Israel carried out limited strikes in Iran early Friday in retaliation for Tehran firing a barrage of missiles and drones at Israel late Saturday.Fox News Digital confirmed there have been explosions in Iran's Isfahan province, which is where Natanz, one of Iran's nuclear facilities, is located. Though it was initially unclear if the facility was hit, state television described all sites in the area as "fully safe" and the International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed on X Friday morning that there is no damage.A well-placed military source has told Fox that the strike was "limited." Sources familiar said the U.S. was not involved and there was pre-notification to the U.S. from the Israelis.Pentagon officials have not confirmed the strike. The White House and the National Security Council (NSC) have declined to comment on the unfolding situation.REPORTS OF ISRAEL'S RETALIATORY STRIKES AGAINST IRAN PROMPT REACTIONS FROM LAWMAKERS: 'RIGHT TO DEFEND ITSELF'The semiofficial Fars news agency reported on the sound of explosions over Isfahan near its international airport. It offered no explanation for the blast. However, Isfahan is home to a major airbase for the Iranian military, as well as sites associated with its nuclear program.Iran temporarily grounded commercial flights in Tehran and across areas of its western and central regions in response to the attack. Restrictions have since been lifted on flights to and from Khomeini and Mehrabad international airports in Tehran, according to Iranian news agency Tasnim.Dubai-based carriers Emirates and FlyDubai began diverting around western Iran at about 4:30 a.m. local time.In a statement to Fox News Digital, FlyDubai said flight FZ 1929 from Dubai to Tehran Friday morning returned to Dubai because the Imam Khomeini International Airport was closed. The airline also said all of its flights to Iran on Friday have been canceled."The safety of our passengers and crew is our priority. We are monitoring the situation closely and will make changes to our flight paths in consultation with the relevant authorities," a FlyDubai spokesperson said. "We will share any further updates once more information becomes available."ISRAEL'S ADVANCED MILITARY TECHNOLOGY ON FULL DISPLAY DURING IRAN'S ATTACKIn response to Israel's reported strike on Iran, the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem issued a security notice Friday morning "out of an abundance of caution" restricting U.S. government employees and their family members from personal travel outside the greater Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and Be'er Sheva areas until further notice.Iran attacked Israel over the weekend in retaliation for Israel's deadly strike on Iran's consulate earlier this month that killed a dozen people, including a top general. The weekend attack by Iran marked a major escalation of violence. Despite decades of hostilities between the two nations, Iran has never directly attacked Israel, instead relying on proxy forces in Iraq, Lebanon and elsewhere. This is a developing story. Check back for updates. 

Despite the White House voicing its opposition against Israel striking back at Iran, the Jewish state issued "limited" strikes early Friday.Fox News Digital has confirmed there have been explosions in Isfahan province where Natanz is located, though it is not clear whether it has been hit.A well-placed military source has told Fox that the strike was "limited."The news came after President Joe Biden warned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the U.S. would not take part in a counter-offensive against Iran.ISRAEL STRIKES SITE IN IRAN IN RETALIATION FOR WEEKEND ASSAULT: SOURCEJohn Kirby, the White House's top national security spokesperson, told ABC's "This Week" program on Sunday, April 14 that the United States will continue to help Israel defend itself, but does not want war with Iran.Kirby said "our commitment is ironclad" to defending Israel and to "helping Israel defend itself," after being asked if the U.S. would support retaliation. Kirby doubled-down on the fact that Biden does not "seek" war with Iran."And as the president has said many times, we don't seek a wider war in the region. We don't seek a war with Iran. And I think I will leave it at that," Kirby added.ISRAEL'S ADVANCED MILITARY TECHNOLOGY ON FULL DISPLAY DURING IRAN'S ATTACK"We don't seek escalated tensions in the region. We don't seek a wider conflict," Kirby said.Pentagon Press Secretary Major General Pat Ryder echoed Kirby's sentiments, sharing in a press briefing that the U.S. does "not want to see a wider regional war.""As I've highlighted, we do not seek escalation in the region, but we will not hesitate to defend Israel and protect our personnel," he said during the question and answer segment of the briefing."Again, we do not want to see a wider regional war," he added. "We don't seek conflict with Iran, but we won't hesitate to take [the] necessary actions to protect our forces."Reports of Israel's "limited strike" against Iran came following a retaliatory strike over the weekend. Iran attacked Israel over the weekend in retaliation for Israel's deadly strike on Iran's consulate in Syria earlier this month that killed a dozen people, including a top general. The weekend attack by Iran marked a major escalation of violence. Despite decades of hostilities between the two nations, Iran has never directly attacked Israel, instead relying on proxy forces in Iraq, Lebanon and elsewhere. Fox News' Bradford Betz and Jennifer Griffin contributed to this report.

CHENNAI - Close to 970 million Indians start voting today as India holds its general election with polls suggesting that incumbent Prime Minister, Narendra Modi will win a third term in the world's largest democracy."Many Indians view Modi as a ‘strongman figure’. None of the opposition parties can field a candidate with equal charisma. Also, they have no coherent strategy or platform except that they are ‘anti-Modi,'" 25-year-old Anandh Nair from Thiruvananthapuram in the state of Kerala recently told Fox News Digital.Modi first became prime minister in 2014. He was then re-elected for a second term in 2019.  Nair, a student, said that "During Modi’s two terms, we actually saw the standard of living rise, especially for the middle class. Another thing was, previous leaders had been ‘wishy-washy’ about supporting our Hindu identity, almost as if they were ashamed of it. But for the BJP, there was no doubt that they showed pride. For most Indians, religion is an important part of everyday life." INDIAN PRIME MINISTER NARENDRA MODI VISITS KASHMIR'S MAIN CITY TO DISCUSS DEVELOPMENT PROJECTSWhile Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has not yet succeeded in making inroads in some parts of the country, the main opposition Indian National Congress Party has dwindled in terms of the number of states it now holds, despite its previous dominance in Indian politics. Regardless, Modi has campaigned in the southern states of Tamil Nadu and Kerala recently in what many viewed as a daring step, given that the party has not fared well there. Gurdas Rao, a tour guide from Mumbai, told Fox News Digital that, "Modi is popular among both the rich and poor. All of us have seen the quality-of-life skyrocket, so why won't we vote for him again?". India’s economic success in the face of the economic crisis following the COVID-19 pandemic was most notable when regional neighbors, Sri Lanka and Pakistan, faced major challenges as they ran out of foreign reserves. In contrast, India stayed relatively unscathed. This culminated when India came to Sri Lanka’s rescue, providing much needed fuel resources during its economic crisis in 2022. Both the IMF and the World Bank also estimated that India was the fastest growing economy in 2023.A significant event was when the 73-year-old Modi attended the groundbreaking opening of the Ram Mandhir, a new temple in Ayodhya and described this as fulfilling "dreams that many generations have cherished for years". This was at the holy site believed by Hindus to be the birthplace of the legendary King Rama. MILLIONS IN INDIA CELEBRATE AS TEMPLE BUILT ON RUINS OF HISTORIC MOSQUE It opened, despite much controversy surrounding the temple being built on top of a razed mosque, leaving the nation divided along religious lines. Many among the Hindu majority showed positive responses, while religious minorities seemed less satisfied. Prince Samuels, a Christian from Goa, told Fox News Digital that "India is a very diverse country: we have churches, mosques and temples; all on the same street. The BJP is catering to the Hindu majority and not incorporating our religious and culture diversity into their vision of a ‘united India’. They blatantly favor one community over the others."Siddhartha Dubey, a professor of journalism based in Evanston, Illinois, said "I think the Indian diaspora, which is largely Hindu, is keen to see India growing economically and strengthening ties with their adopted countries. Both of these are currently happening. However, generally speaking, they do not seem too bothered in the whittling down of democracy and institutions within India, and it seems that many are happy to support Mr. Modi." He cautioned that a third Modi term will see the "doubling down against the rights of minorities and civil society". However, in terms of foreign relations, he said that "U.S.-India relations are agnostic of whoever gets elected as U.S. president this year." Dubey added, "India’s economy will grow and if you see the projections from big American companies, India is a key place for investment."Former University of Delhi, Indian history professor Preeti Singh told Fox News Digital that, "Modi’s support in India transcends the differences in income levels, social categories and caste divisions. His background as a chai walla (tea vendor) has been likened to a common man much like a majority of Indians, and his rise to the top position in India personifies the aspirations of the working classes and all other Indians." "His promise and delivery of clean politics, corruption-free government and improved infrastructure have increased his popularity cutting across all classes and categories of society."PUTIN SUGGESTS ADDING INDIA OTHER COUNTRIES TO UN SECURITY…

Lawmakers reacted after Israel reportedly struck a site in Iran early Friday in retaliation for Tehran firing a barrage of missiles and drones at Israel last weekend.A handful of American politicians defended Israel's "right to defend itself," calling for the U.S. to "stand with Israel."Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, told Fox News Digital that Israel had a "right and obligation to respond" and blamed the recent attacks on President Biden's handling of foreign policy in the region."The scope of Israel's action tonight shows just how far Iran's reach has extended across the region. Iran's advances should worry every American, because when Iran's leaders chant 'Death to Israel' they also chant ‘Death to America,'" Cruz said. "Iran launched a massive attack and act of war against Israel. That attack was enabled because Joe Biden and Biden officials dismantled pressure on the Ayatollah."ISRAEL STRIKES SITE IN IRAN IN RETALIATION FOR WEEKEND ASSAULT: SOURCE"Thankfully, after decades of cooperation with the United States, and thanks to President Trump's diplomacy in the Middle East, we and our Israeli and Arab allies repelled that attack," he said. "However, it was still an act of war, and Israel had the right and obligation to respond. "Congress should ensure the United States stands unequivocally with our Israeli allies as they do so and reestablish deterrence," Cruz said.Following Iran's attack on Israel last weekend, Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., asked how America would respond if it were attacked."If another country targeted America with the single biggest drone attack in history, how would we respond?" he asked.ISRAEL'S ADVANCED MILITARY TECHNOLOGY ON FULL DISPLAY DURING IRAN'S ATTACKAfter reports of the Friday attack surfaced, Rubio posted on X: "Israel has the ability to conduct strikes against targets inside Iran without entering Iranian airspace from aircraft over Syrian and Iraqi airspace."Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz defended Israel's reported attack, saying it has the "right to defend itself against Iran's full network of evil," while placing blame on the Biden administration."Iran and its proxies have mounted attacks against Israel for years, and under the Biden administration’s foreign policy, things have only escalated. Israel has a right to defend itself against Iran’s full network of evil," Gaetz wrote on X."Wisdom must be displayed," he said. "A broadening regional war is in the best interest of no Middle Eastern country – or the United States.""The United States stands with Israel," Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla, added on X shortly after reports of Israel's retaliatory attack on Iran.Fox News Digital confirmed that there have been explosions in the Isfahan province where Natanz – the site of one of Iran's nuclear facilities – is located, though it is not clear whether it has been hit.A well-placed military source has told Fox that the strike was "limited." Fox News' Bradford Betz and Jennifer Griffin contributed to this report.

Gen. Douglas MacArthur delivered his farewell address to Congress on this day in history, April 19, 1951, uttering the famous line, "Old soldiers never die; they just fade away." Eight days before the speech, MacArthur had been relieved of his duties as general of the U.S. Army by President Harry S. Truman — putting an end to his storied military career. "I am closing my 52 years of military service," said MacArthur in the speech, which is available on the Library of Congress website.ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY, APRIL 18, 1934, FIRST SELF-OPERATED ‘WASHATERIA’ OPENS IN FT. WORTH, TEXAS"When I joined the Army, even before the turn of the century, it was the fulfillment of all my boyish hopes and dreams," he also. "The world has turned over many times since I took the oath at West Point, and the hopes and dreams have all since vanished," MacArthur said, "but I still remember the refrain of one of the most popular barracks ballads of that day, which proclaimed most proudly that old soldiers never die; they just fade away." MacArthur was referring to an old army ballad, "Old Soldiers Never Die," said the Library of Congress. "And like the old soldier of that ballad, I now close my military career and just fade away, an old soldier who tried to do his duty as God gave him the light to see that duty," said MacArthur. "Goodbye," he then said.MacArthur's dismissal came after repeated clashes with Truman regarding strategy in the Korean War, according to the website for the PBS documentary series "American Excellence."ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY, MARCH 11, 1942, MACARTHUR LEAVES PHILIPPINES, VOWS TO RETURNThe general did not approve of Truman's strategy for the conflict, seeking instead to engage in a more intense war in Asia in order to stem the spread of communism. "No soldier has ever captured the American imagination like Douglas MacArthur. He led Americans into combat for a half-century, through glorious victories and soul-numbing defeats," said PBS. "Courageous and supremely egotistical, he battled anyone who dared question his military judgment — even the president of the United States," it also said. MacArthur, who was born in Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1880, graduated from the U.S. Military Academy West Point in 1903, as Fox News Digital previously reported. In 1937, MacArthur retired from the U.S. Army. Four years later, however, the situation in the Pacific worsened and the then-U.S. Commonwealth of the Philippines was threatened by the ever-creeping Japanese forces. ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY, MARCH 16, 1802, UNITED STATES MILITARY ACADEMY ESTABLISHED AT WEST POINTPresident Franklin Delano Roosevelt plucked MacArthur out of retirement, designating him the general in charge of the newly created United States Army Forces in the Far East, Fox News Digital noted previously. rWhile MacArthur served honorably and faithfully, he was forced to flee the Philippines for his own safety on March 11, 1942.On June 30, 1942, in Melbourne, MacArthur was presented with the Medal of Honor for "conspicuous leadership in preparing the Philippine Islands to resist conquest, for gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty in action against invading Japanese forces, and for the heroic conduct of defensive and offensive operations on the Bataan Peninsula," said the Congressional Medal of Honor Society website."He mobilized, trained and led an army, which has received world acclaim for its gallant defense against a tremendous superiority of enemy forces in men and arms," that website also noted."His utter disregard of personal danger under heavy fire and aerial bombardment, his calm judgment in each crisis inspired his troops, galvanized the spirit of resistance of the Filipino people and confirmed the faith of the American people in their Armed Forces," the citation added. In 1944, 1948 and 1952, Republican groups tried "in vain" to obtain MacArthur’s nomination for the presidency, according to the Encyclopedia Britannica website."MacArthur accepted the board chairmanship of the Remington Rand Corporation in 1952," that site notes. CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTERExcept for duties connected to his role with Remington Rand and "rare public appearances," MacArthur "lived in seclusion" in New York City.He died in Washington, D.C., in 1964.He was buried in Norfolk, Virginia, Encyclopedia Britannica also says. For more Lifestyle articles, visit www.foxnews.com/lifestyle. 

The daughter of U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., was arrested Thursday at anti-Israel protests at Columbia University, law enforcement sources told Fox News. Isra Hirsi was in the custody of the New York Police Department and put into flex cuffs or zip ties and will face trespassing charges, according to sources. She was among more than 100 people issued a summons for trespassing, the NYPD said. Hirsi was released hours later from NYPD headquarters. Earlier in the day, Hirsi said she was suspended from Barnard College, located near Columbia, for "standing in solidarity with Palestinians facing a genocide."PENTAGON SPOX ON WHETHER US WILL HELP ISRAELI ATTACK ON IRAN: 'THAT’S A QUESTION FOR ISRAEL'"Those of us in Gaza Solidarity Encampment will not be intimidated," she wrote on X. "We will stand resolute until our demands are met. our [sic] demands include divestment from companies complicit in genocide, transparency of @Columbia’s investments and FULL amnesty for all students facing repression."Dozens of anti-Israel activists began protesting at Columbia University Wednesday morning, creating an encampment on the main lawn in protest of Israel's war against Hamas. Fiery protests continued into the overnight hours with calls for an intifada and the death of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. 'RADICAL' PRO-PALESTINIAN GROUPS INCREASINGLY TARGET HOUSES OF WORSHIP FOR PROTESTS IN ALARMING TRENDOn Wednesday, Omar questioned Columbia administrators during a congressional hearing on Capitol Hill about anti-Israel activism on the Ivy League campus. During the hearing, Omar sounded the alarm about what she called an "attack" with a "toxic chemical substance" at an anti-Israel protest at Columbia University. However, according to court documents, the substance was a non-toxic flatulence spray called "Liquid A--" and "Wet Farts." Fox News Digital has reached out to Omar's office. Rep. Jamaal Bowman, D-N.Y., suggested Hirsi's suspension was a reprisal for her mother's questions. COLUMBIA STUDENT SUSPENDED AFTER ALLEGED ‘FART SPRAY’ ATTACK DURING ANTI-ISRAEL RALLY SUES SCHOOL"The day after @IlhanMN questioned Columbia leadership's commitment to free academic expression, the school suspended her daughter?" Bowman posted online. "It's clear what is happening here. Our educational institutions should not be in the business of political reprisals."Fox News Digital's Hannah Grossman contributed to this report. 

Fox News host Sean Hannity calls out President Biden’s gaffes ahead of the 2024 election on "Hannity." SEAN HANNITY: Biden is a lot of things at this point in his life, but sharp as a knife isn't exactly one of them. In fact, Joe has never been regarded as sharp as a knife his entire career. A serial plagiarizer, who cheated in law school, still finished near the bottom of his class. A short time later, he became a very mediocre senator from Delaware who made friends with, let's see, a former Klansman.  BIDEN DISMISSES REPORTER SEEING 'A LOT OF TRUMP SIGNS' IN PA: 'YOU'RE DRIVING IN THE WRONG PLACES, PAL' (He) toed the party line, no matter what, even if that meant working with segregationists to stop the integration of public schools or at least slow it down. He didn't want public schools, in his words, to become racial jungles. Now he is an empty suit, wearing maximum stability sneakers, who does basically whatever his radical staff is telling him to do. They tell him what to read, what to say, where to go, where to stand, where to sit and when to walk away from the press, which is always. This is why Donald Trump is sitting in a courtroom, as unfair as that is, Biden can't win on his own. He needs all the help he can get, even if that does mean burning down America's system of justice in the process.  

Sen. John Fetterman, D-Penn., on Thursday slammed his Democratic colleagues for their refusal to condemn Iran for its attack on Israel in retaliation for the deadly bombing of its Syrian consulate earlier this month. "I sincerely thought I’d never witness members of my party refuse to condemn Iran – one of the world’s leading terrorism sponsors – after launching hundreds of drones against our special ally, Israel," Fetterman wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. "No words." More than a dozen House Democrats on Thursday voted against a resolution condemning Iran for firing a barrage of rockets at Israel over the weekend. U.S. officials said 99% of those were intercepted.The move, in retaliation for Israel’s attack on its consulate in Damascus, signified a major escalation of tensions amid Israel’s ongoing war with Hamas. Despite decades of hostilities, Iran has never directly attacked Israel, instead relying on proxy forces in Iraq, Lebanon, and elsewhere. NYPD ARRESTS 108 PEOPLE AT COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY AFTER ANTI-ISRAEL AGITATORS SET UP ENCAMPMENT ON CAMPUSThursday’s resolution condemning Iran overwhelmingly passed 404 to 14. Thirteen Democrats voted against the resolution including "Squad" member Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y.; Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich.; Cori Bush, D-Mo.; Ilhan Omar, D-Minn.; Jamaal Bowman, D-N.Y.; and Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass. Just one House Republican, Rep. Thomas Massive, R-Ky., voted against the bill.Israel's war on Hamas began after militants from the pro-Palestinian terror group invaded southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023 and killed more than 1,000 people. The Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between fighters and civilians, has said over 30,000 Palestinians have died in the months since.Since Oct. 7, Fetterman has repeatedly irked his Democratic colleagues with his fervent support for Israel. Earlier this week, Fetterman said he would never "capitulate to the fringe" of his party. On Tuesday, he ripped anti-Israel agitators who blocked bridges or major roadways. "I don’t know who needs to hear this, but blocking a bridge or berating folks in Starbucks isn’t righteous, it just makes you an a---hole," Fetterman wrote on X. "Demand Hamas to send every hostage back home and surrender." Fox News Digital’s Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this report.

MLB announced veteran reliever Aroldis Chapman has been suspended two games after his heated argument with a home plate umpire who ejected him. "Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Aroldis Chapman has received a two-game suspension and an undisclosed fine for his inappropriate actions in the bottom of the eighth inning of Monday night’s game against the New York Mets at Citi Field," Michael Hill, MLB senior vice president for on-field operations, said in a statement. "Unless appealed, the suspension of Chapman is scheduled to begin on Friday, when the Pirates are to host the Boston Red Sox at PNC Park. If Chapman elects to file an appeal, then the discipline will be held in abeyance until that process is complete."CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COMChapman’s Pittsburgh Pirates were playing the New York Mets when he was pitching in the bottom of the eighth inning at Citi Field. Mets outfielder Harrison Bader hit a double that gave the Mets a lead, and it stood as the game-winning hit. Chapman clearly didn’t like how home plate umpire Edwin Moscoso was calling balls and strikes, and he said something to Moscoso when he went to get a baseball from his catcher. BIZARRE SNOWSTORM SHOWERS OVER PIRATES' HOME OPENER VS ORIOLES AT PNC PARKMoscoso waited a few seconds before tossing Chapman from the game, and that’s when things got more heated. Chapman got in Moscoso’s face, and the two went back and forth before the southpaw eventually retreated to the dugout to accept his fate. It’s unclear whether Chapman plans to appeal his suspension. Chapman, 36, is in his first season with the Pirates, who signed him to a one-year pact worth $10.5 million in free agency. The man whose fastball can reach triple digits on the radar gun is playing for his fourth team in three seasons. Last season, Chapman ended up with the Texas Rangers after playing earlier in the season with the Kansas City Royals. The Rangers won the World Series over the Arizona Diamondbacks, giving Chapman his second World Series ring. Chapman has a 4.76 ERA in nine appearances for the Pirates this season. Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

A Jewish Columbia University student was told to "kill yourself" and repeatedly kicked in the stomach during an anti-Israel protest on the New York City campus.Elisha "Lishi" Baker, 21, told the New York Post that the antisemitic comments came after his shirt was scorched by fire.He said that he felt that the protesters did not "see my humanity.""I knew the anti-American sentiment was rampant [among protesters]," Baker told the outlet Wednesday. "I didn’t know how deadly rampant it was until my shirt was on fire. Personally, I felt they didn’t see my humanity."NYPD ARRESTS 109 PEOPLE AT COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY AFTER ANTI-ISRAEL AGITATORS SET UP ENCAMPMENT ON CAMPUSBaker shared with the New York Post that curiosity brought him and his friend, David Lederer, to the protest at the Ivy League university's campus.The college student said that nothing prepared him for what he witnessed at the protest."Kill yourself, kill yourself," Baker remembered them chanting at him.He said that the situation further-spiraled after he asked a protester his thoughts about the American flag.The unidentified demonstrator then aggressively kicked Baker, who was standing next to his friend, in the stomach before running away.ANTI-ISRAEL AGITATORS OCCUPY COLUMBIA CAMPUS AS UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT FACES GRILLING FROM CONGRESSTarek Bazrouk, 19, was arrested on assault charges for "causing redness and pain" to Baker’s abdomen, the NYPD said.On Monday, Lederer said that he attended an anti-Israel rally in New York City with an American flag alongside four others.Lederer, alongside his four friends, did not wear anything to indicate they were Jewish – but they held American flags."Burn it again, burn it again," Lederer recalled protesters chanting, the New York Post reported.Demonstrators also called them "genocide supporters" and told them they were "not welcome."At one point, Lederer's American flag was ripped from his hands and promptly burned by a protester.Lederer and Baker told the outlet that they are documenting the protests in New York City to show "how anti-American these protests are."COLUMBIA STUDENT SUSPENDED AFTER ALLEGED ‘FART SPRAY’ ATTACK DURING PRO-PALESTINIAN RALLY SUES SCHOOL"It shouldn’t just be a Jewish issue," Lederer added."It’s so sad the world has come to this," Baker said.The Jewish college student's experience came after the NYPD arrested 108 people for trespassing, after the demonstrating students had set up an encampment on a campus lawn.NYPD officers noted that while many of the protesters were peaceful and didn't resist arrest. However, around 500 students left their classrooms and told officers they were the "KKK," "baby killers" and to "go kill ourselves," a police official said. Fox News Digital's Stephen Sorace and Louis Casiano contributed to this report.

A Jewish Columbia University student was told to "kill yourself" and repeatedly kicked in the stomach during an anti-Israel protest on the New York City campus.Elisha "Lishi" Baker, 21, told the New York Post that the antisemitic comments came after his shirt was scorched by fire.He said that he felt that the protesters did not "see my humanity.""I knew the anti-American sentiment was rampant [among protesters]," Baker told the outlet Wednesday. "I didn’t know how deadly rampant it was until my shirt was on fire. Personally, I felt they didn’t see my humanity."NYPD ARRESTS 109 PEOPLE AT COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY AFTER ANTI-ISRAEL AGITATORS SET UP ENCAMPMENT ON CAMPUSBaker shared with the New York Post that curiosity brought him and his friend, David Lederer, to the protest at the Ivy League university's campus.The college student said that nothing prepared him for what he witnessed at the protest."Kill yourself, kill yourself," Baker remembered them chanting at him.He said that the situation further-spiraled after he asked a protester his thoughts about the American flag.The unidentified demonstrator then aggressively kicked Baker, who was standing next to his friend, in the stomach before running away.ANTI-ISRAEL AGITATORS OCCUPY COLUMBIA CAMPUS AS UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT FACES GRILLING FROM CONGRESSTarek Bazrouk, 19, was arrested on assault charges for "causing redness and pain" to Baker’s abdomen, the NYPD said.On Monday, Lederer said that he attended an anti-Israel rally in New York City with an American flag alongside four others.Lederer, alongside his four friends, did not wear anything to indicate they were Jewish – but they held American flags."Burn it again, burn it again," Lederer recalled protesters chanting, the New York Post reported.Demonstrators also called them "genocide supporters" and told them they were "not welcome."At one point, Lederer's American flag was ripped from his hands and promptly burned by a protester.Lederer and Baker told the outlet that they are documenting the protests in New York City to show "how anti-American these protests are."COLUMBIA STUDENT SUSPENDED AFTER ALLEGED ‘FART SPRAY’ ATTACK DURING PRO-PALESTINIAN RALLY SUES SCHOOL"It shouldn’t just be a Jewish issue," Lederer added."It’s so sad the world has come to this," Baker said.The Jewish college student's experience came after the NYPD arrested 108 people for trespassing, after the demonstrating students had set up an encampment on a campus lawn.NYPD officers noted that while many of the protesters were peaceful and didn't resist arrest. However, around 500 students left their classrooms and told officers they were the "KKK," "baby killers" and to "go kill ourselves," a police official said. Fox News Digital's Stephen Sorace and Louis Casiano contributed to this report.

A hack that caused a small Texas town’s water system to overflow in January has been linked to a shadowy Russian hacktivist group, the latest case of a U.S. public utility becoming a target of foreign cyberattacks.The attack was one of three on small towns in the rural Texas Panhandle. Local officials said the public was not put in any danger and the attempts were reported to federal authorities.TEXAS FARMING CRISIS LOOMS AS US, MEXICO SPAR OVER LONG-STANDING WATER TREATY"There were 37,000 attempts in four days to log into our firewall," said Mike Cypert, city manager of Hale Center, which is home to about 2,000 residents. The attempted hack failed as the city "unplugged" the system and operated it manually, he added.In Muleshoe, about 60 miles to the west and with a population of about 5,000, hackers caused the water system to overflow before it was shut down and taken over manually by officials, city manager Ramon Sanchez told CNN. He did not immediately respond to phone calls from The Associated Press seeking comment."The incident was quickly addressed and resolved," Sanchez said in a statement, according to KAMC-TV. "The city’s water disinfectant system was not affected, and the public water system nor the public was in any danger."At least one of the attacks was linked this week by Mandiant, a U.S. cybersecurity firm, to a shadowy Russian hacktivist group that it said could be working with or part of a Russian military hacking unit.The group, calling itself CyberArmyofRussia_Reborn, claimed responsibility for January attacks on water facilities in the United States and Poland that got little attention at the time.Cybersecurity researchers say CyberArmyofRussia_Reborn was among groups suspected of Russian government ties that engaged last year in low-complexity attacks against Ukraine and its allies, including denial-of-service data barrages that temporarily knock websites offline.Sometimes such groups claim responsibility for attacks that were actually carried out by Kremlin military intelligence hackers, Microsoft reported in December.Cypert, the Hale Center city manager, said he has turned information over to FBI and the Department of Homeland Security.The FBI declined to comment, and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, a branch of DHS, referred questions to the cities that were targeted.In Lockney, about 25 miles (40 kilometers) east of Hale Center and home to around 1,500 people, cyberattackers were thwarted before they could access that town’s water system, city manager Buster Poling said."It didn’t cause any problems except being a nuisance," Poling said.Last year CISA put out an advisory following November hacks on U.S. water facilities attributed to Iranian state groups who said they were targeting facilities using Israeli equipment.Deputy national security adviser Anne Neuberger said in December that attacks by Iranian hackers — as well as a separate spate of ransomware attacks on the health care industry — should be seen as a call to action by utilities and industry to tighten cybersecurity.In March, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael S. Regan and Jake Sullivan, assistant to the president for National Security Affairs, sent a letter to the nation’s governors asking them to take steps to protect the water supply, including assessing cybersecurity and planning for a cyberattack."Drinking water and wastewater systems are an attractive target for cyberattacks because they are a lifeline critical infrastructure sector but often lack the resources and technical capacity to adopt rigorous cybersecurity practices," Regan and Sullivan wrote.

A gunman who wounded a police officer in the leg after a brief car chase shot himself to death, the Albany police chief said Thursday, and was not killed by the officer’s returning fire as police initially implied.Autopsy results showed that Amiel Layeni, 28, "died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head," Chief Eric Hawkins said at a news conference.Police released some of a recording from Officer Jonathan Damphier's body-worn camera, showing him breaking off a chase of a speeding car through a neighborhood. Damphier then spots the same car. As he approaches it, Layeni emerges from behind the car with his arm raised and pointed at the officer. Two loud bangs are heard. "Shots fired," the officer shouts as he runs for cover.ALBANY, NEW YORK, POLICE OFFICER SHOT IN ‘AMBUSH’ DURING TRAFFIC STOP ATTEMPT; SUSPECT DEAD: OFFICIALSThe video shows only the first moments of the encounter, when the officer was wounded, and not the gunfire that followed. Hawkins said more than 10 shell casings were recovered at the scene.It's "important to put something out there," but "wasn’t appropriate" to make all of it public, he said.Damphier's prognosis is good after surgery for an upper leg wound at Albany Medical Center, the chief said.Officials had implied earlier that Layeni was killed by Damphier. "The officer returned fire and the suspect was shot at some point during that confrontation," Hawkins had said Wednesday.Hawkins said Thursday that he had been careful with his wording because it was not immediately clear what had happened. "I was intentional about what I said about it," he said.Layeni did have a graze wound from another gunshot, officials said.Hawkins said police found two illegally possessed 9-millimeter handguns at the shooting scene and a search warrant served on Layeni’s Albany home turned up a 9-millimeter ghost gun.Officials said police will review the shooting internally and the state attorney general and the Albany Community Police Review Board will investigate. Hawkins said Wednesday that Damphier was clearly ambushed and did exactly what he was supposed to do.Damphier, with the department since 2021, was the first Albany police officer shot in the line of duty since since Lt. John Finn was fatally wounded on Dec. 23, 2003."We’ve not had an officer struck by gunfire in two decades in the city of Albany," Mayor Kathy Sheehan said. "And so this is for all of us newer territory."

Authorities evacuated an area of Ohio's capital, Columbus, for several hours on Thursday out of fear that a fire in truck's trailer could have caused lithium ion batteries to explode.DRIVER DEAD AFTER FIERY CRASH INTO CHICAGO-AREA TOLL PLAZAPolice began evacuating a several-block area west of downtown shortly after 7 a.m. and closed off several highway exits near the Scioto River. Officers went door-to-door to alert residents about the evacuation, and a shelter was set up at a community center.Although firefighters were still battling the blaze as of late morning, the evacuation order was lifted about three hours after it was issued and no injuries were reported.The evacuation was ordered out of concern that the batteries could burn very rapidly and explode.The fire was discovered at around 6 a.m., but the back of the smoking trailer wasn't opened until around 9 a.m. because authorities were determining the best way to extinguish the blaze.The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

The Alabama Supreme Court on Wednesday authorized the execution of a man convicted of killing a delivery driver who stopped at an ATM.2 INMATES DEAD, 5 HURT AFTER WORK-RELEASE VAN CRASHES IN ALABAMAJustices granted the Alabama attorney general's request to authorize an execution date for Keith Edmund Gavin, 64. Gov. Kay Ivey will set the day of the execution, which will be carried out by lethal injection.Gavin was convicted of capital murder for the 1998 shooting death of William Clinton Clayton, Jr. in Cherokee County. Prosecutors said Clayton, a delivery driver, stopped at an ATM in downtown Centre for money to take his wife to dinner. A jury voted 10-2 in favor of the death penalty for Gavin. The trial court accepted the jury’s recommendation.Gavin's attorney had asked the court not to authorize the execution, arguing the state was moving Gavin to the "front of the line" ahead of other inmates who had exhausted their appeals.

A man linked to a homicide investigation in California's capital was fatally shot Wednesday by police 80 miles away in Oakland after he allegedly emerged from a home with a firearm, authorities said Thursday.Sacramento police officers notified the Oakland Police Department that they were in Oakland investigating a homicide and requested assistance in arresting a suspect, the Oakland Police Department said in a brief statement.CALIFORNIA WOMAN'S MOUTH WIRED SHUT AFTER RANDOM ATTACK IN RITZY WATERFRONT LA NEIGHBORHOODOakland police officers arrived in West Oakland and were securing the area where the suspect was located when the man exited a house holding a firearm and officers opened fire, killing him, the department said.The officers gave the man first aid until emergency personnel arrived, but he died at the scene, it said.The officers involved in the shooting were put on paid administrative leave while the Oakland Police Department’s Homicide Section, Internal Affairs Division, and the Oakland Community Police Review Agency investigate the fatal shooting.The Oakland Police Department said it couldn't share any other information "to ensure the integrity of the investigation.""Additional details will be shared as soon as the investigative process allows and in compliance with the law," the department said.

An attorney who witnessed a horrifying murder-suicide inside a Las Vegas law firm is speaking out – telling her story to Fox News Digital.Lisa Rasmussen was inside the conference room at Prince Law Group on the morning of Monday, April 8 when fellow attorney Joe Houston pulled out a gun without warning and opened fire.The terminally ill Houston gunned down prominent Las Vegas attorney Dennis Prince and his wife, Ashley, before turning the gun on himself. The bizarre shooting was the culmination of an "incredibly tense" custody battle with "​​a lot of venom going back and forth," Rasmussen said."All of a sudden there's this horrible noise and I couldn't even identify it. It was like a bomb," Rasmussen said, recalling the moment the shooter, who was seated right next to her, began his violent rampage.FAMILY OF SLAIN MOTHER IN LAS VEGAS LAW FIRM SHOOTING SHARES EX'S VIOLENT PAST: 'LIVED IN CONSTANT FEAR'"It was sort of echoing in my head… I had no idea what it was. I turned to my right to kind of look at Joe, maybe, and say, ‘What… what the hell was that?’ And I just see, right next to me, a barrel and a sleeve," Rasmussen said. "I don't even remember seeing the hand. It's so weird. I just saw the barrel of a gun."Rasmussen said it took her brain a minute to comprehend what was happening."I recall Joe standing up and pointing across the table with the barrel – the gun. And by that time, and at that moment, I was really clear on what was happening. I'm like, ‘okay, that was a gunshot. That's a gun. He's pointing it,’" Rasmussen said. "I wasn't going to stand around. I peeled back to my left –  jumped up."Rasmussen fled the conference room for her life along with her client, an 8-months-pregnant associate and a court reporter. She searched desperately for safety as shots continued to ring out in the conference room. When the violence stopped, the gravity of the tragedy became apparent. Joe Houston, 77, had murdered Dennis Prince, 57, and his wife Ashley Prince, 30, Rasmussen said. The Princes were locked in a contentious custody battle with Dylan Houston, Ashley’s ex-husband and Joe Houston’s son. Rasmussen was representing Joe Houston’s wife, Kelly, at the time. The group had gathered at Prince Law Group that fateful morning so Kelly could be deposed in the case.PROMINENT LAS VEGAS ATTORNEY, HIS WIFE GUNNED DOWN BY FELLOW ATTORNEY WHO HAD TERMINAL CANCER: SOURCE"People ask me if I think Joe came with a plan to do this, and I say no," Rasmussen said. "I just really think it just unfolded in a moment of rage, whatever. And we're never going to know, right? Because Joe took his own life. We're never going to know what happened."Rasmussen said Joe Houston displayed no warning signs that morning. She described him as "jovial.""I was aware that he had a cancer diagnosis, but he did not seem just so, you know, terminally ill," she said. "He was able-bodied, and he had a full head of hair, and he was jovial. He didn't seem sick or even like he didn't feel well. He didn't look pale. He didn't. So he may have had a diagnosis that was problematic. I, of course, have no idea what was going through his mind."She walked with Joe Houston and his wife up to the conference room where they met several other associates to begin the deposition.Dennis Prince entered the conference room with his wife, not knowing it would be the last few moments of their lives. Rasmussen said Dennis skipped the usual pleasantries.PROMINENT LAS VEGAS ATTORNEY, WIFE KILLED BY ANOTHER ATTORNEY IN LAW FIRM SHOOTING: REPORT"It was immediately odd because there was no prelude. There was no ‘good morning. Does anyone want water? The bathrooms are in the hall,'" she said. "He just looked at the court reporter and said, ‘please swear in the witness,’ which isn't, you know, the best way to put the witness at ease."Before the questioning began, Rasmussen said, Joe asked Dennis if there was any way they were ever going to be able to resolve any of the issues for the sake of children."And Dennis didn't respond. There was no response to that. He just turned to Kelly and started asking her the deposition questions. And not even, like, normally in a depo, there's some prelude, you know, please wait until I finish my question until you start your answer. There was none of that," Rasmussen…

An Indianapolis man has been formally charged with murder in last week's fatal shootings of three people at a central Indiana apartment complex, authorities said.Malik Shaw, 24, was charged Wednesday with three counts of murder for his alleged role in the killings in Lawrence, a city contained within the boundaries of Indianapolis, on its northeast side, Marion County prosecutors said.Shaw, who was arrested Tuesday, was being held without bond. He appeared in court Thursday for an initial hearing on the charges. Online court records do not list an attorney who could speak on behalf of Shaw, whose next court date is an April 23 status of counsel hearing.INDIANA DEPUTIES KILL MAN WHO POINTED GUN AT THEMShaw was charged days after officers found two women and one man fatally shot on April 12 at a Lawrence apartment complex while responding to reports of gunfire, police said. The victims were identified as 19-year-old Aaliyah Wortman of Marion, 19-year-old Londyn Coleman of Warsaw and 27-year-old Spencer Lawson Jr. of Indianapolis.Shaw's cellphone was found near the shooting scene, prosecutors said.An apartment complex maintenance employee told officers he heard gunshots before he saw someone chasing a man and shooting at him, according to a probable cause affidavit.The employee said he got his pistol and ran around a building, where he saw "two suspects" wearing masks and fired at one of them and believed that person was struck at least once.Police had announced no additional arrests in the killings as of Thursday afternoon.

The daughter of U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., was arrested Thursday at anti-Israel protests at Columbia University, law enforcement sources told Fox News. Isra Hirsi was in the custody of the New York Police Department and put into flex cuffs or zip ties and will face trespassing charges, according to sources. She was among more than 100 people issued a summons for trespassing, the NYPD said. Hirsi was released hours later from NYPD headquarters. Earlier in the day, Hirsi said she was suspended from Barnard College, located near Columbia, for "standing in solidarity with Palestinians facing a genocide."PENTAGON SPOX ON WHETHER US WILL HELP ISRAELI ATTACK ON IRAN: 'THAT’S A QUESTION FOR ISRAEL'"Those of us in Gaza Solidarity Encampment will not be intimidated," she wrote on X. "We will stand resolute until our demands are met. our [sic] demands include divestment from companies complicit in genocide, transparency of @Columbia’s investments and FULL amnesty for all students facing repression."Dozens of anti-Israel activists began protesting at Columbia University Wednesday morning, creating an encampment on the main lawn in protest of Israel's war against Hamas. Fiery protests continued into the overnight hours with calls for an intifada and the death of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. 'RADICAL' PRO-PALESTINIAN GROUPS INCREASINGLY TARGET HOUSES OF WORSHIP FOR PROTESTS IN ALARMING TRENDOn Wednesday, Omar questioned Columbia administrators during a congressional hearing on Capitol Hill about anti-Israel activism on the Ivy League campus. During the hearing, Omar sounded the alarm about what she called an "attack" with a "toxic chemical substance" at an anti-Israel protest at Columbia University. However, according to court documents, the substance was a non-toxic flatulence spray called "Liquid A--" and "Wet Farts." Fox News Digital has reached out to Omar's office. Rep. Jamaal Bowman, D-N.Y., suggested Hirsi's suspension was a reprisal for her mother's questions. COLUMBIA STUDENT SUSPENDED AFTER ALLEGED ‘FART SPRAY’ ATTACK DURING ANTI-ISRAEL RALLY SUES SCHOOL"The day after @IlhanMN questioned Columbia leadership's commitment to free academic expression, the school suspended her daughter?" Bowman posted online. "It's clear what is happening here. Our educational institutions should not be in the business of political reprisals."Fox News Digital's Hannah Grossman contributed to this report. 

A vehicle plowed into a suburban Chicago highway toll plaza early Thursday, engulfing it and the plaza in flames and killing the motorist, police said.STUDENTS, DRIVER ESCAPE MOMENTS BEFORE NJ SCHOOL BUS BURSTS INTO FLAMES ON HIGHWAYIllinois State Police said troopers responded to the scene after receiving a report that a vehicle had struck the Barrington Road Toll Plaza along westbound Interstate 90 in Cook County and become engulfed in fire.The motorist, who was the sole occupant of the vehicle, was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash, reported about 4:25 a.m., police said.By around 5 a.m., most of the flames were out, news outlets reported. Video of the crash scene showed the plaza littered with debris as firefighters poured water on a structure next to the heavily damaged vehicle.The crash occurred near Hoffman Estates, a suburb about 30 miles northwest of downtown Chicago.

CHENNAI - Close to 970 million Indians start voting today as India holds its general election with polls suggesting that incumbent Prime Minister, Narendra Modi will win a third term in the world's largest democracy."Many Indians view Modi as a ‘strongman figure’. None of the opposition parties can field a candidate with equal charisma. Also, they have no coherent strategy or platform except that they are ‘anti-Modi,'" 25-year-old Anandh Nair from Thiruvananthapuram in the state of Kerala recently told Fox News Digital.Modi first became prime minister in 2014. He was then re-elected for a second term in 2019.  Nair, a student, said that "During Modi’s two terms, we actually saw the standard of living rise, especially for the middle class. Another thing was, previous leaders had been ‘wishy-washy’ about supporting our Hindu identity, almost as if they were ashamed of it. But for the BJP, there was no doubt that they showed pride. For most Indians, religion is an important part of everyday life." INDIAN PRIME MINISTER NARENDRA MODI VISITS KASHMIR'S MAIN CITY TO DISCUSS DEVELOPMENT PROJECTSWhile Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has not yet succeeded in making inroads in some parts of the country, the main opposition Indian National Congress Party has dwindled in terms of the number of states it now holds, despite its previous dominance in Indian politics. Regardless, Modi has campaigned in the southern states of Tamil Nadu and Kerala recently in what many viewed as a daring step, given that the party has not fared well there. Gurdas Rao, a tour guide from Mumbai, told Fox News Digital that, "Modi is popular among both the rich and poor. All of us have seen the quality-of-life skyrocket, so why won't we vote for him again?". India’s economic success in the face of the economic crisis following the COVID-19 pandemic was most notable when regional neighbors, Sri Lanka and Pakistan, faced major challenges as they ran out of foreign reserves. In contrast, India stayed relatively unscathed. This culminated when India came to Sri Lanka’s rescue, providing much needed fuel resources during its economic crisis in 2022. Both the IMF and the World Bank also estimated that India was the fastest growing economy in 2023.A significant event was when the 73-year-old Modi attended the groundbreaking opening of the Ram Mandhir, a new temple in Ayodhya and described this as fulfilling "dreams that many generations have cherished for years". This was at the holy site believed by Hindus to be the birthplace of the legendary King Rama. MILLIONS IN INDIA CELEBRATE AS TEMPLE BUILT ON RUINS OF HISTORIC MOSQUE It opened, despite much controversy surrounding the temple being built on top of a razed mosque, leaving the nation divided along religious lines. Many among the Hindu majority showed positive responses, while religious minorities seemed less satisfied. Prince Samuels, a Christian from Goa, told Fox News Digital that "India is a very diverse country: we have churches, mosques and temples; all on the same street. The BJP is catering to the Hindu majority and not incorporating our religious and culture diversity into their vision of a ‘united India’. They blatantly favor one community over the others."Siddhartha Dubey, a professor of journalism based in Evanston, Illinois, said "I think the Indian diaspora, which is largely Hindu, is keen to see India growing economically and strengthening ties with their adopted countries. Both of these are currently happening. However, generally speaking, they do not seem too bothered in the whittling down of democracy and institutions within India, and it seems that many are happy to support Mr. Modi." He cautioned that a third Modi term will see the "doubling down against the rights of minorities and civil society". However, in terms of foreign relations, he said that "U.S.-India relations are agnostic of whoever gets elected as U.S. president this year." Dubey added, "India’s economy will grow and if you see the projections from big American companies, India is a key place for investment."Former University of Delhi, Indian history professor Preeti Singh told Fox News Digital that, "Modi’s support in India transcends the differences in income levels, social categories and caste divisions. His background as a chai walla (tea vendor) has been likened to a common man much like a majority of Indians, and his rise to the top position in India personifies the aspirations of the working classes and all other Indians." "His promise and delivery of clean politics, corruption-free government and improved infrastructure have increased his popularity cutting across all classes and categories of society."PUTIN SUGGESTS ADDING INDIA OTHER COUNTRIES TO UN SECURITY…

Israel carried out limited strikes in Iran early Friday in retaliation for Tehran firing a barrage of missiles and drones at Israel late Saturday.Fox News Digital confirmed there have been explosions in Iran's Isfahan province, which is where Natanz, one of Iran's nuclear facilities, is located. Though it was initially unclear if the facility was hit, state television described all sites in the area as "fully safe" and the International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed on X Friday morning that there is no damage.A well-placed military source has told Fox that the strike was "limited." Sources familiar said the U.S. was not involved and there was pre-notification to the U.S. from the Israelis.Pentagon officials have not confirmed the strike. The White House and the National Security Council (NSC) have declined to comment on the unfolding situation.REPORTS OF ISRAEL'S RETALIATORY STRIKES AGAINST IRAN PROMPT REACTIONS FROM LAWMAKERS: 'RIGHT TO DEFEND ITSELF'The semiofficial Fars news agency reported on the sound of explosions over Isfahan near its international airport. It offered no explanation for the blast. However, Isfahan is home to a major airbase for the Iranian military, as well as sites associated with its nuclear program.Iran temporarily grounded commercial flights in Tehran and across areas of its western and central regions in response to the attack. Restrictions have since been lifted on flights to and from Khomeini and Mehrabad international airports in Tehran, according to Iranian news agency Tasnim.Dubai-based carriers Emirates and FlyDubai began diverting around western Iran at about 4:30 a.m. local time.In a statement to Fox News Digital, FlyDubai said flight FZ 1929 from Dubai to Tehran Friday morning returned to Dubai because the Imam Khomeini International Airport was closed. The airline also said all of its flights to Iran on Friday have been canceled."The safety of our passengers and crew is our priority. We are monitoring the situation closely and will make changes to our flight paths in consultation with the relevant authorities," a FlyDubai spokesperson said. "We will share any further updates once more information becomes available."ISRAEL'S ADVANCED MILITARY TECHNOLOGY ON FULL DISPLAY DURING IRAN'S ATTACKIn response to Israel's reported strike on Iran, the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem issued a security notice Friday morning "out of an abundance of caution" restricting U.S. government employees and their family members from personal travel outside the greater Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and Be'er Sheva areas until further notice.Iran attacked Israel over the weekend in retaliation for Israel's deadly strike on Iran's consulate earlier this month that killed a dozen people, including a top general. The weekend attack by Iran marked a major escalation of violence. Despite decades of hostilities between the two nations, Iran has never directly attacked Israel, instead relying on proxy forces in Iraq, Lebanon and elsewhere. This is a developing story. Check back for updates. 

Zimbabwe President Emmerson Mnangagwa granted clemency to more than 4,000 prisoners, including some who were on death row, in an independence day amnesty on Thursday.Zimbabwe marked 44 years of independence from white minority rule, which ended in 1980 after a bloody bush war. The country’s name was changed from Rhodesia to Zimbabwe.The presidential amnesty, the second in less than a year, benefits female, older and juvenile inmates, the terminally ill and some who were originally sentenced to death.KENYA’S MILITARY CHIEF DIES IN A HELICOPTER CRASHThose once on death row but who had their sentences commuted to life terms in previous clemency orders or through court appeals are to be freed provided they have been in prison for at least 20 years, according to the clemency order, which was announced Wednesday and due to take effect on Thursday.All female prisoners who had served at least a third of their sentence by independence day are being freed, as are juvenile inmates who have served the same period.Prisoners age 60 and older who have served one tenth of their sentences will also be released. Mnangagwa also pardoned the blind and others with disabilities who have served a third of their sentence.The prisoners are being released in batches across the country.However, those jailed for "specified" offences that include sexual offences, robbery, public violence, unlawful possession of firearms, human trafficking and theft or vandalism of electricity and telecommunications infrastructure won't benefit from the amnesty.All death row prisoners who have been in jail for at least 10 years had their sentences commuted to life in prison under the amnesty.Zimbabwe has more than 60 inmates on death row. It wasn't immediately clear how many of those had their sentences commuted to life under the amnesty.Zimbabwe is one of more than a dozen countries in Africa and more than 50 across the world that have the death penalty, although the country's last hanging was in 2005. Mnangagwa says he supports abolishing the death penalty, a move which was backed by the Cabinet in February and is now awaiting approval from Parliament.Mnangagwa freed more than 4,000 prisoners in another clemency order last May aimed at decongesting the southern African nation's overcrowded prisons, where conditions are usually harsh. At the time, Zimbabwe had about 22,000 prisoners crammed into prisons with a capacity of 17,000.

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — South Africa faces an unusual national election this year, its seventh vote since transitioning from white minority rule to a democracy 30 years ago. Polls and analysts warn that for the first time, the ruling African National Congress party that has comfortably held power since Nelson Mandela became the country's first Black president in 1994 might receive less than 50% of votes.One big reason is Jacob Zuma, the former president and ANC leader who stepped down in disgrace in 2018 amid a swirl of corruption allegations but has emerged in recent months with a new political party. It intends to be a major election player as the former president seeks revenge against former longtime allies.A SOUTH AFRICAN COURT OVERTURNS BAN, RULES THAT FORMER LEADER JACOB ZUMA CAN RUN IN THE ELECTIONHere is what you need to know about the 82-year-old Zuma's return to the political ring and how it might play a significant election role.WHO IS JACOB ZUMA?Zuma has long been one of South Africa's most recognizable politicians. He was a senior leader in the ANC during the liberation struggle against apartheid. A former ANC intelligence chief, he has repeatedly threatened to reveal some of the party’s secrets. While Zuma was not one of Mandela’s preferred choices to succeed him, Mandela trusted Zuma to play an influential role in ending deadly political violence that engulfed KwaZulu-Natal province before the historic 1994 elections. The province has remained a vocal base of support for Zuma ever since, and members of Zuma's Zulu ethnic group make up its majority. Zuma became deputy leader of the ANC in 1997 and was appointed South Africa's deputy president in 1999.HOW DID HE BECOME PRESIDENT?Zuma's path to power included legal challenges. In 2006, he was found not guilty of raping the daughter of a comrade at Zuma's home in Johannesburg. A year earlier, he was fired as South Africa’s deputy president after his financial advisor was convicted for corruption for soliciting bribes for Zuma during an infamous arms deal. Alleging a political witch hunt, Zuma launched an aggressive political campaign that saw him elected ANC president in 2007. His campaign appealed to widespread discontent with then-President Thabo Mbeki, who was often described as autocratic and aloof. The corruption charges against Zuma were later dropped, amid controversy, and he was elected South Africa's president in 2009.HOW DID HE LOSE POWER?Zuma's presidency was often under fire. His close friends and allies, the Gupta family, were accused of influencing appointments to key cabinet positions in exchange for lucrative business deals. The allegations of corruption in government and state-owned companies eventually led the ANC force Zuma to resign in 2018. A judicial commission of inquiry uncovered wide-ranging evidence, and Zuma in 2021 was convicted and sentenced to 15 months in jail for refusing to testify. Zuma remains aggrieved with the ANC and his successor, President Cyril Ramaphosa. But few South Africans expected the break to go so far.HOW HAS HE REEMERGED?Zuma shocked the country in December by denouncing the ANC and campaigning against a party that had been at the heart of his political career. His new political party, UMkhonto WeSizwe, was named after the ANC's military wing, which was disbanded at the end of the struggle against white minority rule. The ANC has launched a legal case seeking to stop the new party from using a name and logo that are similar to those of the military wing. The charismatic Zuma continues to crisscross the country, delivering lively speeches, and an image of his face will represent the party on ballots.WHAT ARE ZUMA'S ELECTION CHANCES?The ANC already had been facing pressure from other opposition parties. But Zuma's new party threatens to draw support from within the often divided ANC. South Africa's electoral body has cleared him to run for a parliament seat, despite his past conviction. Polls suggest the new party may emerge as one of the country's biggest opposition parties and could play a significant role if the weakening ANC must form coalitions to run the country. Addressing his supporters at a recent rally, Zuma declared that "I need to return so that I can fix things."

BANJA LUKA, Bosnia-Herzegovina (AP) — Thousands of Bosnian Serbs rallied on Thursday denying that genocide was committed in Srebrenica in 1995 despite rulings to the contrary by two United Nations courts.More than 8,000 Bosniak Muslim men and boys were executed by Bosnian Serb troops in the eastern Bosnian enclave in July 1995. The victims' remains were dumped in mass graves and later reburied to hide evidence of atrocities.US WARNS BOSNIAN SERBS AGAINST CELEBRATION OF CONTROVERSIAL SELF-PROCLAIMED HOLIDAYInternational courts in The Hague, Netherlands, have branded the crime in Srebrenica a genocide, Europe's first since World War II. Bosnian Serb top army officers and political leaders also have been convicted of genocide by U.N. judges.Srebrenica was a "mistake" and a "huge crime," Bosnian Serb separatist leader Milorad Dodik told the crowd at the rally in the northwestern town of Banja Luka that is the Bosnian Serb main administrative center. "But it wasn't genocide."The rally was organized in protest of a draft U.N. resolution commemorating the genocide in Srebrenica that is supported by the Bosniak politicians in Bosnia along with a number of European countries and the United States.The resolution is yet to be passed in the U.N. but the Bosnian Serbs and neighboring Serbia have been strongly opposed, saying it would brand the Serbs as a "genocidal nation." The Serbs are supported by Russia and China.Genocide denial is punishable by Bosnia's own laws. Bosnian Serb parliament, however, earlier on Thursday approved a report denying the Srebrenica genocide.Dodik reiterated his threats that Bosnian Serbs, who control about a half of Bosnia, would split from the rest of the country if the Srebrenica resolution is passed in the U.N General Assembly.The other half of Bosnia is run by the country's Bosniaks, who are mostly Muslim, and Croats."We do not want to live in the same state with you (Bosniaks) and we will not live in the same state with you," said Dodik. "We will do it (split) when the conditions are right."Serbia's parliament speaker and outgoing Prime minister Ana Brnabic also attended the gathering in Banja Luka.Dodik is staunchly pro-Russian and has faced U.S. and British sanctions for his separatism. He has traveled to Russia and met with Russia's President Vladimir Putin despite the invasion of Ukraine and in defiance of the West.In his speech, Dodik said he hoped a potential victory at the upcoming U.S. election by former President Donald Trump would create "different conditions in which we will play." He did not elaborate. Dodik ended his speech by exclaiming "Long live Russia!"Bosnia remains ethnically divided and politically tense long after the end of the 1992-95 war. The troubled Balkan nation is seeking European Union membership but internal divisions have hampered the effort amid fears of instability as the war rages in Ukraine.

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Kenya’s military chief Gen. Francis Ogolla died in a helicopter crash west of the country, President William Ruto announced Thursday and declared three days of national mourning.The helicopter was carrying 11 people, including Gen. Ogolla, when it crashed Thursday and caught fire in a remote area near the border with Uganda, killing nine people onboard, the president said.KENYAN HOSPITAL LAYS OFF 100 STRIKING DOCTORS AS NATIONWIDE STRIKE NEARS A MONTHIt is unclear what caused the crash.Gen. Ogolla, 61, was on a tour of the country’s troubled western region that has seen frequent attacks by local bandits.He was appointed Kenya’s Chief of Defense Forces in April last year after Gen. Robert Kibochi retired.Political controversy surrounded Ogolla even before his appointment, when he was accused by the country's electoral commission chairperson as being part of a national security council delegation that tried to influence the outcome of the 2022 general election against President Ruto.Ruto later explained that he called Gen. Ogolla before his appointment and said that, despite the election controversy, he was the most qualified for the job.Gen Ogolla joined Kenya's military force 40 years ago.He was a graduate of École Militaire de Paris, the National Defence College of Kenya, Egerton University and the University of Nairobi.Gen. Ogolla is survived by his wife Aileen, two children and a grandson.

LONDON (AP) — The husband of former Scottish leader Nicola Sturgeon was charged Thursday with embezzlement in a probe into the finances of Scotland’s pro-independence governing party, a shocking setback for the country's most powerful political couple.Police in Scotland said a 59-year-old man was charged Thursday evening after being arrested and taken into custody earlier in the day for questioning by "detectives investigating the funding and finances of the party."SCOTTISH LEADER NICOLA STURGEON TO RESIGN AFTER 8 YEARSHe was released after being charged, the force said. While police did not name the suspect, the details provided matched up with Peter Murrell, the party’s former chief executive who was arrested just over a year ago.Scottish police have been investigating how 600,000 pounds ($750,000) earmarked for a Scottish independence campaign were spent. Murrell, Sturgeon and Colin Beattie, the Scottish National Party's former treasurer, were arrested and questioned last year in the probe but released without being charged with a crime.Murrell's first arrest came shortly after Sturgeon's surprise announcement in February 2023 that she was resigning her post after eight years as party leader and first minister of Scotland’s semi-autonomous government.Murrell stepped down the following month amid controversy about the party’s declining membership and a bitter fight to replace Sturgeon. He held the position for more than 20 years.At the time of Murrell's first arrest, police searched the couple's Glasgow home over two days.It is highly unusual for a leader or former leader of a U.K. political party to be arrested. Sturgeon said after being released from custody in June that her arrest had been "both a shock and deeply distressing." She insisted she had done nothing wrong."I do wish to say this, and to do so in the strongest possible terms," she said in a statement on social media at the time. "Innocence is not just a presumption I am entitled to in law. I know beyond doubt that I am in fact innocent of any wrongdoing."In announcing her resignation, Sturgeon said she knew "in my head and in my heart" that it was the right time for her, her party and her country to make way for someone else.Sturgeon and Murrell have been married since 2010 and helped steer the SNP to a dominant position in Scottish politics. It heads the semi-autonomous Scottish government in Edinburgh and holds a large majority of Scotland's seats in the U.K. Parliament in London.But Sturgeon resigned with her biggest political goal — taking Scotland out of the United Kingdom to become an independent country — unrealized.She had led the party and led Scotland since 2014, when Scots rejected independence in a referendum. While the referendum was billed as a once-in-a-generation decision on independence, Sturgeon and her party had pushed for a new vote, arguing that Britain’s departure from the European Union had changed the ground rules.Those efforts reached a stalemate when the U.K. government refused to authorize a new referendum.Sturgeon’s departure unleashed a tussle for the future of the SNP amid recriminations over the party’s declining membership and divisions over the best path towards independence. Opinion polls suggest support for the party has sagged.

With cloud seeding, it may rain, but it doesn't really pour or flood — at least nothing like what drenched the United Arab Emirates and paralyzed Dubai, meteorologists said.Cloud seeding, although decades old, is still controversial in the weather community, mostly because it has been hard to prove that it does very much. No one reports the type of flooding that on Tuesday doused the UAE, which often deploys the technology in an attempt to squeeze every drop of moisture from a sky that usually gives less than 4 or 5 inches (10 to 13 centimeters) of rain a year.A STORM DUMPS RECORD RAIN ACROSS THE DESERT NATION OF UAE AND FLOODS DUBAI'S AIRPORT"It's most certainly not cloud seeding," said private meteorologist Ryan Maue, former chief scientist at the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. "If that occurred with cloud seeding, they'd have water all the time. You can't create rain out of thin air per se and get 6 inches of water. That's akin to perpetual motion technology."Meteorologists and climate scientists said the extreme rainfall is akin to what the world expects with human-caused climate change, and one way to know for certain that it was not caused by tinkering with clouds is that it was forecast days in advance. Atmospheric science researcher Tomer Burg pointed to computer models that six days earlier forecast several inches of rain — the typical amount for an entire year in the UAE.Three low-pressure systems formed a train of storms slowly moving along the jet stream — the river of air that moves weather systems — toward the Persian Gulf, said University of Pennsylvania climate scientist Michael Mann. Blaming cloud seeding ignores the forecasts and the cause, he said.Many of the people pointing to cloud seeding are also climate change deniers who are trying to divert attention from what's really happening, Mann and other scientists said."When we talk about heavy rainfall, we need to talk about climate change. Focusing on cloud seeding is misleading," said Imperial College of London climate scientist Friederike Otto, who heads a team that does rapid attribution of weather extremes to see if they were caused by global warming or not. "Rainfall is becoming much heavier around the world as the climate warms because a warmer atmosphere can hold more moisture."WHAT IS CLOUD SEEDING?Clouds need tiny water or ice droplets called nuclei to make rain. The weather modification method uses planes and ground-based cannons to shoot particles into clouds making more nucleai, attracting moisture that falls as snow and rain. Usually silver iodide is used, but it can also be dry ice and other materials. The method, first pioneered in the 1940s, became popular in the U.S. West starting in the 1960s, mostly for snow.It can’t create water from a clear sky — particles must be shot into a storm cloud that already holds moisture to get it to fall, or to fall more than it otherwise would naturally.HOW EFFECTIVE IS IT?A recent study of aerial seeding found a clear precipitation pattern on a radar that mirrored the seeding and offers evidence the method works. But exactly how effective it is remains unclear, scientists say.The physics makes sense, but the results have been so small that scientists just can't agree on whether it is fair to say it really works, said Maue and Mann.Atmospheric forces are so huge and so chaotic that technically cloud seeding "is way too small a scale to create what happened," Maue said. Extra rainfall from cloud seeding would have been minimal, both said.WHO USES IT?Despite not knowing its efficacy, governments in drought-stricken regions like the U.S. West and the UAE are often willing to invest in technology like seeding in the hopes of getting even a small amount of water.Utah estimates cloud seeding helped increase its water supply by 12% in 2018, according to an analysis by the state's Division of Water Resources. The analysis used estimates provided to them by the contractors paid to do the seeding.Dozens of countries in Asia and the Middle East also use cloud seeding.The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation spent $2.4 million last year on cloud seeding along the overtapped Colorado River. Utah recently increased its seeding budget by tenfold.SO WHAT CAUSED THE DELUGE?That part of the Middle East doesn't get many storms, but when it does, they are whoppers that dwarf what people in the United States are used to, Maue said.Huge tropical storms like this "are not rare events for the Middle East," said University of Reading…

CAPRI, Italy (AP) — Top NATO and European Union officials urged foreign ministers from leading industrialized nations on Thursday to take quick, concrete steps to provide more air defense systems and artillery to Ukraine, warning that continued delays could tilt the war in Moscow’s favor.NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell addressed a meeting of foreign ministers of G7 nations meeting on the Italian resort island of Capri. Russia’s war on Ukraine and surging tensions in the Middle East over Iran’s unprecedented attack on Israel over the weekend have topped the agenda of the gathering.TRUMP SAYS US WILL '100%' STAY IN NATO IF ALLIANCE TREATS AMERICA 'FAIRLY'Without more Patriot air defense missile systems to protect against Russian strikes, "the electricity system of Ukraine will be destroyed. And no country can fight without having electricity at home, in the factories, in the front line," Borrell told reporters on the sidelines of the event.Stoltenberg welcomed signs that the U.S. Congress might soon vote on a $61 billion aid package for Ukraine, the bulk of which would go to purchasing weapons and ammunitions from U.S. defense manufacturers. And he welcomed other recent financial pledges from the Netherlands and Denmark as well as Germany's recent announced delivery of a new Patriot missile battery.But he said more long-term and sustainable aid was necessary to better coordinate Ukraine's response over the long term."There is an urgent, critical need for more air defense," Stoltenberg said, adding that artillery rounds were also needed. "We cannot continue to be in a situation where Russia is outgunning Ukraine, in the way they do now. The Russians are shooting and shooting, and the Ukrainians have limited resources to shoot back. So the Ukrainians need more, and that’s the urgent and important message from me to all allies."Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani opened the first working session by calling for new sanctions against Iran for its weekend attack and concrete help for Ukraine. "If Ukraine loses, (Russian President Vladimir) Putin will never sit at the peace table," Tajani warned.The Capri meeting of the top diplomats from Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States dovetailed with other regional diplomatic efforts sending the same messages. On Wednesday, EU leaders meeting in Brussels vowed to ramp up sanctions on Iran to target its drone and missile deliveries to proxies in Gaza, Yemen and Lebanon.The U.S. and Britain, meanwhile, announced Thursday they were imposing a new round of sanctions on Iran, with the U.S. targeting individuals and entities that produce engines that power drones and are involved in steel production. The latest British measures target several Iranian military organizations, individuals and entities involved in Iran’s drone and ballistic missile industries.Borrell said the existing EU sanctions regime would be strengthened and expanded to punish Tehran and help prevent future attacks on Israel. At the same time, he said, Israel needed to exercise restraint."I don’t want to exaggerate but we are on the edge of a war, a regional war in the Middle East, which will be sending shockwaves to the rest of the world, and in particular to Europe," he warned. "So stop it."German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said Iran must be isolated "because,of course, there must be a reaction to this unprecedented incident, but there must be no further escalation in the region," German news agency dpa reported.On Ukraine, its Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, who was invited to Capri as a guest, underlined his country’s need for essential military support, including artillery, ammunition, and air defense systems as Russia pushes along the front line.He thanked Germany for providing Ukraine with a new Patriot battery, which was announced over the weekend, but urged the U.S. Congress to quickly approve the funding package."So we will work here at the ministerial level to make other allies deliver air defense systems to Ukraine. Because it’s of fundamental importance," Kuleba said.President Joe Biden said Wednesday he supported a proposal from the House speaker, Mike Johnson, to provide about $61 billion in aid for Ukraine, signaling bipartisan support for the precarious funding bill.U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he hoped the U.S. funding would come through but said other allies needed to step up."In this moment, it is urgent that all of the friends and supporters of Ukraine maximize their efforts to provide Ukraine with what it needs to continue to effectively defend itself against this Russian aggression," Blinken said after meeting with Kuleba."If Putin is allowed to proceed with impunity, we know…

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — A human rights organization representing ethnic Armenians submitted evidence to the International Criminal Court on Thursday, arguing that Azerbaijan is committing an ongoing genocide against them.Azerbaijan’s government didn't immediately comment on the accusations. The neighboring countries have been at odds for decades over the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh, and are already facing off in a separate legal case stemming from that conflict.AZERBAIJAN, ARMENIA EXCHANGE BLAME AFTER DEADLY BORDER SKIRMISHLawyers for the California-based Center for Truth and Justice, or CFTJ, say there is sufficient evidence to open a formal investigation into Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and other top leaders for genocide. They have submitted a so-called Article 15 communication urging the court’s chief prosecutor Karim Khan to look into alleged atrocities.Khan’s office will now consider the evidence submitted and determine if the court will open an investigation, a decision expected to take months."My goal here is to get the highest bodies that protect human rights to take some action, not just mere words," Lala Abgaryan, whose sister Gayane was killed by Azerbaijani soldiers in 2022, told The Associated Press.Her sister’s body was badly mutilated and images of the abuse were spread online. Abgaryan says the pictures were so heinous that she suffered psychological damage after looking at them.Long-standing tensions between Armenia and Azerbaijan erupted in 2020 into a war over Nagorno-Karabakh that left more than 6,600 people dead. The region is within Azerbaijan but had been under the control of ethnic Armenian forces since the end of a separatist war in 1994.Last year, following a lightning military campaign, Azerbaijan retook the disputed territory. After Azerbaijan regained full control of Karabakh, which had a population of around 120,000, more than 100,000 of the region’s ethnic Armenians fled, although Azerbaijan said they were welcome to stay and promised their human rights would be ensured.Prior to Azerbaijan’s offensive, Armenia and former International Criminal Court chief prosecutor Luis Moreno Ocampo accused Azerbaijan of committing genocide by creating conditions aimed at destroying Karabakh Armenians as a group.A group of around 30 people gathered in the rain in front of The Hague-based court Thursday to hand over more than 100 pages of documents.The rights organization said it has submitted a dossier of evidence containing the testimony of more than 500 victims and witnesses."These atrocities are captured on social media, by Azerbaijani soldiers themselves, where you hear them laughing, making comments, and taking the dead bodies that they’ve just slaughtered and beheaded," CFTJ leader Gassia Apkaria told the AP.Legal experts say that genocide may be out of reach for the court. Armenia is a member of the ICC, but Azerbaijan isn't, leaving prosecutors with jurisdiction only over crimes committed on Armenian territory. Nagorno-Karabakh is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan.Forcing nearly the entire population to relocate to Armenia, however, could fall within the court’s remit. Deportation is considered a crime against humanity."There is no way this was an exodus by chance," says Mel O’Brien, an associate professor of international law at the University of Western Australia and genocide expert.The court has moved forward with an investigation under similar circumstances into possible crimes committed by Myanmar against the Rohingya minority group. While Myanmar isn't a member state, neighboring Bangladesh is and around 750,000 people have fled across the border after being forced from their homes.The CFTJ’s request came amid two weeks of proceedings between Armenia and Azerbaijan at another global court in The Hague. The United Nations' top court, the International Court of Justice, is hearing arguments related to a pair of cases stemming from the conflict. Each country has accused the other of violating a racial discrimination treaty.