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Whether Russia is "serious" about achieving a ceasefire in Ukraine should become apparent in a "matter of weeks," Secretary of State Macro Rubio told reporters Friday.

"The Russians know our position in terms of wanting to end the war, and we will know from their answers very soon whether they are serious about proceeding with real peace or whether it is a delay tactic," Rubio said at NATO headquarters in Brussels. 

Questions are mounting over Moscow’s true interest in engaging with the Trump administration after it rejected a 30-day ceasefire proposed by Ukraine in early March, then refused to agree to a Black Sea ceasefire later that month unless sanctions were lifted.

TOP RUSSIAN NEGOTIATOR SHARES STATUS ON UKRAINE PEACE TALKS AFTER MEETING WITH US COUNTERPART IN DC

"[If] It's a delay tactic, the president’s not interested in that," he added. "President Trump is not going to fall into the trap of endless negotiations about negotiations."

When pressed by reporters, Rubio wouldn’t comment on what conditions Russia has set out in securing a peace deal. 

He did note, though, hat even after direct calls with foreign leaders, official readouts don’t always reflect what was actually discussed. That appeared to be the case after President Donald Trump’s call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, when the White House said Russia had "agreed" to eliminate the use of force in the Black Sea.

But the Kremlin later clarified that any agreement was contingent on the West lifting sanctions.

PUTIN CONSCRIPTS 160K MEN AS RUSSIA EYES UKRAINE OFFENSIVE

"I guess it's part of the game," Rubio said. "At the end of the day, what's going to matter here is whether we're going to move towards peace or not."

Rubio reiterated that Ukraine and Russia would both need to make concessions to end the war but declined to say what those should be, insisting those details should emerge through negotiations.

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"Initially, it was important to talk [to the Russians] because we haven't talked to them in a long time. But now we've reached the stage [where] we need to make progress," he said, noting it will be "hard," but he remains "optimistic."

"There are some promising signs. There are some troubling signs. It's not going to be easy. No one ever said this would be easy, but we're going to find out sooner rather than later," Rubio told reporters. "And let's just say I'm hopeful. I remain hopeful."

India's parliament passed a controversial bill moved by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist government to amend laws governing Muslim land endowments, while Muslim groups and opposition parties protested the move.

The bill would add non-Muslims to boards that manage waqf land endowments and give the government a larger role in validating their land holdings. The government says the changes will help to fight corruption and mismanagement while promoting diversity, but critics fear that it will further undermine the rights of the country’s Muslim minority and could be used to confiscate historic mosques and other property.

The debate was heated in both houses of parliament. The Lower House debated it Wednesday through early Thursday, while in the Upper House, the fiery discussion lasted more than 16 hours into early Friday.

The Congress-led opposition firmly opposed the proposal, calling it unconstitutional and discriminatory against Muslims. Modi’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party lacks a majority in the Lower House, but its allies helped to pass the bill.

MUSLIMS IN INDIA VOICE CONCERNS THAT NEW CITIZENSHIP LAW COULD FURTHER MARGINALIZE THEM

In the Lower House, 288 members voted for the bill while 232 were against it. Similarly, 128 favored it and 95 voted against it in the Upper House. The bill will now be sent to President Droupadi Murmu for her assent to become law.

Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju introduced the bill to change a 1995 law that set rules for the foundations and set up state-level boards to administer them.

Many Muslim groups, as well as the opposition parties, say the proposal is discriminatory, politically motivated and an attempt by Modi’s ruling party to weaken minority rights.

The bill was first introduced in parliament last year, and opposition leaders have said some of their subsequent proposals for it were ignored. The government has said opposition parties are using rumors to discredit them and block transparency in managing the endowments.

Waqfs are a traditional type of Islamic charitable foundation in which a donor permanently sets aside property — often but not always real estate — for religious or charitable purposes. Waqf properties cannot be sold or transferred.

Waqfs in India control 872,000 properties that cover 405,000 hectares (1 million acres) of land, worth an estimated $14.22 billion. Some of these endowments date back centuries, and many are used for mosques, seminaries, graveyards and orphanages.

In India, waqf property is managed by semi-official boards, one for each state and federally run union territory. The law would require non-Muslims to be appointed to the boards.

Currently, waqf boards are staffed by Muslims, like similar bodies that help administer other religious charities.

During the parliamentary debate, Home Minister Amit Shah said non-Muslims would be included in waqf boards only for administration purposes and to help run the endowments smoothly. He added that they were not there to interfere in religious affairs.

"The (non-Muslim) members will monitor whether the administration is running as per law or not, and whether the donations are being used for what they were intended or not," he said.

Muslim groups, like The All India Muslim Personal Law Board, said such comments were against the fundamentals of Islamic endowments as such bodies necessarily need to be governed by Muslims only. The board said the bill was "a blatant infringement on the constitutional rights of Muslim citizens" and called on citizens to hit the streets against it.

Mallikarjun Kharge, the Congress president, said, "Why should waqf bodies allow non-Muslims as members when Hindu temple trusts don’t allow people of other religions in their fold?"

One of the most controversial changes is to ownership rules, which could impact historical mosques, shrines, and graveyards, since many such properties lack formal documentation as they were donated without legal records decades, and even centuries, ago.

Other changes could impact mosques on land held in centuries-old waqfs.

Radical Hindu groups have laid claim to several mosques around India, arguing they are built on the ruins of important Hindu temples. Many such cases are pending in courts.

The law would require waqf boards to seek approval from a district level officer to confirm the waqfs’ claims to property.

Critics say that would undermine the board and could lead to Muslims being stripped of their land. It’s not clear how often the boards would be asked to confirm such claims to land.

"The Waqf (Amendment) Bill is a weapon aimed at marginalizing Muslims and usurping their personal laws and property rights," Rahul Gandhi, the main opposition leader, wrote on social media platform X. He said the bill was an "attack on the Constitution" by the BJP and its allies "aimed at Muslims today but sets a precedent to target other communities in the future."

INDIA’S RELIGIOUS DIVIDE CONTINUES TO WIDEN BETWEEN MUSLIM, HINDU COMMUNITY

While many Muslims agree that waqfs suffer from corruption, encroachments and poor management, they also fear that the new law could give India’s Hindu nationalist government far greater control over Muslim property, particularly at a time when attacks against minority communities have become more aggressive under Modi, with Muslims often targeted for everything from their food and clothing styles to inter-religious marriages.

Last month, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom said in its annual report that religious freedom conditions in India continued to deteriorate while Modi and his party "propagated hateful rhetoric and disinformation against Muslims and other religious minorities" during last year’s election campaign.

Modi’s government says India is run on democratic principles of equality and no discrimination exists in the country.

Muslims, who are 14% of India’s 1.4 billion population, are the largest minority group in the Hindu-majority nation, but they are also the poorest, a 2013 government survey found.

Passengers on a cruise ship sailing through rough seas got more than they bargained for when waves up to 40 feet rocked passengers onboard.

Video posted to Instagram shows massive waves hitting the Quark Expeditions’ Ocean Explorer ship, which was traveling between Antartica and the tip of South Africa, known as the Drake Passage, according to the New York Post.

"Imagine if you signed up for a 48 hour rollercoaster," one travel blogger wrote on Instagram. "Yes, we were safe and it was insane…and at times, even fun? 1000% worth it for this trip of a lifetime!"

NOROVIRUS SICKENS OVER 200 CRUISE SHIP PASSENGERS ON MONTH-LONG VOYAGE

Lesley Anne Murphy, a travel blogger, said that crew on the ship had told passengers to stay in their cabins until the ship was no longer being rocked by the waves.

Quark Expeditions said the Drake Passage has "fierce weather and extremely powerful waves," since it's an area where the Pacific, Atlantic, and Southern oceans flow.

TEEN ON ROYAL CARIBBEAN CRUISE ATTACKED BY HIV-INFECTED ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT: POLICE

The company said its ships are "built to navigate such waters."

"I am proud to say we survived not one but two Drake Shakes," Murphy wrote. "If you’re lucky, you get the ‘Drake Lake.’ If you’re like us, you get the ‘Drake Shake’ with 35-foot waves."

Senior Iranian officials are threatening to ramp up the country's nuclear program as the Trump administration weighs a possible strike against the regime if Tehran does not come to the table for negotiations.

"The president should be making the regime sweat, pure and simple," Behnam Ben Taleblu, an Iran expert and senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told Fox News Digital.

"This can be done with strict enforcement of maximum pressure sanctions, and a targeted campaign against regime assets in the region - Yemen being a good example now. Washington will also need to add a critical third element to its otherwise economic and military pressure policy. Maximum support for the Iranian people."

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

Lisa Daftari, a Middle East expert and editor-in-chief at The Foreign Desk, told Fox News Digital that while diplomacy often demands negotiation, extending any offer to Iran’s regime, even symbolically, risks legitimizing a government that has spent decades terrorizing its own people and funding proxies like Hamas, the Houthis and Hezbollah.

"This regime thrives on defiance, not dialogue. That has not changed. For over four decades, the mullahs have understood only one language: might," Daftari said.

President Donald Trump told reporters on Air Force One on Thursday that it would be better if the U.S. had direct talks with Iran.

"I think it goes faster, and you can understand the other side a lot better than if you go through intermediaries," Trump said. "They wanted to use intermediaries. I don’t think that’s necessarily true anymore. I think they’re concerned. I think they feel vulnerable, and I don’t want them to feel that way."

Trump also threatened to bomb Iran and impose secondary sanctions on Iranian oil if it did not come to the bargaining table over its nuclear program. Although the president said he preferred to make a deal, Trump did not rule out a military option.
 

"It will be bombing the likes of which they have never seen before," President Trump told NBC News last weekend.

The U.S. expanded its deterrence efforts in the region, deploying additional squadrons of fighter jets, bombers, and predator drones to reinforce defensive air-support capabilities. The U.S. is also sending the USS Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group to the region to join USS Harry S. Truman, which has been in the Middle East to fight against the Houthi's in Yemen.

Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, responded with threats of his own and said that Iran would respond "decisively and immediately" to any threat issued by the U.S. Iran is still floating the idea of indirect talks, something the administration is reportedly considering.

WALTZ TELLS IRAN TO GIVE UP NUCLEAR PROGRAM OR 'THERE WILL BE CONSEQUENCES'

Taleblu said, "Tehran's counteroffer of indirect talks is the regime’s way of rejecting Trump while leaving the door open for talks that can be used as a shield against a potential preemptive attack."

The president sent a letter to Khamenei expressing interest in making a deal on the nuclear issue. While increasing its military presence in the region, reports indicate that the Trump administration is considering indirect talks with Iran to curb the expansion of its nuclear program and avoid a direct confrontation.

Experts and observers of the region warn that Iran has used negotiating as a delaying tactic in the past and warn the Trump administration against entering into talks that might further embolden Iran.

"The Trump administration should impose full pressure on the regime in Iran given how weak the regime has become in the last several years. Indirect talks are the regime’s strategy of buying time so it can live to fight another day," Alireza Nader, an independent analyst in Washington, D.C., and expert on Iran, told Fox News Digital.

Nader’s recommendation to Trump is to support the people of Iran and argued that the regime is much weaker than it appears.

"President Trump really wants a deal. Iran has a chance here to go back and negotiate, keep its civilian nuclear program but make concessions about its size and the duration of a deal," Alex Vatanka, senior fellow at the Middle East Institute, told Fox News Digital.

"Trump is in a dominant position. Republicans in Congress fear him. Nothing can stop him—at least for now. But power is fickle. The longer he’s in the White House, the more vulnerable he may become. Iran shouldn’t wait for that," Vatanka added.

PRESIDENT TRUMP CAN STOP IRAN'S MARCH TO NUCLEAR WEAPONS: 'RE-ESTABLISH CREDIBLE MILITARY THREAT', REPORT SAYS

In an interview with Mark Dubowitz of the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies podcast, "The Iran Breakdown," former Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid said that eventually, Israel will attack Iran's nuclear facility, with or without the United States, because there is no other choice, according to Lapid.

Ali Larijani, an advisor to the supreme leader, said in an interview that although Iran does not seek a nuclear weapon, Tehran will have no choice but to build a nuclear weapon if the U.S. or Israel strike Iran.

The International Atomic Energy Agency reported in February that Iran has accelerated its nuclear program and has enriched uranium close to weapons-grade levels. 

Danielle Pletka, senior fellow in Foreign and Defense Policy Studies at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), told Fox News Digital that having additional military assets in the Middle East is sound policy given the threats that the U.S. and its allies face in the region.

For Pletka, the question is, what is the Trump administration looking for?

"A deal in which the Iranians do not fully get rid of their nuclear weapons program? If so, the president sets the United States up for the risk that Barack Obama inflicted on our allies and ourselves – merely delaying the Iranian nuclear program to a later date," Pletka told Fox News Digital.

Pletka said it is strange that President Trump seems to envision a Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)-like deal, and that has prompted a lot of criticism on Capitol Hill. 

Trump originally withdrew from JCPOA, also known as the Iran nuclear deal, during his first term in 2018 and reapplied harsh economic sanctions. The Biden administration had initially looked at re-engaging with Iran on the nuclear issue upon taking office, but on-again-off-again talks went nowhere, complicated by Iran’s domestic politics and its role in supporting its terror groups in the region.

The other risk that the president runs, according to AEI’s Pletka, is being perceived as a paper tiger.

"He threatened Hamas with bombing that he never delivered. Now he’s threatening Iran with military action. But does he really mean it? Or is he just blowing hot air?" she said.

Pletka said, "There is an enormous amount of uncertainty around the president’s intentions, and that uncertainty is an opportunity for the Iranians to exploit."

The Middle East Institute’s Vatanka said he believed that Trump could claim a potential win he can sell at home and say he got a better deal than President Obama did with the JCPOA, if Iran were to agree to permanently keep its enrichment level to a low level, unlike the expiration dates included in the JCPOA.

Houthis in Yemen have shot down another U.S. MQ-9 Reaper drone, sources told Fox News. 

This is the third such drone the rebels have shot down since March 3 and the second shot down since the U.S. began conducting daily strikes.

While the U.S. has been carrying out airstrikes daily for 20 days straight, there have been few updates from the Trump administration on the status of the operation. The Pentagon has not held a press briefing in weeks, and the Defense Department has been quiet about the ongoing strikes.

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

On Tuesday, the State Department announced sanctions on "financial facilitators, procurement operatives, and companies operating as part of a global illicit finance network supporting the Houthis." 

The State Department put forward sanctions after the Houthis shot down the first Reaper in early March, citing weapons smuggling as the reason.

TRUMP'S SIGHTS SET ON IRAN AFTER US AIRSTRIKES DECIMATE MORE THAN 30 HOUTHI TARGETS

Late last month, National Security Advisor Mike Waltz spoke about the airstrikes in an interview with CBS' "Face the Nation."

"These guys are like al Qaeda or ISIS with advanced cruise missiles, ballistic missiles and some of the most sophisticated air defenses, all provided by Iran," Waltz said. "Keeping the sea lanes open, keeping trade and commerce open, is a fundamental aspect of our national security," he added.

MQ-9 Reaper drones cost approximately $30 million each, according to the Congressional Research Service. Houthis have shot down 13 U.S. drones since October 2023, when the Israel-Hamas war started, however, a source told Fox News that it could be as many as 17 Reapers. 

The U.S. had 230 MQ-9 Reaper drones in its arsenal as of December 2024, a U.S. defense official told Fox News. These drones are primarily used to collect intelligence but can be armed with up to eight laser-guided Hellfire missiles, according to the U.S. Air Force.

Fox News' Jennifer Griffin contributed to this report.

Israel launched a wave of airstrikes on Syrian military airfields this week, in what officials confirmed to Fox News Digital was "intended to send a clear message to Turkey not to interfere with Israeli aerial operations in Syrian airspace." 

The escalation marks a turning point in Jerusalem’s stance toward Ankara, as Turkey attempts to expand its military presence in Syria amid regional instability.

The Israeli Defense Forces struck strategic assets at both the Hama military airport and the T-4 airbase, including runways, fuel storage sites, radar systems and weapons caches. The strikes follow weeks of intelligence gathering by the Israeli air force, which tracked military assets in the targeted bases. 

The airbases, which had been under the control of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime, are now reportedly being eyed by Turkey for expanded use and the deployment of air defense systems.

ECHOING HAMAS, ERDOGAN REPORTEDLY CALLS FOR ISRAEL'S DESTRUCTION AMID PUSH TO REKINDLE TIES WITH TRUMP 

Turkey has signaled growing ambitions in Syria. Reports from Middle East Eye indicate that Turkish forces have begun moves to take control of the T-4 base and are planning to install air defense systems there. Since the fall of Assad in December, Ankara has accelerated negotiations with Syria’s interim government over a potential defense pact.

Turkey’s Foreign Ministry reacted sharply to the Israeli strikes, labeling Israel’s government as "racist and fundamentalist," accusing it of expansionist ambitions. "Israel’s attacks in Syria, without any provocation, are inconceivable and indicate a policy that thrives on conflict," a ministry spokesperson said. The statement further condemned Israel’s military operations as a threat to regional security. 

Fox News Digital requests for comment to the Turkish embassy spokesman in Washington, D.C., were not returned.

Dr. Sinan Ciddi, a Turkey expert at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told Fox News Digital that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is attempting to capitalize on the regional vacuum left by Russia and Iran.

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

"Erdogan is trying to reignite Turkey’s influence in the region as a sort of neo-Ottoman power," said Ciddi. "He sees Iran’s proxies weakened, Russia overstretched, and is positioning Turkey to dominate the region — particularly through military footholds like the airbases."

Ciddi said Erdogan’s long game includes projecting power in Syria, currying favor with the new government in Damascus and convincing the U.S. to grant Turkey access to F-35 fighter jets in exchange for "managing" Syria.

"Erdogan wants to go to Trump and say, ‘I’m the big guy here. Leave Syria to me, just give me the F-35s,’" Ciddi said. "But Israel sees this as a direct threat. Bombing the T-4 runway was a clear message: you’re not welcome here."

The Turkish leader’s recent inflammatory rhetoric — including prayers for the destruction of Israel during a Ramadan service — has further alarmed Israeli and American observers.

During a recent webinar hosted by the Jewish Institute for National Security of America (JINSA), former U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Eric Edelman called for urgent diplomatic intervention.

"There ought to be some quiet discussions with Turkey about toning down the rhetoric about Israel — threats to destroy it, whether coming from the president or his son at rallies," said Edelman. "There needs to be some kind of effort to deconflict over Syrian airspace."

Edelman also warned that renewed F-35 sales to Turkey must come with conditions: "If Turkey is actually going to possess the F-35, there has to be some very clear understandings about where they can use it."

TRUMP EYES LIFTING SANCTIONS, POTENTIAL SALE OF PRIZED FIGHTER JET TO TURKEY

Alan Makovsky, JINSA Eastern Mediterranean Policy Project member said, "We can never assume statements like this are just rhetoric," adding, "Erdogan has alluded in the past to being able to ‘come suddenly one night’ — we have to take that seriously."

Inside Israel, officials are closely watching Turkey’s moves in Syria. Avner Golov, vice president of Mind Israel, emphasized that the current crisis reflects a deeper ideological threat.

"Iran is clearly the head of the radical camp, but Erdogan is trying to position himself as the second head — and he’s no less dangerous in terms of potential," he said. "He doesn’t use proxies the same way Iran does. He intervenes directly, including inside Israel through Palestinian citizens and political activism."

"Israel has diplomatic ties with Turkey, but Erdogan keeps blocking meaningful security cooperation in NATO" Golov added. "Now that Turkey is moving south into Syria, we [Israel] need to escalate the rules of engagement. We can’t allow Turkey to create a long-range air defense umbrella on our border."

Golov said the current administration needs to understand that Erdogan's ambitions go beyond Syria. "He wants to become a patron state, to control the skies, and to prevent Israeli operations by claiming we’re violating Syrian sovereignty. But it’s not about sovereignty — it’s about power and shaping the new Middle East in Muslim Brotherhood colors."

On the recent protests against the jailing of the mayor of Istanbul, Ciddi said, "We’ve seen a great challenge to Erdogan with these rising public protests — probably the biggest since the 2013 Gezi protests … jailing an opposition candidate before they even run is a clear sign of weakness. Erdogan doesn’t care about international criticism or economic fallout — all he cares about is maintaining his regime. That’s not strength, it’s desperation."

South Korea’s Constitutional Court on Friday removed impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol on Friday, four months after he declared martial law, sending the East Asian country into turmoil. 

The court issued its verdict more than three months after the opposition-controlled National Assembly voted to impeach him. 

SOUTH KOREAN PM HAN DUCK-SOO REINSTATED AS ACTING PRESIDENT AFTER IMPEACHMENT OVERTURNED

South Korea must hold a national election within two months to find a new president. 

Yoon’s short-lived martial law declaration on Dec. 3 lasted only six hours before the liberal opposition-controlled legislature quickly voted it down. 

This is a developing story. Check back for updates. 

A 1947 agreement outlining obligations as host of the United Nations continues to give employees and their family members relatively unfettered access to the U.S. 

At a time of increased national security fears and immigration enforcement by the Trump administration, experts are urging a re-examination of the host nation agreement with an eye to the functional immunity granted to U.N. staff and the limited vetting given to those with U.N. visas.

"The United States appears to have taken a relaxed view of the individuals entering the country associated with the U.N., either as employees or as representatives of various country missions. And yet we know that U.N. employees have had, and continue to have, close, direct relationships with terrorist organizations, like UNRWA and Hamas," Anne Bayefsky, director of the Touro Institute on Human Rights and the Holocaust and president of Human Rights Voices, told Fox News Digital.

UN WATCHDOG PROJECT CALLS ON DOGE CAUCUS TO ‘AUDIT’ THE INTERNATIONAL ORG

Bayefsky said there is "a disconnect between the welcome routine and the significant harm to American interests. Hosting the U.N. does not require the host country to facilitate or endure threats to its national security."

The federal government grants G visas to employees, spouses and children of international organizations, including the U.N., who reside in, or are visiting, the U.S. According to the State Department’s website, "if you are entitled to a G visa, under U.S. visa law, you must receive a G visa. The exceptions to this rule are extremely limited." The Department of State also explains that "Embassies and consulates generally do not require an interview for those applying for G-1 - 4 and NATO-1 - 6 visas, although a consular officer can request an interview."

Hugh Dugan, a senior advisor to 11 U.S. former ambassadors to the U.N., told Fox News Digital that it "appears to me that the issuance of the G visas for [U.N. employees] is a relatively rubber stamp exercise." While not requiring interviews of personnel has "become a matter of convenience, frankly, we should always be able to assess a threat to our country."’

Dugan, a former National Security Council special assistant to the president and senior director for international organization affairs, said nations like Russia and China are only allowed to travel a certain distance from U.N. headquarters. "We are mindful of our adversaries’ activities and presence here, but the door is open to participate in the U.N. and the host country agreement makes that possible so that no country would be barred because of a certain political atmosphere or issue that might be brewing between us and them."

Fox News Digital asked the State Department whether it requires interviews for staff from adversarial member states, including Cuba, Venezuela, Russia, North Korea, Iran and China, but received no response. A State Department spokesperson reiterated that consular officers "have full authority to require an in-person interview for any reason."

Peter Gallo, formerly an investigator with the U.N. Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS), told Fox News Digital that he is particularly concerned about the functional immunity granted to U.N. staff participating in activities related to their employment. Gallo explained that "U.S. legal system has come to accept that pretty much it’s a blanket coverage." He added that "immunity breeds impunity."

REPUBLICANS SEEK TO BLOCK THE REAPPOINTMENT OF UN OFFICIAL ACCUSED OF ANTISEMITISM

Gallo claimed that there is an epidemic of sexual offenses and misconduct among U.N. staff. He cited an incident in which a U.N. employee outside the U.S. sexually harassed "a young female in his department." Gallo said it took two years after receipt of the investigation report for an investigation to be completed, which resulted in the demotion of the offending employee. Gallo said the employee who was harassed, and her harasser remained in the same organization.

Gallo said that if employees take part in misconduct while based at U.N. headquarters, the U.S. government should be able to examine cases and determine whether staff should retain their G visas. 

Dugan said that if U.N. personnel "knew that [immunity] could be lifted at any time by us… they might start behaving a lot differently." 

In response to questions about whether U.N. staff have been accused of sexual misconduct in the U.S., or whether U.N. staff who engaged in misconduct have had their G visas revoked, a State Department spokesperson explained the department "generally does not provide" revocation statistics. They also said that "all visa applicants, no matter the visa type and where they are located, are continuously vetted.  Security vetting runs from the time of each application, through adjudication of the visa, and afterwards during the validity period of every issued visa, to ensure the individual remains eligible to travel to the United States."

The spokesperson said officials of the U.N. "are expected to respect applicable laws of the United States, including criminal laws. Failure to do so may constitute an abuse of privileges of residence." They added that this "applies for those who hold diplomatic immunity for their positions as well."

Among staff who have raised internal alarm bells is U.N. special rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories Francesca Albanese, who traveled to the U.S. in 2024 to deliver a report before the Third Committee of the General Assembly. Albanese, whose antisemitism has been condemned widely by senior U.S. diplomats and the State Department, was allowed to tour multiple U.S. college campuses while in the U.S.

In addition to qualifying for "rubber stamp" G visas, staff of international organizations like the United Nations can qualify for green cards if they have spent half of at least seven years of employment inside the U.S., or have been in the U.S. for a combined total of 15 years prior to retirement.
 

Russia is pushing back against President Donald Trump's threats to bomb Iran, calling them "illegal and unacceptable." 

Trump in recent days has increased his threats against Iran and warned that there could be direct conflict if the Islamic Republic doesn’t stop arming the Houthi terrorist group or halt its nuclear program. Russia, meanwhile, said Thursday that it’s committed to finding solutions to Iran’s nuclear program that respects its rights to peaceful nuclear energy, according to Reuters. 

"The use of military force by Iran's opponents in the context of the settlement is illegal and unacceptable," Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova was quoted by the news agency as saying. 

"Threats from outside to bomb Iran's nuclear infrastructure facilities will inevitably lead to an irreversible global catastrophe. These threats are simply unacceptable," she reportedly added. 

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

Rebekah Koffler, a former DIA intelligence officer specializing in Russia’s war-fighting strategy and Putin’s thinking, told Fox News Digital on Thursday that "Russia’s statement is consistent with the diplomatic posture that it's trying to project of being Iran’s strategic partner."

"In reality, Russia and Iran are not natural allies. They share a very turbulent history and there’s plenty of distrust in the relationship. The Russians don’t trust Iranians to have a fully operational militarized nuclear capability," she continued. "But they would never admit it in public. At one point, during the Obama administration, Moscow was siding with Washington in terms of economic sanctions on Iran and complied with Washington’s request not to sell S-300s air defense missiles to Tehran. 

"Putin is angling to serve as a broker between the Trump administration and the Iranian government on the nuclear issue," she also said. 

Trump’s overtures via a letter to Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, to jump-start talks on dismantling Tehran’s illicit nuclear weapons program, were met with rejection on Sunday. 

TRUMP THREATENS IRAN OVER NUKES AS DNI GABBARD CLAIMS TEHRAN IS NOT BUILDING BOMBS 

Trump told NBC the day before, "If they don't make a deal, there will be bombing." 

"But there's a chance that if they don't make a deal, that I will do secondary tariffs on them like I did four years ago," he added. 

Secondary "tariffs," or sanctions, would mean slapping financial penalties on any country that does business with Iran. 

Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Sunday, "We don’t avoid talks; it’s the breach of promises that has caused issues for us so far," according to The Associated Press. He added, "They must prove that they can build trust."  

Iran is enriching uranium to 60%, just shy of the 90% weapons-grade. Experts say it could have a nuclear weapon within weeks if it were to take the final steps to building one. Fox News Digital reported in late March that Iran’s regime has enriched enough uranium to manufacture six nuclear weapons, according to a U.N. atomic agency report. 

Fox News’ Benjamin Weinthal, Caitlin McFall and Morgan Phillips contributed to this report.

World leaders reacted to the sweeping tariffs President Donald Trump released this week impacting essentially every U.S. trading partner. 

The White House has implemented a flat 10% tariff on apparently all imports, though some nations saw drastically higher taxes slapped on their U.S. exports – including Vietnam, which was issued a 46% tariff one day after it slashed its tariffs on U.S. imports.

However, no nation was handed a higher import tax than China, which Trump revealed will have an additional 34% blanket tariff on its exports to the U.S. on top of the 20% tariff the president implemented earlier this year. This brings the total tariffs on Chinese goods imported into the U.S. to 54% – just shy of the 60% Trump pledged on the campaign trail.

CANADA'S PM CARNEY VOWS TO ‘FIGHT’ TRUMP’S TARIFFS, OTHER WORLD LEADERS WEIGH IMPACT

"China firmly opposes this and will take countermeasures to safeguard its own rights and interests," China's Commerce Ministry reportedly said in a statement. "There are no winners in trade wars, and there is no way out for protectionism."

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun also warned that "Protectionism has no exit ramp" and urged Washington to "correct its wrong practices and resolve economic and trade differences with other countries — including China — through fair, respectful and reciprocal consultations." 

The EU, which was hit with a blanket 20% tariff on top of the 25% tariffs on steel and aluminum as well as car exports to the U.S., which are expected to severely impact European nations, pledged to strike back at Trump’s tariff war.

"I know that many of you feel let down by our oldest ally," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in a video posted to X. "Uncertainty will spiral and trigger the rise of further protectionism. The consequences will be dire for millions of people around the globe."

The EU chief said the bloc was already finalizing countermeasures to Trump’s tariffs on steel and pledged to take similar actions to protect the pharmaceutical and auto industries "if negotiations fail."

"We must brace for the impact this will inevitably have. Europe has everything it needs to make it through this storm," von der Leyen added, noting the EU is the single largest market on the planet, which she said serves as Europe’s "safe harbor in tumultuous times."

"If you take on one of us, you take on all of us," she added. "Our unity is our strength."

SOME COUNTRIES TARGETED BY TRUMP TARIFFS SEEK NEGOTIATIONS, CHINA SAYS 'NO WINNERS IN TRADE WARS'

Leaders in the U.K. have repeatedly said they would not immediately respond to the blanket tariff – which coupled with the steel and auto tariffs, could have a significant impact on its economy – though London is taking steps to see which tariffs could be implemented that would have the least negative effect on its own businesses. 

British Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds reportedly told members of Parliament on Thursday that the U.K. will "not hesitate to act" if an agreement with Washington to circumvent the tariff war cannot be met, reported Politico.

"We will seek the views of U.K. stakeholders over four weeks until 1st May 2025 on products that could potentially be included in any U.K. tariff response," Reynolds said in a statement. "This exercise will also give businesses the chance to have their say, and influence the design of any possible U.K. response."

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Trump’s tariffs will "fundamentally change the international trading system" and pledged to "fight" back through "countermeasures."

"We're in a situation where there's going to be an impact on the U.S. economy, which will build with time," he added. "In our judgment, it will be negative on the U.S. economy that will have an impact on us."

"In a crisis, it's important to come together," Carney said. "It's essential to act with purpose and with force, and that's what we will do."

TRUMP TOUTS RETURN OF THE 'AMERICAN DREAM' IN HISTORIC TARIFF ANNOUNCEMENT

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said she will "announce a comprehensive program" to address Trump’s tariffs but will not engage in a "tit-for-tat on tariffs."

Sheinbaum said she plans to "strengthen the economy under any circumstance." 

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said, "We’re putting all options on the table in considering the most effective response."

"Japan is a country that is making the largest amount of investment to the United States," he reportedly told his Parliament. "We wonder if it makes sense for (Washington) to apply uniform tariffs to all countries. That is a point we’ve been making and will continue to do so. 

"We need to consider what’s best for Japan’s national interest," he added, without detailing what specific steps Tokyo could take.

Though Australia was among the nations hit with some of the lowest tariffs issued by the White House on Wednesday, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called them "totally unwarranted."

"President Trump referred to reciprocal tariffs. A reciprocal tariff would be zero, not 10%," he said at a press event. "The administration's tariffs have no basis in logic, and they go against the basis of our two nation's partnership."

"This is not the act of a friend," Albanese said.

Albanese pointed out that Americans will pay the heaviest price for the tariffs and said therefore he will not put reciprocal tariffs back on the U.S. 

"We will not join the race to the bottom," he added, but pledged to continue to fight to have the tariffs removed. 

Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Thursday said NATO nations must provide a "realistic pathway" to ramp up their defense spending to hit a 5% threshold – including the U.S.

"I understand there's domestic politics, after decades of building up vast social safety nets that maybe don't want to take away from that and invest more in national security," Rubio said while speaking at a NATO foreign ministers event in Brussels. "But the events of the last few years… full-scale ground war in the heart of Europe as a reminder that hard power is still necessary as a deterrent.

"We do want to leave here with an understanding that we are on a pathway, a realistic pathway to every single one of the members committee, and fulfilling a promise to reach up to 5% of spending," Rubio said, adding that "the United States will have to increase its percentage."

NATO LEADERS PREDICT ERA OF 2% DEFENSE SPENDING 'PROBABLY HISTORY' AS TRUMP REPORTEDLY FLOATS HIGHER TARGET

While the majority of the 32 NATO members currently spend 2% of their nation’s GDP per previous NATO commitments, eight nations – Croatia, Portugal, Italy, Canada, Belgium, Luxembourg, Slovenia and Spain – have yet to meet their defense spending pledges.

Only Poland spends over 4% of its GDP on defense, while four other nations spend over 3% – Estonia, the U.S., Latvia and Greece. 

Despite the severe spending increases this will demand from all NATO nations, Rubio's push is unlikely to be met with serious opposition as NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, and other NATO allies, have increasingly called for more defense spending. 

Washington in 2024 spent 3.38% of its GDP on defense, which equated to more than $967 billion, according to NATO figures released in July.

The U.S. closed out 2024 with a GDP of over $29.7 billion, which means it is on track to spend $1 trillion on defense in 2025 if it maintains the current expenditure rate of 3.38%. 

RUBIO ARRIVES IN BRUSSELS FOR NATO TALKS AMID UNEASE OVER TRUMP’S AGENDA

Rubio did not detail what timeframe he expected to see nations increase their defense spending to hit the 5% threshold, though if the U.S. did it in 2025, that would mean allocating nearly $1.49 trillion for defense – a figure that is higher than the current total spent by the entire NATO alliance, which collectively spent $1.47 trillion in 2024.

"As we speak right now, the United States is as active in NATO as it has ever been," Rubio said. "Some of this hysteria and hyperbole that I see in the global media and some domestic media in the United States about NATO is unwarranted. 

"The United States president [has] made clear. He supports NATO. We're going to remain in NATO," he reaffirmed. 

Rubio said the only way NATO nations can truly deter aggressor nations like Russia and China is by collectively increasing each NATO nation's capabilities to contribute to the alliance’s collective defense. 

"We understand that's a tradeoff," Rubio said. "We have to do it every single year in our country – I assure you that we also have domestic needs.

"But we've prioritized defense because of the role we've played in the world, and we want our partners to do the same," Rubio confirmed.

World leaders across the globe are reacting to President Donald Trump’s "Liberation Day" tariff announcements, with some expressing disappointment and others making threats. On Wednesday, the president announced a baseline tariff of 10% on imports, in addition to reciprocal tariffs based on what each nation imposes on U.S. goods.

Trump believes these tariffs will incentivize foreign investment in the U.S. and spur domestic job growth.

While several U.S. allies articulated their frustration with the tariffs, they also expressed a lack of interest in launching trade wars. Many called for negotiations with the U.S. for new trade agreements. 

TREASURY SECRETARY BESSENT TELLS COUNTRIES NOT TO RETALIATE AFTER SWEEPING 'LIBERATION DAY' TARIFFS

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called the tariffs a "major blow to the world economy." Von der Leyen said in a statement that there would be "countermeasures," though she did not specify what they would entail.

Meanwhile, China’s Foreign Ministry said that "there are no winners in trade wars and tariff wars," according to the Associated Press (AP). 

Additionally, according to Reuters, Beijing is also planning to take "countermeasures." Trump has taken an especially tough approach to China, which was already hit with a 20% tariff earlier this year. China will now face a 34% reciprocal tariff in addition to the 10% baseline imposed on all listed nations.

FRANCE ASKS US TO BE 'COOPERATIVE' INSTEAD OF 'CONFRONTATIONAL' FOLLOWING TRUMP'S 'LIBERATION DAY' TARIFFS

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said the tariffs would have a "great impact" on U.S.-Japan relations and the global economy, according to the AP. He vowed that the Japanese government would work to "decisively protect people’s lives, jobs and industries."

Despite being subject to one of the lowest reciprocal tariffs at just 10%, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said his country would negotiate with the Trump administration to remove the tariffs.

"We will not join a race to the bottom that leads to higher prices and slower growth," Albanese said, according to Reuters.

Canada and Mexico are exempt from the reciprocal tariffs for now, but they face a 25% tariff on goods, with Canada also being slapped with a 10% energy tariff. While Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney vowed to "fight these tariffs with countermeasures," Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said her country would announce a "comprehensive program" on Thursday, according to Reuters.

When speaking to reporters, U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer did not criticize Trump, rather he said that the U.S. president was acting on "his mandate." However, he also said that "nothing is off the table." The prime minister assured that his government is working to make "an economic prosperity deal" with the U.S

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Tuesday that his country would preemptively lift all tariffs on U.S. goods. However, Trump still announced a 17% reciprocal tariff on Israel. Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said his office was "analyzing the implications for the economy." Smotrich also said that he would meet with the Finance Ministry to discuss possible responses. 

More than 3,000 people have now died from the 7.7 magnitude earthquake that struck Burma last week, which destroyed thousands of buildings and sent the war-torn country into a deeper humanitarian crisis. 

Burma’s military-led government announced that the death toll from Friday’s earthquake rose to 3,085, while 4,715 people were injured and another 341 are missing. 

"With infrastructure compromised and patient numbers surging, access to health care has become nearly impossible in many of the worst-hit areas," according to the U.N. "Thousands of people are in urgent need of trauma care, surgical interventions and treatment for disease outbreaks." 

The World Health Organization assessed so far that four hospitals and one health center had been completely destroyed, while another 32 hospitals and 18 health centers had been partially damaged. 

VIDEO: CHAOS IN BANGKOK AS APARTMENT BUILDING COLLAPSES, SENDING PEOPLE RUNNING 

The agency is now preparing $1 million of relief supplies, including body bags, and is warning of a rising risk of diseases such as cholera spreading in affected areas, according to Reuters. 

"Cholera remains a particular concern for all of us," Elena Vuolo, the deputy head of WHO’s Burma office, told the news agency. 

"I've heard that in the next day or two there are rains [expected]," added Titon Mitra, the Burma representative of the United Nations Development Program. 

"If that hits, we've got people, lots of people now, in temporary shelters, makeshift camps out on the streets, and that's going to be a real problem," he reportedly added. 

With many left homeless by the earthquake, and many others staying away from their homes over fears ongoing aftershocks will bring them down, workers in Burma’s capital of Naypyitaw labored in the 104-degree heat to set up big tents in open fields to provide some shelter. 

VIDEO: WATER CASCADES DOWN SIDE OF BUILDING IN BANGKOK FOLLOWING EARTHQUAKE 

More than 1,550 international rescuers were operating alongside locals on Thursday, according to a statement from the military. Rescue supplies and equipment have been sent by 17 countries. 

Myanmar’s military seized power in 2021 from the democratically elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi, sparking what has turned into a civil war. 

The quake worsened an already dire humanitarian crisis, with more than 3 million people displaced from their homes and nearly 20 million in need even before it hit, according to the U.N. 

In Bangkok, Thailand, where the quake brought down a skyscraper under construction, the search for survivors and bodies continued as Gov. Chadchart Sittipunt said a possible sound of life was detected in the rubble. By mid-afternoon there on Thursday, more than 144 hours after the earthquake, nobody had been found. 

Twenty-two people were killed and 35 injured in the city, mostly by the collapse of the unfinished building. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

Secretary of State Marco Rubio and U.S. ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker arrived in Brussels Thursday for talks that allies hope will shed light on the U.S.’ future plans in Europe. 

Rubio’s arrival comes as European allies and Canada are concerned about President Donald Trump's readiness to draw closer to Russian leader Vladimir Putin, who sees NATO as a threat. Recent White House comments and insults directed at NATO allies – as well as the military alliance itself – have raised alarm and confusion. 

Matters have been made more uncertain by Trump's new tariffs targeting U.S. friends and foes alike. The day prior to Rubio’s arrival, Trump issued an executive order, establishing a minimum baseline tariff of 10% on all imports.

Since Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth warned last month that U.S. security priorities lie elsewhere — in Asia and on the U.S.'s own borders — Europeans have waited to learn how big a military drawdown in Europe could be and how fast it may happen.

TRUMP EFFECT FORCES GERMANY TO REPRIORITIZE DEFENSE AS NATION PLAYS CATCH-UP IN MILITARY SPENDING

In Europe and Canada, governments are working on "burden shifting" plans to take over more of the load, while trying to ensure that no security vacuum is created if U.S. troops and equipment are withdrawn from the continent.

These allies are keen to hear from Rubio what the Trump administration's intentions are and hope to secure some kind of roadmap that lays out what will happen next and when, so they can synchronize planning and use European forces to plug any gaps.

Newly confirmed U.S. ambassador to NATO Matt Whitaker said the alliance "will be stronger and more effective than ever before" under Trump’s leadership.

"I believe that a robust NATO can continue to serve as a bedrock of peace and prosperity," Whitaker said in a statement, adding: "NATO's vitality rests on every ally doing their fair share."

Whitaker affirmed the U.S. commitment to NATO's collective security guarantee, which says that an attack on any ally must be considered an attack on them all, but that his brief would also be to encourage Europe to lead on "peace, security, and the rebuilding of Ukraine."

Whitaker also said that allies should demonstrate that NATO takes threats from China seriously.

Hungary is withdrawing from the International Criminal Court (ICC), a move that comes shortly after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrived in the country on Thursday for a visit with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.

Netanyahu, who is wanted by the ICC on allegations of war crimes in Gaza, and his wife were greeted on the tarmac by an honor guard and Hungarian Minister of Defense Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky and Israeli Ambassador to Hungary Maya Kadosh.

He is expected to be in Hungary for four days.

Hungary – a founding member of the ICC – is obligated to arrest anyone wanted by the court and turn them over, but Orban has described the warrant for Netanyahu as "brazen, cynical and completely unacceptable."

WATCH: ISRAELI PM NETANYAHU PUSHES BACK ON ICC CHARGES 

Orban's Chief of Staff Gergely Gulyas told state media that Hungary would launch its withdrawal process later in the day on Thursday. 

The withdrawal doesn't come as a surprise as Orban questioned the country's involvement in the ICC in February following President Donald Trump's decision to impose sanctions on the court's prosecutor, Karim Khan.

"It's time for Hungary to review what we're doing in an international organization that is under U.S. sanctions," Orban said on X in February.

TRUMP UNVEILS SANCTIONS AGAINST INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT FOR NETANYAHU ARREST WARRANT 

Hungary's parliament will likely approve the bill to begin the year-long withdrawal process from the ICC since it is controlled by Orban's Fidesz Party, according to Reuters.

Orban has strongly supported Netanyahu over the years and, in the past, has been quick to block EU statements or actions criticizing Israel.

Israel has rejected the ICC's accusations, which come after the Jewish State launched a war against Hamas following the terrorist group's Oct. 7, 2023, attack in southern Israel that left 1,200 dead and more than 250 taken as hostages.

When the court issued the warrant for Netanyahu and his former defense chief, Yoav Gallant, it said there was reason to believe both men participated in crimes including murder, persecution and starvation as a weapon of war in Gaza.

According to the Hamas-run Palestinian Ministry of Health, Israel has killed more than 50,000 Palestinians during its attack on Gaza.

Reuters contributed to this report.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Wednesday evening vowed to "fight" the new round of tariffs announced by President Donald Trump, and said he would turn to other international partners to get through the rocky times ahead. 

"President Trump has just announced a series of measures that are going to fundamentally change the international trading system," Carney told reporters following Trump’s Rose Garden announcement. "We're in a situation where there's going to be an impact on the U.S. economy, which will build with time.

"In our judgment, it will be negative on the U.S. economy that will have an impact on us," he added, noting millions of Canadians will be impacted.

WHICH COUNTRIES IMPOSE THE HIGHEST TARIFFS ON THE US?

While Trump did not issue any additional tariffs against Canada following the 25% tariffs already in place on all Canadian imports, the 10% tariff on its energy exports and the blanket tariff on all aluminum and steel, he did announce a 25% tariff on all foreign vehicle imports. 

He also pointed out that Trump said there could be future targeted tariffs against pharmaceutical companies, lumber and semiconductors — tariffs that will have wide affect on U.S. trading partners beyond Canada and Mexico, but across Europe and Asia.

"In a crisis, it's important to come together," Carney said. "It's essential to act with purpose and with force, and that's what we will do."

Before the tariff announcement, Canadian Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said at an election campaign event on Wednesday that he supports "targeted, reciprocal" tariffs on American goods — and if his party wins the general election on April 28 and he becomes prime minister, he would like to sit down with President Donald Trump and create a new trade deal, replacing the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, which the president signed in 2020.
 

Poilievre also said that Canada must maintain control of its border and freshwater and protect both its automotive industry and supply-managed farm sectors.

David Adams, president and CEO of Global Automakers of Canada — a national trade association representing the Canadian interests of 16 automakers, including BMW Canada, Inc. and Nissan Canada Inc. — said in a statement, "Tariffs are taxes that hurt consumers by increasing costs, driving up inflation, and unfairly impacting workers on both sides of the border."

"Governments should look to long-term solutions to remove these tariffs, prioritizing the elimination of regulatory barriers to industry competitiveness and providing automakers with flexibilities to respond in these uncertain times."

Reactions from European Union leaders began to emerge following Trump’s announcement that he will hit the EU with 20% tariffs on all imported goods, with disappointment, concern and commitments to continue negotiations with the U.S.

CANADA STARES DOWN CONSEQUENCES OF TRUMP TARIFF WAR: JOB LOSSES, GROCERY PRICE HIKES, POSSIBLE RECESSION

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, generally seen as a Trump ally, said Trump's tariffs were "wrong" and warned they would not only harm American and European pocketbooks, but aid Western adversaries.

"We will do everything we can to work towards an agreement with the United States, with the goal of avoiding a trade war that would inevitably weaken the West in favor of other global players," Meloni said in a statement on Facebook.

"In any case, as always, we will act in the interest of Italy and its economy, also engaging with other European partners," she added.

Ireland’s Deputy Prime Minister, Simon Harris, said he "deeply regret[s]" the new tariffs but said he is committed to working with Washington to end this tariff war. 

"I must be honest tonight that a 20% blanket tariff on goods from all EU countries could have a significant effect on Irish investment and the wider economy," he said, noting the effects would "likely be felt for some time."

Chairman of the European Parliament's International Trade Committee Bernd Lange called for a united response from countries targeted by Trump.

"While President Trump might call today 'Liberation Day,' from an ordinary citizen's point of view this is 'Inflation Day,' he said, reported Reuters. "Because of this decision, U.S. consumers will be forced to carry the heaviest burden in a trade war."

Lange said the EU will respond through "legal, legitimate, proportionate and decisive" measures.

Swiss President Karin Keller-Sutter said her government would work to figure out the next steps.  

The U.K., along with the president of Mexico ahead of the announcement, said they would continue to work with the U.S. and would not rush to enforce reciprocal tariffs.

Similarly, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said that while Trump's decision was "not the act of a friend," his country would not impose reciprocal tariffs, reported Reuters. 

He reportedly condemned the U.S. tariffs as totally unwarranted and said Australia will continue to negotiate to have the tariffs lifted. 

President Donald Trump announced sweeping tariffs on U.S. trading partners throughout the world Wednesday, saying the U.S. would add a 10% minimum baseline tax on all products coming in.

The Trump administration has identified what it has called the "Dirty 15" as the 15 nations with the largest trade deficit with the U.S., meaning the trade partnerships by which Washington imports more from countries than those nations import from the U.S.

But the White House has also flagged what it describes as other "unfair" trading practices, chiefly implemented through tariffs on U.S. goods. 

WHAT IS TRUMP'S NEW LIBERATION DAY AND WHAT TO EXPECT APRIL 2?

Washington and Beijing have been in a trade war since the first Trump administration when the first-term president imposed 25% tariffs on $50 billion in Chinese goods starting in April 2018.

Beijing responded the next day by slapping reciprocal tariffs on 106 U.S. products worth $50 billion, mostly targeting U.S. agricultural products worth some $16.5 billion.

The tariff war would continue with repeated back-and-forth escalating tariffs before some tariff relief was agreed upon beginning in January 2020.

By January 2021, the U.S.-China Business Council (USCBC) found that the U.S. had lost nearly a quarter of a million jobs.

The Biden administration and China largely maintained the status quo established during Trump’s initial trade war. 

But Trump threatened to hit Beijing with 60% tariffs on the campaign trail and, by February 2025, just weeks after his inauguration, he slapped China with a blanket 20% tariff on all Chinese imports.

Beijing again responded with up to 15% tariffs on more than $33 billion in U.S. agricultural products, including U.S.-grown chicken, wheat, corn and cotton.

China’s trade deficit with the U.S. is $295.4 billion. 

TEXAS WILL BE AMONG STATES HARDEST HIT IN TRADE WAR, EU AMBASSADOR WARNS

The European Union, which is no stranger to Trump’s tariff war, is bracing for a much bigger battle this time around after enduring metal trade spats during his first term. 

Trump has already announced a 25% tariff on steel and aluminum imports, which directly hits the European Union, the U.S.’s largest trading partner, along with a 25% tariff on imported cars, which will affect nations like Germany. 

The EU said it could impose retaliatory tariffs on the U.S. of up to $28 billion. 

The U.S. had a trade deficit of $235.6 billion with the European Union in 2024, which Trump has called "an atrocity."

But it is not only the difference in trade agreements that has irked the president.

Last month, the White House said specific levies charged by various trading partners are making it "virtually impossible" for U.S. products to be exported, including a 50% tax on American dairy products sold by EU nations. 

But expert Andrew Hale, a senior policy analyst in trade policy with the Heritage Foundation, explained that the dairy industry in particular has massive barriers stopping Europe from being able to lower prices to match American products.

"They have a very, very protected agricultural market," Hale said, highlighting Europe’s strict husbandry practices. "Europeans would not be able to compete."

Hale explained that norms like overcrowding and poor conditions frequently found in the U.S.’s poultry, dairy and pork industries in mass farming are barred in Europe. 

Animal spacing regulations and bans related to hormone injections have required a completely different type of farming that favors quality treatment of the animals versus mass production, which makes European meats and dairy products more expensive than American products and makes it unlikely that the EU drops this tax.

CANADA STARES DOWN CONSEQUENCES OF TRUMP TARIFF WAR: JOB LOSSES, GROCERY PRICE HIKES, POSSIBLE RECESSION

The White House has also taken aim at Canada, which is expected to see more tariffs fired at it Wednesday and said it has a 300% tariff on American butter and cheese.

Hale explained that while this is technically true, it is a tariff rate-quota that was negotiated during the first Trump administration under the revised NAFTA agreement, which became the United States Mexico Canada (USMCA), and one which has never been implemented.

The massive tariff would only be used if U.S. exports exceed negotiated tariff rate quotas. Otherwise, daily sales to Canada face no tariffs under the USMCA.

Canada and the U.S. in recent weeks have entered into a tariff war after Trump announced a blanket 25% tariff on 25% on Canadian goods and 10% on its energy.

Ottawa, in return, imposed 25% reciprocal tariffs on $30 billion in U.S. goods, mostly targeting the agriculture sector. 

It has threatened to hit the U.S. with tariffs on $95 billion in U.S. imports if Trump imposes more taxes on the country's northern neighbor.

"Everyone needs to do what Israel has just done, bring down zero tariffs against the U.S. And then we can have absolute free trade," Hale said. "That's fair, and we can all have market access.

"When you have stupid tariffs, like tariffing stuff you don't grow and make, that's just basically being unfair."

OTTAWA - As Canadians brace themselves for President Donald Trump’s "Liberation Day" of reciprocal tariffs on Wednesday, one political leader in Canada believes it could spark the start of a new era of Canada-U.S. relations free of cross-border taxes.

Maxime Bernier, who served as foreign affairs minister in former Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s Conservative government and now heads the right-wing People’s Party of Canada (PPC), told Fox News Digital in an interview from Halifax that it is "absolutely" the time for Canada to remove all tariffs against the U.S.

He said the 25% duties the Canadian government, under then-Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, imposed on the U.S. in early February to counter Trump’s 25% tariffs against Canada "won’t hurt the Americans – it is hurting Canadians."

New Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said in a statement following his March 28 call with the president – the first contact between both leaders since Carney was elected Liberal leader by his party nearly three weeks before – that Canada would implement retaliatory tariffs in response to Wednesday's U.S. "trade actions."

TRUMP'S 11TH WEEK IN OFFICE SET TO FOCUS ON TARIFFS AS PRESIDENT TOUTS 'LIBERATION DAY'

The PPC leader said that Trump should be told that "the real reciprocal response" to tariffs is "zero on our side, zero on your side."

Bernier said that instead, Carney and his main rival, Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poilievre, are being "fake patriots using a dollar-for-dollar trade war against Trump" and telling Canadians: "That’s the best thing to do."

"We cannot impose counter-tariffs," said Bernier, who also served as industry minister in the Harper government. 

"The Americans are 10 times bigger than us. We won’t win a trade war," he said, underscoring that retaliation will lead to a recession in Canada.

Former Canadian Conservative politician Tony Clement, who served alongside Bernier in Harper’s Cabinet, told Fox News Digital that "from an economic point of view," removing Canadian tariffs "makes a lot of sense" and "may come to that at some point, but the public isn’t there right now."

"From a point of view of the emotional wounds of Canadians created by Trump and his annexation talk and tariffs, I’m not sure that a political voice would survive if it went down that public-policy route," said Clement, a former Canadian industry minister in the Harper government.

"The mood of the people is outrage. I’ve never seen people in Canada this incandescently mad at the United States," he said, who is campaigning in the Toronto area for Poilievre's Conservative Party ahead of the April 28 general election. "There is complete distrust of whatever Trump says because it can change within 24 hours."

He said that both Poilievre and Carney have highlighted the importance of removing "the specter of tariffs for a long period of time – if you can trust Trump to be a bona fide negotiator."

Eliminating Canadian tariffs, without a quid pro quo from Trump, could "show weakness to a bully," added Clement, who, prior to entering federal politics in 2006, served as a Cabinet minister in former Ontario Premier Mike Harris’ Progressive Conservative government.  

MARK CARNEY WINS LIBERAL PARTY NOMINATION TO REPLACE TRUDEAU AS CANADA'S NEXT PM

In the statement released following his recent conversation with Trump, Carney said that both leaders "agreed to begin comprehensive negotiations about a new economic and security relationship immediately following the election." 

Conservative strategist Yaroslav Baran, who served as communications chief for Harper’s successful Conservative 2004 leadership campaign, and director of war room communications for the Harper-led Tories during the 2004, 2006 and 2008 federal election campaigns, told Fox News Digital that under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), "trade in goods and services ought to be tariff-free" between Canada and the U.S., excluding carveouts on the Canadian side for dairy, eggs, poultry and softwood lumber. 

However, Baran added that he "can’t see the removal of all Canadian tariffs on U.S. products as long as the U.S. has tariffs on Canadian products."

Bernier acknowledged that while Trump’s tariffs will hurt Canadian exporters to the U.S., "the solution is to have a more productive economy with real free-market reforms" in Canada through such measures as lowering corporate taxes, promoting internal trade and fostering growth in the country’s oil and gas industry, all of which are featured in the PPC’s election platform that includes the establishment of a "Department of Government Downsizing" to abolish "ideologically motivated programs that promote wokeism," not unlike the Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency.

The PPC leader also said that Canada should be willing to "put everything on the table" under the USMCA "right now" and before the trilateral trade deal is scheduled for a joint review next year.

According to Bernier, that should include ending the "cartel" of supply management that sets quotas and prices, and protects Canada’s dairy, poultry and eggs sectors from foreign competition, which he described as "a communist system" that finds Canadians paying twice the price of those agricultural products than Americans do in the U.S., and which also imposes duties – ranging from 150% to 300% -- on U.S. imports of the same products beyond limits agreed to but yet to be reached under the USMCA. 

During the renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement in 2018 that led to the USMCA, the first Trump administration sought to have Canada’s supply management system eliminated.

Canada is bracing for the fallout of President Donald Trump’s escalating trade war, with economists warning of spiking grocery prices, major job losses and even a potential recession if threatened U.S. tariffs take effect.

The United States is Canada’s largest trading partner, accounting for nearly two-thirds of Canadian imports and receiving over 70% of its exports. But under Trump’s new "liberation day" tariffs – 25% on Canadian goods and 10% on energy – Ottawa now faces an economic gut punch that could ripple across key provinces, industries and its national election campaign.

Trump has repeatedly blasted what he calls "unfair" trade practices, citing Canada’s trade imbalance with the U.S. to justify the sweeping tariffs.

"This is the beginning of liberation day in America," Trump said last week. "We’re going to charge countries for doing business in our country and taking our jobs, taking our wealth, taking a lot of things that they’ve been taking over the years. They’ve taken so much out of our country, friend and foe. And, frankly, friend has been oftentimes much worse than foe."

TRUMP'S 11TH WEEK IN OFFICE SET TO FOCUS ON TARIFFS AS PRESIDENT TOUTS 'LIBERATION DAY'

Increased tariffs could mean that Americans will see higher price tags on everything ranging from fertilizer and oil, vehicles and machinery, to plastic and wood products, which, theoretically, would deter consumers from purchasing those products and result in a loss for Canada’s economy. 

Likewise, Canada in mid-March implemented reciprocal tariffs on $30 billion worth of U.S. goods, which means Canadians will not only feel losses on a macro scale but also in an immediate sense as prices at the grocery store have spiked on things like leafy greens, citrus, orange juice, beef, pork and fish.

Ottawa has yet to announce any tariffs on U.S. imported vehicles due to reported concerns over how it could further hinder Canada’s economy. Though there are some $95 billion worth of U.S. goods that it is reportedly considering putting tariffs on, depending on Trump’s April 2 announcements, according to Canadian outlet Financial Post.

"They're in the midst of a general election campaign," Andrew Hale, a senior policy analyst in trade policy with the Heritage Foundation, told Fox News Digital. "I think it's very difficult for them to negotiate and put these measures on during an election campaign.

"Everything they do and say now carries electoral weight," he added, noting that Canadian politicians will need to strike a careful balance: tough enough on Trump to appeal to voters but measured enough to leave room for future negotiations on tariffs.

"If they were to put on reciprocal tariffs, it would damage the Canadian standard of living and have an impact – as all this already is having an impact – in Canada," Hale said, noting that auto tariffs not only affect direct car sales but all businesses that rely on vehicles, creating a trickle-down effect.

CANADIANS CLAIM THEY ARE CANCELING TRIPS TO US FOR REMAINDER OF TRUMP TERM

While Trump has argued that his tariffs protect U.S. manufacturing – especially the auto sector – the fallout could be far more severe for Canada. Immigration Minister Marc Miller has warned that up to 1 million Canadian jobs are at risk.

"Most Canadians live within 100 miles of the U.S.-Canadian border, and so they obviously will be heavily impacted," said Hale. "Most Americans don't."

Hale noted that while the tariffs will affect the entire U.S., the hardest-hit areas will be industries closely tied to Canadian imports, such as agriculture. The U.S., for instance, sources 90% of its potash fertilizer from Canada.

"This will have a disproportionate impact on border states," Hale said, but he added that the economic strain on Canadian regions like Ontario will be far greater.

Canadian leaders have already voiced concern that as many as 160,000 jobs could be lost in Quebec, along with another 500,000 jobs in Ontario, depending on how long the tariff dispute lasts.

Both Quebec and Ontario are two of the provinces expected to be among those hardest hit in Canada as they rely heavily on their steel and aluminum and lumber and forestry sectors for exports.

Canada could face a recession this year if it can’t rein in Trump’s tariff offensive, Oxford Economists first warned in a report last November.

Previous tariff wars between trading partners during the first Trump administration resulted in billions of dollars of losses for Americans and their foreign counterparts.

TRUMP HOLDS 'EXTREMELY PRODUCTIVE CALL' WITH CANADIAN PRIME MINISTER: 'WE AGREE ON MANY THINGS'

But Trump is banking on the U.S. being less severely affected than nations like Canada.

The full impact of the tariff war with Canada remains uncertain as Washington has also imposed steep tariffs on the European Union, China and Mexico. Trump has pledged to target the "Dirty 15," which are countries he accuses of contributing most to the U.S. trade deficit.

Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, South Africa, South Korea, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam are expected to be among those next targeted in Trump’s April 2 tariff announcement, which he has dubbed "liberation day."

Details on what Trump’s next steps in his tariff war with Canada and dozens of other nations remain unknown ahead of the April 2 deadline, which has created a sense of uncertainty, Hale said.

"Last week's Bureau of Economic Analysis Reports signaled a continued high core personal consumption expenditure PC inflation at 2.8%. So inflation, one could argue, is not coming down, and certainly price levels continue to rise," he said. "Consumer spending has slowed sharply in both Canada and the United States."

"Businesses want certainty. They can't make future investment decisions in this climate," he added, noting that while a recession could be on the horizon in Canada, there are too many variables to make a prediction on the U.S. at this time.

"What I do know is that businesses and banks, people who are investing in projects, want to be able to plan," Hale said. "Hopefully, we'll have a clear idea [on Tuesday] where this is all going to land, and then we can work with it."

Israel’s military offensive in the Gaza Strip is expanding to "crush" the area of Hamas terrorists and seize "large areas," Defense Minister Israel Katz said Wednesday.

Katz said in a statement that the military operation was "expanding to crush and clean the area of terrorists and terrorist infrastructure and seizing large areas that will be added to the security zones of the State of Israel."

Israel's security perimeter, which runs along the border with Israel in northern and eastern Gaza, has been used for decades as a way to protect its citizens residing near the territory.

It is unclear which areas of Gaza will be seized in the expanded operation, which Katz says includes the "extensive evacuation" of people from areas where fighting is happening.

ISRAELI FORCES ORDER EVACUATION FOR MOST OF RAFAH AHEAD OF ATTACK ON THE AREA

The minister called on Gaza's population to "expel Hamas and return all hostages." The terror group still has 59 hostages, including 24 who are believed to still be alive. Most of the other captives were released in ceasefire agreements or other deals.

"This is the only way to end the war," Katz said.

The Hostage Families Forum, which represents most of the hostages’ families, said it was "horrified to wake up this morning to the Defense Minister's announcement about expanding military operations in Gaza."

The Israeli government "has an obligation to free all 59 hostages from Hamas captivity — to pursue every possible channel to advance a deal for their release," the group said, emphasizing that every passing day puts the captives' lives at increased risk.

"Their lives hang in the balance as more and more disturbing details continue to emerge about the horrific conditions they’re being held in — chained, abused, and in desperate need of medical attention," the group said.

"Our highest priority must be an immediate deal to bring ALL hostages back home — the living for rehabilitation and those killed for proper burial — and end this war," it added.

The forum also called on the Trump administration and other mediators to "continue exerting pressure on Hamas for the immediate release of our loved ones."

"Our highest priority must be an immediate deal to bring ALL hostages back home—the living for rehabilitation and those killed for proper burial—and end this war," the group said.

Israel continued to attack the Gaza Strip, including with overnight airstrikes that killed 17 people in the southern city of Khan Younis, according to hospital officials.

NETANYAHU ACCUSES ISRAELI POLICE OF TRYING TO 'TOPPLE' HIS GOVERNMENT

Officials at the Nasser Hospital said the bodies of 12 people killed in an overnight airstrike were brought to the hospital, including five women — one of whom was pregnant — and two children. Officials at the Gaza European Hospital said five bodies of people killed in two separate airstrikes were taken to the hospital.

The war began on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas launched a surprise attack against Israel, killing around 1,200 people and abducting 251 others.

Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed more than 50,000 Palestinians, including hundreds killed in airstrikes since a ceasefire ended about two weeks ago, according to the Hamas-run government's Gaza Health Ministry, which does not differentiate between civilians and terrorists. Israel claims, without offering evidence, that it has killed roughly 20,000 terrorists in the war.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.