Feed aggregator
Mass anti-corruption protests put strain on close European ally of Russia
Student-led protests pose the gravest threat to Serbian strongman Aleksandar Vucic’s 14 years in power, with over 100,000 taking to the streets of Belgrade and cities across Serbia, calling out systemic corruption throughout the government.
March 15 saw what many believe to be the largest crowds in Serbia’s recent history, with an estimated 300,000 people marching in the center of Belgrade.
Serbian President Vucic, who remains close to Russia, has remained defiant, ignoring calls to step down and accusing the protest movement of planning violent attacks and stoking a civil war.
HISTORIC RUSSIAN ALLY SNUBS PUTIN IN GROWING SHIFT TO EUROPEAN UNION
"Moscow and Belgrade pledged to combat color revolutions together in 2021. This is dangerous as Russia can provide Serbia with intelligence support," Ivana Stradner, research fellow at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, told Fox News Digital.
"Vucic is hoping that protests in Serbia will stop, but they are growing increasingly," Stradner added.
Vucic accused the students of orchestrating a Western-backed "colored revolution" and compared the movement to the 2014 Euromaidan Revolution in Ukraine, when the pro-Russian president of Ukraine was ousted from power for seeking closer ties with Vladimir Putin over Europe.
Nongovernmental and civil society organizations accuse the government of using illegal weapons, including long-range acoustic devices (LRAD), a common crowd control device that can cause severe hearing damage, during a commemorative silence for the victims of the Novi Sad railway collapse in November.
"The Belgrade Center for Security Policy strongly condemns the unlawful and inhumane deployment of prohibited weapons, such as acoustic devices, against peaceful protesters during a public gathering of hundreds of thousands of citizens paying tribute to victims of the collapsed roof in Novi Sad," the group said in a statement.
Serbia’s foreign minister, Marko Djuric, denied the allegations in a post on X.
"Serbia categorically denies the baseless accusations that any illegal weapons, including so-called ‘sound cannons,’ were used against demonstrators in Belgrade," Djuric said.
President Vucic also denied the claims, calling it "a vile lie" in an address to the nation and promised to investigate the matter.
The protests consuming Serbia didn’t just happen overnight and have been sustained for months.
ZELENSKYY WARNS RUSSIA WANTS TO CAUSE 'EXPLOSION' IN THE BALKANS
Tens of thousands of college students have been marching since December, demanding justice and accountability after the deaths of 15 people in the collapse of a railway station in the Serbian town of Novi Sad. The canopy at the railway station collapsed Nov. 1 after renovations led by two Chinese companies.
What originally started as spontaneous protests voicing dissatisfaction with the government’s failed response to the railway catastrophe transformed into a movement opposing widespread corruption and the erosion of the rule of law under Vucic.
"It's also important to recognize that the cause of the protests runs deeper — many people perceive the state as corrupt and are broadly dissatisfied with Vučić’s government. They are calling for greater press freedom and accountability," Helena Ivanov, senior fellow at the Henry Jackson Institute, told Fox News Digital.
Ivanov said that the government’s attempts to mitigate the situation, such as arresting individuals involved in corrupt deals from years ago or the resignation of the prime minister in January, have been seen as too little, too late by the protesters and opposition politicians.
Many experts and observers of the Balkans were disappointed in the Biden administration’s regional policy, claiming that the administration appeased the Vucic regime and refused to call out his antidemocratic practices. The efforts to sway Vucic and maintain close ties to Belgrade were seen as integral to the Serbia-Kosovo normalization process and their path toward European Union ascension.
A former high-ranking diplomat with expert knowledge of the Balkans told Fox News Digital that Vucic wrongly portrays the protesters as inspired and led by the "globalist elite," hoping to gain the attention and support of President Trump.
If President Trump wants a quick, cheap win for him and the U.S. in the Balkans, the diplomat said Trump should shift the U.S. regional posture from appeasing Vucic to containing him. Such a posture in Serbia will show that the U.S. is not kidding in the Balkans and wants a peaceful solution to simmering conflicts while utilizing the "peace through strength" doctrine.
Syria's new regime hits Hezbollah targets in Lebanon over claims its fighters were executed
Fighting along the Syrian-Lebanese border intensified on Monday as deadly clashes erupted between the Syrian military and Hezbollah-aligned forces.
The escalation follows accusations from Syria’s interim government that Hezbollah terrorists crossed into Syrian territory, kidnapped three soldiers and executed them on Lebanese soil. In response, the Syrian army launched artillery strikes on Hezbollah positions, targeting what it called "gatherings" of fighters responsible for the killings. Hezbollah has denied involvement.
The Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar, which is affiliated with Hezbollah, reported that the Syrian army successfully captured the village of Hawsh al-Sayyid Ali on the Syria-Lebanon border during the confrontations. Currently, most of the fighting is near the village of Al-Qasr.
Earlier this morning, the Saudi-owned Al Arabiya reported intermittent clashes between the Syrian army and Hezbollah forces along the border. The report also claimed that a Hezbollah ammunition depot in Lebanon was destroyed by Syrian artillery fire.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun addressed the escalating violence, saying, "What is happening on the eastern and northeastern border cannot continue, and we will not accept its continuation. I have instructed the Lebanese army to respond to the sources of fire."
According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, at least five additional Syrian soldiers were killed during the clashes. Civilians, including families with young children, were seen fleeing toward the Syrian village of Hermel as violence spread across the border region.
The newly established Syrian government, led by Ahmad al-Sharaa of the U.S.-sanctioned terrorist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, issued a rare statement vowing retaliation against Hezbollah.
"They took them to Lebanese territory and killed them. The Ministry of Defense will take all necessary measures in response to this escalation by Hezbollah," the statement reads.
The conflict reflects deeper sectarian and ideological divisions. HTS, a Sunni terrorist group with roots in Syria’s jihadist insurgency and former ties to al Qaeda, and Hezbollah, a Shiite terrorist force backed by Iran, represent opposing factions in the ongoing struggle for regional dominance.
"Hezbollah is trying to take advantage of the new government’s weakness in Syria, but the group itself is in a precarious position. It has suffered major setbacks from Israeli strikes, the fall of Assad, and now new adversaries in Syria," Javed Ali, a professor at the University of Michigan’s Ford School of Public Policy and former senior director at the National Security Council, told Fox News Digital.
The collapse of President Bashar Assad’s government in December marked a major turning point, as Hezbollah had spent 14 years backing him alongside Russia and Iran’s pro-Shiite militias. However, in late November, Syrian rebels launched a surprise offensive against Assad’s forces, just as a ceasefire was announced in northern Gaza, leading to the final collapse of his rule.
EVANGELICAL LEADER SAYS US MUST PROTECT SYRIAN CHRISTIANS FROM ATTACKS BY JIHADI TERRORISTS
Now in power, HTS has pledged to crack down on weapons and drug smuggling along the border, a move that directly threatens Hezbollah’s operations. The new Syrian government has already begun military deployments to secure its borders, further restricting Hezbollah’s ability to maneuver.
"Hezbollah is facing a confluence of threats unlike any time in its history," said Ali. "With HTS consolidating control in Syria, Hezbollah’s overland weapons supply route from Iran has been severely compromised. This disruption could significantly degrade its operational capabilities."
The rise of HTS as a governing force in Syria has also drawn U.S. attention. While Washington has designated HTS as a terrorist organization, analysts suggest that al-Sharaa's pragmatic approach should be assessed cautiously.
"The U.S. is navigating a complex landscape in Syria, and while it does not officially recognize HTS, there are strategic interests in seeing Hezbollah and Iranian influence further weakened," Ali noted.
HTS has attempted to rebrand itself from its extremist origins, portraying itself as a nationalist Islamist movement opposed to Iranian influence and Hezbollah’s expansion in Syria. While skepticism remains, the group’s control over key Syrian territory disrupts Iran’s ability to maintain a direct supply corridor to Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Beyond Syria, Hezbollah is also facing growing challenges in Lebanon. The group’s losses in recent confrontations with Israel have emboldened its domestic opponents, who now see an opportunity to weaken its grip on Lebanese politics.
Former Lebanese President Michel Aoun echoed these concerns, highlighting three major threats to Lebanon’s stability: ongoing Israeli attacks, Hezbollah’s involvement in cross-border violence, and the unresolved Syrian refugee crisis.
"Officials must take immediate action to protect the safety of the nation and its citizens," he said.
Further complicating the situation, Mounir Shehadeh, a former Lebanese government coordinator with the United Nations Interim Force peacekeeping mission in Lebanon, said "there is no presence of Hezbollah in the northeastern Bekaa Valley, and this is known by the people and tribes in the region." His statement contradicts reports of Hezbollah’s activity along the Lebanese-Syrian border, raising questions about the true extent of its control.
Analysts say the long-term implications of these developments remain uncertain, but Hezbollah’s regional position is rapidly deteriorating. While Lebanese and Syrian officials are working to contain the crisis, the risk of further escalation remains high.
Netanyahu seeks to fire top security official amid internal power struggle
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu noted Sunday that he will aim to oust Ronen Bar, director of the country's internal security service, the Shin Bet, this week, The Associated Press reported.
The foreign leader indicated that he has "ongoing distrust" in Bar, which "has grown over time."
Netanyahu's office noted that he had notified Bar that a draft resolution for his removal would be presented to the cabinet this week, the New York Times reported.
FREED ISRAELI HOSTAGE SPEAKS FOR THE FIRST TIME ABOUT HIS 505 DAYS OF SURVIVING HAMAS HELL
"The prime minister’s expectation of a duty of personal loyalty, the purpose of which contradicts the public interest, is a fundamentally illegitimate expectation," Bar said in part of a lengthy statement, according to the Times of Israel.
The outlet noted that he asserted that the Shin Bet's review of the failures that led to the Oct. 7, 2023 massacre against Israel "pointed to a policy led by the government, and the person who has headed it, for years, with emphasis on the year preceding the massacre. The investigation showed a longstanding and deliberate disregard by the political echelon for the agency’s warnings."
"As someone who headed the Shin Bet on October 7, I took responsibility for the agency’s part and clearly stated that I intend to act on it before the end of my tenure. That is what is expected of everyone," Bar noted in his statement, according to the report.
Bar was appointed to the post in 2021 by then-Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, the Times of Israel noted, adding that an Israeli Shin Bet director has never been fired, though two have resigned before finishing their terms.
HAMAS SAYS AMERICAN-ISRAELI HOSTAGE WILL ONLY BE FREED IF CEASEFIRE IS IMPLEMENTED
Israel's attorney general, Gali Baharav-Miara, told Netanyahu in a letter that "it is not possible to initiate a dismissal process" of Bar "until the factual and legal basis underlying your decision is fully examined, as well as your authority to address the matter at this time," the outlet reported.
"This is due to the extraordinary sensitivity of the issue, its unprecedented nature, the concern that the process may be tainted by illegality and conflict of interest, and considering that the role of the head of the Shin Bet is not a personal trust position serving the prime minister," she noted.
However, Justice Minister Yariv Levin has pushed back.
NEW YORK HOSPITAL PARTNERS WITH ISRAELI HOSPITAL TO DELIVER ‘CUTTING EDGE’ CARE TO IDF SOLDIERS
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
"The Shin Bet Law explicitly states that the government has the authority to terminate the service of the head of the agency before the end of their term. This law should be known to the attorney general as well. In case anyone is confused, Israel is a democracy, and everyone in it, including the attorney general, is subject to the law," he noted, according to the Times of Israel.
The attorney general ordered a probe last month into "the connection between officials working in the Prime Minister’s Office and officials connected to the state of Qatar," the outlet previously reported, noting that the Shin Bet is involved in conducting the investigation.
"For a year and a half, he saw no reason to fire him, but only when the investigation into Qatar's infiltration of Netanyahu's office and the funds transferred to his closest aides began, did he suddenly feel an urgent need to fire him immediately," Opposition Leader Yair Lapid said of Ronen Bar in a post on X, according to the Google translation into English from Hebrew.
Iran official exposes Tehran's global assassination program as US trial of alleged regime hitmen continues
The Manhattan-based federal trial of two alleged contract killers hired by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to murder the Iranian-American journalist Masih Alinejad coincided with shocking revelations that Tehran ordered the assassinations of dissidents in Europe, news that could have profound implications for President Trump’s Iran policy.
The trial of the two suspects and the disclosures of a former founder of the U.S.-sanctioned terrorist organization IRGC that the ayatollahs ordered the murders of Iranians in exile add greater urgency to the need to address Iran’s threats to murder President Donald Trump, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Iranian-American critics of the regime, according to experts.
Mohsen Rafiqdoost, a former high-level IRGC official who also served as a bodyguard for the Islamic republic's founder, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, declared in a video interview that he oversaw operations to eliminate exiled Iranian dissidents.
In an interview on the Iranian regime-controlled outlet Didehban-e Iran, he said the dissidents included former Iranian Prime Minister Shapour Bakhtiar, the popular artist Fereydoun Farrokhzad, who was murdered in Bonn, Germany, and military officials Gholam-Ali Oveissi and Shahriar Shafiq.
Rafiqdoost said, "The Basque separatist group in Spain carried out these assassinations for us. We paid them, and they conducted the killings on our behalf."
IRAN'S SUPREME LEADER REJECTS NUCLEAR TALKS WITH US AFTER TRUMP'S OVERTURES
Jason Brodsky, the policy director of United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI), said, "Mohsen Rafiqdoost’s comments are an admission of guilt. They should be replayed whenever an Iranian official is interviewed by a Western journalist denying complicity in assassination plots. The trial beginning on Monday is a reminder that the regime’s terror threat is real, potentially lethal, and will not go away by just burying our heads in the sand."
Last week, foreign ministers from the G-7 democracies announced in a joint statement, "That Iran is the principal source of regional instability and must never be allowed to develop and acquire a nuclear weapon. They emphasized that Iran must now change course, de-escalate and choose diplomacy. They underscored the threat of Iran’s growing use of arbitrary detention and foreign assassination attempts as a tool of coercion."
The reference to "foreign assassination attempts" is an unusually tough collective rhetorical rebuke for Iran because of its efforts to assassinate Trump, Alinejad and Iranian dissidents across the globe.
In November, Fox News Digital reported that the Justice Department announced it thwarted an Iranian plot to kill Trump in the weeks leading up to the election.
Iran expert Lisa Daftari told Fox News Digital, "This revelation about Iran’s global assassination campaign is a stark reminder of the lengths to which authoritarian regimes will go to silence dissent and exert control beyond their borders. It’s a blatant attack on international norms and a direct threat to global security. The United States must respond decisively – not just with words but with action. President Trump’s policy to deport those who espouse terrorism is a step in the right direction, but it’s not enough to deter the mullahs."
ACTIVIST SPEAKS OUT AFTER IRAN TRIES TO KILL HER
Daftari, who is the editor-in-chief of The Foreign Desk, added, "We need stronger intelligence collaboration with our allies and increased pressure on the IRGC through sanctions and any other necessary punitive measures. The message must be clear – there is no place for state-sponsored terrorism on our soil."
The U.S. and Canada have classified the IRGC as a foreign terrorist entity. Despite numerous IRGC terrorism plots and assassinations in Europe, the United Kingdom and the European Union have opposed a designation of the IRGC as a terrorist organization.
Wahied Wahdat-Hagh, a German-Iranian expert on Tehran’s assassination campaigns, told Fox News Digital about the former leader of the IRGC: "He belongs to the group of conservative Islamists who have never hidden the crimes they committed. He takes pride in the fact that opponents of the regime were executed in exile."
TRUMP ANNOUNCES 'DECISIVE AND POWERFUL' AIRSTRIKES AGAINST HOUTHI TERRORISTS IN YEMEN
Fox News Digital sent a press query to the German federal prosecutor’s office and the prosecutor’s office in Bonn, where Farrokhzad was murdered, asking if they plan to reopen the case of Farrokhzad.
Mina Ahadi, a prominent German-Iranian dissident, brought up the case of Iran’s former ambassador to Germany, Seyed Hossein Mousavian, who is currently a researcher at Princeton University, and called for his arrest by authorities.
Fox News Digital reported in April 2024 that Mousavian allegedly oversaw the assassinations of Iranian dissidents in Europe in the 1990s, including Farrokhzad. Mousavian, who was Iran’s ambassador to Germany from 1990 to 1997, has vehemently denied the allegations that he was involved in the Iranian regime-ordered massacre of Kurdish dissidents at a Berlin restaurant in 1992.
INCOMING TRUMP ADMINISTRATION GIVEN NEW BLUEPRINT ON WAYS TO WEAKEN IRAN: 'UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY'
After Trump ordered a drone strike to kill the U.S. and EU-designated Iranian regime terrorist Qassem Soleimani in Iraq in 2020, Mousavian paid tribute to Soleimani in a 2022 Iran TV program. Mousavian also went to Iran to attend the funeral of Soleimani, who was responsible for the murders of over 600 American military personnel in the Middle East, according to the U.S. government.
Mousavian took to X on the so-called Chain Murders in Iran – an extensive Iranian regime state-sponsored campaign that eradicated important Iranian dissidents between 1986 and 1998. Mousavian said, "Fereydoun Farrokhzad was murdered in mid-August 1992 at his home in Bonn, Germany. At that time, I was the Iranian Ambassador to Germany, and along with my colleagues at the embassy, I made extensive efforts for the return of Iranians residing in Germany who wanted to return to Iran."
Mousavian's tweet noted, "We pursued the matter, and the relevant authorities in Tehran assured us that Farrokhzad had been assassinated by the Iranian opposition abroad. We then relayed Tehran’s position to the German authorities and in interviews."
His statement concluded, "I wish that figures like Farrokhzad, who were willing to return to their homeland, could have returned safely to their motherland. It is in Iran’s national interest to use the potential of Iranians living abroad and ensure their full security for their return to their homeland."
Mousavian did not respond to numerous Fox News Digital email press queries, including a WhatsApp message and telephone call.
Lawdan Bazargan, the Iranian-American human rights activist, said Iran’s regime had lured Iranian dissidents back to the country to later execute them. She cast doubt on Mousavian’s explanation that he sought to repatriate Farrokhzad. Bazargan cited the case of Javad Safar as a dissident who returned to Iran and was killed by the regime. Iran’s regime has employed sophisticated surveillance operations to lure prominent Iranian dissidents to countries with lax security to kidnap them and transport the dissidents to Iran.
A telling example involved the journalist Ruhollah Zam, who was tricked by the regime and executed in 2020. Zam’s website and social media expertise helped spread information about protests against the clerical regime and exposed widespread regime corruption.
Numerous Fox News Digital press queries sent to Iran’s foreign ministry and U.N. mission were not answered.
Fox News' Greg Norman contributed to this report.
Peruvian fisherman found alive after 95 days at sea reveals how he survived
A Peruvian fisherman who was found alive after spending 95 days adrift in the Pacific Ocean said he ate roaches, birds and sea turtles to survive.
Maximo Napa was heavily dehydrated and in critical condition when he was discovered by an Ecuadorian fishing patrol about 680 miles off the coast of Peru last Wednesday, according to Reuters. He originally departed Marcona, a town on Peru’s southern coast, for a fishing trip on Dec. 7.
"I did not want to die," Napa told Reuters. "I ate roaches, birds, the last thing I ate was turtles."
"I thought about my mother every day," he added. "I'm thankful to God for giving me a second chance."
FISHERMAN SURVIVES EIGHT DAYS AT SEA ‘BY EATING RAW FISH AND DRINKING RAINWATER’
Napa initially packed enough food to spend two weeks at sea, but 10 days in, he was thrown off course by stormy weather and ended up adrift in the Pacific, Reuters reported.
The news agency added that Napa drank rainwater he collected on his boat, but he eventually ran out of food sources and spent the last 15 days without eating anything.
RUSSIAN MAN RESCUED AFTER 67 DAYS AT SEA
Napa reportedly kept his hopes up by thinking about his family and infant granddaughter.
"I told the Lord, whether he's alive or dead, just bring him back to me, even if it's just to see him," his mother Elena Castro told TV Peru, according to Reuters.
"But my daughters never lost faith. They kept telling me: Mom, he'll come back, he'll come back," she added.
Napa reunited with his brother in Paita, a city in northern Peru, and is expected to undergo medical checks.
Iranian general responds to Trump threats against Houthi rebels
An Iranian general vowed to respond "decisively and destructively" to any threats after President Donald Trump said he ordered American forces to launch military action against Houthis in Yemen.
"We warn our enemies that Iran will respond decisively and destructively if they carry out their threats," Gen. Hossein Salami, the leader of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, told state media following U.S. strikes over the weekend against the Tehran-backed terrorist group, according to Reuters.
"We are not a nation to live in hiding. We are a valid and legitimate system in the world. We announce it if we attack anywhere," Salami was quoted as saying by ABC News.
U.S. Central Command said Saturday it had "initiated a series of operations consisting of precision strikes against Iran-backed Houthi targets across Yemen to defend American interests, deter enemies, and restore freedom of navigation."
US MILITARY SHOOTS DOWN HOUTHI DRONES AS TRUMP’S STRIKES AGAINST TERRORIST GROUP CONTINUE
Trump wrote on Truth Social Saturday that he "ordered the United States Military to launch decisive and powerful Military action against the Houthi terrorists in Yemen."
"It has been over a year since a U.S.-flagged commercial ship safely sailed through the Suez Canal, the Red Sea, or the Gulf of Aden," Trump continued. "The last American Warship to go through the Red Sea, four months ago, was attacked by the Houthis over a dozen times."
Trump wrote that the "relentless assaults have cost the U.S. and World Economy many BILLIONS of Dollars while, at the same time, putting innocent lives at risk."
"To all Houthi terrorists, YOUR TIME IS UP, AND YOUR ATTACKS MUST STOP, STARTING TODAY. IF THEY DON’T, HELL WILL RAIN DOWN UPON YOU LIKE NOTHING YOU HAVE EVER SEEN BEFORE!" his post concluded.
The large-scale campaign against Houthi targets in Yemen will be "unrelenting" until the Iran-backed proxies pledge to back off U.S. assets, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told Fox News on Sunday.
"The minute the Houthis say 'we'll stop shooting at your ships, we'll stop shooting at your drones,' this campaign will end, but until then, it will be unrelenting," he told "Sunday Morning Futures" host Maria Bartiromo.
The Houthis are claiming the recent U.S. strikes have killed at least 53 people and injured around 100, according to the Associated Press.
"We will confront escalation with escalation," the leader of the Houthis, Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, reportedly said Sunday.
"We will respond to the American enemy in its raids, in its attacks, with missile strikes, by targeting its aircraft carrier, its warships, its ships," al-Houthi added. "However, we also still have escalation options. If it continues its aggression, we will move to additional escalation options."
U.S. warships have shot down roughly a dozen Houthi drones since Saturday, Fox News has learned.
A senior defense official told Fox News of the developments on Sunday. The drones were aimed at the U.S. Navy's Truman Carrier Strike Group and were shot down "well before" they posed a serious threat, the official said.
Fox News’ Taylor Penley, Andrea Margolis and Lucas Y. Tomlinson contributed to this report.
Russia wants 'ironclad' guarantee that Ukraine will be barred from NATO: official
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko reportedly said that the Kremlin wants an "ironclad" guarantee that Ukraine will be prohibited from joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), as the Trump administration works to broker a deal to end the fighting.
"We will demand that ironclad security guarantees become part of this agreement," Grushko was quoted by the Russian newspaper Izvestia as saying, according to Reuters. "Part of these guarantees should be the neutral status of Ukraine, the refusal of NATO countries to accept it into the alliance."
Grushko reportedly made no mention of the 30-day cease-fire proposal, which was accepted by Ukraine with U.S. negotiators in Saudi Arabia last week. Russian President Vladimir Putin has stated that any agreement must first meet crucial conditions.
U.S. special envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff told CNN on Sunday that Trump and Putin are expected to speak on the phone this week. Witkoff himself described having a "positive" and "solution-based" meeting with Putin in Moscow last week.
Grushko reportedly reiterated in the interview with Izvestia that Russia remains strictly opposed to the deployment of European troops to Ukraine, as Britain, France and Australia have signaled being open to sending a NATO "peacekeeping" force to the country.
"It does not matter under what label NATO contingents were to be deployed on Ukrainian territory: be it the European Union, NATO, or in a national capacity," Grushko said, according to Reuters. "If they appear there, it means that they are deployed in the conflict zone with all the consequences for these contingents as parties to the conflict."
'WE HAVE NEVER BEEN THIS CLOSE TO PEACE' SINCE RUSSIA INVADED UKRAINE, LEAVITT TELLS REPORTERS
"We can talk about unarmed observers, a civilian mission that would monitor the implementation of individual aspects of this agreement, or guarantee mechanisms," Grushko added, saying a deal ought to be reached first. "In the meantime, it's just hot air."
United Kingdom Prime Minister Keir Starmer held a virtual meeting on Saturday with 26 nations potentially willing to be involved in a "peacekeeping force" in Ukraine, The Telegraph reported.
French President Emmanuel Macron, meanwhile, was quoted as telling several French media outlets on Saturday that the intention is to "deploy a few thousand men per nation, at key points, to carry out training programs" and "show our support over the long term."
"If Ukraine asks allied forces to be on its territory, it is not up to Russia to accept or not," Macron reportedly said.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese also said he would be willing to send troops.
Grushko further argued that a solution to the three-year conflict could only be sustained if European allies to Kyiv understand that Ukraine must be barred from NATO membership and foreign military contingents are kept out.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
"Then the security of Ukraine and the entire region in a broader sense will be ensured, since one of the root causes of the conflict will be eliminated," Grushko said.
French Parliament member wants US to return Statue of Liberty: 'Apparently you despise it'
A French Parliament member is demanding that the U.S. return the Statue of Liberty to France, who gifted it to the Americans in the 1880s.
Center-left politician Raphaël Glucksmann made the comments at a recent convention of his political party, Place Publique.
"We're going to say to the Americans who have chosen to side with the tyrants, to the Americans who fired researchers for demanding scientific freedom: 'Give us back the Statue of Liberty,'" he told supporters, according to Le Monde, a French newspaper.
"We gave it to you as a gift, but apparently you despise it. So, it will be just fine here at home," he added.
HUGE UNEXPLODED WORLD WAR II-ERA BOMB FOUND IN CROWDED PARIS RESIDENTIAL AREA
France presented the Statue of Liberty to America on July 4, 1884, before it was later unveiled in New York City on Oct. 28, 1886, by then-President Grover Cleveland for the centennial of the U.S. Declaration of Independence.
The statue was designed by French sculptor Auguste Bartholdi and weighs about 450,000 pounds and stands at 305 feet tall.
A much smaller copy of the statue is displayed on Allée des Cygnes, a small island on the Seine River in Paris. The Lady Liberty replica was gifted to France by the U.S. in 1889 to mark 100 years since the French Revolution.
Glucksmann, a staunch supporter of Ukraine in its war against Russia, has panned President Donald Trump for pulling back support for the country in its fight against Moscow's invasion since February 2022.
He also criticized Trump for cutting federal funding to U.S. colleges and research institutions, a move that led to a French government initiative aiming to bring some of them to France.
TRUMP SAYS HE WILL BE SPEAKING WITH RUSSIAN PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN ON TUESDAY
"The second thing we're going to say to the Americans is: if you want to fire your best researchers, if you want to fire all the people who, through their freedom and their sense of innovation, their taste for doubt and research, have made your country the world's leading power, then we're going to welcome them," Glucksmann said.
Glucksmann also criticized right-wing members of the French Parliament for being a "fan club" for Trump and billionaire Elon Musk, a senior advisor to Trump who also leads the Department of Government Efficiency.
US military shoots down Houthi drones as Trump's strikes against terrorist group continue
U.S. warships have shot down roughly a dozen Houthi drones since President Donald Trump launched airstrikes against the terrorist organization on Saturday, Fox News has learned.
A senior defense official told Fox News of the developments on Sunday. The drones were aimed at the U.S. Navy's Truman Carrier Strike Group, and were shot down "well before" they posed a serious threat, the official added.
The latest military action came after nearly a year and a half of attacks from Houthis, both on commercial merchant vessels and U.S. military ships. In a Truth Social post on Saturday, Trump wrote that he had "ordered the United States Military to launch decisive and powerful Military action against the Houthi terrorists in Yemen."
"It has been over a year since a U.S.-flagged commercial ship safely sailed through the Suez Canal, the Red Sea, or the Gulf of Aden," Trump continued. "The last American Warship to go through the Red Sea, four months ago, was attacked by the Houthis over a dozen times."
US NAVY SHIPS REPEL ATTACK FROM HOUTHIS IN GULF OF ADEN
Trump wrote that the "relentless assaults have cost the U.S. and World Economy many BILLIONS of Dollars while, at the same time, putting innocent lives at risk."
"To all Houthi terrorists, YOUR TIME IS UP, AND YOUR ATTACKS MUST STOP, STARTING TODAY. IF THEY DON’T, HELL WILL RAIN DOWN UPON YOU LIKE NOTHING YOU HAVE EVER SEEN BEFORE!" his post concluded.
Trump re-designated the Houthis as a foreign terrorist organization (FTO) in January. His first administration had named the Houthis as an FTO, but the Biden administration later reversed the move.
On Sunday, the White House released photos of Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and National Security Adviser Mike Waltz monitoring the strikes.
"President Trump is taking action against the Houthis to defend US shipping assets and deter terrorist threats," the White House wrote on X. "For too long American economic & national threats have been under assault by the Houthis. Not under this presidency."
Fox News Digital's Danielle Wallace contributed to this report.
Pope Francis seen for first time since being admitted to hospital: photo
The Vatican released a photo of Pope Francis observing Mass on Sunday, highlighting how his health has gradually improved over recent days.
The photograph is the first picture of Pope Francis that has been released since he was admitted to Gemelli Hospital on Feb. 14. He was diagnosed with a complex viral, bacterial and fungal respiratory tract infection that worsened before improving earlier last week.
On Monday, the Vatican said that he was "out of danger from death" and that the "clinical conditions of the Holy Father continue to be stable."
POPE FRANCIS' MEDICAL CONDITION: WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT BILATERAL PNEUMONIA
This is a breaking news story. Check back for updates.
Dozens dead, more than 100 injured in North Macedonia nightclub fire
A fire broke out in a nightclub in North Macedonia early Sunday, killing 51 people and injuring more than 100 others, authorities said.
Pyrotechnic devices sparked the fire at around 2:35 a.m. during a concert by a local pop group at the Pulse nightclub in the town of Kocani, Interior Minister Panche Toshkovski told reporters.
"Sparks caused fire … and fire spread through the discotheque," he said, according to Reuters.
The injured were rushed to hospitals across the country. Many of the injured suffered severe burns, officials said.
MYRTLE BEACH WOMAN IGNITED SOUTH CAROLINA WILDFIRE THAT SCORCHED 2K ACRES, AUTHORITIES SAY
Health Minister Arben Taravari said 118 people were hospitalized.
"All our capabilities have been put to use, in a maximum effort to save as many lives as possible of the young people involved in this tragedy," Taravari told reporters, adding that neighboring countries Albania, Bulgaria and Greece have offered help.
The club was in an old building that was previously a carpet warehouse and has been running for several years, according to local media MKD.
'EXTERMINATION' SITE DISCOVERED IN MEXICO WITH CREMATION OVENS, HUMAN REMAINS
The blaze gutted the single-story building and caused the roof to partially collapse. Police cordoned off the area as teams gathered evidence from inside the building.
"This is a difficult and very sad day for Macedonia. The loss of so many young lives is irreparable, and the pain of the families, loved ones and friends is immeasurable," Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski wrote on X.
"The people and the government will do everything in their power to at least slightly alleviate their pain and help them in these most difficult moments," he continued.
Toshkovski said authorities would investigate the venue’s licensing and safety provisions, adding that the government had a "moral responsibility" to help prosecute anyone responsible. Police have arrested one man already, but he didn’t provide details on the person’s involvement.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
'Extermination' site discovered in Mexico with cremation ovens, human remains
For families in Mexico searching for missing loved ones, the grim discovery of what is being called an "extermination" site with human remains and ovens, could be their worst fears some true.
Mexican authorities are now investigating the site in the western state of Jalisco, first found last week by a group of volunteers that was believed, by the volunteers, to have been used by one of the area's cartels known as the New Generation Jalisco Cartel.
Inside its iron gates were an increasing number of horrors, including cremation ovens, bone fragments, hundreds of pairs of shoes, clothing and even children’s toys.
"They'd see the shoes and say: 'those look like the ones my missing relative was wearing when they disappeared,’" Luz Toscano, one of the volunteers, told BBC News.
The ranch, near the village of Teuchitlán, was raided last September by Mexican authorities who failed to find or reveal the discovery of human remains.
At the time of the raid, 10 arrests were made, two hostages were released, and a body was found wrapped in plastic.
After authorities began searching this week, they said they also found almost 100 shell casings.
None of the remains have been identified, and the number is not yet known, but the number of personal items left behind is around 700.
"The number of the victims that presumably could have been buried there is enormous," Eduardo Guerrero, a security analyst in Mexico City, told The New York Times. "And it resurfaced the nightmarish reminder that Mexico is plagued with mass graves."
The discovery, based on an anonymous tip, has dominated the headlines, shocking a country that has become inured by mass graves and promoted citizens to call on authorities to crack down on cartel violence.
There are 120,000 "forcibly disappeared" people in Mexico.
Jalisco state Gov. Pablo Lemus told critics in a video message this week that his office is fully cooperating with federal investigators and no one is "washing their hands" of the case, according to BBC News.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
The ranch in Teuchitlan, about 37 miles (60 kilometers) west of Guadalajara was allegedly being used as a training base for cartel recruits when National Guard troops found it last September.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Greenland government calls Trump's acquisition talks 'unacceptable'
The government of Greenland called President Donald Trump's comments about taking control of the country "unacceptable" in a statement Friday.
Officials noted the statement was prompted by Trump's meeting with the NATO secretary general Thursday, when he reportedly "reiterated his desire for annexation and control of Greenland."
In response, the leaders of all political parties elected to Inatsisartut, the Parliament of Greenland that includes the Demokraatit, Naleraq, Inuit Ataqatigiit, Siumut and Atassut parties, issued the statement on X.
GREENLAND PM SEEKS INDEPENDENCE FOLLOWING TRUMP ACQUISITION COMMENTS
"We — all the party leaders — cannot accept the repeated statements regarding annexation and control of Greenland," leaders wrote. "We find this behavior toward friends and allies in a defense alliance unacceptable."
They added they "must underscore that Greenland will continue serving ITS people through diplomatic relations, in accordance with international law."
The document was signed by Greenlandic politicians Jens Frederik Nielsen of the Demokraatit party, Pele Broberg of the Naleraq, Múte B. Egede of the Inuit Ataqatigiit, Vivian Motzfeldt of the Siumut and Aqqalu C. Jerimiassen of the Atassut.
"We all support this wholeheartedly and strongly distance ourselves from attempts to create discord. Greenland belongs to the Greenlandic people, and we (as leaders) stand in unison," they wrote.
In the country's recent parliamentary elections, the Demokraatit party defeated Greenlandic Prime Minister Múte Egede’s party, Inuit Ataqatigiit.
Independence from Denmark became a core election issue in Trump’s continued comments about U.S. acquisition of Greenland.
Trump tried in his first term to buy the mineral-rich, key geographical territory in what he called a "large real estate deal."
TRUMP: US CONSIDERING POSSIBLY BUYING GREENLAND
Greenland Prime Minister Múte Egede said in January the country was "not for sale and will never be for sale."
American interest in Greenland dates back to the 1800s.
In 1867, the State Department looked into purchasing Greenland and Iceland, but after World War II, Denmark rejected a proposed $100 million deal from President Harry Truman.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Acquiring the land would mark the largest expansion of American territory in history, topping the Louisiana Purchase.
The White House did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
Fox News Digital's Rachel Wolf contributed to this story.
Pope remains stable after month in hospital as he continues treatments and works from bedside
Pope Francis remains stable as he continues his recovery one month after he was hospitalized for a bout of bronchitis that turned into pneumonia.
"The clinical conditions of the Holy Father have remained stable, confirming the progress highlighted in the last week," a medical bulletin from the Vatican’s Holy See Press Office said in an update on Saturday.
It was the first medical update in three days.
While working from the Gemelli hospital, the pope was able to sign off on a three-year reform project that aims to make the Church a more welcoming place.
POPE FRANCIS NOW 'OUT OF DANGER FROM DEATH' AS HEALTH CONDITION CONTINUES TO IMPROVE
He also spent the day praying and resting.
The Vatican added that the pope’s high-flow oxygen therapy continues, which is progressively reducing his need for non-invasive mechanical ventilation at night and will help his lungs work more.
"The Holy Father still needs hospital medical therapy, motor and respiratory physiotherapy," the bulletin added, noting that these therapies show "gradual improvements."
Francis was first admitted to the hospital on Feb. 14, after a week-long fight against bronchitis gradually worsened, ultimately turning into double pneumonia.
This week, his health improved significantly, with the Vatican saying he was now "out of danger of death."
The 88-year-old spent time on Wednesday following spiritual exercises in the Vatican, receiving the Eucharist, praying and completing physical therapy.
POPE FRANCIS NOW EATING SOLID FOODS, ‘SHOWING SLIGHT GRADUAL IMPROVEMENTS,’ VATICAN SAYS
This week marked the 12-year anniversary of the pope’s election to lead the Roman Catholic Church.
The pope’s condition has been complicated, because he had part of his lung removed as a child after a pulmonary infection.
A chest X-ray on Tuesday confirmed improvements observed by medical staff in previous days, but his situation remains "complex," meaning he will have to spend more time in the hospital.
An X-ray this week confirmed that his infection was clearing.
The Vatican said that the pope’s condition has improved to the point where updates will only be given when there is new information.
The next update will be in the middle of next week, the Vatican said.
The pope released an audio message earlier this month, thanking people for their well-wishes, which was played in St. Peter’s Square.
But for the last four Sundays, the blessing the pope gives from a window overlooking St. Peter’s Square has been delivered in text form only.
The pontiff participated in Lenten spiritual exercises from the hospital this week and received get-well cards and a cake to celebrate his 12th anniversary as pope.
Meanwhile, as the pope continues his treatments, the nuns who work the Vatican's switchboard are fielding calls from those concerned about his health.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
"They feel like children waiting to know about their father," Sister Anthony, who runs the operation in an office near St. Peter’s Basilica, told the Associated Press. "We tell them to pray for him."
Fox News' Elizabeth Pritchett and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
Cuba still largely without power after nationwide grid collapse
Cuba remained largely without power on Saturday morning, after the island nation's grid collapsed the night before, knocking out electricity for 10 million people and raising fresh questions about the viability of its antiquated generating system.
At sunrise, the island's grid operator UNE said it was generating only a trickle of electricity - around 225 MW, or less than 10% of total demand, enough to cover some vital services like hospitals, water supply and food production centers.
CUBA WORKING TO REESTABLISH ELECTRICAL SERVICE AFTER SECOND GRID COLLAPSE
Officials said they had begun the process of firing up the country's decades-old generation plants, but gave no timeline for restoring service.
Cuba´s grid failed Friday evening around 8:15 p.m. (0015 GMT) after an aging component of a transmission line at a substation in Havana shorted, beginning a chain reaction that completely shut down power generation across the island, UNE officials said.
The grid collapse follows a string of nationwide blackouts late last year that plunged Cuba's frail power generating system into near-total disarray, stressed by fuel shortages, natural disaster and economic crisis.
Most Cubans outside the country's capital of Havana have already been living for months with rolling blackouts that peaked at 20 hours a day in recent weeks.
Havana was still largely without electricity on Saturday morning. Light traffic navigated intersections with no functioning stoplights and cellular internet was weak or non-existent in some areas.
Abel Bonne chatted with friends on Havana's Malecon waterfront boulevard early Saturday, taking in the fresh sea breeze after a stuffy night without power.
"Right now, no one knows when the power will come back on," he said. "This is the first time this had happened this year, but last year it happened three times."
Severe shortages of food, medicine and water have made life increasingly unbearable for many Cubans, and people have been fleeing the island in recent years in record-breaking numbers.
Cuba blames its economic woes on a Cold War-era U.S. trade embargo, a web of laws and regulations that complicate financial transactions and the acquisition of essentials like fuel and spare parts.
A grid official on Saturday morning said Cuba had been unable to update antiquated transmission and generation components because of the restrictions.
U.S. President Donald Trump recently tightened sanctions on the island's communist-run government, vowing to restore a "tough" policy toward the long-time U.S. foe.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Havana resident Yunior Reyes, a bike taxi driver, was back on the job Saturday morning despite the blackout, fretting that his food reserves might spoil in the day's heat.
"We're all in the same situation," he said. "It's a lot of work."
Trump announces 'decisive and powerful' airstrikes against Houthi terrorists in Yemen
President Donald Trump announced on Saturday that he has ordered airstrikes against the Houthi rebels in Yemen.
In a Truth Social post, Trump wrote that he had "ordered the United States Military to launch decisive and powerful Military action against the Houthi terrorists in Yemen."
"They have waged an unrelenting campaign of piracy, violence, and terrorism against American, and other, ships, aircraft, and drones," Trump's post read.
"Joe Biden’s response was pathetically weak, so the unrestrained Houthis just kept going," Trump continued. "It has been over a year since a U.S. flagged commercial ship safely sailed through the Suez Canal, the Red Sea, or the Gulf of Aden."
US NAVY SHIPS REPEL ATTACK FROM HOUTHIS IN GULF OF ADEN
This is a breaking news story. Check back with us for updates.
Freed Israeli hostage speaks for the first time about his 505 days of surviving Hamas hell
EXCLUSIVE: Buried 100 feet underground, with barely enough air to breathe and no light, and sharing a space measuring just six feet by three feet with three other men, recently released hostage Tal Shoham shared with Fox News Digital his harrowing story of survival.
Shoham was forcibly taken from Kibbutz Be’eri on October 7, 2023. His wife and children, ages four and eight, were also kidnapped that day, but he didn’t know that when he was thrown into the trunk of a car and driven into Gaza by Hamas terrorists. He didn’t even know whether his family was alive; hoping to save them, he surrendered to the terrorists just before they set fire to the house where his family was hiding.
He would spend the eight-and-a-half months in an underground tunnel and another five months captive in five different houses deep inside Gaza, where his captors kept him shackled, starved him and deprived him of basic human comforts.
But he gave himself a mission: He was determined not to lose his humanity. Even in moments when he feared that he was facing death, he tried to stay focused. "I am not a victim. Even if this ends, I will end it with my head high, looking death in the eyes. They won’t break me, and I will not surrender to self-pity. We are stronger than the other side," he said.
It has been three weeks since he came home, and he is ready to speak. Kibbutz Be’eri is just nine kilometers — about five-and-a-half miles — from Gaza, but that short distance is practically an ocean between what he describes as two worlds. "Half-an-hour’s drive, two separate worlds," he said. "The first — unbelievably surreal, cruel beyond reason. And just 30 minutes away [on this side of the border], a world of sanity, logic, dignity and compassion."
He remembers every detail of his 505 days in captivity. Tal wants to tell his story for the sake of the two fellow captives who remain behind, starving, abused and at constant risk of death. "Just as someone emerges from a womb alive, I emerged from the tunnel I was held in and was born again," he says. But the men he calls his "brothers," Evyatar David and Guy Gilboa-Dalal, are still held underground. "I can’t sleep at night knowing they are still there," he says.
Tal and his wife and children had come from the north of Israel to Kibbutz Be’eri to spend the Simchat Torah holiday with his wife’s parents and were in the home when the terror attack began. He said everyone entered the safe room, and as the sounds of gunfire drew closer, they tried to barricade themselves inside. But the terrorists pried open the window, and Tal feared they might toss in a grenade if the family did not surrender. On the same street, the terrorists set fire to every other home, burning the people inside alive.
"I went out and raised my hands," he said. "A man with murder in his eyes led me onto the road and to a vehicle. I saw about 40 heavily armed terrorists. Some of them were filming me on their phones. I was in shock — there was an entire battalion of Hamas terrorists inside our kibbutz, bodies of people I knew who were murdered on the ground, and they are laughing, unafraid."
The terrorists threw him into the trunk of a car and drove him across the border, into Gaza. There, a crowd gathered. "Teenagers with sticks ran toward me, trying to beat me from all sides," he says. Taking him from the car, his captors pointed a rifle at him, ready, he believed, to execute him, and tried to force him to kneel. "I said, ‘I can’t control whether you kill me or not,’ and I raised my hands — but I refused to kneel. ‘If you want to kill me, kill me, but you will not execute me like ISIS.’"
He was then paraded through the streets in what he described as a "victory march." "They were shouting, ‘Soldier! Pig! Zionist!’ A mob gathered around, boys with wooden clubs trying to hit me. But I just waved and smiled. I didn’t show fear. ‘You’ve captured me, but you won’t see terror in my eyes.’"
He was first taken to the home of a family, where he was held, alone and always shackled, for 34 days. Though he was allowed to periodically shower, the captivity was otherwise severe.
His food was strictly rationed. "For the first three days, I had pita bread. Then, they stopped giving me that," he says. "Food supplies dwindled. Some days, I would receive three spoons of avocado and three dates, or half an orange from a tree in the yard."
But the worst torment was not knowing whether his family was alive. "I am 40 years old. Never in my life have I experienced suffering like this. The isolation, being alone with relentless thoughts —that was worse than even extreme hunger."
To endure, he made a heartbreaking decision. "I had to accept that my family was dead," Tal says. "I sat on the floor and imagined myself at their funeral. I stood in front of a grave — one large for my wife, and two small for my children — and I eulogized each of them. I thanked them for the time we had. I told them to move on. I sobbed but didn’t let my captors see me cry. That was the hardest thing I’ve ever done — burying my family in my mind."
AFTER TRUMP THREAT, HAMAS REFUSES TO RELEASE MORE HOSTAGES WITHOUT PHASE 2 CEASEFIRE DEAL
On the 34th day of his captivity, Evyatar David and Guy Gilboa-Dalal were brought to the home. The Hamas terrorists tortured them daily, hitting them, denying them food while eating in front of them. The hostages were allowed only about 300 calories a day — Shoham's weight dropped from 174 pounds to 110 pounds when he was released — and speaking was forbidden. "We couldn’t move from our beds or talk. We whispered everything," he said.
Then came some glimmer of hope. On the 50th day of his captivity, Tal received proof of life from his wife — a letter telling him she and the children had been held hostage but were being released. "I read it, my hands shaking," he said. "The most important thing had happened — my family was safe. I didn’t need to be a father and husband protecting them anymore. Now, I could focus on my war, the one I knew how to fight, the one for survival."
The Tunnel
By June 2024, Tal, Guy and Evyatar were moved by an ambulance that Hamas used for discreetly transporting hostages, to an underground tunnel, where there already was another captive, Omer Wenkert. There were four mattresses on the floor and a hole in the ground for a toilet. The space was illuminated by a single, dim lightbulb. "It took me weeks to stop feeling like the walls were closing in, to adapt to the oxygen deprivation," Tal says.
They were given just 300 milliliters of water a day — a little more than 10 ounces. They could use it to either drink or wash their hands. Rice was all they had to eat. Months passed. They were beaten, monitored by cameras, randomly deprived of food and sleep. The guards were Hamas tunnel diggers — digging every day, even as war raged above. "Hamas never stopped digging tunnels," Tal Says. "Not for a single day."
The conditions were so bad that both he and Evyatar developed severe infections. But it would be months before a doctor would come to see them. "My leg turned blue, yellow, and purple with internal bleeding," He recalls. "They gave us all blood thinners, fearing we might develop clots from prolonged immobility. Eventually, they realized the issue was malnutrition and provided us with vitamin supplements for seven days. It tasted like dog food, but it dramatically improved our condition."
ISRAEL SAYS HAMAS SENT A TODDLER TO A MILITARY OUTPOST
But the abuse continued. A new guard arrived, even more violent than the previous ones. "He made some of us kneel like dogs and beat us," he says. "He would come in screaming that we were filthy Jews, hit us, and then 10 minutes later, he would smile and bring food."
Then, what seemed like a miracle. Tal and Omer were named as part of the hostage-release deal in February. When he was led outside after many months underground, still blindfolded, he felt moisture on his face. "Is it rain?" he asked. "No," his captors responded, "’It is dew.’ And I realized, my name, Tal, is ‘dew’ in Hebrew. I felt the morning dew on my skin."
There were humiliations to come before he was handed over to the Red Cross and returned to Israel: a procession on a stage in the heart of Rafah where he was forced to repeat Hamas propaganda. But he said he didn’t care — he was going home. When he arrived in Israel, he was taken to the Re’im base, where his wife, Adi, and their two children, Nave and Yahel, were waiting for him. "It was a dream come true, yet it still felt like a dream," Tal says. "It took a few days to fully grasp that it was real. It was hard to take in. The emotions flooded me, like I was floating above everything."
And there was tragic news to absorb. Eleven members of Tal’s family were kidnapped or murdered on October 7. Adi’s father, Avshalom Haran, and two uncles, Lilach and Evyatar Kipnis, were killed. His mother-in-law, Shoshan Haran, was taken, along with two other relatives — Sharon Avigdori and her daughter, Noam Avigdori — who were later released in the first hostage deal. Two other relatives who had come from the United States to celebrate a birthday, 59-year-old Judith Raanan, and her 17-year-old daughter, Natalie, were also kidnapped from Kibbutz Nahal Oz.
And there was joy. During his captivity, four new babies were born into the family. "Among us, the Jewish hostages, there was purity," he said. "There was dignity. The terrorists brought in whatever horrors they wanted, inflicted whatever cruelty and pain they could, imposed their inhumanity on us. But within our space, we preserved our inner cleanliness, our humanity between one another. And that was crucial to making it out unbroken."
Canada’s new PM and Trump critic Mark Carney accused of being out of touch with the 'common man’
OTTAWA-Canada’s self-described ‘globalist’ new Prime Minister Mark Carney immediately aimed fire at President Donald Trump upon winning his party’s leadership contest last week.
Carney criticized President Trump during his acceptance speech when he won the Liberal leadership last Sunday, saying that Canada’s tariffs against the United States will remain until the Americans "show us respect" and added that Canadians "are always ready when someone else drops the gloves."
He also tried to tie Trump to his main challenger. "Donald Trump thinks he can weaken us with his plan to divide and conquer," while "Pierre Poilievre’s plan will leave us divided and ready to be conquered."
"Because a person who worships at the altar of Donald Trump will kneel before him, not stand up to him."
NEW CANADIAN PM BLASTS TRUMP'S 51ST STATE IDEA: 'CRAZY'
Having served as governor of two central banks – of Canada and the United Kingdom - he was also a senior executive at Goldman Sachs and served as the United Nations Special Envoy for Climate Action and Finance. Never elected to any office before, Carney was sworn in on Friday to become Canada’s 24th prime minister.
He is expected to call an election this week in a bid to keep the Liberals in power, and for him, to win a seat in the House of Commons.
Count on the official opposition Conservatives, in a dead heat with the Liberals at 37% according to a recent Leger poll, to portray Carney as someone "not connected to the common man" and who has spent a fair amount of time outside Canada, Laura Kurkimaki told Fox News Digital. Kurkimaki served as deputy national campaign manager for the Conservative Party during the last federal election in 2021.
"Over the last five years, while Canadians have been lining up at foodbanks and experiencing a significant cost-of-living increase, he has not been in Canada," Kurkimaki said.
Seen by detractors as out of touch, Carney, during a recent leadership debate, did not provide an answer when the moderator asked the candidates whether they knew the average cost of a week’s worth of groceries.
In an appearance on "The Rest is Politics" podcast last month featuring Alastair Campbell, former British prime minister Tony Blair’s press secretary, and past Goldman Sachs executive Anthony Scaramucci, Carney said that his "weakness is people will charge me as being elitist or globalist."
MARK CARNEY WINS LIBERAL PARTY NOMINATION TO REPLACE TRUDEAU AS CANADA'S NEXT PM
"Well, that happens to be exactly what we need," he said, adding that he’s also "a pragmatist" and "a leader in crisis."
When Scaramucci asked Carney how he would respond to attacks that he is "out of touch with the mainstream, common citizen in Canada," the new prime minister said that most of his life in Canada "has been in service of Canadians."
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre also targeted Carney, who played hockey at Harvard and Oxford, after he was photographed playing goalie reportedly wearing high-end sneakers.
"Trying to be a normal guy playing hockey in $2000 shoes," Poilievre posted on X.
Kurkimaki said the upcoming federal election campaign with Carney at the Liberal helm could be a replay of the one in 2011 when another "out-of-touch" Liberal leader – historian Michael Ignatieff, who came from the world of academia – lost his House seat, and his party recorded its worst-ever result in a general election that the Conservatives won.
Canada’s new prime minister earned a bachelor’s degree in economics at Harvard University and went on to receive master’s and doctoral degrees in economics at the University of Oxford.
Carney, who lived in the tony Ottawa neighborhood of Rockcliffe Park before becoming prime minister, also holds British and Irish citizenship. Earlier this month, he said that he had begun the process of renouncing both.
Along the way, the man whose looks were once compared to those of actor George Clooney made a fortune at England’s central bank alone. Carney earned $1.3 million, including pay, allowances and housing costs – the highest for the head of any federal reserve at the time.
However, his current net worth might not be revealed any time soon. Before becoming prime minister, Carney divested his assets, "other than his personal real estate, into a blind trust," a member of his team told CBC News. Under Canadian law, public-office holders need to divest their assets, such as stock options, either by selling them or having a trustee manage or sell them without, in this case, consulting Carney.
Carney's spokesperson did not return Fox News Digital's request for comment.
Hamas says American-Israeli hostage will only be freed if ceasefire is implemented
The Hamas terrorist group said Saturday that it will only release Israeli-American hostage Edan Alexander if Israel implements the existing ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip.
Alexander, 21, is the last living American hostage in captivity in the Gaza Strip.
A senior Hamas official told the Associated Press that long-delayed talks over the ceasefire’s second phase would need to begin the day of the release and last no longer than 50 days. Israel would also need to stop barring the entry of humanitarian aid and withdraw from a strategic corridor along Gaza’s border with Egypt.
Hamas called it an "exceptional deal" aimed at getting the truce back on track, per the official, who spoke to The AP on condition of anonymity.
AFTER TRUMP THREAT, HAMAS REFUSES TO RELEASE MORE HOSTAGES WITHOUT PHASE 2 CEASEFIRE DEAL
Hamas is also demanding the release of more Palestinian prisoners in exchange for hostages, the official said.
Hamas on Friday agreed to release Alexander along with the bodies of four other hostages following a deal offered by mediators. He has now been held captive for 526 days as of Saturday, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum said.
It comes as talks are ongoing in Qatar to establish the next phase of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire, the first phase of which ended on March 1.
The office of Steve Witkoff, special envoy to the Middle East, and the National Security Council said in a joint statement that "President Trump has made it clear that Hamas will either release hostages immediately, or pay a severe price."
Witkoff and Eric Trager, National Security Council senior director for the Middle East and North Africa, presented a ‘bridge’ proposal to extend the ceasefire beyond Ramadan and Passover and allow time to negotiate a framework for a permanent ceasefire.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to convene his ministerial team on Saturday to receive a detailed report from negotiators and decide on the next steps for the release of the hostages.
Meanwhile, a number of rallies are expected to take place throughout Israel on Saturday to demand that all remaining 59 hostages are released, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum said. The main rallies will take place in Tel Aviv, Sha'ar HaNegev Junction, Carmei Gat and Jerusalem.
Though he spent most of his life in New Jersey, Alexander was born in Israel a few months before his parents moved to the U.S., according to the American Jewish Committee (AJC).
After graduating from high school, Alexander decided he would enlist in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) rather than enroll in college.
On Oct. 7, Alexander, who was serving in the IDF’s Golani Brigade, an infantry unit, was patrolling near Gaza when Hamas’ attacks on Israel began. The attacks ended with 1,200 Israelis dead and 251 hostages taken, including Alexander.
Yael Alexander, Edan’s mother, recounted the day he was taken hostage in a recent interview with AJC’s "People of the Pod." Yael was in Israel in early October 2023, visiting her family and hoping to see Edan. On the morning of Oct. 7, she spoke with Edan, who said that he was seeing "terrible stuff," but he assured her that he was safe. Then he was taken hostage.
On Nov. 30, 2024, more than a year after Alexander was captured, Hamas released a video of Alexander speaking in Hebrew and Arabic. Alexander, like other hostages forced to make propaganda videos, delivered messages about Netanyahu and then-President-elect Donald Trump.
Fox News' Yael Rotem-Kuriel, Trey Yingst, Rachel Wolf and Stephen Sorace, as well as The Associated Press, contributed to this report.
Senior Islamic State leader killed in Iraq, Trump says his 'miserable life was terminated'
The leader of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria has been killed, Iraq's prime minister announced on Friday.
Abdallah Maki Mosleh al-Rifai, or "Abu Khadija," was killed in an operation by members of the Iraqi national intelligence service along with U.S.-led coalition forces, Iraq's Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani said in a statement.
The prime minister described al-Rifai as "one of the most dangerous terrorists in Iraq and the world."
U.S. President Donald Trump reacted to the news on his social media platform Truth Social, saying al-Rifai's "miserable life was terminated."
FORMER IRAQI REFUGEE LIVING IN TEXAS PLEADS GUILTY TO CONSPIRING TO SUPPORT ISIS
"Today the fugitive leader of ISIS in Iraq was killed," Trump wrote Friday night. "He was relentlessly hunted down by our intrepid warfighters. His miserable life was terminated, along with another member of ISIS, in coordination with the Iraqi Government and the Kurdish Regional Government."
"PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH!" the president added.
U.S. Central Command said in a statement that its forces, in cooperation with Iraqi Intelligence and security forces, conducted an airstrike in Al Anbar Province, Iraq, that killed the "Global ISIS #2 leader, Chief of Global Operations and the Delegated Committee Emir – Abdallah Makki Muslih al-Rifai, alias 'Abu Khadijah,' and one other ISIS operative."
"As the Emir of ISIS’ most senior decision-making body, Abu Khadijah maintained responsibility for operations, logistics, and planning conducted by ISIS globally, and directs a significant portion of finance for the group’s global organization," CENTCOM said.
After the strike, U.S. and Iraqi forces moved to the location of the strike and found both dead ISIS targets who were each wearing unexploded "suicide vests" and who had multiple weapons, CENTCOM said.
U.S. and Iraqi forces were able to identify al-Rifai using DNA collected in a previous raid where he narrowly escaped.
"Abu Khadijah was one of the most important ISIS members in the entire global ISIS organization. We will continue to kill terrorists and dismantle their organizations that threaten our homeland and U.S., allied and partner personnel in the region and beyond," Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla, commander at CENTCOM, said in a statement.
Pages
Advertisement
