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Russia, Ukraine agree to Black Sea ceasefire following US talks
Delegations from Russian and Ukraine on Tuesday agreed to a ceasefire in the Black Sea following talks with Trump administration officials this week in Saudi Arabia.
"The United States and Russia have agreed to ensure safe navigation, eliminate the use of force, and prevent the use of commercial vessels for military purposes in the Black Sea," the White House said in a statement following talks in Jeddah.
Similarly, just moments later, Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, who is leading the delegation confirmed that "All parties have agreed to ensure safe navigation, eliminate the use of force, and prevent the use of commercial vessels for military purposes in the Black Sea."
Though he also emphasized that "all movement by Russia of its military vessels outside of [the] eastern part of the Black Sea will constitute violation of the spirit of this agreement, will be regarded as violation of the commitment to ensure safe navigation of the Black Sea and threat to the national security of Ukraine."
"In this case, Ukraine will have full right to exercise [the] right to self-defense," he added in a readout following talks in Riyadh.
Though the Kremlin also reportedly suggested on Tuesday it may not be willing to fully enforce the ceasefire until it is admitted back into the SWIFT international banking system – calling into question the actual success of the talks.
This is a breaking news story. Check back for updates.
Pope Francis' doctors considered ending treatment, said 'there was a real risk he might not make it'
Doctors taking care of Pope Francis considered ending their treatment at one point as there "was a risk that he would not make it," a report said.
Gemelli Hospital medical director Dr. Sergio Alfieri recounted the scenes on Feb. 28 when the 88-year-old suffered a coughing fit and inhaled vomit, prompting staff to give him a ventilation mask to help him breathe.
"For the first time I saw tears in the eyes of some of the people around him. People who, I understood during this period of hospitalization, sincerely love him, like a father. We were all aware that the situation had worsened further and there was a risk that he would not make it," Alfieri told the Corriere della Sera newspaper in an interview published Tuesday.
"We had to choose whether to stop and let him go or force it and try with all the drugs and therapies possible, running the very high risk of damaging other organs. And in the end we took this path," he reportedly added.
POPE FRANCIS MAKES FIRST PUBLIC APPEARANCE IN FIVE WEEKS
The Vatican did not immediately respond Tuesday to a request for comment by Fox News Digital.
Alfieri said to the newspaper that Francis "delegated every type of healthcare decision to Massimiliano Strappetti, his personal healthcare assistant who knows the Pope's wishes perfectly."
"Try everything, we won't give up," Alfieri recalled Strappetti telling staff at the hospital. "That's what we all thought too. And no one gave up".
MEDICAL STAFF PROVIDES UPDATE ON POPE FRANCIS’ CONDITION
"Even when [Francis’] condition worsened he was fully conscious. That evening was terrible, he knew, like us, that he might not survive the night," Alfieri also told Corriere della Sera. "We saw the man who was suffering. But from day one he asked us to tell him the truth and he wanted us to tell the truth about his condition."
Francis eventually was discharged from the hospital in Rome on Sunday.
A papal spokesman said Tuesday that Francis is very happy to be back home and his breathing and movement therapy is ongoing.
Rubio says South Africa must protect White farmers, US will offer admission to those facing violence
Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Monday said White South Africans facing threats of violence would be welcomed in the United States.
Rubio's position comes amid tension between the South African government and the Trump administration over that country's land expropriation law and its anti-Israel stance.
In a post on X, Rubio referred to the "Kill the Boer," an old anti-apartheid chant that critics say is a call to anti-White violence and has been used to refer to White farmers.
TRUMP FREEZES AID TO SOUTH AFRICA, PROMOTES RESETTLEMENT OF REFUGEES FACING RACE DISCRIMINATION
"South Africa’s leaders and politicians must take action to protect Afrikaner and other disfavored minorities," Rubio wrote on Monday. "The United States is proud to offer those individuals who qualify for admission to our nation amid this continued horrible threat of violence."
The Trump administration has pushed back against South Africa's expropriation law, as well as its stance against Israel.
The land expropriation law allows the government to make land seizures without compensation. In February, Trump issued an executive order penalizing South Africa.
SOUTH AFRICAN PRESIDENT SIGNS CONTROVERSIAL LAND SEIZURE BILL, ERODING PRIVATE PROPERTY RIGHTS
"In shocking disregard of its citizens' rights, the Republic of South Africa recently enacted Expropriation Act 13 of 2024, to enable the government of South Africa to seize ethnic minority Afrikaners' agricultural property without compensation," the order states.
In addition, South Africa has accused Israel in the International Court of Justice of committing genocide against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. The country is also growing closer with Iran, with plans to develop commercial, military, and nuclear arrangements.
Earlier this month, Rubio announced that South Africa's ambassador to the U.S. was no longer welcome in the country. In a post on X, Rubio called Embrahim Rasool a "race-baiting" politician who hates America and Trump.
Rasool addressed the Mapungubwe Institute for Strategic Reflection (MISTRA) in Johannesburg when he said Trump's Make America Great Again movement a White supremacist response to demographic changes in the U.S. In response, Rubio declared the ambassador "PERSONA NON GRATA," meaning not welcome.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the South African Embassy in Washington D.C.
UN blames Israelis for attack on compound but doesn't mention Hamas, says forced to reduce Gaza footprint
The United Nations is once again under the microscope for blaming Israel for an attack on a compound as it opts to curb its footprint in Gaza, according to the world body.
The spokesperson for United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres issued a statement noting the U.N. had "taken the difficult decision to reduce the Organization’s footprint in Gaza" even as "humanitarian needs soar."
U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric claimed that "information currently available" indicated that a strike on the U.N.’s Deir al Balah compound on March 19 was "caused by an Israeli tank." One U.N. employee was killed in the incident, and six others were wounded, Dujarric said.
DOGE USAID BUDGET HIT UN IN ‘WORST LIQUIDITY CRISIS SINCE ITS ESTABLISHMENT’
On the date of the incident, the Israel Defense Forces Tweeted that "contrary to reports, the IDF did not strike a U.N. compound in Deir el Balah." The IDF asked media outlets "to act with caution regarding unverified reports."
The IDF told Fox News Digital Monday that the U.N.'s claim was "absolutely not accurate."
While his statement named Israel, it stopped short in naming the terrorist group Hamas or other extremist groups operating in Gaza. "The location of this U.N. compound was well known to the parties to the conflict," Dujarric continued. "I reiterate that all parties to the conflict are bound by international law to protect the absolute inviolability of U.N. premises. Without this, our colleagues face intolerable risks as they work to save the lives of civilians." Dujarric added that the "Secretary-General strongly condemns these strikes and demands a full, thorough and independent investigation on this incident."
Foundation for Defense of Democracies research analyst Joe Truzman told Fox News Digital that Dujarric’s statement gave the "impression… that the United Nations has deliberately avoided criticizing Hamas and the other Palestinian terrorist groups in Gaza for fear of creating friction with the armed groups. This failed strategy has only emboldened Hamas and its allies, allowing them to exploit UNRWA facilities in Gaza with impunity. Time and again, authorities have uncovered terrorist infrastructure connected to UNRWA facilities, including agency employees who were members of terrorist groups and committed atrocities on October 7."
On March 23, the IDF killed Hamas political bureau member Ismail Barhoum while he was purportedly operating out of Nassar Hospital in Khan Younis, Gaza. After media outlets, including Al Jazeera, claimed that Barhoum was being treated at the hospital, IDF international spokesperson Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani Tweeted that Barhoum had "held meetings with other terrorists and senior figures in the terrorist organization" while remaining "in the hospital for many weeks."
AT LEAST 19 KILLED IN ISRAELI STRIKES IN GAZA, INCLUDING SENIOR HAMAS LEADER
Truzman said the IDF’s explanation was "highly plausible."
"Hamas has become highly skilled at persuading the public that it does not operate from civilian infrastructure – a demonstrably false assertion," Truzman said. In a tactic he has "witnessed for years," he said that "Hamas and its allies deliberately embed themselves within civilian areas to evade detection."
"The public must understand that Hamas’ top priority is not safeguarding Palestinian civilians but ensuring the Islamist group’s survival," Truzman said.
Following a ceasefire and partial hostage exchange that saw 25 living and eight deceased hostages returned to Israel and almost 2,000 Palestinian prisoners released, conflict has returned to Gaza. With support from the Trump White House, Israel cut humanitarian aid to Gaza earlier this month in order to pressure Hamas into an extension of the ceasefire, and to free the hostages.
Turkey's Erdogan continues crackdown on protesters following arrest of main rival on corruption charges
The recent arrest of Istanbul's Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu and main rival of President Erdoğan has sparked the largest protests in Turkey in a decade, with over 1,100 people detained in demonstrations across the country.
The Istanbul mayor and 106 other municipal officials and politicians were detained on March 19 for what Human Rights Watch called a politically motivated move to stifle lawful political activities.
"By forcing Imamoglu out of politics, the government has crossed the line that separates Turkey’s competitive authoritarian regime from a full, Russian-style autocracy in which the president handpicks his opponents and elections are purely for show," Gonul Tol, Director of Turkish Program at the Middle East Institute, told Fox News Digital.
TURKISH AUTHORITIES ARREST KEY RIVAL OF ERDOGAN; CRITICS SAY IT'S 'NO COINCIDENCE'
A spokesperson from Turkey's embassy in Washington, D.C., told Fox News Digital that Turkey’s Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said 1,133 people have been detained since the arrest of the mayor, and around 123 police officers have been injured since the start of protests. Yerlikaya also alleged that weapons were seized during the protests and the individuals detained were found to have ties to different terrorist organizations and prior criminal records.
Some experts believe the move was orchestrated by Erdoğan to sideline the opposition, silence political dissent and increase his own power.
"This is a dark time for democracy in Turkey, with such a blatantly lawless move to weaponize the justice system to cancel the democratic process," Hugh Williamson, Europe and Central Asia Director at Human Rights Watch, told Fox News Digital in a statement.
BIPARTISAN LEGISLATION SEEKS TO REIN IN ERDOĞAN'S TURKEY OVER TIES TO US FOES
In an address to celebrate the festival of Nowruz on Friday, Erdoğan said Turkey was not a country that was found on the street and will not submit to street terrorism.
"We will not allow public order to be damaged. We will not give in to vandalism or street terrorism," Erdoğan said, according to Reuters.
The opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) held a symbolic primary vote over the weekend and nominated İmamoğlu to be the party’s candidate for president to face Erdoğan in the 2028 elections.
Despite the increased repression and threats to their own safety and security, the Turkish opposition does not yet seem to be backing down.
"We, as the main opposition party that emerged as the first party in the last local elections in March 2024, will stand firm and resist any kind of oppression by the government," İlhan Uzgel, CHP Deputy Chairman for Foreign Policy, told Fox News Digital.
Uzgel said Erdoğan seems frightened of losing power, and is urging opposition supporters to take to the streets to defend democracy, challenge lawlessness, and challenge the Erdoğan government's abuse of power.
"We are happy to see that our people take to the streets despite the occasional use of force by the riot police, and demonstrate peacefully, which is a constitutional right," he added.
Imamoglu, who is presently jailed and is awaiting trial on corruption charges, was viewed as the most serious challenger to the decades-long rule of Erdoğan. His detention will likely keep him out of the political opposition for the foreseeable future, dealing a huge blow to Turkey’s pro-democracy movement.
Tol of the Middle East Institute said Erdoğan is banking on people’s anger dissipating over time and that the mass protests will eventually die down. The election is not scheduled until 2028, and people, Erdoğan hopes, will most likely forget and move on.
The danger, according to Tol, is that street protests in the Middle East and elsewhere tend to go in many different directions, and there is no telling how long the public anger over the arrests will last and how much more popular support the movement will gain.
İmamoğlu, member of the secular Republican People’s Party (CHP), was elected mayor of Istanbul in 2019 and re-elected in 2023. In both elections, he defeated Erdoğan-backed opponents.
Turkey’s problems come at a time when President Trump is reportedly considering lifting sanctions on the NATO member and resuming the sale of F-35 fighter jets following a recent phone call with Erdoğan.
Reuters contributed to this article.
Video shows 'highly skilled' pilot's final moments before fatal air show crash
A "highly skilled" pilot’s final moments were captured on video before he died in a crash at an air show in South Africa over the weekend.
The fatal incident involving James O’Connell unfolded Saturday at the Saldanha Bay Airfield outside of Cape Town. Footage showed a plane performing an aerial maneuver before crashing into the ground, generating a fireball and drawing screams from those in attendance.
"It is with profound sadness that the organizers of the West Coast Airshow confirm a fatal accident involving James O’Connell, a highly skilled and respected test pilot from South Africa, when he piloted the Impala Mark 1 aircraft during today’s display in Saldanha," the event’s organizers said in a statement.
"Mr. O’Connell was performing a routine display intended to demonstrate the capabilities of the Impala Mark 1 – a beloved warbird with deep historical significance for many South Africans – it was especially a huge moment because the Impala has not been seen performing at airshows for many years," they added. "The maneuvers were being executed as part of the official airshow program, witnessed by thousands of spectators."
DELTA PLANE’S LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED DURING TORONTO CRASH-LANDING, INVESTIGATORS SAY
Video of the incident showed a cloud of black smoke rising up into the sky following the crash.
"He rolled the aircraft... he turned the aircraft, the undercarriage was up. On coming out of it, one could clearly see that he was losing height," airshow commentator Brian Emmenis was quoted by the organizers as saying. "He went out toward the hangars – he was at that stage in a serious deep dive – and he went straight into the ground. There was no sign of an attempt to eject."
"Emergency services responded immediately, the crowd remained behind the barriers, totally stunned, and medical attention was handed to the crowd," he added.
No spectators were injured in the crash, and the South African Civil Aviation Authority and Air Show South Africa are now investigating.
"The organizers extend their deepest condolences to Mr. O’Connell’s family, friends and aviation colleagues," they added.
South Korean PM Han Duck-soo reinstated as acting president after impeachment overturned
South Korea’s Constitutional Court overturned the impeachment of Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, reinstating the nation's No. 2 official as acting leader Monday while not yet ruling on the separate impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol over his shocking imposition of martial law in December.
Many observers said the 7-1 ruling in Han's case did not signal much about the upcoming verdict on Yoon, as Han wasn’t a key figure in imposing martial law. But the ruling could still embolden Yoon’s staunch supporters and ramp up their political offensive on the opposition.
Speaking with reporters following his reinstatement, Han thanked the court for what he called "a wise decision" and promised to focus on tackling "urgent matters," including a fast-changing global trade environment, in an apparent reference to the Trump administration’s aggressive tariffs policy. He also called for national unity, saying: "There’s no left or right — what matters is the advancement of our nation."
South Korea has been thrown into political turmoil since Yoon, a conservative, declared martial law on Dec. 3 and sent hundreds of troops to the liberal opposition-controlled National Assembly and other places in Seoul. Yoon's decree lasted only six hours as enough lawmakers managed to enter an assembly hall where they quickly voted down the decree.
The assembly impeached Yoon on Dec. 14, alleging he violated the Constitution and other laws by suppressing assembly activities and trying to detain politicians. Yoon's impeachment made Han acting president until he was impeached in late December.
The unprecedented, successive impeachments that suspended the country’s top two officials intensified domestic division and deepened worries about South Korea's diplomatic and economic activities.
A major trigger for the opposition’s push to impeach Han was his refusal to fill three vacant seats at the Constitutional Court's nine-member bench. That was a highly explosive issue because the court needed support from at least six justices to approve Yoon's impeachment and filling its empty posts could make such a decision more likely.
After Han was suspended, his successor as acting president, Choi Sang-mok, appointed two new justices but left the ninth seat vacant.
Han was also accused in the impeachment motion of abetting Yoon’s martial law declaration and obstructing efforts to open independent investigations into Yoon’s alleged rebellion in connection with his martial law decree.
On Monday, seven of the Constitutional Court's eight justices ruled to overturn or dismiss Han's impeachment. They ruled that his alleged actions weren’t against the law or weren’t serious enough to remove him from office or his impeachment motion didn't even meet a required quorum when it passed through the assembly. One justice upheld Han’s impeachment.
The main liberal opposition Democratic Party expressed regret over the court’s decision to reinstate Han and urged it to dismiss Yoon quickly. Yoon’s office welcomed Monday’s ruling, saying it shows again the opposition’s repeated uses of impeachment motions were "reckless, malicious political offensive."
Observers earlier had predicted the Constitutional Court would rule on Yoon’s case in mid-March, but it hasn’t done so, sparking varied speculation on possible reasons.
"Today’s verdict will give hope to Yoon’s supporters for a similar fate and hope for Yoon’s opponents for his ouster," said Duyeon Kim, a senior analyst at the Center for a New American Security in Washington. "But it’s too soon to predict the court’s verdict on Yoon because the specific details of both cases and allegations are different."
Kim said the reinstatement of Han, a career bureaucrat, will bring more stability to South Korea compared to when his powers as acting president were suspended.
Massive rival rallies backing or denouncing Yoon have divided the streets of Seoul and other major cities in South Korea. Earlier surveys showed that a majority of South Koreans were critical of Yoon’s martial law enactment, but those supporting or sympathizing with Yoon have later gained strength.
Yoon argues that his martial law introduction was a desperate attempt to bring attention to the "wickedness" of the Democratic Party which obstructed his agenda and filed many impeachment motions against senior officials. Yoon critics counter he likely tried to use military rule to frustrate possible special investigations into scandals involving him and his wife.
Senior military and police officers sent to the assembly have said that Yoon ordered them to drag out lawmakers to prevent a floor vote to overturn his decree. Yoon says the troops' deployment was designed to maintain order.
If the court upholds Yoon’s impeachment, South Korea must hold a presidential election to choose his successor. If it rules for him, Yoon will regain his presidential powers.
Yoon has separately been charged with directing rebellion, a charge that carries the death penalty or a life sentence if he is convicted.
US peace talks with Ukraine, Russia get underway in Saudi Arabia
Peace talks between U.S. and Russian delegations aimed at ending the war in Ukraine are underway Monday in Saudi Arabia, according to media reports.
The discussions come after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said a delegation from his country had a "quite useful" meeting with an American team in Riyadh on Sunday.
"Our team is working in a fully constructive manner, and the discussion is quite useful. The work of delegations continues. But no matter what we’re discussing with our partners right now, Putin must be pushed to issue a real order to stop the strikes – because the one who brought this war must be the one to take it back," Zelenskyy said.
The U.S. delegation meeting with the Russians on Monday is led by Andrew Peek, a senior director at the White House National Security Council, and Michael Anton, the director of the policy planning staff at the State Department, Reuters reported. It added that the Russians are represented by Grigory Karasin, the leader of the Russian upper house of parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, and Sergei Beseda, an adviser to the director of Russia’s Federal Security Service.
MASSIVE RUSSIAN DRONE ATTACK KILLS 7 IN UKRAINE AHEAD OF US PEACE TALKS
The delegations will focus on a ceasefire in the Black Sea, according to a report by Russia’s state-run TASS news agency, citing U.S. National Security Advisor Mike Waltz. In the next stage of the talks, the two sides will discuss "issues related to the verification of the ceasefire, the peacekeeping contingent, as well as the ownership of territories."
President Donald Trump's Special Envoy Steve Witkoff told Fox News he doesn't believe Russian President Vladimir Putin wants to invade Europe.
"Now I've been asked my opinion about what President Putin's motives are on a larger scale. And I simply have said that I just don't see that he wants to take all of Europe," Witkoff said during an appearance on "Fox News Sunday."
TRUMP EYES CONTROL OF UKRAINE’S NUCLEAR PLANTS AS US PREPARES CEASEFIRE TALKS WITH RUSSIA
"This is a much different situation than it was in World War II. There was no NATO," he added. "I take him at his word in this sense."
"I think you're going to see in Saudi Arabia on Monday some real progress, particularly as it affects a Black Sea ceasefire on ships between both countries. And from that you'll naturally gravitate to a full-on shooting ceasefire," Witkoff also said Sunday.
Russia launched a massive drone attack targeting Kyiv and other major cities in Ukraine overnight on Sunday, highlighting just how far there is to go before a peace agreement can be made.
Fox News’ Anders Hagstrom contributed to this report.
Tourist arrested, attacked by locals after scaling world-famous sacred Mayan temple, video shows
A tourist in Mexico is facing charges after he climbed stairs of one of the New Seven Wonders of the World before furious locals took justice into their own hands by beating the man.
Bystander footage shows the individual – who authorities have yet to name – scaling the side of the Temple of Kukulcan in Chichén Itzá in Yucatan last week.
The man was one of two separate visitors filmed climbing the pyramid on Thursday, as approximately 9,000 tourists flocked to the temple – referred to as El Castillo – to observe the spring equinox, according to local outlet Mexico News Daily.
MEXICO TOURIST WHACKED WITH STICK, HECKLED AFTER ILLEGALLY CLIMBING SACRED MAYAN PYRAMID
"He eluded us, even though we’re keeping watch on the western side of the temple," a National Guard member told Mexico News Daily. "He ran past us. He’s clearly in good physical condition."
Video shows one of the men scaling the steps as security guards chased after him. One of the trespassers, a 38-year-old German tourist, reportedly attempted to hide inside the pyramid chamber, but was found by authorities and escorted out of the historic site.
Mexican National Guard officers and personnel from the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) attempted to shield the man, who was being attacked by the crowd as angry onlookers shouted that he should be "sacrificed" - referring to the human sacrifices that were once carried out at the top of the pyramid by the ancient Mayans, the local paper reported.
AMERICANS CONSIDERING SPRING BREAK VACATION IN MEXICO WARNED OF MURDER SPIKE
The incident comes as thousands of tourists flock to the Chichén Itzá to witness an event known as the Descent of the Feathered Serpent, a natural phenomenon where the sunlight casts a serpent-shaped shadow along the pyramid’s stairs, during the spring equinox.
The site hosts a four-day-long program featuring activities for guests to enjoy. However, the events do not include climbing the nearly 1,000-year-old pyramid, which was outlawed in 2006 to protect the structure.
The two tourists were arrested and face potential fines under Article 55 of the Federal Law on Archaeological, Artistic, and Historical Monuments and Zones of Mexico, according to Mexico News Daily.
A strikingly similar incident unfolded two years ago when a Polish tourist chose to scale the same pyramid.
The man was filmed running up the sacred temple’s stairs before a bystander whacked him with a stick as authorities placed him under arrest. The man was held in jail for 12 hours and fined 5,000 pesos, according to the Mexico Daily Post.
Chichén Itzá authorities did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Fox News Digital's Andrew Mark Miller contributed to this report.
Turkey jails Istanbul mayor before trial, protests rage throughout city
A Turkish court on Sunday jailed Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, President Tayyip Erdogan's main political rival, pending trial on corruption charges, in a move likely to inflame the country's biggest protests in more than a decade.
The decision to send Imamoglu to jail comes after the main opposition party, European leaders and tens of thousands of protesters criticized the actions against him as politicized and undemocratic.
As the courtroom developments unfolded, there were signs that the mayor's troubles were galvanizing opposition against Erdogan's government, which has run Turkey for 22 years.
Thousands of Republican People's Party (CHP) members and non-members streamed into polling stations nationwide to elect Imamoglu its candidate in a future presidential vote.
CHRISTIAN WATCH GROUP RISES UP TO PROTECT COMMUNITY AMID GROWING VIOLENCE IN SYRIA
The non-member vote will be closely watched as an indicator of how much support the widely popular Imamoglu enjoys beyond the party faithful.
Imamoglu has denied the charges he faces as "unimaginable accusations and slanders" and called for nationwide protests on Sunday. "We will rip away this coup, this dark stain on our democracy, all together," he said.
Footage showed what broadcasters said was him being taken to Silivri prison in a police convoy.
Imamoglu was removed from duty, along with two other district mayors, an interior ministry statement said.
The government denies that investigations are politically motivated and says courts are independent.
A nationwide ban on street gatherings was extended on Saturday for four more days but protests and skirmishes with police continued through the night in major cities.
Thousands crowded outside the courthouse overnight and early on Sunday awaiting the rulings on Imamoglu.
The court said Imamoglu, 54, and at least 20 others were jailed as part of a corruption investigation, one of two opened against him last week.
It said he was arrested for "establishing and leading a criminal organization, accepting bribes, embezzlement, unlawfully recording personal data, and rigging public tenders in connection with a financial investigation".
POPE FRANCIS MAKES FIRST APPEARANCE SINCE HOSPITALIZATION, IMMEDIATELY DIVES INTO POLITICS
The jailing caps a months-long legal crackdown on opposition figures and the removal of other elected officials from office, in what critics called a government attempt to hurt their election prospects.
Six of the CHP's 27 municipal mayors are now under arrest - a year after opposition parties handed Erdogan's AK Party its worst ever electoral defeat in municipal elections.
The CHP opened party polling stations Sunday to non-members to cast "solidarity votes" for Imamoglu, who was the only name on the ballot for presidential candidate.
CHP Chairman Ozgur Ozel predicted millions of votes from non-members, saying Imamoglu is "on the road to prison but also to the presidency".
No general election is scheduled until 2028.
But if Erdogan, 71, who has led Turkey for 22 years, is to run again, parliament would need to back an earlier election since the president will have reached his limit by that date. Imamoglu is leading Erdogan in some opinion polls.
Imamoglu is also facing terrorism charges, but the court did not formally arrest him on those at the same time.
A future ruling to jail him pending trial on terrorism-related charges could allow the government to appoint a trustee to run Istanbul. A conviction could prevent him running for president.
The CHP said it would appeal against the ruling and elect someone to work as acting mayor.
EX-ISRAELI HOSTAGE SAYS NEW FOUND FAITH HELPED HER SURVIVE HAMAS CAPTIVITY
Shortly after the court ruling, the mayor vowed to ultimately defeat Erdogan, and said those who ran the investigation would be held accountable.
"Imamoglu has become Erdogan's ... nightmare," Mehmet Karatas, an opposition supporter, said outside the courthouse. "We will make Ekrem Imamoglu president."
Imamoglu's detention has roiled markets, with the Turkish lira, stocks and bonds suffering heavy declines since Wednesday. Analysts expect more selling pressure after the jailing.
Turkish central bank governor Fatih Karahan met board members of Turkey's Banks Association (TBB) on Sunday.
The central bank will use all instruments within market rules effectively and decisively to maintain stability, Karahan told bankers, the TBB said.
Civil disobedience has been dramatically curbed in Turkey since nationwide Gezi Park protests against Erdogan's government in 2013, which prompted a violent state crackdown.
Yet thousands gathered again Saturday night outside the Istanbul municipality building and the main courthouse. Hundreds of police used tear gas and pepper spray to disperse protesters, as the crowd hurled firecrackers and other objects.
Though most demonstrations have been peaceful, protesters also clashed with police in the western coastal province of Izmir and the capital Ankara for a third night in a row, with police firing water cannon.
Authorities have detained more than 300 people during protests.
Additional reporting by Huseyin Hayatsever, Mert Ozkan and Mehmet Emin Caliskan; Writing by Jonathan Spicer; Editing by Daniel Wallis, William Mallard, David Goodman, Alison Williams and Giles Elgood
New Canadian prime minister calls snap election to respond to Trump
New Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and his Conservative opponent kicked off their election campaigns Sunday against the backdrop of a trade war and annexation threats from U.S. President Donald Trump.
Carney announced there will be a five-week election campaign before the vote on April 28.
The governing Liberals had appeared poised for a historic election defeat this year until Trump declared a trade war. Trump has repeatedly said that Canada should become the 51st U.S. state and he acknowledged Friday that he has upended Canadian politics.
Trump’s almost daily attacks on Canada’s sovereignty have infuriated Canadians and led to a surge in Canadian nationalism that has bolstered Liberal poll numbers.
CANADA 'RAGE ROOM' LETS VISITORS SMASH TRUMP, VANCE, MUSK PORTRAITS TO RELEASE TARIFF ANGST
"President Trump claims that Canada isn’t a real country. He wants to break us so America can own us. We will not let that happen," Carney said.
The governing Liberals had appeared poised for a historic election defeat this year until Justin Trudeau announced his resignation in January and Trump declared a trade war. Carney has said the government in a time of crisis needs a strong and clear mandate.
"The next election will be one of the most consequential in our lifetimes," he posted on social media overnight.
The election campaign for 343 seats or districts in the House of Commons will last 37 days. While other parties are running, the Liberals and the Conservatives are the only two that have a chance to form a government. The party that commands a majority in Parliament, either alone or with the support of another party, will form the next government and its leader will be prime minister.
CANADA’S NEW PM AND TRUMP CRITIC MARK CARNEY ACCUSED OF BEING OUT OF TOUCH WITH THE 'COMMON MAN’
Carney replaced Trudeau, who announced his resignation in January but remained in power until the Liberal Party elected a new leader on March 9 following a leadership race by the governing party.
The opposition Conservatives hoped to make the election about Trudeau, whose popularity declined as food and housing prices rose and immigration surged. But after decades of bilateral stability, the vote is now expected to focus on who is best equipped to deal with Trump.
Trump put 25% tariffs on Canada’s steel and aluminum and is threatening sweeping tariffs on all Canadian products — as well as all of America’s trading partners — on April 2.
Pierre Poilievre, the leader of the Conservatives, is Carney’s main challenger. The party and Poilievre were heading for a huge victory in Canada’s federal election this year until Trump’s near-daily trade and annexation threats derailed them.
CANADIAN POLITICIAN CLAIMS TRUMP ADMIN'S '51ST STATE' RHETORIC IS AN 'ACT OF WAR'
Poilievre said he will stand up to Trump but Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, a conservative ally, said in an interview Poilievre would be "very much in sync" with the "new direction in America."
"I will insist the president recognizes the independence and sovereignty of Canada. I will insist he stops tariffing our nation," Poilievre said as he launched his campaign.
Poilievre said he doesn't respect "the treatment that he has meted out to our country."
"I know a lot of people are worried, angry and anxious. And with good reason as a result of the president’s unacceptable threats against our country," he said.
"You are worried about your job and the sovereignty of our nation. And you are angry at the feeling of betrayal that these unacceptable words and tariffs have made us all experience. I share your anger and I share the worry about our future."
Carney still hasn’t had a phone call with Trump and that might not happen now until after the election. Trump mocked Trudeau by calling him governor, but he has not yet mentioned Carney’s name.
Carney, 60, was the head of the Bank of Canada during the 2008 financial crisis. In 2013, he became the first noncitizen of the United Kingdom to run the Bank of England — helping to manage the impact of Brexit.
Poilievre, 45, for years the party’s go-to attack dog, is a career politician and firebrand populist who says he will put "Canada first." He vows to defund Canada’s public broadcaster and he won’t allow media onboard his campaign buses and planes.
Christian watch group rises up to protect community amid growing violence in Syria
FIRST ON FOX: The growing violent attacks and killings in Syria under the Islamist rule of the new regime led by Ahmed al-Sharaa have put the country's Christian community on edge, with many fearing for their future.
"The situation for Christians in Syria has reached a critical threshold, and I'd argue they're teetering on the edge of catastrophe," Jeff King, the president of International Christian Concern, told Fox News Digital.
"A jihadist storm is beginning to rain down on them and, so how long can faith hold?" King added.
While King's organization has been actively helping persecuted Christians in Syria as well as globally for years, a group of Syrian Christians in the country's capital, Damascus, known as the Eagles of Antioch, came together to defend their communities and religious identity following the fall of former Syrian dictator Bashar Al Assad.
EVANGELICAL LEADER SAYS US MUST PROTECT SYRIAN CHRISTIANS FROM ATTACKS BY JIHADI TERRORISTS
The group's importance is even more significant, given the attacks by Islamic extremists earlier this month that resulted in the death of hundreds of the minority Alawite community as well as several Christians who were targeted due to their faith.
The "Eagles of Antioch," is a volunteer organization made up of around 500 volunteers, operating within three primarily Christian neighborhoods in Damascus. They watch over Christian areas from dusk to dawn, patrolling the streets and protecting Christian shrines from attack.
Danial Georgios, a construction engineer living in Damascus, spoke exclusively to Fox News Digital about the group's work in Damascus neighborhoods. Georgios, 30, and his Eagles of Antioch want to fill in the security gap until tensions ease.
"We want to be represented. We no longer accept the idea of being marginalized or treated like a second-class citizen," he told Fox News Digital.
"We look at ourselves that we are equal to the Muslim, the Alawite, and every single Syrian citizen," he added.
The group derives its name from the ancient city of Antioch, reflecting their deep-rooted connection to the Antiochian Patriarchate. Members hail from three main Christian denominations: Antiochian Greek Orthodox, Antiochian Melkite Catholics and Antiochian Syriac Orthodox.
Members of the group patrol their communities, protecting Christian holy sites, including shrines, symbols and churches. If a site is damaged or vandalized, the group will repair it themselves, hoping to avoid an escalation into sectarian conflict between the Christian community and their Sunni neighbors.
They advocate for a system based on strong municipalities, or extreme local governance, enabling Christians across Syria to manage their own affairs and celebrate their religious festivals without fear of persecution. Since emerging, the group has successfully protected liquor stores, churches, shrines and residences from theft and vandalism, according to the Eagles of Antioch.
Georgios and his peers were spurred to action in December after a Christmas tree was lit on fire in Al-Sqailbiyyah, just outside Hama. Radical jihadists, according to Georgios, were responsible for the vandalism. Following the incident, He and his fellow Christians organized a mass peaceful protest inside Damascus, chanting for equal rights for all Syrians.
"We want to internally be able to police our area," Georgios said. However, he stressed that any actions taken are in coordination with the HTS government and will not impact the sovereignty of Syria or challenge its rule.
Even if HTS is capable of providing full security in Damascus and other minority communities around Syria, Georgios said the group will not dissolve but would be open to joining state-sponsored local police forces under the authority of HTS if the political transition continues.
"We want to be represented, and we no longer accept the idea of being marginalized or treated like second-class citizens. We look at ourselves that we are equal to the Muslim, the Alawite and every single Syrian citizen," Georgios said.
UNCOVERING THE ATROCITIES OF THE ASSAD REGIME AT ITS 'DEATH FACTORY' ON THE HIL
Since Assad fell and HTS took power, Georgios claims that most of the attacks against Christian communities were carried out by foreign factions or radical elements, and is not government sanctioned.
Despite reports and accusations that HTS members have been targeting Christians, he claims, "It’s not HTS at all, HTS is trying to avoid any clashes with Christians. HTS is now the state and we as Christians try to support stability," Georgios asserted.
HTS promised not to target religious minorities during their lightning path to seizing Damascus and toppling Assad. The group made assurances to the communities they controlled that they would allow religious minorities to peacefully coexist and would not be targeted for their faith.
Yet, King's organization isn't as hopeful. "Since HTS toppled the Assad regime in December 2024, the environment has been precarious at best. But the bloodshed that unfolded March 6-10 in Latakia and Tartous represents a frightening escalation. According to the Syrian Observatory, the violence claimed over 1,540 lives—predominantly civilians, with reports indicating between four and a dozen Christians among the casualties."
He continued, "While HTS hasn't yet implemented an official anti-Christian policy (they're treading carefully thinking about public perception as they solidify control), certain factions and individual fighters are already targeting Christians with violence."
King's organization noted that the new interim Syrian constitution states, "The religion of the President of the Republic is Islam," Article III declares, and "Islamic jurisprudence is the principal source of legislation." The group says that "this language is slightly starker than Syria’s previous constitution, which cited Islamic law as simply one source among others."
International Christian Concern (ICC) also noted that the interim constitution also guarantees protection "for all divine religions." The ICC wrote that the document "seems to indicate that the government intends to tolerate Christians and other religious minorities."
And there are some encouraging signs according to the Eagles of Antioch, who say they coordinate closely with HTS in Damascus, according to Georgios, benefiting from the presence of educated HTS fighters in the city. This collaboration ensures that Islamic rules are not imposed on Christian neighborhoods. Together with HTS police, they work to prevent crimes, maintaining security and harmony within these communities.
Some of the volunteers have weapons that are licensed and sanctioned by HTS officials. They communicate and coordinate with them and provide information on the people who committed any crimes.
Yet despite some positive signs, King said, "Syria's Christian population has already experienced a devastating decline, dropping from 1.5 million before the conflict to somewhere between 300,000 and 500,000 now. The community exists in a state of perpetual anxiety, doors locked, waiting tensely for the situation to deteriorate further," he warned.
Massive Russian drone attack kills 7 in Ukraine ahead of US peace talks
Russia launched a massive drone attack targeting Kyiv and other major cities in Ukraine overnight on Sunday, killing at least seven people.
The attack comes just days before Ukrainian and Russian delegations are set to meet for indirect peace talks with the U.S. in Saudi Arabia. The U.S. will mediate the talks and meet with representatives separately.
Ukraine's air force says Sunday's attack from Russia involved 147 drones, 97 of which were shot down and another 25 failed to reach their targets.
The attack killed three people in the nation's capital of Kyiv, including a 5-year-old child. At least 10 others were wounded.
MILITARY LEADERS TO MEET ON UK-FRANCE 'COALITION OF THE WILLING' PLAN FOR UKRAINE
Ukrainians at the scene of the attacks in Kyiv surveyed the damage done to their homes and neighborhoods on Sunday morning. Many were disparaging of the upcoming ceasefire talks, pointing to the burned out homes destroyed in the drone attack, saying these were more indicative of Russia’s true intentions.
MILITARY LEADERS TO MEET ON UK-FRANCE 'COALITION OF THE WILLING' PLAN FOR UKRAINE
In an old multistory building on Kyiv’s left bank that was damaged in the overnight attack, Dmytro Zapadnya, 37, said he had no faith in Russia upholding any ceasefire agreement.
"There is no point in signing anything (with Russians), because it will not be worth the cost of paper where you put this signature. Well, the only thing that is not very pleasant is that now the United States seems to have little understanding of our situation," he said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a statement that attacks such as the one in Kyiv were a daily occurrence for Ukraine.
"This week alone, more than 1,580 guided aerial bombs, almost 1,100 strike drones and 15 missiles of various types were used against our people," he said. "New solutions are needed, with new pressure on Moscow to stop both these strikes and this war."
WHAT’S NEXT IN THE RUSSIA, UKRAINE CEASEFIRE TALKS?
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Ukrainian officials are set to meet with the U.S. a day ahead of the negotiations in Saudi Arabia on Monday.
The Associated Press contributed to this report
Finding God in Gaza: Former Israeli hostage found faith to help her survive Hamas terror
After 482 days in Hamas captivity, Agam Berger was finally home. The world first saw her in the horrific footage from Oct. 7, 2023 – bloodied, terrified, alongside four other young women soldiers abducted from the Nahal Oz IDF base. The terrorists paraded them through the streets of Gaza as trophies.
At a recent ceremony, held at the Yehezkel Synagogue in Tel Aviv at a traditional meal of gratitude to God, Berger made an emotional plea to God for the 59 hostages who remain in Gaza.
"The lives and the deeds" she said in a trembling voice in the Synagogue, "We won’t rest until they all return."
CEASEFIRE OVER AS ISRAEL STRIKES GAZA AFTER HAMAS REFUSED TO RELEASE HOSTAGES, OFFICIALS SAY
Her mother, Merav Berger, told Fox News Digital, "I began to feel God shaking my world." She started keeping the Sabbath in her daughter's honor – long before she knew whether her daughter was alive. "We grew up traditional, but not religious. Agam didn’t keep Shabbat before. But somehow, she found God – in Gaza, of all places."
She said what kept her daughter going was faith and identity. "They took her body," she told Israeli media, "but they couldn’t take her soul and identity."
She and fellow hostage Liri Albag were given a radio during their early days in captivity, and told in an interview to Israel public radio station, "We’d hear voices—Israelis saying that we were worth fighting for. That gave us strength," she said. "But after the first hostage rescue, they took the radio. They were more paranoid than ever."
In January 2024, Hamas guards brought them a stack of items recovered from an abandoned Israeli military outpost: maps, a newspaper and a Jewish prayer book.
Agam's mother later revealed that her daughter had dreamed of a siddur – a Jewish prayer book – just days earlier. "Then it arrived," Merav said. "How do you explain that? That’s not chance. That’s faith."
With that book, she began marking Jewish time. "We had a watch at first," she told Israeli public radio. "That’s how we knew when it was Shabbat, when it was Yom Kippur. I fasted. On Passover, I refused bread. I asked for corn flour—and they brought it. In a strange way, they respected my religion."
FREED ISRAELI HOSTAGE SPEAKS FOR THE FIRST TIME ABOUT HIS 505 DAYS OF SURVIVING HAMAS HELL
As the months dragged on, the conditions worsened. Hamas guards rotated often, she said, noting that many were cruel and others indifferent. She related to the Israeli media that, "They argued with us, scolded us over small things… we didn’t know who we could trust."
She tried to stay hopeful, telling herself she’d be home before her younger brother’s bar mitzvah. But the day came and went. "That broke me," she admitted in interviews. She said what kept her together was her belief that it would end somehow.
Even as rumors of a hostage deal began to circulate in early 2025, she didn’t let herself hope. "We heard people talking, but we didn’t think it would happen for us," she said.
On Jan. 24, Liri Elbag was taken away to film a release video. "They told her she was filming a video – but not that she was going home," Agam said. "I waited for her. I had made her birthday cards. Then someone told me, ‘Your friends are already home.’"
The next day, gunfire echoed in the distance. Her captors dressed her in a hijab and drove her in circles for two hours. "They didn’t let me take anything – not our notebooks, not the drawings, nothing," she recalled in an interview with Israeli public radio.
Agam’s absence left a gaping hole in her family, but her siblings carried her strength. Her twin sister Liyam remained in the army, even completing officer training while Agam was still missing. "She did it for her sister," her mother said.
Bar, the younger sister, had planned not to enlist. But after hearing that Agam had promised her fellow hostages she’d return to her base after her release, Bar changed her mind. "Three days after Agam came home, she graduated from her unit," the Bergers' mother recalled. "She wanted her to carry it forward."
Now back home, Agam is surrounded by friends, visitors and endless attention. But she’s not at peace – not while others remain in captivity.
In the synagogue this week, Agam made that call loudly and publicly. "We won’t rest," she said, "until every soul – living or dead – comes home."
As her mother put it: "This is the Jewish mission. There’s nothing more sacred. It’s our right to exist – and our rebirth as a people – depends on it.
"God brought Agam home," her mother said. "Now we have a duty to bring the others back too."
Israel-Hezbollah truce in jeopardy after rocket barrage kills 6
Israel launched airstrikes on several locations in Lebanon on Saturday in retaliation for a rocket attack, killing six people in the heaviest exchange of fire since its ceasefire with the militant group Hezbollah began nearly four months ago.
The exchange sparked concern about whether the ceasefire would hold, days after Israel relaunched its war with another Iran-backed militant group, Hamas, in Gaza. In a statement, Hezbollah denied being responsible for the attack, saying it was committed to the truce.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said it instructed the army to respond forcefully against dozens of targets in Lebanon, where the Iran-backed Hezbollah is based. Israel's army said six rockets were fired toward Metula, a town along the border with Lebanon. Three crossed into Israel and were intercepted.
ISRAEL ORDERS IDF TO SEIZE MORE GAZA TERRITORY IF HAMAS DOESN'T RELEASE HOSTAGES
The army said it "cannot confirm the identity of the organization that fired the rockets." It said it struck Hezbollah command centers and dozens of rocket launchers.
An Israeli strike on the southern Lebanese village of Touline killed five people, including a child, and wounded 10 others, including two children, Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency reported.
Another Israeli strike Saturday night hit a garage in the coastal city of Tyre, the NNA reported, with one person killed and seven wounded. It was the first attack on the city since the ceasefire took effect Nov. 27. And a strike on Hawsh al-Sayed Ali village along the border with Syria wounded five people, according to the NNA.
In a statement, Lebanon’s prime minister, Nawaf Salam, asked the country's military to take all necessary measures in the south, but said the country does not want to return to war.
Hezbollah began launching rockets, drones and missiles into Israel the day after Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack out of Gaza ignited the war there. The Israel-Hezbollah conflict boiled over into all-out war in September as Israel carried out waves of airstrikes and killed most of the militant group’s senior leaders. The fighting killed over 4,000 people in Lebanon and displaced about 60,000 Israelis.
Israeli forces were supposed to withdraw from all Lebanese territory by late January under the ceasefire deal. The deadline was extended to Feb. 18, but Israel has remained in five locations in Lebanon across from communities in northern Israel. Meanwhile, Israel has carried out dozens of airstrikes on southern and eastern Lebanon, saying it attacked Hezbollah, while continuing drone attacks that have killed several members of the militant group.
Lebanon has appealed to the U.N. to pressure Israel to fully withdraw. The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon said it was alarmed at the possible escalation of violence and urged all parties to avoid jeopardizing the progress made.
The strikes came a day after Israel said it would carry out operations in Gaza "with increasing intensity" until Hamas frees the 59 hostages it holds — 24 of whom are believed to be alive.
Israeli strikes on Friday night killed at least nine people, including three children, in a house in Gaza City, according to Al-Ahli Hospital, which received the bodies.
"Rubble and glass started falling on us," said Sameh al-Mashharawi, who lost his brother in the attack. He mourned with his young nephew Samir al-Mashharawi, whose parents and siblings were killed. The 12-year-old, his head and wrists bandaged, sat in the back of a truck and cried.
Israel's military said Friday that its forces were planning fresh assaults into three neighborhoods west of Gaza City and issued warnings on social media for Palestinians to evacuate the areas.
FREED ISRAELI HOSTAGE TELLS UN, 'NO MORE EXCUSES,' SAYS AID IS FEEDING TERRORISTS
"Hamas, unfortunately, understands military pressure," Netanyahu's foreign policy advisor Ophir Falk told The Associated Press.
Around 600 Palestinians have been killed since Israel relaunched the war on Tuesday. Israel had already cut off the supply of food, fuel, and humanitarian aid to Gaza’s roughly 2 million Palestinians, aiming to pressure Hamas over ceasefire negotiations.
The international community has condemned the resumed attacks.
The initial 2023 attack by Hamas-led militants killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took 251 hostages. Most of the hostages have been freed in ceasefire agreements or other deals. Israeli forces have rescued eight living hostages and recovered the bodies of dozens more.
Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed more than 49,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. It does not say how many were militants but says more than half of those killed were women and children. Israel says it has killed around 20,000 militants, without providing evidence.
Tens of thousands of Israelis on Saturday again protested the government’s failure to negotiate a hostage deal and its move to fire the head of the country’s Shin Bet internal security service. They called for new elections.
The Supreme Court has ordered a temporary halt to Ronen Bar’s dismissal until an appeal is heard. Israel’s attorney general has ruled that the Cabinet has no legal basis to dismiss him.
Netanyahu said in a statement late Saturday that Bar "will not remain the head of the Shin Bet" and "Israel will remain a democratic state." He argued that his loss of confidence in Bar long predates the Shin Bet investigation into illicit ties between several of his aides and Qatar.
Opposition leader Yair Lapid called for a tax rebellion and general strike if the government defies the court ruling, saying: "If this happens, the entire country needs to grind to a halt."
Venezuela to resume accepting US deportation flights
Venezuela will resume accepting deportation flights from the US after Venezuelan President Nicholas Maduro suspended the flights earlier this month.
Jorge Rodríguez, the president of Venezuela's Assembly and chief negotiator with the U.S. announced the change in policy on Saturday.
"We have agreed with the U.S. government to resume the repatriation of Venezuelan migrants with an initial flight tomorrow, Sunday," Rodriguez said.
He added that the deal with the U.S. secured the "return of our compatriots to their nation with the safeguard of their Human Rights."
VENEZUELAN OPPO LEADER JOINS CUBAN-BORN GOP LAWMAKER IN PRAISING TRUMP ON VENEZUELA STANCE
Rodriguez referenced the deportation of some Venezuelan migrants to El Salvador in his statement. President Donald Trump's administration has sent some Venezuelan members of the Tren de Aragua gang to the country.
"Migrating is not a crime and we will not rest until we achieve the return of all those who require it and until we rescue our brothers kidnapped in El Salvador," Rodríguez said in a statement.
RUBIO: MADURO A ‘HORRIBLE DICTATOR’
Maduro himself referred to the Venezuelans held in El Salvador as "kidnapped" on Saturday.
In recent weeks, some 350 people were deported to Venezuela, including some 180 who spent up to 16 days at the U.S. naval base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
THE ALIEN ENEMIES ACT IS SETTLED LAW, STEPHEN MILLER SAYS
The Trump administration said that the Venezuelans sent to Guantanamo are members of Tren de Aragua.
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Venezuela had long been a friendly oil-trading partner of the U.S. until Maduro's leftist regime took root following the 1998 and 2000 elections under the rule of the late Hugo Chavez and foreign policy challenges arose.
Pope Francis condemns Israeli attacks, appears for 1st time since weeks-long hospitalization
Pope Francis made his first public appearance on Sunday after spending more than five weeks in the hospital, where he survived a severe case of pneumonia that doctors said twice threatened the Roman Catholic Church leader's life.
The 88-year-old pontiff offered a Sunday blessing from Rome’s Gemelli hospital. The Vatican's broadcaster also read in English a statement from the pontiff issued by the Holy See Press Office.
In it, Pope Francis said he was "saddened by the resumption of heavy Israeli bombing on the Gaza Strip, causing many deaths and injuries."
"I call for an immediate halt to the weapons and for the courage to resume dialogue so that all hostages may be released, and a final ceasefire reached," the pontiff wrote. "In the Gaza Strip, the humanitarian situation is again very serious and requires urgent commitment from the conflicting parties and the international community."
The pope said he was pleased Armenia and Azerbaijan agreed to the final text of the peace agreement, "and I hope that it may be signed as soon as possible and thus may contribute to establishing lasting peace in the South Caucuses."
POPE FRANCIS SET TO BE DISCHARGED FROM HOSPITAL ON SUNDAY: DOCTORS
"You are continuing to pray for me with great patience and perseverance. Thank you very much. I pray for you too. And together let's pray for an end to wars and for peace, especially in tormented Ukraine, Palestine, Israel, Lebanon, Myanmar, Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo," Francis wrote. "May the Virgin Mary keep you and continue to accompany us on our journey towards Easter."
A large crowd gathered at the main entry piazza of Gemelli Hospital, including patients wheeled outside to see him in person. The pope, seated in a wheelchair, waved from the balcony and smiled.
The pope briefly spoke from a microphone, acknowledging a woman in the crowd holding up yellow flowers for him. Doctors have said his voice has been weakened by his illness.
The Holy Father gave a thumbs up and made the sign of the cross to the crowd. Francis was subsequently discharged from the hospital and will return to the Vatican to begin at least two months of rest, rehabilitation and convalescence.
His discharge comes after 38 days of medical ups and downs that raised the prospect of a papal resignation or funeral.
Francis began his written message by telling the faithful that the parable in this Sunday's Gospel "tells us about the patience of God, who urges us to make our life a time of conversion."
"Jesus uses the image of a baron victory which has not born the anticipated fruit and which nevertheless the farmer does not want to cut down. He wants to fertilize it again in that it may bear fruit in the future, and this patient farmer is the Lord who works the soil of our lives with care and waits confidently for our return to Him," the pope wrote. "In this long period of my hospitalization, I've had the opportunity to experience the Lord's patience, which I also see reflected in the tireless care of the doctors and healthcare workers, as well as in the care and hopes of the relatives of the sick. This trusted patience anchored in God's unfailing love is indeed necessary in our lives, especially when facing the most difficult and painful situations."
Doctors, who announced his planned release at a Saturday evening news conference, have said the Holy Father should refrain from meeting with big groups of people or exerting himself, but that eventually he should be able to resume all his normal activities. It was Francis' longest hospitalization of his 12-year papacy and the second-longest in recent papal history.
KING CHARLES III TO MEET POPE FRANCIS DURING VISIT TO VATICAN NEXT MONTH
At the Vatican, on the third Sunday of the Lenten season awaiting Easter, pilgrims flocked as they have all year to St. Peter’s Basilica to participate in the 2025 Holy Year. They swarmed St. Peter’s Square and progressed through the Holy Door in groups, while big TV screens in the square were turned on to broadcast Francis’ hospital greeting live.
No special arrangements have been made at the Domus Santa Marta, the Vatican hotel next to the basilica, where Francis lives in a two-room suite on the second floor, according to the AP. Francis will have access to supplemental oxygen and 24-hour medical care as needed, though his personal physician, Dr. Luigi Carbone, said he hoped Francis would progressively need less and less assistance breathing as his lungs recover.
While the pneumonia infection has been successfully treated, Francis will continue to take oral medication for quite some time to treat the fungal infection in his lungs and continue his respiratory and physical physiotherapy.
"For three or four days he’s been asking when he can go home, so he’s very happy," Carbone said.
Dr. Sergio Alfieri, the medical and surgical chief at Gemelli who coordinated Francis’ medical team, stressed that not all patients who develop such a severe case of double pneumonia survive, much less are released from the hospital. He said Francis’ life was at risk twice, during the two acute respiratory crises, and that the pope at the time understandably lost his typical good sense of humor.
"But one morning we went to listen to his lungs and we asked him how he was doing. When he replied, ‘I’m still alive,’ we knew he was OK and had gotten his good humor back," he said.
The Holy Father was never intubated and never lost consciousness, Alfieri said.
Alfieri confirmed that Francis was still having trouble speaking due to the damage to his lungs and respiratory muscles. But he said such problems were normal, especially in older patients, and predicted his voice would eventually return to normal.
The Vatican spokesman, Matteo Bruni, declined to confirm any upcoming events, including a scheduled audience on April 8 with King Charles III or Francis’ participation in Easter services at the end of the month. But Carbone said he hoped Francis might be well enough to travel to Turkey at the end of May to participate in an important ecumenical anniversary.
Francis is also returning to the Vatican in the throes of a Holy Year, the once-every-quarter-century celebration scheduled to draw more than 30 million pilgrims to Rome this year. The pope has already missed several Jubilee audiences and will presumably miss several more, but Vatican officials say his absence hasn't significantly impacted the numbers of expected pilgrims arriving.
Only St. John Paul II recorded a longer hospitalization in 1981, when he spent 55 days at Gemelli for minor surgery and treatment of an infection.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
At least 19 killed in Israeli strikes in Gaza, including senior Hamas leader
Israeli strikes in the southern Gaza Strip killed at least 19 Palestinians overnight into Sunday, including a senior Hamas political leader as well as several women and children.
This, as the Israeli military instructed people to evacuate from part of the city of Rafah on the border with Egypt.
The military said it would soon operate in the Tel Sultan area of Rafah. Israel launched a major offensive on the city in May.
People were ordered to evacuate on foot along a single route to the Mawasi area. It was not immediately known if the evacuation order meant Israeli forces would renew ground operations.
ISRAEL ORDERS IDF TO SEIZE MORE GAZA TERRITORY IF HAMAS DOESN'T RELEASE HOSTAGES
"Remaining in camps, tents, or houses in Tel al-Sultan or walking on any other route endangers your lives and the lives of your family members," military spokesman Col. Avichay Adraee said in a statement.
Hamas said that Salah Bardawil, a member of its political bureau, was killed in a strike in Mawasi along with his wife. Bardawil, who was also a member of the Palestinian parliament, was a well-known member of the Hamas' political wing who spoke to the media over the years.
Two hospitals in southern Gaza said they received the bodies of 17 people killed in the strikes, including several women and children. Bardawil and his wife were not included in this number.
The European Hospital said five children and their parents killed in a strike in Khan Younis were among the deceased. Another family of two girls and their parents were killed in a separate strike. The Kuwaiti Hospital said it had received the bodies of a woman and child killed in another strike.
The Palestinian Red Crescent emergency service said Israeli forces were blocking its ambulances from responding to strikes in Rafah and that several of its medics had been wounded.
Israel's ceasefire with Hamas ended last week when the Jewish State launched a series of airstrikes, killing hundreds of Palestinians.
The ceasefire started in January, pausing a 15-month war sparked by Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel. Twenty-five Israeli hostages and the bodies of eight others were released during the ceasefire in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.
Negotiations were supposed to begin in early February on the next phase of the truce, in which Hamas was called to free the remaining 59 hostages — including 35 who are believed to be dead — in exchange for additional Palestinian prisoners, a lasting ceasefire and an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.
CEASEFIRE OVER AS ISRAEL STRIKES GAZA AFTER HAMAS REFUSED TO RELEASE HOSTAGES, OFFICIALS SAY
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However, those negotiations never began, and Israel backed out of the ceasefire deal after Hamas refused Israeli and U.S.-backed proposals to free more hostages ahead of any talks on a lasting truce.
Hamas killed roughly 1,200 people and abducted 251 hostages in the Oct. 7 attack. Most of the captives have been released in ceasefire agreements or other deals, but Israeli forces rescued eight alive and recovered dozens of bodies.
Israel's offensive has killed nearly 50,000 Palestinians, according to the Hamas-run government's Gaza Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between terrorists and civilians.
Meanwhile, Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, who are allies of Hamas, launched another missile at Israel, but the Israeli military said the projectile was intercepted. There were no reports of casualties or damage.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Germany temporarily shuts embassy in South Sudan amid fears of civil war
Germany has temporarily closed its embassy in South Sudan's capital Juba because of rising tensions that have brought the East African country to the verge of civil war, the German foreign ministry said on Saturday.
South Sudan President Salva Kiir this week sacked the governor of Upper Nile state, where clashes have escalated between government troops and an ethnic militia he accuses of allying with his rival, First Vice President Riek Machar.
EU DENIES INTENT TO DELAY SOUTH SUDAN ELECTIONS
The standoff has heightened concerns that the world's newest nation could slide back into conflict some seven years after its emergence from a civil war that killed hundreds of thousands of people.
"After years of fragile peace, South Sudan is once again on the brink of civil war," the German foreign ministry wrote on x.
"President Kiir and Vice President Machar are plunging the country into a spiral of violence. It's their responsibility to end this senseless violence & finally implement the peace agreement."
South Sudan's United Nations peacekeeping chief, Nicholas Haysom, has also said he is concerned the country is "on the brink of relapse into civil war".
Pope Francis set to be discharged from hospital on Sunday: doctors
Gemelli Hospital medical director Dr. Sergio Alfieri announced Saturday that Pope Francis is expected to be discharged on Sunday.
The Vatican also announced that the pontiff would appear publicly on Sunday morning to bless the faithful from his 10th floor suite at the hospital. He will then return to the Vatican.
At a press conference, Alfieri said the Holy Father experienced "two very critical episodes" during his hospitalization when his life was in danger but has since shown a "slow but progressive" improvement due to "pharmacological therapy, the administration of high flow oxygen and assisted mechanical ventilation." The pope, however, was never intubated and never lost consciousness, Alfieri said.
Alfieri said Saturday that Francis will require at least two months of rest and rehabilitation as he continues recovering back at the Vatican. He said doctors advise the pontiff not to meet large groups or activities in public during that recovery time.
Alfieri was joined by the head physician of the Vatican's Health and Hygiene Office, Luigi Carbone, and the pope's spokesperson, Matteo Bruni, in the entry hall of Rome's Agostino Gemelli Polyclinic, where Pope Francis has been treated since Feb. 14 after a bout of bronchitis worsened. The pope was hospitalized for 38 days while battling a life-threatening case of pneumonia in both lungs, his doctors said.
KING CHARLES III TO MEET POPE FRANCIS DURING VISIT TO VATICAN NEXT MONTH
The pope experienced "acute respiratory failure due to a polymicrobial infection," Alfieri said.
The Saturday evening briefing was the first in-person update on the pontiff's condition since Feb. 21, a week after the 88-year-old Francis was brought to Gemelli hospital. He subsequently experienced several respiratory crises that landed him in critical condition, though he has since stabilized. Due to the double pneumonia, Alfieri told reporters that the pope's voice has been damaged but that it will improve with time.
The doctor added that recovery would best continue away from the hospital, where exposure to viruses risks weakening the Holy Father's condition. Alfieri said the pope did not have COVID-19, but he had been exposed to various viruses.
While Francis released an audio message on March 6 and the Vatican distributed a photo of him March 16, Sunday’s blessing will be the first live appearance since Francis was admitted on Feb. 14 for what has become the longest hospitalization of his 12-year papacy. The Argentine pope, who has chronic lung disease, is prone to respiratory problems in winter and had part of one lung removed as a young man.
When the pope was admitted, doctors first diagnosed a complex bacterial, viral and fungal respiratory tract infection and soon thereafter, pneumonia in both lungs.
Blood tests showed signs of anemia, low blood platelets and the onset of kidney failure, all of which later resolved after two blood transfusions, according to officials.
The most serious setbacks began on Feb. 28, when Francis experienced an acute coughing fit and inhaled vomit, requiring him to use a noninvasive mechanical ventilation mask to help him breathe. He suffered two more respiratory crises in the following days, which required doctors to manually aspirate the mucus, at which point he began sleeping with the ventilation mask at night to help his lungs clear the accumulation of fluids.
Over the past two weeks, the Vatican press office reported that the pope has stabilized, no longer needs to wear the ventilation mask at night, and is cutting back his reliance on high flows of supplemental oxygen during the day.
Alfieri said the pope does not have double pneumonia anymore but still has some infections and must continue to heal.
Fox News' Courteney Walsh and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
