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Showing posts from July, 2022

NATO says it's prepared to intervene in Kosovo if ‘stability is jeopardized’

NATO-led forces are prepared to intervene in northern Kosovo if stability in the region is jeopardized. NATO said in a statement Sunday that tensions are on the rise in the northern municipalities of Kosovo and that Kosovo Force Pristina (KFOR) was monitoring the situation closely. KFOR, the NATO-led peacekeeping force, was established in 1999 with the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 1244, which came in response to the worsening humanitarian crisis . Tensions are again on the rise amid a new government regulation that will compel people entering Kosovo with Serbian IDs to replace them with a temporary document during their stay there. UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT DECLARES MANDATORY EVACUATION OF DONETSK REGION On Sunday, ethnic Serbs in northern Kosovo — a partially recognized state bordered by Serbia in the Balkans — blocked two key border crossings with Serbia to protest the new rule. NATO said KFOR was monitoring the situation closely "and is prepared to intervene if...

Ukrainian agriculture tycoon killed by Russian shelling, Zelenskyy says

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Russian forces launched dozens of missiles and rockets at the southern city of Mykolaiv over the weekend, killing agriculture tycoon Oleksiy Vadaturskyi.  Vadaturskyi owns Nibulon, which exported more than 5.6 million tons of wheat, barley, corn, and other agriculture products to 38 countries last year.  His wife, Raisa, also died in the shelling , Zelenskyy said.  "It is exactly such people, such companies, our Ukrainian south that have guaranteed the world's food security. It has always been so. And it will be so again," Zelenskyy said on Sunday.  "The Russian terrorists should not even hope that they will be able to destroy the social and industrial potential of Ukraine and walk through the ruins."  RUSSIA CLAIMS 40 UKRAINIAN POWS KILLED IN STRIKE WITH US HIMARS, UKRAINE DECRIES 'BRUTAL EXECUTION' Nibulon confirmed Vadaturskyi's death on Saturday, saying that the businessman stayed in his n...

Thousands want Boris Johnson to stay in power, but party establishment not going to bite

Boris Johnson has no real opportunities left to salvage his premiership despite an apparent effort to get his name back in the mix for party leadership, a politics expert told Fox News Digital.  "You can’t ever bet against Boris Johnson, but he’s run out of road on this particular episode of his career," Alan Mendoza, co-founder and executive director of The Henry Jackson Society, said. "He may well attempt to plot a return to high office in a maneuver familiar to Australian party leaders, but it will be from the back benches." Johnson’s roughly  three-year tenure as prime minister ended  following the resignation of dozens of ministers who deemed his position "untenable."  Conservative ministers  declared that they had lost confidence  in the prime minister after news emerged he had elevated Chris Pincher to the powerful role of deputy chief whip despite allegations of sexual misconduct. THATCHER'S LEGACY LOOMS LARGE IN RACE TO REPLACE BORIS JOHNS...

Vladimir Putin targets US in new Russian navy doctrine, warns of using hypersonic weapons

Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a new naval doctrine that targets the U.S. as Russia's top global adversary. Putin signed the 55-page during an appearance in St. Petersburg to mark Russia's Navy Day. The Russian leader delivered a speech announcing Russia's plans to become a great maritime power, saying resisting the U.S. is a top goal. "The strategic policy of the USA to dominate the world's oceans" threatens Russia, Putin said. Putin's speech made no mention of his ongoing invasion of Ukraine, however. RUSSIA CLAIMS TO HIT UKRAINE WITH HYPERSONIC MISSILE, EXPERT WARNS IT IS PART OF PUTIN'S ‘STRATEGIC PLAN’ RUSSIA CLAIMS IT USED HYPERSONIC MISSILE TO STRIKE UKRAINE MUNITIONS WAREHOUSE Putin went on to claim that a number of warships will soon be equipped with hypersonic weapons. "The key thing here is the capability of the Russian navy," Putin said. "It is able to respond with lightning speed to all who decides to infri...

Ukrainian president declares mandatory evacuation of Donetsk region

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced Saturday a mandatory evacuation for residents of the country's eastern Donetsk region amid intense fighting in the ongoing war with Russia. The president said, "The more people leave [the] Donetsk region now, the fewer people the Russian army will have time to kill." He noted that those who do leave would be compensated. Zelenskyy also said in his address that the hundreds of thousands of people still occupying combat zones in the larger Donbas region should leave as well. Donbas includes the Donetsk and Luhansk regions. "Many refuse to leave, but it still needs to be done," he said. "If you have the opportunity, please talk to those who still remain in the combat zones in Donbas. Please convince them that it is necessary to leave." RUSSIAN SPIES ‘EVERYWHERE’ IN UKRAINE According to Ukrainian media, Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said the evacuation had to take place prior to the start of ...

Hong Kong authorities to investigate after massive screen falls during concert, injures dancers

Hong Kong officials said Friday they would open an investigation into a concert accident where a giant LED video screen fell down onto the stage and injured two dancers. Video clips from the Cantopop group Mirror concert Thursday night show a massive LED screen suspended above the stage crashing down, directly landing on one dancer before toppling over onto another as audience members scream in horror. The injured performers were immediately sent to the Queen Elizabeth hospital. "One of the injured is staying in the intensive care unit in serious condition and underwent an operation [Friday]. Accompanied by his family, the other injured person in stable condition was discharged this afternoon," the Hospital Authority said in a statement. Local media reported that Chang Tsz-fung, 29, was released from hospital , while Mo Lee Kai-yin, 27, remained in the hospital in serious condition. Kai-yin dislocated the third and fourth sections of his cervical vertebrae, leaving him ...

Iran state-aligned news outlet suggests military strike on resistance group on foreign soil

An Iranian resistance group has urged European leaders to stop engaging with the current regime as Tehran threatens military action against its rivals – even on foreign soil.  The Fars News Agency, which is affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) of Iran, published a July 27 article calling on the Islamic Republic to "put military action against the MKO headquarters in Albania on the agenda," claiming that the action would help to maintain "international peace and security."  Iran refers to the group as the "MKO." IRAQI PARLIAMENT IN BAGHDAD STORMED BY PROTESTERS The agency even referred to U.N. Charter Article 51, which ascribes the right to "individual or collective self-defense" of a member state.  Ali Safavi, a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee of Paris-based National Council of Resistance of Iran, denounced the Fars report and urged western allies to do more to oppose the current regime .  "The brazen t...

China announces live-fire naval exercises ahead of possible Pelosi Taiwan visit

The Chinese military announced it would be holding live-fire naval exercises Saturday in the Taiwan Strait ahead of a possible visit to Taiwan by U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi . Tensions are high in the region with a U.S. strike group heading to the South China Sea and Pelosi possibly en route to Taiwan during her tour of Asian allied countries like Japan and Malaysia. Pelosi could become the highest-ranking American elected official to visit Taiwan since 1997.  Chinese officials have exploded with anger at the proposition, saying that such a visit would violate the One China Policy and would constitute aiding an illegal rebellion. If Pelosi does attempt to visit Taiwan, one Chinese state media personality even suggested shooting down her plane. The Chinese exercises were to take place over a 13-hour period, according to state media. FORMER CHINESE STATE MEDIA EDITOR SUGGESTS NANCY PELOSI BE 'RESTRAINED,' 'PUNISHED' BY CCP FOR VISITING TAIWAN The People's R...

Iran government agents allegedly shoot over 1,000 dogs despite sterilization, vaccinations

Iranian government agents shot and buried over 1,000 dogs in an animal shelter, according to reports.  Government-affiliated agents allegedly raided the Gandak Dog Shelter and shot all the animals inside, which included dogs that had been spayed and vaccinated. The agents then used fire trucks to wash away blood from the scene.  Activists claimed that the road to the shelter remained closed the entire time, The Foreign Desk website reported. Some reports claim the number of dogs was as high as 1,700.  Multiple videos appeared online, showing the aftermath of the shooting. An activist also claimed that Iranian forces arrested several members of a group who attempted to intervene, and also locked the shelter's manager in a room while the shooting occurred.  BAHRAINI OFFICIAL: IRAN PROXIES ‘NOTHING NEW,’ NUCLEAR DEAL ‘CRITICAL’ TO COMBAT ‘COMMON THREAT’ One activist claimed that this is part of an annual cull by Iranian leadership, but did say that some dogs surv...

Chinese state media personality suggests shooting down Pelosi's plane in Taiwan

The former chief editor of the Chinese Communist Party's state tabloid, the Global Times, suggested the country shoot down U.S. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi for visiting Taiwan if her plane refuses to divert course. China's government has warned it will take "forceful measures" if Pelosi visits Taiwan after the Financial Times reported she would travel to the Chinese-claimed island nation next month.  Hu Xijin, former chief editor of the Global Times, called Pelosi's planned visit an "invasion," and suggested shooting down the speaker's plane if U.S. fighter jets escort it to Taiwan. "If US fighter jets escort Pelosi’s plane into Taiwan, it is invasion," Xijin wrote. CHINA ACCUSES WHITE HOUSE OF LYING ABOUT BIDEN BRINGING UP GENOCIDE, FORCED LABOR WITH XI "The PLA has the right to forcibly dispel Pelosi’s plane and the US fighter jets, including firing warning shots and making tactical movement of obstruction. If ineffectiv...

Spanish Prime Minister Sánchez suggests ditching necktie to save energy

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez is proposing Spaniards adopt a permanent, casual-Friday dress code in a bid to conserve energy. Sánchez donned an open-necked white shirt at a press conference on Friday to discuss the country’s annual performance.  "I'd like you to note that I am not wearing a tie. That means that we can all make savings from an energy point of view," the prime minister told reporters at the press conference. "So I have asked all ministers and public decision-makers [to follow suit]."  Sánchez also called on the private sector to ditch the necktie so "we will all be contributing to the energy savings that are so necessary in our country," but did not specify how the measure would curb utility use.   WASHINGTON POST OP-ED: "GERMANY HAS ONLY ITSELF TO BLAME' FOR DEPENDENCE ON RUSSIAN GAS With temperatures surpassing 104 degrees Fahrenheit in many parts of the country, Spaniards are relying on air conditioning.  On Th...

China once again threatens Pelosi trip, but Taiwanese don't anticipate war over potential visit

Taiwan is used to being threatened by China. Hardly a week goes by without a warning from a Chinese Communist Party (CCP) official that China will "smash to smithereens" any moves toward independence by the democratically-governed island of over 23 million. Local media reports indicate most in Taiwan appear unconcerned that a possible visit to the island by U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., could escalate into a war, and most doubt that Beijing will make good on the bellicose pledges should Pelosi follow through with what was termed a "tentative plan" to visit Taiwan during her tour through Asia. "We’ve lived with it for decades and — for me at least — I’m pretty numb to yet another warning from China," Lee Liang, a Taipei-based manager for a major international brand told Fox News Digital, adding that he’s not buying China's bluster.  Lee added, however, that he hasn’t paid all that much attention to the specific threats of military actio...

Killer whales hunt 9-foot great white shark in drone video

Incredible drone footage shared during the Discovery Channel's Shark Week shows the moment three killer whales in South Africa’s Mossel Bay hunt and kill a 9-foot-long great white shark.  The gory video, which was reportedly taken during "Shark Week" filming earlier this year, aired on Thursday in the special "Shark House."  The orca bites the shark around its liver, with a cloud of blood pooling out into the green-tinted water. Part of South Africa-based marine biologist Alison Towner's long-term work with great whites, the clip shares what she wrote on her Instagram is "one of the most incredible pieces of natural history ever captured on film." SHARK ATTACKS: EXPERT SHARES FACTS ABOUT THE OCEAN PREDATOR AMID UPTICK IN SIGHTINGS In an exclusive interview with The Daily Beast, the scientist said she had been studying the movement ecology of great white sharks for 15 years.  While Towner noted that Mossel Bay had noticed great whites disappe...

Russian space chief: No date yet for space station pullout

The head of Russia's space agency said Friday that the country has not set a date for pulling out of the International Space Station and that the timing would depend on the orbiting outpost's condition. Yuri Borisov, who was appointed this month to lead the Roscosmos state space corporation, told President Vladimir Putin this week that a decision was made for Russia to leave the station after 2024 and to focus on building its own orbiting station. NASA and its partners hope to continue operating the 24-year-old International Space Station until 2030, and the Russian announcement threw that plan into doubt. Speaking Friday in televised remarks, Borisov said Russia will start the process of leaving the station after 2024 but the exact timing would "depend on the International Space Station's condition." The space station, which has served as a symbol of post-Cold War international cooperation, is now one of the last remaining areas of cooperation between Russi...

China accuses White House of lying about Biden bringing up genocide, forced labor with Xi

China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs denied the White House's claim that President Biden addressed "genocide" and "forced labor" on a call with Chinese President Xi Jinping. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told the press Thursday that the president raised ethical concerns over forced labor and ethnic genocide in China.  The Chinese MFA denied the alleged conversation entirely, saying, "According to White House Press Secretary, ‘genocide' & 'forced labor’ came up in last night’s call between Chinese & US Presidents. That is disinformation." PELOSI TO DEPART ON ASIA TRIP AS WORLD WATCHES FOR POSSIBLE TAIWAN STOP A similar message was pushed separately in which the MFA called the alleged conversation "pure lies" and "false information." "Pure lies," MFA spokesperson Lijian Zhao said of the White House's claim. "White House spokesperson said the issues of genocide and forced la...

Graphic video of Russian soldier allegedly castrating Ukrainian POW sparks outrage

Graphic footage of a bound Ukrainian prisoner being mutilated by a group of Russian soldiers has sparked outrage after a video circulated on social media late Thursday night.  Fox News has not independently verified the authenticity of the video.  According to Ukrainian member of Parliament Inna Sovsun, who posted the footage before her account was suspended, said the video depicted a "Russian soldier from Chechen battalion Ahmat cut[ting] off the genitals of Ukrainian POW." RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR: 15K PROBES INTO RUSSIAN WAR CRIMES, 'COST OF JUSTICE IS SMALL POTATOES' SAYS ICC HEAD Several outlets reported that a group of Russian soldiers held down a man wearing Ukrainian fatigues while shouting derogatory language at him.  A boxcutter-like knife was then allegedly used to mutilate the individual.  It is unclear what happened to the apparent Ukrainian soldier after the video ended, but some reports have claimed the man was then killed.  UKRAINE WAR CRIMES ...

Russian spies ‘everywhere’ in Ukraine

Senior Ukrainian officials are increasingly concerned about Russian spies lurking in the capital, divulging state secrets and helping target sensitive military and civilian infrastructure, Fox News has learned. "They will infiltrate the security services," Ihor Zvhokva, a top diplomatic aide to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy , told Fox News. "The armed forces, the intelligence community -- you name it -- with the people, with their agents."  The espionage problem has gotten so bad, Zelenskyy recently fired two top officials, including the head of his security services, over their failure to root out the spies. Today, there are hundreds of active investigations. "Russia was never, you know, forgetting about this dream for Ukraine to become, again, a part of Russia," Zvhokva said. "In times of war, some of them reveal themselves and some [do] not." RUSSIA CLAIMS 40 UKRAINIAN POWS KILLED IN STRIKE WITH US HIMARS, UKRAINE DECRIES 'B...

Russia claims 40 Ukrainian POWs killed in strike with US HIMARS, Ukraine decries 'brutal execution'

Russia's Defense Ministry on Friday claimed that at least 40 Ukrainian prisoners of war were killed after U.S.-supplied High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) were used by Ukrainian armed forces to strike occupied territory in the Donbas, and hit a Russian detention center. A Ukrainian defense official denied the claims and told Fox News Digital it was likely a "brutal execution of POWs." The official said they have "99 percent certainty that this was a Russian strike." RUSSIAN FORCES STALLED WITH AID OF US HIMARS, UKRAINE DEFENSE OFFICIAL SAYS SOLDIERS STILL UNDER GUNNED Ukraine’s defense ministry is still collecting information on the incident and the official was unable to verify the number of captive Ukrainian soldiers killed or injured in the strike. Russia’s defense ministry claimed some 75 Ukrainian soldiers were also injured after a missile strike hit "a pre-trial detention center in the area of the settlement of Olenivka, where Ukra...

Raging wildfires in Germany, Czech Republic are threatening tourist region

The raging wildfires in California and Texas aren't the only region of the world battling deadly flames. A large wildfire on the German-Czech Republic border is spreading and threatening to destroy a forested national park popular with tourists. The fire in the region, called Bohemian Switzerland on the Czech side and the Saxon Switzerland national park on the German side, started last weekend. It had seemed to be under control but spread again early Thursday, German news agency DPA reported. Hundreds of firefighters on both sides of the border battled the flames with help from reinforcements from neighboring Poland and Slovakia . Eight firefighting helicopters were working to douse the flames in the hilly and rocky region that is difficult to access and where about 250 hectares (618 acres) of forest were burning Thursday. Local authorities warned tourists to stay away from the area. Photos from a local photographer show the devastation that had already been wrought -  ...

Bahraini official: Iran proxies ‘nothing new,’ nuclear deal ‘critical’ to combat ‘common threat’

Abdulla Al Khalifa, undersecretary for political affairs of Bahrain, insisted that Iran has not acted as a "responsible" neighbor and threatens the stability of the Middle East as it continues to act "with impunity."  "Iran has been acting with impunity for the past 40 years," Khalifa told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview on the sidelines of the Aspen Security Forum last week. "My country, Bahrain, has been part of Iran's continuous interference in their neighbors’ affairs." "We do believe that Iran is an important neighbor in the region but a responsible Iran that would respect the borders of its neighbors, that would refrain from developing its nuclear and ballistic capabilities, and that would refrain from supporting terrorism and extremism," he added. Khalifa previously discussed concerns over Iran’s ambition to achieve a nuclear weapon even though it will affect neighboring countries "in a very dramatic way....

UN commission's 'antisemitic' move prompts demands for Biden to disband anti-Israel group

Yet another scandal involving alleged antisemitism is roiling a controversial U.N. Commission of Inquiry after it was accused in June of publishing an antisemitic report against Israel.  U.N. experts and human rights groups told Fox News Digital that the Biden administration should strip the U.N. commission of funding that is being used to stoke hatred of Jews and Israel.  Miloon Kothari, a member of the "U.N. Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel" that published the report, told an obscure anti-Israel blog, "We are very disheartened by the social media that is controlled largely by − whether it’s the Jewish Lobby or it’s the specific NGOs."  "A lot of money is being thrown into trying to discredit us," Kothari declared. INTERNATIONAL GROUPS CONDEMN UN PROBE ON ISRAEL, PALESTINIAN FIGHTING, CITE ‘BIAS’ Ambassador Michèle Taylor, the U.S. permanent representative to the United Nations Human Ri...

Russian looks to annex Kherson as Ukrainian counter offensive advances

Russian officials said on Thursday that occupying forces in Ukraine will soon look to annex Kherson as intense fighting continues over the southern region. Krill Stremousov, a Ukrainian national wanted for treason by Kyiv who also serves as the deputy head of Russia's separatist forces in Kherson, took to Telegram to say, "We are getting ready for the referendum, we will hold it." "I hope that in the near future already we will become a full-fledged territorial entity of the Russian Federation," he added according to Russian media. KHERSON CUT OFF: UKRAINIAN COUNTER-OFFENSIVE GAINING MOMENTUM IN SOUTHERN CITY Stremousov has been claiming for months that Russian forces in the southern region are preparing to hold a referendum to "vote" on the annexation of Kherson to Russia. However, his renewed claims come as defense officials champion advances made by Ukrainian armed forces in the region that has seen Russian occupation since early March.  ...

Polish minister: China remains ‘strategic challenge,' West must do more to counter Russia

The U.S. and Europe need to do more to counter Russia and China or the West risks threats to the " global security architecture ."  "I'm pretty sure that for Putin, Ukraine is just the first step," Polish Undersecretary of State for Security Marcin Przydacz told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview during the Aspen Security Forum. "There are many other countries in his direct neighborhood which he would like to dominate, at least creating a sphere of influence, and not only this post-Soviet bloc as many of us may think." Poland has had a front-line view of the Ukraine invasion, acting as the main point of support from NATO and the largest haven for Ukrainian refugees fleeing their country to escape the war. Around 4,787,154 Ukrainians crossed the border into Poland – roughly half of the 9.8 million refugees that scattered into neighboring countries after the invasion started.  That prominent role has thrust Poland once more into the spotlight...

Who is Viktor Bout, Russia's 'Merchant of Death' who could be freed in prisoner swap for Brittney Griner?

Viktor Bout, a Russian arms dealer known as the "Merchant of Death" whose weapons sales fueled deadly conflicts around the world, could be sent back to his motherland in exchange for WNBA star Brittney Griner and retired U.S. Marine Paul Whelan.  Russian officials have long pushed for the release of Bout, who is currently serving a 25-year sentence in U.S. prison after being convicted in 2011 of conspiracy to kill Americans, conspiracy to deliver anti-aircraft missiles, and aiding a terrorist organization. He was nabbed in 2010 in a sting operation at a luxury hotel in Bangkok, Thailand , where he met with Drug Enforcement Administration informants who were posing as officials with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, which has been classified by US officials as a narco-terrorist group. Prosecutors said that Bout was prepared to provide the group with $20 million worth of "a breathtaking arsenal of weapons — including hundreds of surface-to-air missiles, mach...

Series of lightning strikes across India kills 20 people

A series of lightning strikes in the eastern Indian state of Bihar has killed 20 people in less than 24 hours as more extreme weather is expected in the coming days. Forecasts show that thunderstorms are expected to continue in the north part of the state on Wednesday and Thursday, according to the BBC . Deadly lightning strikes originating from monsoon rains kill hundreds in India every year, with more than 3,000 dying in 2019, as reported by The Times of India . The deaths were reported across 8 districts within Bihar.  Nitish Kumar, the chief minister of Bihar, has called on citizens to follow the state's safety procedures to avoid injury or death while vowing to provide compensation to the victim's families.  "Follow the advisory issued by the disaster management department from time to time for being safe during lightning. Stay indoors and safe during bad weather," Nitish said in a statement on Tuesday. Experts noted that the state's geographical location...

Russia, Iran agree to new plane supplies deal, plan to increase flights between countries: report

Iran will start to supply aircraft parts and equipment to Russia and service Russian aircraft in a new agreement signed between the two countries.  Western nations and their allies moved to isolate Moscow after Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the invasion of Ukraine. Russia looked to other rogue nations, including Iran, to help circumvent the sanctions and ride out the immediate economic impact.  China and India purchased Russian energy in the run-up to the invasion, and China made some key trade deals with its northern neighbor. Iran has stepped in to sign an agreement that will provide Russia more flight options and airplane assistance in the near term, according to The Moscow Times, citing the Mehr agency.  The agreement includes a pledge to increase flights between the two nations up to 35 per week – a significant boost when only about 19 countries or states provide direct flight access to Russia. US HIGHLIGHTS ADVANTAGES OF NUCLEAR DEAL, BUT ACKNOWLEDG...