World News

Poland's minister of digital affairs suggested Friday that President Andrzej Duda check the security of access to his social accounts after a bizarre tweet went out that was almost immediately removed.

The tweet published Thursday on Duda's private account said: "Tell him to ask his wife what ‘having balls’ means. She knows!"

The tweet was quickly deleted, but internet users took screenshots that were shared, creating amusement but also criticism that the head of state wasn't being cautious enough with his online behavior.

POLISH PRESIDENT ANDRZEJ DUDA TO APPROVE CONTROVERSIAL BILL ROOTING OUT RUSSIAN INFLUENCE

Duda's office has not explained what the message published on X, formerly Twitter, referred to, nor did it explain how it was published.

The government, led by Duda's political rival, Prime Minister Donald Tusk, suggested the president should exercise greater caution and said it could offer security assistance.

MOVE BY POLISH PRESIDENT SLOWS, COMPLICATES TRANSITION OF POWER FROM EUROSKEPTIC MORAWIECKI GOVERNMENT

"Due to the fact that an unusual entry appeared on President Andrzej Duda’s account on the X website, which disappeared quite quickly, I asked the president to check the security of access to his social accounts," Minister of Digital Affairs Krzysztof Gawkowski tweeted.

In the past, Duda has engaged with anonymous users of social media. He also took calls from Russian pranksters who pretended to be the United Nations secretary-general and the French president.

The lawyer representing the woman who was allegedly sexually assaulted by Brazilian soccer player Dani Alves has filed a legal complaint with Spanish authorities after a video circulated on social media that reportedly reveals the identity of her client.

Ester García, the lawyer of the alleged victim, told The Associated Press on Friday that her office filed the legal complaint. Spanish newspaper La Vanguardía said García filed the complaint with Catalan police in Barcelona.

In the video, alleged images of the young woman are shown along with information supposedly revealing her name and other personal data.

BRAZILIAN SOCCER PLAYER DANI ALVES AGREES TO WEAR TRACKING DEVICE, TURN IN PASSPORT DURING INVESTIGATION

The Spanish state prosecutors’ office in Barcelona told the AP that it was analyzing the video to see if there were grounds to open a formal investigation. Spanish law forbids the publication of material revealing the identity of someone without their consent.

The prosecutors’ office has also asked the Barcelona-based court to ensure it guarantees the privacy of the trial that is scheduled to begin on Feb. 5.

Alves is accused of sexually assaulting the woman in a Barcelona night club in December 2022. The former Barcelona right back has been in pre-trial jail since January 2023. His requests to be released on bail have been rejected because the court considered him a flight risk.

JEFFREY EPSTEIN LIST: 2ND BATCH OF DOCUMENTS UNSEALED IN GHISLAINE MAXWELL LAWSUIT

Alves has denied any wrongdoing. He initially claimed he did not have any sexual contact with the woman, but then later said he had consensual sex with the accuser. He was indicted by an investigative judge in August when the court said there was enough evidence to open a trial.

State prosecutors are seeking a nine-year prison sentence if found guilty. The victim’s lawyers want him to spend 12 years behind bars.

The 40-year-old Alves won 42 soccer titles, including three Champions Leagues with Barcelona and two Copa Americas with Brazil. He played at his third World Cup in 2022 in Qatar.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Friday that the United States and China must insist on peaceful coexistence and transcend their differences like they did when they established diplomatic relations 45 years ago this week.

Wang also promised that giant pandas would return to the U.S. — and specifically California — by the end of the year.

"China-U.S. cooperation is no longer a dispensable option for the two countries or even for the world, but a must-answer question that must be seriously addressed," he said.

3 GIANT PANDAS LEAVE DC'S SMITHSONIAN NATIONAL ZOO FOR CHINA, ENDING 50-YEAR RUN

Wang struck a relatively positive note at a lavish banquet marking the anniversary with 300 guests at a hall in the sprawling Diaoyutai state guest house complex in the Chinese capital.

The two countries are trying to navigate — and avoid a war — in what may be their most difficult waters since the U.S. ended official ties with Taiwan and recognized the communist government in Beijing as the government of China on Jan. 1, 1979.

China's rise as an economic and military power is challenging long-standing American leadership in the Asia region and globally.

"The world is currently undergoing profound changes unseen in a century," Wang said. "We must think about how to calibrate the direction of the large ship of China-U.S. relations (and) avoid hidden reefs and dangerous shoals."

Both Wang and David Meale, the deputy chief of mission at the U.S. Embassy, cited congratulatory letters exchanged by Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Joe Biden on Monday's anniversary.

GIANT PANDAS TO LEAVE THE NATIONAL ZOO IN D.C. FOR CHINA EARLIER THAN EXPECTED

Meale, who spoke after Wang, said Biden expressed his commitment to managing the relationship responsibly and said he looked forward to building on the progress made by past leaders of the two countries.

Wang did criticize the use of "the big stick of sanctions" and engaging in power games, charges that China often levels at the United States. He denied that China seeks to supplant any other country and called on the U.S. to respect China's development path and core interests.

The giant pandas in Memphis, Tennessee, and Washington, D.C., returned to China last year, and some feared that China would stop lending pandas to American zoos because of the tensions between the two countries.

But Xi raised hope for California in November when he told an audience in San Francisco that China was ready to continue cooperating with the U.S. on pandas and "do our best to meet the wishes of the Californians."

Wang told Friday's banquet audience that "preparations are ready for a giant panda return to California within the year."

In the world of coffee connoisseurs, certain beans stand as prized jewels, commanding astonishing prices due to their exclusivity and unique processing methods. 

These exquisite coffees are not just a morning pick-me-up, they are luxury items coveted for their rare flavors and origins.

WORLD'S MOST EXPENSIVE COFFEE IS $68 A CUP

Also known as Civet Coffee, it is harvested from coffee beans ingested and excreted by civet cats. This Indonesian gem is celebrated for its unique production process. The rarity and intricate method of acquiring these beans contribute to its sky-high price tag, appealing to enthusiasts seeking a distinct and luxurious coffee experience.

Due to its rarity and specialized method, Kopi Luwak is one of the most expensive coffees globally, with prices ranging from $100 to $600 per pound. The cost can significantly vary based on its origin, quality and authenticity, making it a highly sought-after and premium coffee choice.

Sourced from coffee beans passed through the digestive tract of elephants, this Thai specialty boasts a rare and refined flavor profile, attributing to its hefty cost and sought-after status. The resulting coffee can be bought online at approximately $1,900 a kilogram. 

Moving across the globe to Panama, the Hacienda La Esmeralda beans captivate coffee enthusiasts with their exquisite taste, often described as floral and fruity. These beans fetch premium prices at auctions, elevating Panama's coffee onto the global stage of exclusivity. On average, Saint Helena Coffee can range from $30 to $60 per pound, depending on factors like quality, roast and packaging.

Traveling to the secluded island of Saint Helena in the South Atlantic Ocean, the Saint Helena Coffee beans emerge as a testament to limited production and unique terroir. Their scarcity and distinct flavor command top-tier prices, attracting aficionados seeking unparalleled coffee experiences.

COLORADO COFFEE COMPANY SOURCES ITS BEANS FROM AROUND THE WORLD — AND GIVES BACK TO OTHERS

Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee, known for its mildness and lack of bitterness, reigns supreme in the coffee aristocracy. Cultivated in the Blue Mountains of Jamaica, this coffee has established itself as a prestigious and expensive choice among discerning coffee drinkers. Prices can vary based on factors like quality, roast, and packaging, but generally, it can range from $30 to $100 per pound.

These coffees, with their unique flavors, limited availability and intricate production processes, are revered in the coffee sphere as not just beverages but as luxury items. 

Their extraordinary prices reflect their exclusivity, captivating the attention of enthusiasts eager to savor a truly exceptional coffee experience.

Russia is utilizing North Korean-made missiles in its invasion of Ukraine, according to the White House.

National Security Council spokesman John Kirby made the claim Thursday during a White House press briefing.

"Our information indicates that the Democratic People's Republic of Korea recently provided Russia with ballistic missile launchers and several ballistic missiles," Kirby told reporters in a briefing at the White House.

PUTIN OFFERS CITIZENSHIP TO FOREIGNERS WHO FIGHT FOR RUSSIA AGAINST UKRAINE

"This is a significant and concerning escalation of the DPRK's support for Russia," he added.

Russia launched hypersonic ballistic missiles at Ukraine's two largest cities on Tuesday morning, leaving at least five people dead and at least 130 injured, officials said. The attack comes as Moscow’s war is approaching its two-year milestone.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on X that four civilians were killed after hypersonic Kinzhal missiles that can fly at 10 times the speed of sound struck Ukraine’s capital city of Kyiv and its second-largest city of Kharkiv.

SOUTH KOREA SPY AGENCY SAYS KIM JONG UN'S DAUGHTER IS LIKELY HEIR TO DICTATORSHIP

"As of now, 92 people have been reported injured. They are all receiving assistance. Unfortunately, four people were killed. My condolences go out to their families and close ones," Zelenskyy said. The death total has since been updated to five.

Russia is also reportedly moving forward with a deal to purchase short-range ballistic missiles from Iran. 

The Wall Street Journal first reported on the tentative sale agreement on Thursday, citing unnamed U.S. officials. 

The officials say the missiles would boost Russia's ability to target Ukrainian infrastructure at a time when support for continued U.S. military assistance for Kyiv is waning in Congress. 

"The United States is concerned that Russian negotiations to acquire close-range ballistic missiles from Iran are actively advancing," one of the U.S. officials told the Journal. "We assess that Russia intends to purchase missile systems from Iran."

Fox News Digital's Lawrence Richard and Danielle Wallace contributed to this report.

A New Zealand fisherman managed to survive more than 23 hours in the ocean after falling overboard in what police are describing as an "absolute miracle." 

Will Fransen was pulled out of the sea near Mayor Island on Wednesday after a trio of fisherman "noticed an unusual reflection on the water" and ultimately "discovered a fellow fisherman desperately trying to get their attention using the reflection of the sun on his watch," according to Whangamatā Sgt. Will Hamilton. 

"When I went in the water I knew the chances of somebody even knowing I was in the water were pretty slim. I was pretty pessimistic from the outset," Fransen told the New Zealand Herald. "I just kept staying alive." 

The 61-year-old told the newspaper that he departed on a solo fishing trip on his 36-foot boat Tuesday from New Zealand’s North Island. Fransen reportedly lost his balance and fell over a railing after hooking a marlin, then he discovered that his boat was drifting away from him. 

FISHERMAN SURVIVES EIGHT DAYS AT SEA ‘BY EATING RAW FISH AND DRINKING RAINWATER’ 

"I grabbed the line with the marlin attached and started pulling the line out. I tried pulling my way towards the boat only to have the line slip out of my hand, which is pretty gutting, because next thing my boat’s idling over the horizon and I’m treading water," he told the New Zealand Herald. 

The newspaper reports that Fransen, who was wearing a harness that offered some buoyancy, then floated south near Mayor Island. 

Hamilton said in a statement that Fransen tried to swim toward the Alderman Islands, but was "dragged away by the currents." 

"He endured a cold night in the ocean, too exhausted to keep swimming. During his time in the water, even a shark came to ‘have a sniff,’ before leaving," Hamilton added. 

Fransen was eventually rescued Wednesday around 2 p.m. local time after spending about 23.5 hours in the water, police say. 

TOP 5 SURVIVAL STORIES OF 2023 

One of the fishermen who helped save him, identified by the New Zealand Herald as Max White, said that his colleague "saw a glimmer of what ended up being his watch" and that Fransen was "super cold" and "severely dehydrated." 

After receiving treatment at a local hospital, Fransen said he had a meal from McDonald’s and a Heineken beer. 

"It is an absolute miracle the fisherman is still alive after the ordeal," Hamilton said. "Without the quick actions of the three gentlemen that retrieved him, this certainly would have had a tragic outcome." 

Police say the current whereabouts of Fransen’s boat remains unknown. 

"The boat may be missing, but the fisherman still has his watch," Hamilton said.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken is heading back to the Middle East as the Biden administration continues to grapple with a region that has become increasingly tense and unstable since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war.

Blinken’s visit to the region will be his fourth in three months and comes amid attacks in the Red Sea, Lebanon, Iran and Iraq, threatening a wider conflict as well as impacting commercial vessels and international trading routes.

The State Department said Blinken will visit Turkey, Greece, Jordan, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Israel, the West Bank and Egypt.

"We don’t expect every conversation on this trip to be easy," State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said. "There are obviously tough issues facing the region and difficult choices ahead. But the secretary believes it is the responsibility of the United States of America to lead diplomatic efforts to tackle those challenges head on, and he’s prepared to do that in the days to come."

STATE DEPARTMENT QUIET ON SLAIN HAMAS LEADER WITH $5 MILLION BOUNTY: WANTS TO PREVENT 'WIDENING' CONFLICT

Blinken leaves as international criticism continues to mount on Israel's operations in Gaza, and as U.S. lawmakers on both sides of the political aisle have expressed concerns to President Biden about the end game.

His trip also comes just days after a suspected Israeli attack killed Hamas deputy leader Saleh Arouri in the Lebanese capital of Beirut. While the White House said "nobody should be shedding a tear" over the death, it could further complicate Blinken’s mission.

BIDEN TAKES GROWING HEAT FROM DEMOCRAT ALLIES, FAR-LEFT ‘SQUAD’ ON ISRAEL DECISION

Blinken will bring Gaza-specific priorities to Israel, which will include pressing for additional humanitarian aid to Gaza, urging less intense military operations in the territory and reducing violence against Palestinians in the West Bank.

The State Department said he will be seeking regional assistance in calming the wider region too.

"It is in no one’s interest, not Israel’s, not the region’s, not the world’s, for this conflict to spread beyond Gaza," Miller said.

The key elements to preventing a wider conflict include deterring attacks by Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels on commercial Red Sea shipping, deterring attacks on Israel by Lebanon's Iran-backed Hezbollah and deterring attacks on U.S. military facilities and interests by Iran-backed militias in Iraq and Syria.

There have now been at least 121 attacks on U.S. forces in Iraq and Syria since Oct. 17, including three attacks in the last 48 hours, according to a U.S. defense official.

Fox News’ Liz Friden and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

A woman was pulled carefully from the rubble 72 hours after a series of powerful quakes started rattling Japan’s western coast. Despite rescue efforts, the death toll Friday grew to at least 94 people, and the number of missing was lowered to 222 after it shot up the previous day.

An older man was found alive Wednesday in a collapsed home in Suzu, one of the hardest-hit cities in Ishikawa Prefecture. His daughter called out, "Dad, dad," as a flock of firefighters got him out on a stretcher, praising him for holding on for so long after Monday’s 7.6 magnitude earthquake.

Others were forced to wait while rescuers searched for loved ones.

JAPAN DOWNGRADES TSUNAMI WARNING AFTER EARTHQUAKE ROCKS REGION, AT LEAST FOUR CONFIRMED DEAD

Ishikawa officials said 55 of those who died were in the city of Wajima and 23 were in Suzu, while the others were reported in five neighboring towns. More than 460 people have been injured, at least 24 seriously.

The Earthquake Research Institute at the University of Tokyo found that the sandy coastline in western Japan shifted by up to 250 meters (820 feet) seaward in some places.

The earthquakes set off a large fire in the town of Wajima, as well as tsunamis and landslides in the region. With some routes cut off by the destruction, worries grew about communities in which water, food, blankets and medicine had yet to arrive.

The United States announced $100,000 in aid Friday, including blankets, water and medical supplies, and promised more help would come. Dodgers major leaguer Shohei Ohtani also announced aid for the Noto area, though he did not disclose the amount.

JAPAN ISSUES TSUNAMI WARNINGS, ORDERS EVACUATIONS AFTER EARTHQUAKES

Thousands of Japanese troops have joined the effort to reach the hardest-hit spots on the Noto Peninsula, the center of the quake, connected by a narrow land strip to the rest of the main island of Honshu.

Experts warned of disease and even death at the evacuation centers that now house about 34,000 people who lost their homes, many of them older.

Masashi Tomari, a 67-year-old oyster farmer who lives in Anamizu city in Ishikawa, said it was tough sleeping on the floor with just one blanket. There was no heating until two stoves finally arrived Thursday — three days after the 7.6 quake struck.

"This is a terrible, cold place," he said.

Tomari felt at a loss thinking about his home, where broken glass and knocked over items littered the floor. It was pitch dark at night because the area was still out of power.

But Tomari and others were already thinking about rebuilding.

Sachiko Kato, who owns a clothing shop in Anamizu, put up a yellow notice as a warning inside her store where the walls have tipped slanted, and a red one for the shed in the back that was completely flattened.

"So many stores were on this street. Now, they’re all gone. Maybe we can work hard to rebuild," she said.

As of Friday, running water was not fully restored in Anamizu. Kato had to get water from a nearby river to flush the toilet.

Dozens of aftershocks have rattled Ishikawa and the neighboring region in the past week. Japan, with its crisscrossing fault lines, is an extremely quake-prone nation. Weather forecasts called for rain and snow over the weekend, and experts warned of more aftershocks.

The region affected by the latest quakes is famous for its craftwork, including lacquerware, knives, ceramics, candles and kimono fabric.

Tsutomu Ishikawa, who oversees a resin company called Aras that makes fashionable plates and cups, said no lives were lost around him, but the atelier was seriously damaged.

EARTHQUAKES IN JAPAN KILL AT LEAST 48 AS OFFICIALS RACE TO SAVE PEOPLE TRAPPED IN HOMES

He apologized for delayed deliveries and expressed determination to pick up and rebuild, while acknowledging the challenges. "We are feeling a deep helplessness that works we created with so much love are gone."

Sachiko Takagi, who owns a kimono shop on a street lined with picturesque stores in Wajima, said she was lucky her 80-year-old store — inherited over generations — was still standing. Others were not so lucky.

"These people do not have the energy to start something from scratch," she said. "I really wonder what will happen to this street."

North Korea fired hundreds of artillery rounds along its sea boundary with neighboring South Korea in violation of a 2018 military agreement, Seoul's defense ministry said.

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said North Korea fired 200 rounds in the waters north of their disputed western sea boundary. South Korea suffered no damages, it said.

Joint Chiefs of Staff spokesperson Lee Sung Joon said the North's artillery firing was "an act of provocation that threatens peace and heightens tensions on the Korean Peninsula." South Korea also urged North Korea to stop further provocations.

The North’s front-line maritime firing exercise was the first of its kind in about a year, escalating tensions on the Korean Peninsula.

KIM JONG UN REVEALS NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTION TO MAKE MORE NUKES AND LAUNCH MILITARY SATELLITES

The last time South Korea accused North Korea of violating the deal on the buffer zones was in December 2022, when the North conducted firing drills off the Korean Peninsula's east coast.

The 2018 agreement created no-fly and buffer zones along their border, in which the two Koreas agreed to halt live-fire exercises and aerial surveillance.

Lee said South Korea's military will respond to the North's artillery firing as it continuously monitors North Korean moves, in close coordination with the United States.

While the Joint Chiefs of Staff spokesperson did not provide specifics on what corresponding step South Korea would take, residents of South Korea’s front-line island of Yeonpyeong said military officials have asked them to evacuate because it plans to launch maritime firing drills.

KIM JONG UN TELLS MILITARY LEADERS TO MOBILIZE MOST POWERFUL MEANS TO DESTROY ENEMIES, INCLUDING US: REPORTS

The Koreas' western sea boundary played host to bloody naval clashes in 1999, 2002 and 2009. In 2010, there was another clash that left 46 South Korean sailors dead.

Earlier Friday, North Korea's state media said Kim ordered authorities to increase production of vehicles capable of launching missiles ahead of a potential military showdown with its enemies.

Kim has also ordered Northern officials to use every weapon at its disposal — including nuclear weapons — in a potential armed conflict with South Korea and the U.S.

These aggressive actions from the North come ahead of the South's parliamentary elections in April and the United States presidential election in November.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

A 51-year-old American and his two daughters have died in the Caribbean after the aircraft they were traveling in "plummeted into the ocean" moments after takeoff, officials say. 

The Royal St. Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force said the small, one-engine aircraft owned and piloted by Robert Sachs, a resident of the island of Bequia, crashed into the sea about one nautical mile west of the island of Petit Nevis around midday Thursday. 

"The aircraft went airborne from the J.F. Mitchell Airport in Paget Farm about 12:11 p.m. for St. Lucia as its final destination. Moments after taking off, the aircraft experienced difficulties and plummeted into the ocean," police said in a Facebook post. 

"Fishermen and divers from Paget Farm went to the scene of the incident in their boats to render assistance. The SVG Coast Guard was informed and quickly traveled to Paget Farm, Bequia, to lead in the rescue efforts," it added. 

MAN FOUND DEAD AT SALT LAKE CITY INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT AFTER CLIMBING INTO PLANE ENGINE 

Police identified the victims as Sachs and his three passengers onboard: Christian Klepser — who is from the United States — and his daughters, Madita, 10, and Annik, 12. 

"The four bodies of the aforementioned persons were recovered from the aircraft/sea by Coast Guard personnel and were later pronounced deceased by a medical practitioner," the Royal St. Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force said.

It’s not immediately clear what caused the plane to crash. An investigation is ongoing. 

PASSENGERS OF JAPANESE PLANE SPEAK OUT AFTER FIERY COLLISION: ‘IT WAS HELL’ 

The local news website Searchlight reported that Sachs owned a dive business in Bequia and last radioed the airport’s control tower to inform them that he was experiencing difficulties and was turning around.

Police say the bodies have now been transported to the island of St. Vincent and are being looked at by a medical examiner. 

"The RSVGPF expresses condolences to all who are negatively affected by this tragic incident," it added. "The RSVGPF will update the public as more information is gathered." 

South African athlete Oscar Pistorius was released from prison on parole on Friday after serving nearly nine years for the shooting death of his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, on Valentine's Day in 2013.

Pistorius, once hailed an inspiration as a double-amputee Olympic runner competing against able-bodied athletes, was serving a 13-year sentence at Atteridgeville Correctional Center in the South African capital of Pretoria.

Little details surrounding his release were available, but the announcement from the country's Department of Corrections came at around 8:30 a.m. local time, according to The Associated Press.

Pistorius was convicted of murder in 2015 and sentenced to 13 years and five months in prison. In South Africa, serious offenders are eligible for parole after serving at least half of their sentence.

'BLADE RUNNER' OSCAR PISTORIUS GRANTED PAROLE 10 YEARS AFTER KILLING GIRLFRIEND ON VALENTINE'S DAY

Pistorius was granted parole on Nov. 24 under various conditions, including that he not leave the area of Pretoria where he is set to live without permission from authorities, the Department of Corrections said at the time.

He will also be required to attend a program to deal with his anger issues and will have to perform community service. His parole conditions will be in place for five years.

BLADE RUNNER OSCAR PISTORIUS: A LOOK BACK AT THE OLYMPIAN'S METEORIC RISE AND FALL

Pistorius testified at his murder trial that he killed Steenkamp, 29, by mistake, thinking she was a dangerous intruder hiding in his bathroom in the middle of the night when he fired four times through the door with his licensed 9mm pistol. 

Prosecutors argued that Pistorius killed her in a rage after she had fled to the toilet cubicle during a late-night argument.

Pistorius was initially convicted of culpable homicide, which is comparable to manslaughter, in her death. That conviction was overturned and he was convicted of murder after an appeal by prosecutors. 

They also appealed against an initial sentence of six years for murder, and Pistorius was ultimately sentenced to 13 years and five months in prison.

Fox News Digital reached out to the South Africa Department of Corrections, but did not hear back by time of publication.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

El Salvador's Nayib Bukele took his presidential reelection campaign beyond his tiny country's borders this week to capitalize on his rising profile across Latin America, and he affirmed that he doesn't aspire to indefinite reelection.

During a two-hour forum late Wednesday on the platform X, Bukele accused foreign critics of his controversial policies — including the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and international institutions like it — of trying to keep El Salvador and other developing nations down.

Bukele was granted a six-month leave from the presidency starting in December to run for reelection — despite a constitutional ban on reelection. Congress approved the president’s selection of his private secretary to be the country’s interim leader.

SALVADORAN PRESIDENT BUKELE FILES FOR RE-ELECTION, RAISING CONSTITUTIONAL CONCERNS

The Supreme Court, stacked with justices selected by Bukele’s allies in Congress, ruled in 2021 that Bukele could seek a second five-year term in the Feb. 4 election.

Asked Wednesday if he would seek to change the constitution to allow his indefinite reelection, Bukele said he would not.

In April 2023, the commission called on El Salvador to lift the state of emergency instituted in March 2022 that allowed Bukele's administration to step up its fight against the country's powerful gangs. The state of emergency suspends some fundamental rights like police having to inform people of the reason for their arrest or give them access to an attorney.

Some 74,000 people have been arrested under Bukele's war on gangs. Judges later freed more than 7,000 of them.

Human rights groups in El Salvador and abroad have criticized Bukele for the lack of due process and other abuses. But the resulting drop in homicides has cemented support for Bukele among a majority of Salvadorans.

Bukele has declared El Salvador the safest country in Latin America, just a few years after it was listed as one of the world’s deadliest. Many people have expressed a willingness to overlook the erosion of checks and balances in exchange for safe neighborhoods.

His exchanges with people from a host of Latin American countries reflected how his success has resonated beyond El Salvador's borders, even in the face of sometimes withering criticism from the United States and Europe.

His pushback against critics Wednesday echoed his 2023 speech before the United Nations General Assembly, in which he said that if El Salvador had listened to his critics it would return to being the world's murder capital.

"Today, I come to tell you that that debate is over," Bukele said at the U.N. "The decisions we took were correct. We are no longer the world death capital and we achieved it in record time. Today we are a model of security and no one can doubt it. There are the results. They are irrefutable."

Bukele enjoys sky-high rates of approval in El Salvador.

He boosted his country's international image hosting events like the Central American and Caribbean Games in July and the Miss Universe competition in November.

He has responded brashly to his critics, accusing them of defending gangsters. His success has spurred a host of political aspirants in other Latin American countries from Argentina to Guatemala who promise to emulate his heavy-handed tactics.

On Wednesday, Bukele said that he had spoken with one such foreign politician in a country where the people were fed up with the traditional political parties: Argentina's newly elected Javier Milei, the self-declared "anarcho-capitalist" who raced to victory campaigning against what he called Argentina's political caste.

In a two-hour conversation, Bukele said, he told Milei that he would have to confront a system that did not agree with him.

"I told him that I wished him luck, we wish him the best and hope that he can overcome those obstacles, the obstacle of the reality, as well as the obstacle of the system that is going to try to block him and that isn't going to let him make the changes that he wants to make," Bukele said.

GUATEMALA CITY (AP) — Guatemala's former President Otto Pérez Molina was released from prison — the first time since his resignation and arrest in 2015 — after posting bond of more than $10.3 million quetzales ($1.3 million), according to his lawyer.

Pérez Molina was convicted and sentenced to 16 years in prison in December 2022 for a bribery scheme known locally as "La Linea" or "The Line." But under Guatemala’s multi-step sentencing process, he appealed and the sentence has not yet been confirmed, making him eligible to post bond. He was released Wednesday night.

EX-GUATEMALAN PRESIDENT OTTO PÉREZ MOLINA CHARGED IN CORRUPTION SCHEME

"We filed this alternative measure that had already been granted beforehand," said César Calderón, Pérez Molina's lawyer.

The bond posted allowed the former president to regain his freedom while the appeal is considered. He is not allowed to leave Guatemala and must check in with prosecutors every 30 days.

Pérez Molina was also sentenced to eight years in prison in September after pleading guilty to charges of fraud, money laundering and bribery in a separate case during his administration. But the judge ruled that that sentence was commutable by making a payment, which Pérez Molina did in November.

Pérez Molina resigned in 2015 after massive protests fueled by accusations of corruption. His Vice President Roxana Baldetti was also convicted on corruption charges.

Pérez Molina and Baldetti were in custody on charges of permitting and benefiting from the customs graft scheme known as "La Linea." The scheme involved a conspiracy to defraud the state by letting businesses evade import duties in exchange for bribes.

Around 30 others including customs officials and business people were implicated in the case, which involved about $1 million in bribes and $2 million in lost income for the government.

Pérez Molina’s prosecution was a high point in Guatemala’s effort to combat systemic corruption, aided by the United Nations-backed anti-corruption mission, known by its Spanish initials CICIG.

But the CICIG was later tossed out by then President Jimmy Morales and much of its work in conjunction with Guatemalan anti-corruption prosecutors has been subsequently undone in recent years.

President-elect Bernardo Arévalo, scheduled to assume office Jan. 14, has promised to bring back many of the anti-corruption prosecutors and judges who have been forced to flee the country.

Sudanese paramilitary leader Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo said Thursday he was committed to a cease-fire to end the devastating war that has wrecked his country, even as fighting continues and there has been no progress on proposed peace talks between Dagalo and Sudan military chief Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan.

Dagalo, leader of the Rapid Support Forces, said in a statement following a meeting in Pretoria with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa that he had briefed Ramaphosa on the "considerable efforts taken to end this war."

"I emphasized our unwavering commitment to cease hostilities," Dagalo said, although he didn't say if or when he would meet with Burhan. The warring generals agreed last month to a face-to-face meeting and to start talks over a possible cease-fire, according to the East African regional bloc IGAD.

WORLD, PROTESTERS SILENT ON SUDAN MASSACRES: 'NO MOB OUTSIDE THE WHITE HOUSE'

No date or location for the talks have been announced.

During Thursday's meeting with Dagalo, Ramaphosa said he hoped there would be an "imminent face-to-face dialogue" between Dagalo and Burhan and called for an "immediate cease-fire," Ramaphosa's spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya, said.

Tensions between former allies Dagalo and Burhan erupted in all-out war in mid-April in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, and elsewhere across the country. The fighting has killed more than 12,000 people, according to the United Nations, while doctors and activists say the real death toll is higher. More than 7 million people have been forced to leave their homes.

Despite talk of a cease-fire, the conflict has intensified. Last month, 300,000 people were forced to flee their homes in a province that had become a safe haven for civilians after the RSF attacked and took the city of Wad Medani.

The RSF takeover prompted fears among Wad Medani residents that they would carry out atrocities in their city as they are accused of doing in Khartoum, and the Darfur region in western Sudan.

The U.S. State Department has said that both the RSF and the Sudanese military have committed war crimes or crimes against humanity during the nine-month conflict.

Dagalo is on a tour of African countries. He met with Kenyan President William Ruto on Wednesday following visits to Uganda, Ethiopia and Djibouti.

LONDON (AP) — A neo-Nazi podcaster who called for the deaths of Prince Harry and his young son received a prison sentence Thursday along with his co-host Thursday. The sentencing judge in London called the duo "dedicated and unapologetic white supremacists" who encouraged terrorism.

Christopher Gibbons and Tyrone Patten-Walsh espoused racist, antisemitic, Islamophobic, homophobic and misogynistic views and encouraged listeners of their "Lone Wolf Radio" podcast to commit violent acts against ethnic minorities, authorities said.

PRINCE HARRY, MEGHAN MARKLE SHARE THEIR DIGITAL HOLIDAY CARD VIA ARCHEWELL ORGANIZATION

Using aliases on their show, the pair said "the white race was likely to be ‘genocided’ unless steps were taken to fight back." They approved of a day when so-called race traitors would be hanged, particularly those in interracial relationships. Prince Harry's wife, Meghan, is biracial.

On one episode, Gibbons said the Duke of Sussex should be "prosecuted and judicially killed for treason" and called Harry's son, Archie, who is now 4, a "creature" that "should be put down."

Gibbons, 40, was sentenced to eight years in prison, the Metropolitan Police said. Patten-Walsh, 34, was given a 7-year term. Both will be on the equivalent of probation for three years after their release.

"The evidence demonstrates that you desire to live in a world dominated by white people purely for white people. Your distorted thinking is that the white race has ceded too much influence to Blacks and Asians, to Jews and Muslims, to gays, to white liberals and to white people in mixed-race relationships," Judge Peter Lodder said.

While Patten-Walsh and Gibbons were entitled to hold their beliefs — regardless of being "as preposterous as they are offensive to a civilized society" — Lodder said they had gone too far.

The London men started "Lone Wolf Radio," which had 128 subscribers and around 9,000 views of its 21 episodes in June 2020.

The two celebrated right-wing extremists who carried out mass murders in Norway, Christchurch, New Zealand and Charleston, South Carolina. They also posted images of a Nazi executing a Jewish man at the edge of a pit of corpses and Nelson Mandela being lynched.

A Kingston Crown Court jury convicted them in July of eight counts of encouraging terrorism.

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Gibbons was also convicted of two counts of disseminating terrorist documents through his online neo-Nazi "radicalization" library that had more than 2,000 subscribers, authorities said.

Cmdr. Dominic Murphy, who heads the Met’s counter terrorism unit, said the material they disseminated "is exactly the kind that has the potential to draw vulnerable people — particularly young people — into terrorism."