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The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) claims to have killed another Hezbollah commander who was responsible for recent attacks in Northern Israel.

IDF said Sunday morning that the Israel Air Force (IAF) struck and killed terrorist Farouk Amin Alasi, the Hezbollah commander of the Khiam area.

Alasi was responsible for the execution of many anti-tank missile and rocket attacks toward Israeli communities in the Galilee Panhandle, and especially Metula. 

ISRAEL KILLS 2 HEZBOLLAH COMMANDERS RESPONSIBLE FOR 400 STRIKES AGAINST THEM IN OCTOBER: IDF

Additionally, the IDF killed the terrorist Yousef Ahmad Nun, a Radwan Forces company commander in the Khiam area who was responsible for rocket and anti-tank missile attacks toward Israeli communities in the Galilee area and IDF troops operating in the area.

This comes one day after the IDF claimed to have killed two Hezbollah commanders deemed responsible for more than 400 strikes against Israel in October.

IDF troops continue operational activity in southern Lebanon. The IDF eliminated Radwan Forces and additional Hezbollah terrorists in aerial strikes and close-quarters combat. Furthermore, the troops located large amounts of Hezbollah weaponry.

Over the past week, with the direction of IDF Intelligence, the IAF struck and killed the terrorist Raafat Ibrahim Mahmoud Akdeih, a Nukhba terrorist who infiltrated Kibbutz Nir Oz during the brutal Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attack. During the war, Akdieh served as an aide to the commander of Islamic Jihad Nukhba forces in the Khan Yunis Brigade. 

7 KILLED IN ISRAEL BY HEZBOLLAH AIRSTRIKES AS IDF ELIMINATES TERRORIST GROUP'S SPECIAL FORCES COMMANDER

Over the past day, the IDF has continued operating in the Jabaliya area in the northern Gaza Strip, killing dozens of terrorists. 

The "Kfir" Brigade has begun operations in the area, during which the brigade eliminated a terrorist cell in an aerial strike that posed a threat to troops operating in the area. 

IDF troops are continuing operational activity in the central and southern Gaza Strip, locating weaponry and decimating terrorist cells. 

IDF soldiers are continuing to conduct limited, localized, targeted raids against Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon. The troops operated against Hezbollah’s infrastructure in the area, located weapons, and eliminated terrorists in cooperation with the IAF.

In the Gaza Strip, IDF soldiers continue operational activity in the area of Jabaliya where dozens of terrorists were eliminated in aerial and ground activity. In Rafah and central Gaza, the troops operated to eliminate terrorists, dismantle terror infrastructure, and locate weapons.

Friday’s attack by Israel followed a deadly attack on Thursday from Hezbollah forces in northern Israel.

The first attack was in Metula – a town located along the Israel-Lebanon border – that left an Israeli farmer and four foreign agricultural workers dead. A second reported attack from Hezbollah left two people dead near Haifa.

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

Thieves in the Netherlands used explosives to blow open the doors of an art gallery on Friday, making off with two rare screen prints by American pop artist Andy Warhol.

According to MPV Gallery owner Mark Peet Visser, the suspects also abandoned two more works which were badly damaged in the street as they fled.

NAZI-LOOTED MONET, MISSING FOR OVER 80 YEARS, RETURNED TO HEIRS OF ORIGINAL OWNERS IN NEW ORLEANS: FBI

Visser shared with the Associated Press that the suspects attempted to steal all four works from Warhol’s 1985 "Reigning Queens" series. The Warhol portraits include renderings of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, Queen Margrethe II of Denmark, Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands, and Queen Ntombi Tfwala of Swaziland (now Eswatini).

In a phone interview with the Associated Press, Visser called the heist "amateurish." Visser recounted the entire heist was recorded on security cameras.

LOST CHOPIN SHEET MUSIC FOUND 200 YEARS AFTER HIS DEATH

He said, "The bomb attack was so violent that my entire building was destroyed, and nearby stores were also damaged. So they did that part of it well, too well actually. And then they ran to the car with the artworks, and it turns out that they won’t fit in the car." 

"At that moment, the works are ripped out of the frames, and you also know that they are damaged beyond repair, because it is impossible to get them out undamaged," added Visser.

The stolen portraits included those of Queen Elizabeth II and Queen Margrethe II, while the damaged portraits of Queen Beatrix and Queen Ntombi Tfwala were left on the street.

Visser declined to estimate the value of the signed, numbered works, which he had planned to showcase as a set at an upcoming Amsterdam art fair.

Police are actively investigating and appealing for witnesses in this case. Forensic experts examined the destroyed gallery on Friday.

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Mark Peet Visser with the MPV Gallery did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Kemi Badenoch became the Conservatives' new leader and the first Black woman to head a major British political party on Saturday, after winning a leadership contest on a promise to return the party to its founding principles.

Badenoch, 44, replaces former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and has pledged to lead the party through a period of renewal after its resounding defeat at Britain's July election, saying it had veered towards the political center by "governing from the left".

UK PM KEIR STARMER IN HOT WATER FOR ACCEPTING FREEBIES, INSISTS HE’S DONE NOTHING WRONG

On the right of the Conservative Party, Badenoch will likely back policies to shrink the state and challenge what she says is institutional left-wing thinking, saying it is time to defend the principles of free speech, free enterprise and free markets.

Badenoch became the Conservatives' fifth leader since mid-2016 after winning 57% of party members' votes in the final stage of a months-long contest that saw a field of six whittled down to two. She beat a former immigration minister, Robert Jenrick, who won 43% of the votes.

Labour Prime Minister Keir Starmer welcomed her victory, saying "the first Black leader of a Westminster party is a proud moment for our country".

Badenoch herself has publicly said she prefers not to focus on her race.

Asked at the Conservative Party conference earlier this year how it would feel to become the first Black woman leader of the party, she said: "I am somebody who wants the color of our skin to be no more significant than the color of our hair or the color of our eyes."

For some Black voters in London, a city which tends to favor the Labour Party and has a Labour mayor, support for Badenoch will depend on what she does now as leader of the Conservatives.

"They (the Conservative Party) are not more approachable because of the fact that they've now got a Black person," said Imani Samuels, a student. "It will just depend on what she's doing."

Asked about Badenoch's comment on her skin color, Samuels replied: "She should be proud of that, and she should step forward with her Blackness, because to have such a position and to be Black and a woman should be something she's very proud to say."

Vaughan Gething became the first Black leader of the Welsh Labour Party earlier this year, but resigned after just four months as the first minister of Wales after a wave of ministerial resignations in protest over his leadership.

Sunak, who is of Indian origin, became Britain's first prime minister of colour in October 2022 after winning a race to lead the Conservatives that year.

Badenoch promised on Saturday to tackle problems in the party head-on.

"The time has come to tell the truth," she told the audience at the final count of the leadership contest, promising to answer the main questions over how the Conservatives lost the July election so badly.

"It is time to get down to business, it is time to renew."

With forthright views on everything from what she calls identity politics to the value of officials, Badenoch attracts both strong admirers and detractors. She is certain to shake up the Conservatives, who saw their contingent of lawmakers in the 650-seat parliament fall in July to 121 from 365 seats in 2019.

With the Labour government off to a bumpy start, some Conservatives are increasingly optimistic that they could win back power at the next election, which has to be held in 2029.

But some more centrist Conservatives worry Badenoch might alienate not only the more moderate wing of the party but also some voters who were won over by the centrist Liberal Democrats at the last election.

The former trade minister's time in government was often marked by disputes with the media, celebrities and her own officials. But her no-nonsense approach has also won over many supporters, including the Conservative members who chose her over Jenrick.

"The task that stands before us is tough, but simple, our first responsibility as his majesty's loyal opposition is to hold this Labour government to account," she told party members.

"Our second is no less important, it is to prepare over the course of the next few years for government."

The IDF has released video showing Israeli troops uncovering a Hamas underground weapons-manufacturing facility in central Gaza located beneath the local civilian population.

The terrorist-operated facility contained workshops and hundreds of supplies for producing rockets, shells and grenades before it was destroyed by engineering troops, the IDF says. It was situated near the area of Zeitoun.

The IDF says the facility also had diving equipment intended for Hamas to infiltrate Israeli territory by sea.

IRAN CLAIMS IT IS CAPABLE OF BUILDING NUCLEAR WEAPON AS AYATOLLAH VOWS ‘TOOTH-BREAKING’ RESPONSE TO ISRAEL, US

Video released by the IDF shows troops navigating a long tunnel that leads to the facility. The IDF says the tunnel route contained several long-term living areas equipped with an oven, stove, food supplies, beds and offices used by the terrorists during the war.

The mission was carried out by the troops of the 252nd Division, soldiers from the 5th Brigade.

"Engineering troops, under the command of the Southern Command, in cooperation with the Yahalom Unit and the Ministry of Defense’s Engineering and Construction Directorate, located and dismantled the tunnel route, damaged weapons production capabilities, and thwarted another attempt by the Hamas terrorist organization to rearm," the IDF said in a statement. 

ISRAEL CEASE-FIRE PLAN FOR LEBANON SEEKS TO BYPASS UN, AS US MEDIATORS TRAVEL TO JERUSALEM FOR TALKS

The footage was released on the same day that Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei vowed a "tooth-breaking" response to the actions of both Israel and the U.S.

A top adviser to Khamenei, Kamal Kharrazi, issued the warning about Iran's nuclear capacity on Friday, saying that the country may be prepared to alter its policies on using nuclear weapons if the nation faces an existential threat.

"If an existential threat arises, Iran will modify its nuclear doctrine, we have the capability to build weapons and have no issue in this regard," Kharrazi told Lebanese media.

Israel also on Saturday claimed that its forces killed two Hezbollah commanders who were responsible for more than 400 strikes against them in October.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) says it "eliminated the terrorists Mousa Izz al-Din, the commander of Hezbollah’s forces in the coastal sector, and Hassan Majid Daib, Hezbollah’s artillery commander in the coastal sector" on Friday in the Tyre region of Lebanon.

IDF says Daib was responsible for "the projectile fire toward the Haifa Bay on Thursday."

Fox News’ Anders Hagstrom, Scott McDonald and Yonat Friling contributed to this report.

Iran claimed it is capable of building a nuclear weapon as Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei vowed a "tooth-breaking" response to the actions of both Israel and the U.S. on Saturday.

A top adviser to Khamenei, Kamal Kharrazi, issued the warning about Iran's nuclear capacity on Friday, saying that the country may be prepared to alter its policies on using nuclear weapons if the nation faces an existential threat.

"If an existential threat arises, Iran will modify its nuclear doctrine, we have the capability to build weapons and have no issue in this regard," Kharrazi told Lebanese media.

General Mohammad Naeini of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard backed up the heated rhetoric on Saturday.

ISRAEL CEASE-FIRE PLAN FOR LEBANON SEEKS TO BYPASS UN, AS US MEDIATORS TRAVEL TO JERUSALEM FOR TALKS

"A decisive and strong response will be given to the enemy’s new aggression. The response will be beyond the enemy’s comprehension, strategic, and powerful. The enemy must learn its lesson that it cannot engage in any act of hostility without receiving a crushing response in return," Naeini said.

Naeini's comment came in reference to Israel's Oct. 26 attack on Iran, which targeted critical military infrastructure. That attack from Israel came in response to a wave of 200-some missiles launched from Iran into Israel on Oct. 1.

IRAN AND RUSSIA CLOSE IN ON DEAL AS TEHRAN THREATENS REVENGE AGAINST ISRAEL

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signaled on Thursday that Iran’s nuclear program could be Jerusalem’s next target amid Tehran's promises of violence.

The U.S. – Israel’s chief ally in its fight against Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran – has repeatedly warned Jerusalem against hitting Iran’s energy infrastructure, in particular, its nuclear and oil facilities, out of concern it could prompt an outright regional war.

Reports this week suggested that Iran could be waiting until after the U.S. presidential election next week, though other reports have said Tehran’s retaliatory strike could come at any time. 

Fox News' Caitlin McFall contributed to this report

Israel on Saturday claimed that its forces killed two Hezbollah commanders who were responsible for more than 400 strikes against them in October.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it "eliminated the terrorists Mousa Izz al-Din, the commander of Hezbollah’s forces in the coastal sector, and Hassan Majid Daib, Hezbollah’s artillery commander in the coastal sector" on Friday in the Tyre region of Lebanon.

IDF said Daib was responsible for "the projectile fire toward the Haifa Bay on Thursday."

"These Hezbollah terrorists were responsible for firing over 400 projectiles at Israel over the last month alone," the IDF stated.

7 KILLED IN ISRAEL BY HEZBOLLAH AIRSTRIKES AS IDF ELIMINATES TERRORIST GROUP'S SPECIAL FORCES COMMANDER

The Israel Air Force (IAF) struck more than 120 targets over the last day, including anti-tank missile launching sites, terrorist operatives, terror infrastructure sites, weapons storage facilities and command centers in Lebanon, Israel claimed.

IDF soldiers are continuing to conduct limited, localized, targeted raids against Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon. The troops operated against Hezbollah’s infrastructure in the area, located weapons, and eliminated terrorists in cooperation with the IAF.

TRUMP GIVES NETANYAHU DEADLINE TO END ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR BY JANUARY IF HE TAKES OFFICE: REPORT

In the Gaza Strip, IDF soldiers continue operational activity in the area of Jabaliya where dozens of terrorists were eliminated in aerial and ground activity. In Rafah and central Gaza, the troops operated to eliminate terrorists, dismantle terror infrastructure, and locate weapons.

Friday’s attack by Israel followed a deadly attack on Thursday from Hezbollah forces in northern Israel.

The first attack was in Metula – a town located along the Israel-Lebanon border – that left an Israeli farmer and four foreign agricultural workers dead. A second reported attack from Hezbollah left two people dead near Haifa.

The Wednesday strike that eliminated Mustafa Ahmad Shahadi of Hezbollah's Radwan Forces was carried out near the city of Nabatieh, south of Beirut, according to the Israel Defense Forces. 

"Mustafa Ahmad Shahadi advanced numerous terror attacks against the State of Israel," the IDF said in a statement. "His targeting is part of the effort to degrade Hezbollah’s Radwan Forces' capabilities to direct and execute terror activities against IDF troops and communities in the northern border, in particular the ‘Conquer the Galilee’ plan." 

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

The Biden administration this week finalized steps to block Americans from investing in a range of advanced technology, including artificial intelligence (AI), being developed in China. 

The U.S. Treasury Department on Monday finalized a rule that stemmed from an August 2023 executive order issued by President Biden that looks to stop "countries of concern’’ — specifically China, including Hong Kong and Macao — from accessing American investments in developing technologies.

CHINA OPTS OUT OF INTERNATIONAL BLUEPRINT TO STOP AI RACE IN WEAPONS DEVELOPMENT

The rule, which will take effect Jan. 2, was enacted in the interest of U.S. national security and covers three core tech areas, including semiconductors and microelectronics, quantum information technologies and certain AI systems, Reuters reported.

The department listed these "narrow set of technologies [as] core to the next generation of military, cybersecurity, surveillance, and intelligence applications."

Paul Rosen, assistant Treasury secretary for investment security, said, "U.S. investments … must not be used to help countries of concern develop their military, intelligence and cyber capabilities."

The move is an attempt to block Beijing from accessing any American know-how as this "cutting-edge technology" continues to develop for not only AI but in "code-breaking computer systems or next-generation fighter jets."

FIRST AI TALKS BEGIN BETWEEN CHINESE AND US ENVOYS

The overall goal is to stop this sophisticated technology from falling into the hands of the Chinese military. 

But these measures could also "close off markets for some of our tech companies and venture capitalists," explained Phil Siegel, founder of an AI nonprofit, the Center for Advanced Preparedness and Threat Response Simulation (CAPTRS).

While the onus will largely be on U.S. companies to ensure they are complying with the U.S.’s latest rules when it comes to tech development in China, Siegel said he thinks it is unlikely to have many short-term negative consequences.

"Until we understand how this technology might be used by our adversaries, it probably is best to stay the course," Siegel told Fox News Digital. "The question to ask is does slowing them down have more value than keeping an eye on what they do with these new technologies."

The AI expert pointed out that the latest steps to block China from gaining insight into U.S. tech development also means Washington could lose potential visibility into how Beijing’s AI progress is advancing. 

China once again condemned the latest push by the U.S. to counter its AI development, and the foreign ministry said it had lodged a protest with Washington.

"China strongly deplores and firmly opposes the U.S. rolling out restrictions on investment in China," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said Tuesday during a daily press briefing. 

Reuters contributed to this report.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has ordered additional bomber aircraft and Navy warships to the Middle East, U.S. officials confirmed to Fox News on Friday. 

Austin is sending several B-52 Stratofortress bomber aircraft, tanker aircraft and Navy destroyers to the Middle East, two U.S. defense officials confirmed to Fox News. 

This comes as reports Iran may retaliate following Israel's strikes last week that took out Iran's three remaining S-300 air defense systems.

NETANYAHU SIGNALS TEHRAN’S NUCLEAR PROGRAM COULD BE NEXT TARGET AS IRAN PLANS FUTURE ATTACK

The strategic move from the U.S. military arrives as Israel's conflict with Hamas in Gaza and engagements with Hezbollah in Lebanon have recently intensified. The Biden administration has been clear about its position to both defend Israel and safeguard American interests in the region.

"The supreme objective that I have set for the IDF and the security services is to prevent Iran from attaining nuclear weapons," said Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu on Thursday at a graduation ceremony for soldiers in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). "Halting the nuclear program has been – and remains – our chief concern. 

"I have not taken, we have not taken, and we will not take, our eyes off this objective," added Netanyahu.

It is unclear if the military resources sent will be in Israel, Iran, or elsewhere at this time.

The long-range, nuclear-capable B-52 bombers have frequently been sent to the Middle East in past displays of U.S. resolve toward Iran. The U.S. recently deployed B-2 stealth bombers to Yemen, striking Houthi targets in October.

TRUMP GIVES NETANYAHU DEADLINE TO END ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR BY JANUARY IF HE TAKES OFFICE: REPORT

Officials have not disclosed the precise number of U.S. aircraft and ships which will be moved, but the overall troop count may decrease with the USS Abraham Lincoln's departure. 

The Lincoln's departure from the region back to its home port in San Diego, scheduled for mid-November, could remove up to 5,000 sailors from the Middle East. There is no immediate aircraft carrier replacement, officials told the Associated Press.

This gap in carrier presence, seen as a deterrent against regional threats, will be bridged by deploying additional Navy destroyers. Navy destroyers which carry ballistic missile defense systems may be sourced from either the Indo-Pacific region or Europe.

While officials have not specified the duration of this gap in aircraft carrier presence to the Associated Press, the USS Harry S. Truman and its three supporting warships are expected to move to the Mediterranean Sea after finishing NATO exercises in the North Sea. 

The Lincoln, along with two of its destroyers, is currently stationed in the Gulf of Oman. Another destroyer operates in the Red Sea with U.S. warships.

The U.S. maintains a Marine amphibious ready group and two destroyers in the Mediterranean.

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The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is sounding the alarm that the recent deployment of North Korean troops in Russia not only spells trouble for Ukraine, but also draws into question the stability and security of nations in Asia that are allied with the West. 

"North Korea’s actions aren’t random," Zelenskyy said in a frank interview with South Korea’s public broadcasting network KBS on Thursday. "They have strategic goals." 

"Their actions aren’t coincidental - they want Russia’s support in return," he added in comments also posted to his social media account on X.

US SAYS 8,000 NORTH KOREAN SOLDIERS TO BEGIN COMBAT OPERATIONS IN WAR WITH UKRAINE 'IN COMING DAYS'

Zelenskyy’s warning coincided with an announcement by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, who on Thursday held a joint press conference with their South Korean counterparts to confirm that some 10,000 North Korean soldiers have deployed to Russia for training — 80 percent of which are already in Kursk and expected to begin combat operations against Ukraine in the region within the "coming days."

Zelenskyy, who described the threat now posed by North Korea as "a war of two countries against one," echoed the imminent threat outlined by the U.S. officials and urged South Korea to start taking a bigger role in countering Russia’s near 1,000-day war against Ukraine. 

"Whether these forces are in Kursk or on our occupied lands, they are preparing to fight Ukrainian soldiers. The world must recognize the gravity of this alliance," he said. "South Korea has approached this war with caution. 

"But this isn’t just our war," Zelenskyy continued. "Russia has brought in North Korea, and they won’t stop there. Iran, or even others, may be next."

Zelenskyy said South Korea has already pledged to send a team of specialists to Ukraine where they will collaborate on defensive capabilities, including air defense, as North Korea also provides Russian with artillery and missiles. 

PENTAGON THREATENS NO NEW LIMITS ON UKRAINE WEAPONS IF NORTH KOREA JOINS RUSSIA'S WAR

"If South Korea wants to understand the real capabilities of North Korea and its soldiers, it would benefit them to be here, to see and analyze the reality firsthand," he said. "Consider how close North Korea is to Seoul — just 40-50 km [25-30 miles], the range of modern artillery, not even missiles." 

"Air defenses can’t counter artillery strikes. Our own towns were obliterated by artillery. I hope South Korea never faces this, but preparation is critical," Zelenskyy added.

The Ukrainian president further suggested it was time that allies in the East look to form an "Asian Security Alliance" and called on nations like South Korea and Japan to lead the charge.

"And reaching out to China could be essential in countering North Korea’s aggression, as North Korea is actively pulling that region into a war," he said, questioning China’s position as the threat of regional conflict expands. 

"I’m surprised by China’s silence," Zelenskyy added. "I can’t say that China is on our side, but as a regional security guarantor, its silence is striking."

The Ukrainian president highlighted how the unification of Russia and North Korea has direct implications for not only Ukraine, but for partners in the East and allies in the West. 

"[Russian President Vladimir Putin is] testing the West, NATO, and even South Korea, observing their response to North Korean forces joining his campaign," Zelenskyy said. "If the response is weak, we should expect the numbers of foreign soldiers on our soil to increase."

The U.S. on Friday announced another $425 million defensive aid package for Ukraine from the Presidential Drawdown Authority. 

The package includes air defense interceptors, munitions for rocket systems and artillery, armored vehicles and anti-tank weapons to help meet "Ukraine's critical security and defense needs."

The package notably did not include Tomahawk intermediate-range missiles, which, according to a leaked report to The New York Times this week, Zelenskyy had requested and been denied.

Zelenskyy reportedly voiced his frustration on Wednesday not over the U.S. refusal to provide Ukraine with the advanced weaponry capable of flying some 1,500 miles, but over the fact that the request was leaked by an anonymous senior U.S. official.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signaled on Thursday that Iran’s nuclear program could be Jerusalem’s next line of attack as Tehran promises to return fire following last week's air strikes. 

"The supreme objective that I have set for the IDF and the security services is to prevent Iran from attaining nuclear weapons," Netanyahu said while speaking at a course graduation ceremony for soldiers in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). "Halting the nuclear program has been – and remains – our chief concern. 

"I have not taken, we have not taken, and we will not take, our eyes off this objective," he added. 

IRAN AND RUSSIA CLOSE IN ON DEAL AS TEHRAN THREATENS REVENGE AGAINST ISRAEL

The prime minister’s comments were in response to an apparent threat issued by Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who on Sunday said in a post on X, "Zionists are making a miscalculation with respect to Iran. They don't know Iran." 

"They still haven't been able to correctly understand the power, initiative, and determination of the Iranian people. We need to make them understand these things," Khamenei added. 

Netanyahu’s suggestion that Israel could next target Iranian nuclear facilities is in line with other comments made by the IDF that vowed to escalate its attack "capabilities" and target hit list should Iran follow through with another attack on the Jewish state. 

The U.S. – Israel’s chief ally in its fight against Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran – has repeatedly warned Jerusalem against hitting Iran’s energy infrastructure, in particular, its nuclear and oil facilities, out of concern it could prompt an outright regional war. 

Reports this week suggested that Iran could be waiting until after the U.S. presidential election next week, though other reports have said Tehran’s retaliatory strike could come at any time. 

The repeated tit-for-tat exchanges between IDF and Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) forces could soon be joined by Iranian-backed groups other than Hamas and Hezbollah, particularly after Israel struck Iran-backed militant groups in Iraq and Syria last week. 

ISRAEL CEASE-FIRE PLAN FOR LEBANON SEEKS TO BYPASS UN, AS US MEDIATORS TRAVEL TO JERUSALEM FOR TALKS

A report by Axios on Thursday said Israeli intelligence believes the imminent attack on the Jewish state may not come directly from Iran next time, but from an Iranian-backed militia in Iraq. 

"The last thing the Islamic Republic wants is a normalization of attacks against its own territory, even though all it seems to be doing is normalizing direct attacks from its own territory against Israel, as well as against a whole host of proxy attacks," expert on Iran-Israel security matters and senior fellow with the Foundation for Defense of Democracies Behnam Ben Taleblu told Fox News Digital. 

Iran, which shares a border with Iraq, is believed to have transferred short-range ballistic missiles into the hands of its proxy forces in the neighboring country in 2018.

This missile capability, which typically has a firing range of roughly 600 miles, would allow Iranian-backed forces in western Iraq and in neighboring Syria to hit certain areas in northern Israel. 

Ben Taleblu explained that while Syria shares a border with Israel and would therefore be more geographically optimal for Iranian proxy forces to hit the Jewish state, Syria is a "free fire zone" given the West’s rocky relationship with the Bashar al-Assad regime and the decadelong fight against ISIS in Syria.

"Iran has already seen much of its infrastructure – when it comes to domestic missile production or radars or IRGC command and control in Syria – go up in flames," Ben Taleblu said. 

The expert further explained that potentially drawing the fight with Israel to Iraq not only pushes it off its own territory, but it could also demand an international response given the U.S.’s history with Baghdad. 

"There perhaps may be more of a political taboo for the Israelis to strike in Iraq, given more of the American presence there," the expert said. "[There is a] desire to shield themselves as much as possible, while opening as many fronts as much as possible. 

"Staying in Iraq offers them a bit more cover," Ben Taleblu added. 

The 18-month civil war in Africa's third-largest country has left tens of thousands killed and millions of others displaced amid catastrophic famine and raging diseases. The dire crisis in Sudan is currently one of the worst in the world, but as global attention remains focused on the conflict in the Middle East, the African nation is seemingly being forgotten.

Adding to the bleak picture is a new 80-page report from the United Nations Independent International Fact-Finding Mission for Sudan, which sheds light on how militias are preying on women. The fact-finding mission accuses both the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the army’s former paramilitary allies, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), of rampant sexual violence. 

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

The U.N. report documents the pervasive sexual violence and human rights abuses in Sudan, affecting civilians from ages 8 to 75. It details how Sudanese women and girls are being abducted for sexual slavery, accusing the RSF of being behind the "large majority" of cases. Furthermore, the mission reported credible accounts of men and boys being subject to rape and gang-rape. 

The situation has been exacerbated by a severe lack of medical services. The conflict has left most hospitals and clinics destroyed, depriving victims of much-needed medical treatment.

"The sheer scale of sexual violence we have documented in Sudan is staggering," mission Chair Mohamed Chande Othman said in a statement. Sudan's state of affairs "is deeply alarming and needs urgent address," he added.

Human rights groups have also sounded the alarm over the abuses women are suffering. Advocates report that sexual atrocities are prompting women to take their lives – either in response to the brutalities they have endured, or to escape it entirely. 

SUDANESE PARAMILITARY CARRIES OUT ETHNIC CLEANSING IN DARFUR, RIGHTS GROUP SAYS

Sudan’s brutal war erupted in April 2023 after a simmering power struggle between the SAF and the powerful paramilitary RSF group exploded into an all-out war. Most recently, intense clashes in east-central Sudan led to the slaying of more than 100 people. The U.N. said that the RSF shot civilians, sexually abused women and girls, and looted properties. 

"The people of Sudan are living through a nightmare of violence," U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres told the Security Council earlier this week. "The suffering is growing by the day, with almost 25 million people now in need of humanitarian assistance," he emphasized.

As Sudan nears collapse, foreign aid remains insubstantial. Only about half of the U.N.’s $2.7 billion humanitarian appeal for the Northeast African country has been funded. But even as the country faces the world’s worst famine in forty years, it remains forgotten, overshadowed by the Middle East conflict.

Crews searched for bodies in stranded cars and sodden buildings Thursday as residents salvaged what they could from their ruined homes following monstrous flash floods in Spain that claimed at least 158 lives, with 155 deaths confirmed in the eastern Valencia region alone.

More horrors emerged Thursday from the debris and ubiquitous layers of mud left by the walls of water that produced Spain's deadliest natural disaster in living memory. The damage recalled the aftermath of a tsunami, with survivors left to pick up the pieces as they mourn their loved ones.

AT LEAST 63 DEAD IN DEVASTATING FLASH FLOODS ACROSS EASTERN SPAIN, OFFICIALS SAY

Cars were piled on one another like fallen dominoes, uprooted trees, downed power lines and household items all mired in mud that covered streets in dozens of communities in Valencia, a region south of Barcelona on the Mediterranean coast.

An unknown number of people are still missing and more victims could be found.

"Unfortunately, there are dead people inside some vehicles," Spain’s Transport Minister Óscar Puente said early Thursday before the death toll spiked from 95 on Wednesday night.

Rushing water turned narrow streets into death traps and spawned rivers that tore through homes and businesses, sweeping away cars, people and everything else in its path. The floods demolished bridges and left roads unrecognizable.

Luís Sánchez, a welder, said he saved several people who were trapped in their cars on the flooded V-31 highway south of Valencia city. The road rapidly became a floating graveyard strewn with hundreds of vehicles.

"I saw bodies floating past. I called out, but nothing," Sánchez said. "The firefighters took the elderly first, when they could get in. I am from nearby so I tried to help and rescue people. People were crying all over, they were trapped."

Regional authorities said late Wednesday that rescuers in helicopters saved some 70 people stranded on rooftops and in cars, but ground crews were far from done.

"Our priority is to find the victims and the missing so we can help end the suffering of their families," Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said after meeting with officials and emergency services in Valencia on Thursday, the first of three official days of mourning.

An ‘extraordinary’ deluge

Spain’s Mediterranean coast is used to autumn storms that can cause flooding, but this was the most powerful flash flood event in recent memory. Scientists link it to climate change, which is also behind increasingly high temperatures and droughts in Spain and the heating up of the Mediterranean Sea.

Human-caused climate change has doubled the likelihood of a storm like this week’s deluge in Valencia, according to a rapid but partial analysis Thursday by World Weather Attribution, comprising dozens of international scientists who study global warming’s role in extreme weather.

Spain has been suffering from an almost two-year drought, meaning that when the deluge happened late Tuesday and early Wednesday, the ground was so hard that it could not absorb the rain, leading to flash floods.

The violent weather event surprised regional government officials. Spain’s national weather service said it rained more in eight hours in the Valencian town of Chiva than it had in the preceding 20 months, calling the deluge "extraordinary."

In Paiporta, a community of 25,000 next to Valencia city where mayor Maribel Albalat said Thursday that not fewer than 62 people had perished.

"(Paiporta) never has floods, we never have this kind of problem. And we found a lot of elderly people in the town center," Albalat told national broadcaster RTVE. "There were also a lot of people who came to get their cars out of their garages ... it was a real trap.’

Farms damaged

While the most suffering was inflicted on municipalities near the city of Valencia, the storms unleashed their fury over huge swaths of the south and eastern coast of the Iberian peninsula. Two fatalities were confirmed in the neighboring Castilla La Mancha region and one in southern Andalusia.

Greenhouses and farms across southern Spain, known as Europe’s garden for its exported produce, were also ruined by heavy rains and flooding. The storms spawned a freak tornado in Valencia and a hail storm that punched holes in cars in Andalusia. Homes were left without water as far southwest as Malaga in Andalusia.

Heavy rains continued Thursday farther north as the Spanish weather agency issued alerts for several counties in Castellón, in the eastern Valencia region, and for Tarragona in Catalonia, as well as southwest Cadiz.

"This storm front is still with us," the prime minister said. "Stay home and heed the official recommendation and you will help save lives."

The search goes on amid the destruction

Over 1,000 soldiers from Spain’s emergency rescue units joined regional and local emergency workers in the search for bodies and survivors.

"We are searching house by house," Ángel Martínez, with a military emergency unit, told Spain’s national radio RNE from the town of Utiel, where at least six people died.

An Associated Press journalist saw rescuers remove seven body bags from an underground garage in Barrio de la Torre on Thursday.

Many residents in both towns had to walk long distances in sticky mud to find food and water. Many of their cars had been destroyed and the mud, destruction and debris left by the storm made some roads unpassable. Some pushed shopping carts along sodden streets while others carried their children to keep them out of the muck.

Valencia regional President Carlos Mazón on Thursday asked if Spain’s army could assist with distributing basic goods to the population.

The National Police arrest 39 people for looting on Wednesday. The Civil Guard deployed officers to stop further thefts from homes, cars and shopping malls.

Some 150,000 people in Valencia were without electricity on Wednesday, but roughly half had power by Thursday, Spanish news agency EFE reported. An unknown number did not have running water and were relying on whatever bottled water they could find.

The region remained partly isolated with several roads cut off and train lines interrupted, including the high-speed service to Madrid. Officials said it will take two to three weeks to repair that damaged line.

A man wept as he showed a reporter from national broadcaster RTVE the shell of what was once the ground floor of his home in Catarroja, south of Valencia. It looked as though a bomb had detonated inside, obliterating furniture and belongings, and stripping the paint off some walls.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken confirmed on Thursday that 8,000 North Korean soldiers in Russia are expected to begin combat operations against Ukrainian troops in Kursk "in the coming days."

The secretary said that of the 10,000 North Korean soldiers believed to have been sent to Russia for training, 80% of that force is now in the Kursk region, where Ukraine first launched an incursion in August.

Ukraine has since captured and held onto roughly 460 square miles according to reports earlier this month, not only prompting civilian evacuations from the region but also forcing Russia to fight its war on its own territory. 

PENTAGON THREATENS NO NEW LIMITS ON UKRAINE WEAPONS IF NORTH KOREA JOINS RUSSIA'S WAR

Blinken, speaking alongside Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and their South Korean counterparts in a joint press conference Thursday, said Russia has been training the North Korean troops in artillery and UAV basic infantry operations like trench clearing in an indication that Moscow "fully intend[s] to use these forces in frontline operations."

The Russian military has also apparently provided these troops with uniforms and equipment in what Austin also said "strongly indicates that Russia intends to use these foreign forces in frontline operations in its war of choice against Ukraine."

"[Russian President Vladimir] Putin has been throwing more and more Russians into a meat grinder of his own making in Ukraine. Now he's turning to North Korean troops, and that is a clear sign of weakness," Blinken said. 

The secretary also said Russian troops are seeing record high casualty rates with some 1,200 casualties reported a day in eastern Ukraine – a rate that is more than Russia has endured at any other time since the war began more than two and half years ago.

The deployment of North Korean troops to Russia, first confirmed by the Pentagon a week ago, is the first time in 100 years that Russia has invited foreign troops onto its soil, confirmed Blinken. 

NORTH KOREA LAUNCHES MISSILE TOWARD THE SEA OF JAPAN IN LONGEST ATTEMPT SO FAR: REPORTS

When pressed by reporters about whether Ukrainian forces can continue to hold onto the territory in Kursk, Austin said simply, "Yes."

"If you take a look at what I said earlier in terms of the numbers of casualties that Russia is suffering on a daily basis… [and] you do the math on a given month – those are pretty big numbers," Austin said. "Ten thousand pales in comparison to those kinds of casualties."

Blinken said additional security assistance will be announced for Ukraine in "the coming days."

The joint address came just hours after North Korea on Thursday also launched its longest ever intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) roughly 620 miles over an 86-minute period in the direction of the East Sea, reported Japanese authorities.

Austin told reporters on Thursday he did not believe Russia had any involvement in the latest missile test but said the U.S. is continuing to work with allies and partners in the region to analyze the missile launch. Though Austin also warned that North Korea’s partnership with Russia is likely to "embolden" it.

"[North Korea] stands a chance of gaining in this exchange," Austin said in reference to its partnership with Russia. "This is something we're going to have to continue to watch very, very closely. 

"It will… potentially embolden them to do more of the kinds of things that we've seen them do here recently," he added in reference to the ICBM launch. 

Iran and Russia are closing in on a deal that will bolster their defensive cooperation and strengthen military ties at a time when Western nations are increasingly concerned about regional wars in Europe and the Middle East. 

"The treaty on a comprehensive strategic partnership between Russia and Iran that is being prepared will become a serious factor in strengthening Russian-Iranian relations," Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Thursday, according to a Reuters report. 

The foreign minister, who said the treaty would be signed "in the near future," claimed that the deal will "confirm" both Iran and Russia’s "interests of peace and security at the regional and global levels."

PENTAGON SAYS IRAN SUPPLYING RUSSIA WITH BALLISTIC MISSILES

The details of the treaty remain unclear and Lavrov did not expand on what form this defensive partnership would take.

A similar agreement signed between Russia and North Korea earlier this year was followed by Pyongyang’s decision to send some 10,000 soldiers to its warring neighbor, which may potentially be deployed to fight in Ukraine, according to concerns signaled by the Pentagon. 

But given that Iran already supplies Russia with defensive aid to propel its brutal war in Ukraine, it’s not only the repercussions this partnership could have for the war in Europe that concern Western security officials.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, who once shared a solid relationship with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has not appeared to be overtly involved in the unfolding fight in the Middle East, unlike Russia’s top adversary, the U.S.

But a report by the Wall Street Journal earlier this month found that Moscow has been providing the Houthi terrorist group with satellite data to assist it in its repeated attacks on Western ships in the Red Sea. According to the report, the information was passed from Russia to "members of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)… embedded with the Houthis in Yemen." 

PENTAGON THREATENS NO NEW LIMITS ON UKRAINE WEAPONS IF NORTH KOREA JOINS RUSSIA'S WAR

Russia has also increasingly called on Israel to show "restraint" when it comes to escalating tensions in the Middle East as it launched an incursion into Lebanon and struck Iran – which directly funds and arms the terrorist organizations, including Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis, warring with Jerusalem.

Tehran has once again threatened Jerusalem with a retaliatory hit after Israel launched aerial strikes on Friday. The series of tit-for-tat attacks continue as Israel pushes to eliminate Hamas in the Gaza Strip and Hezbollah in Lebanon. 

Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, chief of the general staff of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), on Tuesday responded to these threats and said, "If Iran makes the mistake of launching another missile barrage at Israel, we will once again know how to reach Iran."

Halevi warned Israel will continue to escalate its attack "capabilities and locations" previously "set aside" if Iran responds with another strike on the Jewish state.

"We did this for a very simple reason, because we may be required to [strike] again. This event is not over, we are still in the midst of it," he said while speaking from the Ramon Airbase in Israel. "I say this to you: we are highly prepared across all fronts." 

Five people have died in a Hezbollah rocket attack in northern Israel on Thursday, one day after an Israel Defense Forces airstrike killed a commander within the terrorist group's special forces unit.

The Hezbollah attack in Metula – a town located along the Israel-Lebanon border – left an Israeli farmer and four foreign agricultural workers dead, while a fifth foreign worker was seriously injured, a local official told the TPS news agency.

The strike that eliminated Mustafa Ahmad Shahadi of Hezbollah's Radwan Forces was carried out near the city of Nabatieh, south of Beirut, according to the Israel Defense Forces. 

"Mustafa Ahmad Shahadi advanced numerous terror attacks against the State of Israel," the IDF said in a statement. "His targeting is part of the effort to degrade Hezbollah’s Radwan Forces' capabilities to direct and execute terror activities against IDF troops and communities in the northern border, in particular the ‘Conquer the Galilee’ plan." 

TRUMP GIVES NETANYAHU DEADLINE TO END ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR BY JANUARY IF HE TAKES OFFICE: REPORT 

Israel’s military has described the plan as Hezbollah’s "own October 7th massacre on Israel's northern border, but on an even larger scale." 

"Shahadi was previously responsible for the Radwan Forces' operations during combat in Syria between 2012 and 2017, and additionally oversaw terror attacks in southern Lebanon," the IDF also said. "The IDF will continue to operate against the terrorists and commanders of the Hezbollah terrorist organization and any threat posed to the citizens of Israel." 

Lebanon’s health ministry also said Wednesday that 19 people were killed by Israeli strikes near the city of Baalbek, including eight women. 

The IDF says it was carrying out strikes targeting "command and control centers and terrorist infrastructure that were used by the Hezbollah terrorist organization" in that region. 

ISRAEL CEASE-FIRE PLAN FOR LEBANON SEEKS TO BYPASS UN, AS US MEDIATORS TRAVEL TO JERUSALEM FOR TALKS 

"Hezbollah systematically abuses civilian infrastructure and areas throughout Lebanon to plan and execute terrorist activities, deliberately endangering the lives of Lebanese civilians," according to the IDF. 

Prior to those strikes, the Israeli military had warned residents to evacuate their homes for their own safety. 

"You are in a combat zone where the IDF intends to attack and target Hezbollah infrastructure, interests, installations and combat equipment and does not intend to harm you," IDF Arabic spokesperson Avichay Adraee wrote on X. 

North Korea, on Wednesday night, launched a long-range ballistic missile toward the Sea of Japan, a day after South Korean officials reported the North was preparing to test-launch an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), which reportedly had the longest flight time of any previous test.

Reuters reported that the Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement that the missile was launched at a sharply raised angle at 7:10 a.m. local time, from an area near North Korea’s capital of Pyongyang.

The Japanese government later said the missile fell into the sea at 8:37 a.m., or 87 minutes later. 

Japan’s minister of defense, Gen Nakatani said the flight time was likely the longest of any North Korean missile launch and could be a new type of missile.

NORTH KOREA LAUNCHES BALLISTIC MISSILE OFF EAST COAST, SEOUL SAYS

"It is believed the North Korean ballistic missile is a long-range ballistic missile fired at a high angle," the Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement.

The Japanese government said the missile would land about 190 miles west of Okushiri Island, off the northern Hokkaido region, and outside its exclusive economic zone.

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba later stated there was no reported damage from the missile launch.

Nakatani said Japan strongly condemns North Korea’s action, which not just threatened Japan but also the international community.

SOUTH KOREA SAYS NORTH KOREAN LAUNCH OF POSSIBLE HYPERSONIC MISSILE FAILED MID-FLIGHT

South Korea’s Defense Intelligence Command said Wednesday that North Korea had placed a mobile launcher in preparation to launch what could be an ICBM around the time of the U.S. presidential election next Tuesday.

The National Security Council (NSC) issued a statement Wednesday night, strongly condemning North Korea’s ICBM test.

"This launch is a flagrant violation of multiple UN Security Council resolutions. While U.S. INDOPACOM has assessed it did not pose an immediate threat to U.S. personnel, or territory, or to our allies, this launch needlessly raises tensions and risks destabilizing the security situation in the region," NSC spokesperson Sean Savett said. "It only demonstrates that the DPRK continues to prioritize its unlawful weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs over the well-being of its people."

Savett added, "We urge all countries to condemn these violations and call on the DPRK to cease its destabilizing actions and engage in serious dialogue. The national security team is closely coordinating with our allies and partners. The United States will take all necessary measures to ensure the security of the American homeland and Republic of Korea and Japanese allies."

Although North Korea tested a ballistic missile on July 1, 2024, the last time the country tested an ICBM was in December of last year. The ICBM in December – fueled by solid-propellant and fired from a road launcher – was also fired at a sharply raised angle and had a flight time that could be translated to about 9,300 miles on a normal trajectory, which Reuters added, could put anywhere in the mainland of the U.S. within range.

Reuters contributed to this report.

Former President Trump reportedly asked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to wrap up the Israel-Hamas war by the time he gets inaugurated, if he is elected, according to the Times of Israel.

The Israeli outlet was told about the exchange by an anonymous source familiar with the situation. Either Trump or Vice President Kamala Harris will be inaugurated on Jan. 20, depending on how voters cast their ballots on Nov. 5.

The Times of Israel's source said that Trump initially gave the message to Netanyahu when the Israeli leader visited him at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, this past July.

While Trump has expressed a desire to end the war, which has been ongoing since Oct. 7, 2023, the fact that the request had a timeline was previously unknown.

SUSPECTS ARRESTED FOR ASSAULTING POLICE OFFICER OUTSIDE OF KAMALA HARRIS RALLY IN D.C.

Trump, who has not spoken about the Israel-Hamas war extensively on the campaign trail, has shown support for Israel's targeting of Iranian nuclear sites.

"That's the thing you wanna hit," Trump said at a rally in Fayetteville, North Carolina.

The Biden-Harris administration has been largely supportive of Israel, though the White House has spoken out against the Israel Defense Forces' (IDF) recent military operations. Earlier this month, President Biden demanded a ceasefire shortly before Israel invaded Lebanon.

BATTLEGROUND STATE OFFICIALS SAY FOREIGN ENEMIES USING MISINFORMATION TO ‘UNDERMINE’ DEMOCRATIC PROCESS

During a CNN town hall last week, Harris dodged Anderson Cooper's question about whether she was more "pro-Israel" than her Republican opponent.

"I believe that Donald Trump is dangerous," Harris said, not addressing the question. "I believe that when you have a president of the United States who has said to his generals who worked for him because he is Commander in Chief — these conversations, I assume, many of them took place in the Oval Office — if the president of the United States, the Commander in Chief, is saying to his generals, in essence, 'Why can't you be more like Hitler's generals?' Anderson, come on." 

Fox News Digital reached out to the Trump campaign for comment.

The Canadian government alleged on Tuesday that Indian Minister of Home Affairs Amit Shah, a close ally of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, was behind the plots to target Sikh separatists on Canadian soil.

The Indian government did not immediately respond but has dismissed Canada's prior accusations as baseless, denying any involvement.

CANADA-INDIA TIES COULD TAKE A LONG TIME TO RECOVER

The Washington Post newspaper first reported that Canadian officials alleged Shah, considered the number two in the Modi government, was behind a campaign of violence and intimidation targeting Sikh separatists in Canada.

Canadian Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister David Morrison said to a parliamentary panel on Tuesday that he told the U.S.-based newspaper that Shah was behind the plots.

"The journalist called me and asked if it (Shah) was that person. I confirmed it was that person," Morrison told the committee, without providing further details or evidence. The High Commission of India in Ottawa and the Indian foreign ministry had no immediate comment.

The Indian home ministry directed queries to the foreign ministry.

Canada told India about Shah's alleged role in the plots around October 2023, one Indian government source told Reuters in New Delhi on Wednesday.

But New Delhi thinks the information is very weak, flimsy and does not expect it to cause any trouble for Shah or the government, the source and another government source said.

Both spoke on condition of anonymity as they are not authorised to speak to the media.

India has called Sikh separatists "terrorists" and threats to its security. Sikh separatists demand an independent homeland known as Khalistan to be carved out of India. An insurgency in India during the 1980s and 1990s killed tens of thousands.

That period included the 1984 anti-Sikh riots that left thousands dead following the assassination of then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguards after she ordered security forces to storm the holiest Sikh temple to flush out Sikh separatists.

Canada in mid-October expelled Indian diplomats, linking them to the 2023 murder of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar on Canadian soil. India also ordered the expulsion of Canadian diplomats.

The Canadian case is not the only instance of India's alleged targeting of Sikh separatists on foreign soil.

Washington has charged a former Indian intelligence officer, Vikash Yadav, for allegedly directing a foiled plot to murder Sikh separatist leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a dual U.S.-Canadian citizen and Indian critic in New York City.

The FBI warned against such a retaliation aimed at a U.S. resident. India has said little publicly since announcing in November 2023 it would formally investigate the U.S. allegations.

The accusations have tested Washington and Ottawa's relations with India, often viewed by the West as a counterbalance to China.

Heart-wrenching video shows the moment a professional skydiver plunged to her death after both parachutes failed during a fatal dive. 

Carolina Muñoz Kennedy, 40, a professional skydiver from Chile, was making the dive in Boituva, Brazil, on Saturday when she got into difficulty with her parachutes, according to news outlet Diario AS.

Her main parachute malfunctioned and the reserve one then opened with the lines twisted, per Jam Press.

CHICAGO WOMAN, 104, JUMPS FROM PLANE, AIMING FOR RECORD AS THE WORLD'S OLDEST SKYDIVER

Video shows the skydiver caught in a deadly spin and rapidly spiraling in the air before she then appears to get her parachute under control. But worryingly, she then changes direction and crashes behind several trees. 

Eyewitnesses told local news she attempted an emergency landing but hit a road.

"She was lying there on the ground waiting for help and people were calling the fire department and the police. "I felt incredibly sad, shocked," eyewitness José Soares de Melo told local media.

Paramedics rushed to the scene and administered first aid. She was taken to a nearby hospital but later succumbed to her injuries. 

COLORADO SKYDIVER FALLS TO HIS DEATH IN FREAK ACCIDENT

Muñoz Kennedy had turned 40 two days prior and was making her last dive out a series she had performed throughout the day. 

She was also a physiotherapist and chiropractor. 

Her fatal fall was reported to police, who confiscated her high-performance equipment for forensic analysis and are now investigating. 

The Brazilian Skydiving Confederation said it will also prepare a report on the cause of the incident. 

"In this difficult time, our thoughts are with our dear athlete, her family and the entire skydiving community," the organization said in a statement, cited by Diario AS. "We reaffirm our commitment to the safety and well-being of everyone involved in our sport." 

Muñoz Kennedy is being cremated Wednesday and her ashes will be brought back to Chile, per Jam Press.

One person wrote on social media: "Fly high, beautiful friend!"

"Thank you for being in my life, for your support, your time, your kindness, the laughter, and those late-night study sessions. I adore you forever."

The FAA says there are around 30 to 40 fatalities among skydivers each year in the United States. 

The United States Parachute Association, a private sports organization, says about 4 million skydives were made in the U.S. last year.

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) on Wednesday said its forces in the Middle East conducted a "series of strikes" on several ISIS locations in Syria earlier this week in an operation that killed up to 35 terrorists. 

The operation, which targeted multiple camps across Syria on Monday evening, also successfully took out "multiple" senior ISIS leaders, confirmed CENTCOM.

The release also confirmed that no civilian casualties have been "indicated" in the sweeping strikes. 

FBI SAYS ISIS WAS BEHIND FOILED MASS SHOOTING PLOT ON ELECTION DAY

"The airstrikes will disrupt the ability of ISIS to plan, organize, and conduct attacks against civilians, as well as U.S., allies, and partners throughout the region and beyond," the command said in a release. "CENTCOM, alongside allies and partners in the region, will continue to aggressively degrade ISIS operational capabilities to ensure its enduring defeat."

The announcement comes one week after two U.S. service members were injured in Iraq during an operation that targeted and killed at least seven ISIS operatives.

The American service members were reported to be in stable condition. 

PENTAGON PLANS TO SHRINK US 'FOOTPRINT' IN IRAQ, BUT DECLINES TO SAY BY HOW MUCH

While ISIS remains a major security concern in Iraq and Syria, it does not pose the same level of threat that it did 10 years ago. Though concern mounted earlier this year following reports that the U.S. may be looking to pull its troops out of the country as soon as 2025.

U.S. soldiers have been fighting ISIS alongside coalition forces in Iraq and Syria since the terrorist group first emerged in 2014. 

Less than 1,000 U.S. troops remain in Syria while roughly 2,500 remain in Iraq.

Last month, the Pentagon said that it plans to change its "footprint" in Iraq in 2025, but it refused to detail what that means in regard to the number of troops that will remain.

U.S. and Iraqi coalition forces will also continue to support anti-ISIS efforts in Syria as Washington works with Baghdad to determine future steps for U.S. troops fighting the terrorist network in the region.