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King Charles III sent condolences Saturday to the U.S. and the families of the Washington, D.C., plane crash victims. 

"My family and I have been profoundly shocked and saddened by the dreadful news of the tragic air accident in Washington, D.C., which has led to such a devastating loss of life," the monarch said in a memo released by Buckingham Palace and shared by multiple news outlets. 

"Our hearts, and our special thoughts, are with the people of the United States, and our deepest possible sympathy goes to the families and loved ones of all the victims."

Charles also said he wanted to pay "particular tribute to the emergency responders who acted so quickly to this horrendous event." 

DC PLANE CRASH INVESTIGATORS RECOVER AMERICAN AIRLINES BLACK BOXES AFTER MIDAIR COLLISION

On Wednesday night, 64 people were on board an American Airlines regional jet inbound to Reagan National Airport from Wichita, Kansas, when the plane collided with an Army Black Hawk helicopter carrying three soldiers, sending both aircraft into the Potomac and leaving no survivors. 

The cause of the collision remains under investigation. 

Search crews are still recovering bodies, and both aircraft remain in the Potomac River until they can be removed in a salvage operation. 

The crash is the first commercial airline accident on U.S. soil since 2009, when 50 people were killed when a Buffalo, New York-bound plane stalled after takeoff. 

The king also offered condolences in December for the victims of a Dec. 29 plane crash in South Korea that killed 179 people. 

"My wife and I were profoundly saddened to learn of the horrific air accident at Muan, which resulted in such grievous loss of life," he said at the time. "As the people of the Republic of Korea mourn this disaster, the families and loved ones of all the victims are in our prayers."

VICTIMS IDENTIFIED IN DC PLANE CRASH INVOLVING AMERICAN AIRLINES JET AND MILITARY HELICOPTER

The royal family is no stranger to tragedy. Princess Diana was killed in a car crash in Paris in 1997, and Lord Louis Mountbatten, the late Queen Elizabeth's second cousin, was killed in an Irish Republican Army terrorist bombing in Ireland in 1979. 

The late queen’s uncle, Prince George, the Duke of Kent, also died in a plane crash in 1942 while visiting troops in Iceland. And her first cousin, Prince William, the Duke of Gloucester, died in 1972 while piloting a plane in a race during an air show in Staffordshire, England. 

The royal family is often in the air, flying to far-flung locations, and Prince Philip and King Charles both learned to fly in the military. Prince William and Prince Harry were also both helicopter pilots in the military. 

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Charles had a scary incident while piloting a small, nonmilitary plane in 1994 over Scotland’s Inner Hebrides when he popped a tire and overshot a runway. 

A year later, he gave up his pilot’s license.

Yarden Bibas is back in Israel more than 480 days after Hamas terrorists ripped him from his home in Kibbutz Nir Oz and dragged him to the Gaza Strip. Bibas’ return, however, is bittersweet as his wife, Shiri, and their two young children, Ariel and Kfir, remain in Gaza. Their fate is unknown, and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has made it clear that there are "grave concerns about their wellbeing."

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu celebrated Yarden Bibas’ return, while saying the nation’s thoughts are with Shiri, Ariel and Kfir Bibas.

"Our thoughts are now with Shiri, Ariel, and Kfir Bibas, and all of our abductees. We will continue to work to bring them home," Netanyahu wrote on X.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog also commented on Yarden’s release, calling it "heartbreaking."

"Yarden's reunion with his family is simply heartbreaking. We all remain deeply concerned for the fate of our beloved Shiri, Ariel and Kfir Bibas - as an entire nation we hold them in our hearts. The people of Israel stand by Yarden and the whole family, with great concern and in heartfelt prayer," Herzog wrote in a post on X.

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum also celebrated Yarden Bibas’ return, and vowed to continue demanding that his wife and two sons be released.

Early Saturday, Bibas was freed alongside American-Israeli Keith Siegel and French-Israeli Ofer Kalderon in the fourth round of hostage releases as part of phase one of Israel and Hamas’ ongoing ceasefire deal.

"From the moment Hamas launched its barbaric attack on October 7th, we have remained committed to one mission—bringing every hostage home," IDF International Spokesperson Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani wrote on Substack. "We cannot and will not forget for a moment, the 79 hostages that remain in Hamas captivity."

AMERICAN AMONG THREE HOSTAGES FREED FROM TERROR'S GRIP AFTER NEARLY 500 DAYS

The release of Bibas, Siegel and Kalderon looked different from previous hostages’ releases, which saw shocking scenes of crowds mobbing the captives as they were transferred to the Red Cross. This change is likely due to Netanyahu’s demand that mediators guarantee the hostages safe exits following the chaotic scenes.

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

Upon his release, Yarden's family said that "a quarter of our heart has returned to us after 15 long months… Yarden has returned home, but the home remains incomplete."

As images and videos of Hamas’ brutal attacks on Oct. 7 began to spread, the Bibas family quickly became a symbol of the terror group’s cruelty. A video of Shiri Bibas holding her two red-headed children in her arms was spread across the globe. Those calling for the Bibas’ family’s release often used the color orange to symbolize the infant and toddler’s bright red hair.

At the time of their kidnapping, Kfir was 9 months old and Ariel was 4 years old. They are the only child hostages remaining in Gaza. Ariel is now 5 years old and Kfir marked his second birthday in Hamas captivity, where he has spent his two and only birthdays.

As of Saturday, 79 hostages remain in Gaza, 35 of whom have been declared dead and whose bodies remain in the hands of Hamas. Keith Siegel, who was freed on Saturday, is the first Israeli-American to be released. There are still six American citizens in Gaza, only two of whom are believed to be alive.  

Secretary of State Marco Rubio leaves for his first overseas trip as the nation’s top diplomat on Saturday. Rubio's first stop on the six-day visit is Panama as he sets out on pursuing President Donald Trump’s geopolitical agenda.

Trump used his inaugural address to proclaim his intent to "take back" the Panama Canal, and in a call with reporters on Friday, Special Envoy for Latin America Mauricio Claver-Carone said Rubio’s chief purpose of the trip would be in re-establishing a "Golden Age" for America.

"This trip signifies… that era of American greatness and the Golden Age," he said, adding that "the 21st century will also be an American century."

MARCO RUBIO LAYS OUT AMERICA FIRST AGENDA IN NEW OP-ED, SAYS DAYS OF NEGLECTING US ‘END NOW’

Claver-Carone pointed out that Rubio’s trip to Latin America is the first time a secretary of state has traveled to the region as their first official visit abroad in over 100 years. 

"Last time that happened, I believe, was in 1912, when Philander Chase Knox went to Panama… to oversee the conclusion of the Panama Canal’s construction and operations," he told reporters. "What a great message to harken back to that Golden Age of the Americas, as President Trump himself has mentioned."

Rubio is scheduled to meet with Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino.

The pair are expected to discuss migration, combating drug trafficking and China’s presence in the Panama Canal, which Rubio and Trump have argued has become overrun by Chinese companies operating at either end of the crucial waterway.

The Trump administration has argued that the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) tight grip over all Chinese companies means that, in extension, the CCP is operating out of the canal and could, in theory, close it to U.S. trade if it chose to — posing a significant security threat. 

TRUMP OFFICIAL TRAVELS TO VENEZUELA TO NEGOTIATE DEAL FOR DEPORTING TREN DE ARAGUA GANG MEMBERS

Mulino has repeatedly denied that Chinese companies have any influence over the operations of the Panama Canal, and on Thursday said he would not be negotiating ownership of the canal with Rubio.

"It’s impossible, I can’t negotiate," Mulino said during a Thursday press conference when asked about negotiating control of the canal, The Associated Press reported. "That is done. The canal belongs to Panama."

Mulino apparently claimed confusion over control of the canal was attributed to his predecessor, who severed ties with Taiwan and established diplomatic relations with China in 2017, eventually allowing a Hong Kong consortium to operate ports at both ends of the canal.

Panama maintains that it controls the canal.

Claver-Carone argued that Chinese companies control "everything from force and logistics to telecommunications, infrastructure, and otherwise," which he said is not only a security threat to U.S. interests in the canal, but to the national security of Panama and the Western Hemisphere.

Rubio is also slated to visit El Salvador, Costa Rica, Guatemala and the Dominican Republic, where he will meet with the presidents of each nation before returning to the U.S. on Thursday. 

Addressing Chinese influence in these countries, along with gang violence, migration and drug trafficking, will also be top of Rubio’s agenda.

FIRST ON FOX: Expansionist rhetoric has been a major concern in NATO for several years amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but according to Greece’s top defense official, the security alliance should take seriously similar threats from within its own coalition, in particular from Turkey.

A decades-old feud over the island nation of Cyprus between Greece and Turkey, both of which have been members of NATO since 1952, has plagued the alliance for over half a century and spill-over conflicts pushed the two countries nearly to the brink of war in the 1990s. 

Though relations between Greece and Turkey have become less outwardly hostile in recent years, Erdoğan’s pursuit of regional natural resources coupled with his controversial geopolitical actions in the Middle East and Aegean Sea have long drawn criticism that he is looking to "recreate" the Ottoman Empire.

TURKEY AND GREECE LEADERS TO MEET, PUT FRIENDSHIP INITIATIVE TO THE TEST AMID GAZA AND UKRAINE WARS

"There's some people in Turkey that go back to the Ottoman times and believe that they could recreate the Ottoman Empire, including parts of Greece, parts of Syria, parts of Iraq, parts of Iran, half of the Caucasus, etc.," Greek Defense Minister Nikos Dendias said during an interview with Fox News Digital. 

"I hope that this is daydream, but it creates a lot of problems in the relations with Greece, a lot of problems within NATO."

Erdoğan, who has been president of Turkey since 2014, has long been criticized for his aggressive approach in dealing with regional nations like Iraq, Yemen, Libya and Israel, but also his oppressive practices at home that have targeted non-Sunni communities, including Shiites and Christians, journalists, women and Kurds. It's an issue that has not only blocked Turkey from joining the European Union, but has increasingly held geopolitical ramifications for the U.S. 

The U.S.’s chief ally in the fight against ISIS in Syria, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), has found itself in Ankara’s crosshairs as it views the Kurdish-affiliated force as being akin to the terrorist network, the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK). 

Turkey has routinely targeted the group and prompted international concern over how the SDF will be able to continue to effectively fight ISIS should the Trump administration withdraw U.S. troops from Syria.

"ISIS, let us be frank and honest, is down but not out," Dendias said. "The ideology behind ISIS, the ideology behind the Muslim Brotherhood is there, is alive and kicking. 

"And I have to say, the worst thing that you can do in life is forget your allies, forget the people who fought by your side in your hour of need, and turn against them or forget about them," the defense minister continued. "I'm speaking about the Kurds fighting against ISIS for years. They should not be forgotten by the West."

TRUMP SAYS TURKEY ‘DID AN UNFRIENDLY TAKEOVER’ IN SYRIA AS US-BROKERED CEASE-FIRE APPEARS TO FAIL

The fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime has renewed concerns over regional stability, and the close dynamic between Trump and Erdoğan has raised more questions about how the Turkish president will pursue his regional ambitions. 

Dendias argued that the close relationship allegedly shared between the two world leaders will not necessarily embolden Erdoğan and could uniquely position Trump to "whisper" in the ear of the Turkish leader and remind him that "international law, international [rules] of the sea, is a way of life in this modern world."

"I assume that it will not be good at all for NATO and would not be good at all for the United States of America to encourage Turkey to create a huge problem in the eastern front of NATO, taking also into account what's happening in the Middle East and what's happening between Russia and Ukraine," the defense minster added. 

TURKISH LEADER CLAIMS US BASES IN GREECE POSE DIRECT 'THREAT' AMID SPAT WITH ATHENS OVER NATO EXPANSION

Earlier this month, Turkey relaunched military exercises in the Black, Mediterranean and Aegean Seas known as "Blue Homeland," which Greece has long viewed as a show of force and prompted long-held maritime disputes to resurface. 

"This [is a] new Turkish neo-imperialist, neo-Ottoman approach," Dendias said. "It started appearing somewhere in the first decade of the 21st century … which, in essence, claims that half of the Greek islands in the Aegean belong to Turkey. 

"And sometimes they even go further. They claim that Crete, a huge island with very important NATO presence and an American base in Souda – again, should belong to Turkey." 

The defense minster said Greece’s tense relations with Turkey have made its defensive posture in NATO unique because it has forced Athens to be on top of its defense spending, an issue that has once again become a top matter of discussion in the NATO alliance due to Trump’s push to have all nations meet a 5% GDP spending limit, up from 2%. 

The latest NATO spending figures released in June 2024 show Greece was the fifth-highest spender on defense in the alliance, spending more than 3% of its GPD, while Turkey came in 18th and spent just over 2% of its GDP on defense.  

Dendias said European nations need to collectively agree on how they view security threat levels and the importance of defense spending.

"Regardless of President Trump's position on 5%, it's an internal issue and needs to be resolved," Dendias added.

"The biggest threat is countries that do not abide by international law and do not abide by international law of the sea. Countries that believe that borders [are] something that you can disregard, that treaties and international treaties should work only if it's to your advantage," Dendias said. "That is the biggest threat to the whole world, not just Greece."

Additional questions to Dendias about President Trump’s recent comments on his refusal to rule out military intervention in acquiring Greenland and the Panama Canal were not answered. 

The Turkish embassy in Washington, D.C. did not respond to Fox News Digital's questions but instead pointed to a statement issued by the Turkish Minister of National Defense, Yaşar Güler, who ahead of the "Blue Homeland" exercises said, "Our country, located at the very heart of a region surrounded by conflicts and disputes, consistently emphasizes its commitment to international law and peace in preventing tensions and resolving crises.

"We approach the development of our relations with our neighbor Greece within this framework and take significant steps toward resolving problems," he added. "The efforts to portray Turkey's determination to protect its rights and interests in the ‘Blue Homeland’ as ‘historical expansionism and aggression’ are nothing more than a futile attempt to disregard the rights granted to Turkey by international law. 

"However, while striving for a peaceful solution, we strongly emphasize that we will never compromise our national rights and interests," Güler said earlier this month.

Terror group Hamas has released two more hostages, with a third, an American-Israeli citizen Keith Siegel, expected to be freed later Saturday as part of the ceasefire agreement with Israel. 

Hamas handed over Ofer Kalderon and Yarden Bibas to the Red Cross, and both were expected to be given over to IDF soldiers. 

Siegel, 65, was raised in North Carolina and immigrated to Israel as a young man, becoming a dual U.S.-Israeli citizen. He and his wife, Aviva, settled in Kibbutz Kfar Aza. He had been held in Gaza since October 7, 2023, when both were kidnapped from their home during the Hamas massacre. 

Aviva Siegel, who was freed in the last hostage deal in November, previously told Fox News about her fears for his deteriorating health, emphasizing that the fight is not over until all hostages return. Alongside Siegel, French-Israeli Ofer Kalderon and Yarden Bibas were also freed. Bibas’ wife and two young children remain in captivity.

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

Siegel would be the first American freed under the current ceasefire deal. So far, 10 Israeli hostages and five Thai nationals abducted on October 7 have also been released. Six Americans remain in Gaza. Among them, Sagui Dekel-Chen, a 36-year-old father of three, is expected to be freed soon. Another captive, Edan Alexander, 21, from New Jersey, was serving in the IDF when taken. Hamas also holds the bodies of deceased hostages.

Securing the release of U.S. citizens and other hostages remains a top priority for President Donald Trump, who warned Hamas would face "all hell to pay" if they failed to comply. White House envoy Steve Witkoff, closely monitoring the situation, recently became the first U.S. official to visit Gaza in 15 years. "There is almost nothing left of Gaza," Witkoff told Axios, estimating that full reconstruction could take 10 to 15 years. He stressed that advancing the hostage deal is key to stabilizing the region and broader diplomatic efforts, including Saudi-Israeli normalization talks.

For the families of those still in captivity, the struggle is far from over. Yechi Yehoud, father of released hostage Arbel Yehoud who was released on Thursday, delivered an emotional statement upon his daughter’s return. 

"Arbel has come back to us in reasonable health, considering the hell she endured. She survived heroically until the very end, displaying immeasurable courage. We are here also to express our gratitude to President Trump, and his Middle East Special Envoy Mr. Steve Witkoff, who knew how to speak 'Trump language' in the Middle East and leverage full diplomatic pressure for the hostages' return… We won’t rest until we know they’re back with us, alive!"

WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT THE HOSTAGES AND CEASE-FIRE DEAL BETWEEN ISRAEL AND HAMAS SET TO BEGIN SUNDAY

The ceasefire, which has temporarily halted a brutal 15-month war, is unfolding in phases. Each stage involves the staggered release of Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners and increased humanitarian aid into Gaza. However, the process has faced setbacks, including horrific scenes this week when Hamas paraded hostages before an angry mob, endangering their safety. The chaotic handover to the Red Cross sparked outrage in Israel. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu briefly halted the reciprocal release of Palestinian prisoners, warning Hamas against further disruptions.

The current plan includes additional hostage releases in the coming weeks, with 33 captives expected to be freed over six weeks. In return, Israel will release 2,000 Palestinian security prisoners, including 250-300 convicted of deadly attacks, and allow increased humanitarian aid into Gaza. Whether Hamas will fully comply remains uncertain, putting the fragile truce at risk.

Amid high-stakes ceasefire negotiations, Netanyahu has accepted an invitation from President Trump to visit Washington on February 4, making him the first foreign leader to meet Trump in his second term. The visit will focus on the hostage deal, ceasefire discussions, and broader security concerns, including Iran and Gaza’s reconstruction.

Following a meeting with Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in Caracas to discuss, in part, the release of Americans being held in the country, Richard Grenell, President Donald Trump’s envoy for special missions announced on X Friday night that he was returning to the U.S. with six of them.

"They just spoke to @realDonaldTrump and they couldn’t stop thanking him," Grenell said in his post without identifying the six men, four of whom were dressed in light-blue Venezuelan prison outfits.

TRUMP OFFICIAL TRAVELS TO VENEZUELA IN PUSH FOR MADURO REGIME TO TAKE BACK TREN DE ARAGUA GANG MEMBERS

It’s been reported that at least nine Americans have been held by Venezuela where Maduro’s officials have accused most of them of being involved in terrorism or acting as "mercenaries."

On a call earlier on Friday with reporters, Mauricio Claver-Carone, the U.S. special envoy on Latin America, said that "American hostages need to be released immediately, unequivocally."

This is a developing story please check back for updates. 

Dutch authorities on Wednesday arrested three suspects after the theft of a priceless ancient golden helmet that is considered a cultural icon of Romania and had been on display in a small museum in the Netherlands. There was no sign that the intricate helmet dating back some 2,500 years had been recovered.

The theft of the helmet and three golden wristbands also on display sent shockwaves through the art world, and devastated Romanian authorities who thought they were loaning the items to a nation where security for museums was paramount.

DUTCH KING SWEARS IN A NEW GOVERNMENT 7 MONTHS AFTER ELECTIONS

Dutch police said in a statement that the suspects were being interrogated and "more arrests are not excluded." They did not elaborate.

It gave a glimmer of hope to the Drents Museum, which has come under criticism, especially from Romania, for not applying sufficient security.

"We are awaiting further developments with bated breath. The recovery without damage would be, for all, a fantastic next step. Not only for us, but also for the Romanian population," the museum said in a statement.

The Cotofenesti helmet is one Romania’s most revered national treasures from the Dacia civilization. It was on display on the final weekend of a six-month stint when it was stolen.

Romanian President Klaus Iohannis called the artifacts of "exceptional cultural and historical importance" for Romanian heritage and identity, and that their disappearance had "a strong emotional and symbolic impact on society."

It was a heist that "even in our most pessimistic dreams, we would not have believed possible," said the director of Romania’s National History Museum, Ernest Oberlander-Tarnoveanu.

The helmet’s fame and dramatic studded appearance mean it could never easily be sold, raising fears the thieves were after the gold itself. But melting it would reduce the treasure's cultural and historical value. Gold stands at about 85,000 euros ($89,000) per kilo, and the helmet is estimated to weigh slightly less than that.

Mass protests have rocked Serbia for months as protesters demand justice and accountability after the deaths of 15 people in the collapse of a railway station.

Tens of thousands of college students have been marching for nearly three months demanding those responsible for the calamity be held accountable and prosecuted accordingly. The canopy at the railway station collapsed Nov. 1 after renovations led by two Chinese companies. 

A general strike was called last week, with many calling off work as people blocked major streets in Belgrade and occupied university campuses in solidarity with the young protesters. 

"I’ve worked in the Balkans for 30 years, and I’ve never seen anything like this," Tanya Domi, professor at Columbia University’s Harriman Institute, told Fox News Digital.

KOSOVO ACCUSES SERBIA OF 'TERRORIST ATTACK' RESEMBLING RUSSIAN ACTIONS IN UKRAINE

With protests showing no signs of dissipating, Serbian Prime Minister Milos Vucevic announced his resignation, and the mayor of Novi Sad, the city where the tragedy occurred, also stepped down.

"The protests already took down two scalps, and I think more are to come," Domi said.

The prime minister’s resignation made him the highest regime official to step down, but it hasn’t quelled the uprising. Mass protests continued to break out in Belgrade and across the country.

"The resignation of the prime minister is simply not enough," Helena Ivanov, senior fellow at the Henry Jackson Institute, told Fox News Digital. 

Ivanov said the student-led protesters have clearly defined objectives, including full transparency about the process that led to the collapse and holding those responsible accountable for the loss of life.

The government has thus far been unclear and tried to evade scrutiny by downplaying the government’s culpability. At first, the government tried to ignore the protests, then began to use force and accused the protests of being infiltrated by foreign agitators. Some observers complain the Vucic government’s failure to act and provide clear answers to the public is endemic of Serbia’s core institutional corruption.

ZELENSKYY WARNS RUSSIA WANTS TO CAUSE 'EXPLOSION' IN THE BALKANS

"For protesters, the Novi Sad railway station canopy collapse cannot be treated as an incident and isolated event, but rather a symptom of more widespread negligence and systemic corruption that precipitated into this tragedy," Sinisa Vukovic, director of the global policy program at Johns Hopkins University, told Fox News Digital.

The unprecedented resignation of the prime minister leaves the government in flux. The country will either see a new prime minister and government formed within 30 days or face snap elections. However, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic addressed the nation and said he will decide in the next 10 days whether Serbia faces a snap election.

"This is a legitimate challenge to Vucic’s rule and the biggest challenge the president and his party have faced in the 13 years of their rule," Ivanov added. 

Serbia’s Foreign Minister, Marko Djuric, told Fox News Digital Serbia's commitment to stability, reform and continued growth remains unchanged. The foreign minister said, "We are listening, we are learning and we are determined to ensure that Serbia moves forward on its path of economic and democratic development."

The protests are the most difficult to deal with from the perspective of the government and the president, Ivanov noted. The students have distanced themselves from the opposition party, which does not have broad support from the public and is generally considered weak and ineffective. 

SERBIA, CAUGHT BETWEEN EUROPE AND RUSSIA, COULD MOVE ONE STEP CLOSER TO NORMALIZING RELATIONS WITH KOSOVO

Students across the country are saying this is their fight, not the unpopular political opposition, leading to a greater show of force among the population. 

"After 13 years of one individual dominating Serbian politics and 13 years of very important governmental institutions failing to do their job, the key message of these protests is that we expect these institutions to do their job well," Ivanov said.

Security forces began suppressing the protests, which further exacerbated tensions and motivated more people to join the protests.

Ivana Stradner, research fellow at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, told Fox News Digital the Trump administration should not fall for Serbian President Vucic’s usual tricks of trying to balance between the U.S. and its adversaries. 

"Vucic has allowed China’s weapons and investments to thrive in Serbia. Serbia’s close ties to Iran and Russia are also undermining America’s interests. His domestic propaganda portrays the U.S. as an enemy. With friends like Vucic, Washington does not need enemies," Stradner warned.

FIRST ON FOX: A covert agency within Iran’s Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics (MODAFL) tasked with the development of Iran’s nuclear program has been found to be operating out of top sites used by Iran’s space program.

Iran has hidden elements of its nuclear development program under the guise of commercial enterprises, and it has been suspected of using its space program to develop technologies that could be applied to its nuclear weapons program. 

Fox News Digital has learned that according to information obtained by sources embedded in the Iranian regime, evidence collected over several months shows that Iran’s chief nuclear development agency, the Organization of Defensive Innovation and Research (SPDN), has been operating out two locations previously recognized as space development and launch sites.

IRAN HIDING MISSILE, DRONE PROGRAMS UNDER GUISE OF COMMERCIAL FRONT TO EVADE SANCTIONS

"These reports, compiled from dozens of sources and thoroughly validated, indicate that in recent months, SPND has intensified its efforts to construct nuclear warheads at both the Shahrud and Semnan sites," the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) said in a report exclusively obtained by Fox News Digital.

The information was obtained by individuals affiliated with the People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (MEK) and given to the NCRI, an Iranian opposition organization based out of D.C. and Paris. The NCRI's deputy director of its Washington D.C. office, Alireza Jafarzadeh, was the first to disclose to the world information about Iran’s covert nuclear program in 2002.

One of the sites, the Shahroud Space Center, which has been suspected of being used by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to develop intermediate-range ballistic missiles, is also now reported to have "large-scale" SPND personnel operating out of it – a move Jafarzadeh described as a "significant red flag."

The Shahroud Space Center caught global attention in 2022 when Iran announced it had developed the Ghaem-100 rocket – which could be used to send low-orbit satellites into space, but also as a ballistic missile with a range of nearly 1,400 miles, greater that what was previously achieved with the Qased rocket.

But according to sources familiar with activity at the Shahroud Space Center "SPND's experts are working on a nuclear warhead for the Ghaem100 solid-fuel missile with a range of more than 3,000 kilometers [more than 1,800 miles] and a mobile launch pad."

IRAN EXPANDS WEAPONIZATION CAPABILITIES CRITICAL FOR EMPLOYING NUCLEAR BOMB

The site is under high security and personnel are apparently prohibited from driving onto the complex. Instead, they are required to park at a checkpoint at the entrance to the site, before being transported inside the complex by the IRGC. 

"The Ghaem-100 missile, with a mobile launchpad that enhances its military capability, was produced by the IRGC Aerospace Force and copied from North Korean missiles," the NCRI report said. "The production of the Ghaem missile was designed from the very beginning to carry a nuclear warhead. The IRGC Brigadier General Hassan Tehrani Moghaddam, the father of the IRGC's missile program, personally pursued the project."

It is unclear what level of nuclear payload the Ghaem-100 missile would be capable of carrying at the range of 1,800 miles, though this is still shy of the roughly 3,400 miles needed to be classified as an intercontinental missile. 

The second site, located in the northern city of Semnan, the Imam Khomeini Spaceport – Iran’s first spaceport – made international headlines just last month when Tehran launched its heaviest-ever rocket into space carrying a payload of roughly 660 pounds, relying on a liquid propellant.

According to the NCRI report, Iran is using this technology to develop liquid-fuel propellants – like the Simorgh rocket with a range of more than 1,800 miles (used for launching heavier satellites into space – but with the capability of carrying nuclear warheads.

IRAN LAUNCHES ROCKET WITH HEAVIEST-EVER PAYLOAD INTO SPACE AMID HEIGHTENED CONCERN OVER NUCLEAR PROGRAM

Liquid fuel enables a missile to have greater propulsive thrust, power and control. Though it is heavier than solid fuel and requires more complex technologies. 

"Creating a Space Command of the IRGC’s Aerospace Force has served to camouflage the development of nuclear warheads under the guise of launching satellites while additionally giving the regime independent communications necessary for guiding the nuclear warheads," Jafarzadeh told Fox News Digital. 

The International Atomic Energy Agency earlier this month warned that Iran has developed some 440 pounds of near-weapons grade uranium that has been enriched to the 60% purity threshold – shy of the 90% purity levels needed to develop a nuclear bomb. 

Though only some 92 pounds of weapons-grade uranium is reportedly required to create one nuclear bomb, meaning Iran, if it further enriched its uranium, could possess enough material to develop five nuclear bombs.

But Jafarzadeh warned that the international community needs to be paying attention to Iran’s activities beyond enriching uranium. 

"It is naïve to only focus on calculating the amount or purity of enriched uranium without concentrating on the construction of the nuclear bomb or its delivery system," he said. "All are integral components of giving Iran’s mullahs an atomic bomb."

JOHANNESBURG- Fighting reportedly over minerals needed for electric cars and mobile phones has become the Trump administration’s first real foreign affairs test in Africa. 

Bodies lie rotting in the streets, and hospitals have been overwhelmed with casualties in Goma, a city of 2 million people in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). M23 rebels, backed, the United Nations and other sources say, by neighboring Rwanda, are said to have taken over the city. 

"The M23 appears to have taken control of a significant portion of the city following intense fighting with the Congolese army," The United Nation’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) stated Wednesday, adding, "Reports have emerged of looting of shops, offices, and warehouses belonging to humanitarian organizations, while heavy gunfire and explosions have been heard in various parts of the city." 

OCHA added "Local sources believe the civilian casualties are significant, although [an] assessment is yet to be conducted." Thirteen South African peacekeeping troops have been killed over the past week.

13 UN PEACEKEEPERS, ALLIED SOLDIERS DEAD IN CONGO AS M23 REBELS MAKE GAINS IN KEY CITY

Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Sen. Jim Risch, R-Idaho., recently stated in part that, "The M23 must immediately stop their advance on Goma, and all parties must cease hostilities, restore unhindered humanitarian access, and honor their commitments."

In the DRC’s capital, 10 foreign embassies, including the U.S. mission, have been attacked. Some, including the French Embassy, have been set on fire.

"The M23 or March 23 Movement is a Tutsi-led and eastern-DRC based insurgent movement born around 2012", Frans Cronje, adviser at the U.S. Yorktown Foundation for Freedom, told Fox News Digital. He added "The ensuing conflict has been sustained for more than 3 decades, in large part as a consequence of the extraordinary mineral wealth of the DRC."

Cronje, who also advises corporations and government departments on economic and political trajectory, continued. "According to a United Nations report, M23 has raised significant sums from 'taxing' minerals mined in areas under its control - a practice common to armed groups operating in the DRC."

This is borne out by a 160-page report commissioned by the U.N. Security Council from their "Group of Experts on the Democratic Republic of the Congo", and presented to the council late last year.

The report states M23 and Rwanda Defence Force operatives in the DRC captured "the Rubaya mining sites – one of the world’s largest sources of coltan – a mineral used in EV batteries - on 30 April 2024." 

The U.N. report says the M23 joined up with another rebel group, the AFC (the Congo River Alliance), "and levied taxes and in-kind payments on the sale and transport of minerals. The tax on a kilogram of coltan and manganese was $7, while the tax on tin (cassiterite) was $4 per kilogram. AFC/M23 thus collected at least $800,000 monthly from the taxation of coltan production and trade in Rubaya."

Cronje pointed out this week that there are other precious metals M23 has its eyes on too. "The DRC accounts for between 70-80% of the world’s Cobalt production. Cobalt’s importance is such that the U.S. Department of Energy has listed it as one of seven minerals essential to U.S. economic competitiveness, while the Department of Defense identified cobalt as having ‘critical’ applications. Alongside that, the DRC is the third-largest producer of copper in the world, accounting for about 11% of global production."

President Donald Trump spoke about the fighting on Thursday. "It is a very serious problem. I agree, but I don't think it's appropriate right now to talk about it," when asked about it during a briefing on the deadly airline crash in Washington, D.C., on Thursday afternoon. 

BIDEN ADMIN'S DRIVE FOR GREEN ENERGY LEADS TO ACCUSATIONS OF FORCED CHILD LABOR MINING FOR EV BATTERY METALS

However, the State Department is speaking on the issue, calling for a ceasefire. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Rwandan President Paul Kagame, "the United States is deeply troubled by [the] escalation of the ongoing conflict in eastern DRC, particularly the fall of Goma to the Rwandan backed M23 armed group," spokesperson Tammy Bruce stated, adding "the secretary urged an immediate ceasefire in the region and for all parties to respect sovereign territorial integrity," adding that the overriding goal of the United States is a durable peace that addresses security concerns and lays the foundation for a thriving regional economy." 

Kagame responded on X, posting that his conversation with Rubio was "productive." He said it covered "the need to ensure a ceasefire in (the) Eastern DRC, and address the root causes of the conflict once and for all."

Kagame added, "I look forward to working with the Trump Administration to create the prosperity and security that the people of our region deserve."

"The M23 conflict is indeed about minerals, but more so Rwandan ambition to control and administer much of Congo's North Kivu", Bill Roggio, editor of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies’ Long War Journal, told Fox News Digital. "Rwanda would like to control not only the minerals, but also the entire trade in the region, and flex its muscles as a new regional powerhouse in central and East Africa. Rwanda also claims it is about border security, but really it’s more about its own geopolitical ambitions in the region."

Roggio continued, saying that it "is somewhat related to the Biden administration's inability to bring both Congo and Rwanda to the table and negotiate real settlements, either through the Luanda Process or the earlier Nairobi Process." He added "especially it is a failure to put enough pressure on Rwanda to pull back its support for M23, as the Obama administration had accomplished in 2012 when M23 previously captured Goma, but were forced to withdraw after the U.S. pressured Rwanda."

For the new administration, there is a chance here to make positive steps towards a positive legacy in Africa. Michael Rubin told Fox News Digital, "For Trump and Rubio, they have the opportunity to do something different that could fix the problem permanently." 

Rubin is a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, and in 2024 embedded for several weeks with the M23 rebels. 

INCOMING TRUMP ADMIN, CONGRESS SHOWDOWN LOOMS WITH SOUTH AFRICA OVER SUPPORT FOR RUSSIA, US FOES

Rubin continued, "What we’ve had for too long is that old definition of insanity: doing the same thing repeatedly, but expecting different results. There’s been two Congo wars, and if we try to apply the same band-aid to a sucking chest wound this time, there will be a third."

The blame should rest not on Rwanda, Rubin believes, but on the DRC. "The narrative that the DRC is the victim and Rwanda and Uganda aggressors is tired. The problem is Kinshasa. If Tshisekedi (Felix Tshisekedi, DRC President) can stop armed groups in the south, he can do so in the east as well. He turned to ethnic incitement to distract from incompetent government; that never ends well."

Rubin added that "the arguments about Rwanda looting the region are not valid. Businessmen in North Kivu, are blunt: Rwanda and Uganda charge less in customs duties than Kinshasa extracts in taxes. Kinshasa cries wolf because Kigali outcompetes them. If Kinshasa wanted businessmen to turn to them, try lowering taxes and building plants to turn raw materials into something with higher sale value."

China and Russia stand on the sidelines, waiting to choose who they dance with to get the DRC’s minerals. China has spoken out against the M23. It threatens their mining interests in the country. Additionally, soldiers from Russia’s Africa Corps, the former Wagner Group's private army of mercenaries, have been seen in Goma, propping up the DRC’s soldiers against the M23. 

Cronje told Fox News Digital Russia and China are poised to potentially support the winner, saying "the geostrategic importance of the region is such that all global powers have an interest in influencing the balance of power in eastern DRC either directly or indirectly."

American-Israeli Keith Siegel is set to be released on Saturday as part of Israel and Hamas' ceasefire deal. He is the first of the American citizens taken on Oct. 7, 2023 to be released by the terror organization as part of this ceasefire deal.

Siegel and his wife, Aviva, were taken captive during Hamas' brutal surprise attacks on Oct. 7, 2023. In November 2023, Aviva was released from Hamas captivity as part of a ceasefire and hostage deal early in the war.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

An Iraqi man who carried out several Quran burnings in Sweden has been killed in a shooting near Stockholm, authorities said Thursday.

Salwan Momika, 38, staged several burnings and desecrations of Islam's holy book in Sweden in 2023. Videos of the Quran burnings got worldwide publicity and raised anger and criticism in several Muslim nations, leading to riots and unrest in many places.

THOUSANDS OF PROTESTERS RALLY ACROSS IRAQ FOR A 2ND DAY TO CONDEMN THE BURNING OF A QURAN IN SWEDEN

The Stockholm District Court said a verdict scheduled Thursday in a trial in which Momika was a defendant was postponed because one of the defendants had died. A judge at the court, Göran Lundahl, confirmed that the deceased was Momika. He said he didn't have any information on when or how Momika died.

Police said they were alerted to a shooting Wednesday night at an apartment building in Sodertalje, near Stockholm, and found a man with gunshot wounds who later died.

Broadcaster SVT reported that the victim was Momika.

Prosecutors said five people were arrested overnight on suspicion of murder. They said all were adults but gave no further details.

Prosecutor Rasmus Öman said the investigation is still in its early stages and that the suspects and others still have to be questioned.

Momika came to Sweden from Iraq in 2018 and was granted a three-year residence permit in 2021, according to SVT.

Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said Sweden's security service was involved because "there is obviously a risk that there is a connection to a foreign power," Swedish news agency TT reported.

Momika argued that his protests targeted the religion of Islam, not Muslim people. He said he wanted to protect Sweden’s population from the messages of the Quran. Swedish police allowed his demonstrations, citing freedom of speech, while filing charges against him.

Last March, he was arrested in neighboring Norway after stating that he would seek asylum there, and was sent back to Sweden, TT reported.

Momika and a co-defendant were charged in August with incitement to hatred because of statements they made in connection with the Quran burnings. A verdict was supposed to be handed down on Thursday morning.

Authorities in the eastern Caribbean nation of St. Kitts and Nevis said Thursday they are investigating the circumstances that led to the discovery of at least 19 bodies found drifting at sea.

CRUISE SHIP PASSENGERS FROM ACROSS US SUE AFTER WORKER SENTENCED FOR PLACING HIDDEN CAMERAS IN GUEST ROOMS

At around 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday the St. Kitts and Nevis Coast Guard responded to a report of a drifting vessel off the coast of Nevis. The partially submerged boat contained decomposed human remains. It was towed to St. Kitts, where police and medical officials are conducting investigations.

"It was a fishing vessel, which is not typically found in the Caribbean," Police Commissioner James Sutton told The Associated Press. "We are not certain, but we believe that this vessel originated off the West African coast."

Sutton said officials now face the difficult task of determining the exact number of bodies and identifying them. The advanced state of decomposition, he said, has made it difficult.

This is the first such discovery in recent memory in the twin-island nation.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dropped the hammer in response to what he described as "shocking scenes" when terrorists released hostages on Thursday.

Terrorists released Israeli and Thai hostages on Thursday, but Israeli President Isaac Herzog noted in a post on X that "the scenes of abuse and terror towards the hostages as they were transferred to the Red Cross were horrifying …"

Netanyahu responded by ordering a delay in the planned release of terrorists, demanding assurance regarding the release of hostages, but the prime minister's office later indicated that the demand had been satisfied.

THIRD ROUND OF HOSTAGE RELEASES BEGINS AS PART OF HAMAS' GAZA CEASEFIRE AGREEMENT WITH ISRAEL

"Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, together with Defense Minister Israel Katz, has ordered that the release of the terrorists slated to be released today be delayed until the safe exit of our hostages in the next phases is assured. Israel demands that the mediators see to this," the office noted on X.

But it later seemed to indicate that the issue had been resolved, stating, "Pursuant to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's demand, the mediators have conveyed a commitment, according to which the safe exit of our hostages who are due to be released in the next phases has been assured." It added, "Israel insists that the lessons be learned and that strict care be taken in the next phases regarding the safe return of our hostages."

Netanyahu had indicated there were "shocking scenes" when the hostages were released.

ISRAEL ORDERS UNRWA TO CEASE OPERATIONS IN COUNTRY OVER TERROR TIES: ‘MISERABLY FAILED IN ITS MANDATE’

"I view with utmost severity the shocking scenes during the release of our hostages. This is additional proof of the inconceivable brutality of the Hamas terrorist organization," Netanyahu noted, according to the prime minister's office. "I demand that the mediators make certain that such terrible scenes do not recur, and guarantee the safety of our hostages. Whoever dares to harm our hostages will pay the price."

Terrorists perpetrated a heinous attack against Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, slaughtering, kidnapping, and raping victims.

Israel responded by launching a war effort to wipe out Hamas. 

FOX NEWS ‘ANTISEMITISM EXPOSED’ NEWSLETTER: TRUMP MOVES TO DEPORT HAMAS-SYMPATHIZING STUDENTS

The release of hostages on Thursday came amid a ceasefire agreement.

After 482 days in Hamas captivity, Agam Berger, one of the IDF soldiers kidnapped from an observation base during the Oct. 7 attacks, was reunited with her family in Israel. Berger was the last of the soldiers kidnapped from Nahal Oz base to remain in Hamas captivity.

In a video released by the IDF, Berger’s parents were seen rejoicing as they watched their daughter being greeted by Israeli forces prior to their own reunion with her.

Berger’s emotional reunion with her parents was also captured on video and released by the IDF.

"We’re here, and we will not leave you ever again," Berger’s mother said, hugging her daughter. "It’s a mother’s promise."

THIRD ROUND OF HOSTAGE RELEASES BEGINS AS PART OF HAMAS' GAZA CEASEFIRE AGREEMENT WITH ISRAEL

Upon her return, Berger’s family celebrated the return of their "strong, faithful and brave" daughter, saying that they "can begin the healing process, but the recovery will not be complete until all the hostages return home."

The soldiers who were kidnapped alongside Berger, Liri Albag, Naama Levy, Daniela Gilboa and Karina Ariev watched from Rabin Medical Center as Berger was released. The five of them were taken hostage together, and Hamas released the other four were released last Saturday as part of Israel and Hamas’ ceasefire deal.

Berger was one of seven hostages released on Thursday, including Arbel Yehoud, Gadi Moses, Thenna Pongsak, Sathian Suwannakham, Sriaoun Watchara, Seathao Bannawat, and Rumnao Surasak.

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum celebrated their release in a statement, saying it brought "hope" and showed "the triumph of the human spirit," while noting that "there are still 82 hostages held in Gaza that need to be saved." The organization also thanked President Donald Trump, saying his "instrumental efforts made this deal possible."

Additionally, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum also expressed concern over the "harrowing images" of the hostages’ transfers to the Red Cross.

"After 482 days of unimaginable terror and suffering, these individuals—who have already endured the unthinkable—must not be subjected to further danger," the statement read. "This process, marked by cruelty and disregard for human dignity, must be unequivocally condemned. In these critical moments, every effort must be made to ensure their protection and immediate reunification with their loved ones."

STATE DEPT PULLS MILLIONS IN FUNDING FOR ‘CONDOMS IN GAZA,’ AS TRUMP ADMIN LOOKS TO TRIM SPENDING

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also issued a statement about the "shocking scenes during the release of the hostages."

"I see with great severity the shocking scenes during the release of our hostages," Netanyahu said in a statement. "This is another proof of the unimaginable cruelty of the terrorist organization Hamas. I demand from the mediators to make sure that such threats will not happen again, and to guarantee the safety of our hostages. Whoever dares to harm our hostages - blood on his head."

Hostages released in the latest ceasefire deal have been seen surrounded by terrorists and large crowds as they make their way to the Red Cross to be taken back home to Israel.

After the videos and images of the chaotic scenes became public, Netanyahu demanded that hostages be guaranteed a safe exit in the future and delayed the release of Palestinian prisoners until his demand was met. Mediators eventually made a commitment to ensure the safe transfer of hostages in future releases.

On Monday, Israel began allowing Palestinians to return to northern Gaza, the most heavily destroyed part of the territory, and hundreds of thousands streamed back. Many found only mounds of rubble where their homes had been.

In the first phase of the ceasefire, Hamas is set to release a total of 33 Israeli hostages, including women, children, older adults and sick or wounded men, in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. Israel says Hamas has confirmed that eight of the hostages to be released in this phase are dead.

The Israeli government has ordered the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) to cease its operations in the country, effective today, Jan. 30, 2025. This decision follows years of mounting accusations against the agency, including claims of involvement with the terrorist group Hamas. 

The move marks the culmination of a long-standing effort by Israel to distance itself from the organization, which it accuses of undermining its national security.

The Israeli legislation, passed in October 2024, explicitly bans UNRWA from operating within Israel’s sovereign territory. The law also prohibits any communication or collaboration between Israeli officials and UNRWA representatives. Under the new rules, all UNRWA facilities in Jerusalem, including those in Maalot Dafna and Kafr Aqab, must be evacuated. The legislation also addresses accusations that UNRWA has allowed Hamas to infiltrate its ranks.

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

Israeli U.N. Ambassador Danny Danon defended the decision at the U.N. on Tuesday, stating, "It is intolerable for any sovereign state to facilitate the operations of an agency that threatens its national security."

Danon said that the move was not politically motivated but was instead driven by years of alleged failures by UNRWA, including claims of complicity in terrorism. "This decision reflects the reality that UNRWA has miserably failed in its mandate, and it has failed the people who were supposed to benefit from its services," Danon asserted.

UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini has vehemently opposed Israel’s actions, calling the ban "disastrous." 

Addressing the U.N. Security Council on Tuesday, Lazzarini claimed that the full implementation of the Israeli legislation would cripple humanitarian efforts in Gaza and the West Bank. "Since October 2023, we have delivered two-thirds of all food assistance, provided shelter to over a million displaced persons, and vaccinated a quarter of a million children against polio," Lazzarini said. "We conduct around 17,000 medical consultations every day."

"Nine days ago, the long-awaited ceasefire in Gaza began," Lazzarini continued. "We are heartened by the return of Israeli hostages and imprisoned Palestinians to their families. We are encouraged by marked improvements in the flow of humanitarian aid and operating conditions. We hope that the ceasefire will hold and that the tremendous suffering in Gaza will subside. UNRWA is the largest UN presence in Gaza, with 13,000 personnel and 300 premises. The relentless assault on UNRWA is harming the lives and future of Palestinians," Lazzarini warned.

ISRAELI PARLIAMENT BANS UNRWA OVER TERRORISM TIES, FACES INTERNATIONAL BACKLASH

The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated on Wednesday, "Humanitarian aid doesn’t equal UNRWA, and UNRWA doesn’t equal humanitarian aid. UNRWA equals an organization infested with Hamas terror activity. This is why, beginning today, Israel will have no contact with UNRWA. Israel remains committed to facilitating humanitarian aid to Gaza in accordance with international law and the framework for the hostage release. In fact, Israel is facilitating the entry of even more humanitarian aid trucks into Gaza than agreed in the hostage release framework. There are multiple alternative organizations to UNRWA—including U.N. agencies, international NGOs, and foreign countries—that are already operating to facilitate humanitarian aid in Gaza, and their role will only increase."

Israeli Member of Parliament Yulia Malinovsky, one of the authors of the legislation, expressed her support for the decision. 

"I watched the hypocrisy of many countries in the U.N. Security Council this week. Their representatives spoke about how UNRWA is an indispensable part of Gaza's reconstruction and how it cannot operate without it. Well, no, UNRWA only brings suffering to the people of Gaza, and just like Hamas, it has brought destruction to Gaza," she told Fox News Digital. 

"This organization is a terrorist organization that has killed, raped, and kidnapped innocent civilians," she said, referring to accusations that UNRWA employees participated in the Oct. 7 massacre, and held hostages in their homes.

The move follows the Trump administration’s decision to look into halting some foreign aid to various groups. Congress paused funding to UNRWA last year following allegations that UNRWA employees were involved in the Oct 7. massacre.  

The U.N. and international community now face the challenge of filling the void left by the agency’s departure, while Israel has made it clear that it will not back down in its fight against what it perceives as terrorism masquerading as aid but made clear it would be willing to work with other U.N. agencies.

Danon reiterated on Tuesday that, "Israel remains committed to its obligations under international law and we reaffirm our readiness to cooperate with other U.N. agencies that are not tainted by terror."

Malinovsky, stated that international pressure to reverse Israel’s decision was unnecessary. "We are an independent and sovereign state, and we will not compromise on our national defense and interests. Today, UNRWA will end its operations in Israel, and all direct or indirect contact with it will cease."

Hamas began a third round of freeing hostages in Gaza Thursday as part of an ongoing ceasefire agreement with Israel. 

Hamas handed female Israeli soldier Agam Berger, 20, to the Red Cross at a ceremony in the heavily destroyed urban refugee camp of Jabaliya in northern Gaza. She was later transferred to the Israel Defense Forces. 

"The Government of Israel embraces IDF soldier Agam Berger," read a post on the official X account of the Israeli Prime Minister's Office. "Her family has been updated by the responsible authorities that she is with our forces. The Government, together with all of the security officials, will accompany her and her family." 

FORMER HAMAS HOSTAGE DETAILS HORRORS OF CAPTIVITY, CREDITS KIDNAPPED IDF SOLDIER WITH SAVING HER LIFE

"Thank God we have reached this moment, and our hero Agam has returned to us after 482 days in enemy hands. Our daughter is strong, faithful, and brave," Berger's family said in a statement. "We want to thank the security forces and all the people of Israel for their support and prayers. "Now Agam and our family can begin the healing process, but the recovery will not be complete until all the hostages return home." 

Another ceremony was planned in the southern city of Khan Younis, in front of the destroyed home of slain Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar. Both were attended by hundreds of people, including masked militants and onlookers.

YARDEN GONEN: THANK YOU, PRESIDENT TRUMP, FOR RESCUING MY SISTER FROM HAMAS

Hamas has agreed to handover three Israelis and five Thai captives on Thursday. In exchange, Israel was expected to release 110 Palestinian prisoners. 

The truce is aimed at winding down the deadliest and most destructive war ever fought between Israel and Hamas, whose Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel sparked the fighting. It has held despite a dispute earlier this week over the sequence in which the hostages were released.

In Israel, people cheered, clapped and whistled at a square in Tel Aviv where supporters of the hostages watched Berger's handover on big screens next to a large clock that's counted the days the hostages have been in captivity. Some held signs saying: "Agam we're waiting for you at home."

Berger was among five young, female soldiers abducted in the Oct. 7 attack. The other four were released on Saturday. The other two Israelis set to be released Thursday are Arbel Yehoud, 29, and Gadi Moses, an 80-year-old man.

FORMER HAMAS HOSTAGE NAAMA LEVY BREAKS SILENCE IN FIRST MESSAGE SINCE HER RELEASE

There was no official confirmation of the identities of the Thai nationals who will be released.

A number of foreign workers were taken captive along with dozens of Israeli civilians and soldiers during Hamas' attack. Twenty-three Thais were among more than 100 hostages released during a weeklong ceasefire in November 2023. Israel says eight Thais remain in captivity, two of whom are believed to be dead.

STATE DEPT PULLS MILLIONS IN FUNDING FOR ‘CONDOMS IN GAZA,’ AS TRUMP ADMIN LOOKS TO TRIM SPENDING

Of the people set to be released from prisons in Israel, 30 are serving life sentences after being convicted of deadly attacks against Israelis. Zakaria Zubeidi, a prominent former militant leader and theater director who took part in a dramatic jailbreak in 2021 before being rearrested days later, is also among those set to be released.

Israel said Yehoud was supposed to have been freed Saturday and delayed the opening of crossings to northern Gaza when she was not.

The United States, Egypt and Qatar, which brokered the ceasefire after a year of tough negotiations, resolved the dispute with an agreement that Yehoud would be released Thursday. Another three hostages, all men, are set to be freed Saturday along with dozens more Palestinian prisoners.

On Monday, Israel began allowing Palestinians to return to northern Gaza, the most heavily destroyed part of the territory, and hundreds of thousands streamed back. Many found only mounds of rubble where their homes had been.

WASHINGTON POST CITES PRO-PALESTINIAN GROUP US GOVERNMENT DECLARED A ‘SHAM CHARITY’ FOR TERRORIST ORGANIZATION

In the first phase of the ceasefire, Hamas is set to release a total of 33 Israeli hostages, including women, children, older adults and sick or wounded men, in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. Israel says Hamas has confirmed that eight of the hostages to be released in this phase are dead.

Palestinians have cheered the release of the prisoners, who they widely see as heroes who have sacrificed for the cause of ending Israel's decades-long occupation of lands they want for a future state.

Israeli forces have meanwhile pulled back from most of Gaza, allowing hundreds of thousands of people to return to what remains of their homes and humanitarian groups to surge assistance.

The deal calls for Israel and Hamas to negotiate a second phase in which Hamas would release the remaining hostages and the ceasefire would continue indefinitely. The war could resume in early March if an agreement is not reached.

Israel says it is still committed to destroying Hamas, even after the militant group reasserted its rule over Gaza within hours of the truce. Hamas says it won't release the remaining hostages without an end to the war and a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.

Israel's ensuing air and ground war after Oct. 7, 2023 has been among the deadliest and most destructive in decades. More than 47,000 Palestinians have been killed, over half of them women and children, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which does not say how many of the dead were militants.

The Israeli military says it killed over 17,000 fighters, without providing evidence, and that it went to great lengths to try to spare civilians. It blames civilian deaths on Hamas because its fighters operate in dense residential neighborhoods and put military infrastructure near homes, schools and mosques.

The Israeli offensive has transformed entire neighborhoods into mounds of gray rubble, and it's unclear how or when anything will be rebuilt. Around 90% of Gaza's population has been displaced, often multiple times, with hundreds of thousands of people living in squalid tent camps or shuttered schools.

A British woman is accused of disguising herself to pose as at least 14 people while taking citizenship tests in the United Kingdom.

The unnamed 61-year-old woman used an array of wigs and disguises to impersonate male and female applicants, the U.K. Home Office said. 

"These fraudsters lead to people wrongly being granted the right to remain, putting the public at risk," the agency said on social media. 

ELON MUSK DEMANDS UK ACT ON GROOMING GANG SCANDAL AMID GROWING CALLS FOR PROBE

During her arrest, Immigration Enforcement officers seized several false documents and the wigs, which were believed to have been used in the scheme.

She is believed to have carried out the scheme at multiple test centers across the United Kingdom between June 2022 and August 2023, authorities said.

BRITAIN HIT BY ANOTHER ASIAN GROOMING GANG SCANDAL AS REPORT EXPOSES CHILD SEX ABUSE IN MANCHESTER

Immigration enforcement criminal and financial investigation inspector Phillip Parr said a "complex investigation" had "put a stop to this dangerous scheme," Sky News reported. 

"This individual is believed to have orchestrated a pre-meditated plan to avoid detection, meticulously selecting disguises and test center locations across the country to evade the authorities," he told the outlet. 

The Life in the UK Test, a requirement for anyone seeking to obtain indefinite leave to remain or to become a British citizen, consists of 24 questions aimed at proving the applicant has sufficient knowledge of British values, history and society, the BBC reported.

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.