India vs England: Floodlight failure disrupts second ODI, players forced off after long delay
The second innings of the 2nd ODI between India and England faced a stoppage due to a floodlight malfunction at Barabati Stadium in Cuttack on Sunday (February 9).
Floodlight failure disrupts second ODI, players forced off after long delay at Cuttack. (PIC – X)
New Delhi: The second innings of the 2nd ODI between India and England faced a stoppage due to a floodlight malfunction at Barabati Stadium in Cuttack on Sunday (February 9). Play had proceeded for 6 overs when a floodlight issue occurred. After the first delivery of the seventh over, the lights failed again.
Although the issue was briefly resolved, the lights went out once more, forcing the players to wait on the field before deciding to leave. The Indian team was seen chatting in the dugout during the delay.
India stood at 48/0 after 6.1 overs, with Rohit Sharma on 29 off 18 balls and Shubman Gill on 17 off 19. Rohit was in excellent form, hitting 3 sixes. If the delay extends, officials may reduce the number of overs, potentially adjusting India’s target.
India is aiming to chase down a target of 305 in the 2nd ODI. England got off to a strong start, with their opening pair, Phil Salt and Ben Duckett, putting together an 81-run partnership for the first wicket. Salt made 26, while Duckett played a solid knock of 65 off 56 balls. Joe Root also played a vital innings, scoring a half-century to help England’s total approach 250.
Liam Livingstone’s explosive knock of 41 from 32 balls powered England past the 300-run mark, setting a strong total. Ravindra Jadeja was the standout bowler, taking 3 wickets, while Varun Chakaravarthy, Harshit Rana, Hardik Pandya, and Mohammed Shami each claimed a wicket.
India secured an easy victory in the series opener, and a win in the second ODI will seal the series for them with one match remaining. India had earlier triumphed 4-1 in the five-match T20I series. Both sides will compete in the 2025 Champions Trophy following the conclusion of the ODI series.
The parents of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, an American kidnapped from Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, and murdered by Hamas terrorists after surviving 11 months in captivity, made a video plea to President Donald Trump after the latest hostage release.
In a video message shared on Instagram, Jon Polin and Rachel Goldberg-Polin reacted to the release of civilians Eli Sharabi, 52; Or Levy, 34, and Ohad Ben Ami, 56. They were among the 250 people who were taken during the Hamas-led attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. The three gaunt, frail-looking Israeli hostages were forced to speak during a Hamas handover ceremony, igniting outrage, as Israel in turn released nearly 200 Palestinian prisoners on Saturday.
“We received the wonderful news that Eli, Or and Ohad we released today,” Rachel Goldberg-Polin said in a video shared to the “Bring.Hersh.Home” account, which has garnered more than 173,000 followers. “We also felt this real connection to Or and his family because Or and Hersh were both kidnapped together from the same bomb shelter on the same pickup truck on Oct. 7. And in fact, Or’s brother, Mikha’el, contacted us right after Shabbat today to tell us that one of Or’s first questions he asked his brother this morning was ‘how is Hersh doing?’ Because he had assumed that Hersh had been released long ago, and his brother had to explain to him that Hersh had been murdered five months ago.”
Jon Polin then addressed Trump, as well as U.S. special envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff, imploring them to secure the release of the remaining 76 hostages this week.
HAMAS FREES 3 MORE HOSTAGES AS PART OF CEASEFIRE AGREEMENT WITH ISRAEL
Israeli captives, from left to the right, Ohad Ben Ami, Eli Sharabi and Or Levy, who have been held hostage by Hamas in Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023, are escorted by Hamas before being handed over to the Red Cross in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip, Saturday Feb. 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)
“Seeing the condition of these three hostages, hearing that Or had no idea what happened to Hersh, that Eli was unaware of the fate of his wife and his daughters, is just a gut punch to all of us that we need to do more,” Jon Polin said. “And I’m turning directly to President Trump and to Mr. Witkoff, you have shown that you are the only ones who are able to get this situation moving, moving forward, and my plea to you, our plea to you right now is – now that you’ve done the hard part in getting movement, getting a deal started, let’s not think about Phase 1 and Phase 2 and Phase 3 in many months. Let’s think bigger and faster. All 76 hostages out this week. End of war. Who benefits from dragging it out for so long? Not the people of this region. Let’s get it done right now. Thank you.”
“Godspeed,” Rachel Goldberg-Polin added.
Hersh Goldberg-Polin and five other hostages were murdered by Hamas terrorists last August shortly before Israeli troops reached the tunnel where they were being held in southern Gaza. Israeli troops recovered the six bodies from the tunnel, and Israeli forensic experts said they had been shot at close range after surviving nearly a year in captivity.
Israeli captive Or Levy, who has been held hostage in Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023, is escorted by Hamas before being handed over to the Red Cross in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip, Saturday Feb. 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)
Goldberg-Polin, a native of Berkeley, California, was attending a music festival when Hamas-led terrorists stormed into southern Israel, killing some 1,200 people and taking 250 others hostage. He lost part of his left arm to a grenade blast during the attack. In April, a Hamas-issued video showed him speaking under duress with his left hand missing, sparking new protests in Israel.
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In their first hours as free men, the three Israeli hostages released on Saturday were beginning to confront the tragic realities to which they returned
Sharabi returned to Israel after 16 months of captivity. He was told only after his return that his wife and two daughters had been killed in the Oct. 7 attack, according to reports in Israeli media.
Hersh Goldberg-Polin was murdered by Hamas.(Israel’s Minister of Defense)
Levy “was not sure” what happened to his wife on that day, his mother, Geula, told Israeli media on Saturday, adding that he was not exposed to media reports while in Gaza. Levy was taken from a bomb shelter near the Nova music festival in southern Israel and his wife, Einav, was killed in the attack. His mother said he also asked about Goldberg-Polin, who was abducted from the same bomb shelter. Levy was reunited Saturday with his 3-year-old son.
A third released hostage, Ben Ami, sat huddled with his wife and three daughters in a hospital corridor. He told them: “I have a lot of things to catch up on.” Ben Ami is a resident of Kibbutz Be’eri, one of the hardest hit communities on Oct. 7. “I need to get answers to a lot of things, and I know some of them will be difficult answers,” he said in footage released by the Israeli Prime Minister’s office. “I need to know what happened on that day.”
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It was the fifth swap of hostages for prisoners since the current Israel-Hamas ceasefire began on Jan. 19.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Danielle Wallace is a breaking news and politics reporter at Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to [email protected] and on X: @danimwallace.
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After the release of British-Israeli hostage Emily Damari, she and her mother, Mandy, revealed Emily was held captive in a United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) center in Gaza, a location tied to Hamas operations.
During a phone call with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Emily, 28, and Mandy described how Emily was denied proper medical care while being detained in one of UNRWA’s schools, where Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) later discovered tunnels and ammunition linked to Hamas.
Emily was abducted Oct. 7, 2023, by Hamas terrorists who shot her in the hand and leg. She was denied treatment, with only an outdated bottle of iodine provided as medical aid. The IDF’s discovery of Hamas infrastructure beneath UNRWA buildings, including tunnels linked to terror activities, has raised serious concerns about the agency’s role in Gaza.
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Emily Damari, right, and her mother Mandy are seen near kibbutz Reim, southern Israel after Emily was released from captivity by Hamas terrorists in Gaza, on Sunday, Jan. 19.(AP/Israeli Army)
Emily and Mandy emphasized the need for international pressure on Hamas and UNRWA to allow the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) access to the remaining 82 hostages.
“We are asking for maximum pressure to be placed on Hamas and UNRWA to allow the ICRC access to the remaining hostages,” Mandy Damari told Starmer. “The suffering is far from over for those still in captivity, many of whom are elderly or severely injured.”
This followed revelations the U.K. government is still an active supporter of the controversial U.N. agency.
Released hostages Doron Steinbrecher and Emily Damari, wearing green, are greeted by Israeli soldiers after their arrival in Israel after being held in Gaza since the deadly Oct. 7, 2023, attack.( Israel Defense Forces/Handout via Reuters)
Last week, President Donald Trump reinforced his administration’s stance on UNRWA by continuing a freeze on U.S. funding to the agency. Trump’s decision, initially enacted during his first term, remains in effect amid ongoing investigations into the agency’s ties to Hamas. This move reflects growing concerns over UNRWA’s failure to meet international standards of neutrality and accountability.
The troubling allegations of UNRWA facilities being used by Hamas to hold hostages emerged early in the crisis, but the U.N. and UNRWA initially dismissed the claims. Despite growing evidence, both have been criticized for their slow response.
When the accusations surfaced, the U.N. dismissed them as “big accusations,” failing to conduct a thorough investigation. It wasn’t until significant public pressure mounted that UNRWA, in a tweet Jan. 21, acknowledged the claims and said it was taking them “extremely seriously.”
Philippe Lazzarini, UNRWA’s commissioner-general, expressed relief at Emily’s release in his Jan. 21 tweet but continued to downplay the gravity of the allegations.
“Claims that hostages have been held in UNRWA premises are deeply disturbing & shocking. We take any such allegations extremely seriously,” Lazzarini wrote.
However, Lazzarini also said UNRWA was forced to vacate its northern Gaza facilities, including those in Gaza City, Oct. 13, 2023, and had no control over them after military evacuation orders were issued.
He added, “UNRWA has not been involved in any negotiation related to hostage release as it is not within its mandate.”
Photos released by the Israeli Defense Force show three individuals the Israeli military claims are Hamas terrorists inside an UNRWA compound in Rafah.(IDF)
Peter Gallo, a former U.N. investigator, questioned his statement.
“So who has control? UNRWA has 12,000 staff in Gaza, and the agency has been begging for money and aid to support people sheltering in its premises. Does UNRWA want it both ways? Yes, they want funding to support those in the facilities, but they also claim no responsibility for what goes on inside them,” Gallo said.
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“Somebody must have been distributing — even if it was just two sacks of potatoes among 1,000 people. Somebody must have been reporting the conditions, the numbers of people in these facilities while UNRWA tried to function. And you’re trying to tell me that nobody knew about a young Israeli woman with gunshot injuries? We didn’t know where she came from?” Gallo added, emphasizing the inconsistency in UNRWA’s position.
The continued lack of transparency and accountability from both the U.N. and UNRWA in response to the allegations has drawn widespread criticism. Gallo has heavily criticized the internal investigation carried out by UNRWA, describing it as a “farce.”
“The U.N. investigation FAILED to actually prove that ANY of them were involved in acts of terrorism,” Gallo said.
He claimed the staff members who were “fired” by the U.N. after being seen on cameras participating in the Oct. 7 massacre were not actually terminated for misconduct. Instead, they were made redundant and received severance payments.
“You’ve had U.N. staff members engaged in crimes, crimes recognized by the ICC as crimes against humanity, and the U.N. is now going to give them a severance package because they were dismissed from their positions,” Gallo said.
A U.N. vehicle enters the UNRWA offices in Jerusalem April 2, 2024. (Yoav Dudkevitch/TPS)
While an UNRWA spokesperson did not respond to Fox News Digital’s questions on Gallo’s allegations, Lazzarini released a statement Friday in response to critics.
“UNRWA has the most robust systems in place to ensure adherence to neutrality compared to other similar UN organizations and entities,” Lazzarini said. “This applies to both the Agency’s staff and our programs across the region, as confirmed by an independent review conducted last year under the leadership of France’s former foreign minister.
“Safeguarding the Agency’s neutrality is central to our ability to continue delivering lifesaving aid in Gaza, as well as education and primary health services across the region. As one of the largest U.N. agencies in the world, UNRWA is committed to U.N. values and principles, which strengthens our response during one of the most challenging periods in the history of the Palestinian people. We remain dedicated to staying and delivering.”
Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East during a press conference in Geneva Jan. 24, 2023(Fabrice Coffrini/AFP via Getty Images)
Yona Schiffmiller, director of research at NGO Monitor, further illuminated Hamas’ involvement in the humanitarian aid process.
“Hamas used the Ministry of Social Development (MOSD) to direct aid distribution. The head of MoSD, Ghazi Hamad, who was recently designated by the U.S. Treasury as a Hamas leader, met with U.N. officials and international NGOs while promoting Hamas interests,” Schiffmiller explained.
“The data from MoSD influenced aid distribution across various organizations, solidifying Hamas’ grip on Gaza’s humanitarian aid. We’ve got pictures of Hamad meeting with U.N. officials, and if you look closely in the background, you can actually see the Hamas logo on the map on the wall where they’re meeting.”
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The Israeli Knesset passed legislation banning UNRWA from operating in Israel, which took effect at the end of January. The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs reiterated its position on UNRWA’s ties to terrorism.
“Humanitarian aid doesn’t equal UNRWA, and UNRWA doesn’t equal humanitarian aid. UNRWA equals an organization infested with Hamas terror activity,” its statement said. “Israel remains committed to facilitating humanitarian aid through alternative organizations that are independent and not complicit in terror.”
The Shoah Museum in Rome has acquired a piece by reserved contemporary pop artist aleXsandro Palombo after it was defaced in an apparent act of antisemitism.
The mural, which depicts Liliana Segre and Sami Modiano, the last two Italian survivors of Auschwitz, was defaced multiple times and even erased by vandals.
Segre and Modiano are shown in striped clothing under green bullet-proof vests with yellow Stars of David on them, and there are even representations of the serial numbers tattooed on them by the Nazis. The perpetrators vandalized Segre and Modiano’s faces, as well as the stars on their chests, but left the numbers on their arms untouched.
“They took away my face, my identity, they erased the yellow star, but they left the number tattooed on my arm,” Segre said.
aleXsandro Palombo’s mural depicting Holocaust survivors Liliana Segre and Sami Modiano before it was vandalized(aleXsandro Palombo)
aleXsandro Palombo’s mural depicting Holocaust survivors Liliana Segre and Sami Modiano after it was vandalized(aleXsandro Palombo)
ANTI-ISRAEL AGITATORS VANDALIZE HOME OF JEWISH MEDIA SUPER AGENT
Palombo eventually reproduced the piece, and it is now part of the museum’s permanent collection.
“Art is the highest expression of freedom, and repeatedly attacking a work that portrays two survivors of Auschwitz highlights how the very value of democracy and all our freedoms is in danger,” Palombo said in a statement. “The gesture of courage and resistance of the Shoah Museum of Rome and the Italian Jewish community is a great and precious lesson in civilization for all of us, who responded to the antisemitic violence and hatred of these new forms of social and cultural terrorism with a powerful action of the Risorgimento.”
Palombo has made several pieces honoring the Holocaust, and his other works have not been spared from vandalism.
A piece entitled “Arbeit macht frei,” which shows Hungarian writer and Holocaust survivor Edith Bruck wrapped in an Israeli flag was also defaced, with much of the flag being erased. The title of this mural is the same phrase the Nazis put on the gates of Auschwitz, and it translates to “work makes you free.”
Bruck told Italian newspaper La Stampa that she was saddened but not surprised by the vandalism, saying that “antisemitism is a tsunami.”
The mural of Bruck has also been acquired by the Shoah Museum in Rome.
aleXsandro Palombo’s mural of Hungarian writer and Holocaust survivor Edith Bruck before and after it was defaced by vandals(aleXsandro Palombo)
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Another one of Palombo’s pieces that was vandalized was entitled “Halt! Stoj!,” which depicted Segre, Modiano and Burk alongside Pope Francis, who is outfitted with a cross and a sign reading “antisemitism is everywhere.” The four are depicted as Simpsons characters, a common motif for Palombo. While the image of the pope was not damaged, vandals defaced the Stars of David on the three Holocaust survivors.
aleXsandro Palombo’s mural of three Holocaust survivors and Pope Francis before and after it was vandalized.(aleXsandro Palombo)
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Palombo, a contemporary pop artist and activist, used pop culture references in his artwork, including celebrities and cartoon characters from the Simpsons and Disney. One of his most iconic works is the “Simpsons deported to Auschwitz,” which shows Marge, Homer, Maggie, Bart and Lisa before and after the concentration camp, referencing the emaciated state of Holocaust survivors liberated from Nazi camps.
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President Donald Trump’s revelation this week that he wants to negotiate with Iran raised eyebrows in the security sector. A former national security advisor cautioned the president against forming a Kim Jong Un-type relationship with the Ayatollah.
Trump has described his relations with Kim as a “love” affair, but his first-term efforts at diplomacy with the hermit kingdom failed to prevent North Korea from advancing its nuclear program.
“On the question of negotiations, we’ll see where this goes,” said John Hannah, former national security advisor to Dick Cheney and current Randi & Charles Wax senior fellow at the Jewish Institute for National Security of America (JINSA).
Hannah spoke Thursday evening during a discussion hosted by JINSA in Washington, D.C., on Trump’s new plans to start negotiations with Iran.
IRAN’S SUPREME LEADER SAYS NUCLEAR TALKS WITH TRUMP ADMIN WOULD NOT BE ‘WISE’
President Donald Trump walks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at the Capella Hotel on Sentosa Island in Singapore in a photo released June 12, 2018, by North Korea’s Korean Central News Agency. (KCNA via Reuters )
“Trump and Kim Jong Un — that’s a worst-case [scenario] — he comes out hot and heavy against. He gets engaged and snared in a negotiation. He gets sweet talked to. It’s dragged out for the rest of his presidency,” Hannah said. “And we make absolutely zero progress on dismantling or neutralizing the North Korean nuclear program.
“That’s the nightmare.”
Trump’s decision to pursue negotiations with Iran to dismantle its nuclear program was announced by the president in a post Wednesday night on his Truth Social media platform, when he stated his desire for a “Verified Nuclear Peace Agreement.”
“We should start working on it immediately, and have a big Middle East Celebration when it is signed and completed,” he wrote. “God Bless the Middle East!”
His post came one day after Trump signed an executive order directing the Treasury Department to begin a “maximum pressure” campaign on Iran through sanctions targeting the regime’s oil exports in a move to deter Tehran from continuing its nuclear development.
PRESIDENT TRUMP SAYS ‘WE WILL HAVE RELATIONS WITH NORTH KOREA’; IT’S A ‘BIG ASSET’ THAT HE GETS ALONG WITH KIM
But, after the order, he told reporters he was “torn” about signing the directive and added he was “unhappy to do it.”
The Trump administration has not released details on who will lead these negotiations, how they will differ from the negotiations attempted by the Biden administration or what a new deal would include that wasn’t in the international deal reached during the Obama administration under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). That deal was finalized by the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council — China, France, Russia, the U.K. and the U.S.
The so-called Iran nuclear deal, which Trump pulled out of in 2018, was also signed onto by Germany and the European Union.
The Foundation for Defense of Democracies has analyzed where Iran’s nuclear infrastructure is located as Israel mulls a retaliatory attack.(Foundation for Defense of Democracies)
Hannah said Trump’s change in tune on securing a nuclear deal with Iran could be a negotiating tactic, though he warned that “25 years of negotiations with the Iranians on the nuclear program have led nowhere except an Iran right on the cusp of having nuclear weapons.”
The former national security advisor, along with the former special representative for Iran and Venezuela Ambassador Elliott Abrams, together warned that the Trump administration is facing a serious deadline when it comes to taking on negotiations with Iran.
Come October, Russia, a top ally to Iran, will take on the lead role of the United Nations Security Council, filling the presidency for one month, which could pose its own security concerns.
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But there is another October deadline looming over international attempts to block Iran’s nuclear development. The ability for the nations remaining in the JCPOA to apply “snapback” sanctions on Tehran will expire Oct. 18, 2025.
“There have to be negotiation discussions between Trump and [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu on how long are we going to wait to see this negotiation drag on,” Abrams said, referring to the years-long talks by the Biden administration that proved fruitless.
“I’m sure the Iranians will say if you impose snapback [sanctions] the negotiations are over, and we will leave the nuclear nonproliferation treaty.”
Iran, particularly in recent years, has been found to have repeatedly violated the treaty, though proponents of a nuclear deal argue it is a useful tool to keep Tehran involved in nuclear nonproliferation discussions.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and President Donald Trump. (Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader/WANA; Handout via Reuters/Elizabeth Frantz/File Photo)
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But Abrams also warned that the U.S. and Israel should engage in military drills to remind Iran of what it is potentially facing should it move forward with nuclear development.
Retired Israel Defense Forces Major General Yaakov Amidror echoed this sentiment and said he believes it is unlikely that Iran completely ignores the threat of U.S.-Israeli strike force capabilities because it relies on the legitimate aspects of this nuclear program for economic stability.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Friday rejected the possibility of engaging in any future negotiations with the Trump administration.
Eli Sharabi, who was ripped from his home in Kibbutz Be’eri by Hamas terrorists during the Oct. 7 attacks, has returned to Israel after 491 days in captivity. Sharabi’s family watched excitedly as he returned home, but three people were noticeably absent. Sharabi will not be greeted by his wife or daughters because Hamas terrorists murdered them during the 2023 massacre.
Sharabi and his family lived on Kibbutz Be’eri, a border community in southern Israel that was hit particularly hard on Oct. 7, 2023. In January 2024, just months after Hamas’ attacks, Israel confirmed that Sharabi’s brother, Yossi, who was also taken hostage, was killed in captivity.
This combination of undated photos provided by Hostages Family Forum show Or Levy, Eli Sharabi and Ohad Ben Ami, all of whom were abducted and brought to Gaza on Oct. 7, 2023.(Hostages Family Forum via AP)
HAMAS FREES 3 MORE HOSTAGES AS PART OF CEASEFIRE AGREEMENT WITH ISRAEL
Kibbutz Be’eri saw 98 men, women and children slaughtered in Hamas’ Oct. 7 attacks and 30 kidnapped. Among them were Sharabi and Ohad Ben-Ami, who was also released on Feb. 8, 2025. The kidnapped and killed accounted for approximately a tenth of the population of Kibbutz Be’eri, which is less than four miles from the Gaza border.
It is unclear whether Sharabi knows what happened to his wife, Lianne, and daughters, Noiya, 16, and Yahel, 13. It is also unknown whether Or Levy, who was taken from the Nova festival and released to Israel on Saturday, is aware that his wife was killed on Oct. 7, 2023.
Sharabi is not the first hostage to be released from captivity to a reality without his wife and children. Yarden Bibas, who was taken from Kibbutz Nir Oz, was released from Hamas captivity on Feb. 1, after spending over 480 days as a hostage in Gaza. Yarden’s wife, Shiri, and their two young sons, Ariel and Kfir, remain in Hamas captivity.
The image of Shiri, Ariel and Kfir Bibas’ kidnapping went viral as the two red-headed boys were seen clinging to their mother. Kfir, who is now two years old, was just nine months old when he was kidnapped, making him the youngest hostage. Ariel and Kfir are the only children taken on Oct. 7 who remain in Gaza. The condition of Shiri, Ariel and Kfir remains unknown.
“Sadly, my family hasn’t returned to me yet. They are still there. My light is still there, and as long as they’re there, everything here is dark. Thanks to you, I was brought back – help me bring the light back to my life,” Yarden said in a statement distributed by the Hostages and Missing Families Forum. This is his first statement since being freed.
The Bibas family, from left: Yarden, Ariel, Shiri, and Kfir(Ofri Bibas Levy)
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While in captivity, Bibas was forced to make a hostage film in which he was seen breaking down as Hamas claimed his wife and children had been killed. Hamas often uses these types of videos as part of what the IDF calls “psychological terror.” However, the terror organization included Shiri, Kfir and Ariel on the list of 33 hostages set to be released in the first phase of the ceasefire deal.
Yarden referenced the video in his statement and made a plea directly to Prime Minister Netanyahu.
“Prime Minister Netanyahu, I’m now addressing you with my own words, which no one dictated to me: Bring my family back. Bring my friends back. Bring everyone home.”
Eli Sharabi before and after Hamas captivity(Courtesy the families/TPS-IL, Majdi Fathi/TPS-IL)
The release of Sharabi, Levy and Ben-Ami marks the fifth round of hostage releases. While they too were forced to participate in a ceremony with Hamas prior to leaving Gaza, the images of the three men were strikingly different from many of those who had been freed before them. The three of them looked starved and exhausted, with many on social media comparing them to Holocaust victims.
Israeli President Isaace Herzog said that the “emaciated and pained” men were a visual representation of a “crime against humanity.” In response to the images of the men, Prime Minister Netanyahu vowed to take action, saying their condition would “not be ignored.”
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In a statement to Fox News Digital, Ruby and Hagit Chen, whose son Itay Chen remains in Hamas captivity, noted the “disturbing images” and demanded Netanyahu begin “intensive negotiations” to bring the remaining hostages, including their son, home.
There are still 76 hostages in Hamas captivity, many of whom are believed to be alive. So far, as part of the current ceasefire deal, Hamas has released 18 hostages. In exchange for the hostages, Israel has released more than 550 Palestinian prisoners.
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MANCHESTER, England — The trial of Lucy Letby made headlines around the world due to the sheer horror and scale of the crimes for which she was convicted, but some believe the neonatal nurse is innocent and the victim of a miscarriage of justice.
Letby, 35, was found guilty of murdering seven babies and attempting to kill seven more at the Countess of Chester Hospital in North West England during a year-long killing spree between June 2015 and June 2016.
She was portrayed by the prosecution as a “constant malevolent presence” on the hospital’s neonatal unit and a “calculating and devious” nurse who liked “playing God.”
‘COLD-BLOODED’ NURSE LUCY LETBY FOUND GUILTY OF MURDERING 7 BABIES AT HOSPITAL NEONATAL UNIT
In an apparent handwritten confession note found by police, she said she had killed babies “on purpose.”
She also wrote, “I am a horrible evil person” and “I AM EVIL I DID THIS.”
This undated handout issued by Cheshire Constabulary shows nurse Lucy Letby, a British neonatal nurse convicted of murdering seven babies and the attempted murder of seven others.(Cheshire Constabulary via AP)
Letby, considered to be the United Kingdom’s worst serial child killer, was sentenced to 15 life prison terms and has lost two bids to appeal her convictions.
But there has been a growing clamor among leading medical professionals, legal experts and commentators that she is innocent.
Ex-Conservative cabinet minister Sir David Davis has also spoken out and called for a new trial, telling fellow members of parliament (MPs) there was “no hard evidence” against her.
This week, a fresh report presented by a panel of 14 international experts has claimed there is “no medical evidence” she murdered or harmed any of the babies in her care.
During her first ten-month trial — Letby later faced a second trial — she was accused of murdering four of the seven babies by injecting air into their bloodstreams and attempting to kill others by the same method.
In this frame from a video provided by Cheshire Constabulary, Lucy Letby is questioned after her arrest July 3, 2018, in Chester, England. (Cheshire Constabulary via Getty Images)
The prosecution claimed other babies were harmed by insulin poisoning, being force-fed milk or by trauma to the liver.
But the experts’ report rules out any criminality and points to babies deteriorating due to natural causes or “bad medical care.”
Therefore, it’s claimed Letby is the victim of “one of the major injustices of modern times.”
Letby’s new lawyer, Mark McDonald, told The Guardian newspaper the report demolished the case against her, and there was “overwhelming evidence this conviction is unsafe.”
LUCY LETBY TRIAL: FATHER TESTIFIES BABY GIRL WAS LEFT SEVERELY DISABLED AFTER NURSE TRIED TO KILL HER
This court artist drawing by Elizabeth Cook from Aug. 10, 2023, shows nurse Lucy Letby at Manchester Crown Court in Manchester, England.(Elizabeth Cook/PA via AP)
The report’s findings have been sent to the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC), the body that investigates potential miscarriages of justice, which is now formally examining the case.
The CCRC will also be tasked with reexamining the contentious medical evidence used to convict Letby.
In particular, questions have been raised about the prosecution’s main medical expert, Dr. Dewi Evans, who claimed babies died from having air injected into their bloodstreams, causing air embolism, a fatal condition.
During Letby’s trial, he pointed to skin discoloration in several victims as an indicator of air embolism, citing a 1989 academic paper.
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But retired Canadian neonatologist Shoo Lee, a co-author of the paper and chair of the panel, believes the research was misinterpreted by the prosecution, and Dr. Evans’ findings have “no basis in evidence.”
The panel has also cast doubt on supposed insulin poisonings after Letby’s original defense team did not dispute them.
It’s claimed that babies were not properly cared for, and there were failures to carry out “basic medical procedures, delays in their treatment and the misdiagnosis of diseases.”
Dr. Lee also claimed the hospital was overworked and inadequately staffed, saying, “If this had happened at a hospital in Canada, it would be shut down.”
The maternity ward of the Countess of Chester Hospital in the U.K., where Letby worked and is alleged to have killed seven babies between 2015 and 2016.(Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)
It will take many months for the CCRC to review the case, and there’s no guarantee it will be referred back to the Court of Appeal. So, Letby will remain in prison for the foreseeable future, with any bail application likely to be resisted by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).
Meanwhile, a public inquiry examining events at the hospital is due to conclude next month while prosecutors are considering bringing further charges against Letby in other baby deaths at a second hospital, Liverpool Women’s Hospital.
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A CCRC spokesperson told Fox News Digital, “We have received a preliminary application in relation to Ms. Letby’s case, and work has begun to assess the application.
“At this stage, it is not possible to determine how long it will take to review this application. A significant volume of complicated evidence was presented to the court in Ms Letby’s trials.
“We anticipate further submissions being made to us.”
Cheshire Police in the U.K. search the home of Lucy Letby in 2018.(Peter Byrne/PA Images via Getty Images)
A CPS spokesperson told Fox News Digital, “Two juries and three appeal court judges have reviewed a multitude of different strands of evidence against Lucy Letby. She has been convicted on 15 separate counts following two separate jury trials.
“In May 2024, the Court of Appeal dismissed Letby’s leave to appeal on all grounds, rejecting her argument that expert prosecution evidence was flawed.”
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The Maha Kumbh Mela, or Great Pitcher Festival, is drawing hundreds of millions of pilgrims and tourists to India. The 45-day festival, which began Jan. 13, is the largest gathering of humanity in the world. It is expected to draw approximately 420 million.
That is about 200 times the number of Muslim pilgrims who participated in the annual Hajj in Mecca and Medina, Saudi Arabia, last year. It is so large it can be seen from outer space.
According to Hindu scriptures, gods and demons once churned the cosmic ocean in search of the nectar of immortality. During this struggle, drops of nectar fell at four sacred sites. The spiritual Hindu festival takes place once every 12 years at one of those four locations.
This year, it is being held in the city of Prayagraj in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. This year’s event is considered particularly special because it aligns with a rare, once-in-a-century celestial configuration.
WORLD’S LARGEST RELIGIOUS GATHERING BEGINS IN INDIA, HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF HINDUS EXPECTED TO ATTEND
Hundreds of boats and thousands of devotees along the banks of Prayagraj.(Ava Poonawala)
Throngs of devotees have been descending on northern India to take a dip at the confluence of the Ganges and Yamuna rivers. Hindus, who account for nearly 80% of India’s more than 1.4 billion people, believe a third invisible river, the mythical Saraswati, also meets at the confluence.
Legend holds that a dip in the holy waters will cleanse them of sins and grant salvation. Bathing occurs daily, but on the most auspicious dates, Naga Sadhus, Hindu ascetics, head into the holy rivers at dawn.
Ava Poonawala, a resident of Mumbai, India, made the journey not as a pilgrim, but to “witness the world’s largest religious event in our lifetime,” she explained to Fox News Digital. She took an early 6 a.m. dip just as the sun was rising.
After her chilly dip, she expressed feeling invigorated and at peace.
“Everyone seemed to be there with one purpose,” she told Fox News Digital. “And that was spiritual awakening.”
Rudraksh Baba sets up camp at Prayagraj wearing thousands of beads.(Ava Poonawala)
The Maha Kumbh Mela is a massive undertaking by any standard. To accommodate the tens of thousands of holy men, pilgrims and tourists, authorities have built a sprawling tent city on the riverbanks. It’s equipped with more than 150,000 tents and toilets, 3,000 kitchens and 11 hospitals, as well as roads, electricity, water and communication towers.
It covers some 15 square miles. About 50,000 security personnel, supported by artificial intelligence-powered cameras, are stationed in the city to maintain law and order and manage the crowds.
“I was blown away by the incredible magnitude of this event,” Poonawala told Fox News Digital. “It’s just unimaginable how they put this all together.”
STAMPEDE THAT KILLED 121 IN INDIA WAS CAUSED BY SEVERE OVERCROWDING AND LACK OF EXITS, AUTHORITIES SAY
A predawn stampede broke out at the festival last week, reportedly killing roughly three dozen people and injuring many more. Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered condolences to “devotees who have lost their loved ones” without specifying the number dead.
Police reported the stampede occurred as hundreds of millions of pilgrims rushed to dip in sacred waters on the most auspicious day of the festival. Uttar Pradesh’s chief minister said some devotees attempted to jump crowd management barricades, triggering the crush. The Kumbh’s grand processions, which had been curtailed last week, have since resumed.
Prior to the stampede, the festival saw a brief but large fire, which was quickly extinguished.
A woman injured in a stampede at the Maha Kumbh festival is carried out by security officers at the Sangam, the confluence of the Ganges, the Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati rivers, on Mauni Amavasya, or new moon day, in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, India, Jan. 29, 2025.(AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)
AT LEAST 30 DEAD IN STAMPEDE AT THE MASSIVE MAHA KUMBH FESTIVAL IN INDIA, POLICE SAY
For many, the marvel of the Maha Kumbh Mela lies neither in the religious nor spiritual experience, but rather the cultural extravaganza. It not only brings together ash-smeared monks, naked ascetics and priests dressed head-to-toe in saffron. It also attracts tourists with selfie sticks and awed foreigners.
Uttar Pradesh has gone to great lengths to promote this year’s festival as a tourist event, offering luxury packages and experiences. The government even organized helicopters to shower flower petals on the saints and seers taking a holy dip. The state has allocated more than $765 million for this year’s event.
The Kumbh has drawn people from all strata of society, whether it be billionaires like Laurene Powell Jobs, the wife of the late Steve Jobs, or athletes like Olympic boxer Mary Kom. Bollywood stars and celebrities like Coldplay frontman Chris Martin and his fiancée, actress Dakota Johnson, have descended on the festival.
Even royalty, like King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck of Bhutan, have made an appearance. On Wednesday, exactly a week after the stampede, Prime Minister Modi arrived in Prayagraj to take a sacred dip.
Saffron-clad priests at the 2025 Maha Kumbh Mela.(Ava Poonawala )
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The Kumbh Mela’s popularity has steadily increased in size over the years as improved infrastructure and facilities have attracted more people. This year, for the first time ever, the massive event also boasts being plastic-free and eco-friendly. The festival is a significant test for India to showcase Hinduism and culture, as well as handle tourism and crowd management.
“The ground was buzzing at all hours, right through the night into the morning,” Poonawala said. “It was so surreal with such purity. I can’t even begin to explain it.”
Hamas released three more hostages on Saturday in exchange for dozens of Palestinian prisoners as part of the ceasefire deal reached with Israel.
Or Levy, 34; Eli Sharabi, 52; Ohad Ben Ami, 56, were released by Hamas after they were abducted during the terror group’s Oct. 7, 2023, attack against Israel that prompted the war in Gaza.
The trio were released from Deir al-Balah in the central part of the Gaza Strip. The hostages arrived at the hand-over point in a Hamas vehicle.
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This combination of undated photos provided by Hostages Family Forum shows Or Levy, Eli Sharabi and Ohad Ben Ami, all of whom were abducted and brought to Gaza on Oct. 7, 2023.(Hostages Family Forum via AP)
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Red Cross vehicles also arrived at the location.
This was the fifth time since the ceasefire began on Jan. 19 that Hamas released hostages in exchange for prisoners. Eighteen hostages and more than 550 Palestinian prisoners have been released thus far.
Hamas fighters take up positions ahead of a hostage release in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip, Saturday Feb. 8, 2025.(AP)
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The ceasefire paused the 15-month war in Gaza sparked by Hamas’ attack on the Jewish State, leading to military retaliation from Israeli forces.
Fox News’ Yael Rotem-Kuriel and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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President Donald Trump hosted Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba at the White House Friday and said the U.S. will have relations with the North Korean regime of dictator Kim Jong Un.
“We will have relations with North Korea, with Kim Jong Un. I get along with them very well,” Trump told reporters alongside Ishiba.
Trump, who first met Kim in 2018 in Singapore and became the first sitting president to meet with the leader of North Korea, is looking to build off his personal diplomacy he established with Kim during his first term.
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President Donald Trump speaks during a news conference with Japan’s Prime Minister, Shigeru Ishiba, at the White House Friday, Feb. 7, 2025, in Washington.(AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
“We had a good relationship. And I think it’s a very big asset for everybody that I do get along with them,” the president said.
Trump met Kim again in 2019 and became the first president to step foot inside North Korean territory from the demilitarized zone.
Trump said Japan would welcome renewed dialogue with North Korea because relations between Japan and North Korea remain tense since diplomatic relations have never been established.
“And I can tell you that Japan likes the idea because their relationship is not very good with him,” Trump said.
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President Donald Trump met with Kim Jong Un in Singapore in June 2018 during his first term as president.(AP/Evan Vucci)
Ishiba said it’s a positive development Trump and Kim met during Trump’s first term. And now that he has returned to power, the U.S., Japan and its allies can move toward resolving issues with North Korea, including denuclearization.
“Japan and U.S. will work together toward the complete denuclearization of North Korea,” Ishiba added.
Prime Minister Ishiba also addressed a grievance involving the abduction of Japanese citizens by North Korea in the 1970s and 1980s. Although North Korea released some of the prisoners in the early 2000s, Pyongyang never provided Japan with any explanation for the abduction of its citizens, and there can be no normalization of relations between Japan and North Korea until the issue is resolved.
“And so our time is limited,” Ishiba warned.
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“So, I don’t know if the president of the United States, if President Trump is able to resolve this issue. We do understand that it’s a Japan issue, first and foremost. Having said that, we would love to continue to cooperate with them,” the prime minister added.
