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A passenger plane caught fire before takeoff at an airport in South Korea late Tuesday, but all 176 people on board were safely evacuated, authorities said.

The Airbus plane operated by South Korean airline Air Busan was preparing to leave for Hong Kong when its rear parts caught fire at Gimhae International Airport in the southeast, the Transport Ministry said in a statement.

AIRLINER'S FINAL 4 MINUTES OF RECORDINGS ARE MISSING AFTER CRASH THAT KILLED 179: INVESTIGATORS

The plane's 169 passengers, six crewmembers and one engineer were evacuated using an escape slide, the ministry said.

The National Fire Agency said in a release that three people suffered minor injuries during the evacuation. The fire agency said the fire was completely put out at 11:31 p.m., about one hour after it deployed firefighters and fire trucks at the scene.

The cause of the fire wasn't immediately known. The Transport Ministry said the plane is an A321 model.

Tuesday's incident came a month after a Jeju Air passenger plane crashed at Muan International Airport in southern South Korea, killing all but two of the 181 people on board. It was one of the deadliest disasters in South Korea’s aviation history.

The Boeing 737-800 skidded off the airport's runaway on Dec. 29 after its landing gear failed to deploy, slamming into a concrete structure and bursting into flames. The flight was returning from Bangkok and all of the victims were South Koreans except for two Thai nationals.

The first report on the crash released Monday said authorities have confirmed traces of bird strikes in the plane’s engines, though officials haven’t determined the cause of the accident.

French President Emmanuel Macron’s desire to be immortalized in the windows of the restored Notre Dame Cathedral may be shattered as his plans for contemporary designs face furious opposition.

Macron’s plan involves replacing the large windows of six side-chapels in the south aisle of Notre Dame’s nave with contemporary designs in yellow, pink and green stained-glass, the Wall Street Journal reported.

The president’s aides have said the redesign is to remind future generations of the 2019 fire that engulfed the medieval structure, according to the outlet.

The plan, however, has been met with backlash as art historians and architects argue the harmony in the cathedral’s design is at risk should more modern windows be installed.

NOTRE DAME HOSTS FIRST MASS SINCE 2019 FIRE, DRAWING CROWDS BY THE THOUSANDS

France’s National Heritage and Architecture Commission unanimously voted in July against Macron’s proposal, prompting one artist in the running to design the new stained-glass windows to drop out of the competition.

"When I read that, I said, ‘We’re stopping everything,’" Pascal Convert, 67, told the outlet.

Claire Smith, a professor of archeology at Flinders University Australia, told the outlet that Macron was "inserting himself" into the cathedral in an "opportunistic and self-aggrandizing" way.

FIRST LOOK AT NOTRE DAME CATHEDRAL'S RESTORED INTERIOR FIVE YEARS AFTER DEVASTATING FIRE

Marine Le Pen, the far-right leader of France’s opposition party, wrote on X last month that "a leader can’t sully, this priceless heritage on a whim," referring to the window controversy.

Macron’s plan is expected to be opposed through France’s court system.

The cathedral reopened last month in Paris with an opening ceremony attended by then-President-elect Donald Trump, then-First Lady Jill Biden, Prince William and other notable figures.

Carpenters worked by hand like their medieval counterparts as they hewed giant oak beams to rebuild the roof and spire that collapsed during the inferno. 

Nearly $1 billion in donations were raised to rebuild Notre Dame in the days following the fire.  

Former Hamas hostage Amit Soussana is sharing more details about her time in captivity, and she says there was another hostage who was instrumental in her survival. Liri Albag, one of the IDF soldiers who was kidnapped on Oct. 7, "saved" Soussana.

Speaking on Israeli TV, Soussana recalled her captors tying her up and beating her, demanding that she admit to being in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). Soussana says her hands and feet were bound, and she was beaten with a stick before one of the captors pointed a gun at her and said, "You have 40 minutes to tell us the truth, or else I kill you."

ISRAELI WOMAN BRAVELY DESCRIBES HORROR AS HAMAS HOSTAGE: 'THEY WERE TAKING PLEASURE IN HURTING ME'

Fellow hostage Albag was apparently able to convince their captors that Soussana was not in fact in the military. Soussana who calls Albag "something special, a force," believes this act saved her life.

"I told her when she came back: ‘I don’t know if they would have killed me or not; as far as I’m concerned, you saved my life," Soussana said in the interview.

Hamas terrorists kidnapped Soussana from her home in Kibbutz Kfar Aza during the brutal Oct. 7 attacks. She was forced to walk barefoot in pajamas from her burning house to the Gaza border, being beaten along the way. Soussana fought her kidnappers in what was called "the battle of my life," trying to stall them in hopes that the IDF would rescue her before she was dragged into Gaza.

Soussana was released from Gaza in November 2023 after 55 days in captivity as part of Israel’s first hostage deal with Hamas.

UN FINALLY RECOGNIZES THAT ISRAELI WOMEN WERE RAPED, SEXUALLY ATTACKED BY HAMAS TERRORISTS

In March 2024, Soussana became the first Israeli woman to speak publicly about being sexually assaulted while in Hamas captivity. She recalled the horrifying incident in an interview with The New York Times. Soussana later testified before the UN Security Council in October 2024 about her experience.

During her captivity, Soussana was chained by her ankle, unable to move. "I had to ask for permission to use the bathroom," she explained, detailing her experience. "In that house, I was sexually assaulted by the Hamas terrorist who had guarded me."

She described the assault, saying, "He forced me to go to the shower and entered the room, pointed his gun at me. He was breathing heavily and had a monstrous beast-like face." She recalled his intrusive questioning while he sat next to her in his underwear, lifting her shirt and touching her. "I knew exactly what he was planning to do, and yet I couldn't do anything to prevent it. I was utterly helpless."

Soussana said that after the assault she was not "allowed to cry or to be sad." She recalled feeling isolated and being "forced to act nice to the person who had just sexually assaulted me."

Israel and Hamas have been engaged in a deadly war for over 15 months following the terror group’s devastating surprise attacks on Oct. 7, 2023. Hamas is expected to release Agam Berger, Arbel Yehoud and 80-year-old Gadi Moses on Jan. 30 as part of the current ceasefire deal with Israel.

At least 30 people were killed and many more injured in a stampede at the world’s largest religious gathering early Wednesday, police said, as millions of pilgrims rushed to dip in sacred waters during the Maha Kumbh festival in northern India.

Police officer Vaibhav Krishna in Prayagraj city said another 60 injured were rushed to hospitals.

Wednesday was a sacred day in the six-week Hindu festival, and authorities expected a record 100 million devotees to engage in a ritual bath at the confluence of the Ganges, the Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati rivers. Hindus believe that a dip at the holy site can cleanse them of past sins and end the process of reincarnation.

AT LEAST 12 TRAIN PASSENGERS KILLED IN INDIA AFTER JUMPING ONTO TRACKS TO FLEE ALLEGED FIRE

The stampede happened when pilgrims tried to jump barricades erected for a procession of holy men, Uttar Pradesh state’s top elected official, Yogi Adityanath, said in a televised statement.

The event's main draw is the thousands of ash-smeared Hindu ascetics who make massive processions toward the confluence to bathe.

Indian authorities took more than 16 hours to release casualty figures, even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi acknowledged the loss of lives, calling the incident "extremely sad" and extending his condolences.

"Suddenly there was pushing in the crowd, and we got trapped. A lot of us fell down and the crowd went uncontrolled," the Press Trust of India news agency quoted pilgrim Sarojini as saying. "There was no chance for escape, there was pushing from all sides," she said.

Distressed families lined up outside a makeshift hospital, desperate for news of missing loved ones. Clothes, blankets and backpacks were strewn around the site of the stampede.

Millions continued to throng the 15-square mile pilgrimage site despite the stampede, even as police urged them over megaphones to avoid the confluence. Adityanath urged people to take baths at other riverbanks instead.

"The situation is now under control, but there is a massive crowd of pilgrims," Adityanath said, adding that 90 million to 100 million pilgrims were at the site.

About 30 million people had taken the holy bath by 8 a.m. Wednesday, he said.

The Maha Kumbh festival, held every 12 years, started on Jan. 13. Authorities expect more than 400 million people to throng the pilgrimage site in total. Nearly 150 million people have already attended, including Defense Minister Rajnath Singh and Home Minister Amit Shah and celebrities like Coldplay’s Chris Martin.

A sprawling tent city has been built on the riverbanks to accommodate the millions of visitors, with roads, electricity and water, 3,000 kitchens and 11 hospitals.

About 50,000 security personnel are stationed in the city to maintain law and order and manage crowds, and more than 2,500 cameras monitor crowd movement and density so officials can try to prevent such crushes.

Several opposition leaders criticized the federal and the state government, both led by Modi’s Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata party, and blamed the stampede on "mismanagement" and "VIP culture" — the latter referring to what they say is preferential treatment for politicians and celebrities.

"The government should make better arrangements to meet the needs of common devotees," Indian opposition leader Rahul Gandhi wrote on social platform X.

The 45-day festival is a significant cultural event for India’s Hindus, who make up nearly 80% of the country’s more than 1.4 billion people. It's also a prestige event for Modi, whose ruling party boasts of promoting Hindu cultural symbols.

The Maha Kumbh festival has had stampedes in the past. In 2013, at least 40 pilgrims who were taking part in the festival were killed in a stampede at a train station in Prayagraj.

Deadly stampedes are relatively common around Indian religious festivals, where large crowds gather in small areas. In July at least 116 people died, most of them women and children, when thousands at a religious gathering in northern India stampeded at a tent camp in Hathras town.

President Donald Trump’s return to the White House has sent ripples across the globe, but India remains largely optimistic about his second term. Just over a week into Trump's presidency, India is signaling its readiness to adapt to his transactional style of diplomacy.

Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had a "productive call" Monday, focused on "expanding and deepening cooperation." 

According to a White House readout, the leaders discussed geopolitical issues and bilateral trade. Trump emphasized the importance of India increasing its purchases of American-made security equipment to help balance the trade relationship between the two countries. The call is believed to be among the first Trump has taken from foreign leaders since his return to office. 

TRUMP'S TARIFF THREATS GO BEYOND 'TRADE AGREEMENT' TO ADVANCE AMERICAN INTERESTS: EXPERT

"Expectations are high for U.S.-India relations with Trump having taken office. He and Modi have a strong chemistry, given their similar worldviews and governance styles," Michael Kugelman, director of the South Asia Institute at the Wilson Center told Fox News Digital.

Modi has enjoyed a strong rapport and personal bond with Trump. "We have a very good relationship with India," Trump told reporters on Air Force One after his call with Modi.

In 2020, Modi threw a massive rally for Trump in his home state of Gujarat, where both leaders spoke admiringly of each other in front of a crowd exceeding 110,000 people. The previous year, Trump likened Modi to Elvis Presley for his ability to draw large crowds at a joint rally in Texas. However, Trump's sweeping immigration crackdown is raising some concerns for Indians. 

According to the Pew Research Center, India is one of the top sources of illegal immigration to the United States. An estimated 725,000 Indians were residing in the U.S. illegally as of 2022. Furthermore, Customs and Border Patrol encountered nearly 90,500 Indian citizens in fiscal year 2024 alone. The immigration unease also comes as H-1B visas, one of the most common legal pathways of entry for Indians, have been a hotly contested topic by Trump’s supporters. On Monday, however, Trump dismissed immigration concerns, expressing confidence India will "do what is right."

TRUMP SAYS HE'S NOT CHANGED HIS MIND ON H-1B VISAS AS DEBATE RAGES WITHIN MAGA COALITION

Trade is another possible point of contention that could affect U.S.-India relations. 

Just a day after Trump held his call with Modi, he denounced India, China and Brazil as "tremendous tariff maker(s)." Speaking to House Republicans in Florida, Trump emphasized that the nations harm the U.S. with high tariffs. He highlighted plans to target the countries, asserting, "we’re not going to let that happen any longer because we’re going to put America first."

Trump threatened high tariffs on imported goods throughout his presidential campaign and slammed India as a "very big abuser." During his first term, Trump dubbed India the "tariff king" amid trade disagreements. In 2019, he revoked India's special trade privileges. In retaliation, India slapped tariffs on more than two dozen U.S. goods.

HOUSE REPUBLICANS CLEAR PATH FOR TRUMP TO ACT ON TARIFF PLANS

Modi is casting India as a rising global player and seeks to enhance trade ties with the U.S., especially in the face of Trump’s international tariff threats. Trump has proposed a "universal" tax of 10% or 20% on all international imports, and India would be no exception. India, the world's fifth-largest economy, aims to boost bilateral trade with the U.S. while reducing dependence on China. The two countries are India's top trading partners.

Recent legal allegations have also tested the burgeoning relationship between India and the U.S. Last year, American prosecutors charged Indian government agents with what they said was a plot to assassinate an American citizen on U.S. soil. Months later, the Justice Department indicted Indian tycoon Gautam Adani on fraud and bribery charges. Despite these challenges, the bilateral relationship has endured.

INDIAN INTELLIGENCE OFFICIAL CHARGED IN MURDER-FOR-HIRE PLOT ON SIKH SEPARATIST LEADER IN NEW YORK CITY

"There will be challenges to navigate, for sure, both those inherited from the Biden administration - like the Justice Department investigation of an alleged Indian government involvement in a murder-for-hire plot in New York, and new ones like trade," Kugelman explains. "But we can see from New Delhi's recent signaling that it's prepared to act preemptively to lower the risk of tensions."

In the days since Trump took office, India has said it would explore lowering tariffs, taking back some of the illegal Indian migrants and importing more U.S. oil to reduce imports from Russia.

As India works to bolster defense, technology and trade ties with the United States, the nation is expressing confidence that it is better positioned than others to weather Trump’s "America First" administration. "I know today a lot of countries are nervous about the U.S., let’s be honest about that. We are not one of them," Indian External Affairs Minister Dr. S Jaishankar said days after the November election.

Washington views India, the world's largest democracy, as a counterbalance to China's growing assertiveness. Additionally, Trump is largely unconcerned with Modi’s policies, which have been deemed problematic by many global leaders. The two align in style and rhetoric, particularly when it comes to national pride.

Kugelman told Fox News Digital, "the U.S. and India will continue to share a number of strong policy and strategic convergences, chief among them countering China."

FORMER TRUMP OFFICIALS REJECT WHISTLEBLOWER CLAIM THAT FBI DIRECTOR NOMINEE KASH PATEL BROKE HOSTAGE PROTOCOL

Trump's administration also features prominent Indian-Americans. His pick for FBI director, Kash Patel, faces a high-stake Senate confirmation hearing this week. If confirmed, he will be the FBI's first Indian American leader, as well as its youngest director. Trump has also picked Dr. Jay Bhattacharya for director, National Institutes of Health and Harmeet K. Dhillon as assistant attorney general for Civil Rights. Others, like former 2024 presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy and senior policy adviser for AI, Sriram Krishnan, already hold significant advisory roles in the administration. While they brought hope to many Indian immigrants, Krishnan, a first-generation Indian, has become a MAGA lightning rod. Additionally, while not a member of the cabinet, Vice President JD Vance's wife, Usha, is the first woman of Indian origin to be second lady.

India remains optimistic about strengthening its relationship with the United States under Trump's leadership, viewing it as an opportunity to further its strategic interests on the global stage. Modi is expected to meet with Trump as soon as next month. Meanwhile, Trump is expected to visit India later this year to attend a Quad Leaders’ Summit hosted by New Delhi.

"The fact that India, with its nationalist government and strong confidence as a rising power, would so quickly and publicly acknowledge a willingness to consider making concessions to the U.S. says a lot about just how much it wants its partnership with Washington to work in the second Trump administration," Kugelman said.

EXCLUSIVE – Newly appointed U.K. ambassador to the U.S., Lord Peter Mandelson, is readying himself to take up the top job of preserving the "special relationship" long championed by London and Washington, but first he’s looking to set the record straight. 

In an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital, Mandelson, when asked about previous comments he made regarding the recently re-elected president, including in 2019 when he said President Donald Trump was "a danger to the world," said his opinion of the president had changed.

"I consider my remarks about President Trump as ill-judged and wrong," he said. "I think that times and attitudes toward the president have changed."

TRUMP'S WORLD LEADERS CLUB: WHO’S IN AND WHO'S LOOKING TO SALVAGE TIES

"I think that he has won fresh respect," he added in reference to Trump's second election as president. "He certainly has from me, and that is going to be the basis of all the work I do as His Majesty's ambassador in the United States."

The incoming ambassador’s comments come amid reports that the U.K.-U.S.’s "special relationship" could be put to the test, and Mandelson’s appointment may be blocked by the White House. 

Mandelson rejected these claims and said, "I've heard nothing from the president or the White House or anyone working for him that suggests that there's going to be any difficulty about my appointment."

But speculation on the reliability of the U.S. in that trans-Atlantic relationship remains high following comments made by officials from Trump’s campaign, as well as by close ally and tech titan Elon Musk.

Musk, who engaged in a social media spat leveled at British Prime Minster Keir Starmer earlier this month, is not in Trump’s Cabinet, but he has been charged with overseeing the new Department of Government Efficiency.

Despite the negative social media banter by those who have Trump’s ear, the president and Starmer engaged in an apparently friendly phone call over the weekend – suggesting Trump may look to prioritize the U.S.-U.K. partnership.

AS UK REPRESENTATIVE, I WANT TO MAKE OUR ALLIANCE WITH THE US GREAT AGAIN

"They're not Siamese twins, President Trump and Prime Minister Starmer, but they're both pragmatic people. They know where each is coming from, they want to find common ground," Mandelson said. "I feel very optimistic. I feel very upbeat about the relationship that they’re both going to have."

Mandelson is the first non-career diplomat to take up the job as chief U.K.-U.S. liaison in over half a century. That could prove beneficial for Mandelson when up against Trump, who has long strayed from engaging in traditional diplomacy.

"The president isn't a career diplomat, and I'm not a career diplomat," Mandelson said. "I came into politics to change things for the better for people, and so did he.

"We share a similar, if not identical, outlook on the world and motivation in politics. But I think above all, we believe in something which is really special between our countries," he added, pointing to the enduring relationship between the U.S. and U.K.

Mandelson said his chief priorities will be to work with the U.S. on trade, technological developments and defense partnerships – particularly in the face of adversarial powers like China.

"I think that the United States and Britain, working together, can outsmart and keep ahead of the curve as far as China is concerned," the incoming ambassador said. "[Trump] wants a dialogue with China, he wants to do deals with China. But he's also not going to be naive about China. 

"We face a challenge together from China, and we've got to make sure that we are able to deter that challenge or that threat when they’re having aggressive intents toward us," he added. 

Mandelson championed the trilateral alliance shared by the U.S., the U.K. and Australia, established with the intent of countering China’s aggression in the Indo-Pacific. 

"Security in the Euro-Atlantic area depends on making sure that China is kept at bay in its own region," he said. "China has the right to prosper, to generate higher standards of living for its own people, but not at the expense of others."

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Mandelson argued that despite international apprehensions over certain security uncertainties under the Trump administration, the U.K. does not share in these concerns.

"There are so many threats and challenges the world is facing at the moment. It takes courage, somebody, sometimes, who's prepared to be argumentative and, indeed, disruptive, not just take business as usual," he detailed.

"Frankly, I think President Trump could become one of the most consequential American presidents I have known in my adult life," Mandelson said. 

The government of Denmark says it will increase military spending in the North Atlantic amid U.S. President Donald Trump’s bid to have Greenland sold or ceded to the United States. 

Late Monday, the Danish government announced an agreement of 14.6 billion-kroner – or nearly $2 billion – with parties including the governments of Greenland and the Faroe Islands to "improve capabilities for surveillance and maintaining sovereignty in the region."

The Defense Ministry in Copenhagen said those will include three new Arctic naval vessels, two additional long-range surveillance drones and satellite capacity. 

On Tuesday, Denmark’s prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, traveled to several major European capitals, including Berlin, Paris and Brussels, where she met NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.

DANISH LAWMAKER ADDRESSING EU TELLS TRUMP TO ‘F--- OFF’ OVER GREENLAND BID

Frederiksen warned that Europe faces what she called "a more uncertain reality" and said her country would be strengthening its military presence around Greenland.

The trip comes after Trump has repeatedly made various statements calling Greenland vital to U.S. national and economic security interests and expressed interest in purchasing it from Denmark. Trump has even said he wouldn’t rule out using military force to gain control of the island's territory. 

Frederiksen didn't directly mention Trump's threat in comments at a meeting with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, but she said that "we are facing a more uncertain reality, a reality that calls for an even more united Europe and for more cooperation."

EU MILITARY CHIEF SAYS IT WOULD MAKE SENSE TO PUT EUROPEAN TROOPS IN GREENLAND, WELT REPORTS

She pointed to Russian activities in Ukraine and beyond and said that "it is up to Europe to define the future of our continent, and I think we have to take more responsibility for our own security."

In its announcement on the Arctic and North Atlantic region, the Danish Defense Ministry said that the parties agreed to negotiate a second agreement in the first half of this year focused on strengthening deterrence and defense.

"We must face the fact that there are serious challenges regarding security and defense in the Arctic and North Atlantic," Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen said. "For this reason, we must strengthen our presence in the region."

His ministry said ensuring that investments provide support for local jobs and businesses in Greenland and the Faroe Islands will be "a focal point." 

Greenland's government has insisted that the territory isn't for sale but that it is open to cooperation. The Defense Ministry statement didn't mention Trump's ambitions.

French President Emmanuel Macron announced Tuesday that the "Mona Lisa" will get its own dedicated room inside the Louvre museum under a major renovation and expansion of the Paris landmark that will take up to a decade.

The renovation project, branded "Louvre New Renaissance," will include a wide new entrance near the Seine River, to be opened by 2031, Macron said in a speech from the room where Leonardo da Vinci's masterpiece is displayed.

PURPORTED EARLIER VERSION OF DA VINCI'S 'MONA LISA' WOWS ART LOVERS AFTER GOING ON DISPLAY

Macron didn't disclose an exact amount budgeted for the project to modernize the world's most visited museum, which is plagued with overcrowding and outdated facilities. But it's estimated to reach up to 800 million euros ($834 million).

The Louvre's last overhaul dates back to the 1980s, when the iconic glass pyramid was unveiled.

A look at what's at stake:

Move designed to make Louvre experience easier

Macron said the expansion of the museum will allow the "Mona Lisa" to be moved to a new, dedicated room accessible to visitors through a special ticket. That will make the visit simpler for those who want to see the painting and ease the experience of other visitors in the rest of the museum, he said.

"Conditions of display, explanation and presentation will be up to what the ‘Mona Lisa’ deserves," he said.

Leonardo's masterpiece is now being shown behind protective glass in the museum’s largest room, overcrowded with long, noisy lines of visitors eager to take a selfie with the groundbreaking portrait of the woman with the enigmatic smile. That makes some other paintings in the room by Venetian painters like Titian and Veronese go unnoticed by many.

The museum’s big renovation in the 1980s was designed to receive 4 million annual visitors.

Last year, the Louvre received 8.7 million visitors, more than 75% being foreigners mostly from the United States, China and neighboring countries Italy, the U.K., Germany and Spain.

Costly and complex overhaul

Macron said that a new entrance for the Louvre will be created near the Seine by 2031, to be financed by ticket sales, patronage and licensing money from the museum's Abu Dhabi branch.

A design competition will be staged in the coming months, he said. In addition, some new underground rooms will be created to expand the museum.

A French top official said that the cost of the renovation is estimated at 700 to 800 million euros ($730 to 834 million) over the next decade, including half for the creation of the new entrance. The official couldn't be named in line with the French presidency’s customary practices.

Macron said that ticket prices would be raised for foreign visitors from outside the European Union, up from 22 euros ($23) now. He promised the museum would be safer and more comfortable for both the public and employees.

Comparing the project to Notre Dame's recent reopening, Macron said that "the redesigned Louvre, restored and expanded, will become the epicenter of art history for our country and beyond."

Half the Louvre's budget is being financed by the French government, including the wages of the 2,200 employees.

The other half is provided by private funds including ticket sales, earnings from restaurants, shops and bookings for special events, as well as patrons and other partners.

Water leaks and other damage

The renovation announcement came after Louvre Director Laurence des Cars expressed her concerns in a note to Culture Minister Rachida Dati earlier this month saying that the museum is threatened by "obsolescence."

According to the document first released by French newspaper Le Parisien, she warned about the gradual degradation of the building because of water leaks, temperature variations and other issues "endangering the preservation of artworks."

The pyramid that serves at the museum’s entrance, unveiled in 1989 as part of late President François Mitterrand’s project, now appears outdated. The place isn't properly insulated from the cold and the heat, and it tends to amplify noise, making the space uncomfortable for both the public and the staff, des Cars said.

In addition, the museum suffers from a lack of food options and restroom facilities, she said.

As the world marked International Holocaust Remembrance Day and the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz death camp on Monday, the world’s oldest hatred is again on the rise.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog addressed the United Nations in honor of the solemn anniversary on Monday, saying the "moral beacon" of the U.N. had "been eroded time and again."

Speaking to a packed General Assembly Hall, he asked, "How is it possible that international institutions, established as an anti-Nazi alliance, allow murderous antisemitic views to flourish unhindered, in the shadow of the greatest massacre of Jews since World War II? How is it possible that those institutions that were established in the wake of the greatest genocide in history – the Holocaust – distort the definition of ‘genocide’ in favor of one and only goal: attacking the State of Israel and the Jewish people; while embracing the despicable phenomenon of ‘reversing the Holocaust.’"

GLOBAL RISE IN ANTISEMITISM LEAVES JEWISH COMMUNITY ISOLATED, RABBI SAYS WORLD AT ‘A TIPPING POINT’

Herzog added that "antisemitism, barbarism, cruelty, and racism" thrive at the U.N. because "too many of the nations represented here – do not confront them, do not unanimously condemn them, and do not fight against them."

A recent report released by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) found in its latest Global 100 survey that 46% of the world’s 2.2 billion adults "harbor deeply entrenched antisemitic attitudes," a number "more than double" what the ADL recorded through the survey in 2014.

The ADL survey reflects the percentage of adults queried who "answered ‘definitely true’ or ‘probably true’ to six or more of the 11 negative stereotypes about Jews that were tested." Responses ranged from 5% in Sweden and 8% in Norway, Canada, and the Netherlands, to 97% in Kuwait, the West Bank and Gaza.

Seventy-six percent of respondents in the Middle East and Africa, 51% in Asia, and 49% in Eastern Europe were found to agree with most antisemitic tropes surveyed. Though the respondents living in the Americas (24%), Western Europe (17%) and Oceania (20%) expressed less agreement with antisemitic statements, countries in these regions have seen tremendous incidents of violent antisemitism since Oct. 7, 2023. 

AUSCHWITZ 80 YEARS SINCE LIBERATION: RYSZARD HOROWITZ'S STORY OF SURVIVAL AND MAKING THE AMERICAN DREAM

In response to growing problems in the U.S., some in the American Jewish community have begun looking for safety outside the country. Israel’s Ministry of Immigration and Absorption, according to media reporting, said 3,340 Americans had immigrated to Israel as of September 2024. This represents a more than 30% increase from the 2,479 Americans who immigrated to Israel in 2023.

Nuri Katz, founder of Apex Capital Partners, has helped clients procure citizenship through investment for 32 years. Over the last five years, Katz told Fox News Digital that his Jewish client base expanded due to record levels of antisemitism inside the U.S. "American Jews are scared of being stuck and not being able to leave, just like many of their forefathers were stuck in Europe after the beginning of World War II," he explained. 

Katz said a popular choice among his Jewish clients is citizenship through investment in small Caribbean countries like St. Kitts and Antigua. 

Though a long-awaited ceasefire and partial hostage exchange between Israel and Hamas is underway, the state of antisemitism around the world could be difficult to rein in. 

Rabbi Moshe Hauer, executive vice president of Orthodox Union, told Fox News Digital, "It will certainly take time for the world to get the distortions of the past year and a half out of their mind." He emphasized that "the Jewish people, the Israeli government, the soldiers of the Israel Defense Forces, have been waiting for the day when they can stop the fight, when they can start just building everybody's future in a positive way, and being able to go back to working on providing the world with solutions to problems. And we're very, very eager to get back to that."

In the meantime, "elevated security costs are everywhere in the Jewish community," Hauer said, explaining that some refer to the expense as "the antisemitism tax." As a congregational rabbi in the 1990s, Hauer said, "Security in the synagogue meant the last person out should turn the button on the lock." Today, he said, "Security committees are the most active committees in most synagogues."

JEWISH HIGH SCHOOLERS FIGHT HATE WITH COMMUNITY SUPPORT, FACE NARROWING PROSPECTS FOR COLLEGIATE FUTURE

The cost is "way more than the significant dollars" spent on security, Hauer said. "The cost is that the energy and the resources which faith communities should be investing in strengthening family and strengthening community… is being diverted" to turn "communal Jewish homes into fortresses."

As a note of "good news," Hauer said the hate emanating from "mass protests has, thank God, improved," adding, "And that speaks to the better nature of the masses of both leaders and responsible people in this country, as well as the citizens."

"We are hopeful," he said, explaining that America has "a sometimes too-silent majority that despises the acts of hate which are being committed against anybody." Hauer also added that the country "has to correct itself." 

With only some of the remaining hostages slated to be released at present, the time for relief has yet to arrive. 

Hauer called on a dichotomous mixture of hope and dismay in a press release about long-awaited hostage transfers. "We rejoice with the hostages who are being released, and we weep with those remaining in the hands of Hamas," Hauer said. 

"We are grateful that the new administration worked with the old to bring the necessary pressure to bear on Hamas, but we are incensed that the world has allowed this to go on for so long. We are grateful to President Trump for moving quickly to bring freedom to many, but we will not forget for even a moment the many who remain. There should still be hell to pay," Hauer said.

Naama Levy, one of the four female IDF soldiers released from Hamas captivity on Saturday, is speaking out for the first time.

"After 477 days, I’m finally home," Levy wrote on Instagram. "I’m safe and protected, surrounded by family and friends, and I am feeling better by the day."

In the post, Levy expressed her gratitude to "Israeli combat soldiers and the Israeli people," saying she saw how they were fighting for her release. "Thank you all. I love you," Levy wrote.

HAMAS RELEASES 4 FEMALE HOSTAGES AS PART OF ISRAEL CEASEFIRE DEAL

On Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terrorists kidnapped Levy alongside Liri Albag, Daniella Gilboa, Karina Ariev, and Agam Berger. All the girls, except Berger, were released as part of Israel and Hamas’ ceasefire deal.

Levy revealed that she was alone most of the time for the first 50 days of captivity. However, once she was reunited with the other soldiers taken from her base, they stuck together and "strengthened each other every day until our release and also after it."

"We are waiting for Agami and the rest of the hostages to return so we can complete the recovery process."

Berger, who Levy mentioned in the post, is expected to be released on Thursday along with Arbel Yehoud and an unnamed male hostage.

ISRAEL, HAMAS REACH DEAL TO RELEASE HOSTAGES AND ALLOW PALESTINIANS TO RETURN TO GAZA STRIP

A video of Levy on the day she was kidnapped went viral. She was seen wearing a black shirt and blood-soaked gray sweatpants as an armed man pulls her from a Jeep. Her ankles slashed, Levy was clearly struggling to walk after her apparently violent abduction. Levy became a symbol for the plight of the female hostages and victims of Hamas' surprise attacks.

In a November 2023 essay for The Free Press, Levy’s mother, Ayelet Levy Shachar, emphasized that though the video of her daughter’s kidnapping was seen around the world, it was "totally unrepresentative of the life she had led until October 7."

"When she is released, I pray that the image of her abduction, and the experience of what that image represents, isn’t how she comes to see the world," Shachar wrote at the time.

WHAT WAS IN THE BROWN BAGS HANDED TO ISRAELI HOSTAGES RELEASED BY HAMAS?

Upon Levy, Albag, Gilboa and Ariev’s release, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum Headquarters said that "their return today represents a moment of light in the darkness, a moment of hope and triumph of spirit, while serving as a painful reminder of the urgency to bring back the 90 hostages still in Gaza."

More than 15 months into the Israel-Hamas war, which started with the brutal surprise attacks on Oct. 7, 2023, dozens of hostages remain in Gaza.

American officials in Mexico have issued the highest-level travel warning amid increased gun battles, kidnappings and IEDs in a town that sits on the Texas border. The State Department has put the state of Tamaulipas, Mexico, which sits across the border from McAllen, Texas, under a "Level 4: Do not travel" advisory.

"As a precaution, U.S. government employees have been ordered to avoid all travel in and around Reynosa and Rio Bravo outside of daylight hours and to avoid dirt roads throughout Tamaulipas," the consulate wrote in a statement.

Authorities are urging Americans to avoid dirt roads, not to touch unknown objects near or on roads and to plan travel during daylight hours. Additionally, Americans are advised to notify family and friends of their whereabouts "for your safety."

The State Department’s Level 4 warning indicates that there is a "greater likelihood of life-threatening risks." Additionally, the department warns that the U.S. government "may have very limited ability to provide assistance, including during an emergency" to Americans in areas under its highest-level advisory.

"The Department of State advises that U.S. citizens not travel to the country or to leave as soon as it is safe to do so. We advise that you write a will prior to traveling and leave DNA samples in case of worst-case scenarios," the State Department’s website reads.

Last year, McAllen Mayor Javier Villalobos told Fox News Digital that the American people were "exhausted" by lawmakers "just kicking the ball" on immigration.

BORDER ENCOUNTERS DROP SHARPLY AS TRUMP LAUNCHES CRACKDOWN ON ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION

Illegal immigration played a major role in the election, with both President Donald Trump and his opponent, then-Vice President Kamala Harris, making trips to the border.

Since taking office, President Trump has made major changes to US immigration policy and leaders in his administration are taking action. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem joined an immigration enforcement raid in New York City on Tuesday.

KRISTI NOEM JOINS IMMIGRATION RAID TO CATCH 'DIRTBAGS' IN MAJOR SANCTUARY CITY

Noem posted footage and images of the raid, saying that "Criminal alien with kidnapping, assault & burglary charges is now in custody - thanks to [ICE.] Dirtbags like this will continue to be removed from our streets."

A DHS spokesperson said the dawn operation targeted "murderers, kidnappers, and individuals charged of assault and burglary."

Earlier this month, then-incoming border czar Tom Homan reiterated Trump’s pledge to "run the biggest deportation operation this country has ever seen," adding that it would focus on "public safety threats."

While Tamalipas, Mexico, remains under a Level 4 advisory, there are several parts of the country that are under lower-level advisories. The State Department keeps an updated interactive map on its website to help Americans understand risks when planning international travel.

An elephant in South Africa’s Kruger National Park trampled a tourist to death as he was trying to protect children, officials say. 

The incident Sunday involving 59-year-old Shaik Adam Shabir Ammed from the South African town of Mkhondo remains under investigation by law enforcement, according to South African National Parks. 

"Initial eyewitness accounts indicate that the family parked close to the Malelane reception area and children ran past the bridge into the bush whereupon an individual elephant from a nearby herd charged them. The deceased rushed to assist the children and that is when he was chased and trampled by one of the animals," the agency said. "He succumbed to his injuries on the scene." 

"On the day of the incident, the animal responsible for the death could not be identified as there were several of them in the vicinity and they immediately moved away while people were trying to save the life of the deceased," it added. 

COLORADO COURT RULES ELEPHANTS AT ZOO CANNOT PURSUE THEIR RELEASE BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT HUMAN 

South African National Parks also said it offers its "heartfelt condolences to the Ammed family and wishes them strength in this difficult time." 

The agency said on its website that "In most of the national parks there is a possible threat from dangerous animals" and "In such parks guests may only [leave] vehicles in designated areas. 

"No part of your body may protrude from a window or sunroof and doors should remain closed at all times," it warned. 

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

Park officials describe elephants as "usually peaceful animals" but note that they "may become aggressive when sick, injured or harassed." 

"Elephants may run at the threat in a demonstration or real charge. Most charges are mock charges which are broken off before the target is reached," South African National Parks said. 

"However, if an attack is followed through, an elephant is quite capable of killing another elephant, other animals (including humans) or wrecking cars," it added. 

With Iranian influence waning in the Middle East, the Iraqi government wants armed groups, including factions within the Iran-backed Islamic Resistance in Iraq (IRI), to lay down their arms and join the state security forces or integrate into the state-recognized Popular Mobilization Forces.

Iraq’s foreign minister, Fuad Hussein, recently told Reuters that armed groups operating inside Iraq and outside state control are unacceptable.

"Many political leaders, many political parties started to raise a discussion, and I hope that we can convince the leaders of these groups to lay down their arms, and then to be part of the armed forces under the responsibility of the government," Hussein told Reuters. 

US, IRAQI FORCES UNLEASH AIRSTRIKE ON ISIS TARGETS, KILL TERRORISTS HIDING IN CAVE

There is also fear around the region, with the power vacuum left by the fall of Bashar al-Assad in Syria and a decimated Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon, that Iraq may be next to fall.

Jonathan Schanzer, executive director at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, told Fox News Digital that the collapse of the Assad regime was the precipitating moment for the Iraqi government to make its move against Iranian militias. 

"Right now, the Iraqis are wondering if they are next and everyone is fearful of the toxic influence and corrosive nature of Iranian influence in the state," Schanzer said.

Foreign Minister Hussein told Reuters that he does not think Iraq is the next domino to fall.

The IRI is a group of armed Islamic resistance factions under the umbrella of the Iran-backed "Axis of Resistance." These groups are the most difficult for the Iraqi government to manage and were responsible for the attack that killed three U.S. service members in Jordan in January 2024. The IRI is aligned with Iran and has been engaging in armed operations against Israel and U.S. coalition forces since Oct. 7.

WHO IS THE IRAN-BACKED COALITION ISLAMIC RESISTANCE IN IRAQ, RESPONSIBLE FOR DEADLY DRONE STRIKE ON US TROOPS?

Also operating in Iraq are the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF). The PMF was formed in 2014 after Iraq’s Shia cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, called for Iraqis to rise up and fight against the Islamic State. Tehran sent IRGC advisers, weapons and other military support to the PMF to combat ISIS, according to the Defense Intelligence Agency. 

The PMF are formally recognized as an official part of the Iraqi state security forces and report directly to the prime minister.

"Current discussions revolve around how to effectively manage the so-called Islamic Resistance factions, some of which have gained media prominence since Oct. 7 while conducting armed operations under the label of Islamic Resistance in Iraq," Inna Rudolf, who studied the PMF at King’s College London, told Fox News Digital.

Many of these resistance factions, Rudolf said, have also registered brigades within the state-recognized PMF umbrella. 

"The question for decision-makers remains how to neutralize these elements and mitigate the risk of dragging both the PMF and the Iraqi state into a poorly timed geopolitical escalation," Rudolf said.

NETANYAHU HAILS ‘HISTORIC’ FALL OF BASHAR ASSAD IN SYRIA, CREDITS ISRAELI ATTACKS ON HEZBOLLAH, IRAN

Rudolf pointed out that although Iranian proxies have been significantly weakened since Oct. 7, pressure has intensified in light of reports suggesting Israel could retaliate against Iranian groups inside Iraq. 

Many observers of the region think Iraq’s attempt to rein in armed factions at this moment is a sign of Iran’s diminished position in the region.

"The fact that major security sector reform in respect to the Popular Mobilization Forces is being conducted at this time is representative of Iran's weakened role in the country and an imperative amongst more moderate forces, as well as the U.S., to seize on this and create momentum," Caroline Rose, a senior analyst and head of the Power Vacuums Program at the New Lines Institute, told Fox News Digital.

Elections in Iraq are scheduled for this fall, and Prime Minister Sudani is attempting to negotiate an acceptable form of bilateral security cooperation with the U.S., including the status of U.S. forces inside the country. The U.S. currently has about 2,500 troops serving in Iraq as part of the anti-ISIS Operation Inherent Resolve effort.

Observers of the region agreed that if Iraq is unable to demonstrate its ability to rein in rogue groups conducting armed operations against the prime minister, sustaining security cooperation with the United States, especially under President Donald Trump, could be impossible.

A recent spat publicly carried out this weekend over social media between President Donald Trump and Colombian President Gustavo Petro has brought renewed attention to the former Marxist guerrilla turned top political figure.

The U.S. sat on the brink of a trade war with Colombia after Trump turned to his favored geopolitical tool and threatened to impose up to 50% tariffs on all imports from the Latin American country if it did not accept military planes full of deported Colombians as part of Trump’s deportation sweep.

The trade war was avoided after Petro apparently agreed to lift his ban on flights full of deported Colombians who had allegedly entered the U.S. illegally, though not before he issued a strongly worded statement in which he threatened to match Trump’s tariffs, criticized his "greed" and defended Colombia’s sovereignty.

COLOMBIAN LEADER QUICKLY CAVES AFTER TRUMP THREATS, OFFERS PRESIDENTIAL PLANE FOR DEPORTATION FLIGHTS

The Colombian president’s Sunday diatribe on X in response to Trump is not a new approach for Petro, who has reportedly made a name for himself by being outspoken on social media. 

Petro became Colombia’s first leftist leader in 2022 after he defeated conservatives by pledging changes that would focus on ending the country’s long history of violence, human rights abuses and poverty.

According to The Associated Press, Colombians had long been resistant to left-leaning politicians over concerns they were soft on violence.

Petro’s background as a former member of the M-19 guerrilla group before he turned to more traditional political paths, may have played in his favor at home. 

Though Petro’s election to high office was championed at home, it was met with trepidation by conservatives in the U.S.

Colombia was traditionally considered a top ally to Washington, D.C., in Latin America, and according to a Reuters report, the U.S.-Colombia free trade agreement was responsible for a substantial $33.8 billion worth of trade in 2023 – accounting for a quarter of all of Bogotá's exports.

Despite Colombia’s reliance on American spending, Petro has pursued controversial diplomatic pursuits that often run counter to Washington’s geopolitical agenda.

COLOMBIA ELECTS FORMER REBEL GUSTAVO PETRO TO BECOME COUNTRY'S FIRST LEFTIST PRESIDENT

Since becoming president of Colombia, Petro has restored diplomatic relations with neighboring Venezuela, whose leader, Nicolás Maduro, has been criticized for his ties to top American adversaries, including China, Russia, Iranian proxies in the Middle East and Cuba. 

Petro has also taken a hard stance in opposition to Israel and chose the day after the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attacks, in which some 1,200 people were killed and 250 abducted into Gaza, to criticize Jerusalem for carrying out "neo-Nazi" acts against Palestinians. 

Petro continued his opposition to Israel’s war in Gaza over the next 15 months before a ceasefire was reached, in part, by officials now active in the Trump administration – which could indicate further headbutting between the nations' leaders.

"I think many Latin American countries have gotten used to a U.S. presidential administration that doesn’t mean what it says or do what is needed for national security," Joseph Humire, an expert on Latin America issues and the executive director of the Center for a Secure Free Society, told Fox News Digital. "President Petro seriously underestimated the resolve of President Trump to secure our border and end the weaponized migration that, for the past four years, has been undermining American sovereignty.

"If President Petro or any government tries to obstruct America’s sovereign right to deport criminals than I think they will see similar punitive measures," he added.

It remains unclear what relations going forward between Trump and Petro will look like or how the president was able to get Petro to reverse his position within hours of the Colombian president's furious post on X. 

Colombian foreign minister, Luis Gilberto Murillo, along with the nation’s ambassador to the U.S., Daniel Garcia-Pena, on Sunday announced plans to travel to Washington in the coming days to discuss agreements reached over the weekend to end the impasse and avoid a U.S.-Colombia trade war.  

The top European Union military official, Robert Brieger, said it would make sense to station troops from EU countries in Greenland, according to an interview with Germany's Welt am Sonntag published on Saturday, as U.S. President Donald Trump has expressed interest in acquiring the Danish territory.

"In my view, it would make perfect sense not only to station U.S. forces in Greenland, as has been the case to date, but also to consider stationing EU soldiers there in the future," the chairman of the European Union Military Committee said.

Ultimately, such a step would require a political decision, the Austrian-born general said. The military committee is the highest military office of the European Council, but it serves as a consultative body since the bloc has no dedicated army.

U.S.-led NATO is the main military alliance for the EU.

DANISH LAWMAKER ADDRESSING EU TELLS TRUMP TO ‘F--- OFF’ OVER GREENLAND BID

Although Greenland is not part of the EU as an overseas territory of Denmark, Europeans, as well as the U.S. have interests in Greenland, the general added, citing its raw materials and strategic location.

"However, with increasing ice melt as a result of climate change, this also creates a certain potential for tension with Russia and possibly China," he said.

Trump has expressed an interest in making Greenland, an autonomous territory of Denmark, part of the United States. He has not ruled out using military or economic power to persuade Denmark to hand it over.

Greenland's strategic location along the shortest route from Europe to North America, vital for the U.S. ballistic missile warning system, has made it a priority for Trump.

Brieger said he hoped that the U.S. as a member of the United Nations would respect the inviolability of borders as stipulated in the U.N. Charter.

Belarus' authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko extended his more than three decades in power in an orchestrated weekend election that the opposition and the European Union rejected as a farce.

The Central Election Commission declared early Monday that Lukashenko won the election with nearly 87% of the vote after a campaign in which four token challengers all praised his rule.

Members of the country's political opposition, many of whom are imprisoned or exiled abroad by Lukashenko's unrelenting crackdown on dissent and free speech, called the election a sham — much like the last one in 2020 that triggered months of protests that were unprecedented in the history of the country of 9 million people.

SECRETARY OF STATE RUBIO HAILS RELEASE OF US PRISONER IN BELARUS AS CONTROVERSY HANGS OVER NATION'S ELECTION

Since then, more than 65,000 people were arrested and thousands beaten, with the crackdown bringing condemnation and sanctions from the West.

The EU rejected Sunday's vote as illegitimate and threatened new sanctions.

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said the election offered no choice to voters, marking "a bitter day for all those who long for freedom and democracy."

"Instead of free and fair elections and a life without fear and arbitrariness, they experience daily oppression, repression and human rights violations," she said in a post on X.

Lukashenko has been in power since 1994 and has ruled the country with an iron fist. He has relied on subsidies and political support from Russian President Vladimir Putin, himself in office for a quarter-century, a relationship that helped him survive the 2020 protests.

Lukashenko allowed Moscow to use the country’s territory to invade Ukraine in 2022 and later hosted some of Russia’s tactical nuclear weapons.

Putin called Lukashenko on Monday to congratulate him on his "convincing victory." Chinese President Xi Jinping also sent congratulations.

Some observers believe Lukashenko feared a repeat of those mass demonstrations amid economic troubles and the fighting in Ukraine, and so scheduled the vote in January, when few would want to fill the streets again, rather than hold it in August.

Leading opponents have fled abroad or were thrown in prison. Activists say the country holds nearly 1,300 political prisoners, including Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ales Bialiatski, founder of the Viasna Human Rights Center.

Since July, Lukashenko has pardoned more than 250 people. At the same time, authorities have sought to uproot dissent by arresting hundreds more in raids targeting relatives and friends of political prisoners.

Opposition leader-in-exile Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, who fled Belarus under government pressure after challenging Lukashenko in 2020, denounced the election as a "senseless farce" and urged voters to cross off everyone listed on the ballot.

The first report on last month’s Jeju Air crash in South Korea confirmed the plane’s two black boxes stopped recording about four minutes prior to the crash that killed 179 people on board.

The preliminary accident report released by South Korea's Aviation and Railway Accident Investigation Board on Monday said the flight data and cockpit voice recorders on the Boeing 737-800 had stopped working, confirming what the country's Transportation Ministry initially said earlier this month. 

South Korean officials had sent the devices to the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board for closer examination after discovering that some of the data was missing. It remained unclear why the devices stopped recording.

The report also found traces of bird strikes – feathers and bird blood stains – in both the plane's engines, though officials have yet to determine what caused the crash.

"The samples were sent to specialized organizations for DNA analysis, and a domestic organization identified them as belonging to Baikal teals," the report said, referring to a migratory duck.

SOUTH KOREA PLANE'S FINAL MOMENTS CAPTURED ON VIDEO BEFORE HITTING CONCRETE BARRIER, TRIGGERING EXPLOSION

The plane skidded off the runway at Muan International Airport on Dec. 29, 2024, after its landing gear failed to deploy, slamming into a concrete structure and bursting into flames. Only two of the 181 people on board survived.

The flight was returning from Bangkok and all the victims were South Koreans except for two Thai nationals.

RUSSIA BEING BLAMED FOR AZERBAIJAN AIRLINES PLANE THAT CRASHED HUNDREDS OF MILES OFF COURSE, KILLING DOZENS

Investigators earlier said that air traffic controllers warned the pilots about possible bird strikes two minutes before the aircraft issued a distress signal confirming that a bird strike had occurred, after which the pilots attempted an emergency landing.

The preliminary report said the pilots also noticed a group of birds while approaching the runway at the Muan airport and that a security camera had filmed the plane coming close to birds during an aborted landing.

The report said authorities will disassemble the engines, examine their components in depth, analyze the black box and air traffic control data, and investigate the embankment, localizer and bird strike evidence to ultimately determine the cause of the crash.

Officials said the report has been sent to the International Civil Aviation Organization, Thailand, the U.S. and France, adding that the aircraft was built in the U.S. and its engines in France.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Thousands of Palestinians are streaming back into the northern Gaza Strip on Monday after Israel lifted its closure as part of the ceasefire and hostage release deal with Hamas. 

Starting at 7 a.m. local time, Palestinians were allowed to cross on foot without inspection via a coastal road passing through part of a military zone bisecting the territory just south of Gaza City that Israel carved out early in the war. A checkpoint for vehicles opened later on Gaza's main north-south highway, where traffic was backed up for around two miles. 

"The transfer of militants or weapons via these routes to the northern Gaza Strip will be considered a breach of the agreement. Do not cooperate with any terrorist entity that may try to exploit you to transfer weapons or prohibited materials," Israel’s military warned in a statement, according to Reuters. 

Hamas is calling the return "a victory for our people, and a declaration of failure and defeat for the (Israeli) occupation and transfer plans," according to The Associated Press. 

ISRAEL, HAMAS REACH DEAL TO ALLOW PALESTINIANS TO RETURN TO NORTHERN GAZA 

Yasmin Abu Amshah, a mother of three, told the AP that she walked about four miles to reach her damaged but still habitable home in Gaza City, where she also saw her younger sister for the first time in more than a year. 

"It was a long trip, but a happy one," she said. "The most important thing is that we returned." 

Around a million people fled to southern Gaza in October 2023, while hundreds of thousands remained in the north, which had some of the heaviest fighting and the worst destruction of the war. In all, around 90% of Gaza’s 2.3 million people have been displaced, the news agency says. 

Israel had delayed the opening of the crossing, which was supposed to happen over the weekend, saying it would not allow Palestinians north until a female civilian hostage, Arbel Yehoud, was released. Israel said she should have been released before four young female soldiers, who were freed on Saturday. 

ISRAELI VICTIMS OF TERROR CONCERNED WITH MURDERERS’ RELEASE FROM PRISON, RELIEVED 7 HOSTAGES BACK HOME

Hamas in turn accused Israel of violating the agreement by not opening the crossing. 

The gulf nation of Qatar, a key mediator with Hamas, then announced early Monday that an agreement had been reached to release Yehoud along with two other hostages. 

Hamas also handed over a list of information about the hostages to be released in the ceasefire’s six-week first phase. 

Under that phase, Hamas is to free a total of 33 hostages in exchange for the release of nearly 2,000 Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. So far under the truce, the terrorist organization has released seven hostages in exchange for more than 300 prisoners. Shiri Bibas and her children Ariel and Kfir were expected to be released over the weekend, but that did not happen. Shiri's husband, Yarden Bibas, is also among the hostages.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office announced Sunday that an agreement has been reached with Hamas to release additional hostages starting this Thursday, while also allowing Palestinians to return to the northern part of the Gaza Strip beginning Monday morning.

Qatar helped mediate the agreement, which is expected to ease the first major crisis of the fragile ceasefire between Hamas and Israel.

"After firm and determined negotiations led by Prime Minister Netanyahu, Hamas has backed down and will conduct an additional phase of hostage releases this coming Thursday," Netanyahu’s office said. "As part of this phase, Israeli citizen Arbel Yehud, soldier Agam Berger, and one additional hostage will be released."

The statement also noted that three additional hostages will be released on Saturday as part of the agreement.

ISRAELI MILITARY CHIEF STEPS DOWN OVER OCTOBER 7 HAMAS MASSACRE: ‘WEIGHS ON ME EVERY DAY’

Israel confirmed Hamas handed over a list that specified the condition of the hostages expected to be released in the first stage. Local media also reported the list specified the number of living and dead hostages, though names were not included.

Israeli officials claim most of the 26 remaining hostages are alive, which coincides with the list Hamas provided.

Netanyahu’s office also said Israel will allow Palestinians to return to the northern part of the Gaza Strip beginning Monday morning under the agreement with Hamas.

CEASEFIRE DISPUTES BETWEEN ISRAEL AND HAMAS, HEZBOLLAH THROW REGION INTO TURMOIL

Netanyahu reiterated that Israel will not tolerate any violation of the agreement between the two parties, adding that he will continue to push for the return of all hostages, dead or alive.

Likewise, the White House released a statement on Sunday afternoon saying the arrangement between Israel and Lebanon will be monitored by the U.S. and will remain in effect until Feb. 18, 2025.

"The Government of Lebanon, the Government of Israel, and the Government of the United States will also begin negotiations for the return of Lebanese prisoners captured after October 7, 2023," the statement read.

HAMAS RELEASES 4 FEMALE HOSTAGES AS PART OF ISRAEL CEASEFIRE

The agreement between Israel and Hamas comes after the former accused the latter of changing the order of hostages it had planned to release. As a result, Israeli forces blocked thousands of Palestinians from returning to northern Gaza.

Israeli forces also announced Friday that they would not withdraw from southern Lebanon as the ceasefire requires until the Lebanese government fully implements its own responsibilities. According to the agreement, both groups were expected to make withdrawals by Sunday.

"IDF troops operating in southern Lebanon fired warning shots to remove threats in a number of areas where suspects were identified approaching the troops," the IDF wrote in a statement earlier Sunday.

BITTERSWEET REJOICING AS FIRST HOSTAGES RETURN TO ISRAEL AFTER 471 DAYS IN CAPTIVITY

The disputes came just after President Donald Trump called for Egypt and Jordan to accept refugees from Gaza to "clean out" the region.

"I’d like Egypt to take people," Trump said. "You’re talking about probably a million and a half people, and we just clean out that whole thing and say, 'You know, it’s over.'"

Trump said he applauded Jordan for accepting Palestinian refugees but that he told the king: "I’d love for you to take on more, because I’m looking at the whole Gaza Strip right now, and it’s a mess. It’s a real mess."

Fox News Digital’s Anders Hagstrom contributed to this report.

The international airport in Goma was evacuated and commercial flights temporarily grounded on Sunday as fighting between Rwanda-backed rebels and government forces raged around eastern Congo's key city, leaving at least 13 peacekeepers and foreign soldiers dead and displacing thousands of civilians.

The M23 rebel group has made significant territorial gains along the border with Rwanda in recent weeks, closing in on Goma, the provincial capital that has a population of around 2 million and is a regional hub for security and humanitarian efforts.

Goma’s international airport, which is east of the city, was evacuated by the military and commercial flights were temporarily grounded due to the fighting, an airport agent told The Associated Press. The agent spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn’t authorized to speak on the matter publicly.

ISRAEL TELLS UN IT'S SHUTTING DOWN ALL UNRWA OPERATIONS IN JERUSALEM: 'ACUTE SECURITY RISKS'

The United Nations on Sunday told its staff not to go to the airport and to shelter in place, according to an internal email seen by AP.

Congo, the United States and U.N. experts accuse Rwanda of backing M23, which is mainly made up of ethnic Tutsis who broke away from the Congolese army more than a decade ago. It's one of about 100 armed groups that have been vying for a foothold in the mineral-rich region, where a long-running conflict has created one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises.

Rwanda’s government denies backing the rebels, but last year acknowledged that it has troops and missile systems in eastern Congo to safeguard its security, pointing to a buildup of Congolese forces near the border. U.N. experts estimate there are up to 4,000 Rwandan forces in Congo.

The Congolese Foreign Ministry said late Saturday it was severing diplomatic ties with Rwanda and pulling out all diplomatic staff from the country "with immediate effect."

Rwanda’s Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe told AP on Sunday that the decision to cut ties was a unilateral move by Congo "that was even published on social media before being sent to our embassy."

"For us, we took appropriate measures to evacuate our remaining diplomat in Kinshasa, who was under permanent threat by Congolese officials. And this was achieved on Friday, one day before the publication of this so-called note verbale on social media," he said.

In the last 48 hours, two U.N. peacekeepers from South Africa and one from Uruguay were killed, and 11 peacekeepers were injured and hospitalized, U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres’ spokesman said Sunday ahead of an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council.

The U.N. chief reiterated his "strongest condemnation" of the M23 offensive "with the support of the Rwanda Defense Forces," and called on the rebel group to immediately halt all hostile action and withdraw its forces, U.N. spokesman Stéphane Dujarric said.

On Sunday morning, heavy gunfire resonated across Goma, just a few miles from the front line. Scores of displaced children and adults fled the Kanyaruchinya camp, one of the largest in eastern Congo, right near the Rwandan border, and headed south to Goma.

"We are fleeing because we saw soldiers on the border with Rwanda throwing bombs and shooting," said Safi Shangwe, who was heading to Goma.

"We are tired and we are afraid, our children are at risk of starving," she added.

Some of the displaced worried they will not be safe in Goma either.

"We are going to Goma, but I heard that there are bombs in Goma, too, so now we don’t know where to go," said Adèle Shimiye.

Hundreds of people attempted to flee to Rwanda through the "Great Barrier" border crossing east of Goma on Sunday. Migration officers carefully checked travel documents.

"I am crossing to the other side to see if we will have a place of refuge because for the moment, security in the city is not guaranteed," Muahadi Amani, a resident of Goma, told the AP.

Earlier in the week, the rebels seized Sake, 16 miles from Goma, as concerns mounted that the city could soon fall.

Congo’s army said Saturday it fended off an M23 offensive with the help of allied forces, including U.N. troops and soldiers from the Southern African Development Community Mission, also known as SAMIDRC.

In addition to the two South African peacekeepers, seven South African troops with SAMIDIRC have been killed in recent days, South Africa’s Ministry of Defense said.

Since 2021, Congo’s government and allied forces, including SAMIDRC and U.N. troops, have been keeping M23 away from Goma. The U.N. peacekeeping force entered Congo more than two decades ago and has around 14,000 peacekeepers on the ground.