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Pope Leo XIV said Saturday that remarks he made this week in which he said the "world is being ravaged by a handful of tyrants" were not directed at President Donald Trump, a report said. 

The pope, speaking onboard a flight to Angola during his 10-day Africa tour, said reporting about his comments "has not been ‌accurate in all its aspects" and his speech "was ⁠prepared two weeks ago, well before the president ever commented on myself and on the message of peace that I am promoting," according to Reuters.

The news outlet cited the pope as saying his comments were not aimed at Trump.

"As it happens, it was looked at as if I was trying to debate the president, which is not in ​my interest at all," the pope reportedly said.

'60 MINUTES' ACCUSED OF USING LEFT-LEANING CARDINALS TO BAIT TRUMP INTO FEUD WITH VATICAN

Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House for comment. 

Trump last Sunday accused Pope Leo XIV of being "terrible" on foreign policy as the pontiff has criticized the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran.

"He talks about 'fear' of the Trump Administration, but doesn’t mention the FEAR that the Catholic Church, and all other Christian Organizations, had during COVID when they were arresting priests, ministers, and everybody else, for holding Church Services, even when going outside, and being ten and even twenty feet apart," Trump wrote in a Truth Social post. 

"I don’t want a Pope who thinks it’s OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon," he continued. 

POPE LEO SLAMS THOSE WHO 'MANIPULATE RELIGION' FOR MILITARY OR POLITICAL GAIN, TRUMP RESPONDS

During a speech in Cameroon on Thursday, the pope said, "We must make a decisive change of course — a true conversion — that will lead us in the opposite direction, onto a sustainable path rich in human fraternity." 

"The world is being ravaged by a handful of tyrants, yet it is held together by a multitude of supportive brothers and sisters!" he added.

"Woe to those who manipulate religion and the very name of God for their own military, economic or political gain, dragging that which is sacred into darkness and filth," the pope also said. 

Fox News Digital’s Landon Mion contributed to this report. 

President Donald Trump publicly thanked what he called Pakistan’s "great prime minister and field marshal, two fantastic people!!!" in a Truth Social post Friday praising Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Pakistan’s military chief, Asim Munir.

Sharif quickly responded on X, "On behalf of the people of Pakistan, Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, and on my behalf, I express my deep and profound appreciation for your kind and gracious words."

The public exchange capped a remarkable rise for Munir, who has become one of the few foreign officials trusted both by Trump and by Iran’s security establishment.

TRUMP AGREES TO 2-WEEK CEASEFIRE IF IRAN OPENS STRAIT OF HORMUZ

Munir recently became the first foreign military leader to visit Iran since the latest escalation between the United States and Iran, according to Pakistani and Iranian reports. Arriving in full military uniform, he was warmly greeted by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and held meetings with senior Iranian military officials.

Retired Pakistani Gen. Ahmed Saeed told Fox News Digital that Munir has for months served as an informal back channel between Washington and Tehran, Iran, as the Trump administration tries to negotiate an end to the conflict, Iran’s nuclear program and the naval blockade in the Persian Gulf.

Few foreign figures appear to have closer ties both to Trump and to Iran’s military hierarchy.

That has raised a striking question: How did the same man become close both to Trump and to some of Iran’s most powerful commanders?

Saeed, who said he has known Munir personally for years, told Fox News Digital that Munir began building ties with Iran while serving as Pakistan’s director general of military intelligence in 2016 and 2017.

"He has been interacting with the leadership. He has been interacting with the intelligence community. He has been interacting with the IRGC," or the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Saeed said.

According to Saeed, Munir built ties not only with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps but also with Iran’s regular army and intelligence apparatus. Saeed said Munir had longstanding contact with former Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani, who was killed in a U.S. strike in 2020, commander Hossein Salami, who was killed in an Israeli strike in June 2025, and other Iranian military figures.

JD VANCE SAYS THE BALL IS 'IN IRAN’S COURT' AFTER PAKISTAN PEACE TALKS STALL

"He continues to be a figure internationally who has personal interactions, a personal equation in the intelligence community in Iran, in the military hierarchy in Iran, in the diplomatic corps of Iran and also on the side of the political leadership," Saeed said.

That longstanding relationship appears to explain why Iran welcomed him so warmly, even as he remains in direct contact with Trump and his team.

Foundation for Defense of Democracies' Bill Roggio told Fox News Digital that, "Trump should not trust the Pakistanis. Pakistan was a perfidious ‘ally’ in Afghanistan, backing the Taliban while pretending to be our friends. Munir’s ties to the IRGC should be a massive red flag for the Trump admin."

Munir’s relationship with Trump dates back to the India–Pakistan crisis of May 2025. Munir played a key role in helping de-escalate the confrontation, and afterward Pakistan formally nominated Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize, a move widely viewed by Pakistani analysts as encouraged by Munir.

Since then, Trump repeatedly has praised him. Trump has called Munir an "exceptional man," a "great fighter" and "my favorite field marshal." 

Pakistani officials and media reports say the two men now speak directly.

Pakistani analyst Raza Rumi told Fox News Digital that Munir’s appeal to Trump is not surprising.

"Trump has long shown a preference for strong, decisive leaders," Rumi said. "Munir fits that mold as a centralized authority figure who can deliver outcomes."

WHY TRUMP, IRAN SEEM LIGHT-YEARS APART ON ANY POSSIBLE DEAL TO END THE WAR

Rumi described Munir as "a disciplined, institution-first leader with a strong emphasis on order, hierarchy and strategic clarity."

"Unlike more publicly charismatic military figures, his style is relatively understated, shaped by intelligence work and operational experience rather than overt political signaling," Rumi said.

Munir’s background helps explain both his style and his influence.

Munir studied at the Fuji School in Japan, the Command and Staff College in Quetta, the Malaysian Armed Forces College in Kuala Lumpur, and Pakistan’s National Defence University, where he earned an master of philosophy degree n public policy and strategic security management, according to Pakistan’s Geo News. Munir was the first army chief in Pakistan to receive the Sword of Honour, the military’s highest distinction for a cadet. The outlet also described him as an avid reader, traveler and sportsman.

Munir is also a Hafiz-e-Quran, meaning he has memorized the entire Quran by heart.

A former head of both Pakistan’s Military Intelligence and Inter-Services Intelligence agencies, Munir spent years overseeing Pakistan’s most sensitive regional relationships, including with Iran, Afghanistan and India.

TRUMP AGREES TO 2-WEEK CEASEFIRE IF IRAN OPENS STRAIT OF HORMUZ

In 2025, after the India-Pakistan crisis, he was elevated to field marshal, the first Pakistani officer to hold the rank since former military ruler Ayub Khan.

Pakistani officials say that later that year, he also was given the newly created title of chief of defense forces, further cementing his authority above the country’s military branches.

Munir rarely gives interviews, but his speeches offer clues to his worldview.

WHO ACTUALLY RUNS IRAN RIGHT NOW? THE KEY POWER PLAYERS AS TRUMP CLAIMS TALKS TO 'TOP' OFFICIAL

At the Margalla Dialogue in Islamabad in November 2024, he warned that "absence of proper regulations for freedom of expression is leading to the deterioration of moral values in societies worldwide."

The remark reflected a broader emphasis on order, discipline and centralized authority.

Rumi said Munir operates from "a transactional, state-centric worldview rather than an ideological one."

Yet critics argue that his rise has come at a cost to Pakistan’s democracy.

After becoming army chief in 2022, Munir focused heavily on domestic politics, including what critics described as a crackdown on political opposition and an unprecedented concentration of military power, according to The Guardian, which reported that key negotiations with the United States and Iran have been coordinated not from Islamabad, Pakistan’s civilian capital, but from Rawalpindi, the headquarters of the military.

Critics say that reflects a broader reality: Pakistan’s foreign policy is increasingly being run by the army rather than the elected government.

Rumi said Munir’s rise reflects "the military increasingly eclipsing civilian leadership in Pakistan."

As the current negotiations continue, much appears to rest on Munir. Saeed said that is because Munir has spent years building trust on both sides and is unlikely to stop now.

"Knowing our field marshal, and from my own personal knowledge of him, he is relentless. He would not give up," Saeed said.

An international fugitive was arrested in Dubai this week following a years-long manhunt.

Daniel Kinahan, the alleged leader of one of Ireland’s biggest criminal gangs, the Kinahan cartel, was arrested on organized crime charges on Wednesday in a covert operation involving Irish and United Arab Emirates authorities.

The 48-year-old alleged crime boss is expected to face charges in Ireland related to a gangland feud between the Kinahan cartel and the Hutch gang that has left 18 people dead since 2015.

Dubai police didn’t name Kinahan, saying they had "arrested an Irish fugitive for his alleged role in an organised criminal ​group involved in international crimes in his ​home country."

MAN CLAIMING TO BE CARTEL MEMBER ALLEGEDLY THREATENS TO PUT 'GREEN LIGHT' ON COPS AND THEIR FAMILIES

He was identified by Irish media outlets on Friday.

Ireland’s national police force, the Garda Síochána said an Irish man in his 40s was arrested under a warrant from the Irish courts.

"An Garda Síochána has been steadfast in our determination that we would pursue those allegedly involved in serious Organized Criminal activity, wherever they go," the police said in a statement, according to The Irish Star. "Today’s arrest is another extremely important demonstration of the need for international law enforcement co-operation in tackling transnational organized crime."

FBI'S ICONIC MOST WANTED LIST ENTERS NEW ERA WITH UNPRECEDENTED ADDITION

Kinahan fled Ireland for Spain, then the UAE after he was the believed target in an assassination attempt that left an associate of the Kinahan cartel, David Byrne, dead at a boxing weigh-in at the Regency Hotel in Dublin.

The U.S. Treasury Department offered a reward of $5 million in 2022 for information leading to the arrest of the Kinahan cartel’s leaders or the organization’s "financial destruction."

The cartel is considered a juggernaut in the European drug trade, and, along with other European crime organizations, has created a "super cartel" that controls around a third of Europe’s cocaine trade.

Kinahan is also affiliated with the boxing world, and was the founder of boxing management company MTK Global.

Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

A wolf who escaped a South Korean zoo nine days ago, captivating international attention, has been found and safely returned.

Neukgu burrowed his way out of the O-World zoo and theme park in Daejeon, south of Seoul, April 8.

The search for Neukgu kept the country on edge, and many worried about the 2-year-old wolf eight years after a puma named Bbo-rong was shot and killed hours after it escaped from the same zoo.

Neukgu was seen several times before he was captured, including on surveillance video.

CHIMPANZEE ESCAPES FROM INDIANAPOLIS ZOO ENCLOSURE, TRIGGERING EMERGENCY LOCKDOWN

He was also seen near a highway nearly 3 miles from the zoo, a zoo official said.

The animal was captured just after midnight Friday after he was shot by a veterinarian using a tranquilizer gun.

His vital signs were normal after a health check, but a fishhook was removed from his stomach, zoo officials said.

CALIFORNIA 4-YEAR-OLD BOY SURVIVES ATTACK BY COYOTE THAT BIT AND TRIED TO DRAG HIM AWAY

Neukgu, born in captivity in 2024, is part of a breeding program to bring up the numbers of the Korean wolf, which is considered extinct in the wild.

He is of the third generation of wolves brought to South Korea from Russia to reintroduce an animal similar to the Korean wolf, which went extinct in the 1960s.

Daejeon Mayor Lee Jang-woo expressed his gratitude to those involved in the search for bringing Neukgu back safely and pledged on Facebook to "prepare measures for animal ​welfare and civil safety in the process of reorganising (the zoo)."

DOG CRASHES WOMEN'S OLYMPIC TEAM SPRINT RACE, CROSSES FINISH LINE IN CHAOTIC MOMENT

The extensive search included drones with thermal image cameras.

Neukgu escaped an earlier attempt at capture when he evaded a perimeter set for him on a mountain near the zoo.

South Koreans were enthralled by Neukgu’s escape, with some calling him an "honorary ambassador for the zoo." He even sparked an eponymous cryptocurrency meme.

Fans of the wolf lit up social media after his rescue, writing, "welcome back" and "Neukgu, it’s dangerous outside the house."

After Neukgu’s escape last week, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung wrote on X, "Currently, the police, fire services, and military are mobilizing their full resources to ensure a safe capture and return. I sincerely hope that no casualties occur, and I pray that Neukgu, too, returns safely and unharmed."

O-World remains closed after Neukgu’s return, and it faces scrutiny after as series of animal escapes. A nearby elementary school also briefly closed after the wolf's escape for safety reasons.

Lee Kwan Jong, director of O-World, said Neukgu will be kept separate from the other animals until he has recovered.

Zoo officials said they aren’t sure when O-World will reopen as they review security measures, and the director added that Neukgu’s health will take precedence.

Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

A British bride has battled depression and has been unable to work in the nearly two years since she was drenched in black paint by her spiteful sister-in-law. The attack occurred moments before she was slated to walk down the aisle to wed her childhood sweetheart — the climax of a revenge attack amid an ongoing feud.

Gemma Monk, 35, a mother of two, was looking forward to marrying her now-husband, Ken Monk, in May 2024. She was walking with her father on a cream-colored carpet at the venue in Maidstone, England, when someone called out her name. Seconds later, she was splashed with black paint, she told Kent Online in an article published Friday.

Realizing the attacker was her sister-in-law, Antonia Eastwood, who is married to Gemma’s older brother, Ashley, Gemma grabbed her by the hair, but Eastwood managed to get away. The bride was left distraught and in tears.

JEALOUS EX-BOYFRIEND ACCUSED OF ‘VICIOUS’ ACID ATTACK THAT LEFT COLLEGE STUDENT SEVERELY BURNED: DA

"This has had a dramatic impact on my life," Monk told Kent Online on Wednesday, after Eastwood was sentenced by a British court for two offenses of criminal damage. "Even while I was providing this statement at the police station, I got extremely emotional and started crying while talking about the incident.

"Since the incident, if it wasn’t for my children or my family, I don’t think I would even get out of bed to care for myself," she added. "I have lost all my dignity and good habits in life. I have lost who I used to be. This has turned the most special day of my life into the worst memory — one I will never forget, and neither will my family."

The attack occurred after Monk had lost significant weight during a cancer scare. Though she has since been given a clean bill of health, Monk said her sister-in-law knew about the medical struggle at the time but "still decided to ruin the most important day of my life and put me at risk."

Eastwood, 49, had been banned from the wedding following a feud that stemmed from her own nuptials, during which Monk was accused of "trying to trip up" Eastwood.

MICHIGAN WOMAN ARRESTED FOR ALLEGEDLY STARVING, TORTURING DISABLED SISTER-IN-LAW SHE LOCKED IN BASEMENT

In court, Eastwood was handed a 10-month prison sentence, suspended for 12 months. She was also ordered to perform 160 hours of community service. 

"This was meant to be a special day for Gemma Monk and her family. Courtesy of your conduct, it turned into a nightmare," Judge Oliver Saxby told Eastwood before imposing the sentence.

Eastwood's husband, Ashley, was once Ken Monk's best friend and actually introduced him to Gemma when she was only 14.

Despite the attack, Gemma scrubbed the paint from her face and body in the changing room and borrowed a dress fetched by an usher so she could marry her partner of more than 20 years. 

"We had waited for that day for so long. Nothing was going to stop me," she said. "I did not think twice; I would have walked down the aisle in my knickers and with black paint over my face if I had to."

However, Monk, a mental health worker, has since suffered from depression and has been unable to work. In a statement to the court, she said the incident changed her outlook on life and "made me question whether I had done something really bad, whether I had done something wrong."

The couple also called off a planned honeymoon to the Maldives because Gemma "wasn't up to it."

"I had a gut feeling—a bad feeling that something was wrong—when I got out of the car with my dad," Monk said. "But he said it must be nerves."

"I will never accept her apology," she added. "I thought the sentence was too light. She should have received at least 23 months for the wait we have had to get this to court."

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Australia’s most decorated living veteran, Ben Roberts-Smith, walked free on bail from a Sydney prison on Friday, 10 days after he was charged with war crimes in the killings of five people while serving in Afghanistan.

Judge Greg Grogin granted Roberts-Smith bail in a Sydney court around five hours earlier, ruling the former Special Air Service Regiment corporal had established exceptional circumstances to justify his release from custody. Prosecutors had opposed bail and argued there was a risk that Roberts-Smith would flee Australia or interfere with witnesses and evidence.

Roberts-Smith, 47, was arrested on April 7 and charged with five counts of war crime murder involving the deaths of five Afghans in Uruzgan province in 2009 and 2012.

AUSTRALIA’S MOST DECORATED LIVING SOLDIER CHARGED AMID FIERCE DEBATE OVER WAR CRIMES ALLEGATIONS

Australian law defines war crime murder as the intentional killing in a context of armed conflict of a person who is not taking an active part in the hostilities, such as a civilian, prisoner of war or a wounded soldier.

Roberts-Smith was driven away from Sydney’s Silverwater Correctional Complex late Friday apparently wearing the same clothes he wore when police escorted him from a commercial airliner at Sydney Airport last week, news media images showed.

Roberts-Smith was awarded both the Victoria Cross and Medal of Gallantry for his service in Afghanistan and is only the second Australian veteran of the Afghanistan campaign to be charged with a war crime.

The charges follow a military report released in 2020 that found evidence elite SAS and commando regiment troops unlawfully killed 39 Afghan prisoners, farmers and other noncombatants. Around 40,000 Australian military personnel served in Afghanistan between 2001 and 2021, of whom 41 were killed.

Similar allegations against Roberts-Smith were found credible in a civil court case in 2023 when a judge rejected his claims that newspaper articles defamed him.

AUSTRALIA'S MOST DECORATED WAR VETERAN APPEALS COURT RULING THAT BLAMED HIM FOR UNLAWFUL KILLING OF AFGHANS

At that trial, Roberts-Smith testified he had never killed an unarmed Afghan and denied ever committing a war crime. He claimed he has the victim of spiteful fellow soldiers’ lies and of others’ envy of his medals.

But while the civil court found the war crimes allegations were mostly proven on a balance of probabilities, the war crime murder charges would have to be proved in a criminal court to a higher standard of beyond reasonable doubt.

Roberts-Smith is accused of personally shooting dead two victims. He allegedly ordered subordinates to shoot the other three victims.

In opposing bail, prosecutor Simon Buchen described the charges against Roberts-Smith as "among the most serious known to the criminal law."

Buchen said Roberts-Smith had been "on the cusp of relocating overseas" without telling authorities when he became aware that prosectors were considering charges.

Roberts-Smith had made "advanced plans to relocate overseas. Consideration was being given to moving to various destinations overseas," Buchen told the court.

Roberts-Smith faces a potential maximum sentence of life in prison on each conviction. He has yet to enter pleas.

JUDGE RULES AUSTRALIA'S MOST DECORATED WAR VETERAN UNLAWFULLY KILLED POWS, COMMITTED WAR CRIMES IN AFGHANISTAN

Defense lawyer Slade Howell told the bail hearing Roberts-Smith’s case "may properly be described as exceptional in the sense that it is out of the ordinary."

"The use of domestic courts to prosecute alleged war crimes committed by a highly decorated Australian soldier deployed overseas repeatedly by the Australian government to fight a war on its behalf is unprecedented and is uncharted legal territory of the common law of this country," Howell said.

Howell also said Roberts-Smith’s "proceedings will be beset by a multitude of delays, many of which are peculiar to these proceeding."

Potential delays could arise if prosecutors decide to charge one or more of Roberts-Smith’s fellow veterans, some of whom now live overseas, Howell said.

Roberts-Smith took part in the bail hearing by video link from prison and spoke only when asked by the judge to confirm that he could see and hear proceedings.

As British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron convene a summit Friday on the future of the Strait of Hormuz, the two leaders are pushing a European-led plan to reopen the vital shipping lane after the war, without U.S. leadership.

The proposal envisions a post-conflict naval mission made up of Britain, France and other "non-belligerent" countries that would deploy only after fighting ends. Unlike President Donald Trump’s current strategy of blockading Iranian ports with U.S. naval power, the Anglo-French initiative is intended to be separate from the warring parties and focused on restoring commercial shipping.

A senior European official insisted the initiative is not meant to go around Washington, telling Fox News Digital that Paris began discussing a future maritime mission "from day one" of the conflict and is now formalizing those plans jointly with London.

NATO CHIEF SIGNALS ALLIES MAY ACT ON HORMUZ, WARNS OF ‘UNHEALTHY CODEPENDENCE’ ON US

Macron and Starmer are expected to host a summit to advance what both governments describe as a "coordinated, independent, multinational plan" to reopen the Strait of Hormuz once the fighting ends.

"France and the United Kingdom will also host a conference in Paris this Friday, bringing together by video conference non-belligerent countries ready to contribute, alongside us, to a multilateral and purely defensive mission aimed at restoring freedom of navigation in the strait when security conditions allow," Macron wrote on X.

Starmer similarly described the effort as a "coordinated, independent, multinational plan to safeguard international shipping when the conflict ends," saying Britain had already convened more than 40 nations around the initiative, Reuters reported. Washington was not part of those earlier talks.

The European senior official said the proposed force would be "strictly defensive" and would only deploy after active fighting and bombardment have ended, with the goal of restoring normal shipping rather than enforcing a wartime corridor.

"What we want in the end is no blockade, no toll, no nothing that blocks the fluidity of what is going through the Strait of Hormuz," the official told Fox News Digital, while stressing that Iran remains "the first problem."

The official also rejected suggestions that Paris and London are trying to sideline the Trump administration, saying the U.S. has been kept informed and that there is extensive coordination with Washington even if the emerging mission is currently limited to "non-belligerent" countries.

WATCH: EX-NATO CHIEF DRAWS RED LINE AS TRUMP FUMES ALLIANCE ABANDONED US DURING IRAN WAR

"We’re coordinating a lot with them," the official said, adding that the goal is to create a framework that can operate once the conflict is over.

Macron has repeatedly emphasized that France’s envisioned mission would be "strictly defensive" and ruled out escorting ships while "bombings" are ongoing. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said "several dozen countries" already had participated in preparatory discussions led by military chiefs of staff, and that any future mission would also require coordination with Gulf coastal states, according to Reuters.

The Anglo-French initiative comes as Trump has taken a far more aggressive approach, ordering the U.S. Navy to blockade Iranian ports and continue operations aimed at securing the strategic waterway after ceasefire talks between the U.S. and Iran collapsed in Pakistan.

Critics argue that without American military power, the European proposal risks being largely symbolic.

PAKISTANI GENERAL SAYS IRAN DIPLOMACY STILL 'ALIVE, DESPITE US BLOCKADE, FAILED TALKS

Britain and France are overstating what they can realistically achieve, The Henry Jackson Society analyst Barak Seener said. 

"Britain and France are playing at being relevant as so-called ‘Middle Powers’ in international affairs," Seener told Fox News Digital.

"Keir Starmer’s assertion ‘We’re not getting dragged into the war’ disguises the embarrassing fact that the Royal Navy is facing a hollowed out crisis, causing the initiative to be ‘strictly defensive’," he said.

"France’s navy is also facing structural and budgetary pressures that strain its ability to conduct high-tempo operations."

"It is laughable that a European coalition of ‘non-belligerent’ countries that are only willing to engage once hostilities have ended can even speak of protecting its shipping lanes," Seener added.

"Ultimately, the U.S.’s deployment of hard power, consisting of carrier strike groups and fighter aircraft to blockade Iranian ports and clear mines from the Strait of Hormuz, can protect shipping lanes."

The U.K. government and the White House did not reply to Fox News Digital’s request for comment before publication.

The Chinese government is increasing pressure on underground Catholic communities to join the state-controlled church while tightening surveillance and restrictions on an estimated 12 million Catholics, according to a Human Rights Watch report.

The group said in its report that the increased pressure is part of a decade-old campaign to ensure religious groups align with Communist Party ideology.

The Associated Press reported that the Chinese government has rejected the claim, saying Human Rights Watch is "consistently biased against China."

China’s Catholics have long been split between a state-run church and an underground church loyal to the Vatican. In 2018, Pope Francis reached a deal allowing the Chinese government a role in appointing bishops to ease tensions.

WATCHDOG HIGHLIGHTS NATIONS WHERE CHRISTIANS FACE PERSECUTION AROUND THE GLOBE

"A decade into Xi Jinping’s Sinicization campaign and nearly eight years since the 2018 Holy See-China agreement, Catholics in China face escalating repression that violates their religious freedoms," Human Rights Watch researcher Yalkun Uluyol said in the report. 

"Pope Leo XIV should urgently review the agreement and press Beijing to end the persecution and intimidation of underground churches, clergy, and worshipers."

The Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson’s office told The Associated Press that Human Rights Watch "fabricates all manner of lies and rumors and lacks any credibility whatsoever."

The office added that the government "oversees religious affairs in accordance with the law and protects citizens’ freedom of religious belief and normal religious activities."

BISHOP ROBERT BARRON: THE WAR ON CHRISTIANS IS REAL, AND THE WORLD CAN NO LONGER STAY SILENT

Human Rights Watch said its researchers are not allowed into China and that the report is based on interviews with people outside the country who had firsthand knowledge of Catholic life in China, along with experts on Catholicism and religious freedom.

The 2018 agreement stipulates that Beijing proposes candidates for bishop, which the pope can veto, though the full text has never been made public.

In June 2025, Pope Leo XIV, who had just become the pope, appointed a Chinese bishop under the 2018 agreement and said he would continue to honor the deal "in the short term."

POPE LEO XIV TO VISIT FASTEST-GROWING CATHOLIC CONTINENT DURING 4-NATION AFRICA TRIP

"I’m also in ongoing dialogue with a number of people, Chinese, on both sides of some of the issues that are there," Leo said. "It’s a very difficult situation. In the long term, I don’t pretend to say this is what I will and will not do, but after two months, I’ve already begun having discussions at several levels on that topic."

Since 2018, Human Rights Watch says Chinese authorities have pressured underground Catholics to join the state-run church through detentions, disappearances and house arrests, citing accounts from unnamed individuals who have left China.

The report also said China has tightened ideological control, surveillance and restrictions on religious activity and foreign ties, including requiring state approval for clergy travel, while officially recognizing and closely overseeing five religions: Buddhism, Taoism, Catholicism, Protestantism and Islam.

POPE LEO PICKS NEW VATICAN AMBASSADOR TO US AS TRUMP TENSIONS MOUNT OVER POLICIES

Xi Jinping said in 2016 he would "Sinicize" the country’s religions, a policy aimed at aligning religious practices with Communist Party ideology.

Human Rights Watch said authorities have taken sweeping steps to curb religious practice, including tearing down churches and crosses, blocking gatherings at unregistered churches and seizing religious materials not approved by the state.

The group said the broader "Sinicization" campaign has also led to intensified crackdowns on Tibetan Buddhists and Muslims.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Testimony at a major South African corruption inquiry was briefly overshadowed Tuesday by an unscripted moment — a suspended police chief with a tissue stuck to his brow.

Julius Mkhwanazi, the former deputy chief of the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department, was testifying before the Madlanga Commission when the awkward moment unfolded.

Mkhwanazi, who was suspended in November 2025 amid misconduct allegations, had been wiping sweat from his face after answering questions from the commission.

Part of the tissue, however, remained stuck to his head.

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The slip didn’t go unnoticed for long. Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga halted proceedings as the room took in the scene.

"Oh, you have a tissue stuck on your forehead," Madlanga tells the ex-police chief.

"I’m sweaty," Mkhwanazi says. "Thank you, thank you."

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The Madlanga Commission is a public inquiry probing allegations of corruption and political interference in South Africa’s justice system. The current inquiry has been hearing testimony from current and former law enforcement officials.

Mkhwanazi has been under scrutiny since an internal audit recommended his suspension as part of a broader probe into alleged misconduct.

President Donald Trump announced Thursday that Israel and Lebanon have agreed to a 10-day ceasefire beginning at 5 p.m. Eastern Time, in what he described as a major step toward ending weeks of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah.

Trump said he had spoken separately with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and that both sides had agreed to begin formal talks aimed at reaching a broader peace agreement.

"I just had excellent conversations with the Highly Respected President Joseph Aoun, of Lebanon, and Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu, of Israel," Trump wrote on Truth Social Thursday. 

Trump said he has directed Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan "Razin'" Caine to work with both sides to achieve what he called a "lasting peace."

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The president later said he plans to invite Netanyahu and Aoun to the White House for what he described as the first meaningful talks between Israel and Lebanon since 1983.

"Both sides want to see PEACE, and I believe that will happen, quickly!" Trump wrote.

The announcement came after days of intense U.S. diplomacy and appeared to resolve an earlier dispute over whether Aoun would speak directly with Netanyahu.

"We are trying to create a little breathing room," Trump wrote on Truth Social Wednesday, adding that the leaders of Israel and Lebanon had not spoken in some 34 years and saying, "It will happen tomorrow."

Earlier Thursday, Lebanese officials had insisted that Aoun would not speak directly with Netanyahu before a ceasefire was reached.

Three Lebanese officials told Reuters that Aoun had no plans to speak with Netanyahu in the near future, and two of the officials said Lebanon's embassy in Washington conveyed that position to the Trump administration before Aoun held a phone call with Rubio.

A senior Lebanese official later told Fox News Digital that there was intense domestic pressure inside Lebanon against further contacts with Israel while the fighting continued.

According to the official, many in Lebanon believed the government had already entered negotiations without receiving anything in return, making a ceasefire a prerequisite for any direct contact.

But shortly afterward, Lebanon's presidency announced that Aoun had spoken directly with Trump.

According to the Lebanese presidency's official X account, Aoun thanked Trump for his efforts to secure a ceasefire in Lebanon and achieve what it described as a lasting peace and stability that could pave the way for a broader regional peace process.

Aoun, who served as commander of Lebanon's U.S.-backed armed forces before becoming president in 2025, said an Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon would be a necessary first step before Lebanese troops could fully deploy to the border region.

The diplomatic dispute comes as the White House presses for a broader deal to end the regional war that erupted after Iran-backed Hezbollah terror group entered the conflict March 2 in support of Iran. 

Hezbollah's intervention opened a new front in Lebanon just 15 months after the last major Israel-Hezbollah war.

Pakistan, which helped mediate the April 8 ceasefire between Israel and Iran, said ending the fighting in Lebanon is essential to preserving that agreement.

ISRAEL WARNS HEZBOLLAH ‘PLAYING WITH FIRE,’ PRESSES LEBANON TO ACT ON WEAPONS PLEDGE

"Peace in Lebanon is essential for peace talks," Pakistani Foreign Ministry spokesman Tahir Andrabi said.

The Israeli security cabinet met late Wednesday to discuss a possible ceasefire in Lebanon, according to Israeli media.

Israeli officials have signaled openness to negotiations, but they are also insisting on continuing military operations until Hezbollah is pushed away from the border.

Israeli cabinet minister Gila Gamliel told Israeli media that Netanyahu had been expected to speak with Aoun "for the first time after so many years of no contact between the two countries."

Israel and Lebanon remain formally at war and have had no direct leader-to-leader contact in decades.

The latest U.S. diplomatic push follows a rare meeting Tuesday in Washington between Lebanese Ambassador Nada Hamadeh Moawad and Israeli Ambassador Yechiel Leiter.

Those talks, held at the State Department under U.S. mediation, marked the first face-to-face discussions between senior Israeli and Lebanese officials in more than three decades.

Still, the prospect of a direct call between Netanyahu and Aoun has run into strong opposition inside Lebanon.

Hezbollah, which has opposed any contact with Israel, remains publicly against negotiations.

At the same time, Lebanon's government has increasingly distanced itself from Hezbollah since the terror group entered the war.

The Lebanese government formally banned Hezbollah's military activities March 2 and has spent the past year trying to disarm the Iranian-backed group without triggering a broader civil conflict.

Meanwhile, fighting intensified Thursday in southern Lebanon.

IRAN THREATENS TO END CEASEFIRE OVER HEZBOLLAH'S EXCLUSION FROM TRUCE DEAL

Battles continued around the border town of Bint Jbeil, Lebanon, a longtime stronghold of Hezbollah — an Iran-backed terror group — that Israeli officials see as a key objective in the current offensive.

Netanyahu said Wednesday that Israeli forces were close to "overcoming" Hezbollah in Bint Jbeil. 

The Israeli military's immediate objective is to push Hezbollah farther from the border and prevent anti-tank missiles and other direct-fire weapons from threatening northern Israeli communities, Israel Defense Forces spokesperson Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani said in an interview with Fox News Digital. 

He said Israeli troops are now holding what the military calls "defense lines" several kilometers inside Lebanon, positions designed to keep Hezbollah gunmen and anti-tank squads from once again overlooking Israeli towns.

"We're going to make sure we keep diminishing them," Shoshani said.

Lebanese security officials also said an Israeli airstrike destroyed the last remaining bridge over the Litani River leading into southern Lebanon.

The strike effectively cut off nearly a tenth of the country from the rest of Lebanon after earlier Israeli attacks destroyed other crossings.

HEZBOLLAH, IRAN UNLEASH COORDINATED CLUSTER BOMB STRIKES ON ISRAEL IN MAJOR ESCALATION

Israel has vowed to turn the area south of the Litani River into a "no-go zone" for Hezbollah.

Israeli military chief of staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir said Wednesday that Hezbollah operatives would no longer be allowed to operate south of the river.

The Litani River, which runs roughly 20 miles north of Israel's border, has long been viewed by Israel as the line beyond which Hezbollah forces should not be allowed to operate.

Hezbollah responded Thursday with fresh rocket fire into northern Israel.

Warning sirens sounded in several Israeli communities, sending residents into bomb shelters. There were no immediate reports of injuries.

More than 2,100 people have been killed in Lebanon since March 2 and more than 1.2 million have been displaced, according to Lebanese authorities. 

Israeli officials say Hezbollah attacks have killed two Israeli civilians and 13 Israeli soldiers during the same period.

Fox News Digital reached out to the State Department, Lebanon's embassy in Washington and the Israeli government for comment, but did not receive responses in time for publication.

Reuters contributed to this report.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun will not speak with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for now, a Lebanese official told Fox News Digital, dealing a setback to U.S. efforts to broker direct contact between the two countries as fighting continues across southern Lebanon.

The development came after President Donald Trump said late Wednesday that the two leaders could speak for the first time in decades.

"We are trying to create a little breathing room," Trump wrote on Truth Social, adding that the leaders of Israel and Lebanon had not spoken in some 34 years and saying, "It will happen tomorrow."

But Lebanese officials quickly pushed back. A senior Lebanese official told Fox News Digital Thursday that no call between Aoun and Netanyahu is likely before a ceasefire is reached.

IDF UNCOVERS HEZBOLLAH WEAPONS STASH INSIDE HOSPITAL IN LEBANON

The official said there is mounting domestic pressure on Lebanon's government not to deepen contacts with Israel while fighting continues, especially because many in Lebanon believe the government has already begun negotiations without receiving anything in return.

The lack of a ceasefire or any tangible concession has made public opinion increasingly important, he explained.

Three Lebanese officials told Reuters that Aoun has no plans to speak with Netanyahu in the near future. Two of the officials said Lebanon's embassy in Washington conveyed that position to the Trump administration before Aoun held a phone call Thursday with Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

In a brief statement after the call, Lebanon's presidency said Aoun thanked Rubio for U.S. efforts to secure a ceasefire.

Shortly afterward, Lebanon's presidency said Aoun also spoke by phone with Trump.

According to the Lebanese presidency official X account, Aoun thanked Trump for his efforts to secure a ceasefire in Lebanon and achieve what it described as a lasting peace and stability that could pave the way for a broader regional peace process.

The presidency said Aoun urged Trump to continue those efforts in order to stop the fighting as quickly as possible.

Trump, according to the Lebanese readout, voiced support for Aoun and Lebanon and said he remained committed to securing a ceasefire as soon as possible.

Less than an hour later, Trump announced on Truth Social that he had separately spoken with both Aoun and Netanyahu and said the two sides had agreed to formally begin a 10-day ceasefire at 5 p.m. Eastern Time Thursday. 

"I just had excellent conversations with the Highly Respected President Joseph Aoun, of Lebanon, and Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu, of Israel," Trump wrote.

Trump said he had directed Vice President JD Vance, Rubio and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan "Razin'" Caine to work with both sides to achieve what he called a "lasting peace." 

"It has been my Honor to solve 9 Wars across the World, and this will be my 10th, so let's, GET IT DONE!", the president wrote.

The announcement appeared to mark a shift from earlier statements by Lebanese officials that Aoun would not speak directly with Netanyahu before a ceasefire was in place.

Lebanon has made clear it wants a ceasefire before any direct negotiations with Israel.

"A ceasefire is the natural entry point for direct negotiations," Aoun said Thursday.

Lebanon has made clear it wants a ceasefire before any direct negotiations with Israel.

"A ceasefire is the natural entry point for direct negotiations," Aoun said Thursday.

Aoun, who previously served as commander of Lebanon's U.S.-backed armed forces before becoming president in 2025, said an Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon would be a necessary first step before Lebanese troops could fully deploy to the border region.

The diplomatic dispute comes as the White House presses for a broader deal to end the regional war that erupted after Iran-backed Hezbollah terror group entered the conflict March 2 in support of Iran. 

Hezbollah's intervention opened a new front in Lebanon just 15 months after the last major Israel–Hezbollah war.

Pakistan, which helped mediate the April 8 ceasefire between Israel and Iran, said ending the fighting in Lebanon is essential to preserving that agreement.

ISRAEL WARNS HEZBOLLAH ‘PLAYING WITH FIRE,’ PRESSES LEBANON TO ACT ON WEAPONS PLEDGE

"Peace in Lebanon is essential for peace talks," Pakistani Foreign Ministry spokesman Tahir Andrabi said.

The Israeli security cabinet met late Wednesday to discuss a possible ceasefire in Lebanon, according to Israeli media.

Israeli officials have signaled openness to negotiations, but they are also insisting on continuing military operations until Hezbollah is pushed away from the border.

Israeli Cabinet minister Gila Gamliel told Israeli media that Netanyahu had been expected to speak with Aoun "for the first time after so many years of no contact between the two countries."

Israel and Lebanon remain formally at war and have had no direct leader-to-leader contact in decades.

The latest U.S. diplomatic push follows a rare meeting Tuesday in Washington between Lebanese Ambassador Nada Hamadeh Moawad and Israeli Ambassador Yechiel Leiter.

Those talks, held at the State Department under U.S. mediation, marked the first face-to-face discussions between senior Israeli and Lebanese officials in more than three decades.

Still, the prospect of a direct call between Netanyahu and Aoun has run into strong opposition inside Lebanon.

Hezbollah, which has opposed any contact with Israel, remains publicly against negotiations.

At the same time, Lebanon's government has increasingly distanced itself from Hezbollah since the terror group entered the war.

The Lebanese government formally banned Hezbollah's military activities March 2 and has spent the past year trying to disarm the Iranian-backed group without triggering a broader civil conflict.

Meanwhile, fighting intensified Thursday in southern Lebanon.

IRAN THREATENS TO END CEASEFIRE OVER HEZBOLLAH'S EXCLUSION FROM TRUCE DEAL

Battles continued around the border town of Bint Jbeil, Lebanon, a longtime stronghold of Hezbollah — an Iran-backed terror group — that Israeli officials see as a key objective in the current offensive.

Netanyahu said Wednesday that Israeli forces were close to "overcoming" Hezbollah in Bint Jbeil, Lebanon. 

The Israeli military's immediate objective is to push Hezbollah farther from the border and prevent anti-tank missiles and other direct-fire weapons from threatening northern Israeli communities, Israel Defense Forces spokesperson Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani said in an interview with Fox News Digital. 

He said Israeli troops are now holding what the military calls "defense lines" several kilometers inside Lebanon, positions designed to keep Hezbollah gunmen and anti-tank squads from once again overlooking Israeli towns.

"We're going to make sure we keep diminishing them," Shoshani said.

Lebanese security officials also said an Israeli airstrike destroyed the last remaining bridge over the Litani River leading into southern Lebanon.

The strike effectively cut off nearly a tenth of the country from the rest of Lebanon after earlier Israeli attacks destroyed other crossings.

HEZBOLLAH, IRAN UNLEASH COORDINATED CLUSTER BOMB STRIKES ON ISRAEL IN MAJOR ESCALATION

Israel has vowed to turn the area south of the Litani River into a "no-go zone" for Hezbollah.

Israeli military chief of staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir said Wednesday that Hezbollah operatives would no longer be allowed to operate south of the river.

The Litani River, which runs roughly 20 miles north of Israel's border, has long been viewed by Israel as the line beyond which Hezbollah forces should not be allowed to operate.

Hezbollah responded Thursday with fresh rocket fire into northern Israel.

Warning sirens sounded in several Israeli communities, sending residents into bomb shelters. There were no immediate reports of injuries.

More than 2,100 people have been killed in Lebanon since March 2 and more than 1.2 million have been displaced, according to Lebanese authorities. 

Israeli officials say Hezbollah attacks have killed two Israeli civilians and 13 Israeli soldiers during the same period.

Fox News Digital reached out to the State Department, Lebanon's embassy in Washington and the Israeli government for comment, but did not receive responses in time for publication.

Reuters contributed to this report.

Russia hammered civilian areas of Ukraine with hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles in an attack that stretched for hours from daytime into the night, killing at least 16 people and injuring more than 80 others as terrified residents cowered in their homes, officials said Thursday.

Russia launched nearly 700 drones and dozens of ballistic and cruise missiles, primarily targeting civilians, in its biggest aerial barrage in almost two weeks, authorities said.

Tetiana Sokol, a 54-year-old resident of Kyiv, said two missiles hit near her home and she took cover with her dog in the hallway as flashes lit up the night and windows shattered from the blast wave.

"On the third attack everything broke, everything flew, we were shocked, we didn’t know where to run. I grabbed whatever came to hand and ran away with the dog," she told The Associated Press. "I still can’t find the cats in the house, they climbed out somewhere, I don’t even know. No windows, nothing, the dog is still walking around in stress."

RUSSIAN WINTER STRIKE LEAVES NEARLY 800K HOMES WITHOUT POWER AND HEAT IN UKRAINE’S DNIPRO REGION

Moscow's forces have hit civilian areas almost daily since its all-out invasion of its neighbor more than four years ago, with the regular assaults occasionally punctuated by massive attacks. More than 15,000 Ukrainian civilians have died in the strikes, the United Nations says.

Zelenskyy on a mission to improve air defenses

The latest bombardment came in the wake of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's 48-hour trip this week to Germany, Norway and Italy in an urgent search for more air defense systems that can stop Russian missiles.

Ukraine has developed a significant domestic arms industry, especially in the production of drones and missiles, but it can’t yet match the sophistication of U.S. Patriot air defense systems. Ukraine’s top diplomatic priority is securing allies’ help to buy and build more and better air defenses, Zelenskyy said this week.

Cash-strapped Ukraine also needs the speedy disbursement of a promised loan from the European Union of 90 billion euros ($106 billion) that has been blocked by Hungary.

Ukraine fears the Iran war is burning through stockpiles of the advanced American-made systems it needs, and has argued against a U.S. temporary waiver on Russian oil sanctions that Kyiv says is helping finance the Kremlin's war effort.

US ACCUSES RUSSIA OF 'DANGEROUS AND INEXPLICABLE ESCALATION' IN UKRAINE WAR DURING PEACE NEGOTIATIONS

"Another night has proven that Russia does not deserve any easing of global policy or lifting of sanctions," Zelenskyy said on X.

He thanked Germany, Norway and Italy for new agreements this week on supporting Ukraine's air defense. Officials are also working with the Netherlands on additional supplies, he said.

At the same time, he noted that some partner countries haven't followed through on pledges of military support.

"I have instructed the Commander of the Air Force to contact those partners who earlier committed to providing missiles for Patriot and other systems," Zelenskyy said.

Other areas of Ukraine and Russia were also hit

The bombardment was the biggest in weeks. Last month, Russia fired 948 drones and 34 missiles in the space of 24 hours in the largest assault of the war on civilian areas.

At least four people were killed overnight in Kyiv, including a 12-year-old, with more than 50 others injured, according to authorities. Officials said the attack damaged 17 apartment buildings, 10 private homes, as well as a hotel, office center, car dealership, gas station and a shopping mall in the capital.

RUSSIAN DRONE ATTACK ON PASSENGER TRAIN IS AN ‘ACT OF TERRORISM,’ ZELENSKYY SAYS

Nine people were killed and 23 injured in the southern port city of Odesa, three women were killed and around three dozen injured in the central Dnipro region, and one person was killed in Zaporizhzhia in the south.

"Such attacks cannot be normalized. These are war crimes that must be stopped and their perpetrators held to account," Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said on X.

Ukraine’s air force said air defenses shot down or disabled 667 out of 703 incoming targets, including 636 Shahed-type drones and other uncrewed aerial vehicles.

It said 20 strike drones and 12 missiles hit 26 locations.

Meanwhile, in Russia, Krasnodar regional Gov. Veniamin Kondratyev reported that a 14-year-old girl and a woman were killed in Ukrainian strikes in the Black Sea port of Tuapse.

He said that attacks damaged six apartment buildings, 24 private houses and three schools. Drone fragments also fell near the port of Tuapse.

Russia’s Defense Ministry said that its air defenses downed 207 Ukrainian drones overnight.

Péter Magyar has gone from political outsider to Hungary’s most powerful politician almost overnight.

The 44-year-old lawyer and former insider in former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s ruling party swept to victory in Hungary’s 2026 election, ending Orbán’s 16-year rule and stunning Europe.

"Thank you to every Hungarian at home and around the world!" he wrote on X. "It is an immense honor that you have empowered us to form a government with the most votes ever received, and to work for the next four years for a free, European, functioning, and humane Hungary."

Here are the key things to know about the man now set to lead Hungary.

TRUMP SAYS HUNGARY'S BORDER STANCE KEEPS CRIME DOWN, SAYS EUROPE 'FLOODING' WITH MIGRANTS

Magyar was born in 1981 in Budapest, Hungary, into a family of lawyers. He was just nine years old when communism collapsed in Hungary and the country held its first democratic elections.

As a child, he idolized Orbán, who at the time was a young anti-Communist activist demanding that Soviet troops leave Hungary. Magyar has said he kept a photo of Orbán on his bedroom wall, Reuters reported.

That early admiration makes his rise all the more remarkable: the boy who once saw Orbán as a hero ultimately became the politician who ended his rule.

Before becoming Orbán’s biggest challenger, Magyar was part of the same Hungarian political establishment.

He spent years inside Orbán’s conservative Fidesz movement and worked in positions connected to the Hungarian state. Because of that background, analysts say Magyar understands the system from the inside.

"He’s an insider," said Helena Ivanov, an associate research fellow at the Henry Jackson Society (HJS), a London-based foreign policy think tank. "He knows and understands the inside out of the Hungarian political system."

That insider status, she added, was "exceptionally important" to his success.

VIKTOR ORBÁN CONCEDES DEFEAT AS OPPOSITION LEADER HEADS FOR POTENTIAL SUPERMAJORITY WIN

Like many members of Hungary’s political elite, Magyar trained as a lawyer.

After studying law, he entered public service. When his then-wife took a position in Brussels, Magyar joined Hungary’s diplomatic corps and worked on European Union legislation.

After returning to Hungary, he held senior positions at a state-owned bank and later ran Hungary’s student loan agency.

His background gave him experience in both Brussels and the Hungarian bureaucracy, helping him position himself as a bridge between Hungary and the European Union.

Magyar married Judit Varga in 2006. Varga later became one of Orbán’s most prominent ministers and served as Hungary’s justice minister.

For years, that marriage placed Magyar close to the center of power in Hungary. 

The couple had three sons, but their marriage eventually broke down. They divorced in 2023, shortly before Magyar launched his political rebellion.

Magyar’s political transformation began after a scandal that rocked Hungary in 2024.

Varga resigned after public outrage over a pardon linked to a child sexual abuse case. The scandal opened a rare crack in Orbán’s government.

Magyar publicly broke with Fidesz, accusing the government of corruption and propaganda.

For Ivanov, that moment was decisive.

"The key breakdown was the fact that Orbán’s government participated in a cover-up … and that ultimately led him to start his own political campaign," she said.

Until 2024, most Hungarians had barely heard of Magyar. 

Then he gave a high-profile interview and launched a new political movement. Within months, he transformed himself into the face of Hungary’s opposition.

His Tisza party won 30% in the 2024 European elections, before defeating Fidesz nationally less than two years later.

Ivanov said his rapid rise came down to strategy.

"He was able to capture the hearts and minds of the Hungarian people by focusing … on the internal issues that were their key grievances," she said.

Magyar is not a traditional liberal politician.

Like Orbán, he opposes illegal immigration, supports Hungary’s border fence and rejects European Union migrant quotas.

"When it comes to immigration, I’m not really that sure that we’re going to see much of a change," Ivanov told Fox News Digital. "Magyar so far has made it clear that the fence originally built by Orbán will stay in place. He has said that he is not going to support the EU migration pact."

"So that’s one thing where we may possibly see some continuity, or at least some overlap, between Magyar and Orbán," she added. "But … bringing the country back to a stable democracy is one of the key priorities that Magyar has."

But unlike Orbán, he has pledged to rebuild ties with the European Union and unlock frozen EU funds.

VP VANCE TO MEET WITH VIKTOR ORBÁN IN HUNGARY DAYS AHEAD OF FOREIGN NATION'S ELECTIONS

Ivanov said the shift could be significant, especially after years of deteriorating relations with Brussels.

"He has promised to rebuild the relationship between the European Union and Hungary," she said.

Still, she cautioned that tensions may remain, particularly over Russia and Ukraine policy.

Magyar describes himself as religious and often emphasizes family life.

He has said he enjoys cooking and playing soccer with his sons.

That image has helped him appeal to conservative voters who were disillusioned with Orbán but not ready to support a left-wing alternative.

Magyar built his victory through a grassroots campaign. He focused on corruption, cost of living and frustration after 16 years under one leader.

Because Orbán’s allies controlled much of Hungary’s media, he relied heavily on social media, rural outreach and direct voter engagement.

Ivanov said that approach was not just strategic, but necessary.

"The control that Orbán had over the media meant Magyar had to directly engage with the people," she said.

Ivanov noted that Magyar did not appear on state television for 18 months. His first appearance came only after his victory, during what she described as "a very heated conversation" in which he accused Hungarian state media of carrying out "North Korean-style propaganda" under Orbán.

Now, after years as an insider and barely two years as an opposition figure, Magyar is preparing to take power.

Magyar has already signaled that he intends to move quickly against officials tied to the old system. 

In a post on X on Wednesday, he said he had arrived at the presidential palace to meet Hungarian President Tamás Sulyok.

"Tamás Sulyok is unworthy of representing the unity of the Hungarian nation," Magyar wrote. "He is unfit to serve as the guardian of legality. He is not fit to serve as a moral authority or a role model."

"Following the formation of the new government, Tamás Sulyok must leave office immediately."

Ivanov called the result "a huge victory for democracy," but said that reversing years of institutional control "is not going to be an easy process … likely a years-long process."

Reuters contributed to this report.

Iran is set to execute its first female protester tied to the January 2026 uprising in Tehran, according to multiple human rights organizations. 

Bita Hemmati was named in a collective death sentencing alongside three other defendants, including her husband, Mohammadreza Majid-Asl, 34, according to the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) and the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA).

The couple’s reported neighbors, Behrouz Zamaninejad and Kourosh Zamaninejad, were also sentenced to death, while a relative, Amir Hemmati, received five years in prison.

The verdicts mark some of the most recent capital punishment decisions amid the government’s broader crackdown on suppressing unrest. Possibly thousands of protesters have reportedly been killed since demonstrations erupted this year.

TRUMP DETAILS SWEEPING 'ALL OR NOTHING' BLOCKADE OF STRAIT OF HORMUZ AFTER FAILED IRAN TALKS

"Mohammadreza Majidi-Asl and Bita Hemmati are a couple living in Tehran, and Amir Hemmati is a relative of the two," a source told HRANA. "Kourosh Zamaninejad and Behrouz Zamaninejad were living in the same residential building, and their arrests took place simultaneously."

No execution date has yet been given.

The Tehran Revolutionary Court reportedly accused the defendants of multiple offenses, including national security disruption in connection with the "hostile government of the United States," according to HRANA.

On Jan. 8 and 9, the defendants allegedly used explosives and weapons, threw objects such as concrete blocks and incendiary materials from rooftops, injured security forces, and engaged in "propaganda against the regime" in an effort to undermine security, according to federal authorities.

IRAN THREATENS TO HALT RED SEA TRAFFIC IN RESPONSE TO US MILITARY BLOCKADE OF PORTS

Alongside the capital punishment verdicts, the court also issued five years of discretionary imprisonment and ordered the seizure of their personal assets. 

Officials added that the fifth associate, Amir Hemmati, was specifically convicted of "assembly and collusion against national security" and "propaganda against the regime," the groups said.

Human rights activists further raised concerns that the defendants’ confessions may have been coerced, citing allegations of torture and interrogation.

The organizations, which are urging a halt to the executions, also claimed a lack of specific evidence linking the accused to the alleged crimes, and argued that Tehran is seeking to intimidate the public in order to prevent future civilian unrest. 

Widespread protests first erupted in late December 2025 in Tehran amid an economic crisis marked by a collapsing currency and soaring inflation. Tensions then quickly escalated into broader anti-government unrest that spread across multiple cities.

Washington officially joined the conflict with the launch of Operation Epic Fury on Feb. 28, 2026, when it conducted massive joint airstrikes with Israel that killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. 

Ukraine’s allies pledged a massive new military aid package Wednesday, including 120,000 drones from the U.K., as Russia launched hundreds of drones and ballistic missiles in fresh overnight strikes.

The commitments came as Kyiv warned of escalating Russian bombardments and urgently pressed for more air defenses.

Russia launched 324 drones and three ballistic missiles at Ukraine overnight Wednesday, Ukrainian officials said, part of a broader surge in aerial assaults, according to Reuters.

Russian strikes hit more than a half a dozen areas of Ukraine behind the front line on Tuesday and Wednesday, The Associated Press reported.

‘ONLY TRUMP CAN STOP RUSSIA’: MILLIONS FACE FREEZING WINTER, UKRAINE ENERGY EXECUTIVE WARNS

Between November and March alone, Moscow fired roughly 27,000 Shahed-type drones, nearly 600 cruise missiles and 462 ballistic missiles, according to Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov.

"Every day we need air defense missiles—every day Russia continues its strikes," Zelenskyy said in a post on Telegram.

The latest attacks struck multiple regions behind the front lines, killing an 8-year-old boy in the central Cherkasy region and injuring a woman in southern Zaporizhzhia, according to Ukrainian officials.

RUSSIAN ATTACK ON KHARKIV WIPES OUT YOUNG FAMILY, LEAVING PREGNANT MOTHER AS SOLE SURVIVOR

The war, which began with Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, has now stretched beyond three years.

Defense leaders from about 50 countries met virtually Wednesday to coordinate military aid and boost weapons production and especially air defense systems.

The session was led by German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius and British Defense Secretary John Healey, with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte also present. The United States was represented by Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Elbridge Colby.

RUSSIA LAUNCHES RECORD MISSILE BARRAGE AGAINST UKRAINE ONE DAY BEFORE PEACE TALKS SET TO RESUME IN ABU DHABI

Several countries also announced new contributions to Ukraine. Germany and Ukraine agreed on a 4 billion-euro ($4.7 billion) defense package, while Norway pledged 9 billion euros (about $10.6 billion) in assistance.

The Netherlands said it will spend 248 million euros ($293 million) to produce drones for Ukraine. The United Kingdom pledged 120,000 drones.

Russia pushed back on the expanded support, warning that European efforts to boost drone production for Ukraine risk deepening their involvement in the conflict.

The Russian Defense Ministry said the decisions by European countries to supply drones to Ukraine was leading to an escalation of the military-political situation and a "creeping transformation" into Ukraine’s strategic support base, TASS reported.

U.K. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer faces a "crimes against humanity" complaint at the United Nations over the treatment of the Chagossian people as tensions rise after an Iranian missile attempt targeting Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean.

Starmer, who is named in the filling, has been reported specifically over the removal of four people who returned to the island in a complaint filed by the attorney general for the Chagossian government.

James Tumbridge's filing also comes as the exiled leadership stressed the importance of strong ties with the United States, telling Fox News Digital that Washington is a "brother in arms for global security."

TRUMP, STARMER AGREE STRAIT OF HORMUZ MUST REOPEN AS MIDDLE EAST CONFLICT ESCALATES

On March 20, Iran launched two ballistic missiles toward Diego Garcia from more than 2,300 miles away, missing the target but underscoring the base’s strategic importance.

Chagossian leaders have since backed a continued U.S. presence, with First Minister Misley Mandarin saying they want to "uphold the 1966 agreement and consider the U.S. as a brother in arms for global security."

The 1966 agreement allowed the U.S. to use Diego Garcia for defense purposes, initially for 50 years.

"The desire of the Chagossian government is to have a positive relationship with the U.S. and an ongoing presence on Diego Garcia of the U.S. military," Tumbridge also told Fox News Digital.

TRUMP PROVEN RIGHT ON IRAN'S LONG-RANGE MISSILE CAPABILITY AS REGIME TARGETS US-UK BASE, EXPERTS SAY

Meanwhile, Tumbridge’s U.N. submission claims U.K. actions risk the "forced depopulation" of the Chagos Islands.

Expulsions began in 1968, when about 2,000 residents were removed, culminating in 1973, and in February the U.K. issued new removal orders to four Chagossians who had returned to the islands.

The filing calls the situation "forced displacement" that could constitute "a crime against humanity by forced depopulation of a territory."

It warns the British government of a "fresh crime now" that could complete a decades-long erasure of the Indigenous population, stating, "The removal of these four persons would result in the total physical erasure of the Chagossian people," potentially "amounting to ethnic cleansing."

FARAGE SLAMS BRITISH PRIME MINISTER FOR ‘EXTRAORDINARY’ LACK OF SUPPORT FOR TRUMP'S IRAN STRIKES

"The BIOT commissioner accepted that the Chagossians were wronged in the past," Tumbridge said Wednesday.

"How can the U.K. prime minister, who claims to value the rule of law and human rights, not want to right that wrong and let the people return to their islands?"

The filing also comes as the U.K. considers transferring sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius.

This followed a 2019 International Court of Justice opinion, while preserving the Diego Garcia base under a 99-year lease.

President Donald Trump criticized the proposed handover, and the U.K. has since paused legislation to formalize the deal, with ministers saying it has become "impossible to agree at a political level."

The legislation was expected to be included in the King’s speech outlining the next parliamentary session’s agenda.

Fox News Digital has reached out to 10 Downing Street for comment.

A 14-year-old boy is dead after allegedly killing at least nine people and wounding 13 more at a Turkish middle school Wednesday, according to media and official reports.

The boy reportedly carried out the violent attack, the second of its kind in as many days in Turkey, with guns belonging to his father, a former police officer, according to Regional Governor Mukerrem Unluer.

"A student came to school with guns that we believe belonged to his father in his backpack. He entered two classrooms and opened fire randomly, causing injuries and deaths," Unluer told reporters, according to multiple media reports.

Eight of the deaths were students, while the other was a teacher, Turkey's Interior Minister Mustafa Ciftci told reporters, per Reuters.

TRUMP SQUEEZED BETWEEN ISRAEL AND TURKEY AS NETANYAHU, ERDOGAN ESCALATE FEUD

Ciftci was also adamant that this was a "sole incident" and not a terror attack.

The shooting took place at Ayser Çalık Middle School in Turkey's Kahramanmaras region, roughly 140 miles west of the high school where another student killed himself after injuring 16 others in a shooting one day earlier.

Shooting deaths are rare in Turkey, with just over 2.6 per 100,000 residents every year, compared to the U.S.'s 14.5. Gun applicants must be at least 21 years old and go through a rigorous medical clearance and background check process.

Gun acquisition is, however, considerably more expedient for professionals with certain careers, such as law enforcement.

Despite the difficulties, Turkey has now been rocked by two mass shootings in two days. In response, the government has urged citizens not to spread misinformation and to protect the peace.

TURKEY’S NATO ROLE UNDER SCRUTINY AMID NEW REPORT ON HAMAS, MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD TIES

"Managing the process with sound judgment, protecting societal peace, and particularly ensuring the psychological security of our children are of utmost importance," the country's Ministry of Communications also posted on X.

"It is essential for our media organizations to act with the utmost sense of responsibility in their broadcasting policies," the post continued, adding that "such incidents create a highly fertile ground for disinformation."

Four chief inspectors and four inspector generals have been assigned to an investigation into the incident, the Turkish Ministry of the Interior wrote on X.

Iran is moving tens of millions of barrels of oil through covert offshore networks to bypass the new U.S. blockade on its ports, maritime intelligence firm Windward AI says.

The blockade, which took effect April 13, came amid a two-week ceasefire and failed peace talks between the U.S. and Iran, and as President Donald Trump insisted the waterway must remain open, through which roughly 20% of the world’s oil passes.

"Iranian oil distribution continues through indirect routing and offshore transfer networks," Windward told Fox News Digital.

"As of April 13, at least 11 tankers carrying approximately 20 million barrels of Iranian oil are positioned offshore Malaysia within a ship-to-ship transfer hub," the firm determined.

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"These vessels are likely awaiting counterpart vessels for offloading or preparing for onward movement."

Windward also clarified that the concentration highlights Iran’s "continued use of offshore storage and transfer mechanisms."

This allows Iranian oil flows to "persist outside direct transit through the Strait."

"Dark activity remains a central enabler of ongoing operations, supporting both post-transit port calls and broader evasion strategies," Windward added.

"At the same time, Iranian oil flows are increasingly routed through offshore hubs, reducing reliance on direct Hormuz transit."

U.S. forces began implementing the blockade at 10 a.m. ET April 13 after Trump vowed to block "any and all ships from trying to enter or leave" the strait, following weeks of pressure on Tehran.

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As previously reported by Fox News Digital, the U.S. military confirmed Wednesday it stopped nine oil tankers from attempting to breach the blockade.

"During the first 48 hours of the U.S. blockade on ships entering and exiting Iranian ports, no vessels have made it past U.S. forces," U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said.

"Additionally, nine vessels have complied with direction from U.S. forces to turn around and return toward an Iranian port or coastal area," CENTCOM wrote on X.

Fox News was also told all nine vessels were oil tankers. None of the vessels ordered to turn around needed to be boarded by U.S. forces, a senior U.S. defense official said.

On the first "full day" of the blockade, April 14, however, under active U.S. enforcement, Windward noted vessel behavior indicating "a fragmented and uneven response to the blockade."

"Initial movements show a combination of continued transit, route deviation and potential evasion," the firm said.

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"Sanctioned and falsely flagged vessels remain active, with some proceeding through the Strait while others delay, reverse course or adjust routing patterns.

"Iranian oil flows continue through indirect distribution networks, with significant volumes accumulating offshore rather than transiting directly through Hormuz."

CENTCOM said the blockade would apply only to maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports.

It stressed that U.S. forces would not "impede freedom of navigation" for vessels transiting the strait to and from other destinations.

The blockade on the key trade route would be enforced "impartially" against any vessels entering or departing Iranian ports, including those in the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman.

So far, sanctioned and falsely flagged vessels continue to operate under evolving enforcement conditions.

Rich Starry, a U.S.-sanctioned handy-size tanker signaling laden status, resumed outbound transit after previously turning around.

Windward said that its routing did not follow the Larak Island corridor and instead aligned with the alternative outbound path proposed by Iran.

At the same time, Murlikishan, a U.S.-sanctioned chemical tanker, was also observed journeying inbound, Windward clarified.

Hezbollah, an Iran-backed terrorist group, saw its command structure across Lebanon come under what Israeli officials described as one of the most devastating blows of the war April 8.

Nearly simultaneously, explosions tore through Beirut, Lebanon, the Beqaa Valley and southern Lebanon as roughly 50 Israeli aircraft struck more than 100 Hezbollah targets.

The targets were not rocket launchers or weapons depots, according to Israel Defense Forces (IDF), but the nerve centers of the organization: command rooms, intelligence headquarters and offices where Hezbollah commanders planned the next stage of the fight.

The strike marked a new phase in the war between Israel and Hezbollah, which erupted March 2 after Hezbollah entered the conflict in support of Iran — one day after U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran and the killing of Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Since then, Hezbollah has fired rockets, drones and anti-tank missiles into northern Israel, while Israel has responded with widening airstrikes and a ground offensive inside southern Lebanon.

BROTHER OF MICHIGAN SYNAGOGUE ATTACKER WAS HEZBOLLAH TERRORIST, ISRAEL ALLEGES

"Within only a minute, the IDF eliminated 250 Hezbollah terrorists in three areas simultaneously," the Israeli military said in a statement, adding that the assessment is still ongoing. 

IDF spokesman Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani told Fox News Digital the strike was the result of weeks of intelligence work.

Israeli intelligence agencies tracked Hezbollah operatives as they moved between apartments, offices and safe houses across Lebanon.

"The timing had to do with the preparations," Shoshani said. "There was weeks of amazing intelligence."

Asked whether the operation showed Israel still has deep penetration inside Hezbollah despite months of war, Shoshani pointed to the scale of the attack.

"The fact that we were able to find 250 terrorists hiding in different locations in Lebanon, many of them in locations for recent weeks, eliminating them in real time, I think the capabilities speak for themselves," he said.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun condemned Wednesday's strikes.

"The scale of the killing and destruction in Lebanon today is nothing short of horrific," said United Nations Human Rights Chief Volker Türk. "Such carnage, within hours of agreeing to a ceasefire with Iran, defies belief."

Hezbollah said the day after the attack that it fired rockets at Israel, "This response will continue until the Israeli-American aggression against our country and our people ceases," the group said in a statement.

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The strike drew a comparison to the "beeper" operation in September 2024, when thousands of pagers and walkie-talkies used by Hezbollah operatives exploded almost simultaneously across Lebanon and Syria in an operation widely attributed to Israel.

The blasts killed more than 40 people and wounded roughly 4,000, according to Lebanese authorities, while Hezbollah later acknowledged that about 1,500 fighters were taken out of action. The operation shattered Hezbollah's communications network and became the benchmark in Israel for a strike that fundamentally changed the battlefield.

"The beeper had more of an effective injuries that was the purpose of it," Shoshani said. "But both targeted hundreds of terrorists, and within 60 seconds."

Like the beeper operation, he said, the April 8 strike was intended not just to kill operatives but to throw Hezbollah into disarray.

"It was important to the aspect of creating disarray, of breaking their chain of command, breaking their command and patrol capabilities, and kind of tilting the organization out of balance," he said.

A former Israeli intelligence official, speaking on background, said the strike may not have reached the level of the beeper operation, but appeared to hit an unusually broad layer of Hezbollah's middle ranks. 

Hezbollah remains in shock from the blow, according to the former official, even if that has not yet been reflected in a drop in its rocket fire.

But he cautioned against judging the operation only by the number of people killed.

The real measure, he said, is whether the strike changes the course of the war and leaves Hezbollah less able to operate.

The IDF said many of those killed belonged to Hezbollah's Radwan Force — Hezbollah's most capable and best-trained combat unit, intelligence apparatus, missile units and aerial Unit 127. 

The Israeli military said most of the targets were embedded inside civilian areas.

"Most of the infrastructure that was struck was located within the heart of the civilian population," the IDF said.

HEZBOLLAH, IRAN UNLEASH COORDINATED CLUSTER BOMB STRIKES ON ISRAEL IN MAJOR ESCALATION

Shoshani said Israel warned civilians to evacuate before the strikes, but Hezbollah moved its operatives into new civilian locations.

"When we gave the warnings for areas, civilians moved out, then Hezbollah saw that they moved out and started hiding behind civilians in new locations," he said.

Despite the blow, Israeli officials say Hezbollah remains a major threat. Shoshani said the group, which before the war possessed between 150,000 and 200,000 rockets and missiles, still has the ability to fire into Israel.

"They still are a real threat for our civilians," he said.

The strike comes as Israel and Lebanon opened their first direct talks in more than three decades at the U.S. State Department in Washington. 

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has signaled willingness to discuss normalization and the eventual disarmament of Hezbollah, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has insisted there will be no ceasefire until Hezbollah is dismantled and pushed back from the border.

Within hours of the diplomatic opening, Israeli warplanes again struck Lebanon and Hezbollah fired rockets into northern Israel.

Reuters contributed to this report.

AUSCHWITZ: A Holocaust survivor from Canada has warned about growing antisemitism in his country, calling on the nation's leaders to take action against perpetrators.

Nate Leipciger spoke at the annual March of the Living at Auschwitz in Poland on Tuesday as thousands gathered to commemorate those killed in the Holocaust against a backdrop of growing antisemitism in the world. 

The 98-year-old said he was recently targeted in Toronto when mezuzahs (sacred parchment scrolls) were forcibly removed from apartment doors in his building. 

The violence increased in March when his synagogue was also targeted in a drive-by shooting. "The front doors and lobby were destroyed. It is terrible that we have lost our sense of security," Leipciger told Fox News Digital. 

UK COUNTERTERRORISM POLICE PROBE ANTISEMITIC ARSON ATTACK AS IRAN-LINKED GROUP CLAIMS RESPONSIBILITY

"Once you lose that, you no longer know when or where the next attack might occur. It is deeply troubling to live in a free, democratic country — where everyone is meant to have equal rights — and to be persecuted in this way," he added.

Born in Poland in 1928, Leipciger was deported to Auschwitz in 1943. He survived multiple camps and a death march before being liberated in 1945, later immigrating to Canada in 1948.

The only way to prevent history from repeating itself, he said, is to advocate for the truth and confront deception and lies.

"The running is over. For centuries, we ran. We have to stand up for our right to live as Jews in any country, including Israel, as free citizens enjoying the fruits of Western culture, of which we are part," he added.

Since the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, massacre, Canada has seen a sharp rise in antisemitism, with B’nai Brith Canada reporting 6,219 incidents in 2024 — more than double the number recorded in 2022.

While figures for 2025 have yet to be released, Public Safety Canada noted that from April to June 2025, "Among hate crimes targeting religion… the majority were directed at the Jewish community (69%)."

CANADA’S CARNEY UNDER PRESSURE TO ACT AFTER SYNAGOGUES SHOT AT IN LATEST ANTISEMITIC INCIDENTS

Canadian Jewish communities are "extremely concerned" about a surge in antisemitism, a reality conveyed by Israeli officials both privately and publicly to Prime Minister Mark Carney’s government.

"We are aware of extreme concern among Jewish communities in Canada about their safety and well-being, both as individuals and as communities, including their institutions," Israeli Ambassador to Ottawa Ido Moed told Fox News Digital. "Israel views the recent attacks against synagogues as very serious and considers Canada among the high-risk countries in terms of shooting incidents."

Moed said Israel has offered to expand cooperation with Canada across areas including education and security coordination, and has initiated roundtable discussions on policy, regulation and best practices.

U.S. Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism Yehuda Kaploun told Fox News Digital at Auschwitz that leadership accountability is critical to confronting antisemitism.

"It is incumbent upon law enforcement in various countries to designate terrorist organizations, as we have done with certain aspects of the Muslim Brotherhood and Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The world should do so collectively, and America is leading the way in that battle," Kaploun said.

Earlier this month, shots were fired at a Jewish-owned restaurant in Toronto during Passover. In March, Israel’s minister of diaspora affairs and combating antisemitism, Amichai Chikli, sent a letter urging Ottawa to increase efforts to protect Jewish communities after three synagogues in the Toronto area were hit by gunfire within just one week.

ISRAEL'S NETANYAHU DEMANDS WESTERN GOVERNMENTS ACT TO BATTLE ANTISEMITISM: 'HEED OUR WARNINGS'

Richard Marceau, senior vice president of strategic initiatives and general counsel at the Center for Israel and Jewish Affairs, noted that Jewish Canadians are 25 times more likely than any other group to be victims of hate crimes.

"What we have seen in Canada is an all-level systemic failure to address Jew-hatred," he told Fox News Digital.

"Confronting this crisis is essential not only to protect the Jewish community, but to safeguard the future of the Canadian way of life," he continued. "All levels of government must do more to protect Canadians, including ensuring robust and consistent enforcement of existing laws, improving transparency in prosecutorial decisions, strengthening support – including financially – for community security, and addressing the drivers of radicalization in Canada."

SanJaya Wijayakoon, an RCMP superintendent in Vancouver who joined a global law enforcement delegation on the March of the Living, said engagement with the Jewish community is central to policing.

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"A big part of our work is to build contacts and maintain strong relationships through which we can receive information, provide advice and guidance on ensuring safety, and, if something crosses the line into criminality, investigate it fully," he said.

"I think as the years pass, fewer and fewer people within the police understand what happened in 1945 in Europe. Being in this program and on this march allows us to return and speak to our people about what I learned and observed, and they can apply it in their day-to-day work," he added.

Sylvan Adams, president of the World Jewish Congress Israel Region, pointed to the recent synagogue shootings in Toronto and criticized the government's response as insufficient.

"I would like to see the prime minister properly define the problem and stop pussyfooting around, pretending radical Islam does not exist," Adams said.

"We are under attack. Foreign actors are operating in Western countries in three areas: they are sending radical imams into mosques, they are investing massive amounts of money in educational systems and they are targeting us on social media. I find the response by Western leaders, with the exception of President Trump, to be entirely lacking," he said.

"Everyone in the West needs to wake up. They are trying to take away our freedom. It starts with the Jews but never ends with the Jews," he added.