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Italy will pull out of the controversial Chinese Belt and Road Initiative, Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto said in an interview Sunday. "The issue today is: how to walk back (from the BRI) without damaging relations [with Beijing]. Because it is true that China is a competitor, but it is also a partner," Crosetto said in an interview with the Corriere della Sera newspaper, according to a report from Reuters. Crosetto's comments come after Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's visit with President Biden in Washington, D.C., last week, where the Italian leader said her government was still considering its options when it came to the deal with China. ITALY'S MELONI DRAWS COMPARISON TO LEGENDARY EUROPEAN LEADER AHEAD OF VISIT WITH BIDEN "We'll take a decision before December," Meloni later told Fox News' Maria Bartiromo in an exclusive interview. Italy was the only major Western country to join the agreement with China, a massive infra...

French animal health group Ceva has withdrawn a legal challenge over a tender to supply France with a bird flu vaccine in which Ceva lost out to German company Boehringer Ingelheim. France chose Boehringer Ingelheim to supply 80 million doses of bird flu vaccines needed for its initial vaccination campaign for ducks due to start in October. The plan will make France the first country in the European Union to vaccinate poultry against the virus that has ravaged flocks worldwide. DEADLY BIRD FLU THREATENS CALIFORNIA CONDORS ALREADY ON THE BRINK OF EXTINCTION Ceva decided to drop its appeal against the tender result to avoid causing delays for the livestock sector in the vaccination campaign, the company said in a statement late last week. The company is continuing discussions with the authorities over subsequent phases of the vaccination campaign and has already produced more than 10 million shots of its bird flu vaccine for ducks , Ceva added. from Latest World News on Fox News...

China imposed restrictions Monday on exports of long-range civilian drones, citing Russia’s war in Ukraine and concern that drones might be converted to military use. Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s government is friendly with Moscow but says it is neutral in the 18-month-old war. It has been stung by reports that both sides might be using Chinese-made drones for reconnaissance and possibly attacks. Export controls will take effect Tuesday to prevent use of drones for "non-peaceful purposes," the Ministry of Commerce said in a statement. It said exports still will be allowed but didn’t say what restrictions would apply. CHINA USING TIKTOK AS ‘INDOCTRINATION MACHINE’ AGAINST AMERICA’S YOUTH, GOP SENATOR WARNS China is a leading developer and exporter of drones. DJI Technology Co., one of the global industry's top competitors, announced in April 2022 it was pulling out of Russia and Ukraine to prevent its drones from being used in combat. "The risk of some high speci...

JERUSALEM—Israel Antiquities Authority announced last week that it found a rare silver half-shekel coin from the time of the first Jewish revolt against the Romans over 2,000 years ago in the Judean desert. The discovery electrified the Israeli media and the biblical and archeological communities due to the coin’s historical significance.  The coin was located as part of the Judean Desert Survey led by the Israel Antiquities Authority together with the Ministry of Heritage and the Staff Officer of the Civil Administration Archeology Unit in Judea and Samaria. The international community refers to Israel’s ancient biblical land as the West Bank while Israelis refer to the region by its biblical names of Judea and Samaria. According to a press release from Israel Antiquities Authority, "These coins were minted in the values of shekel and half-shekel at the time of the First Revolt of the Jews against the Romans in Judea between the years 66–70 CE, when the Second Temple was destr...

A French daredevil who gained social media fame by taking photos of himself on tall structures throughout the world fell to his death from a skyscraper in Hong Kong. Remi Lucidi, known on social media as "Remi Enigma," was found dead in Hong Kong after authorities believe he fell from one of the city's skyscrapers Thursday, according to a report from the Guardian. Lucidi, who was 30, was found by police on the patio of an apartment and later identified by local media reports. He was found with his French ID and a camera used to film his participation in extreme sports. NORTH DAKOTA'S 'FLYING FARMER' WRECKS CAR DURING DAREDEVIL JUMP Investigators believe Lucidi fell to his death from a ledge of penthouse apartment building he entered earlier in the day, telling security he was there to visit a friend on the building's 40th floor. CCTV footage from the building showed he instead exited the elevator on the 49th floor and used stairs to access the top flo...

Andriy Zagorodnyuk, the former defense minister of Ukraine, spoke with Fox News Digital about the Ukrainian counteroffensive, offering insight into how Russian mines have slowed the Ukrainian military and what to expect as the war continues.  Zagorodnyuk said Russian mines have significantly slowed the counteroffensive and in some instances, mines are only a few feet apart making it difficult for Ukrainian forces to travel short distances quickly.  "They are looking more carefully about where to move and how to open up because we're talking about approximately 2 million mines," he said. "There’s intense mining in some areas." Zagorodynyuk explained that the demining process takes a long time, and in newly liberated areas, a team of humanitarian deminers needs to come in to clear the area of potential mines.  He added that demining in areas under fire from the Russian military is "extremely difficult."  "We can explode mines, we can send in s...

The dogs bark and stare as Kim Jong-kil approaches the rusty cages housing the large, short-haired animals he sells for their meat. Kim opens a door and pets one dog’s neck and chest. Kim says he’s proud of the dog meat farm that has supported his family for 27 years, but is upset over growing attempts by politicians and activists to outlaw the business, which he is turning over to his children. "It’s more than just feeling bad. I absolutely oppose these moves, and we’ll mobilize all our means to resist it," Kim, 57, said in an interview at his farm in Pyeongtaek city, just south of Seoul. Dog meat consumption is a centuries-old practice on the Korean Peninsula and has long been viewed as a source of stamina on hot summer days. It's neither explicitly banned nor legalized in South Korea, but more and more people want it prohibited. There's increasing public awareness of animal rights and worries about South Korea’s international image. SOUTH KOREANS FACE HEAT WAV...

A Georgia woman, her lover, and another man were arrested in the Bahamas for an alleged plot to kill her estranged husband, former Auburn University football player Robert Shiver, according to a Friday report.  Bahamian prosecutors named Lindsay Shiver, 36, her alleged lover 28-year-old Terrance Bethel, and Faron Newbold, 29, in the alleged plot to kill Shiver’s husband.  Per the Bahamas Court News, police officers uncovered a plot to kill the former Auburn player while investigating a break-in at the Grabber’s Bar and Grill restaurant on Great Guana Cay.  Investigators came across WhatsApp messages detailing the alleged assassination plan while searching the burglars’ phones, according to the outlet.  TENNESSEE MAN WHO PLOTTED WITH TEXAS LOVER TO KILL HUSBAND AFTER SHE LIED ABOUT ABUSE SENTENCED TO 62 YEARS Shiver, Bethel, and Newbold appeared before Acting Chief Magistrate Roberto Reckley on Friday. They are due back in court on October 5.  COUPLE AL...

TOKYO - Japanese police arrested a family of three in Hokkaido for allegedly decapitating a man and taking the head home. The victim’s body was discovered on July 2 in a hotel room in the city of Sapporo, the capital of Japan’s northernmost prefecture. The victim, 62-year-old Hitoshi Ura, was found in a "love hotel" in Susukino, a red-light district in Sapporo City. The story made waves in Japan earlier this week when police arrested Runa Tamura, 29, and her father, psychiatrist Osamu Tamura, on charges of mutilation of a corpse, theft, and disposal of a body.  Police also arrested Tamura's mother after searching the family’s home and discovering the victim’s head. Police collected clothes, a suitcase, and other items as potential evidence. MOM'S HORRIFYING INSURANCE SCAM PUT 8-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER IN HOSPITAL 43 TIMES The victim had attended a disco event popular among members of the LGBT community before checking in at a love hotel where the incident occurred. ...

MEXICO CITY — In Mexico, the political environment has been discouraging for an opposition that has been unable to position an alternative to President Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO), who has dominated public opinion since his first victory in 2018. Yet things could be changing with the arrival of a disruptive leader who is rapidly changing the rules of the game by generating a wave of enthusiasm throughout Mexico, giving the opposition hope of winning the presidency in 2024. Her name is Xóchitl Gálvez. After being criticized by the president at his morning press conference, Senator Gálvez requested the right of reply, and the president denied her. After obtaining a judicial order that would supposedly force the president to receive her, he refused to open the doors of the National Palace.  From that moment, Gálvez became a symbol of resistance, a leader of an opposition willing to fight the democratic battle to win the presidency in 2024 and remove AMLO and his party...

A British peer in the House of Lords suggested artificial intelligence (AI) could easily replace its members in the near future. But one expert argued the desire for tradition and trust in the human element when making major decisions will likely delay AI adoption.  "One of my thoughts is that the British have a sense of legacy – it’s a big thing for them," Alex Sharpe, principal of Sharpe Management Consulting LLC, told Fox News Digital. "They also give ‘discourse’ a whole new dimension. It’s almost like political theater, so I can’t see it going away."  A debate in the House of Lords this week prompted a chilling prophecy from Richard Denison, 9th Baron Londesborough, who warned AI may soon learn his style of speech "with no hesitation, repetition or deviation." The House of Lords, which until 1999 largely had hereditary membership, serves in an advisory capacity to the House of Commons, the elected body of members that actually debates and decides ...

An 80-year-old Scottish man fell over 3,000 feet to his death on a remote island in the Scottish highlands  Rescue Teams from the Coastguard alongside Skye Mountain Rescue rushed to Coire a' Bhasteir in the Cuillin range on the Isle of Skye, an island in Scotland, at around 3.05pm Wednesday, July 26, following reports of a fallen climber. Police have not released the name of the 80-year-old man who died nor how he fell from the mountain . In a statement, Skye Mountain Rescue said that 20 rescue personnel and passing climbers assisted authorities in evacuating the body with the help of a rescue helicopter R948 from the mountain.  CARGO SHIP CAUGHT ABLAZE OFF DUTCH COAST, 1 DEAD AND MORE INJURED, COAST GUARD SAYS Police Scotland said in a statement that there were no suspicious circumstances of his death .  "There are not believed to be any suspicious circumstances and a report will be sent to the Procurator Fiscal," the agency said in a statement. The news comes j...

WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT A crypto millionaire received threatening messages a week before children discovered a suitcase on the banks of a river that contained his dismembered body parts. "I’m going to kill you, I’m going to do something worse to you," a man said in a voice message to Fernando Pérez Algaba. "I’m going to gouge out your eyes and cut off your hands so that you can’t have any more money in your life." "I swear on my children that I have no problem going to jail," the man, identified only by his surname Iglesias by Argentinian outlet Télam, said.  A group of children in Argentina made a chilling discovery when they found a suitcase while playing near a stream and opened it up to reveal dismembered body parts . Police had only the arms and legs to work with initially, but they were able to use tattoos and fingerprints to identify the victim.  MAYOR ASSASSINATED IN BROAD DAYLIGHT AS VIOLENT CRIME SURGES IN SOUTH AMERICAN NATION Police in ...

Wagner Group mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin voiced support for the ongoing coup in Niger Thursday evening, offering his services to the rebels. Prigozhin, who recently left Belarus after the fallout of his attempted coup against the Russian government, accused Western powers of colonizing African nations and fostering terrorism to keep the countries unstable. "What happened in Niger has been brewing for years," Prigozhin said. "The former colonizers are trying to keep the people of African countries in check. PRIGOZHIN APPEARS PUBLICLY FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE MUTINY, SUGGESTS MERCENARIES WON'T FIGHT IN UKRAINE "In order to keep them in check, the former colonizers are filling these countries with terrorists and various bandit formations, thus creating a colossal security crisis." The Russian mercenary warlord made a pitch for Niger rebels to procure his services. "The population suffers. And this is the (the reason for) love for PMC (priv...

A roller coaster in the United Kingdom broke down in midair with people onboard on Friday, forcing rescuers to evacuate guests off the ride. The incident happened at Adventure Island amusement park's Rage roller coaster in Southend-on-Sea, Essex, on Friday at around 2 p.m. local time, according to the BBC. Everyone on the ride was safely taken off within 40 minutes, according to a statement from the amusement park . Park officials said that its "highly trained team immediately initiated our ride evacuation plan," according to the report. OHIO AMUSEMENT PARK GUEST STRUCK BY FLYING CELL PHONE ON ROLLER COASTER GOING 70 MPH Officials at the park added that "a carriage on Rage stopped on the lift" and said "all passengers were returned to the ground, safe and sound and reunited with their families". One witness said that the ride was stuck in midair. ILLINOIS CARNIVAL RIDE SEIZED IN CRIMINAL PROBE AFTER 10-YEAR-OLD BOY THROWN FROM SEAT, SERIOUSLY I...

A body found this month in the St. Lawrence River belonged to a man connected to an investigation into the deaths of eight migrants, Canadian authorities said Friday. Akwesasne police said the coroner’s office identified the dead man as Casey Oakes, 30, a local resident who had been missing since March. THIRD MAN SENTENCED FOR ATTEMPTING TO SMUGGLE MIGRANTS INTO NORTH DAKOTA FROM CANADA His boat was found near the bodies of eight migrants who died while trying to cross illegally into the United States through Akwesasne Mohawk Territory, which straddles provincial and international boundaries and includes parts of Quebec, Ontario and New York state . The bodies of the migrants were pulled from the St. Lawrence River in Akwesasne, about 80 miles southwest of Montreal, on March 30 and 31. 2 MORE CANADIAN MIGRANTS FOUND DEAD AT BORDER, DEATH TOLL RISES TO 8 Authorities said they were members of two families, one from India and the other from Romania. Akwesasne Mohawk Territory is ...

Two taxi drivers have been arrested in the Mexican city of Cancun for assaulting a van carrying foreign tourists, prosecutors said Friday. The events in the Caribbean coast resort on Thursday were the latest in a months-long string of assaults on vehicles that medallion-cab drivers suspect of being operated by ride-hailing apps such as Uber. Prosecutors in the Caribbean coast state of Quintana Roo said such behavior will not be tolerated. ALLEGED MACHETE ATTACK ON AMERICAN IN CANCUN HIGHLIGHTS TOURIST DESTINATION RISK "Strong action will be taken to ensure that the state is a safe destination for local inhabitants and visitors," the state prosecutor's office said in a statement. Local residents posted video on social media showing at least two uniformed cab drivers bashing a Chevy Suburban with poles and other objects. The van driver attempts to escape with the vehicle's tailgate open, according to the footage, and the tourists’ luggage spills into the street. ...

The ongoing political instability in Niger presents a threat to U.S. counterterrorism operations as the ultimate outcome of a coup attempt could dictate the future of Washington's involvement in the region.  U.S. officials have urged the rebel forces to release Niger’s President Mohamed Bazoum, with Vice President Kamala Harris stressing that Washington’s "substantial cooperation with the government of Niger is contingent on Niger’s continued commitment to democratic standards." Bazoum remains detained inside his palace in Niamey in the possession of presidential guards after they claimed to take control of the country on Wednesday.  Col. Maj. Amadou Abdramane, a spokesperson for the country’s security forces, said in a televised statement that the country’s constitution was suspended and Gen. Abdourahmane Tchiani was in charge, The Associated Press reported.  PUTIN ‘CAREFULLY’ EXAMINING AFRICAN INITIATIVES FOR RUSSIAN-UKRAINIAN PEACE DEALS Niger hosts hundreds of ...

Two people died on Friday after jumping from a building in Berlin to escape a fire on an upper floor, authorities said. MASSIVE FIRE ENGULFS FREIGHTER CARRYING 3,000 CARS IN NORTH SEA; 1 CREW MEMBER DEAD, OTHERS INJURED An apartment on the 12th floor of a 15-story residential building was ablaze when firefighters arrived, and they could see two people at the window with flames behind them, fire service spokesperson James Klein told regional public broadcaster RBB . The pair "jumped out of the window very, very quickly" and died at the scene despite efforts to resuscitate them, he said. Another person was rescued via the staircase. More than 100 firefighters were deployed to fight the blaze, which was extinguished. WOMAN CRITICALLY WOUNDED IN PARIS EXPLOSION DIES FROM INJURIES The burning apartment was more than 100 feet above ground level, Klein said. There was no immediate word on what caused the fire, or on the identity of the two people who died. from Latest Wor...

Authorities in North Macedonia have arrested 21 people following clashes between visiting Levski Sofia soccer fans and Shkupi supporters ahead of a Europa Conference League qualifying match. Police said Friday that 19 Bulgarians and two people from North Macedonia were detained because of Thursday's violence, which came amid uneasy relations between the two Balkan neighbors. SOCCER FAN 'CRITICALLY' INJURED AFTER BEING STABBED DURING VIOLENT BRAWL AT CONCACAF GOLD CUP MATCH The clashes started after local Shkupi fans attacked traveling Bulgarians in Skopje, stabbing one man in the stomach. No arrests have been made over that incident, and police said the injured Levski supporter was in stable condition after undergoing surgery. Levski fans later clashed with police. Levski won the game in Skopje 2-0. US AMBASSADOR ARGUES SANCTIONS ON MACEDONIAN BUSINESSMAN HELP COUNTRY'S EU BID North Macedonia’s government condemned the violence, which Prime Minister Dimitar Kova...

At least 21 people died and 40 others were rescued after a Philippine passenger boat overturned on Thursday when it was lashed by strong winds in Laguna Lake southeast of Manila, police said. Police said rescue operations were continuing, but did not immediately provide figures for the total number of people on board the MBCA Princess Aya that capsized in Rizal province. The incident happened as the passengers onboard suddenly moved to one side of the boat in panic when it came under fierce winds shortly after departing from a wharf for a nearby island. The boat overturned only about 150 feet from the shore, near the village of Kalinawan and the town of Binangonan, the coast guard said. The Rizal provincial police said they immediately launched a search and rescue operation with the help of the coast guard and other local authorities, and that at least 40 people were saved but that 21 others drowned. "The operation is still ongoing," police said. They did not provide ot...

A Saudi F-15SA fighter jet crashed during a training exercise Wednesday, killing the crew on board, the kingdom said. A statement carried by the state-run Saudi Press Agency said the crash happened near the King Khalid Air Base in Khamis Mushait, some 506 miles southwest of the capital, Riyadh. IRANIAN HORNET'S NEST OF TERROR GROUPS SURROUND ISRAEL AMID CALLS FOR NEW US SANCTIONS Military spokesman Brig. Gen. Turki al-Malki said in the statement that an investigation was underway to determine the cause of the crash. The F-15SA is a two-seat fighter jet. Saudi Arabia did not immediately acknowledge the number of those killed in the crash. The Royal Saudi Air Force flies dozens of the McDonnell Douglas fighter jet in its fleet. from Latest World News on Fox News https://ift.tt/dJ0BlyR https://ift.tt/e5JaRIS

A fire on a freight ship carrying nearly 3,000 cars was burning out of control Wednesday in the North Sea, and the Dutch coast guard said one crew member had died, others were hurt and it was working to save the vessel from sinking close to an important habitat for migratory birds. Boats and helicopters were used to get the 23 crew members off the ship after they tried unsuccessfully to put out the blaze, the coast guard said in a statement. The cause of the blaze wasn’t immediately known, and it wasn’t clear how the crew member died. The Fremantle Highway was sailing from the German port of Bremerhaven to Singapore when it caught fire about 17 miles north of the Dutch island of Ameland. As the blaze continued throughout the day, a salvage company sent an expert to assess the possibility of fastening a cable to the ship that could be used to tow it, the coast guard said. Some of the crew members jumped off the ship's deck into the sea and were picked up by a lifeboat, the life...

Gunmen who opened fire at a taxi stand in a small coastal South African town killed four people who were sitting in a minibus and wounded another four Tuesday, police said. The motive for the attack was unknown, police said, but the killings mean 36 people have died in five separate mass shootings in South Africa since the start of the year. MASSIVE GAS EXPLOSION SHATTERS SOUTH AFRICA STREETS DURING RUSH HOUR, FLIPPING CARS, CAUSING EXTENSIVE DAMAGE The country of 60 million has one of the highest homicide rates in the world. An average of 30 people were killed with a firearm each day in the first three months of 2023, according to police statistics. Tuesday's mass shooting followed the same trend as many of the others, with multiple gunmen firing at people. MAN FACING TERRORISM CHARGES FOR BURNING SOUTH AFRICA'S PARLIAMENT BUILDING SAYS HE 'BURNED IT INTENTIONALLY' Brig. Jay Naicker, a police spokesperson, said in a statement that the gunmen opened fire on the ...

Congressional lawmakers are calling for the return of a Los Angeles -based attorney who has been held in Venezuela for more than a year after making a wrong turn into the country and is now accused of being a spy.  Eyvin Hernandez, who has worked with the Los Angeles County public defender's office for over 15 years, has been in custody since March 2022, Fox Los Angeles reported.  A group of Congressional lawmakers is calling for Hernandez to be returned home. U.S. Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove, D-California, has since co-authored a bipartisan resolution that would ask the Biden Administration to secure his release.  VENEZUELAN EX-SPY CHIEF, CHÁVEZ CONFIDANT, EXTRADITED TO US ON DRUG TRAFFICKING CHARGES "Eyvin Hernandez is one of our own. I am glad that my resolution will be marked up this week. This is an important step as we work to #BringEyvinHome," she tweeted on Tuesday.  Hernandez was arrested along the Colombia-Venezuela border days before he was scheduled t...

Ecuador on Tuesday announced a state of emergency in all of its prisons after a series of violent incidents including shootings and explosions occurred in one of its most dangerous prisons. The measure — the second state of emergency that President Guillermo Lasso has ordered in less than 24 hours — will be in effect for 60 days and orders the immediate mobilization of the military and police in an effort to regain control of the prisons. CRIME-WEARY ECUADOR RESIDENTS FORCED TO BUILD WALLS TO KEEP OUT CRIMINALS On Monday, Lasso signed a decree establishing a similar state of emergency in the provinces of Los Ríos and Manabí after the shooting of the mayor of the city of Manta, Agustín Intriago, an event that shocked Ecuadoreans. The announcement comes after clashes erupted in Litoral prison on Saturday afternoon and escalated into the early hours of Sunday, with gunshots and explosions heard by people in nearby residential areas. The initial clashes left at least six dead and 11 ...

Poland's population has shrunk again to just under 37.7 million in June despite returning emigrants, the state statistical office said Tuesday. A preliminary report by the Statistics Poland office says there were around 130,000 Poles fewer in the European Union country at the end of June compared to a year ago. It was among Poland’s highest decreases since 2010, when the population was over 38.5 million, despite a policy of bonuses for families with many children that the right-wing government launched after taking office at the end of 2015. POLAND TO RECOGNIZE NEIGHBORING RUSSIAN EXCLAVE BY HISTORICAL NAME In the first six months of 2023, there were 34 more deaths than births per every 10,000 residents, compared to 21 ratio last year. There were also around 14,000 live births less this year compared to the same time in 2022, despite a pro-family policy and a low unemployment rate , gauged at around 5% in June. There continues to be a rise in the number of emigrants returni...

Toronto police are seeking help from the public to identify three suspects who allegedly stole luxury vehicles from a car dealership . Police said Monday they responded to a vehicle theft call just after 3:40 p.m. on Saturday at a dealership in the downtown area of Dundas Street East and Carroll Street area. They say three people entered the dealership and stole three luxury vehicles . The stolen vehicles are a black 2021 Rolls Royce Dawn without a license plate, a black 2022 Bentley Bentayga with Ontario plate number CYAA632, and a white 2020 Rolls Royce Cullinan with Ontario plate number CXCY439. The combined value of the cars is worth more than $750,000. FORMER CANADIAN PRINCIPAL DIES BY SUICIDE AFTER HARASSMENT FOR PUSHING BACK AGAINST ANTI-RACISM TRAINING The vehicles were last seen driving northbound on Carroll Street. Police have released images of the suspects and are asking anyone with information to contact them or Crime Stoppers. The suspects are wearing masks in the p...

Eleven people were killed when a roof collapsed at a middle school gymnasium in China's far northeast, authorities said Monday. The incident occurred Sunday in the city of Qiqihar and the last victim was pulled from the wreckage Monday morning. The official Xinhua News Agency said construction work at the school was the likely cause, after workers stored materials on the gym's roof that absorbed rain water. Nineteen people had been in the gymnasium of the No. 34 Middle School, Xinhua said, but gave no details on how many were students. Social media and the Baidu news website carried footage of angry parents complaining about what they said was a lack of communication from authorities . BURMA'S MILITARY GOVERNMENT UNVEILS GIANT SITTING BUDDHA STATUE AMID ONGOING CIVIL WAR AND TURMOIL Such expressions of anger and defiance are usually quickly suppressed by police and government departments worried over social unrest. The ruling Communist Party allows no challenges to it...