTER

On Sunday, as Israelis were celebrating Yom Kippur, there was another drone strike in a Tel Aviv suburb that damaged the area but did not cause any injuries.

Sunday’s strike came the same day the U.S. said it would send a new air-defense system to Israel to increase protection from missiles.

"The THAAD Battery will augment Israel’s integrated air defense system. This action underscores the United States’ ironclad commitment to the defense of Israel, and to defend Americans in Israel, from any further ballistic missile attacks by Iran. It is part of the broader adjustments the U.S. military has made in recent months, to support the defense of Israel and protect Americans from attacks by Iran and Iranian-aligned militias," the Pentagon said in a statement.

Fox News' Greg Wehner contributed to this report.

Democrat 'Squad' member Rashida Tlaib is now calling Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a "genocidal maniac," prompting a sharp rebuke from the country’s ambassador to the United Nations. 

"Genocidal maniac Netanyahu is burning Palestinians alive, bombing hospitals, starving people, and killing aid workers," the Michigan representative wrote Monday night in a post on X. 

"When will our country stop funding this madness? When?" she added. 

Israeli ambassador to the U.N. Danny Danon responded to her by writing "The only ones who burned children alive were your buddies over at Hamas." 

ISRAELI FORCES SEIZE DOCUMENTS THAT REVEAL HAMAS PLAN FOR MORE ELABORATE ATTACKS: REPORT 

Tlaib is one of Netanyahu’s fiercest critics in Washington. 

Last week, she wrote on X "The war crimes being committed by the government of Israel are being funded by our own country while families at home suffer from displacement due to hurricanes and growing poverty. Our country is obsessed with war and destruction." 

When the Israeli prime minister delivered a speech to a joint session of Congress in July, she silently protested for much of it, holding up a double-sided sign that read "guilty of genocide" on one side and "war criminal" on the other. 

ISRAEL REVEALS HEZBOLLAH SPECIAL FORCES TERRORIST ‘BUNKER’ LOCATED UNDER HOME WITH WEAPONS, MOTORCYCLES 

Fox News Digital observed a member of the House sergeant-at-arms' staff speaking to Tlaib multiple times during the speech, after which she put the sign down. 

Prior to Netanyahu’s July 24 address, Tlaib released a statement saying "Netanyahu is a war criminal committing genocide against the Palestinian people.  

"It is utterly disgraceful that leaders from both parties have invited him to address Congress. He should be arrested and sent to the International Criminal Court," she said at the time. 

Fox News’ Alexander Hall contributed to this report. 

Israel’s military says it has found a Hezbollah compound stocked with weapons and motorcycles underneath a home in a Lebanese border village where the terrorist group’s special forces unit was planning another major attack on Israelis. 

Israel Defense Forces Spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said in a video posted Monday that the bunker, discovered only a few miles away from Israel’s border, was set up for Hezbollah’s Radwan Forces to "do a raid into Israel and do a larger scale of massacre than the 7th of October." 

"They were planning with the motorcycles here to go ... to villages and positions inside Israel and conduct a massacre," Hagari said. 

"They were only here a couple of days ago. In those beds with those weapons here," he added. "We found fresh coffee and food here in this compound." 

HEZBOLLAH DRONE ATTACK IN ISRAEL KILLS MULTIPLE IDF SOLDIERS, WOUNDS DOZENS OF PEOPLE: REPORTS 

Footage released by the IDF shows weapons and ammunition strewn across beds inside the underground facility. 

On one of its walls was a large portrait of former Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed recently in Beirut by an Israeli airstrike. 

Hagari described Nasrallah as a "ruthless terrorist that we eliminated that is responsible for the deaths of many people, not just Israelis – Germans, Americans, French and others." 

"The world is a better place without Hezbollah. The world is a better place without Nasrallah," Hagari added. 

"All of our enemies should know whether they are close or far away in Iran, they should know we are determined to supply security and safety to our citizens," he also said. 

HOW A US-BACKED UN RESOLUTION FAILED TO STOP HEZBOLLAH TERROR TAKEOVER 

At the start of October, Hagari had said that "Hezbollah has openly declared that it plans to carry out its own October 7th massacre on Israel's northern border, but on an even larger scale. They call this plan ‘Conquer the Galilee." 

"To make sure that Hezbollah can never carry out such an attack and in order to enable all 60,000 Israelis to safely return back to their homes in northern Israel, the IDF is taking action," he added at the time. 

During a series of military operations, IDF Special Forces "entered into Hezbollah compounds in dozens of locations along the border with Israel, collected intelligence, dismantled Hezbollah's weapons and terrorist infrastructures. Our soldiers entered Hezbollah's underground infrastructures, exposed Hezbollah's hidden weapon caches, and seized and destroyed the weapons, including advanced Iranian-made weapons," Hagari said. 

The father of a 10-year-old girl who was found dead in England called U.K. police after fleeing to Pakistan to admit that he had killed his daughter, prosecutors said Monday.

Urfan Sharif, 42, is on trial at London's Central Criminal Court on allegations he, his partner Beinash Batool and his brother Faisal Malik murdered Sara Sharif, according to The Associated Press.

Prosecutor William Emlyn Jones said all three defendants played a part in a "campaign of abuse" against Sara in the weeks leading up to her death.

Police found Sara's body under a blanket in a bunk bed at her home in Woking, which is located southwest of London, on Aug. 10, 2023, with dozens of injuries, including extensive bruising, burns and fractures. The child died of unnatural causes, according to a post-mortem examination.

BUS FILLED WITH WEDDING GUESTS PLUNGES INTO A RAVINE, KILLING 7

Jones said law enforcement learned of Sara's death after her father called U.K. police from Pakistan and said: "I've killed my daughter. I legally punished her, and she died." 

He also told the phone operator he did not intend to kill her, but he had "beat her up too much," the prosecutor said.

Urfan Sharif, Batool and Malik fled the U.K. for the Pakistani capital of Islamabad on Aug. 9.

Police in Pakistan located the three suspects following a search and subsequently sent them to the U.K., where they were arrested upon landing at London’s Gatwick Airport. They were held in prison as they awaited trial.

Jones said the three suspects had lived in the same house as Sara and that it was "inconceivable" that only one of them was responsible for the girl's death.

The prosecutor said each of the suspects attempted to blame the others for the killing. Urfan Sharif had claimed that Batool, who is Sara's stepmother, was responsible for the girl's death and that he made a false confession to protect her.

UK PREACHER WHO WAS ARRESTED IN FREE SPEECH CORNER WHILE DEBATING ISLAM WINS DAMAGES FROM POLICE

A recording of a phone call made on the evening of Aug. 8, 2023, the day Sara was believed to have been killed, was played for the jury. In the recording, Batool can be heard asking about booking a flight to Islamabad for four adults and four children.

The three suspects deny murdering Sara or causing or allowing the girl's death.

The trial is expected to continue until December.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Years before Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023 and started the latest war in the region, the terror group plotted other assaults, including a scheme to blow up a skyscraper in Tel Aviv while pressuring Iran to assist in its battle against the Jewish state, according to documents found by Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip, the Washington Post reported.

The documents seized from Hamas command centers uncovered planning for the attacks using trains, boats and even horse-drawn chariots, according to the newspaper. The 59 pages of documents include an illustrated presentation detailing possible options for an attack as well as letters from Hamas to Iran’s top leaders in 2021 requesting hundreds of millions of dollars in funding and training for 12,000 additional Hamas fighters.

"Hamas is so determined to wipe Israel and the Jewish people off the map that it managed to drag Iran into direct conflict — under conditions that Iran wasn’t prepared for," an Israeli security official who has reviewed the letters and planning documents told the Post. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive documents seized by Israeli forces in Gaza.

IRAN MAKING BILLIONS IN OIL REVENUES DESPITE SANCTIONS 

The move to release the documents comes as Israel could possibly retaliate against Iran after the Islamic Republic launched nearly 200 missiles on Oct. 1 in response to the killing of Hasan Nasrallah, the leader of Lebanon’s Hezbollah terrorist group. 

In the letters written in 2021, Hamas’s Gaza leader Yahya Sinwar appeals to several senior Iranian officials, including the country’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, for additional financial and military support, pledging that, with Iran’s backing, he could destroy Israel completely in two years.

IDF MEETS LITTLE RESISTANCE FROM HEZBOLLAH AFTER WEEKS OF HITTING TERROR TARGETS, OFFICIALS SAY

"We promise you that we will not waste a minute or a penny unless it takes us toward achieving this sacred goal," states a June 2021 letter with apparent signatures by Sinwar as well as five other Hamas officials.

Iran initially declined to directly involve itself in the war between Hamas and Israel after Oct. 7. However, the conflict has expanded as its proxies continue to attack Israel on multiple fronts. 

In a statement to Fox News Digital, the Permanent Mission of the Islamic Republic of Iran accused Israel of spreading false information. 

"We regard the Israeli regime as a mendacious criminal, anti-human entity and place no credence in their illusions," a spokesman for the mission said. "They have a long history of spreading falsehoods, fabricating already-counterfeit documents, and conducting deceptive psychological operations."

US TO DEPLOY MISSILE DEFENSE SYSTEM, MILITARY PERSONNEL TO ISRAEL

Some plans seized by the Israel Defense Forces include a computer slide presentation showing a Hamas outpost in northern Gaza with options and scenarios for attacking Israel, with targets ranging from military command centers to shopping malls.

Another described plans to destroy the Moshe Aviv Tower, a 70-story building in Tel Aviv that is Israel’s second tallest, as well as the Azrieli Center complex, which comprises three skyscrapers, a large shopping mall, train station and a cinema, according to the Post report. 

"Working to find a mechanism to destroy the tower," the plan states. 

Other plans of attack included targeting Israel's rail system and resurrecting horse-drawn carriages of antiquity as conveyances for fighters and weapons, the report said. 

JERUSALEM- Israeli Ambassador to the U.N. Danny Danon on Sunday accused the United Nations Interim Force In Lebanon (UNIFIL) of failing to enforce its mission to prevent the U.S.-designated terrorist movement Hezbollah from establishing military outposts on the border with Israel.

Israel’s incursion into southern Lebanon has revealed a military outpost about a mere 300 yards north of the border with the Jewish state that is filled with explosives and mines, according to Israel Defense Forces (IDF).

"Hezbollah terrorists are using UNIFIL outposts as hiding places and as places of ambushes. The U.N.'s insistence on keeping the UNIFIL soldiers in the line of fire is incomprehensible," said Danon. 

HEZBOLLAH BIGGER CHALLENGE THAN HAMAS TO ISRAEL: ‘CROWN JEWEL IN THE IRANIAN EMPIRE OF TERROR’

He added "For 18 years, UNIFIL personnel ignored the Hezbollah bases along the border and did not report any Resolution 1701 violations, which states that only the Lebanese army is allowed to operate in the area."

Danon continued that "While the IDF is working against the terrorist organization Hezbollah, we requested that UNIFIL forces move five kilometers (approx 3.1 miles) north of the border in order to stay out of the line of fire. Unfortunately, at this time, this request has not been accepted."

The U.S. and other world powers passed Resolution 1701 at the United Nations Security Council in 2006 to aid the Lebanese Armed Forces in assuming military control over the region, replacing Hezbollah, between the Litani River and the southern border in Lebanon. The goal of the 2006 UNIFIL mandate was to prevent a third war between Israel and the U.S.-designated terrorist organization Hezbollah. Israel fought Hezbollah in 1982 and in the summer of 2006.

Hezbollah’s decision to join Hamas’ war on Israel a day after the Sunni terrorist movement Hamas invaded Israel on Oct. 7 revealed to Israeli war planners and counter-terrorism experts UNIFIL had failed its mission.

Hamas slaughtered nearly 1,200 people in southern Israel on Oct. 7, including over 30 Americans. A lethal Hezbollah drone attack on Sunday murdered four IDF soldiers and wounded nearly 60 Israelis.

Hezbollah’s massive military buildup of its presence on Israel’s northern border since the 2006 war has caused an Israeli government re-examination of the clear and present danger of the Iranian-backed Shiite terrorist movement following Hamas’ invasion of Israel’s southern border on Oct. 7.

ISRAEL DEGRADES IRAN-BACKED HEZBOLLAH TERRORISTS IN SPECTACULAR PAGER EXPLOSION OPERATION: EXPERTS

The IDF said in a statement that "Over the past month, approximately 25 rockets and missiles have been launched at Israeli communities and IDF troops from Hezbollah’s terrorist compounds embedded near UNIFIL posts in southern Lebanon, exploiting their proximity to U.N. forces. One of the attacks resulted in the deaths of two IDF soldiers. Hezbollah uses compounds located above and below ground to carry out terrorist attacks against the State of Israel."

UNIFIL issued a statement on Sunday, announcing, "Early this morning, peacekeepers at a U.N. position in Ramyah observed three platoons of IDF soldiers crossing the Blue Line into Lebanon. At around 4:30 a.m., while peacekeepers were in shelters, two IDF Merkava tanks destroyed the position’s main gate and forcibly entered the position. They requested multiple times that the base turn out its lights. The tanks left about 45 minutes later after UNIFIL protested through our liaison mechanism, saying that IDF presence was putting peacekeepers in danger."

UNIFIL added "peacekeepers at the same position reported the firing of several rounds 100 meters north, which emitted smoke. Despite putting on protective masks, fifteen peacekeepers suffered effects, including skin irritation and gastrointestinal reactions, after the smoke entered the camp. The peacekeepers are receiving treatment."

Danon said "The details of the incident involving UNIFIL soldiers in southern Lebanon are currently being investigated. In the coming days, we will continue to promote a dialogue on this issue with the relevant parties at the UN."

When Fox News Digital approached UNIFIL spokesman Andrea Tenenti for a comment about Danon’s criticism, Tenenti did not immediately respond.

Over the weekend, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called on UNIFIL to withdraw its troops from southern Lebanon because they are being used as "human shields" to advance the Iranian regime-backed Hezbollah war machinery.

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Speaking in Hebrew, Netanyahu told the U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres, "It is time for you to withdraw UNIFIL from Hezbollah strongholds and from the areas of combat."

Stéphane Dujarric, spokesman for the secretary-general, said "Against the backdrop of the ongoing hostilities in southern Lebanon and despite attacks that have hit United Nations positions, injuring a number of peacekeepers in the past several days, UNIFIL peacekeepers remain in all positions and the U.N. flag continues to fly."

Dujarric added that "The Secretary-General reiterates that the safety and security of U.N. personnel and property must be guaranteed and that the inviolability of U.N. premises must be respected at all times without qualification. In a deeply worrying incident that occurred today, the entrance door of a U.N. position was deliberately breached by IDF armored vehicles."

The U.N. chief called "on all parties, including the IDF, to refrain from any and all actions that put our peacekeepers at risk. The Secretary-General takes the opportunity to reiterate the call for a cessation of hostilities and the full implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701."

Guterres did not address that the Hezbollah tunnel shafts discovered by the IDF were located a mere 300 feet away from a UNIFIL peacekeeping observation post, as well as the presence of other Hezbollah military installations in a zone that was required by UNSC 1701 to be free from Hezbollah explosives and armaments. The elaborate Hezbollah tunnels were found west of the Lebanese village of Labbouneh.

The United Nations Security Council will once again discuss the situation in Lebanon later on Monday.

China launched a record-breaking number of military aircraft Monday in exercises surrounding Taiwan that are aimed at warning the country against independence, officials say. 

Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense says the 125 Chinese military aircraft are the most that it has counted in a single day. The Ministry added that 90 of the aircraft, including warplanes, helicopters and drones, were spotted within Taiwan’s air defense identification zone. 

China’s Defense Ministry said the drills were a response to the Taiwanese president’s refusal to accept Beijing’s demand that self-governed Taiwan acknowledge itself as a part of the People’s Republic of China under the rule of the Communist Party. 

The military operation comes four days after Taiwan celebrated the founding of its government on its National Day, with Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te saying in a speech that China has no right to represent Taiwan and declaring his commitment to "resist annexation or encroachment." 

CHINESE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN STUDENTS CHARGED AFTER ALLEGEDLY SPYING ON MILITARY BASE 

"The United States is seriously concerned by the People’s Liberation Army joint military drills in the Taiwan Strait and around Taiwan," State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a statement. "The PRC response with military provocations to a routine annual speech is unwarranted and risks escalation. 

"We call on the PRC to act with restraint and to avoid any further actions that may undermine peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and in the broader region, which is essential to regional peace and prosperity and a matter of international concern," he added. "We continue to monitor PRC activities and coordinate with allies and partners regarding our shared concerns." 

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning slammed Taiwanese independence during a briefing last Friday, saying, "I would like to stress that ‘Taiwan independence’ is as incompatible with peace of the Taiwan Strait as fire with water." 

"The Lai Ching-te authorities’ attempt to reject reunification through the use of force is futile. No matter how many weapons they buy, they cannot stop the historical trend toward China’s reunification," she also said. 

TAIWANESE PEOPLE READY TO FIGHT AS CHINA RAMPS UP AGGRESSION, AMBASSADOR SAYS 

A map aired on China’s state broadcaster CCTV showed six large blocks encircling Taiwan indicating where the military drills were being held, along with circles drawn around Taiwan’s outlying islands. China's Defense Ministry has not said how long the drills will last. 

China deployed its Liaoning aircraft carrier for the drills, and CCTV showed a J-15 fighter jet taking off from the deck of the carrier, though the exact location of the ship is unclear. 

China's People's Liberation Army's Eastern Theater Command spokesperson Senior Captain Li Xi said the navy, army air force and missile corps were all mobilized for the drills, which were an integrated operation, according to the Associated Press. 

Taiwan's Defense Ministry said it deployed warships to designated spots in the ocean to carry out surveillance and stand ready. It also deployed mobile missile and radar groups on land to track the vessels at sea. 

"Our military will definitely deal with the threat from China appropriately," Joseph Wu, secretary-general of Taiwan's security council, said Monday at a forum in Taipei, according to the AP. "Threatening other countries with force violates the basic spirit of the United Nations Charter to resolve disputes through peaceful means." 

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

JOHANNESBURG - In what is described by some as electioneering and a last-minute attempt to leave a legacy, some observers say President Biden and his administration’s officials are making renewed efforts at trying to end "the largest humanitarian and displacement crisis in the world today," the war in Sudan. 

With the United Nations reporting some 25 million in desperate need of aid, and up to 150,000 said to have been killed since fighting broke out last year, and now agencies, including Health Policy Watch reporting that "over half of Sudan’s citizens face acute hunger," some analysts say it’s a classic case of too little, too late. 

"The Administration is making an 11th hour attempt to put the situation on a better footing, not least because the humanitarian situation is so desperate," Cameron Hudson told Fox News Digital. Hudson, former director for African affairs at the National Security Council during the George W. Bush administration, and now senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, added, "There could be 2 million Sudanese dead from famine by the time he (Biden) leaves office."

WORLD FORGETS ‘CATASTROPHIC’ WAR IN SUDAN AS RUSSIA, IRAN, OTHERS REPORTEDLY FEED FIGHTING WITH ARMS

"Biden’s promises to Africa about elevating its importance on the global stage will ring even more hollow if he does not quickly take meaningful action to address this calamitous situation before he departs office," Hudson stated.

Each of the 11 million Sudanese said by the U.N. to have been ripped from their homes – in diplomatic speak, to have been displaced – has their own horror story. 

Katie Striffolino, director of policy and advocacy for Mercy Corps, told Fox News Digital, "I met a mother who had given birth while she was being displaced in the back of a pickup truck with no medical care. She was with her newborn in an informal displacement site with no food or water. She was unable to breastfeed her infant who was visibly hungry because she didn’t have enough nutrition to produce breastmilk."

Mercy Corps is a global aid agency working in nine of Sudan’s 18 states, but Striffolino added that often aid workers are forced to stand by and watch empty-handed, as aid often can’t get through. "We can physically reach these people – and they are still starving to death. This indicates massive aid blockages that are manmade."

The paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), who have been fighting the government’s Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) for 18 months, have been accused of blocking or diverting much of the aid coming into the country. 

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An example of this comes from aid agency Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), which reported from North Darfur’s Zamzam camp that it "is under a blockade, with no essential supplies or food reaching its residents." Zamzam is home to between 300,000 to 500,000 displaced people.

Sudan researcher Eric Reeves told Fox News Digital, "The people of Zamzam camp are desperate to see the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and their allied Arab militias defeated, thereby creating security conditions that would allow humanitarian convoys to reach them. Children are starving to death now; malnourished mothers have stopped lactating and are much more vulnerable. Older people are also dying from malnutrition and disease."

Last month, while addressing the U.N. General Assembly, President Biden warned "stop blocking aid to the Sudanese people," adding, "The world needs to stop arming the generals, to speak with one voice and tell them: Stop tearing your country apart. End this war now."

Vice President Kamala Harris echoed Biden's words in a statement on X, where she also called for an end to the conflict, noting in part, "We stand with the Sudanese people and their right to a peaceful future."

But the CSIS’s Hudson claims that though these were strong words, Biden had been silent publicly on Sudan for well over a year. He told Fox News Digital "that plea came more than 15 months after the last time he referenced the conflict publicly, hardly a demonstration of consistent engagement with the world’s largest conflict."

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

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken taped a video message late last week for the people of Sudan, in which he said, "The whole world has been united in calling for an end to this conflict, and insisting on a negotiated solution. "

"Our support for the Sudanese people is steadfast, as they work to demand an end to conflict and develop a process to resume the stalled political transition," a State Department spokesperson told Fox News Digital. "We continue to reiterate that there is no military solution to the crisis in Sudan. We continue to be deeply concerned about the ongoing fighting in Khartoum, El Fasher, and elsewhere between the RSF and the SAF, which continues to kill civilians and destroy civilian infrastructure.

"The United States and our regional and international partners are unified in calling for the parties to immediately end fighting in Sudan and for the SAF and RSF to adhere to their obligations under international humanitarian law and respect human rights… and allow unhindered cross-border and cross-line humanitarian access to meet the emergency needs of civilians."  

The spokesperson concluded, "The United States continues to be the largest donor of humanitarian aid to the Sudan response, providing more than $2 billion in humanitarian assistance, including protection, food aid, and other lifesaving support, since the start of Fiscal Year 2023 for needs in Sudan and neighboring countries."

But with the U.S. clearly still pushing peace talks, which have yet to be effective, Hudson referred to the warring combatants in Sudan and told Fox News Digital, "It is clear that neither side has any interest in political talks right now, as much as we want to have them. The administration would be wise to focus its efforts on increasing humanitarian access and saving as many lives as possible before it leaves office, rather than devoting its precious little attention to talks that are not likely to amount to genuine change on the ground."

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Mercy Corps’ Striffolino added there’s a risk of hundreds of thousands of preventable deaths in Sudan: "Children are starving, and they do not have the privilege to wait for the international community to act."

She continued, "People in Sudan are being starved to death, and it's entirely preventable. Conflict parties must stop attacking aid workers, civilians, and vital infrastructure, and allow humanitarian staff to deliver lifesaving aid across the country." 

In Sudan now, there are also widespread disease outbreaks, including cholera, malaria, dengue fever, measles and rubella. The U.N.’s children’s agency UNICEF states that 3.4 million children under the age of 5 are at high risk from epidemic diseases.

Hudson added, "It’s never too late to have an impact. There are a number of things Biden should do before he leaves office to prevent the parties (in Sudan) from rehabilitating their images so that they can reinvent themselves as legitimate political figures. That means supporting an International Criminal Court (ICC) indictment and sanctioning the leadership of both organizations. These moves would hang around their necks well after Biden is gone."

It’s been nearly two years since Biden stood smiling and making promises with African leaders at a Washington summit to re-engage with the continent, and elevate the partnership between the administration and Africa.

But Hudson concludes, "Ultimately, it is less the Biden administration’s policies toward Africa that will be judged, than the gap between those policies and the expectations the administration set. But the problem with unmet expectations is that they sting more than promises never made. This may be the most important lesson Biden’s successor can apply to Africa."

The International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) launched a new campaign last week seeking the public's help solving 46 cold cases of women whose bodies were found in Europe between 1982 and 2021.

Interpol’s goal through the "Identify me" campaign is to solve 46 cold cases in which the victims, all women, were found dead in six European countries, including France, Spain, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany.

"Despite extensive police investigations, these women were never identified, and evidence suggests that some of them could have come from other countries," Interpol said in a press release. "Who they are, where they are from and why they were in these countries is unknown."

Interpol issued a Black Notice for each victim, and while the alerts are for police only, Interpol released extracts of the notices for the public to review.

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Along with the extracts, there are details about each case, including facial reconstruction images, with hope that someone may be able to recognize them and help determine the circumstances that led to their death.

One of the cases, for example, is called "The woman in the well," which roots back to Aug. 6, 1991.

MASSACHUSETTS MAN ARRESTED IN 36-YEAR-OLD COLD CASE AFTER SPIT ON SIDEWALK LINKS HIM TO MURDER OF WOMAN

That day, a woman estimated to be between 30 and 55 years old was found in a rainwater well in Holsbeek, Belgium.

Police say the woman was wearing a beige/brown knitted cardigan, a t-shirt with black vertical stripes, an image of two surfers and three palm trees with text reading, "sun-surf-sea," and dark plaid shorts.

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Police also said the woman’s body may have been in the well for up to two years before it was discovered.

Another case called, "The body in the bog," was opened on Oct. 14, 2001, when the body of a woman between the ages of 20 and 30 was found in a bog in the Worringen quarter of Cologne, Germany.

Police said the woman is presumed to have had a dark complexion and had black hair with interwoven artificial hair.

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Her body was discovered by a mushroom picker, and it is suspected of being there for at least four months prior to its discovery, though police added it may have been there for up to four years.

Experts reconstructed the woman’s face in April 2002, to get an idea of how the woman may have looked at the time of her death.

For each case on the website, police have a link that people can click to contact Interpol and the police agency of the particular country where the body was found.

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"We need you to help us resolve these cold cases," Interpol Secretary General Jürgen Stock said in a post on X. "Our goal is to identify these deceased women and bring answers to families."

North Korea announced Sunday that army units are prepared to launch strikes against South Korea, after its neighbor to the south flew drones over Pyongyang and dropped leaflets.

The Associated Press reported that South Korea has refused to confirm if it sent drones into North Korea but warned it would punish North Korea if the people of South Korea are threatened.

According to North Korea, South Korea flew drones into its country three times and dropped propaganda leaflets over the capital city of Pyongyang. North Korean officials warned if it happens again, they will respond with force.

State media reported Sunday that the North’s Defense Ministry said its military issued a preliminary operation order to artillery and other units near the border of South Korea to be prepared to "open fire."

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A spokesperson for the ministry who remained unidentified said North Korea’s military ordered units to fully prepare for situations in which they may need to launch immediate strikes on unspecified enemy targets, if South Korea sends drones across the border again, according to the statement.

The spokesperson also said "grave tough-and-go military tensions are prevailing on the Korean Peninsula" due to the south’s drone flights.

In another statement on Sunday, the spokesperson said South Korea "might turn into piles of ashes" after North Korea’s powerful attack.

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North Korea is no stranger to issuing such fiery and blistering rhetoric when tensions between it and South Korea and the U.S. become elevated.

Relations between North and South Korea have been tense since a U.S.-led diplomacy to end North Korea’s nuclear program disintegrated in 2019.

Since then, North Korea has pushed to expand its nuclear arsenal and has repeatedly threatened to attack South Korea and the U.S. with nuclear weapons.

TOP RUSSIAN OFFICIAL LANDS IN IRAN AMID US, UK CONCERNS OVER ALLEGED NUCLEAR DEAL

Experts, though, say it is unlikely North Korea will launch a full-blown attack because the U.S. and South Korean forces outpace the north’s military.

Last Week, North Korea said it would permanently block its border with South Korea and build front-line defense structures to cope with "confrontational hysteria" by South Korean and U.S. forces.

Last month, North Korea launched more than 160 balloons carrying trash across the southern border.

Inside the balloons were paper, plastic bottles and other household garbage, which were found in parts of Gyeonggi Province, which surrounds the capital of Seoul.

Earlier in September, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said it detected about 420 balloons that the north allegedly launched into South Korea.

The trash bundle is the latest tit-for-tat between the two Koreas, which have been engaging in Cold War-style tactics since earlier this year, with the North having flown thousands of balloons toward the South, filled with wastepaper, cloth scraps, cigarette butts and even manure. 

North Korea says the balloons are in retaliation against South Korean civilian activists who fly anti-North Korean propaganda leaflets across the border.

Trash carried by at least one North Korean balloon fell on the South Korean presidential compound in July, raising concerns about the vulnerability of key South Korean facilities. Officials said the balloon contained no dangerous materials and that no one was hurt.

South Korea has retaliated with front-line loudspeakers to blast propaganda messages and K-pop songs toward the North.

Fox News Digital’s Bradford Betz and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Rescue services in Israel said over 60 people were wounded, some of them critically, in a drone strike in Binyamina, Israel, which the Lebanon-based Hezbollah militant group has claimed responsibility for, according to reports.

Israeli media reported that two drones were launched from Lebanon, one of which was intercepted.

Who was hurt – whether military members or civilians – or what was struck was not immediately clear.

On Thursday, Israel conducted two strikes in Beirut that killed 22 people, and Hezbollah said it was retaliating for the strikes by targeting an Israeli military training camp.

US TO DEPLOY MISSILE DEFENSE SYSTEM, MILITARY PERSONNEL TO ISRAEL

This was the second time in two days that a drone struck Israel.

On Sunday, as Israelis were celebrating Yom Kippur, there was a drone strike in a Tel Aviv suburb that damaged the area but did not cause any injuries.

IDF MEETS LITTLE RESISTANCE FROM HEZBOLLAH AFTER WEEKS OF HITTING TERROR TARGETS, OFFICIALS SAY

Iran and its proxy terrorist groups launched massive waves of missiles against Israel earlier this year in April and again on Oct. 1. Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) has previously been deployed to Israel in 2019, but only for an exercise, Pentagon officials say.

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Sunday’s strike came the same day the U.S. said it would send a new air-defense system to Israel to increase protection from missiles.

"The THAAD Battery will augment Israel’s integrated air defense system. This action underscores the United States’ ironclad commitment to the defense of Israel, and to defend Americans in Israel, from any further ballistic missile attacks by Iran. It is part of the broader adjustments the U.S. military has made in recent months, to support the defense of Israel and protect Americans from attacks by Iran and Iranian-aligned militias," the Pentagon said in a statement.

Iran's massive Oct. 1 missile barrage displayed the threat Iran poses to Israel as a regional power. While debris from hundreds of rockets and missiles rained down on Israeli territory, there were no Israeli fatalities reported.

Fox News Digital’s Anders Hagstrom and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Iran has increased its oil exports during the Biden administration despite severe and heavy sanctions imposed by the U.S. government, according to a new report.

The Energy Information Administration (EIA) issued its annual report on Iranian petroleum and petroleum product exports, finding that Iran made between $53 billion to $54 billion in 2022 and 2023 – significant increases over $37 billion made in 2021 and $16 billion made in 2020. The EIA report is mandated by Congress.

The 2020 revenue marked a low point since 2018, when Iran earned $65 billion in nominal revenue, based on calculations derived from the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) website.

The report’s main takeaway is that China has provided Iran a significant export partner, allowing it to bypass sanctions and continue to rake in profits from its energy exports. 

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The Trump administration maintained a policy of "maximum pressure" against Iran, hitting each of its industries and manufacturing sectors with significant sanctions against companies and individuals alike to drive the country to economic ruin. The BBC in 2019 found that Iran had entered a "deep recession" and that oil exports "plummeted" as a result of Trump's policies. 

The Biden administration meanwhile sought to appease Iran with a series of sanctions waivers that officials argued would incentivize Tehran to sit down and agree to a renewed nuclear deal, which never materialized. 

Meanwhile, the Biden administration continued to issue waivers such as those issued for Iraq to purchase energy from Iran – waivers started under the Trump administration but maintained by Biden even as Iran's allies and proxies in the Middle East started to hit Israel. 

"The numbers here don't lie," former Trump NSC official Richard Goldberg told Fox News Digital. "I've always said the Biden administration has had a strategic communications policy, not a sanctions policy… there's no active campaign to stop these shipments, to really put the pressure up on both China and other shipment points, and it's quite obvious from the numbers. 

A Reuters report in 2023 found that "appetite for Iranian crude is growing in China," which stands as the world’s "biggest oil importer." The oil’s heavily discounted price due to sanctions might serve as the main attraction for Iran’s product, and the EIA report notes that it cannot account for discounts in its data.

Iran’s 2023 export of 1.5 million barrels per day (bpd) stands as the country’s "highest in more than four years, with more than 80% shipped to China," Reuters reported, citing consultancies FGE and Vortexa.  

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Some critics have argued that the revenue is not a fully accurate measure since the price of oil fluctuates based on a number of factors, and the last few years have seen a surge in pricing that roughly correlates with the Iranian revenues. 

When Iran made $16 billion in 2020, oil per barrel was priced at $39.68; when Iran made over $50 billion a year, oil per barrel was priced at $94.43 and $82.95. 

Goldberg, a senior advisor at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, acknowledged that fluctuating prices do make it difficult to gauge the true level of exports from Iran, but knowing that the revenues have gone up as the discounts have either remained or increased due to U.S. sanctions would counterbalance any price drop.

"That's very difficult to account for because you just don't know what the Chinese are actually paying because it's illicit, there's risk involved in the cargo, therefore Iran has to charge at a discount," Goldberg said. 

"When you go to the export numbers, particularly to China – I mean, to go from 300,000 barrels per day to 1.2 million, that is breathtaking," Goldberg said. "That is not sanctions evasion. That is an active policy of allowing shipments."

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The EIA noted that access to trusted data remains scarce, and its reporting relied on the NIOC and other third-party sources, but stressed that the EIA uses only sources and data that it has "reasonably high confidence" in their estimates. 

"Because of challenges with data availability and transparency, nearly all the petroleum and petroleum product data presented in this report are estimates rather than actual data," the report said, later adding, "Data are subject to change as new information becomes available."

"Although price data are available on a real-time or near-real-time basis, actual pricing data pertaining to sales of Iranian crude oil are opaque, requiring estimation methods and proxy variables to derive estimates of revenues," the report said. 

The report treats destinations in South East Asia (specifically Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam) as misdirections for Chinese imports as a means of sidestepping issues with U.S. sanctions. 

On Friday, the State Department along with the Treasury Department issued new sanctions on Iran's energy sector in response to Iran's most recent attack on Israel, 

The statement read in part, "This action intensifies financial pressure on Iran, limiting the regime’s ability to earn critical energy revenues to undermine stability in the region and attack U.S. partners and allies. The Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of State, is identifying the petroleum and petrochemical sectors of the Iranian economy."

According to Reuters, national security adviser Jake Sullivan said in a statement about the sanctions that, "The new designations today also include measures against the 'Ghost Fleet' that carries Iran’s illicit oil to buyers around the world." 

Vice President Kamala Harris' spokesperson and the State Department did not respond to a Fox News Digital request for comment. 

Reuters contributed to this report.

A senior politician in India’s financial capital, Mumbai, who was also known for his close ties with Bollywood, has been shot dead weeks before a key state election.

Baba Siddique, 66, was shot multiple times outside his son’s office in Mumbai on Saturday night, police said in a statement. He later succumbed to his wounds at the city’s Lilavati Hospital.

Siddique was associated with the Indian National Congress party for decades but had recently joined a regional party that rules Maharashtra state. He was also close to several Bollywood superstars and was known for throwing lavish parties.

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Maharashtra’s deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar, who is from the same political party as Siddique, said he was shocked by the killing.

"The incident will be thoroughly investigated and strict action will be taken against the attackers. The mastermind behind the attack will also be traced," Pawar said in a statement.

News agency Press Trust of India reported that two suspected attackers had been arrested, and police were searching for another.

Broadcaster NDTV said the two suspects claimed they were part of a crime gang that has carried out multiple killings in the past.

Elections in Maharashtra state are expected to be held in November.

Spanish scientists announced in a new documentary that first aired on Saturday that DNA analysis shows the 15th-century explorer Christopher Columbus was a Sephardic Jew from Western Europe. 

The documentary titled, "Columbus DNA: The true origin," which aired on Spain's national broadcaster TVE, showcases the research of a 22-year investigation led by forensic expert Miguel Lorente, Reuters reported. 

Lorente and his team tested samples of remains buried at Seville Cathedral, long believed to be Columbus' final resting place, though the claim had been contested. Researchers compared the DNA with those of known relatives and descendants of the navigator who led trans-Atlantic expeditions for the Spanish crown from the 1490s onward, inducing European exploration and colonization of the Americas.

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"We have DNA from Christopher Columbus, very partial, but sufficient. We have DNA from Hernando Colón, his son," Lorente said in the documentary. "And both in the Y chromosome [male] and in the mitochondrial DNA [transmitted by the mother] of Hernando there are traits compatible with Jewish origin."

Reuters reports that approximately 300,000 Jews resided in Spain before the "Reyes Catolicos," Catholic monarchs Isabella and Ferdinand, compelled Jews and Muslims to convert or face exile. The expulsion of Jews from Spain took place in 1492, the same year as Columbus' famed first voyage.

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The word Sephardic is derived from Sepharad, or Spain in Hebrew.

Columbus was traditionally believed to have come from Genoa, Italy, though historians also had theorized him as being a Spanish Jew or perhaps Greek, Basque, Portuguese or British. Lorente's study analyzed 25 possible locations, but ultimately could only conclude that Columbus was born in Western Europe, Reuters said. 

Columbus died in Valladolid, Spain, in 1506, according to Reuters. 

His remains were brought to the island of Hispaniola – currently home to the Dominican Republic and Haiti – in 1542, where he wanted to be buried, and later to Cuba in 1795. Authorities long believed Columbus' remains were ultimately taken back to Spain, to Seville in 1898. 

Lorente said his research confirmed that the remains at Seville Cathedral are indeed those of Columbus. 

"The outcome is almost absolutely reliable," Lorente said.