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Russia has initiated its largest military draft in 14 years as reports indicate Russian President Vladimir Putin is preparing a spring assault on Ukraine despite ongoing peace negotiations to end the three-year war. 

Putin has called up 160,000 men as part of the country’s bi-annual conscription drive as Russia seeks to beef up its military ranks.

According to the legislation, citizens aged 18 to 30 will be called up for mandatory military service through June 15. The spring draft marks the largest conscription campaign since spring 2011, when 200,000 men were called up for service. Last year, 150,000 men were called, following 134,500 in 2022.

EMMANUEL MACRON CALLS 'EMERGENCY MEETING' FOR EUROPEAN LEADERS TO DISCUSS TRUMP: REPORT

The Kremlin and Defense Ministry insist the latest conscripts are not being sent into combat and that the draft is unrelated to the war in Ukraine. Russian authorities say troops deployed to Ukraine only include volunteers who signed contracts with the military.

Some draftees, however, fought and were taken prisoners when the Ukrainian military launched an incursion into Russia’s Kursk region in August.

Putin said late last year that Russia should increase the overall size of its military to almost 2.39 million and its number of active servicemen to 1.5 million.

It comes as a report suggests the Kremlin is preparing a six- to nine-month offensive across the Ukrainian front, potentially stretching over 1,000 kilometers, according to The New Voice of Ukraine. Potential targets include Sumy, Kharkiv and Zaporizhzhya oblasts, as well as the Kursk Oblast, where they’ve seen recent success.

The offensive is also aimed at maximizing pressure on Ukraine and strengthening the Kremlin’s negotiating position in ceasefire talks, Ukrainian government and military analysts said.

Meanwhile, U.S.-led talks attempting to broker a ceasefire deal appear to have stalled. The U.S. has struggled in its efforts to secure an immediate 30-day ceasefire, despite Moscow saying it agreed with a truce "in principle." 

TRUMP SAYS INTEL PAUSE ON UKRAINE HAS BEEN ‘JUST ABOUT’ LIFTED; SAYS TARIFFS WILL MAKE AMERICA RICH

Rebekah Koffler, a former DIA intelligence officer who specializes in Russia’s war-fighting strategy and Putin’s thinking, told Fox News Digital that Putin’s goal with his conscription drive is to prolong the fighting.

"There’s no ceasefire and no peace plan between Russia and Ukraine to be had," said Koffler, the author of a best-selling book "Putin’s Playbook." "What President Trump seeks is regretfully, unachievable. Putin's goal is to keep fighting, in order to compel Ukraine to capitulate."

Trump is trying to secure a peace and rare earth minerals deal, while on Sunday the president said he did not think Putin was going to go back on his word for a partial ceasefire.

Koffler, meanwhile, said the latest conscription numbers are intended to ensure that the correlation of forces on the battlefield and in reserves, continues to favor Russia. 

"Now that Germany and France are considering to deploy reassurance forces into Ukraine, Putin is factoring in those numbers, so he is increasing his force's posture, to deter such a deployment or failing to prevent it by force."

"Putin has prepared Russia for a long, protracted conflict, in which he wants the Russian forces to be ready to fight till the last Ukrainian and the last missile in the NATO arsenal," Koffler said.

She said Putin is also considering the possibility of having a direct kinetic war with NATO, in the event that NATO decides to deploy forces into the theater in Ukraine. 

"So, he intends for these mobilization numbers as a deterrence value and battlefield utility, if it comes to that."

Fox News’ Rachel Wolf and The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

Aftershocks are still being felt in France from what one political analyst told Fox News was a "political earthquake" there this week. Popular right-wing politician Marine Le Pen was convicted of embezzlement by a French court and barred from running for office for five years.

Speaking to her followers on Tuesday, Le Pen claimed that "the system" had used a "nuclear bomb" to thwart her attempts to become French president.

Le Pen and her National Rally party have been hard on immigration, crime and other hot-button issues. They now have the most seats in the French parliament. She got 11 million votes when she ran (and lost) against Emmanuel Macron last time. Current polls had her winning the top job in a vote set for 2027. For now, she’s blocked. She says she’ll appeal.

FRENCH RIGHT-WING LEADER MARINE LE PEN FOUND GUILTY OF EMBEZZLING PUBLIC FUNDS, BARRED FROM RUNNING FOR OFFICE

"We won’t give in," she declared today.

All of this, according to Le Pen supporters and many others, is due to a left-leaning court system taking away a mandate from the people.

Le Pen’s young party associate and possible replacement presidential candidate, Jordan Bardella, spoke Tuesday on the radio of a "tyranny of judges…everything had been done to keep us from power."

One of the French prosecutors in the case, Remy Heitz, defended the ruling Tuesday, saying "this is not a political decision but a legal one."

Le Pen and her party colleagues were found guilty of misusing European Union money to fund her French party activities. The conviction also carries with it a fine and a period of house arrest. 

The hitch is, the odds are against Le Pen winning the appeal and it would take time. 

"I’m not too optimistic about the appeal," French political analyst Christian Malard told Fox News, "and if it doesn’t work in the way she would be expecting, politically it would mean she’s ‘dead.'"

MUSK SLAMS LE PEN RULING, SAYS IT WILL 'BACKFIRE' LIKE TRUMP'S AS SOME ON GLOBAL RIGHT FACE LEGAL TROUBLES

Le Pen is a well-known champion of right-wing causes around the world and there was reaction internationally as well.  

Last night at a press conference in the Oval Office, President Donald Trump noted, "That’s a very big deal." Adding that questions about the courts’ role in politics "…sounds like this country, it sounds very much like this country."

Protests are being called for this weekend by the National Rally to channel what is thought to be widespread upset about Le Pen being at least temporarily yanked from the political stage.

As analyst Malard noted, "Disenfranchised is the word… we will see if there is reaction in the street."

Or we will see if Le Pen just bides her time. Even if her appeal fails, she’ll be able to run for office again when she’s 61. Young enough, in many countries, to still go for the leadership role!

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Israeli police of trying to "topple" his government over what he believes is a "political witch hunt." In a video statement released on Monday, Netanyahu claimed the police had no evidence against the two aides who were arrested.

Netanyahu was summoned on Monday to testify as part of an ongoing investigation into alleged financial ties between his office and Qatar. The prime minister claimed that he was questioned for an hour before he demanded to see evidence. He said there was nothing.

NETANYAHU SEEKS TO FIRE TOP SECURITY OFFICIAL AMID INTERNAL POWER STRUGGLE

Eli Feldstein and Yonatan Urich, the aides Netanyahu named in the video, were allegedly arrested on Monday in connection with the investigation. According to reports, Feldstein – a former member of Netanyahu’s team – is suspected of passing messages to journalists on behalf of Qatar while working in the prime minister’s office.

The messages Feldstein is accused of sending to the media allegedly pertained to Qatar’s role in negotiating the return of Israeli hostages, among other things, Israel HaYom reported.

However, the case remains under a gag order, so charges against Feldstein and Urich have not been officially released. The Washington Post reported, citing Israeli media, that Urich and Feldstein are accused of contact with a foreign agent, bribery and fraud.

NETANYAHU TO TESTIFY IN CORRUPTION TRIAL AMID MULTIPLE CONFLICTS

The Jerusalem Post confirmed on Tuesday that its editor-in-chief, Zivka Klein, was questioned by police in connection with the Qatar probe. Klein has previously denied having a connection with Feldstein after an Israeli outlet reported that the former Netanyahu aide arranged a trip to Qatar for the journalist.

Netanyahu says the probe, often referred to as "Qatargate," is intended to stop him from firing Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar, who heads the Israeli equivalent of the FBI.

Last month, Netanyahu announced that he would seek to oust Bar over alleged "ongoing distrust." However, some suspect that it is related to the Shin Bet’s assessment of Oct. 7, which "pointed to a policy led by the government, and the person who has headed it, for years, with emphasis on the year preceding the massacre," the Times of Israel reported.

Bar slammed Netanyahu’s "expectation of a duty of personal loyalty, the purpose of which contradicts the public interest, is a fundamentally illegitimate expectation," according to the Times of Israel. 

Israel's High Court froze Bar’s removal, which was set for April 8, but allowed Netanyahu to interview potential replacements. Netanyahu’s office announced on Monday that he had tapped a former Israeli Navy commander, Vice Adm. Eli Sharvit, to replace Bar.

"Sharvit served in the IDF for 36 years, including five years as commander of the Israel Navy. In that position, he led the force building of the maritime defense of the territorial waters and conducted complex operations against Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran," Netanyahu’s office tweeted.

Fox News Digital's Alex Nitzberg and Yonat Friling contributed to this report.

A man who stabbed five people in Amsterdam last week, including two Americans, likely had a "terrorist motive," Dutch prosecutors announced Tuesday. 

The suspect, identified by police as a 30-year-old Ukrainian from the Donetsk region, according to Reuters, was taken into custody Thursday after a bystander reportedly overpowered him. 

"The man is suspected of five counts of attempted murder or manslaughter with a terrorist motive," the news agency quoted prosecutors as saying Tuesday. 

Authorities identified the victims of the shopping district stabbing spree as a 69-year-old man and 67-year-old woman from the U.S.; a 73-year-old woman from Belgium; a 26-year-old man from Poland; and a 19-year-old woman from Amsterdam. 

KNIFE-WIELDING MAN INJURES MULTIPLE PEOPLE IN AMSTERDAM, INCLUDING 2 AMERICANS 

"The police investigation is in full swing and has full priority at the moment. We hope to soon get more clarity about the background of this horrible stabbing," Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema said last week. "Our hearts go out to the victims, their families and loved ones." 

Police said the suspect checked into a hotel in Amsterdam the day before the attack, Reuters reported. 

2 PEOPLE KILLED IN KNIFE ATTACK IN GERMANY 

The Polish victim has been released from a local hospital. As of Tuesday, the other victims remain in medical care and are in stable condition, Reuters added. 

A State Department spokesperson confirmed to Fox News that two U.S. citizens were injured during the incident. 

"The U.S. Department of State has no higher priority than the safety and security of U.S. citizens overseas," the spokesperson said. "We are closely following reports of a stabbing in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. We extend our sympathies to the victims and to the families of those affected. We can confirm that two U.S. citizens were injured." 

Fox News’ Greg Wehner, Nick Kalman and the Associated Press contributed to this report. 

Iranian military commanders are considering a preemptive strike on a joint U.S.-U.K. base on the Chagos Island located in the Indian Ocean in an apparent attempt to deter President Donald Trump from launching a military attack on Iran, a report by the Telegraph first said.

"Like any Iranian military threat, the art is to determine what is bluster and what is real," Behnam Ben Taleblu, an Iran expert and senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told Fox News Digital when asked about the strategy behind the alleged threats against the U.S. base.

"Deception is a propaganda tool used to bolster deterrence and prevent a conventionally weak regime from having to fight," he added. "By threatening everywhere, the regime hopes to have to fight nowhere – meaning its revolutionary foreign policy gets to remain uncontested.

AFTER DEBILITATING STRIKES, TRUMP TELLS HOUTHIS: STOP SHOOTING AT US AND 'WE WILL STOP SHOOTING AT YOU'

Fox News Digital has not been able to independently confirm the threat of attack on the Diego Garcia base, positioned some 2,400 miles south of Iran, but experts on Iranian security have been sounding the alarm that Tehran likely has, if not direct missile capabilities, options to position its arms that will enable it to hit U.S. strategic interests farther away. 

Iran has a "self-imposed" range of roughly 1,200 miles on its ballistic capabilities, though it is suspected that the IRGC has a ballistic strike capability of hitting up to 1,800 miles away using its Khorramshahr-2 medium-range ballistic missile, Ben Taleblu explained in a post on X.

Tehran also has the updated version of the missile known as Khorramshahr-4, also referred to as the Kheibar missile, which is suspected of being able to exceed Iran’s other strike range options, though the extent of its capabilities has not been fully tested. 

But even if it is incapable of hitting a U.S. target some 2,400 miles from its most southern border, Iran has proven it is crafty when it comes to expanding its strike range – including through the use of merchant ships and oil tankers converted to warships to expand its long-range strike capabilities.

IRAN'S KHAMENEI WARNS OF 'STRONG BLOW' AS TRUMP THREATENS TO DROP BOMBS, PUTIN SILENT ON US IRE

"There’s always the chance of using a foreign-procured container launched cruise missile from even an unconverted tanker or commercial vessel at sea," Ben Taleblu explained in his post, referring to its use of both Russian and Chinese procured cruise missiles following its war with Iraq in the 1980s.

In addition, Iran could again turn to its close ties to terrorist networks to transfer missile capabilities to war-torn areas like Yemen, which could enable it to strike further south into the Indian Ocean by some 800 miles. 

"While all these options would make Iran’s launch platforms, especially at sea, easy targets for a counterstrike, they mean that Tehran does have options to strike further afield than expected," Ben Taleblu said. 

Trump in recent days has increased his threats against Iran and warned there could be direct conflict if it doesn’t stop arming the Houthi terrorist group, or halt its nuclear program. 

But it remains unclear at what level the U.S. would respond to a direct attack on its military, which could prove catastrophic for Tehran given its revealed defense capabilities when faced with strikes from Israel. 

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Iran on Monday also filed a letter of complaint with the United Nations Security Council over Trump’s "reckless and belligerent" threats and described them as "a flagrant violation of international law."

According to a report by Reuters, Iran's U.N. Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani said Tehran "strongly warns against any military adventurism and will respond swiftly and decisively to any act of aggression or attack by the United States or its proxy, the Israeli regime, against its sovereignty, territorial integrity, or national interests."

Rescue workers saved a 63-year-old woman from the rubble of a building in Burma's capital on Tuesday, but hope was fading of finding many more survivors of the violent earthquake that killed more than 2,700 people, compounding a humanitarian crisis caused by a civil war.

The fire department in Naypyitaw said the woman was successfully pulled from the rubble 91 hours after being buried when the building collapsed in the 7.7 magnitude earthquake that hit midday Friday. Experts say the likelihood of finding survivors drops dramatically after 72 hours.

The head of Burma's military government, Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, told a forum in Naypyitaw, that 2,719 people have now been found dead, with 4,521 others injured and 441 missing, Myanmar's Western News online portal reported.

BURMA-THAILAND EARTHQUAKE: PATRICK SCHWARZENEGGER, ‘WHITE LOTUS’ CAST SEND PRAYERS AS DEATH TOLL PASSES 1,000

Those figures are widely expected to rise, but the earthquake hit a wide swath of the country, leaving many areas without power, telephone or cell connections and damaging roads and bridges, leaving the full extent of the devastation hard to assess.

Most of the reports so far have come from Mandalay, Burma's second-largest city, which was near the epicenter of the earthquake, and Naypyitaw.

"The needs are massive, and they are rising by the hour," said Julia Rees, UNICEF's deputy representative for Burma.

"The window for lifesaving response is closing. Across the affected areas, families are facing acute shortages of clean water, food, and medical supplies."

Burma's fire department said that 403 people have been rescued in Mandalay and 259 bodies have been found so far. In one incident alone, 50 Buddhist monks who were taking a religious exam in a monastery were killed when the building collapsed and 150 more are thought to be buried in the rubble.

The World Health Organization said that more than 10,000 buildings overall are known to have collapsed or been severely damaged in central and northwest Burma.

The earthquake also rocked neighboring Thailand, causing a high-rise building under construction to collapse and burying many workers.

Two bodies were pulled from the rubble on Monday and another was recovered Tuesday, but dozens were still missing. Overall, there were 21 people killed and 34 injured in Bangkok, primarily at the construction site.

In Burma, search and rescue efforts across the affected area paused briefly at midday on Tuesday as people stood for a minute in silent tribute to the dead.

MASSIVE 7.7 MAGNITUDE EARTHQUAKE ROCKS THAILAND, BURMA, COLLAPSING BUILDINGS AND KILLING MORE THAN 1,000

Foreign aid workers have been arriving slowly to help in the rescue efforts, but progress was still slow with a lack of heavy machinery in many places.

In one site in Naypyitaw on Tuesday, workers formed a human chain, passing chunks of brick and concrete out hand-by-hand from the ruins of a collapsed building.

The Burma military government's official Global New Light of Burma reported Tuesday that a team of Chinese rescuers saved four people the day before from the ruins of the Sky Villa, a large apartment complex that collapsed during the quake. They included a 5-year-old and a pregnant woman who had been trapped for more than 60 hours.

The same publication also reported two teenagers were able to crawl out of the rubble of the same building to where rescue crews were working, using their cellphone flashlights to help guide them. The rescue workers were then able to use details from what they told them to locate their grandmother and sibling.

International rescue teams from several countries are on the scene, including from Russia, China, India, the United Arab Emirates and several Southeast Asian countries. The U.S. Embassy said an American team had been sent but hadn't yet arrived.

Meantime, multiple countries have pledged millions in aid to assist Burma and humanitarian aid organizations with the monumental task ahead.

Even before the earthquake, more than 3 million people had been displaced from their homes by Burma's brutal civil war, and nearly 20 million were in need, according to the U.N.

Many were already lacking in basic medical care and standard vaccinations, and the destruction of water and sanitation infrastructure by the earthquake raises the risk of disease outbreaks, warned the U.N.'s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

"The displacement of thousands into overcrowded shelters, coupled with the destruction of water and sanitation infrastructure, has significantly heightened the risk of communicable disease outbreaks," OCHA said in its latest report.

"Vulnerability to respiratory infections, skin diseases, vector-borne illnesses such as dengue fever, and vaccine-preventable diseases like measles is escalating," it added.

Shelter is also a major problem, especially with the monsoon season looming.

Since the earthquake, many people have been sleeping outside, either because homes were destroyed or out of fear of aftershocks.

Burma's military seized power in 2021 from the democratically elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi, sparking what has turned into significant armed resistance and a brutal civil war.

Government forces have lost control of much of Burma, and many places were dangerous or impossible for aid groups to reach even before the quake.

Military attacks and those from some anti-military groups have not stopped in the aftermath of the earthquake, though the shadow opposition National Unity Government has called a unilateral ceasefire for its forces.

BURMESE GOVERNMENT DENIES CLAIMS IT KILLED 76 VILLAGERS

The NUG, established by elected lawmakers who were ousted in 2021, called for the international community to ensure humanitarian aid is delivered directly to the earthquake victims, urging "vigilance against any attempts by the military junta to divert or obstruct humanitarian assistance."

"We are in a race against time to save lives," the NUG said in a statement.

"Any obstruction to these efforts will have devastating consequences, not only due to the impact of the earthquake but also because of the junta's continued brutality, which actively hinders the delivery of lifesaving assistance."

It wasn't immediately clear whether the military has been impeding humanitarian aid. In the past, it initially refused to allow in foreign rescue teams or many emergency supplies after Cyclone Nargis in 2008, which resulted in well more than 100,000 deaths. Even once it did allow foreign assistance, it was with severe restrictions.

In this case, however, Min Aung Hlaing, pointedly said on the day of the earthquake that the country would accept outside help.

Tom Andrews, a monitor on rights in Burma commissioned by the U.N.-backed Human Rights Council, said on X that to facilitate aid, military attacks must stop.

"The focus in Burma must be on saving lives, not taking them," he said.

Tensions are running high as the U.S. works to broker a deal to end the years-long Ukraine-Russia war. While a German official expressed doubt about the efficacy of the Washington-led talks, a Chinese official gave a more optimistic outlook on the ceasefire efforts.

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, who arrived in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Tuesday, warned the U.S. not to "engage with [Russian President Vladimir] Putin’s stalling tactics." She also urged Europe to back Ukraine, describing the talks between the U.S. and Russia as being in a "deadlock," the Associated Press reported.

However, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi disagreed with Baerbock’s assessment of the U.S.-Russia talks, and insisted that progress was being made. China’s relationship with Russia has grown over the course of the Ukraine war, with Beijing providing Moscow with diplomatic support and a trading partner.

RUSSIA, UKRAINE AGREE TO BLACK SEA CEASEFIRE FOLLOWING US TALKS

Yi was recently quoted as saying that "certain results have been achieved" in the talks, according to the AP. He also said in an interview that China supports the goal of "a fair, long-term, binding peace agreement acceptable to all parties involved," the AP reported.

President Donald Trump showed some agreement with China’s assessment, saying that progress was being made, but still expressed frustration with both sides. The president scolded Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy when speaking to reporters on Sunday, saying that there is "tremendous hatred" between the two leaders.

TRUMP SAYS HE IS 'PISSED OFF' WITH PUTIN OVER LACK OF PEACE PROGRESS: REPORT

Trump also said in a weekend interview that he was "pissed off" at Putin for lashing out at Zelenskyy.

"If Russia and I are unable to make a deal on stopping the bloodshed in Ukraine, and if I think it was Russia’s fault — which it might not be — but if I think it was Russia’s fault, I am going to put secondary tariffs on oil, on all oil coming out of Russia," Trump told NBC News.

The U.S. has struggled in its efforts to secure an immediate 30-day ceasefire deal, despite Moscow saying it agreed with a truce "in principle." 

In mid-March, State Department Spokesperson Tammy Bruce said "the ball is now in Russia’s court" when it comes to ending the war that has persisted for more than three years.

Fox News Digital’s Anders Hagstrom and Michael Dorgan contributed to this report.

China’s military launched large-scale drills around Taiwan Tuesday to send a "severe warning" and a message of "forceful containment against Taiwan independence," Beijing officials said. 

Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense said it had tracked 19 Chinese navy vessels in the waters surrounding the island in a 24-hour period from 6 a.m. Monday until 6 a.m. Tuesday. The exercises – which involved Chinese navy, air, ground and rocket forces – were unannounced. 

"China's blatant military provocations not only threaten peace in the Taiwan Strait but also undermine security in the entire region, as evidenced by drills near Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Korea, the Philippines and the South China Sea," Taiwan's Presidential Office wrote on X. "We strongly condemn China's escalatory behavior." 

Taiwan defense officials added that they had been tracking the movement of China's Shandong aircraft carrier since Saturday and that its carrier group had entered into Taiwan's air defense identification zone on Monday. In response, Taiwan dispatched military aircraft and ships and activated land-based missile systems, according to Reuters. 

THE US IS NOT READY FOR A NUCLEAR SHOWDOWN WITH CHINA, KEY CONSERVATIVES WARN TRUMP 

"I want to say these actions amply reflect (China's) destruction of regional peace and stability,"  Taiwan's Defense Minister Wellington Koo said. 

China's Xinhua News Agency said the Eastern Theater Command on Tuesday conducted "multi-subject drills in waters to the north, south and east of Taiwan Island." 

The theater command "organized its vessel and aircraft formations, in coordination with conventional missile troops and long-range rocket launching systems, to conduct drills of air interception, assault on maritime targets, strikes on ground objects, and joint blockade and control," Xinhua quoted the command as saying. 

TAIWAN’S VOLUNTEER MILITARY SHRINKS AMID GROWING CHINESE AGGRESSION 

The exercises were "aimed at testing the troops’ capabilities of carrying out integrated operations, seizure of operational control and multi-directional precision strikes, the command said. 

China's Taiwan Affairs Office also said the exercises were directed at Lai Ching-te, Taiwan's strongly pro-independence president. 

"Lai Ching-te stubbornly insists on a ‘Taiwan independence’ stance, brazenly labeling the mainland as a ‘foreign hostile force,’ and has put forward a so-called "17-point strategy ... stirring up anti-China sentiments," China’s Taiwan Affairs Office said in a statement. "We will not tolerate or condone this in any way and must resolutely counter and severely punish these actions." 

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

JERUSALEM — The stunning court conviction of popular right-wing politician Marine Le Pen on Monday for embezzlement sparked outrage from President Donald Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency head, Elon Musk, who compared her fate to Trump’s legal troubles.

Musk said after the verdict that, "This will backfire, like the legal attacks against President Trump." Musk pinned the blame on the left for the conviction of Le Pen. He wrote on X, "When the radical left can’t win via democratic vote, they abuse the legal system to jail their opponents. This is their standard playbook throughout the world."

The conviction of Le Pen, which bans her from running for office for five years, comes amid legal prosecutions of other right-wing politicians, ranging from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Romania’s Călin Georgescu to former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro.

TRUMP'S VICTORY COULD GIVE BOOST TO BRAZIL'S BOLSONARO'S RE-ELECTION HOPES AMID COURT BAN ON HIM RUNNING

Fox News Digital reported last year, after a Manhattan jury convicted then-former President Trump of falsifying business records, that legal experts saw similarities between his case and the ongoing corruption prosecution against Netanyahu.

When asked on Monday about Le Pen's sentence, Trump told reporters it was "a big deal," adding, "But she was banned for running for five years, and she's the leading candidate. That sounds like this country, that sounds very much like this country."

Other cases where world leaders and politicians on the right have been targeted include Netanyahu, who was charged with fraud, breach of trust and accepting bribes in a legal saga that started four years ago and is still unfolding. Netanyahu has flatly denied all the accusations against him.

Romania’s right-wing presidential frontrunner, Georgescu, was barred from the race under criminal charges he compared to those Trump faced.

"We are faced with a communist regime as well," Georgescu told Fox News Digital just before a Romanian electoral bureau barred him from running in a May presidential election rerun. Prosecutors opened a criminal case against him two weeks prior. 

Just last week, Brazil’s Supreme Court accepted charges against former President Bolsonaro over an alleged attempt to remain in office after his 2022 election defeat, ordering the former leader to stand trial.

Italy’s Vice Premier Matteo Salvini, who was cleared in December of illegally detaining migrants, called his case "a declaration of war by Brussels."

Eugene Kontorovich, a legal expert and senior fellow at the Heritage Foundation’s Margaret Thatcher Center for Freedom, told Fox News Digital, "France follows the pattern of political prosecutions in the U.S. and Israel, where criminal prosecutions for obscure victimless offenses are used to knock out popular leaders of right wing parties, and use to courts to stand between the electorate and their preferred candidates. It is unlikely these cases are all happening within a year of each other: Leftists around the world are learning from, and legitimizing, each other’s tactics."

ROMANIA BLOCKS FRONTRUNNER FROM POSTPONED PRESIDENTIAL RACE

The heart of the embezzlement case revolves around accusations against Le Pen and more than 20 other National Rally figures who allegedly used EU funds to hire employees to work for the National Rally instead of matters involving the European Parliament as required by EU regulations in Brussels.

The French court also imposed a four-year prison sentence on Le Pen. The conviction unleashed a political earthquake in France, where the next presidential election is slated for 2027.

Right-wing Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, an ally of Trump, posted in French on social media a solidarity message, "Je suis Marine!" ("I am Marine"), an apparent reference to the slogan "Je suis Charlie" that was formulated after radical Islamist terrorists murdered journalists in 2015 from the Charlie Hebdo satirical magazine in Paris.

Le Pen has transformed the anti-immigration party National Rally (formerly called the National Front) into a serious political force that is a legitimate contender to win the 2027 presidential election.

She ousted her father, the late Jean-Marie Le Pen, who founded the National Front, and rejected his antisemitism. He was fined for terming the Holocaust gas chambers a "detail of history".

Marine Le Pen's protégé, the 29-year-old Jordan Bardella, recently spoke last week at an Israeli government conference on combating antisemitism. He is expected to take over the National Rally. He urged a "peaceful mobilization" to protest the verdict. 

According to French24, Bardella said the guilty verdict has "killed" French democracy. His party launched a petition that states:"It is no longer the government of judges, but the dictatorship of judges, which wishes to prevent the French people from expressing themselves."

Le Pen's lawyer, Rodolphe Bosselut, announced that he would appeal the verdict. 

"I am shocked by the incredibly tough verdict against Marine Le Pen," said Holland’s right-wing politician, Geert Wilders, who has been dubbed the Dutch version of Trump. 

He added,"I support and believe in her 100% and I trust she will win the appeal and become President of France."

Fox News Digital's Morgan Phillips, Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

The president of Finland is urging President Trump to impose a deadline on Vladimir Putin of April 20 to agree a ceasefire in Ukraine.

Speaking to Fox News in London following a weekend visit with Trump in Florida, Alexander Stubb praised Trump's negotiating efforts, saying Trump is "probably the only person in the world who can mediate the peace."

DAN HOFFMAN: TRUMP HAS TRIED ‘EVERYTHING’ HE COULD TO ‘ENTICE’ RUSSIA TO COME TO BARGAINING TABLE

But he argued the ceasefire negotiation process should not be open ended.

"We need a ceasefire, and we need a date for the ceasefire," Stubb said. "And that date should be the 20th of April."

April 20 would mark three months since Trump's inauguration, and is also Orthodox Easter.

"If President Putin — who is the only one who is not accepting a ceasefire, because the Americans want it, the Europeans want it, the Ukrainians want it — if he doesn't oblige by the ceasefire, then we should go for a colossal set of sanctions coming from the United States and Europe," Stubb said.

Trump has spoken of a "psychological deadline" for Russia to agree to a ceasefire, but has declined to name a date.

TRUMP THREATENS SANCTIONS ON RUSSIA, DEMANDS PEACE AFTER MAJOR HITS IN UKRAINE

Stubb said Putin "respects, and in many ways fears, Donald Trump."

Finland — a neighbor of Russia's, with a shared border running more than 800 miles — upended decades of neutrality two years ago when it joined NATO, alarmed by the war in Ukraine.

Stubb believes Ukraine should also be allowed to join the military alliance "in the long run" — a position that runs counter to the Trump administration's.

Following talks and a round of golf with Trump in Florida, the Finnish leader said European leaders are heeding American complaints that Europe does not spend enough money on defense, relying instead on the United States.

"Europe needs to take more responsibility for its own security, more responsibility for its own defense," Stubb said. "I think we're doing exactly that."

He described the U.S.-European relationship as "in a transition," but insisted: "We're allies.

"Just because ideologically there are differences at times between Europeans and Americans doesn't mean that we're going to sever or divorce."

A Palestinian man protesting Hamas, the terror group that rules the Gaza Strip, was fatally tortured, with his body left on his family's doorstep as a warning to others who are thinking of publicly opposing the organization. 

Uday Al Rabay, 22, was beaten and died after participating in an anti-Hamas protest in the Palestinian territories last week, said a senior officer affiliated with the opposition Fatah party, The New York Post reported.

IRAN'S KHAMENEI WARNS OF 'STRONG BLOW' AS TRUMP THREATENS TO DROP BOMBS, PUTIN SILENT ON US IRE

"Uday was martyred by the criminals of Hamas. And what’s his crime? He told the truth, because he refused to be silent on injustice, because he did not kneel to Hamas," said Mazen Shat, a police officer linked to Fatah, to the Telegraph.

Rabay was targeted allegedly after pictures purportedly of him were shared on the Telegram messaging app. He was allegedly kidnapped after the protest last week. 

"Hamas is oppressing people in a brutal way," Shat said. "Like a puppy [with] a rope around his neck, they dragged [Uday’s body] to the door of his house and told his family that this is the punishment for those who complain about Hamas."

TRUMP VINDICATED AS EXPLOSIVE REPORT CONFIRMS IRAN SUPERVISES HOUTHI 'POLITICAL AND MILITARY AFFAIRS'

Protests against Hamas happened in Gaza after Israel resumed its bombing of the territory following the collapse of a two-month ceasefire between Hamas and the Jewish state. 

Israel has bombarded Gaza since, prompted backlash against Hamas. 

"People have been under Israeli bombing since October 2023, they don’t want the war to continue by all means," said Sam Habeeb, a London-based Gazan, to the Telegraph.

Protesters have called for Hamas to be removed from power.

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"The people do not want the rule of Hamas. The rule of Hamas is over," a protester said, according to the Akron Jewish News. "This Hamas rule has destroyed us, killed us and displaced all the people."

President Donald Trump on Monday touted the success of the U.S.’s two-week-long offensive against the Houthis in Yemen and issued a clear message: "Stop shooting at U.S. ships, and we will stop shooting at you."

The Trump administration launched its operations earlier this month after the Houthi terrorist group once again renewed its threats against Israeli vessels earlier this month after Jerusalem cut off humanitarian aid headed for the Gaza Strip.

"The Iran-backed Houthi Terrorists have been decimated by the relentless strikes over the past two weeks," Trump said in a post on his social media outlet Truth Social on Monday afternoon. "Many of their Fighters and Leaders are no longer with us." 

IRAN'S KHAMENEI WARNS OF 'STRONG BLOW' AS TRUMP THREATENS TO DROP BOMBS, PUTIN SILENT ON US IRE

"We hit them every day and night – Harder and harder," he added.

Trump said their capabilities that enable the Houthis to target shipping in the region are "being rapidly destroyed."

The terrorist network, backed by Iran, began escalating its attacks on Western ships in the Red Sea following the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attacks on Israel. Notably, security experts have pointed out the Houthi attacks are not indiscriminate as they do not routinely target Chinese or Saudi Arabian vessels. 

Trump also issued a message to Iran on Monday and warned if the attacks do not stop, Washington will come for Tehran next. 

TRUMP VINDICATED AS EXPLOSIVE REPORT CONFIRMS IRAN SUPERVISES HOUTHI 'POLITICAL AND MILITARY AFFAIRS'

"Our attacks will continue until they are no longer a threat to Freedom of Navigation," Trump said. "Otherwise, we have only just begun, and the real pain is yet to come, for both the Houthis and their sponsors in Iran."

Trump has increased his threats issued against Iran in recent days, warning of direct military repercussions not only if it doesn’t stop arming terrorist networks, but if it continues with its nuclear ambitions. 

U.S. Central Command has not released an update about the Houthi leaders allegedly killed in the strikes or the most recent operations. 

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According to Houthi representatives, three people were killed in an overnight strike around the Houthi-controlled capital of Sanaa — which the terrorist network has held its grip on since 2014, reported the Associated Press.

The strike, which apparently carried on into Monday morning, came just three days after the previous attack on Friday, which was reported to have been more "intense" than previous aerial campaigns and was carried out over several locations in and around Sanaa.

A British toddler was kicked out of a nursery school after being accused of being transphobic or homophobic, according to local media reports. 

The child, aged 3 or 4, was kicked out of an unnamed school nursery "for being transphobic," the Telegraph reported Monday. 

The name of the school and details of the case were not disclosed by the Department for Education (DfE) of the United Kingdom, the report said. 

A DfE spokesman told the newspaper that "all pupils and staff should feel safe and protected at school and should never face violence or abuse."

UK STABBING SUSPECT IN DEATHS OF 3 GIRLS FOUND WITH RICIN, AL QAEDA MATERIAL AND CHARGED UNDER TERRORISM ACT

Statistics revealed that 94 students at state primary schools were suspended or permanently excluded for transphobia and homophobia in 2022-23.

That figure includes 10 students from year one and three from year two, where the maximum age is seven, the report states. 

"Every once in a while, the extremes of gender ideology throw up a story that seems too crazy to believe, and a toddler being suspended from nursery for so-called transphobia or homophobia is one such example," Helen Joyce, director of advocacy at Sex Matters, told the newspaper.

MAINE GOV. JANET MILLS RESPONDS TO TRUMP'S DEMAND FOR APOLOGY OVER TRANS-ATHLETE POLICIES

"Teachers and school leaders involved in this insanity should be ashamed of themselves for projecting adult concepts and beliefs onto such young children," she added. 

Author J.K. Rowling, who has spoken out on trans issues, took issue with the suspension. 

"This is totalitarian insanity. If you think small children should be punished for being able to recognise (sic) sex, you are a dangerous zealot who should be nowhere near kids or in any position of authority over them," she posted on X. 

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Lord Young, the director of the Free Speech Union, told the newspaper: "It beggars belief that schools are suspending children as young as five for breaching their ‘transphobia’ policy. I would have thought that if your ideology is so rigid it justifies you punishing toddlers for not complying with it, that’s a powerful argument for discarding it in favor of something less dogmatic."

Furious comments issued by President Donald Trump over the weekend prompted a swift and aggressive response from Iran, while Russian President Vladimir Putin remains tight-lipped in the face of the U.S. leader’s ire.

Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, issued a warning on Monday and said it would respond "decisively and immediately" to any threat issued by the U.S. after Trump said there "will be bombing" and likely more tariffs if Tehran does not agree to a nuclear deal with Washington. 

"The enmity from the U.S. and Israel has always been there. They threaten to attack us, which we don’t think is very probable, but if they commit any mischief, they will surely receive a strong reciprocal blow," Khamenei said according to a Reuters report.

TRUMP THREATENS TO BOMB IRAN UNLESS THEY END NUCLEAR WEAPONS PROGRAM AND BEGIN TALKS ON NEW DEAL

"And if they are thinking of causing sedition inside the country as in past years, the Iranian people themselves will deal with them," he added.

Despite Iran’s refusal and warning directed at both the U.S. and Israel, Behnam Ben Taleblu, an Iran expert and senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said Khamenei’s comments are an attempt to "buy time" while balancing growing external and internal pressures on his regime.

"At once, Khamenei sought to both downplay the chances of President Trump or Israel taking military action while also looking to deter such an eventuality due to the regime’s own policies," he told Fox News Digital. "This is a tightrope Khamenei will increasingly be forced to walk as he plays for time and engages in nuclear escalation.

"U.S. policy should be to keep Khamenei off balance," he added.

While Iran takes an offensive stance against Trump and his ambitions to finally bring Tehran to heel on its nuclear expansion, Russia is taking a different approach as it refuses to bow to Trump’s plans to see an end to the war in Ukraine. 

TRUMP SAYS HE IS 'PISSED OFF' WITH PUTIN OVER LACK OF PEACE PROGRESS: REPORT

Over the weekend, Trump said he was "pissed off" over comments made by Putin on Friday when he suggested the work Washington was doing to negotiate a ceasefire with Russia and Ukraine was moot because he believes the government in Kyiv to be illegitimate and therefore cannot sign any deals. 

"If Russia and I are unable to make a deal on stopping the bloodshed in Ukraine, and if I think it was Russia’s fault … I am going to put secondary tariffs on oil, on all oil coming out of Russia," Trump said, noting that tariffs could be as high as 50%. 

The president later said his ire could "dissipate quickly" if Putin "does the right thing," and once again noted he has "a very good relationship with [Putin]."

However, the Kremlin chief, who reportedly has another call scheduled with Trump this week, has not responded to Trump’s heated comments.

The chief spokesman for Putin, Dmitry Peskov, said on Monday that Russia will continue to work on "restoring" relations with Washington that he said were "damaged by the Biden administration" following Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine, and noted that Putin remains in "open contact" with Trump.

However, Putin’s lack of public response and the toned-down statements from the Kremlin are all part of Putin’s broader strategy, former DIA intelligence officer and Russia expert, Rebekah Koffler, told Fox News Digital.

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"Putin, like Trump, thrives on confrontation," Koffler said. "Except his approach is different. The Kremlin deliberately is projecting that Putin is cool, calm, and collected now, which he is. 

"The fact that President Trump reportedly got mad and used those words means to Putin that he finally got to him, the way he got to Biden, Obama, and others who called him a killer and other derogatory words," she continued. 

"Putin now feels that not only Russia has an upper hand on the battlefield over Ukraine and in terms of total combat potential over NATO, but he also was able to unbalance Trump," Koffler explained. "That is the whole point - it’s a judo move." 

Greenland's prime minister said Sunday that the U.S. "will not get" the resource-rich island in the Atlantic.

President Donald Trump wants to annex the self-governing territory of Denmark, a NATO ally of the United States, claiming it is needed for national security purposes.

"President Trump says that the United States ‘will get Greenland.’ Let me be clear: The United States will not get it. We do not belong to anyone else. We decide our own future," Jens-Frederik Nielsen said in a Facebook post.

Vice President JD Vance, second lady Usha Vance, National Security Advisor Mike Waltz and Utah Republican Sen. Mike Lee visited Pituffik Space Base, the Department of Defense’s northernmost military installation, in Greenland on Friday. 

TRUMP RELEASES POWERFUL VIDEO HIGHLIGHTING US-GREENLAND BOND AFTER DEADLY NAZI ATTACK

In a Saturday interview with NBC, Trump said that military force wasn’t off the table in regards to acquiring Greenland, according to the Associated Press.

"I think there’s a good possibility that we could do it without military force," Trump said. "This is world peace, this is international security," he said, but added: "I don’t take anything off the table."

WHY TRUMP'S PUSH FOR FRIGID GREENLAND IS ABOUT ICING OUT US ADVERSARIES

Although the Danish territory has said it is seeking independence from Copenhagen but isn’t interested in becoming part of the U.S., Trump has repeatedly floated, dating back to his first administration, a desire to secure Greenland for the U.S. as Russian and Chinese presence grows in the Arctic. 

Polls have shown that nearly all Greenlanders oppose becoming part of the United States. Anti-American protesters, some wearing "Make America Go Away" caps and holding "Yankees Go Home" banners, have staged some of the largest demonstrations ever seen in Greenland.

Fox News Digital's Michael Dorgan, Diana Stancy and The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report. 

French politician Marine Le Pen and eight other members of her right-wing party were found guilty of embezzling public funds on Monday, and she herself was barred from running for public office.

The French court did not immediately announce how long Le Penn will be ineligible for office, and she stormed out of the courtroom before he finished reading her sentence. She is a top candidate to run for president in 2027, and Le Pen has said that prohibiting her from running in that election would be "political death."

Le Pen has argued that such a sentence would also effectively disenfranchise her voters. She came in second place to French President Emmanuel Macron in both the 2017 and 2022 elections, and her National Rally party has grown massively in support in recent years.

"There are 11 million people who voted for the movement I represent. So tomorrow, potentially, millions and millions of French people would see themselves deprived of their candidate in the election," Le Pen told the court prior to her sentencing.

​TRUMP, PUTIN AGREE TO BEGIN CEASEFIRE NEGOTIATIONS IN MIDDLE EAST, WHITE HOUSE SAYS

The facts of her case relate to the spending of funds from the European Parliament to support aspects of the National Rally party. Prosecutors established in court that EU parliament funds were used to pay Le Pen's bodyguard as well as her personal assistant. The other defendants were convicted of similar uses of the funding.

Prosecutors requested a 2-year prison sentence as well as a 5-year period of political ineligibility for Le Pen.

Le Pen said she felt they were "only interested" in preventing her from running for president.

TRUMP HOLDS 'VERY GOOD' CALL WITH ZELENSKYY FOLLOWING DEAL WITH PUTIN

Le Pen and other right-wing figures have risen in Europe thanks in large part to a surge in anti-mass immigration sentiment.

Her court ruling comes as Macron has struggled to come to grips with President Donald Trump's return in the U.S., leading to conflict between Europe and the U.S. over economic policies and the defense of Ukraine.

RUSSIA, UKRAINE AGREE TO BLACK SEA CEASEFIRE FOLLOWING US TALKS

Last week, the Trump administration touted its negotiations with Ukraine and Russia and said both nations had agreed to "eliminate the use of force" in the Black Sea – but the Kremlin later confirmed this was only contingent on the removal of international economic restrictions.

"Russia shall have no right of say regarding the support we are providing and will provide Ukraine, nor shall they set the conditions," Macron reportedly said in response.

Macron also shot down Trump's call for Europe to consider ending sanctions on Moscow.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan reportedly called for the destruction of Israel during Eid al-Fitr prayers at the Çamlıca Mosque in Istanbul on Sunday.

The Jerusalem Post reported that Erdoğan said "May Allah, for the sake of his name ‘Al-Qahhar,’ destroy and devastate Zionist Israel." His call for the annihilation of the Jewish state has drawn fierce condemnation, particularly from Israeli officials.

In response to his remarks, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar stated on X, "The dictator Erdogan revealed his antisemitic face," adding that "Erdogan is dangerous to the region, as well as to his own people, as has been proven in recent days," Sa’ar referred to the widespread protests in Turkey and added, "Let's hope NATO members understand how dangerous he is, and not before it's too late." 

Following his comments, Turkey's foreign ministry issued a statement that read, in part, "We categorically reject the outrageous statement made by the Foreign Minister of the Netanyahu government.

TURKEY'S ERDOGAN CONTINUES CRACKDOWN ON PROTESTERS FOLLOWING ARREST OF MAIN RIVAL ON CORRUPTION CHARGES 

"These disrespectful and baseless allegations are part of an effort to cover up the crimes committed by Netanyahu and his associates," adding, "We will continue to stand by the innocent civilians targeted by Israel and to defend their rights."

In a social media post, Israel’s foreign ministry demanded clarity on whether Erdoğan denies his antisemitic views, emphasizing the president’s problematic actions both domestically and internationally. 

"What bothered the Turkish Foreign Ministry? Here’s a way to clarify the dictator’s words: Clearly state that Erdogan is not an antisemite, that he is not an obsessive hater of the Jewish state." 

The post underscores the growing concern over Erdoğan’s intentions toward Israel.

The tensions between Turkey and Israel go beyond Erdoğan’s support for Hamas, although that remains a central issue. Hamas, which carried out the brutal massacre of more than 1,200 Israelis on October 7, 2023, has long had Turkish backing. Erdoğan’s refusal to denounce Hamas, describing them as a legitimate political party, has angered Israel and much of the international community.

The diplomatic relationship between Turkey and the U.S. has also been under scrutiny. While Turkey’s domestic actions, like cracking down on political opponents, including the arrest of Istanbul’s mayor Ekrem İmamoglu, have sparked unprecedented protests, U.S. officials are attempting to stabilize relations. On March 26, Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, discussing Turkey’s potential support for a Russia-Ukraine ceasefire and other geopolitical issues, despite recent internal turmoil.

"Turkey’s strongman Recep Tayyip Erdogan is facing the worst domestic political crisis of his career. The streets are flooded now with protesters who are outraged over the arrest of opposition leader Ekrem Imamoglu, restrictions on the internet, and other authoritarian maneuvers," Jonathan Schanzer, executive director of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told Fox News Digital.

TRUMP UNIQUELY PLACED TO ‘WHISPER’ IN ERDOGAN’S EAR OVER TURKISH REGIONAL AMBITIONS: GREEK DEFENSE MINISTER

"To deflect, Erdogan has engaged in blistering rhetoric against Israel. This comes amidst Erdoğan’s unflinching financial and political support for Hamas since the October 7 war erupted, not to mention Erdoğan’s support for the al-Qaeda government in Syria, which also poses a threat to Israel," Schanzer said.

The tensions between Turkey and Israel are not limited to Hamas support. Erdoğan’s actions in Syria, where Turkey has backed Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, who overthrew the Assad regime and gained control over parts of the country, have further strained relations with Israel, leading to growing concerns over Ankara’s role in fostering instability on Israel’s borders.

Before Erdoğan's most recent threats against Israel, Trump administration officials had indicated that they may lift restrictions on defense contracts with Turkey, including the potential reinstatement of Turkey’s F-35 program participation. This comes after a phone call between Presidents Trump and Erdoğan on March 21, which may pave the way for a change in policy that could potentially allow the sale of the F-35s to Ankara.

As a NATO member, Turkey plays a pivotal role in the alliance’s security framework. 

The Taliban's supreme leader said Sunday there is "no need" for Western laws in Afghanistan, noting that democracy is dead as long as sharia laws are in place.

Hibatullah Akhundzada was speaking during a sermon marking Eid al-Fitr, an Islamic holiday, at the Eidgah Mosque in the southern city of Kandahar.

"There is no need for laws that originate from the West. We will create our own laws," Akhundzada said as he emphasized the importance for Islamic laws, according to audio of his message that was published on X by the Taliban government’s chief spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid.

FAYE HALL, AMERICAN DETAINED BY TALIBAN, HAS BEEN RELEASED

The Taliban’s interpretation of sharia has resulted in restrictions for Afghan women and girls, who have been denied an education, working roles in many job fields and from appearing in most public spaces.

These laws have isolated the Taliban in the international community, but they have still been able to establish diplomatic ties with some countries, including China and the United Arab Emirates.

Akhundzada has taken a stronger approach on policy since the Taliban seized control of Afghanistan in 2021 during the chaotic withdrawal of U.S. and NATO troops from the region, despite some officials initially promising a more moderate government.

TALIBAN FREES AMERICAN HOSTAGE GEORGE GLEZMANN FOLLOWING NEGOTIATIONS WITH US, QATAR

The terror group's supreme leader criticized the West in his remarks on Sunday by saying non-believers were unified against Muslims and that the U.S. and other countries were united in their hostility toward Islam, pointing to the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.

Akhundzada said democracy had come to an end in Afghanistan and sharia was in effect. He also argued that supporters of democracy were attempting to separate the people from the Taliban government.

The Taliban have no credible opposition inside or outside the country, although some senior figures within the government have criticized the leadership’s decision-making process and concentration of power in Akhundzada’s circle.

Some Taliban members want greater engagement on the world stage and to eliminate harsher policies to attract more support from outsiders.

In recent months, there has been increased engagement between the Taliban and the U.S. under President Donald Trump, mostly due to prisoner exchanges and releases.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

The Israeli military issued evacuation orders on Monday for most of Rafah and suggested it may soon launch another ground operation in the city after its ceasefire with Hamas ended.

The evacuation orders appeared to cover almost all the city and nearby areas. The military ordered civilians to head to Mawasi, where tent camps were set up along the coast.

"The IDF is returning to intense operations to dismantle the capabilities of the terrorist organizations in these areas," a spokesperson for the Israeli Defense Forces wrote on X. "For your safety, move immediately to the shelters in Al Mawasi."

Earlier this month, Israel ended its ceasefire with Hamas and renewed its air and ground attacks against the terror group. In early March, Israel cut off all supplies and humanitarian aid to Gaza to pressure Hamas to accept changes to the ceasefire agreement.

ISRAEL STRIKES BEIRUT FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE A CEASEFIRE ENDED THE LATEST ISRAEL-HEZBOLLAH WAR

Israel launched a major operation in Rafah in May, decimating large parts of the area. The military seized a strategic corridor along the border and the Rafah crossing with Egypt, which is Gaza's only path to the outside world that was not controlled by Israel.

Israel was expected to withdraw from the corridor under the ceasefire before later refusing, citing the need to block weapons smuggling.

Israel has said it would intensify its military operations until Hamas releases the remaining 59 hostages in its custody, including 24 who are believed to be alive. Israel has also called on the terror group to disarm and leave the territory, conditions that were not in the ceasefire agreement. Hamas has rejected those demands.

LANDMARK UK REPORT ON HAMAS EXPOSES WORST ATTACK ON JEWS SINCE HOLOCAUST

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that his country would take control of security in Gaza after the war and would impose President Donald Trump's controversial proposal to resettle the territory's civilians in other countries.

The proposal has been universally rejected by Palestinians, who view it as forcible displacement from their homeland. Human rights experts also say the plan would likely violate international law.

Hamas has insisted on moving forward with the signed ceasefire deal, which called for the remainder of the hostages to be released in exchange for a lasting ceasefire and Israel pulling its troops out of Gaza. Negotiations over those parts of the agreement were supposed to have begun in February after some hostages were freed in exchange for more than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli custody.

The war began when Hamas launched an attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing roughly 1,200 people and kidnapping another 251, most of whom have since been released in ceasefires or other deals.

More than 50,000 Palestinians have been killed by the Israeli military's retaliation, according to the Hamas-run government's Gaza Health Ministry, which does not differentiate between civilians and terrorists.

At the height of the war, roughly 90% of Gaza's population had been displaced, and many had fled.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Pope Francis publicly acknowledged that this Lenten season is a time of healing for his soul and body.

On Sunday, the Vatican released the text of Francis' prepared Sunday Angelus prayer. It is the seventh straight Sunday that his illness has prevented him from delivering the blessing from a window over St. Peter's Square as usual. 

"Dearest friends, let us live this Lent as a time of healing, all the more as it is the Jubilee," Francis said. "I too am experiencing it this way, in my soul and in my body."

"That is why I give heartfelt thanks to all those who, in the image of the Saviour, are instruments of healing for their neighbour with their word and their knowledge, with kindness and with prayer," he continued. "Frailty and illness are experiences we all have in common; all the more, however, we are brothers in the salvation Christ has given us."

POPE FRANCIS' DOCTORS CONSIDERED ENDING TREATMENT, SAID 'THERE WAS A REAL RISK HE MIGHT NOT MAKE IT': REPORT

His remarks then turned to world conflicts, with a focus on South Sudan, where he said "the war continues to claim innocent victims."

"I urge the parties concerned in the conflict to put the safeguarding of the lives of their civilian brothers and sisters first; and I hope that new negotiations will begin as soon as possible, capable of securing a lasting solution to the crisis," he said. "May the international community increase its efforts to address the appalling humanitarian catastrophe."

POPE FRANCIS MAKES FIRST PUBLIC APPEARANCE IN FIVE WEEKS 

The 88-year-old pontiff is still recovering from a respiratory infection, according to the Holy See Press Office. He continues to be weaned off oxygen support during the day and night, and his blood levels are normal. However, his medical team has ordered a strict convalescence period of at least two months following his hospital release last week. 

Francis has shown "a truly surprising improvement," the doctor who coordinated the pontiff’s five-week hospitalization said Saturday.

"I find him very lively," Dr. Sergio Alfieri said, after visiting the pope at his apartment in the Santa Marta Domus on Wednesday, three days after his release from Rome’s Gemelli hospital. "I believe that he will return if not to 100%, 90% of where he was before."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.