In the remote reaches of Siberia, a colossal scar on the Earth's surface is expanding at a breathtaking pace, swallowing up the frozen landscape and potentially unleashing ancient threats. The Batagaika crater, aptly nicknamed the "Gateway to Hell," is not just a geological curiosity, it's a stark reminder of the rapid changes our planet is undergoing.

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Imagine a gash in the Earth so large you could fit several football stadiums inside it. That's the Batagaika crater for you. This massive thermokarst depression – a fancy term for a giant permafrost-thaw sinkhole – is growing at an astonishing rate of 35 million cubic feet each year. To put that into perspective, it's like carving out a small town's worth of earth annually. Currently stretching about 0.6 miles long and 0.5 miles wide at its widest point, this behemoth shows no signs of slowing down. In fact, it's speeding up, driven by a vicious cycle of warming temperatures and melting ice. This study was published in the journal Geomorphology.

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Despite its name, permafrost isn't actually permanent. It's ground that's remained at or below freezing for at least two years. When this frozen soil thaws, it can't support the weight above it, leading to collapse and the formation of these massive "slumps." The Batagaika crater is a prime example of this process in overdrive. As the permafrost melts, it exposes more soil to sunlight, which then melts more permafrost. It's a feedback loop that's difficult to break, especially in our warming world.

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While the sheer size of the Batagaika crater is impressive, what's truly mind-boggling is its depth, both physical and temporal. The steep walls of this mega-slump reveal permafrost layers estimated to be 650,000 years old. That's older than our species. But with ancient ice comes ancient dangers. Scientists have already revived a 48,500-year-old "zombie virus" from Arctic permafrost, and there's concern about what other long-dormant pathogens might be awakening. It's not just a plot from some sci-fi movie anymore. It's a real consideration for modern science and medicine.

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The Batagaika crater isn't just releasing potential pathogens. It's also unleashing a significant amount of carbon into the atmosphere. According to recent studies, this single mega-slump is responsible for releasing 4,000 to 5,000 tons of organic carbon every year. That's equivalent to the annual emissions of about 1,000 cars. This release of carbon, previously locked away in the frozen ground, further contributes to global warming, potentially accelerating the very process that created the crater in the first place.

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The Batagaika crater, while extreme, is not unique. It represents a process happening across the Arctic and sub-Arctic regions. As our planet continues to warm, more of these massive permafrost thaw features are likely to appear. While some might see the crater as a tourist attraction – and indeed it has become one – it's crucial to recognize it as a warning sign. The "Gateway to Hell" is more than just a catchy nickname; it's a portal into a possible future where rapid environmental changes reshape our world in ways we're only beginning to understand. The question remains: Will we heed the warning signs and take action, or will we continue to watch as more gateways open across our warming world?

What are your thoughts on the potential impacts of ancient pathogens being released from melting permafrost, and how do you think we should address the challenges posed by climate change? Let us know by writing us at Cyberguy.com/Contact.

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South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol lifted his martial law declaration after lawmakers rejected the move following Yoon's vow to eliminate "anti-state" forces in a serious challenge to the country's Parliament, which he accused of sympathizing with North Korea. 

The Tuesday night declaration was vocally opposed by the speaker of Parliament and even the leader of Yoon's own party, Han Dong-hoon, who has clashed with the president over his handling of recent scandals, Reuters reported. 

Shortly after Yoon made his announcement, people began gathering outside the Parliament building, some of them shouting: "Withdraw emergency martial law!" while scuffling with troops. Under South Korean law, the president must lift martial law if the Parliament demands it with a majority vote. 

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All 190 lawmakers who participated in the vote supported the lifting of martial law. Television footage showed soldiers who had been stationed at Parliament leaving the site after the vote.

Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was monitoring the situation and that U.S. forces were in close contact with their South Korean counterparts. 

"The U.S. government writ large is in contact with the Republic of Korea," Ryder told reporters. 

Ryder was not aware of any changes to any force posture for the 28,500 U.S. service members stationed in the country. 

In an unannounced address broadcast live late at night on YTN, Yoon said he had no choice but to take drastic measures to protect South Korean freedoms and the constitutional order. He said opposition parties have taken the parliamentary process hostage and thrown the country into crisis.

"I declare martial law to protect the free Republic of Korea from the threat of North Korean communist forces, to eradicate the despicable pro-North Korean anti-state forces that are plundering the freedom and happiness of our people, and to protect the free constitutional order," he said. 

He added that martial law would help "rebuild and protect" the country from "falling into the depths of national ruin." 

Yoon's’s surprising move hearkened back to an authoritarian era not seen since the 1980s.

The liberal Democratic Party has controlled South Korea's single-chamber National Assembly since Yoon, a former top prosecutor, took office in 2022. Those in the opposition have repeatedly thwarted Yoon's agenda and the president has had low approval ratings.

Fox News Digital's Chris Pandolfo and the Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report. 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says President-elect Donald Trump is in the "right place" when it comes to his warning of there being "hell to pay" if Hamas doesn’t release their remaining hostages. 

"President Trump put the emphasis in the right place, on Hamas, and not on the Israeli government, as is customary [elsewhere]," Netanyahu said Tuesday at the beginning of a cabinet meeting, according to Reuters. 

Trump on Monday called on Hamas to release all hostages prior to when he takes office on Jan. 20. 

In a Truth Social post, Trump said nothing was being done to free those being held by the Iran-backed terror group since Oct. 7, 2023, after Hamas attacked Israel and killed at least 1,200 people and kidnapped at least 250 others. Of the 101 hostages that remain in Gaza, seven are Americans. 

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"Everybody is talking about the hostages who are being held so violently, inhumanely, and against the will of the entire World, in the Middle East – But it’s all talk, and no action!" Trump wrote.  

"Please let this TRUTH serve to represent that if the hostages are not released prior to January 20, 2025, the date that I proudly assume Office as President of the United States, there will be ALL HELL TO PAY in the Middle East, and for those in charge who perpetrated these atrocities against Humanity," Trump added. 

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The message also drew support from Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich. 

"This is the way to bring back the hostages: by increasing the pressure and the costs for Hamas and its supporters, and defeating them, rather than giving in to their absurd demands," Reuters quoted him as saying. 

Fox News’ Louis Casiano contributed to this report. 

FIRST ON FOX — Speaking exclusively to Fox News Digital, bestselling author and life strategist Tony Robbins is announcing on Tuesday that he and his partners in The 100 Billion Meals Challenge have secured commitments "to provide an impressive 30 billion meals to combat global hunger" in just two years of the program's existence, he said.

The announcement comes on Giving Tuesday — significant because Robbins has pledged to match most donations that come in, whether from individuals or groups.

"If, on Giving Tuesday, someone wants to donate a dollar up to $2 million, I'll match it," said Robbins. "So you'll get to double the amount of impact if you'd like to participate."

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Robbins launched his anti-hunger initiative along with David Beasley, former head of the World Food Programme, with a goal to provide 100 billion meals across 10 years — and the program is now pacing well ahead of plans, he said. 

Robbins revealed in some detail his personal connection to the issue of hunger in America and all over the world. (See the video at the top of this article.) 

"I grew up in a pretty tough environment. We didn't have any money," said Robbins, who today is based in Florida with his wife, Sage, and their children. 

"I had four different fathers, and they're all good men, but they all lost their jobs at various points. And I had a Thanksgiving when I was 11 years old where there was no money and no food in the home — no food. We had saltine crackers and peanut butter. But, you know, it was Thanksgiving."

He said his parents were also arguing at that time — "yelling at each other or blaming each other. And I have a younger brother and younger sister, five and seven years younger, and I'm trying to make sure they don't hear," said Robbins, describing his life as a child.

And then, he said, "there's a knock at the door."

And "long story short, this guy is holding two giant bags of groceries, and he had a pan with an uncooked frozen turkey on the ground [beside him]. He said, ‘Is your father here?’ And I was like, ‘Just one moment.’" 

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Robbins said the stranger was offering his family an amazing Thanksgiving meal simply out of the kindness of his heart — and as a boy from a family with very little, he said he felt "so excited," said Robbins. 

"I thought, ‘This is going to be the most magical thing.’"

His dad, however, "did not have a positive reaction" to the offer at the door. 

"He looked at this man and said, 'We don't accept charity.'"

There was an uncomfortable exchange as his father attempted to close the door — and finally there came "a moment I'll never forget," said Robbins. 

"The man said, 'Sir, please don't make your family suffer because of your ego.'

"My dad turned bright red," said Robbins. "I remember [seeing] the veins on the side of his neck. I thought, 'He's going to punch the guy in the face.' But he just dropped his shoulders. He took the food and set it down."

Said Robbins, "And I was excited. Up until that moment, I couldn't understand what was going on with [my father], but he didn't take care of his family. And he left our family a few days later. It was one of the roughest moments in my life — but it was also the best moment because there was food."

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From that experience as a boy, he said, "I developed a different belief. I believed that strangers cared — and that strangers cared about me and my family. And then I wanted to care about strangers."

And so, said Robbins, he "set a goal that when I was older, when I was 17, I'd feed at least two families — and the next year I did four and then eight."

Once he was in business and was able to help others on a larger scale, "we got into 50 and 100 — and then 100,000. Then finally we got it up to two million people through my foundation and two million through my wife and me."

From there, over time, he dramatically increased his numbers and his connection with partners in the endeavor.

Together with Beasley, formerly of the World Food Programme, "we put together this project. And the National Pasta Association, International Pasta, Feed My Starving Children, Manna Nutrition, the government of Dubai — all of them are participating. And Global Citizen is giving us a platform to reach more people. So it's not just me. But together, what we can do is amazing."

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He said that no child should have to die of hunger anywhere in the world.

And the same goes for "here in America," Robbins emphasized. "I'm doing another billion meals in America. We are the richest country in the world, and yet we still have roughly 40 million people, a lot of them children and elderly, that are still food insecure. It's crazy. We need to do our part."

Global hunger has risen sharply in recent years — with acute hunger surging to 730 million people following the pandemic, according to Robbins and his team. 

Additionally, some 30 million people "are on the brink of famine."

Robbins told Fox News Digital, "I think if I hadn't grown up hungry, if I hadn't suffered, I don't think I would work this hard. But when you've suffered this much, you don't want anybody else to suffer. And when I go to various parts of the world, including in this country where people are food insecure, I see that they don't have any food." 

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He said these up-close visuals and experiences "almost bring me to tears. It's just a horrific thing to see a child who's starving in a world that's so abundant. And once you've seen those images in real life, not some picture [somewhere], you can't put it out of your mind."

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Robbins noted, "I always say there are two types of motivation in life. There's push motivation, when you're trying to make yourself do something. And then there's pull motivation — where it's a calling, where you feel like, by God's grace or the universe's grace, whatever you believe in, that you're meant to do this. And I think I suffered that way so that others wouldn't otherwise."

He said this is why "it's not hard to keep your passion going, especially when you see the joy in people's eyes when that food is brought to them. Because it's more than food. For me, it's that people care. People are no longer alone. And I think we can all play that role."

Robbins noted the health benefits of giving to others. 

"There are all kinds of studies to show that [helping others] creates a biochemical change in you. Something as simple as standing in line at Starbucks and paying for the coffee of the next five people — this will produce a larger chemical change in your body that lasts longer than usually getting something for yourself. It's pretty wild."

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He said, "As human beings, the reason we survive is because of our connection to community. We can never make it on our own — but together we can do just about anything."