Fox World News

FIRST ON FOX: Reports that surfaced on Wednesday suggesting Israel and Lebanon were pursing "normalization" ties have been "overblown" and risk hurting actual hard-fought discussions, a U.S. official familiar with the talks told Fox News Digital.

Israeli reports, citing an anonymous senior Israeli official, claimed that renewed talks with Lebanon were aimed at reaching a standard diplomatic relationship between the two nations, just months after a ceasefire agreement was reached following Jerusalem’s offensive against Hezbollah. 

But the U.S. official, who also requested to remain anonymous due to the sensitive nature of the Israel-Lebanon talks, said border security is the main priority at this moment.

MOTHER OF INJURED HAMAS HOSTAGE DIRECTS PLEA TO 'EVERY MOTHER IN THIS WORLD' TO HELP SECURE SON'S RELEASE

The "current focus is ridding Lebanon of Hezbollah and corrupt officials," the U.S. official emphasized.

"Normalized" ties between Israel and other nations in the Middle East were a cornerstone of the first Trump administration, which looked to bring security to Israel by establishing diplomatic ties between Jerusalem and its Arab neighbors. 

But relations in the Middle East have drastically shifted since 2021, when Trump left office.

Not only is Israel staring down the glaring issue of Hamas – which still holds 59 hostages, 58 of whom were taken by the terrorist group during the Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attacks – but the "day after" plan for the Gaza Strip remains unclear. 

LEBANON SEIZES $2.5M DESTINED FOR HEZBOLLAH AFTER STOPPING MAN AT AIRPORT IN 'UNPRECEDENTED’ BUST

As negotiations between the U.S., Israel, Egypt, Qatar and Hamas continue, the threat posed by other Iran-backed terrorist networks remains – particularly when it comes to the Houthis in Yemen and Hezbollah in Lebanon. 

The Biden administration, alongside France, helped broker a 60-day ceasefire in late November between Israel, Hezbollah and Lebanon that intended to end the hostilities by dismantling the terrorist organization in southern Lebanon coupled with the withdrawal of Israeli forces – neither were ever fully realized.

Despite the end of the ceasefire in late January, the security situation in southern Lebanon has remained relatively stable, though it continues to be a precarious situation. 

Working groups that will encompass U.S., Israeli and Lebanese officials, are being established to renew talks on unresolved issues relating to prisoner releases, border disputes and the presence of IDF troops in southern Lebanon – which currently remain in a move to safeguard Israelis living in the country's north.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Talks between officials from Washington, Jerusalem and Beirut are not expected to begin until April and will focus on removing the threat Hezbollah poses to Israel and regional stability.

The U.S. official familiar with the talks told Fox News Digital that any suggestion of establishing formal diplomatic ties, like those forged with the UAE and Bahrain, were "premature."

Fox News Digital could not reach Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office for comment. 

Russia carried out an attack in Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine, that left one woman dead and multiple injured, according to Reuters, which cited Dnipropetrovsk regional governor Serhiy Lysak. The attack comes after Ukraine agreed to the US ceasefire proposal aimed at ending the brutal three-year war.

The location of the attack may have been meant to send a message directly to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, as it is his hometown. Kryvyi Rih has taken multiple hits from Russia over the course of the war. 

Prior to the overnight attack, the city took a blow on March 6 when a Russian missile attack left four dead and 32 injured, according to Reuters.

Russia’s attack comes at a pivotal time in the war as Ukraine appears to be turning its focus to peace. Ukrainian officials engaged in talks with their U.S. counterparts this week in Saudi Arabia. The meeting was confirmed by Zelenskyy last week, who said that "Ukraine is most interested in peace."

​RUSSIA WAITING FOR US-UKRAINE CEASE-FIRE PROPOSAL DETAILS, KREMLIN SAYS

Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters on Tuesday that Ukraine had "accepted" the U.S. ceasefire plan.

"The President’s objective here is, number one, above everything else, he wants the war to end.  And I think today Ukraine has taken a concrete step in that regard. We hope the Russians will reciprocate," Secretary Rubio said on Tuesday while addressing reporters in Saudi Arabia.

​UKRAINE LAUNCHES BIGGEST DRONE ATTACK ON MOSCOW, KILLING 2, AS US TALKS BEGIN

President Donald Trump addressed the ceasefire while speaking to attendees of the Business Roundtable meeting on Tuesday.

"I’ve been saying that Russia’s been easier to deal with so far than Ukraine, which is not supposed to be the way it is," President Trump said. "But it is, and we hope to get Russia. But we have a full ceasefire from Ukraine. That’s good."

Kremlin spokesperson Demitry Peskov told reporters on Wednesday that Russia is holding off on commenting on the U.S.-Ukraine ceasefire proposal until it gets more "detailed information." Secretary Rubio said the plan will be "directly" delivered to the Russians.

Following a tense Oval Office encounter with President Trump and Vice President JD Vance, President Zelenskyy appeared to change his tune about the war. Following the meeting, President Trump wrote on Truth Social that President Zelenskyy was "not ready for peace." However, the two appeared to have reconciled, as Trump read a letter from Zelenskyy during his address to a joint session of Congress last week.

"Earlier today, I received an important letter from President Zelenskyy of Ukraine," President Trump said. "The letter reads, ‘Ukraine is ready to come to the negotiating table as soon as possible to bring lasting peace closer. Nobody wants peace more than the Ukrainians, he said. My team and I stand ready to work under President Trump's strong leadership to get a peace that lasts.’"

Greenland’s center-right Demokraatit party pulled off a surprise victory in the country’s parliamentary elections, taking Greenlandic Prime Minister Múte Egede’s party, Inuit Ataqatigiit, out of power. Independence from Denmark became a focal point of the election amid President Donald Trump’s repeated talk of the U.S. taking control.

"People want change ... We want more business to finance our welfare," said Jens-Frederik Nielsen, Demokraatit's leader, according to Reuters. The outlet added that Nielsen said Greenland does not "want independence tomorrow" and would prefer separation from Denmark be based on a "good foundation."

GREENLAND'S OPPOSITION PARTY PUSHES CLOSER US TIES, INDEPENDENCE FROM DENMARK AS TRUMP PLAYS BIG IN ELECTION

Four of the five main parties on the ballot, including the ones that won first and second place, Demokraatit Party and Naleraq, favor independence from Denmark, but disagree on the pace. Greenland, whose population is approximately 57,000 people, currently operates as a semi-autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark. However, Trump’s renewed interest in the island sparked conversations about breaking away from the Danish crown.

Prime Minister Egede, whose party failed to maintain control, said in a Facebook post that he respects the outcome of the election and that the parties are ready for negotiations. 

Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen congratulated the Demokraatit Party and said the Greenlandic future would face "massive pressure" from Trump, according to the Associated Press, which cited Danish Broadcasting Corporation DR. Poulsen reportedly added that "the future of Greenland is based on what the Greenlandic people and government want."

The Demokraatit Party saw a major increase in support, winning nearly 30% of the vote compared to just 9% in 2021, according to the Associated Press, which cited Greenlandic Broadcasting Corporation KNR TV.

GREENLAND, PANAMA FIERCELY REJECT TRUMP'S AMBITIONS IN ADDRESS TO CONGRESS

Earlier this month, Trump brought up Greenland in his address to a joint session of Congress.

"We strongly support your right to determine your own future, and, if you choose, we welcome you into the United States of America," Trump said, eliciting laughter from the crowd. "We need Greenland for national security and even international security, and we’re working with everybody involved to try and get it… One way or the other, we’re going to get it."

In the same address, Trump vowed that the U.S. would "take Greenland to heights like you have never thought possible before."

During a January phone call with Trump, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said that Greenland must be allowed to make decisions about its own future. Both Prime Ministers Frederiksen and Egede told President Trump that "Greenland is not for sale," Axios reported at the time.

In December 2024, then-President-elect Trump tapped Ken Howery as US ambassador to Denmark. Trump said in a post on Truth Social announcing the pick that "the United States of America feels that the ownership and control of Greenland is an absolute necessity."

President Trump also eyed Greenland during his first term, causing friction between himself and Prime Minister Frederiksen. In 2019, after the Danish leader called the idea of the U.S. buying Greenland "absurd," President Trump abruptly canceled his trip to Denmark over the "nasty" comment.

A Russian national was revealed to be the captain of the cargo ship that collided with a U.S. tanker off the coast of England in an incident that sparked a massive fire, spilled jet fuel into the sea and left one person feared dead. 

The 59-year-old man remained in United Kingdom police custody Wednesday after being detained on suspicion of manslaughter by gross negligence, according to Ernst Russ, the owner of the Portugal-flagged Solong cargo ship. It added that the ship’s 14 crew members were a mix of Russian and Filipino nationals. One of them remains missing and is presumed dead. 

The Solong collided Monday with MV Stena Immaculate, a U.S.-flagged tanker transporting jet fuel for the American military. U.S.-based Crowley Ship Management said the MV Stena Immaculate was anchored near Hull when it was struck and that all 23 onboard are "safe and accounted for" with no reported injuries. 

Leading up to the collision, the Solong was inspected in Dublin, Ireland last July and was found to have 10 deficiencies, according to the Associated Press.  

US-FLAGGED TANKER COLLIDES WITH CONTAINER SHIP NEAR UK 

Port inspection documents show the Solong failed steering-related safety checks with the vessel's "emergency steering position communications/compass reading" unreadable. It also had "inadequate" alarms, survival craft "not properly maintained" and fire doors "not as required." 

Then a second inspection in Scotland in October found two more deficiencies, but the ship wasn’t detained after either inspection, the AP reported. 

However, U.K. authorities said they don’t suspect foul play in the crash. 

USS HARRY S. TRUMAN SHIP COLLISION DAMAGE REVEALED IN NEW PHOTOS 

The 596-foot Stena Immaculate was operating as part of the U.S. government’s Tanker Security Program, a group of commercial vessels that can be contracted to carry fuel for the military when needed. 

"Crowley continues to work closely with U.K. agencies to support the incident response, salvage and environmental impact mitigation operations resulting from container ship Solong striking the Crowley-managed tanker Stena Immaculate while at anchor on Monday, March 10," the ship’s owner said Tuesday. 

"It remains uncertain at this time what volume of fuel may have been released as a result of the incident, but initial review shows impacts have been limited due to exposure to the fire and evaporation of the Jet A1 fuel," Crowley continued. "In addition, U.K agencies are closely monitoring air quality and any possible public health impacts resulting onshore. Both are currently measuring low or within normal levels." 

The Solong was drifting and still on fire Wednesday, but is likely to remain afloat rather than sinking, officials said. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

Russia is waiting for Washington to deliver details on U.S.-Ukrainian cease-fire talks that took place in Saudi Arabia before commenting on the proposal, the Kremlin said Wednesday.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters that Moscow is awaiting "detailed information" from the U.S. about the 30-day cease-fire plan that Ukraine agreed to, suggesting that Russia must get briefed on those details before it can say whether a proposed cease-fire is acceptable.

Russia has so far opposed anything short of a permanent end to the conflict and has not accepted any concessions.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who led the American delegation in Tuesday's talks with Ukrainian officials in Saudi Arabia, said Ukraine was open to a 30-day cease-fire. Rubio said the U.S. will brief Russia on the proposal’s details.

UKRAINE ACCEPTS DEAL, SAYS RUBIO: ‘WE’LL TAKE THIS TO THE RUSSIANS'

"We’re going to tell (the Russians) this is what’s on the table. Ukraine is ready to stop shooting and start talking. And now it’ll be up to them to say yes or no," Rubio told reporters after the talks. "If they say no, then we’ll unfortunately know what the impediment is to peace here."

Following the talks in Saudi Arabia, the Trump administration lifted its suspension of military aid for Kyiv’s fight against Russia’s invasion.

EVEN IF TRUMP SECURES UKRAINE-RUSSIA PEACE DEAL, CAN PUTIN BE TRUSTED?

President Donald Trump said he hoped that an agreement could be solidified "over the next few days."

"I’ve been saying that Russia’s been easier to deal with so far than Ukraine, which is not supposed to be the way it is," Trump said later Tuesday. "But it is, and we hope to get Russia. But we have a full ceasefire from Ukraine. That’s good."

Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, is expected to travel to Moscow this week, a source familiar with the matter told Fox News on Tuesday after media reports said Witkoff is planning to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Rubio was optimistic about the talks in Saudi Arabia, writing in a post on X that "today was a good day for peace," though the decision to move forward now rests with Russia.

"Thanks to @POTUS's leadership and under the gracious hospitality of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, we are one step closer to restoring durable peace for Ukraine," Rubio said. "The ball is now in Russia's court."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Ukraine on Tuesday agreed to a preliminary proposal put forward by the Trump administration that called for a 30-day ceasefire contingent on Russia's acceptance of the terms in a major step toward ending the brutal war.

But even if the Trump administration is able to get Moscow to the negotiating table and end the three-year war under a new treaty, which several security experts say Russian President Vladimir Putin is under no real pressure to do, can the Kremlin chief be trusted?

Russia under Putin has repeatedly violated formal international agreements intended to protect Ukraine’s sovereignty, chiefly from its former Soviet overlord.

UKRAINE ACCEPTS DEAL, SAYS RUBIO: 'WE'LL TAKE THIS TO THE RUSSIANS'

These agreements include the 1994 Budapest Memorandum, in which Ukraine agreed to relinquish its nuclear arsenal in exchange for assurances over its territorial integrity after its 1991 withdrawal from the Soviet Union, as well as the 1997 Treaty on Friendship, Cooperation, and Partnership by which Moscow and Kyiv agreed to respect one another’s existing borders. Both deals were first violated in 2014 when Putin seized Crimea and backed Russian separatist forces in the Donbas region. 

The 2014-2015 Minsk Agreements, though criticized as "weak," attempted to end Russia’s aggression in eastern Ukraine, an agreement that was never fully achieved and was again violated by Putin's 2022 invasion. 

Some world leaders and security officials, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, have cautioned that a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine is unlikely to be achieved in the near term and against Putin’s reliability in adhering to any international agreement without serious security commitments from the West.

"The problem here is that the Russians only understand win-lose outcomes, which means that to prevent them from ever attacking Ukraine again, they must see themselves to be the losers in the war just as they did at the end of the Cold War," Michael Ryan, former deputy assistant secretary of Defense for European and NATO Policy and former acting assistant secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs, told Fox News Digital.

Security officials interviewed by Fox News Digital argued that securing Ukraine’s future is not about "trusting" Putin. It’s about actually putting Russia in a position where any future violations would hinder Moscow more than it could be enticed by unchecked opportunity.

TRUMP THREATENS SANCTIONS ON RUSSIA, DEMANDS PEACE AFTER MAJOR HITS IN UKRAINE

"Even if a deal is concluded, Russia will continue clandestine operations across the world to expand its footprint in terms of geopolitical influence," Rebekah Koffler, a former DIA intelligence officer, told Fox News Digital, noting the former KGB operative can be counted on to "continue election interference campaigns, cyber warfare, espionage and destabilization operations across the globe.

"There’s no such thing as peace in Russia’s strategic military thinking. You are in a constant confrontation."

Ryan argued a Trump-brokered peace deal needs to reflect on the lessons learned from previously failed agreements, like the post-WWI Treaty of Versailles, which arguably led to the rise of Adolf Hitler and Nazi Germany.

"How to solve this conundrum? Just as we did after World War II … reconstruction of Ukraine must include economic reconciliation with Russia," Ryan said. "The Russians saw how we rebuilt the losing side in World War II Germany and Japan. They expected us to do the same for Russia after the Cold War, but we did not.  

"We can't make that same mistake if we want lasting peace for Ukraine and if we want to split Russia from China," he added, noting other adversaries are watching how the West handles this geopolitical hurdle.

There are numerous obstacles when it comes to the Trump administration’s attempt to negotiate with Putin, including arguments over occupied territory, international recognition of occupied lands, international aid and support for Ukraine, international confiscation of frozen Russian assets, Zelenskyy’s standing at home, the return of prisoners of war and the return of abducted Ukrainian children, according to Peter Rough, senior fellow and director of the Center on Europe and Eurasia at the Hudson Institute.

"Putin has officially annexed four Ukrainian oblasts as well as Crimea. But Moscow has yet to conquer any of the four entirely," Rough told Fox News Digital while traveling to Ukraine. "I can’t imagine that Ukraine will withdraw from the areas they control, having fought tooth and nail to defend those regions. 

"I also doubt that the West will offer de jure recognition to the areas Moscow controls," he added. "So, Putin would have to swallow all of that in a peace deal."

Each issue alone is a massive undertaking to negotiate, and while Ukraine this week may be outlining concessions it could make to secure a deal coordinated by the U.S., Putin is unlikely to do the same, according to Koffler, who briefed NATO years ahead of the 2022 invasion on Putin’s plans.

RUBIO SAYS MINERAL DEAL ‘NOT MAIN TOPIC ON AGENDA’ IN UKRAINE MEETING

"Putin is unlikely to make any concessions as he believes he is in a strong position," Koffler told Fox News Digital. "The disparity in combat potential dramatically favors Russia over Ukraine, which is out-manned and outgunned because Putin transitioned the Russian military and economy on a wartime footing seven years prior to the invasion of Ukraine."

"Putin believes he has prepared Russia to fight till the last Ukrainian and till the last missile in NATO’s arsenal," she added, echoing a January warning issued by NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, who said Russia’s defense industry output over a three-month period equates to what all of NATO produces an entire year.

"Putin is highly unlikely to agree to a ceasefire because he doesn’t want to give a strategic pause to Ukraine, the U.S., and NATO to re-arm," Koffler said. "He doesn’t trust Washington. He doesn’t trust President Trump any more than we trust Putin. 

"He trusts Trump even less than Biden because he could read Biden and predict his behavior. He cannot read Trump because Trump is unpredictable."

The experts argued there are too many variables that could play out during negotiations that will determine whether Putin can be adequately held accountable or "trusted" regarding future agreements.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Ultimately, Koffler said, Putin will not leave eastern Ukraine.

"Ukraine has always been a red line for Putin, in terms of who has geopolitical control of it, Russia or the West. And he will continue to enforce this red line," she said. "The only way to ensure that Putin doesn’t invade another country is to make NATO strong again, beef up force posture, increase defense spending, secure its command-and-control networks and develop actual deterrence and counter-strategy that addresses every prong of Putin’s strategy." 

Thousands of sick, exhausted and terrified young men and women, from countries all over the world squat in rows, packed shoulder to shoulder, surgical masks covering their mouths and eyes.

Their nightmare was supposed to be over.

UN WARNS OF 'FRIGHTENING AND DISTURBING' ACTIVITY BY MILITARY, REBELS IN WESTERN BURMA

Last month, a dramatic and highly publicized operation by Thai, Chinese and Myanmar authorities led to the release of more than 7,000 people from locked compounds in Myanmar where they were forced to trick Americans and others out of their life savings. But survivors have found themselves trapped once again, this time in overcrowded facilities with no medical care, limited food and no idea when they’ll be sent home.

One young man from India said about 800 people were being held in the same facility as him, sharing 10 dirty toilets. He said many of the people there were feverish and coughing. Like all former enslaved scammers who talked to The Associated Press, he spoke on condition of anonymity out of concern for his safety.

"If we die here with health issues, who is responsible for that?" he asked.

The armed groups who are holding the survivors, as well as Thai officials across the border, say they are awaiting action from the detainees’ home governments.

It’s one of the largest potential rescues of forced laborers in modern history, but advocates say the first major effort to crack down on the cyber scam industry has turned into a growing humanitarian crisis.

The people released are just a small fraction of what could be 300,000 people working in similar scam operations across the region, according to an estimate from the United States Institute of Peace. Human rights groups and analysts add that the networks that run these illegal scams will continue to operate unless much broader action is taken against them.

A high-profile crackdown

The trapped people, some of whom are highly educated and fluent in English, were initially lured to Thailand with promises of lucrative office jobs, only to find themselves locked in buildings where they describe being forced to sit at computers up to 16 hours a day running scams. Refusing to work could bring beatings, starvation and electric shocks.

"Your passport is confiscated, you cannot go outside and everything is like hell, a living hell," a trapped Pakistani man told The Associated Press.

Cyber scams run from compounds have flourished during the pandemic, targeting people around the world. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crimes estimates that between $18 billion and $37 billion was lost in Asia alone in 2023, with minimal government action against the criminal industry’s spread.

Beijing began pushing the region's governments to crack down this year after a young Chinese actor was trafficked to Myanmar by people who promised him an acting job in Thailand. His girlfriend spearheaded a viral social media campaign that led to his release.

Following that rescue, a senior Chinese government official visited Thailand and Myanmar demanding an end to the scams. In response, Thailand cut electricity, internet and gas supplies to five border towns in Myanmar.

Shortly after, the ethnic militia groups that rule this part of Myanmar — the Kayin Border Guard Force and the Democratic Kayin Buddhist Army — asked some of the trapped scammers if they wanted to leave, and then escorted them out of their compounds.

From forced labor to detention

As the number of people released grew into the thousands, formerly enslaved scammers found themselves caught in indefinite detention just across a narrow, slow-moving river’s width from freedom.

Most are being held either in army camps controlled by the Kayin Border Guard Force, or repurposed scam compounds, where many have been since early February.

For weeks, men and women have shared unsanitary conditions, sleeping on the floor and eating what their captors provide. At one point, the Border Guard Force said that over 7,000 people were crammed into these facilities, as China began busing citizens across the border for flights.

Exclusive photos obtained by AP underscore the detainees' desperation: Surgical masks, often two per face, cover their eyes, noses and mouths as they huddle under the watchful eyes of armed guards.

"It felt like a blessing that we came out of that trap, but the actual thing is that every person just wants to go back home," said another Indian man, 24, speaking softly on a contraband phone from inside a makeshift detention center. He asked to not publish his name out of concern for his safety and because the militias guarding them had confiscated their phones.

Last week, fights broke out between Chinese citizens waiting to go home and the security forces guarding them, two detainees told the AP.

An unconfirmed list provided by authorities in Myanmar says they’re holding citizens from 29 countries including Philippines, Kenya and the Czech Republic.

Waiting for a $600 plane ticket

Authorities in Thailand say they cannot allow foreigners to cross the border from Myanmar unless they can be sent home immediately, leaving many to wait for help from embassies that has been long in coming.

China sent a chartered flight Thursday to the tiny Mae Sot airport to pick up a group of its citizens, but few other governments have matched that. There are roughly 130 Ethiopians waiting in a Thai military base, stuck for want of a $600 plane ticket. Dozens of Indonesians were bused out one morning last week, pushing suitcases and carrying plastic bags with their meager possessions as they headed to Bangkok for a flight home.

Thai officials held a meeting this week with representatives from foreign embassies, promising to move "as quickly as possible" to allow them to rescue their trapped citizens. But they warned that Thailand can only manage to receive 300 people per day, down from 500 previously, Monday through Fridays. It also announced it would let embassy staff cross over into Myanmar.

"The ministry attaches very high importance to this and is aware that there are sick people, and that they need to be repatriated," Nikorndej Balankura, spokesman for Thailand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Thursday.

The Indian Embassy in Bangkok did not respond to requests for comment. The Czech Foreign Ministry says it cannot confirm a Czech citizen is among those repatriated. It says it is in touch with the embassies in Bangkok and Yangon over the issue and that the embassies have not been asked for assistance.

Amy Miller, the Southeast Asia director of Acts of Mercy International who is based at the Thai-Myanmar border, says it’s hard for the world to understand why all of the released workers aren’t free.

"You can literally, with your naked eye, stand at the border and see people inside, on their balconies, in these compounds, and yet we cannot reach them," she said. Pausing a moment, she gestured out a nearby window toward the Friendship Bridge to Myanmar just blocks away. "I think what people don’t understand is that to enter into another country is an act of war. You cannot just go in and receive these people out."

Assistance is scarce

Aiding the work on the front lines, especially for those countries with fewer resources, are a handful of small nonprofit groups with very limited funds.

In a nondescript Mae Sot home, Miller’s organization receives escapees and a trickle of survivors who have made it across the river with comfortable couches, clean water, food and working phones to reach their families. She said today’s unprecedented numbers are overwhelming the aid available across the river.

"When we’re looking at numbers in the thousands, the ability to get them over to Thailand and process them and house them and feed them would be impossible for most governments," said Miller. "It really does require a kind of a global response."

The recent abrupt halt to U.S. foreign aid funding has made it even harder to get help to released scam center workers.

The United Nations’ International Organization for Migration, for example, previously funded care for victims of trafficking in scam compounds in one shelter in Cambodia, but was forced to halt that work by the Trump Administration’s funding freeze announced in January, according to a source with direct knowledge of the situation. The halt to funding has also impacted a network of civil society groups that worked to stop human trafficking and rescue survivors in Thailand.

"It’s really heartbreaking to see that there’s such an immense amount of people that are in need of assistance," said Saskia Kok, Head of Protection Unit in Thailand for the IOM.

In a statement, U.S. officials acknowledged the high pressure impasse.

"The United States remains deeply concerned about online scam operations throughout Southeast Asia, which affect thousands of Americans and individuals from many other countries," said a State Department spokesperson in a statement sent to the AP.

A bigger problem

While advocates estimate some 50 million people are living in modern slavery, mass rescues of enslaved workers are rare. In 2015, more than 2,000 fishermen were rescued from brutal conditions at sea, liberated after an Associated Press investigation exposed their plight. That same year hundreds of Indians were rescued from brick factories in India. And last year Brazilian prosecutors rescued 163 Chinese nationals working in "slavery-like" conditions at an electric vehicle factory construction site in northeastern Brazil.

"What we are seeing at the Thai-Myanmar border now is the result of years of inaction on a trafficking crisis that has had a devastating impact on thousands of people, many of whom were simply seeking better economic prospect, but were lured to these compounds on false pretenses," said Amnesty International Myanmar researcher Joe Freeman.

Being forced to commit a crime under threat of violence should not be criminalized, said Freeman. "However, in general we are aware of countries in the region repatriating their nationals from scam compounds only to then charge them with crimes."

Business as usual

It’s not clear how much of an effect these releases will have on the criminal groups that run the scam centers.

February marked the third time the Thais have cut internet or electricity to towns across the river. Each time, the compounds have managed to work around the cuts. Large compounds have access to diesel-powered generators, as well as access to internet provider Starlink, experts working with law enforcement say.

"The resources is the one thing that they are not lacking and they’ve been able to bring them to bear in the past," said Benedikt Hoffman, acting representative for the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime in the region.

The armed groups that staged the crackdown have also been accused of helping to run scam compounds in Myawaddy. The head of the Kayin Border Guard Force, General Saw Chit Thu, has been sanctioned by the European Union and the United Kingdom for profiting from scam compounds and human trafficking, respectively. Compounds in the DKBA’s control are less well-documented in the public record, but activists say they also control a fair number.

"There is clearly a lot of pressure on the Border Guard Force to take action and helping people to leave is one of the most visible ways to do so," Hoffman said. "That said, it likely also reflects an adjustment to the business model, reducing the number of people involved — and with less attention, continuing lower key operations."

It will take simultaneous pressure exerted in multiple areas to truly shut down the compounds, said Hoffman.

In this crackdown, there have been no major prosecutions or compounds shut down.

"This doesn’t affect anything," said a 23-year-old Pakistani man who had hoped to be freed only to be trapped in an army camp. The bosses, he said, are "rich as hell" and can buy anything they need to keep the lucrative operations going. Meanwhile, he said, conditions are worsening.

"My friends are in really bad condition, we can’t survive here," he said, requesting anonymity out of fear for retribution from his guards. He asks a question that's been haunting him day in and day out for weeks: "Is anyone coming for us?"

Ukraine on Tuesday accepted a deal put forward by the Trump administration during a meeting in Saudi Arabia, in a step forward for securing a ceasefire and an end to its war with Russia.

"We'll take this offer now to the Russians, and we hope that they'll say yes," Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters. 

Rubio, standing alongside National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, did not detail exactly what was in this agreement but said, "Ukraine wants to stop shooting."

MARK KELLY ACCUSES TRUMP OF ‘TRYING TO WEAKEN’ UKRAINE, FIRES BACK AT ELON MUSK FOR BRANDING HIM A ‘TRAITOR’

"We hope the Russians answer to that," he added. "The best goodwill gesture the Russians can provide is to say yes."

Rubio said if and once Moscow agrees to this preliminary agreement, the real negotiations can commence. 

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

"We've gone from if this war is going to end to how this war is going to end, " Waltz told reporters. 

Issues involving the return of children abducted by Russia and the return of the prisoners of war will be addressed in the "second phase" the pair said.

This is a breaking news story. Check back for updates. 

U.S. envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff is heading to Russia later this week, a source familiar with the matter told Fox News. 

The confirmation comes after media reports said Witkoff is planning to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin for a second time. 

Witkoff previously met Putin for three hours in mid-February during a trip to Moscow to secure the release of detained American Marc Fogel, according to Axios. 

The Kremlin then suggested around that time that another U.S.-Russia prisoner swap could be coming. 

UKRAINE LAUNCHES BIGGEST DRONE ATTACK ON MOSCOW, KILLING 2, AS US TALKS BEGIN 

Witkoff, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and National Security Advisor Mike Waltz are currently in Saudi Arabia meeting a senior Ukrainian delegation for talks about ending the Ukraine-Russia war. 

The Ukrainian delegation in Saudi Arabia was expected to include Andriy Yermak, head of the presidential office, Andrii Sybiha, minister of foreign affairs, Pavlo Palisa, colonel of armed forces of Ukraine and an advisor to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, as well as Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, who was not only involved in initial talks with Russia following its February 2022 invasion, but who also survived a poisoning attack after a peace meeting in March that year.  

HAMAS’ TREATMENT OF HOSTAGES ‘INTOLERABLE,’ TRUMP ENVOY SAYS 

Rubio told reporters Monday that "The important point in this meeting is to establish clearly their intentions, their desire, as they've said publicly now, numerous times, to reach a point where peace is possible," adding that he will need to be assured that Kyiv is prepared to make some hard decisions, like giving up territory seized by Russia, in order to end the three-year war.  

"I wouldn't prejudge tomorrow about whether or not we have a minerals deal," Rubio also said on board a flight to Saudi Arabia. "It's an important topic, but it's not the main topic on the agenda. 

Fox News’ Caitlin McFall contributed to this report. 

JERUSALEM—The former al Qaeda terrorist and current Interim President of Syria, Ahmed al-Sharaa, failed to stop a massacre of over 1,000 Syrians, including Christians, that unfolded last Thursday and continued over a period of days.

Al-Sharaa and his organization, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, a U.S.-designated Sunni terrorist organization, toppled former Syrian President Bashar Assad in December.

Christian leaders and human rights activists have cast strong doubts on the capability of al-Sharra’s Islamist regime to build a democracy that can protect vulnerable religious minority groups.

"This is a warning that the Syrian government is not ready for prime time if it can’t protect a handful of vulnerable Christians who had absolutely nothing to do with this violence except being its victims," Rev. Johnnie Moore, the president of The Congress of Christian Leaders, told Fox News Digital.

TULSI GABBARD'S WARNING TO SENATE ON SYRIA PROVES PROPHETIC AS AL QAEDA-LINKED REGIME SLAUGHTERS MINORITIES

After shocking online video footage showed Islamists engaging in massacres of Syrian Alawites—a minority religious population—al-Sharra claimed he would "hold accountable, firmly and without leniency, anyone who was involved in the bloodshed of civilians". He added, "There will be no one above the law and anyone whose hands have been stained with the blood of Syrians will face justice sooner or later."

Moore said, "It is a clear demonstration that this new government has failed at the first task of any government, which is to protect its citizens."

He said that foreign fighters acting either at the direction of the Syrian government or embedded within it or behaving in an out-of-control way "indiscriminately and grotesquely killed countless civilians, including a number of Christians, that we personally verified were killed. And the numbers are rising."

Moore said, "The new government in Syria may not be ISIS, but they are ‘Islamists.’" Al-Sharaa was also once a member of the Islamist State terrorist movement.

UNCOVERING THE ATROCITIES OF THE ASSAD REGIME AT ITS 'DEATH FACTORY' ON THE HILL

Moore lambasted the posture of the Europeans toward the hardcore Syrian Islamist regime by noting the European governments seem to be rewarding the regime in Damascus.

"And for this to happen within 24 hours of the United Kingdom announcing that they are waiving sanctions on the Syrian national bank and over 20 other entities is a warning sign to the entire Western world and the EU commission is continuing with its plans do a funding conference in the near future to help the new Syrian government."

Moore continued, "The response from the U.S. should be the exact opposite. The United States should send a very, very clear message to the new Syrian government that there will be zero sanctions relief and there will be zero normalization of its treatment to the new Syrian government until it proves that it's going to be able to protect all the citizens of Syria, including its vulnerable Christians." 

Moore noted that during the Syrian civil war, Christians were killed and displaced. In December, the Center for Religious Freedom's Nina Shea and Moore discussed on Fox and Friends the threat to Christianity in Syria after rebels took over the capital and the U.S. role in protecting Christians.

The Christian population in Syria has shrunk considerably since the start of the 2011 Syrian civil war. There are an estimated 300,000 Christians in the war-torn nation. Prior to the Syrian civil war, the Syrian Christian community numbered 1.5 million.

Ukraine launched its largest-ever drone attack on Moscow on Tuesday as a senior delegation met with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and National Security Advisor Mike Waltz in Saudi Arabia for talks about ending the war with Russia. 

A total of 337 drones were shot down Tuesday over Russia, including 91 in the Moscow area and 126 in the Kursk region bordering Ukraine, Reuters reported, citing Russia’s defense ministry. 

Moscow-based meat producer Miratorg said two of its employees were killed by falling debris, while 18 other people – including three children – were injured after residential buildings were struck, officials told Reuters. 

Images taken in Russia showed damage to cars and apartment buildings in the wake of the attack, which temporarily shut down Moscow’s four airports. Russia reportedly launched a ballistic missile and 126 drones at Ukraine in response. 

RUBIO SAYS MINERAL DEAL ‘NOT MAIN TOPIC ON AGENDA’ IN UKRAINE MEETING 

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said Ukraine’s drone attack was the biggest yet to target his city, according to Reuters. 

In Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, the U.S. and Ukrainian officials did not immediately comment on the drone attack. 

Ukrainian officials told the Associated Press on Tuesday that their country is ready to sign the mineral deal sought by President Donald Trump and will propose a ceasefire covering the Black Sea. 

LITHUANIAN DEFENSE MINISTER: ONLY WAY TO NEGOTIATE WITH RUSSIA IS WITH A ‘GUN ON THE TABLE’ 

The Ukrainian delegation in Saudi Arabia was expected to include Andriy Yermak, head of the presidential office, Andrii Sybiha, minister of foreign affairs, Pavlo Palisa, colonel of armed forces of Ukraine and an advisor to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, as well as Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, who was not only involved in initial talks with Russia following its February 2022 invasion, but who also survived a poisoning attack after a peace meeting in March that year.  

Rubio told reporters Monday that "The important point in this meeting is to establish clearly their intentions, their desire, as they've said publicly now, numerous times, to reach a point where peace is possible," adding that he will need to be assured that Kyiv is prepared to make some hard decisions, like giving up territory seized by Russia, in order to end the three-year war. 

"I wouldn't prejudge tomorrow about whether or not we have a minerals deal," Rubio also said on board a flight to Saudi Arabia. "It's an important topic, but it's not the main topic on the agenda. 

Fox News’ Caitlin McFall contributed to this report. 

Greenlanders will head to the polls to vote in their country’s parliamentary election on Tuesday, in what will likely prove to be a historic vote not because of any seismic shifts within the nation but because of the geopolitical message it will send.

Independence from Denmark is not on the ballot itself, but who is elected to Greenland’s parliament will signal how the country could move forward in not only divorcing itself from Copenhagen, but in handling what some critics have perceived as threats issued by President Donald Trump.

Parliamentary elections on the world’s largest island, a nation of less than 60,000 people, have previously picked up scant coverage due to their relatively low impact on world affairs.

TRUMP SAYS AMERICA WOULD WELCOME GREENLAND DURING JOINT ADDRESS TO CONGRESS

But all that changed in January when, ahead of his inauguration, Trump refused to rule out the possibility of "acquiring" Greenland through economic or military means and has since repeated his interest in the strategically important island.

While the majority of Greenlanders support independence from Denmark, they also align in their opposition to Trump’s ambitions for the island nation.

There is not a single lawmaker in Greenland that ran for election in this cycle on becoming a part of the U.S., but the leading opposition party known as Naleraq, which currently holds just five of the 31 seats in Greenland’s parliament, may have a solution to achieve independence while also appealing to Trump’s interests. 

Qupanuk Olsen, a 39-year-old running under the Naleraq party who has garnered a massive social media presence with over a million followers spread over Instagram, TikTok and YouTube, shared a video in January where she addressed questions regarding her opinion on the matter.

Without directly noting her position on Trump’s ambitions, as she said she wants to keep her social media presence as "A-political as possible," she emphasized her support for expanding Greenland’s partnerships.

"I strongly believe in Greenland’s independence," she went on to say, "To achieve this we must expand our collaborations and establish business relationships with countries beyond Denmark. 

"We Greenlanders, Kalaallit, deserve to be independent," she continued in reference to the Greenlandic Inuit ethnic group. "And I hope we will strengthen our connections with our fellow Inuit in Canada and Alaska significantly more in the near future."

GREENLAND, PANAMA FIERCELY REJECT TRUMP'S AMBITIONS IN ADDRESS TO CONGRESS

Though Greenland won self-rule in 1979, with Denmark continuing to oversee issues relating to defense and foreign policy, the Naleraq party has pushed for a swift transition to complete independence.

The leading opposition party has argued this could be achieved by bolstering existing business opportunities like its fishing industry, as well as by establishing defensive agreements with nations like the U.S., in which it would allow Washington to continue to operate its military interests from the island in exchange for security assurances without becoming a U.S. territory. 

Though it remains unclear if such a deal would win over Trump, who could be viewing the Artic nation as an untapped opportunity for its rare earth minerals and oil and gas reserves – which Greenland has blocked even the EU from accessing. 

The White House did not respond to Fox News Digital’s questions over whether expanding ties with Greenland would appease Trump’s ambitions, though on Sunday Trump reiterated his position on the island nation.

"As I made clear during my Joint Address to Congress, the United States strongly supports the people of Greenland’s right to determine their own future," he said on his social media platform Truth Social.  "We will continue to keep you safe, as we have since World War II." 

THE HISTORIC IMPORTANCE OF GREENLAND FOR US NATIONAL SECURITY AS DEBATE OVER ISLAND'S FUTURE ROARS ON

"We are ready to invest billions of dollars to create new jobs and make you rich  – And, if you so choose, we welcome you to be a part of the Greatest Nation anywhere in the World, the United States of America," he added. 

Trump drew rebuke in some quarters following his address to Congress, where his tone on Greenland was softer than previous remarks, but he concluded by saying, "One way or the other, we're going to get it."

According to a January poll, some 85% of Greenlanders oppose Trump’s push to make Greenland a part of the U.S., including Prime Minister Mute Egede, who has been not only a huge proponent of independence from Denmark, but who has also been staunchly opposed to Trump’s interest in Greenland.

Egede’s Inuit Ataqatigiit party, which currently holds 11 seats, is expected to pick up an even greater majority following the Tuesday election. 

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Egede, who has repeatedly told the U.S. president that Greenland is "not for sale," on Monday said Trump’s unpredictability was sowing international chaos.

"The things that are happening in the world right now worry me quite a lot," Egede told Danish Broadcasting Corporation (DR). "There is a world order that is faltering on many fronts, and perhaps a president in the United States who is very unpredictable in a way that makes people feel insecure."

Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte was arrested at Manila Ninoy Aquino International Airport on Tuesday following an order from the International Criminal Court (ICC), which is investigating a crime against humanity case filed against the former leader.

Duterte, 79, was taken into custody at the airport in the Philippines following his trip to Hong Kong, The Associated Press reports.

The ICC has been investigating "massive killings that happened under the former president's deadly crackdown against illegal drugs," The AP said via President Ferdinand Marcos' office.

EX-PHILIPPINE PRESIDENT DUTERTE SHRUGS OFF POSSIBLE ARREST BY ICC FOR DRUG WAR DURING TRIP TO HONG KONG

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

This is a breaking news story. Check back for updates.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters on Monday that the mineral deal, sought by President Donald Trump, is "not the main topic on the agenda" for the meeting set with the Ukrainian delegation in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday. 

"I wouldn't prejudge tomorrow about whether or not we have a minerals deal," he told reporters on board a flight to Saudi Arabia. "It's an important topic, but it's not the main topic on the agenda.

"The minerals deal is on the table that's continuing to be worked on – it's not part of this conversation, per se," he said, noting that Tuesday's meeting in Jeddah can be considered successful even without securing such an agreement.

LITHUANIAN DEFENSE MINISTER: ONLY WAY TO NEGOTIATE WITH RUSSIA IS WITH A 'GUN ON THE TABLE'

"It's certainly a deal the president wants to see done, but it doesn't necessarily have to happen tomorrow," Rubio added. 

The Ukrainian delegation is set to include Andriy Yermak, head of the presidential office, Andrii Sybiha, minister of foreign affairs, Pavlo Palisa, colonel of armed forces of Ukraine and an advisor to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, as well as Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, who was not only involved in initial talks with Russia following its February 2022 invasion, but who also survived a poisoning attack after a peace meeting in March that year. 

Rubio will meet with the delegation in the city of Jeddah around noon local time on Tuesday.

"The important point in this meeting is to establish clearly their intentions, their desire, as they've said publicly now, numerous times, to reach a point where peace is possible," Rubio said, adding that he will need to be assured that Kyiv is prepared to make some hard decisions, like giving up territory seized by Russia, in order to end the three-year war. 

"Both sides need to come to an understanding," he said. "The Russians can't conquer all of Ukraine, and obviously it will be very difficult for Ukraine, in any reasonable time period, to sort of force the Russians back all the way to where they were in 2014. So the only solution to this war is diplomacy and getting them to a table where that's possible.

 "Then we'll have to determine how far they are from the Russian position, which we don't know yet either. And then once you understand where both sides truly are, it gives you a sense of how big the divide is and how hard it's going to be," Rubio explained. "I'm hoping it'll be a positive interaction along those lines."

EU CHIEF DIPLOMAT WARNS TRUMP PUTIN 'DOESN'T WANT PEACE'

Steve Witkoff, special envoy to the Middle East who has increasingly been involved with the talks regarding Ukraine and Russia, told Fox News’ Dana Perino on "America’s Newsroom" Monday morning, that the Trump administration has "gone a long way" to "narrow the differences" when dealing with Moscow and to get it to the negotiating table – though he did not go into detail. 

Witkoff suggested relations with Ukraine began to once again improve after Zelenskyy sent Trump a letter in which he apologized for the Oval Office exchange that went sour late last month after he refused to sign a mineral deal and angered the Trump administration – resulting in a series of explosive outbursts on live TV. 

While a mineral deal is unlikely to be achieved this week, according to Rubio, he said he hopes that with a successful meeting in Jeddah, he can secure the resumption of aid to Ukraine, though he did not detail if this would include the defensive aid the Trump administration halted, despite Russia’s continued bombardment against Ukrainian targets, or the intelligence sharing which the U.S. also stopped following the Oval Office showdown. 

"The pause in aid broadly is something I hope we can resolve," Rubio said. "I think what happens tomorrow will be key to that."

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Rubio also said that Russia will see its own consequences if it doesn’t agree to negotiate on ending the war in Ukraine, including additional sanctions. 

"It should be clear to everyone that the United States has tools available to also impose costs on the Russian side of this equation," Rubio said. "But we hope it doesn't come to that. 

"What we're hoping is that both sides realize that this is not a conflict that can end by military means," he added. 

On Friday, in a posting on the Truth Social platform, Trump threatened Russia with "large scale Banking Sanctions, Sanctions and Tariffs," until a ceasefire and peace settlement are reached.  

Pope Francis is "out of danger from death" as of Monday evening, marking a significant improvement after weeks of hospitalization involving the head of the Roman Catholic Church.

In a statement obtained by Fox News, the Vatican said that the "clinical conditions of the Holy Father continue to be stable."

"The improvements recorded in the previous days have been further consolidated, as confirmed by both blood tests and clinical objectivity and good response to drug therapy," the release read.

The Vatican also said that Pope Francis, 88, "is out of danger from death from the infections that he arrived at the hospital with."

POPE FRANCIS SUFFERING FROM 'MILD RENAL INSUFFICIENCY,' THOUGH CONDITION REMAINS 'UNDER CONTROL,' VATICAN SAYS

The pope was first admitted to Gemelli Hospital on Feb. 14 after fighting a week-long bout of bronchitis that gradually worsened. There, he was first diagnosed with a complex viral, bacterial and fungal respiratory tract infection. 

Doctors then detected the onset of pneumonia in both of Pope Francis's lungs – a significant health threat to the octogenarian, who has chronic lung disease and had part of one lung removed when he was younger.

POPE FRANCIS' MEDICAL CONDITION: WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT BILATERAL PNEUMONIA

As of Monday, Pope Francis will continue to recover in Rome’s Gemelli Hospital "for further days," Holy See officials said, citing the "complexity of the clinical picture and the important infectious picture presented at hospitalization." 

Pope Francis had solid food introduced into his diet on Sunday after days of gradual improvement. On Monday, he "alternated prayer with rest" and worshipped throughout the day. 

"This morning the Holy Father was able to follow the Spiritual Exercises in connection with the Paul VI Room, then received the Eucharist and went to the Chapel of the private apartment for a moment of prayer," the Holy See said on Monday. "In the afternoon he joined the Spiritual Exercises of the Curia again."

North Korea fired several ballistic missiles into the sea on Monday, just hours after South Korea and the United States kicked off their first major joint military exercise of President Donald Trump’s second term. 

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said the missile firings were detected from the North’s southwestern Hwanghae Province. The weapons were described as close-range, and in response, South Korea's military said it has bolstered its surveillance posture and is closely coordinating with the U.S. 

"We are aware of the DPRK’s multiple ballistic missile launches and are consulting closely with the Republic of Korea and Japan, as well as other regional allies and partners. The United States condemns these actions and calls on the DPRK to refrain from further unlawful and destabilizing acts," the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command said in a statement. "While we have assessed that this event does not pose an immediate threat to U.S. personnel, or territory, or to our allies, we continue to monitor the situation. The U.S. commitments to the defense of the ROK and Japan remain ironclad."

The launches come after South Korean and U.S. forces began their annual Freedom Shield exercise Monday.  

NORTH KOREA UNVEILS ITS FIRST NUCLEAR-POWERED SUBMARINE 

"Freedom Shield is an 11-day exercise conducted by the Republic of Korea and the United States consisting of training to reflect the Korea Theater of Operations – a combined, joint, multi-domain, and interagency operating environment," according to the U.S. Army.  

"Field training events throughout FS25 include urban combat operations, field hospital operations, mass casualty treatment and evacuation, field artillery exercises, air assault training, wet gap crossing, air defense artillery asset deployment and validation, and a joint assault exercise with the U.S. Marine Corps," the Army added. 

However, North Korea’s Foreign Ministry is calling the exercises an "aggressive and confrontational war rehearsal." 

"Despite of the DPRK's repeated warning, the US and the Republic of Korea are dead set on staging the large-scale joint military exercises. This is a dangerous provocative act of driving the acute situation on the Korean peninsula, where a single accidental gun report may spark off a physical conflict between the two sides, beyond the extreme limit," read a statement published in North Korean state media. 

TRAVELER GOES VIRAL FOR TRIP TO ONE OF THE MOST SECRETIVE PLACES ON EARTH 

This year's training comes after South Korean KF-16 fighter jets accidentally dropped bombs on a civilian area during a live-fire training exercise with the U.S. on Thursday, injuring multiple people and damaging multiple buildings, including three houses and a Catholic church. 

South Korean media reported that the accident happened in Pocheon, a city near the heavily armed border with North Korea. About 30 people were wounded, two of them seriously. 

The initial assessment from the South Korean air force was that one of the KF-16 pilots entered the wrong coordinates and failed to visually verify the target before proceeding with the bombing. The second pilot had the correct coordinates but focused only on maintaining flight formation and dropped the bombs on the first pilot’s instructions without recognizing the target was wrong, according to the content of the latest briefing provided to The Associated Press. 

Gen. Lee Youngsu, chief of staff of the South Korean air force, bowed and apologized Monday over the injuries and property damage caused by the bombing, which he said "should have never happened and must never happen again." 

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

A cargo ship hit a tanker carrying jet fuel off the coast of eastern England Monday, setting both vessels on fire and triggering a major rescue operation, emergency services said.

At least 32 people were brought ashore, but their condition was not immediately clear. The operator of the tanker said all of its crew members were safe.

The U.S.-flagged chemical and oil products tanker MV Stena Immaculate was at anchor near the port of Grimsby Monday morning after sailing from Greece, according to ship-tracking site VesselFinder. The cargo vessel, Portugal-flagged container ship Solong, was sailing from Grangemouth in Scotland to Rotterdam in the Netherlands.

U.S.-based Crowley Ship Management, which operates the Stena Immaculate, said the tanker "sustained a ruptured cargo tank containing Jet-A1 fuel," when the container ship struck it, triggering a fire and "multiple explosions onboard," with fuel released into the sea.

TRUMP'S SCOTTISH GOLF RESORT VANDALIZED BY PRO-PALESTINE GROUP OVER GAZA STANCE

It said all the mariners on the tanker were safe and accounted for.

Martyn Boyers, chief executive of the Port of Grimsby East, said 13 casualties were brought in on a Windcat 33 high-speed vessel, followed by another 19 on a harbor pilot boat.

Britain's Maritime and Coastguard Agency said several lifeboats and a coast guard rescue helicopter were dispatched to the scene in the North Sea, along with a coast guard plane.

The site of the collision is off the coast of Hull, about 155 miles north of London.

Coast guards said the alarm was raised at 9:48 a.m. (0948 GMT). Humber Coast Guard made a radio broadcast asking vessels with firefighting equipment and those who could help with search and rescue to head to the scene.

HUGE UNEXPLODED WORLD WAR II-ERA BOMB FOUND IN CROWDED PARIS RESIDENTIAL AREA

The RNLI lifeboat agency said "there were reports that a number of people had abandoned the vessels following a collision and there were fires on both ships." It said three lifeboats were working on search and rescue at the scene alongside the coast guard.

Video footage aired by the BBC and apparently filmed from a nearby vessel showed thick black smoke pouring from both ships.

Boyers, the port chief, said he had been told there was "a massive fireball."

"It’s too far out for us to see – about 10 miles – but we have seen the vessels bringing them in," he said. "They must have sent a mayday out. Luckily there was a crew transfer vessel out there already. Since then, there has been a flotilla of ambulances to pick up anyone they can find."

UK PRIME MINISTER LAYS OUT UKRAINE PEACE DEAL FRAMEWORK AS ZELENSKYY RESPONDS TO RESIGNATION CALLS

U.K. Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said she was being kept up to date on the developing situation.

"I want to thank all emergency service workers involved for their continued efforts in responding to the incident," she said.

EXCLUSIVE: Growing up under Soviet rule, Lithuanian Defense Minister Dovilė Šakalienė was not allowed to celebrate Christmas. Her mother was born in a Siberian prison camp. 

The crime?

Her teenage brother was caught handing out leaflets that said, "Lithuania is free." After 50 years of Soviet occupation during the Cold War, many Lithuanians today are wary of any negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin and are watching the Kremlin’s next moves closely.

"In my opinion, the only efficient diplomacy with Russia was what Al Capone said, the only good negotiation is when you have a gun on the table. So that's probably the kind of diplomacy that would work with Russia," Šakalienė warned during an interview at the Lithuanian Embassy in Washington Friday.

When asked if Putin could be trusted, the 46-year-old defense minister, who once lived in Albuquerque, New Mexico, as an exchange student, replied, "Are you kidding me? After what was done to my family and by Russia for generations, I don't think you would find any Lithuanian who could trust Vladimir Putin."

Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine is now more than three years old. Since returning to office, President Donald Trump has engaged in direct talks with Russia to end the war.

TRUMP SAYS INTEL PAUSE ON UKRAINE HAS BEEN 'JUST ABOUT' LIFTED; SAYS TARIFFS WILL MAKE AMERICA RICH

"Historically, Russia has never ever kept an agreement," Šakalienė said." Our only hope is that the tough and harsh approach by President Donald Trump may be the only safeguard keeping Putin in check. So let's hope that happens."

Located in Eastern Europe, Lithuania's population of 2.8 million in an area roughly the size of West Virginia, the small country cannot afford to ignore Russia. It shares a 184-mile border with Russia (Kaliningrad) as well as a 420-mile border with Belarus, which she says is "now just a platform for the Russian army."

She said, "They are trying to frighten us. They are trying to make us feel insecure," about the Russian forces next door.

Lithuania is ramping up defense spending as a result of Russia launching its full-scale invasion of Ukraine and plans to exceed Trump’s demand that NATO allies spend 5% of GDP on defense. Šakalienė said her country hopes to reach 6% by next year. The U.S. currently spends 3.4%.

Last month, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also urged NATO allies to ramp up defense spending. "The United States will no longer tolerate an imbalanced relationship which encourages dependency," he warned at NATO headquarters in Brussels on his first overseas trip.

As a NATO defense minister, Šakalienė was there in Brussels. She applauded Hegseth’s remarks, calling them an "ice-cold bucket of water."

"I saw the faces of my colleagues. A lot of shock, a lot of stress," she said. "Nobody in the room mentioned 2% [of GDP] which is so redundant, irrelevant, inadequate. It's gone. It's old news."

When asked why Western Europe has been lagging on defense spending years after Russia seized 20% of Ukraine, Šakalienė replied, "I think that a very large part of the democratic world got caught up in this illusion of an idealistic world, which has never existed."

She said part of the illusion was believing wars are over. Russia never thought this way, she explained.

"The non-democratic part of the world has not changed. They are actually playing by their rules. So if they are not playing by our rules, our blindness is what put us in this dangerous position."

TRUMP THREATENS SANCTIONS ON RUSSIA, DEMANDS PEACE AFTER MAJOR HITS IN UKRAINE

Šakalienė is the only NATO defense minister sanctioned by China. When asked about Beijing’s motives in supporting Russia, her answer might surprise some people.

"Russia is able to boost its military production so efficiently because China is feeding it," she said.  "It is useful for China to have this war of exhaustion, and also it is useful for China, even though it supplies Russia, to see Russia also lose a lot of its soldiers – a lot of its weapons and equipment – because a weaker Russia is more convenient to China."

Despite heavy battlefield losses in Ukraine over the past three years, Russia is building an army of 1.5 million soldiers, according to Šakalienė, who warned Putin has "more imperial expansion plans in his hand."

When Fox News sat down at the Lithuanian Embassy on Friday, Trump was trying to secure a mineral rights agreement with Ukraine and eventually hopes to seek a ceasefire agreement with Russia.

"If Russia violates the ceasefire, the response must be immediate and violent," Šakalienė urged.

When asked for her reaction to a report that Trump is considering not defending NATO allies who do not spend enough on defense, Šakalienė applauded the harsh rhetoric from Trump, calling it "painful" but justified. "Everyone needs to contribute, burden sharing is the main rule if you really want to have a strong alliance."

She pointed to the Baltic States and Poland as leading NATO members in defense spending as a percentage of GDP.

Last year, the European Union, which Lithuania is a member, spent more on Russian oil and gas than aid to Ukraine. Šakalienė said her country was "the first one to cut off" Russian oil and gas. "We were even supporting our neighbors, Latvians and Polish with energy supplies. So for us, being independent of Russian energy is a matter of life and death."

Lithuania’s first LNG terminal was aptly named "Independence," according to Frank Fannon, who served in Trump’s first term as assistant secretary of state for energy resources.

When Fox News sat down at the embassy, Lithuania had just announced it would be withdrawing from the convention on cluster munitions, an international agreement by more than 100 nations prohibiting cluster bombs. Šakalienė explained why Lithuania is pulling out.

"We want to be ready to use anything and everything necessary to protect our borders. We don't want Russians to come to our homes again. We want to send a strategic message, a very clear message, that we will do anything to protect ourselves."  

RUSSIAN MISSILE EXPERTS VISITED IRAN AMID GROWING MILITARY TIES

Lithuania, along with other European nations, also wants to withdraw from another treaty soon known as the Ottawa Convention, which bans anti-personnel land mines.

"This is a terrible weapon, just like cluster munitions, but the Russians are using the weapons, including forbidden weapons. So we want to send the message back," she said.

In addition to Russia, China and the United States are also not parties to the agreement. In 2014, the United States announced it would abide by the Ottawa Convention, except for the landmines already deployed on the Korean Peninsula.

Šakalienė, a deeply devout Christian, said Russia is not only attacking Ukraine, but the Christian faith as well.

"It was Soviet Russia that tried to annihilate the church in Ukraine, in Lithuania, in Poland. They have now sort of revived their Christianity and are using it for KGB infiltration, for FSB infiltration, she said. "This is a betrayal."

She continued, "When we see how churches in Ukraine are being bombed, being robbed…the Christian community in Ukraine is being murdered and their beautiful heritage is being destroyed."

The Lithuanian defense minister ended the interview with a final warning.

"We tend to try to diminish our enemies. This is a mistake. You have to see them for what they are."

A newly released study is challenging the International Criminal Court's (ICC) investigation of starvation claims against Israel and exposes the Hamas terror organization's role in controlling aid distribution. 

Just last week, as a result of Hamas terrorists' refusal to extend the ceasefire deal and start releasing the 59 hostages still held in Gaza, the Israeli government decided to halt all goods and supplies going into Gaza. 

Yet despite howls of criticism from U.N. relief chief Tom Fletcher, who called the decision "alarming," the Trump administration has given its blessing to the move. 

Retired Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus, a former IDF international spokesperson and now a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, dismissed claims of starvation, telling Fox News Digital that Hamas hoards supplies while Israel ensures aid enters. "Over 25,200 trucks arrived during the ceasefire – enough for four months. If there’s hunger, it’s because of Hamas corruption, not a lack of food," he said.

The study published by Israeli public health experts, based on data from Israel’s Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), challenges these claims, showing no evidence of famine or intentional deprivation.

MORE AID IS SUPPOSED TO BE ENTERING THE GAZA STRIP. WHY ISN’T IT HELPING?

The study, named "Food supplied to Gaza during seven months of the Hamas-Israel war," was led by nutrition and public health experts Aron Troen and Ronit Endevelt, along with researchers from multiple Israeli universities and the Ministry of Health. The study analyzed food shipments into Gaza from January to July 2024. 

Using international food composition databases and the Sphere humanitarian standards, they tracked calorie intake, nutritional value, and humanitarian aid efforts, providing an objective, data-driven analysis of food supplies delivered to Gaza during the first seven months of the war.

The research assessed food shipments from international donors processed through COGAT. Each item was categorized based on its energy content, protein, fat and micronutrient composition. The total nutritional supply per capita was then measured against international benchmarks to ensure accuracy.

"We didn't enter politics," said professor Ronit Endevelt. "We just wanted to know if, from a nutritional perspective, the food entering Gaza was sufficient. We double-checked our data multiple times to avoid exaggeration."

Between January and April 2024, 14,916 trucks carrying 227,854 tons of food entered Gaza, averaging 124 food trucks per day. The study found that the daily per capita caloric supply averaged 3,374 kcal, with 101 grams of protein and 80.6 grams of fat – meeting or exceeding international humanitarian food aid standards.

ICC REJECTS ISRAELI APPEALS, ISSUES ARREST WARRANTS FOR BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, YOAV GALLANT

"In March 2024, the United Nations Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) warned of imminent famine in Gaza. Within days, cautious technical language gave way to media headlines and political statements claiming mass starvation was already underway," professor Troen told Fox News Digital. 

"One of the most persistent falsehoods has been the claim that before the war, 500 or more humanitarian trucks entered Gaza daily, and that this number was necessary to meet the population’s needs. In reality, the number of food trucks was around or fewer than 100 per day before the war, and has since increased substantially," he continued. "Our study aimed to address that gap by analyzing verified food shipments. The numbers show that while there were variations, at no point did the food supply drop to starvation levels."

When asked specifically about testimonies obtained by Fox News Digital from Gazans who reported struggling to find food on certain days, Endevelt acknowledged the study did not track final distribution within Gaza. "We can’t say there was no hunger, but we can confirm enough food entered," she said. "Most of the time, in most months, there was enough food available."

A key finding of the study is the distinction between food supply and distribution. "Hamas systematically weaponized food distribution, using it as a tool of control," said Endevelt. "Aid often didn’t reach those in need because Hamas seized supplies, sold them on the black market, or prioritized its own fighters. Reports of famine are not due to a lack of aid but Hamas’ deliberate strategy of restricting access to maintain power and profit."

Despite these findings, the ICC investigation and global criticism continued. "IPC reports, widely cited as evidence against Israel, failed to mention Hamas’ role in manipulating aid," Troen said.

When asked by Fox News Digital whether the new findings would be considered in its investigation, the ICC Office of the Prosecutor responded: "The ICC Office of the Prosecutor has a current and ongoing investigation in relation to the Situation in the State of Palestine. The Office’s investigations are built from a wide range of sources. They can encompass Article 15 communications, information from states, international partners, and civil society, publicly available sources of information, and the direct collection of evidence by the Office, including interviews with witnesses.

"The Office is unable to provide further information with respect to details of its investigative activities in response to your request at this stage. Confidentiality is a crucial part of our work and is essential to protect the integrity of the investigations and to ensure the safety and security of victims, witnesses, and all those with whom the Office interacts."

The U.N. spokesman referred Fox News Digital to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), which requested more time to respond. However, even after the extension was granted, no response was provided.

UN SILENT AS GUTERRES CALLS FOR HOSTAGE RELEASE, RECEIVES 'THUNDEROUS' APPLAUSE ON GAZA

Publishing the study posed challenges. "Given the anti-Israel bias in parts of the scientific community, we opted to submit to the Israeli Journal of Health Policy Research, a peer-reviewed journal under Springer Nature," Troen said. "We wanted the data available quickly to improve humanitarian efforts. However, the political climate made the review process unusually intense."

"This was one of the most rigorously reviewed studies I’ve ever worked on," Endevelt added. "We had five reviewers, far more than usual, and months of back-and-forth revisions to ensure absolute accuracy."

The research team, including experts from Hebrew University, Ben-Gurion University, Tel Aviv University and Haifa University, conducted the study with a commitment to scientific rigor. The paper, now widely cited, underscores the importance of transparent data in evaluating humanitarian crises.

"One thing is clear: given the amount of food entering Gaza and ongoing reports of hunger, distribution must be improved," Troen concluded. "Effective cooperation between U.N. agencies, COGAT, and Palestinian civil society, without Hamas’ interference, is crucial to ensuring aid reaches those who need it most."

Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte made an unannounced visit to Hong Kong on Sunday, leading to questions about whether he is attempting to evade a possible arrest warrant by the International Criminal Court over his extrajudicial killings amid his war on drugs during his time in office.

Duterte, 79, and his daughter — incumbent Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte — were the main speakers at a campaign rally at the Southorn Stadium in the busy Wan Chai commercial district in Hong Kong for the senatorial candidates of his political party, Partido Demokratiko Pilipino, ahead of the May 12 midterm elections in the Philippines.

In his speech, Duterte addressed reports about the ICC possibly issuing a warrant for his arrest, reiterating previous comments that he was prepared to be jailed if his arrest is ordered.

"If that’s my fate, that’s fine. I will accept it. We can’t do anything if I’m arrested or imprisoned," he said in front of a crowd of Filipino supporters.

PHILIPPINE FIGHTER JET CARRYING 2 PILOTS GOES MISSING DURING MISSION AGAINST INSURGENTS IN SOUTHERN PROVINCE

The ICC has been investigating the large number of killings by police and gunmen under Duterte's crackdown against illegal drugs during his tenure as president from 2016-2022. Thousands of people, most of whom were poor, were left dead as he sought to carry out his war on drugs.

Duterte, while in office, also prosecuted a journalist for coverage that scrutinized the government's killings.

The former populist president has denied he authorized extrajudicial killings. However, he openly and repeatedly threatened to kill suspected drug dealers during his time in office.

"What was my sin?" Duterte asked in his speech in Hong Kong. "I did everything in my time, so Filipinos can have a little peace and tranquility."

He jokingly told the crowd to make small contributions for the construction of his monument, which he said should show him holding a gun.

CHINESE NAVY HELICOPTER FLIES WITHIN 10 FEET OF PHILIPPINE PATROL PLANE OVER DISPUTED SHOAL

A senior Philippine official said the former president was scheduled to fly back on Tuesday to Manila, the capital of the Philippines, but another senior official said he could extend his stay in Hong Kong.

Current President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s administration is prepared to handle any situation stemming from an ICC arrest warrant, the president's communications secretary, Jay Ruiz, said.

"We've heard that an arrest warrant has been issued by the International Criminal Court against former President Rodrigo Duterte for crimes against humanity," Ruiz said in a statement. "The government is prepared for any eventuality."

In the southern city of Davao, Duterte's home region, police bolstered security at the international airport and will monitor new checkpoints. Philippine police told reporters the move was part of an effort to ensure law enforcement would be able to handle any contingencies.

Duterte had held office in Davao, previously serving as mayor, vice mayor and member of the House of Representatives. He was also chair of the Davao City Liberal Party from 2009-2015.

Marcos Jr. has said that Philippine law enforcement agencies would be required to fully cooperate if the ICC seeks Duterte's arrest.

The ICC was created in 2002 to serve as a court of last resort for the most serious international crimes, including genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and aggression. The ICC becomes involved when countries are unable or unwilling to prosecute crimes within their borders.

About 125 countries have signed the court’s foundational treaty, the Rome Statute. But China, which controls Hong Kong, has not signed on.

Duterte withdrew the Philippines from the ICC in 2019, which activists argued was an attempt to evade accountability and prevent an international investigation into the government-authorized killings. However, the ICC still maintains jurisdiction over alleged crimes committed when the country was a member, so Duterte could still be held accountable for possible crimes committed in the first half of his presidency.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.