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Former French President François Hollande said in a recent interview that President Donald Trump and his administration are "no longer" allies.

When asked to analyze Trump’s first few weeks back in the Oval Office, Hollande did not hold back on criticisms.

In a blunt interview with French news outlet Le Monde, Hollande, who left office in 2017, said that "Even if the American people remain our friends, the Trump administration itself is no longer our ally." The former French leader also accused Trump of "making pacts with our adversaries."

FRENCH PRESIDENT MACRON ASKS IF EUROPEANS ARE 'READY TO DEFEND' THEIR INTERESTS IN WAKE OF TRUMP ELECTION

Hollande asserts that Trump sees the U.S., Russia and China as the "only three powers that count," and that for the U.S. president, "Europe no longer exists." The former French leader also argued that Trump’s "real target" is Europe, not China, leading Hollande to believe that a U.S.-European "divorce" is on the horizon.

The former French leader cites Trump’s decision to call Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy a "dictator," combined with his willingness to hold direct talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin and the U.S. vote against a U.N. resolution condemning Russia as reasons for this potential "divorce."

When it comes to NATO, Hollande says it’s time for the alliance to prepare for the possibility of Trump not complying with Article 5, which states that an attack on any NATO nation is an attack on all. This obligates all NATO nations to come to the aid of the one that suffers an armed attack. 

TRUMP WELCOMED BY WORLD LEADERS AT NOTRE DAME REOPENING CEREMONY IN 'PRESIDENTIAL' FASHION

While the Trump administration has made a push for European nations to step up their defense and take more action on their own continent, there is no indication that the U.S. is planning to remove itself from the alliance. 

Hollande has long been a critic of Trump. In 2016, while he was still in office, Hollande urged the American people to back Hillary Clinton and said Trump would be "dangerous" and "complicate relations between Europe and the U.S."

TRUMP MEETS FRANCE'S MACRON AT WHITE HOUSE, SAYS 'LOT OF PROGRESS' MADE TOWARD ENDING WAR IN UKRAINE

On Monday, Trump met with Hollande’s successor, French President Emmanuel Macron. After the two participated in a call with Group of Seven (G7) leaders, Trump said that "a lot of progress has been made" toward ending the war in Ukraine. Additionally, Trump said Macron is a "special man," and the U.S. wants to keep its "very special" relationship with France "going for a long period of time."

Macron described himself and Trump as "personal friends." 

"And, I'm here as well, after discussions with all my colleagues, to say that Europe is willing to step up to be a stronger partner, to do more in defense and security for this continent, and as well to be a reliable partner and to be engaged in trade, economy, investment," Macron said.

Fox News’ Greg Norman contributed to this report.

The U.S. Embassy in Bangkok is warning Americans of potential "violent retaliatory attacks" Friday after a group of 45 Uyghurs were deported by Thailand to China in a move Secretary of State Marco Rubio condemned in the "strongest possible terms." 

Thai police and security officials said China had given assurances that the men — who had been in custody for more than a decade — wouldn't face penalties or be harmed. They said at a news conference Thursday that all of them voluntarily returned after being shown a translation of a written Chinese agreement requesting their repatriation and declaring they would be allowed to live normally. 

"Similar deportations have prompted violent retaliatory attacks in the past," the U.S. Embassy warned though on Friday. "Most notably, in the wake of a 2015 deportation of Uyghurs from Thailand, improvised explosive devices detonated at the Erawan Shrine in Bangkok killing 20 people and injuring 125 others as this shrine is heavily visited by tourists from China." 

The Embassy is now encouraging Americans in Thailand to "exercise increased caution and vigilance, especially in crowded locations frequented by tourists due to the potential for increased collateral risk." 

FEMALE AMERICAN TOURIST, 37, GOES MISSING DURING JET SKI RIDE IN THAILAND: REPORT 

Rubio slammed the deportations Thursday, describing it as a "forced return of at least 40 Uyghurs to China, where they lack due process rights and where Uyghurs have faced persecution, forced labor, and torture." 

"As Thailand’s longstanding ally, we are alarmed by this action, which risks running afoul of its international obligations under the U.N. Convention Against Torture and the International Convention on the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance," Rubio continued. "This act runs counter to the Thai people’s longstanding tradition of protection for the most vulnerable and is inconsistent with Thailand’s commitment to protect human rights." 

"We urge all governments in countries where Uyghurs seek protection not to forcibly return ethnic Uyghurs to China," he added. 

"We call on Chinese authorities to provide full access to verify the well-being of the returned Uyghurs on a regular basis," Rubio also said. "The Thai Government must insist and fully verify continuously that Chinese authorities protect the Uyghurs’ human rights." 

TOP HOUSE REPUBLICAN THREATENS TO EXPOSE CCP OFFICIALS IF CHINA INVADES TAIWAN 

Thai lawmakers, activists and lawyers had raised the alarm Wednesday that the men were about to be deported, and after midnight, trucks with black sheets covering their windows left Bangkok's Immigration Detention Center, where they had been held, according to the Associated Press. 

The news agency reported that it appeared the truck drove them to Bangkok's Don Mueang airport, where a China Southern Airlines plane was waiting, and then flew to the heartland of China's Uyghur population in northwestern Xinjiang province. 

In a statement on Facebook, the Chinese Embassy acknowledged Thursday that 40 Chinese nationals who it said entered Thailand illegally were deported to Xinjiang by a chartered flight. 

It said the men had been detained in Thailand for more than 10 years because of "complicated international factors." 

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

Pope Francis remains hospitalized in Rome after being diagnosed with double pneumonia two weeks ago, but is in a continued state of improvement, according to a statement from the Vatican late Thursday.

"As in previous days, the Pope had a peaceful night and is now resting," the Vatican said, notably omitting the word "critical" from its update for the second day in a row.

The statement said the high-flow oxygen therapy he has been receiving now includes treatments with a ventimask.

Despite his improvement, the 88-year-old pontiff's prognosis remains "guarded" and will not change until he is stable for "several more days," the Vatican said.

POPE FRANCIS' CONDITION CONTINUES TO IMPROVE AS HE RECEIVES OXYGEN THERAPY: VATICAN

The Pope was admitted to Rome's Gemelli Hospital for respiratory issues on Valentine's Day and was later diagnosed with double pneumonia. He was initially in critical condition under a "concerning set of circumstances," but has started to slightly improve. 

When writing about the pope’s condition earlier this week, Fox News Channel’s senior medical analyst Dr. Marc Siegel explained that bilateral pneumonia "is more problematic and more difficult to recover from," especially for "an elderly patient with scarring from previous surgeries and bouts of pneumonia."

POPE FRANCIS' HEALTH STATUS AND PROGNOSIS: DOCTOR GIVES UPDATE

Siegel also touched on the pope receiving high-flow oxygen therapy, explaining that the treatment is used for breathing issues, "but is not as aggressive as CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) or mechanical ventilation." Siegel said it is a "good sign" that the pope is not on a ventilator.

"Don’t underestimate the impact of great medical care combined with the power of prayer," Siegel added.

The pope has grappled with health issues for years and even needed to have part of his lung removed in 1957 after battling pneumonia at 21 years old. He also underwent heart surgery in 2021 and 2023.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday is set to meet with President Donald Trump for the first time since he re-entered the White House to sign what could be a key minerals deal to help end Russia’s war. 

Though some details of the agreement have emerged since the meeting was announced this week, the exact terms remain unclear, and European leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, are waiting to see what could come out of this agreement, particularly when it comes to security demands.

Trump on Wednesday told reporters that Zelenskyy could "forget about" any ambitions to join NATO, but the Ukrainian president also said that day that he needs security guarantees, otherwise "we won't have a ceasefire, nothing will work, nothing."

WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT US-UKRAINE MINERAL DEAL SO FAR

"I want to find a NATO path or something similar," Zelenskyy said.

Ukrainian leadership has long sought NATO membership, and in 2008 at the Bucharest Summit the alliance agreed Ukraine would eventually become a member of NATO, a defense partnership Zelenskyy has since argued is the best defense against a future Russian invasion.

Trump told reporters that by entering into a minerals deal with Washington, Kyiv will be granted "automatic security" guarantees by the mere presence of American extractors on Ukrainian soil.

"Nobody’s going to be messing around with our people when we’re there," Trump said. "We’ll be there in that way."

ZELENSKYY LOOKING FOR ‘NATO OR SOMETHING SIMILAR’ AS HE PREPARES FOR MEETING WITH TRUMP

But it remains unclear if this "guarantee" will be enough to comfort Zelenskyy, and according to former CIA Moscow Station Chief Dan Hoffman, there are too many outstanding factors to determine whether Putin would be deterred, including Kyiv's rearmament capabilities and whether NATO nations would agree to send in troops to Ukraine. 

"As far as deterring Putin from attacking again [and] as far as Ukraine's relationship with the United States, especially with this administration, you want the U.S. to have economic skin in the game," Hoffman said. "That's how you walk down that path of closer bilateral relationship, and one where it's certainly in our interest … for [Ukraine] to be an independent, sovereign nation."

Trump said on Wednesday that European allies, including the U.K. and France, will be watching U.S. negotiations with Ukraine and Russia "very closely."

"They volunteered to put so-called peacekeepers on the site. And I think that’s a good thing," he added.

In response to questions by Fox News Digital over the European Union’s position on a U.S.-Ukraine minerals deal, top diplomat for the EU, Kaja Kallas, said the agreement could prove positive for Kyiv so long as it puts Ukraine in a position of strength when it comes to countering Russia at the negotiating table.

"[The] U.S. also has a very clear self-interest in play, and that hopefully makes U.S. support Ukraine more, because economic ties are making this stronger," she said. "And then it all works."

"Right now, it is a very important message that we send that we are behind Ukraine, to make them strong enough to be able to say no to a bad deal," she added. 

But it's not just European allies watching the dealings unfold; Putin is also keeping a close eye on a U.S.-Ukraine minerals deal.

Putin's representatives reportedly proposed a similar deal to the Trump administration while meeting in Saudi Arabia last week, and they said a deal could be brokered to give the U.S. access to minerals in Ukrainian regions now occupied by invading Russian forces, including Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia.

The Trump administration has reportedly not ruled out an economic deal with Moscow. 

Hoffman said it is in Zelenskyy's strategic interest to make a deal with Trump, as it would hamper Putin's strategic goals. 

"[Putin] doesn't want Ukraine to have commercial relationships with Europe and the United States," he said. "That was part of why he wanted to topple the central government in Kyiv and then install a puppet regime that was beholden to Russia.

"The more links Ukraine has to the West … commercial links, diplomatic and strategic military links … it's not good for Putin," Hoffman added.

European leaders are weary of President Donald Trump’s push to secure a peace deal between Ukraine and Russia, with the European Union's top diplomat saying that Russian President Vladimir Putin "doesn’t really want peace."

Trump on Thursday said his administration had been in "very good talks with Russia," though he did not expand on whether any tangible progress in ending Russia’s war in Ukraine had begun.

Some NATO allies, as well as the U.S.'s decades-old partners, are increasingly frustrated with President Trump’s controversial comments about Ukraine in what has been perceived as a cost of Washington bettering ties with Moscow.

"[The] U.S. is talking to Russia, and you have to establish contacts," EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas told Fox News Digital in a sit-down interview. "But right now, Russia doesn't really want peace. 

UKRAINE ENTERS FOURTH YEAR OF WAR WITH RUSSIA: ‘CLOSER TO THE BEGINNING THAN WE ARE TO THE END’

"[Russia] … wants us to think that they can wait us out and that time is on their side, but it's not really so," she continued. "If we increase the pressure, economic pressure on them, but also political pressure, if we support Ukraine so that they would be stronger on the battlefield, then they would also be stronger behind the negotiation table."

The warning comes as Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy are set to secure a minerals deal on Friday in what some hope could eventually help ceasefire discussions.

Trump has championed his ability to re-enter talks with Russia and his successful demands that NATO nations share more of the economic burden in securing Ukraine. 

NATO allies did drastically ramp up their defense spending after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, but the stark reversal of U.S. policy in Ukraine between the Trump and Biden administrations has sent some European nations reeling.

While some allies, like the U.K., are looking to prove to Trump that Washington and London have more shared values than not, other leaders, like the incoming chancellor of Germany, are looking to distance themselves from the U.S., a position Berlin has not taken since the fall of Nazi Germany at the end of World War II.

Kallas, in speaking with Fox News Digital, also looked to remind the Trump administration of the important value of the NATO alliance and emphasized the only time Article 5 has been called in the 76 years since the alliance was formed was after the 9/11 attacks on the U.S.

EU WARNS TRUMP AGAINST LETTING PUTIN DIVIDE THE US AND EUROPE: 'LET’S NOT DO HIM THE FAVOR'

"In terms of … international security, we need to work together with the Americans, who have been our allies for a very, very long time," she said. "And we have been there for America."

Kallas, who served as the first female prime minister of Estonia, pointed to the sacrifices that NATO troops made in aiding the U.S. fight in the War on Terror.

"We, as Estonia, lost as many soldiers per capita as the United States," she said. "We were there for you when you asked for help. 

"That's why it's painful to hear messages that, you know, we don't care about our European allies. It should work both ways," Kallas added. 

The EU chief diplomat has repeatedly urged the U.S. and European nations not to let Putin succeed in dividing the West over Ukraine. 

Ultimately, she argued that the U.S. needs to remain a steadfast partner with Europe in deterring Russian aggression because it is not only Putin that poses an active threat to the collective alliance.

Kallas visited Washington this week to meet with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and lawmakers about vital issues that affect the EU-U.S. security partnership, though her meeting with Rubio was canceled.

The State Department did not confirm why the meeting was canceled without being rescheduled during her stay in Washington, though Kallas said that after positive discussions with Rubio at the Munich Security Conference earlier this month, she if confident communication will remain ongoing.

"There’s a lot to discuss, from Ukraine to the Middle East, also what is happening in Africa, Iran – where we have definitely mutual interest to cooperate – and not to mention China as well," Kallas said.  "There are a lot of topics that we can do [work] together with our transatlantic partners."

Mexico has begun the process of extraditing dozens of high-level cartel leaders and members to the U.S., including Rafael Caro Quintero, a former leader of the Guadalajara cartel involved in the kidnapping and murder of Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agent Enrique "Kiki" Camarena in 1985.

The founders of Los Zetas, Miguel and Omar Morales, also known as Z-40 and Z-42, will be extradited to the U.S. as well.

The extraditions were done at the request of the U.S. government as President Donald Trump’s tariff deadline looms. One of the president’s demands is for Mexico to crack down on dangerous cartels and fentanyl production and distribution.

SINALOA CARTEL TAKES ROOT IN AMERICAN NEIGHBORHOODS: WHERE ARE THEY?

"This morning, 29 people who were deprived of their liberty in different penitentiary centers in the country were transferred to the United States of America, which were required due to their links with criminal organizations for drug trafficking, among other crimes," Mexico’s Attorney General's Office and Secretariat of Security and Citizen Protection wrote. 

"The custody, transfer and formal delivery of said people is carried out under institutional protocols with due respect for their fundamental rights, in accordance with our Constitution and the National Security Law and at the request of the United States Department of Justice. 

"This action is part of the tasks of coordination, cooperation and bilateral reciprocity, within the framework of respect for the sovereignty of both nations."

The Associated Press reported that the removal of the Mexican drug lords coincided with a visit to Washington, D.C., by Mexican Foreign Minister Juan Ramón de la Fuente and other top economic and military officials, who met with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

The meeting was the latest in ongoing negotiations with the U.S. over trade and security relations, which have radically shifted since Trump returned to the Oval Office Jan. 20.

Negotiations resulted in the handover of one of the FBI’s ten most wanted fugitives, Caro Quintero, who walked free in 2013 after serving 28 years in prison. Caro Quintero was released when a court overturned his 40-year sentence for the 1985 kidnapping and killing of DEA agent Camarena.

Caro Quintero was arrested again by Mexican forces in July 2022 after he allegedly returned to drug trafficking. He was the former leader of the Guadalajara cartel, and the DEA alleges he had returned to drug trafficking and ordered bloody attacks in the northern Mexico border state of Sonora. 

Caro Quintero blamed Camarena for a raid on a marijuana plantation in 1984, allegedly ordering his kidnapping the following year. Camarena’s body was found a month later with evidence of torture and abuse. 

The FBI added Caro Quintero to the Top 10 Most Wanted list in 2018 and offered a reward of up to $20 million for information leading to Quintero’s arrest and/or conviction. 

MEXICO NABS FBI MOST WANTED CARTEL BOSS ACCUSED OF '80S KIDNAPPING, MURDER OF DEA AGENT

In January, a nonprofit group representing the Camarena family urged the Trump administration to renew longstanding U.S. requests for Mexico to extradite Caro Quintero, the AP learned after obtaining a copy of the letter from a person familiar with the family’s outreach.

"His return to the U.S. would give the family much-needed closure and serve the best interests of justice," the letter said.

Since taking office, Trump has threatened to impose trade tariffs on Mexico, and several Mexican cartels have been designated by the State Department as foreign terrorist organizations. 

The U.S. had sought the extradition of Caro Quintero shortly after his arrest in 2022. But the request remained stuck at Mexico’s foreign ministry for unknown reasons as Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum’s predecessor and political mentor, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, curtailed Mexican cooperation with the DEA to protest undercover U.S. law enforcement operations in Mexico targeting senior political and military officials.

The removal of the Treviño Morales brothers also marks the end of a long process that began after the capture in 2013 of Miguel Treviño Morales and his brother, Omar, in 2015. The process went on for so many years that Mexico Attorney General Alejandro Gertz Manero described the lags as "truly shameful."

The Treviño Morales family, accused by American authorities of running the violent  Northeast Cartel from prison, have charges pending in the U.S. for alleged participation in a criminal organization, drug trafficking, gun offenses and money laundering.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

FIRST ON FOX — The United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) abruptly cut off a video statement when the speaker mentioned the fate of Ariel and Kfir Bibas.

The incident took place during an "Interactive Dialogue" regarding the UNHRC’s consideration of U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk’s report on "the human rights situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and the obligation to ensure accountability and justice." 

During an "Interactive Dialogue" experts are allowed to speak to the council about human rights issues being discussed during the regular session.

ISRAEL'S UN AMBASSADOR SLAMS HAMAS' 'EVIL AND DEPRAVED' DISPLAY OF HOSTAGES' COFFINS

Touro Institute on Human Rights and the Holocaust Director Anne Bayefsky says she submitted a video statement to UNHRC, but was cut off after just a few seconds. President of the U.N. Human Rights Council Jürg Lauber stopped the video and declared that Bayefsky had used inappropriate language.

Bayefsky begins by saying "The world now knows Palestinian savages murdered 9-month-old baby Kfir," and is almost immediately cut off by Lauber.

"Sorry, I have to interrupt," Lauber abruptly said as the video of Bayefsky was paused. Lauber briefly objected to the "language" used in the video, but then allowed it to continue. After a few more seconds, the video was shut off entirely. Lauber reiterated that "the language that’s used by the speaker cannot be tolerated," adding that it "exceeds clearly the limits of tolerance and respect."

‘NO SANE COUNTRY WOULD STAND FOR THIS’: LAWMAKERS LAUNCH EFFORT TO WITHDRAW US FROM UN

Bayefsky told Fox News Digital exclusively that U.N.-accredited NGOs are required to give transcripts and videos one day in advance of the "Interactive Dialogue." She believes the U.N. "stage managed" the incident, as the council had advanced access to her video and a transcript and knew what she would say.

U.N. Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) Spokesperson Pascal Sim did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment on Bayefsky’s allegations.

"It's a total farce. There is no free speech at the U.N. for any NGO that calls out U.N. antisemitism. This is not harmless censorship. This is a war that the U.N. has declared against Jews, against Americans, and against free speech," Bayefsky told Fox News Digital.

Bayefsky explained to Fox News Digital that she started her video this way because she was allotted 1 minute and 30 seconds to address the council and wanted to "get right to the point."

"The actual horrors of the extermination of the Bibas babies by Palestinians was off limits and pointing out the UN responsibility for their murder and torture was ‘inappropriate,’" Bayefsky said.

Bayefsky also contends that another part of her video may have been to blame for the censorship.

"What U.N. officials knew, and the audience didn't, was that in my statement I demanded accountability for High Commissioner Türk himself - one of the world's primary drivers of Palestinian terrorism and antisemitism on a global scale," Bayefsky told Fox News Digital.

In a transcript of the blocked video shared with Fox News Digital, Bayefsky calls Türk a "High Commissioner for Human Wrongs" and says he has "the blood of Jewish innocents on his hands."

Critics, including Bayefsky, have slammed Türk for putting out a statement on Oct. 7, 2023, that appeared to equate Hamas’ attacks with Israel’s response. In the statement, Türk says he was "shocked and appalled" by the violent attacks before going on to condemn Israel.

In response to a Fox News Digital request for comment on Bayefsky’s video being cut off, Sim said that "the words of the President of the Human Rights Council speak for themselves."

During the same hearing, Qatar was allowed to accuse Israel of being a "torturer," using "collective punishment," and attempting "to impose Judaism" in the West Bank and Gaza without any evidence or interruption. Multiple speakers were also allowed to accuse Israel of carrying out a genocide, also with no objection from Lauber.

Additionally, Defense for Children International, which describes itself as a "local Palestinian child rights organization," claimed that "Israeli soldiers know that they can kill Palestinian children with impunity and not face any professional or legal consequences." No evidence was offered, and the council did not object to the accusations. 

"We know exactly why I was censored by knowing what the UN did not censor during this very same ‘dialogue,’" Bayefsky told Fox News Digital. "There was no censorship, no cut microphones, no problem saying Israel was committing ‘genocide against Palestinians’… The blood libels and incitement to hate and more violence was voluminous. And that was all just fine with the U.N."

Bayefsky says it’s time for the U.S. to cut off funding to the OHCHR.

While President Donald Trump issued an Executive Order prohibiting the U.S. from participating in UNHRC, it did not address funding to OHCHR, Bayefsky explained.

"The bulk of American funding for the U.N. in this context is for Türk and his kingdom at the ‘U.N. Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights’… If ever Americans needed one more reason not to pay another cent for U.N.-driven lethal antisemitism, this is it."

Pope Francis’ condition is reportedly "improving" as he receives high-flow oxygen therapy and therapy with a ventimask, according to a statement from the Vatican.

"Given the complexity of his condition, further days of clinical stability are necessary to resolve the prognosis," the Vatican’s statement read.

POPE FRANCIS INJURED AS VATICAN CONFIRMS 2ND FALL IN MATTER OF WEEKS

The 88-year-old pontiff was hospitalized on Feb. 14 for respiratory issues and was later diagnosed with bilateral pneumonia.

"The Holy Father dedicated the morning to respiratory physiotherapy alternating it with rest, while in the afternoon after another physiotherapy session, he gathered in prayer in the Chapel of the private apartment located on the 10th floor, receiving the Eucharist; then he dedicated himself to work activities," the Vatican added.

POPE FRANCIS’ MEDICAL CONDITION: WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT BILATERAL PNEUMONIA

On Wednesday, the Vatican said that Pope Francis’ doctors detected the kidney insufficiency that had been detected in recent days had receded, blood tests showed a slight improvement, and a chest CT scan showed that his complex lung infection was taking the "normal evolution" as it is being treated.

When writing about the pope’s condition on Tuesday, Fox News Channel’s senior medical analyst Dr. Marc Siegel explained that bilateral pneumonia "is more problematic and more difficult to recover from," especially for "an elderly patient with scarring from previous surgeries and bouts of pneumonia."

The pope has grappled with health issues for years and even needed to have part of his lung removed in 1957.

Dr. Siegel also touched on the pope receiving high-flow oxygen therapy, explaining that the treatment is used for breathing issues, "but is not as aggressive as CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) or mechanical ventilation." He noted that it is a "good sign" that the pope is not on a ventilator.

"Don’t underestimate the impact of great medical care combined with the power of prayer," Dr. Siegel adds.

Fox News’ Stephen Sorace contributed to this report.

An American tourist reportedly vanished Thursday in Thailand while jet skiing along a beach near Phuket. 

Nina Ng, 37, was reported missing to authorities after she failed to return past her allotted rental time, jet ski rental operator Saranuwat Nasok told Asia Pacific Press.  

"I found the jet ski parked under a kilometer from the beach. Her belongings and life jacket were on it. I called my friends for help, and we searched for around an hour but we still couldn't find her," Nasok said. 

Ng, who was born and raised in New York City, is a Chinese-American nurse and the founder and president of Help Me Live USA, an organization that provides humanitarian relief to people in conflict zones such as the Gaza Strip, its website says. On an Instagram account purportedly belonging to Ng, she recently posted images taken from Lebanon and Jordan. 

LAW STUDENT KILLED BY ELEPHANT DURING VACATION TO THAILAND: OFFICIALS 

The reason for Ng’s reported disappearance near Patong Beach is unclear. 

"I asked a boat driver working in the area, and he said he saw the tourist take off her life jacket to jump into the water," Nasok told Asia Pacific Press. 

Video taken at the scene purportedly showed first responders gathering at the beach to search for Ng. 

Both Help Me Live USA and the U.S. State Department did not immediately respond Thursday to requests for comment from Fox News Digital. 

AMERICAN TOURISTS ATTACKED BY SHARK AT BAHAMAS RESORT AREA 

Local authorities said the U.S. Embassy in Bangkok has been alerted to Ng’s disappearance, according to Asia Pacific Press. 

Ng "has served as an emergency medicine registered nurse, hospital administrator, and humanitarian leader for over 15 years," Help Me Live USA said, adding that "she has worked in numerous conflict settings and war zones including Haiti, Iraq, Bangladesh, Mexico, Ukraine, Sierra Leone, and Gaza." 

"Several years ago, Ms. Ng left the hospital setting in the United States in order to dedicate more of her time to humanitarian aid. Her calling to help underserved populations has been so strong that she founded her own non-profit organization, Help Me Live USA, in 2023," it added.  

"Nina is currently a nomad who lives in different parts of the globe in between work assignments," the organization also said. "She has a great love for children, nature, and animals." 

Israeli police say a suspected ramming attack Thursday injured at least 10 people, including at least one who is in serious condition, according to the TPS Israeli news agency.

The incident happened at a bus station in Karkur Junction on Route 65 in northern Israel. All of those wounded were evacuated to a nearby hospital, Fox News has learned.

An Israeli police spokesperson said in a statement obtained by Fox News identified the driver as a 53-year-old Palestinian from the Jenin area who was "in Israel unlawfully and married to an Israeli citizen." 

HAMAS TO RELEASE BODIES OF 4 DEAD HOSTAGES, NETANYAHU SAYS

"Preliminary findings indicate that he deliberately targeted civilians waiting at a bus stop," the statement said. "The terrorist has been neutralized. This remains an active investigation." 

The police commissioner is conducting "an on-site situational assessment" in the wake of the incident, the statement added. 

Graphic images show a man's body in the street next to the vehicle used in the incident and members of the Israeli security forces nearby in a cordoned-off area. 

FUNERAL HELD FOR SHIRI BIBAS AND HER SONS AFTER THEIR REMAINS HANDED OVER BY HAMAS

There is a heavy police presence in the area, as a search for other possible attackers is underway.

This is a developing news story. Check back for updates. Fox News' Yael Kuriel and Thomas Ferraro contributed to this report.

Pope Francis had a peaceful night and was resting Thursday morning, the Holy See announced, after doctors said the 88-year-old pontiff has shown further slight improvement as he battles double pneumonia.

Francis has been hospitalized for nearly two weeks at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital for pneumonia in both his lungs. He had breakfast and continued his therapy Thursday morning in good spirits, officials said.

"The Pope slept well last night and is now resting," the Holy See said in a brief statement. The results of more medical tests were expected later Thursday. 

The Vatican said in a statement late Wednesday that doctors reported the kidney insufficiency that had been detected in recent days had receded, blood tests showed a slight improvement and a chest CT scan showed that his complex lung infection was taking the "normal evolution" as it is being treated.

POPE FRANCIS SHARES WRITTEN MESSAGE WHILE CONTINUING HOSPITALIZATION

The Vatican also said the pope, who had part of one lung removed as a young man, remains on "high-flow oxygen therapy" but hasn't had any more respiratory crises since Saturday. 

While Francis’ health showed a "slight improvement," the Vatican said, his "prognosis remains reserved."

POPE FRANCIS' HEALTH STATUS AND PROGNOSIS: DOCTOR GIVES UPDATE

Francis was admitted to the hospital on Feb. 14 after a week-long bout of bronchitis worsened. Doctors first diagnosed the complex viral, bacterial and fungal respiratory tract infection and subsequently the onset of pneumonia in both lungs.

Thursday marked Francis' 13th day in the hospital, exceeding the longest hospitalization of his papacy. He spent 10 days at Gemelli Hospital in 2021 after he had 13 inches of his colon removed.

Fox News Digital’s Anders Hagstrom and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

An American tourist in Paris was taken into custody after allegedly throwing a newborn out of a hotel window, leading to its death. 

The incident involving the young woman, who was 18 years old, unfolded early Monday at an Ibis Styles hotel, according to the Le Parisien newspaper. French prosecutors later said the woman was traveling with a group of young people to Europe. 

"We are deeply shocked and saddened by this tragic event, and our thoughts are with everyone affected during this difficult time," the Massachusetts-based EF Gap Year told Fox News Digital in a statement Wednesday, noting that the woman was involved in one of their programs.

"We are fully cooperating with local authorities as they continue their investigation. Counselling support has been offered to all group members, and we are extending our support to the impacted families," it added, without naming the woman. 

PROMINENT COLORADO DEVELOPER ASSASSINATED AT LUXURY BELIZE HOME: REPORT 

Emergency responders rushed the newborn to a hospital after it allegedly was thrown from the second-floor window of the hotel, but the child was pronounced dead. 

In Paris, the child protection police unit has been tasked with investigating the case as the homicide of a minor under 15 years old. 

AMERICANS CONSIDERING SPRING BREAK VACATION IN MEXICO WARNED OF MURDER SPIKE 

Authorities are considering the possibility of pregnancy denial, a condition in which a woman remains unaware of or in denial about her pregnancy until labor. 

EF Gap Year says on its website that its program is for ages 18-22. 

"Discover the world on the ultimate, global gap year: explore Europe, Asia and Australia through a combination of guided exploration and cultural immersion," it said. "Travel across three continents, then discover what it’s like to live independently abroad while learning a language or interning." 

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer is staring down a geopolitical tightrope ahead of his meeting with President Donald Trump on Thursday as he looks to stay strong on support for Ukraine, as well as maintaining relations with the U.S. — London’s chief ally. 

But the tense international atmosphere is not the only hurdle Starmer is facing following his waning approval ratings at home.

The U.K. saw a massive political shake-up in July 2024 after voters ended the Conservative Party’s 14-year reign and voted in the Labour Party under Starmer. But in the months following his election, Starmer’s approval ratings reportedly took a historic dip.

'TRUMP EFFECT' ON DISPLAY AS UK'S STARMER BOOSTS DEFENSE SPENDING ON EVE OF US VISIT

Controversial topics like axing a winter fuel repayment program, policy reversals relating to political donations, and partisan uproar over issues like immigration, knife crime and a deal that could hand over the Chagos Islands to Mauritius along with more than $11 billion, have reportedly contributed to Starmer’s tanking support. 

Colin Brazier, an award-winning retired English journalist and veteran observer of the U.K.'s culture wars, told Fox News Digital that with some eight months in power, there's a reason why Starmer's approval ratings have "fallen faster than almost any previous incumbent."

"Why?" he asked. "New taxes on everything from schools to farms and a sense that Britain is ‘undeveloping’ before our very eyes. Immigration on a scale never before seen is testing the Welfare State, transport network, housing stock and National Health Service to destruction. Starmer’s Labour Party detests MAGA at a cellular level. But their beleaguered leader needs to show statesmanship, and a picture with the president does that."

But one foreign policy expert believes that the Starmer-Trump meeting could be an opportunity for the prime minister to gain some points at home while also soothing diplomatic ties. 

"I think what he's obviously been doing is trying to take the edge off some of President Trump's sort of more surprising statements… then trying to put Britain in the best positive light when it comes to the president's considerations," Alan Mendoza, Executive Director of the Henry Jackson Society, a non-partisan U.K.-based think tank told Fox News Digital.

"The polling tells you that President Trump is very unpopular in Britain," Mendoza said. "But that doesn't mean that the British government is going to listen to those opinion polls. The British government has to govern.

"British people may have a certain view of President Trump, but the British government, the British political class, may well have a very different view of what he's trying to achieve and where they should be positioning themselves," he added.

Despite Starmer’s waning ratings and low favorability of Trump among Brits, Mendoza doesn’t think these factors will shape how Starmer approaches his meeting with Trump on Thursday.

BRACE FOR A 'POLITICAL REVOLUTION' IN EUROPE, UK'S NIGEL FARAGE SAYS AFTER VANCE'S SPEECH IN MUNICH

Instead, Mendoza pointed to the successful meeting between Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron, as an indicator of how Starmer’s discussions could go.

"I think there would be a path to great popularity if he's able to shape President Trump's thinking on certain subjects," Mendoza said. 

Starmer’s ability to make inroads with Trump could have immediate implications as issues that directly impact Brits' pockets are expected to be top agenda items — including the looming U.S. tariffs on U.K. steel.

The British embassy confirmed to Fox News Digital that while topics involving U.S.-U.K. defense alliances and support for Ukraine are expected to be addressed, topics involving shared economic and trade-based partnerships will also be prioritized. 

Trump’s threat to slap 25% tariffs on U.K. and EU imports is a topic Britain hopes it is uniquely positioned to address given its "very specialized" trading position on steel and aluminum, U.K. secretary for business and trade, Jonathan Reynolds, told the BBC this month.  

A British embassy spokesperson said Starmer will look to highlight the economic "synergies" shared between the U.K. and U.S. when it comes to tech, AI, trade and investments.

"That's going to be a big priority," spokesman Ed Roman said. 

Hamas released four dead hostages to the Red Cross on Thursday, marking another step in the first phase of the cease-fire between the terrorist group and Israel.

The exchange, which took place in the Gaza Strip, was confirmed by an Israeli security official. Egyptian mediators assisted in the delivery of the caskets, which Israeli officials have begun to identify.

At the same time, Israel released hundreds of Palestinian prisoners in a move that was previously delayed. Red Cross convoys assisted with the transport of the detainees.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office previously confirmed the exchange on Wednesday, noting that it was likely to take place without the humiliating "ceremonies" that Hamas has engaged in prior.

ISRAEL'S UN AMBASSADOR SLAMS HAMAS' 'EVIL AND DEPRAVED' DISPLAY OF HOSTAGES' COFFINS

On Saturday, Netanyahu temporarily delayed the seventh hostage-prisoner exchange in protest of Hamas's release ceremonies, which were used to generate propaganda. In one ceremony, hostages were forced to pose with Hamas fighters and kiss militants on the head.

"In light of Hamas’s repeated violations, including the ceremonies that humiliate our hostages and the cynical exploitation of our hostages for propaganda purposes, it has been decided to delay the release of terrorists that was planned for yesterday until the release of the next hostages has been assured, and without the humiliating ceremonies," Netanyahu's statement said.

Hamas had called the delay a "serious violation," though the militant group's treatment of prisoners was condemned by international groups, including the United Nations.

FUNERAL HELD FOR SHIRI BIBAS AND HER SONS AFTER THEIR REMAINS HANDED OVER BY HAMAS

"Under international law, any handover of the remains of [the] deceased must comply with the prohibition of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, ensuring respect for the dignity of the deceased and their families," the United Nations Geneva said on X last week, attributing the quote to High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk.

Israeli United Nations Ambassador Danny Danon told Fox News Digital that Hamas' "ceremonies" were "evil and depraved."

"For 16 months, Israel has been fighting a deranged terrorist organization that places no value on human life, especially if it is Israeli or Jewish — all while international institutions like the U.N. refrained from condemning Hamas and formally demanding the immediate return of our hostages," Danon said.

The Associated Press and Fox News' Rachel Wolf and Yael Rotem-Kuriel contributed to this report.

JERUSALEM: The U.N.’s International Atomic Energy Agency announced on Wednesday that Iran has produced dramatically more uranium that can be used in six atomic bombs and stressed that Tehran has made no progress on resolving outstanding issues.

"The significantly increased production and accumulation of high enriched uranium by Iran, the only non-nuclear weapon state to produce such nuclear material, is of serious concern," the IAEA noted in a report according to Reuters.

Last week, Fox News Digital reported that, according to Iranian regime media outlets, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) General Ebrahim Jabbari said, "Operation True Promise 3 will be carried out at the right time, with precision, and on a scale sufficient to destroy Israel and raze Tel Aviv and Haifa to the ground."

IRAN ‘TERRIFIED’ OF TRUMP PRESIDENCY AS IRANIAN CURRENCY FALLS TO AN ALL-TIME LOW

Tehran’s regime launched two massive aerial attacks against the Jewish state, a key U.S. ally in the Middle East, in 2024.

Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and President Trump’s nominee for U.S. ambassador to Israel issued a dire warning about the Islamic Republic of Iran’s desire to wipe Israel and the United States off the map.

Huckabee told Fox News' Maria Bartiromo on "Mornings with Maria," on Wednesday that Iran’s regime is "crazy enough to use it" with respect to an atomic bomb and "when someone keeps telling you they're going to kill you at some point, you better take them seriously, and you better preempt it before they get the shot off."

He added, "The Iranians have to be taken seriously. They constantly said and never backed away from the fact that Israel is the appetizer, but the United States is the entree. They don't want to just annihilate Israel, which they do. Yeah. They want ultimately to annihilate the rest of us as well."

OVER 150 LAWMAKERS LEND SUPPORT TO RESISTANCE MOVEMENT INSIDE IRAN AS REGIME'S PROXIES FALL

Trump reimposed his maximum pressure economic campaign on Iran’s clerical state to prevent the rogue regime from completing the construction of a nuclear weapon and stop its sponsorship of terrorism across the world. The U.S. State Department under both Republican and Democratic administrations has designated Iran’s regime as a state-sponsor of terrorism.

Huckabee said, "Let's be real clear. When President Trump was in office in his first term, the maximum pressure that he put on Iran bankrupted them. President Trump didn't have to bomb them, but he bankrupted them. They didn't have any money, and they couldn't fund the hoodies, Hezbollah or Hamas. Joe Biden comes in, takes the pressure off. They get money again. They fund terrorism. They fund the building of their bomb. And now we're having to go back. Thank goodness the president has reestablished the pressure on Iran economically. That's a plus."

Jason Brodsky, the policy director of United Against Nuclear Iran UANI, told Fox News Digital, "I think Gov. Huckabee’s comments underscore the danger Iran’s regime poses to the U.S. and our allies and partners. It’s why presidents for years have stated an Iran with nuclear weapons is unacceptable and that the U.S. will use all instruments of national power to prevent that outcome. One of the pillars of Tehran’s grand strategy is the eradication of Israel and another is anti-Americanism."

He continued, "That won’t change as long as the Islamic Republic remains the Islamic Republic and Ali Khamenei or a like-minded successor is the decision-maker. This is why weakening the regime and depriving it of resources — through maximum pressure and peace through strength — is necessary."

Reuters contributed to this report.

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Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic claimed he was "tired and overwhelmed" when he mistakenly backed a United Nations resolution Monday at the U.N. General Assembly that blames Russia for the war with its neighbor. 

Instead of backing the resolution, Vucic said he actually meant to join the 65 nations who abstained from the vote that called Moscow the aggressor state and for it to "immediately, completely and unconditionally withdraw all of its military forces" from Ukraine.

"I believe that Serbia made a mistake today. I apologize to the citizens of Serbia for that, and I take the blame for that because I was probably tired and overwhelmed," Vucic, who is generally considered pro-Russian, told Serbia’s public broadcaster RTS.

FORMER HAMAS HOSTAGE BRIEFS UN SECURITY COUNCIL ON THE 'PURE HELL' THAT WAS CAPTIVITY IN GAZA

"I didn't have time to deal with this (issue) enough, maybe I'm too tired, maybe I have too many things (to deal with)... I don't think we should pander to any power, neither Russians nor Americans," he added. "I think it was in the interest of the state of Serbia. Unfortunately, it didn't happen,"

Moscow has accepted Vucic's apology. 

"Of course, we heard it. Of course, we accepted it. Indeed, technical errors do happen and, of course, such a prompt reaction from the head of state is very appealing to us," Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov said, according to RIA News.

Like Belarus, Serbia is one of Russia's closest allies in Europe. 

Monday's vote shocked some when the United States stood with 18 other nations in voting against the Ukrainian resolution.

"President Trump is committed to ending the Russia-Ukraine war and to a resolution that leads to a lasting peace, not just a temporary pause," Secretary of State Marco Rubio said.

The death toll from a Sudanese military aircraft crash in the city of Omdurman increased to at least 46 people, including women and children, officials said Wednesday, one of the deadliest plane crashes in the northeastern African nation in the past two decades.

The Antonov aircraft crashed on Tuesday over a populated district in Omdurman, also injuring at least 10 people, according to the government-run Khartoum Media Office. An initial death toll of 19 was provided by the health ministry.

A DAM COLLAPSE IN EASTERN SUDAN KILLS AT LEAST 30 PEOPLE FOLLOWING HEAVY RAINS, A UN AGENCY SAYS

The military said in a statement that the plane crashed while taking off from the Wadi Sayidna air base north of Omdurman, the sister city of the capital, Khartoum.

The crash also damaged a number of houses in the Karrari district of Omdurman, the media office said.

The military earlier said that armed forces personnel and civilians were killed in the crash, but didn’t provide figures. It didn’t say what caused the crash.

The health ministry said some bodies were transferred to the Nau hospital in Omdurman.

Among the dead were senior military officers, including Maj. Gen. Bahr Ahmed Bahr and Lt. Col. Awad Ayoub, and the aircraft crew, according to a military official.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the matter, said the dead include women and children, among them five siblings.

Local media reported that the aircraft was on the way to the Red Sea city of Port Sudan, the seat of the military-backed government, when it crashed over the Al-Thawra neighborhood in the Karrari district. Residents reported loud explosions from the crash, which sent thick clouds of smoke and dust over Omdurman.

Aircraft crashes are common in Sudan, which has a poor aviation safety record. In 2020, at least 16 people were killed when a military plane, a Russian Antonov An-12, crashed in the western region of Darfur.

In 2003, a civilian Sudan Airways plane crashed into a hillside while trying to make an emergency landing, killing 116 people, including eight foreigners. Only a boy survived the crash.

Over 1,400 died from cholera in recent months

Sudan is also battling a cholera outbreak that has killed 1,472 people across a dozen provinces in recent months, the Health Ministry said. The disease has sickened around 56,000 since it was detected in July last year.

The dead included over 70 people who died in two cities in the White Nile province earlier this month, the ministry said. More than 2,000 others were diagnosed with the disease in the cities of Kosti and Rabak, it said.

The outbreak was detected last year during the rainy season between July and October. Heavy rainfall and floods especially hit the country’s eastern areas where millions of war displaced people sheltered.

The outbreak added further burdens on the country, which has suffered from nearly two years of devastating war.

Sudan has been in a state of civil war since 2023 when tensions between the military and a notorious paramilitary group, the Rapid Support Forces, exploded into open warfare.

The fighting has wrecked urban areas and has been marked by atrocities, including mass rape and ethnically motivated killings, that amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity, especially in the western region of Darfur, according to the United Nations and international rights groups.

The war has intensified in recent months, with the military making steady advances against the RSF in Khartoum and elsewhere in the country.

The RSF, which controls most of Darfur, said that it downed a military aircraft on Monday in Nyala, the provincial capital of South Darfur province.

Hamas will hand over the remains of four dead hostages, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office confirmed on Wednesday. Additionally, Netanyahu’s office said that the terror group is expected to deliver the hostages’ remains without "ceremonies."

Last week, Hamas was widely condemned for holding a ceremony with the coffins of four dead hostages: Ariel Bibas, Kfir Bibas, Shiri Bibas and Oded Lifshitz. The coffin that was supposed to contain Shiri Bibas’ remains was later discovered to have the body of an unidentified Gazan woman. Shiri’s remains were later returned to Israel.

"These Hamas monsters also cynically refused to bring back the boys’ mother, Shiri, and sent the body of a Gazan woman instead, in brazen violation of the agreement," Netanyahu said in a statement on Feb. 21.

ISRAEL'S UN AMBASSADOR SLAMS HAMAS' 'EVIL AND DEPRAVED' DISPLAY OF HOSTAGES' COFFINS

Top United Nations officials, including the spokesperson for U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres and U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk, condemned the ceremonies. 

U.N. Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric told the press that Secretary-General Guterres found the "parading of bodies and displaying of the coffins of the deceased hostages" to be "abhorrent and appalling."

In his statement, Türk cited international legal requirements for the returning of remains of the deceased, but did not specifically say that Hamas’ ceremony violated international law.

"We urge that all returns are conducted in privacy, and with respect and care," Türk said. "Under international law, any handover of the remains of [the] deceased must comply with the prohibition of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, ensuring respect for the dignity of the deceased and their families."

FUNERAL HELD FOR SHIRI BIBAS AND HER SONS AFTER THEIR REMAINS HANDED OVER BY HAMAS

Many, however, were not satisfied with the statements from U.N. officials, with some critics slamming the international institution for its alleged lack of action after Oct. 7.

"For 16 months, Israel has been fighting a deranged terrorist organization that places no value on human life, especially if it is Israeli or Jewish – all while international institutions like the UN refrained from condemning Hamas and formally demanding the immediate return of our hostages," Israeli UN Ambassador Danny Danon said in a statement to Fox News Digital.

While Hamas released a list of the hostages whose bodies will supposedly be returned later today, Israel has not officially confirmed the identities of the deceased hostages. 

Oded Lifshitz, one of the slain hostages whose remains were returned last week, was laid to rest on Tuesday. His wife, Yocheved, delivered an emotional eulogy in which she vowed to fight to get the remaining hostages home.

While Shiri, Ariel and Kfir Bibas were buried on Wednesday together in one casket, according to the Times of Israel. Yarden Bibas, who was also taken hostage on Oct. 7 but was later released, eulogized his wife and two young sons. He also apologized to his wife and sons for not being able to protect him during Hamas’ brutal attacks.

"Shiri, this is the closest I’ve been to you since October 7th, and I can’t kiss or hug you, and it’s breaking me," Yarden Bibas said. 

Pope Francis has shown "slight" improvement over the past 24 hours, but remains in critical condition, the Vatican announced Wednesday.

"The clinical conditions of the Holy Father in the last 24 hours have shown a further, slight improvement. The mild renal failure found in recent days has returned. The chest CT scan, performed last night, showed a normal evolution of the pulmonary phlogistic picture. Today's blood chemistry and blood tests confirmed yesterday's improvement," the Vatican said in a statement.

"The Holy Father continues high-flow oxygen therapy; even today he has not presented respiratory crises. Respiratory physiotherapy continues. Despite registering a slight improvement, the prognosis remains confidential. During the morning, the Holy Father received the Eucharist. The afternoon was dedicated to work activities," the statement continued.

This is a developing story. Check back soon for updates.

Calin Georgescu, a far-right populist candidate who won the first round of Romania's canceled presidential election last year, was taken into custody for questioning by the country's top prosecutors on Wednesday.

His communications team said on Facebook that Georgescu was stopped in traffic on his way to submit his new candidacy for the presidency when he was "taken in for questioning at the General Prosecutor’s Office." 

The country's prosecutors said Wednesday that authorities raided 47 addresses of people and associations connected to Georgescu, Reuters reported. Prosecutors said the allegations against them included "false statements regarding the sources of financing" of an electoral campaign, illegal possession of weapons and initiating or establishing an organization "with a fascist, racist or xenophobic" character. Authorities searched the home of Georgescu's campaign manager earlier this month. 

Georgescu said on Facebook that authorities "are looking to invent evidence to justify the theft of the elections and to do anything to block my new candidacy for the presidency." He called on supporters to attend a protest on Saturday in Bucharest.

VANCE EVISCERATES 'SOVIET'-STYLE EUROPEAN CENSORSHIP IN ADDRESS TO MUNICH SECURITY CONFERENCE

Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said on X, "The judiciary is independent & the law must be applied regardless of persons."

Romania's Constitutional Court made the unprecedented move to annul the election two days ahead of the Dec. 8 runoff after Georgescu's first-round win. He had polled in single digits and declared zero campaign spending, according to The Associated Press. Allegations of Russian interference and electoral violations quickly emerged. After the election cancelation, prosecutors launched an investigation into alleged campaign funding fraud, as well as alleged antisemitism and hate speech. 

The Trump administration has criticized Romania for canceling last year's presidential election, with Vice President JD Vance alleging that the court's ruling was based on "flimsy suspicions" and "enormous pressure" from Romania’s neighbors.

At the Munich Security Conference, Vance said the threat he worried about the most regarding Europe was not Russia, China or another external factor. 

"What I worry about is the threat from within – the retreat of Europe from some of its most fundamental values, values shared with the United States of America," Vance said. "Now, I was struck that a former European commissioner went on television recently and sounded delighted that the Romanian government had just annulled an entire election. He warned that if things don't go to plan, the very same thing could happen in Germany too."  

"Now, these cavalier statements are shocking to American ears," he said. "For years, we've been told that everything we fund and support is in the name of our shared democratic values. Everything from our Ukraine policy to digital censorship is billed as a defense of democracy. But when we see European courts canceling elections and senior officials threatening to cancel others, we ought to ask whether we're holding ourselves to an appropriately high standard." 

Vance said in December, "Romania straight up canceled the results of a presidential election based on the flimsy suspicions of an intelligence agency and enormous pressure from its continental neighbors." 

ROMANIAN OLIGARCH PAID HUNTER BIDEN TO INFLUENCE US POLICY, DOJ ALLEGES

"The argument was that Russian disinformation had infected the Romanian elections. But I'd asked my European friends to have some perspective," Vance said. "You can believe it's wrong for Russia to buy social media advertisements to influence your elections. We certainly do. You can condemn it on the world stage, even. But if your democracy can be destroyed with a few hundred thousand dollars of digital advertising from a foreign country, then it wasn't very strong to begin with." 

Vance warned European leaders that they cannot win a "democratic mandate" by "censoring your opponents or putting them in jail," nor by "disregarding your basic electorate on questions like who gets to be a part of our shared society." 

"To many of us on the other side of the Atlantic, it looks more and more like old, entrenched interests hiding behind ugly Soviet-era words like misinformation and disinformation, who simply don't like the idea that somebody with an alternative viewpoint might express a different opinion or, God forbid, vote a different way, or even worse, win an election," Vance said. 

Vance further criticized Romania's top court at the Conservative Political Action Conference over the weekend. 

"You don't have shared values if you cancel elections because you don't like the result – and that happened in Romania – if you're so afraid of your own people that you silence them and shut them up," Vance said. "So let's have shared values. Let's defend democracy. Let's have free expression, not just in the United States, but all over the Western world. That is the path to strong alliances in Europe."

Elon Musk, the tech billionaire involved with the Trump administration's Department of Government Efficiency, described Romanian top court chief, Judge Marian Enache – who voted to annul the election's first round – as a "tyrant." 

Thousands of protesters took to the streets of Bucharest on Saturday to support Georgescu, who has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing and argued the election was "canceled illegally and unconstitutionally."

The first round of the rerun of the election is scheduled for May 4. If no candidate gets more than 50% of ballots, a runoff will follow on May 18. It is not clear whether Georgescu will be able to participate in the vote.

Georgescu, a staunch critic of NATO and Western support for Ukraine, has sparked controversy in the past for describing Romanian fascist and nationalist leaders from the 1930s and 1940s as national heroes, according to the AP. 

He has also praised Russian President Vladimir Putin in the past as "a man who loves his country," and has called Ukraine "an invented state."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.