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Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters on Monday that the mineral deal, sought by President Donald Trump, is "not the main topic on the agenda" for the meeting set with the Ukrainian delegation in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday. 

"I wouldn't prejudge tomorrow about whether or not we have a minerals deal," he told reporters on board a flight to Saudi Arabia. "It's an important topic, but it's not the main topic on the agenda.

"The minerals deal is on the table that's continuing to be worked on – it's not part of this conversation, per se," he said, noting that Tuesday's meeting in Jeddah can be considered successful even without securing such an agreement.

LITHUANIAN DEFENSE MINISTER: ONLY WAY TO NEGOTIATE WITH RUSSIA IS WITH A 'GUN ON THE TABLE'

"It's certainly a deal the president wants to see done, but it doesn't necessarily have to happen tomorrow," Rubio added. 

The Ukrainian delegation is set to include Andriy Yermak, head of the presidential office, Andrii Sybiha, minister of foreign affairs, Pavlo Palisa, colonel of armed forces of Ukraine and an advisor to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, as well as Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, who was not only involved in initial talks with Russia following its February 2022 invasion, but who also survived a poisoning attack after a peace meeting in March that year. 

Rubio will meet with the delegation in the city of Jeddah around noon local time on Tuesday.

"The important point in this meeting is to establish clearly their intentions, their desire, as they've said publicly now, numerous times, to reach a point where peace is possible," Rubio said, adding that he will need to be assured that Kyiv is prepared to make some hard decisions, like giving up territory seized by Russia, in order to end the three-year war. 

"Both sides need to come to an understanding," he said. "The Russians can't conquer all of Ukraine, and obviously it will be very difficult for Ukraine, in any reasonable time period, to sort of force the Russians back all the way to where they were in 2014. So the only solution to this war is diplomacy and getting them to a table where that's possible.

 "Then we'll have to determine how far they are from the Russian position, which we don't know yet either. And then once you understand where both sides truly are, it gives you a sense of how big the divide is and how hard it's going to be," Rubio explained. "I'm hoping it'll be a positive interaction along those lines."

EU CHIEF DIPLOMAT WARNS TRUMP PUTIN 'DOESN'T WANT PEACE'

Steve Witkoff, special envoy to the Middle East who has increasingly been involved with the talks regarding Ukraine and Russia, told Fox News’ Dana Perino on "America’s Newsroom" Monday morning, that the Trump administration has "gone a long way" to "narrow the differences" when dealing with Moscow and to get it to the negotiating table – though he did not go into detail. 

Witkoff suggested relations with Ukraine began to once again improve after Zelenskyy sent Trump a letter in which he apologized for the Oval Office exchange that went sour late last month after he refused to sign a mineral deal and angered the Trump administration – resulting in a series of explosive outbursts on live TV. 

While a mineral deal is unlikely to be achieved this week, according to Rubio, he said he hopes that with a successful meeting in Jeddah, he can secure the resumption of aid to Ukraine, though he did not detail if this would include the defensive aid the Trump administration halted, despite Russia’s continued bombardment against Ukrainian targets, or the intelligence sharing which the U.S. also stopped following the Oval Office showdown. 

"The pause in aid broadly is something I hope we can resolve," Rubio said. "I think what happens tomorrow will be key to that."

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Rubio also said that Russia will see its own consequences if it doesn’t agree to negotiate on ending the war in Ukraine, including additional sanctions. 

"It should be clear to everyone that the United States has tools available to also impose costs on the Russian side of this equation," Rubio said. "But we hope it doesn't come to that. 

"What we're hoping is that both sides realize that this is not a conflict that can end by military means," he added. 

On Friday, in a posting on the Truth Social platform, Trump threatened Russia with "large scale Banking Sanctions, Sanctions and Tariffs," until a ceasefire and peace settlement are reached.  

Pope Francis is "out of danger from death" as of Monday evening, marking a significant improvement after weeks of hospitalization involving the head of the Roman Catholic Church.

In a statement obtained by Fox News, the Vatican said that the "clinical conditions of the Holy Father continue to be stable."

"The improvements recorded in the previous days have been further consolidated, as confirmed by both blood tests and clinical objectivity and good response to drug therapy," the release read.

The Vatican also said that Pope Francis, 88, "is out of danger from death from the infections that he arrived at the hospital with."

POPE FRANCIS SUFFERING FROM 'MILD RENAL INSUFFICIENCY,' THOUGH CONDITION REMAINS 'UNDER CONTROL,' VATICAN SAYS

The pope was first admitted to Gemelli Hospital on Feb. 14 after fighting a week-long bout of bronchitis that gradually worsened. There, he was first diagnosed with a complex viral, bacterial and fungal respiratory tract infection. 

Doctors then detected the onset of pneumonia in both of Pope Francis's lungs – a significant health threat to the octogenarian, who has chronic lung disease and had part of one lung removed when he was younger.

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

As of Monday, Pope Francis will continue to recover in Rome’s Gemelli Hospital "for further days," Holy See officials said, citing the "complexity of the clinical picture and the important infectious picture presented at hospitalization." 

Pope Francis had solid food introduced into his diet on Sunday after days of gradual improvement. On Monday, he "alternated prayer with rest" and worshipped throughout the day. 

"This morning the Holy Father was able to follow the Spiritual Exercises in connection with the Paul VI Room, then received the Eucharist and went to the Chapel of the private apartment for a moment of prayer," the Holy See said on Monday. "In the afternoon he joined the Spiritual Exercises of the Curia again."

North Korea fired several ballistic missiles into the sea on Monday, just hours after South Korea and the United States kicked off their first major joint military exercise of President Donald Trump’s second term. 

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said the missile firings were detected from the North’s southwestern Hwanghae Province. The weapons were described as close-range, and in response, South Korea's military said it has bolstered its surveillance posture and is closely coordinating with the U.S. 

"We are aware of the DPRK’s multiple ballistic missile launches and are consulting closely with the Republic of Korea and Japan, as well as other regional allies and partners. The United States condemns these actions and calls on the DPRK to refrain from further unlawful and destabilizing acts," the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command said in a statement. "While we have assessed that this event does not pose an immediate threat to U.S. personnel, or territory, or to our allies, we continue to monitor the situation. The U.S. commitments to the defense of the ROK and Japan remain ironclad."

The launches come after South Korean and U.S. forces began their annual Freedom Shield exercise Monday.  

NORTH KOREA UNVEILS ITS FIRST NUCLEAR-POWERED SUBMARINE 

"Freedom Shield is an 11-day exercise conducted by the Republic of Korea and the United States consisting of training to reflect the Korea Theater of Operations – a combined, joint, multi-domain, and interagency operating environment," according to the U.S. Army.  

"Field training events throughout FS25 include urban combat operations, field hospital operations, mass casualty treatment and evacuation, field artillery exercises, air assault training, wet gap crossing, air defense artillery asset deployment and validation, and a joint assault exercise with the U.S. Marine Corps," the Army added. 

However, North Korea’s Foreign Ministry is calling the exercises an "aggressive and confrontational war rehearsal." 

"Despite of the DPRK's repeated warning, the US and the Republic of Korea are dead set on staging the large-scale joint military exercises. This is a dangerous provocative act of driving the acute situation on the Korean peninsula, where a single accidental gun report may spark off a physical conflict between the two sides, beyond the extreme limit," read a statement published in North Korean state media. 

TRAVELER GOES VIRAL FOR TRIP TO ONE OF THE MOST SECRETIVE PLACES ON EARTH 

This year's training comes after South Korean KF-16 fighter jets accidentally dropped bombs on a civilian area during a live-fire training exercise with the U.S. on Thursday, injuring multiple people and damaging multiple buildings, including three houses and a Catholic church. 

South Korean media reported that the accident happened in Pocheon, a city near the heavily armed border with North Korea. About 30 people were wounded, two of them seriously. 

The initial assessment from the South Korean air force was that one of the KF-16 pilots entered the wrong coordinates and failed to visually verify the target before proceeding with the bombing. The second pilot had the correct coordinates but focused only on maintaining flight formation and dropped the bombs on the first pilot’s instructions without recognizing the target was wrong, according to the content of the latest briefing provided to The Associated Press. 

Gen. Lee Youngsu, chief of staff of the South Korean air force, bowed and apologized Monday over the injuries and property damage caused by the bombing, which he said "should have never happened and must never happen again." 

Fox News’ Bradford Betz and The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

A cargo ship hit a tanker carrying jet fuel off the coast of eastern England Monday, setting both vessels on fire and triggering a major rescue operation, emergency services said.

At least 32 people were brought ashore, but their condition was not immediately clear. The operator of the tanker said all of its crew members were safe.

The U.S.-flagged chemical and oil products tanker MV Stena Immaculate was at anchor near the port of Grimsby Monday morning after sailing from Greece, according to ship-tracking site VesselFinder. The cargo vessel, Portugal-flagged container ship Solong, was sailing from Grangemouth in Scotland to Rotterdam in the Netherlands.

U.S.-based Crowley Ship Management, which operates the Stena Immaculate, said the tanker "sustained a ruptured cargo tank containing Jet-A1 fuel," when the container ship struck it, triggering a fire and "multiple explosions onboard," with fuel released into the sea.

TRUMP'S SCOTTISH GOLF RESORT VANDALIZED BY PRO-PALESTINE GROUP OVER GAZA STANCE

It said all the mariners on the tanker were safe and accounted for.

Martyn Boyers, chief executive of the Port of Grimsby East, said 13 casualties were brought in on a Windcat 33 high-speed vessel, followed by another 19 on a harbor pilot boat.

Britain's Maritime and Coastguard Agency said several lifeboats and a coast guard rescue helicopter were dispatched to the scene in the North Sea, along with a coast guard plane.

The site of the collision is off the coast of Hull, about 155 miles north of London.

Coast guards said the alarm was raised at 9:48 a.m. (0948 GMT). Humber Coast Guard made a radio broadcast asking vessels with firefighting equipment and those who could help with search and rescue to head to the scene.

HUGE UNEXPLODED WORLD WAR II-ERA BOMB FOUND IN CROWDED PARIS RESIDENTIAL AREA

The RNLI lifeboat agency said "there were reports that a number of people had abandoned the vessels following a collision and there were fires on both ships." It said three lifeboats were working on search and rescue at the scene alongside the coast guard.

Video footage aired by the BBC and apparently filmed from a nearby vessel showed thick black smoke pouring from both ships.

Boyers, the port chief, said he had been told there was "a massive fireball."

"It’s too far out for us to see – about 10 miles – but we have seen the vessels bringing them in," he said. "They must have sent a mayday out. Luckily there was a crew transfer vessel out there already. Since then, there has been a flotilla of ambulances to pick up anyone they can find."

UK PRIME MINISTER LAYS OUT UKRAINE PEACE DEAL FRAMEWORK AS ZELENSKYY RESPONDS TO RESIGNATION CALLS

U.K. Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said she was being kept up to date on the developing situation.

"I want to thank all emergency service workers involved for their continued efforts in responding to the incident," she said.

EXCLUSIVE: Growing up under Soviet rule, Lithuanian Defense Minister Dovilė Šakalienė was not allowed to celebrate Christmas. Her mother was born in a Siberian prison camp. 

The crime?

Her teenage brother was caught handing out leaflets that said, "Lithuania is free." After 50 years of Soviet occupation during the Cold War, many Lithuanians today are wary of any negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin and are watching the Kremlin’s next moves closely.

"In my opinion, the only efficient diplomacy with Russia was what Al Capone said, the only good negotiation is when you have a gun on the table. So that's probably the kind of diplomacy that would work with Russia," Šakalienė warned during an interview at the Lithuanian Embassy in Washington Friday.

When asked if Putin could be trusted, the 46-year-old defense minister, who once lived in Albuquerque, New Mexico, as an exchange student, replied, "Are you kidding me? After what was done to my family and by Russia for generations, I don't think you would find any Lithuanian who could trust Vladimir Putin."

Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine is now more than three years old. Since returning to office, President Donald Trump has engaged in direct talks with Russia to end the war.

TRUMP SAYS INTEL PAUSE ON UKRAINE HAS BEEN 'JUST ABOUT' LIFTED; SAYS TARIFFS WILL MAKE AMERICA RICH

"Historically, Russia has never ever kept an agreement," Šakalienė said." Our only hope is that the tough and harsh approach by President Donald Trump may be the only safeguard keeping Putin in check. So let's hope that happens."

Located in Eastern Europe, Lithuania's population of 2.8 million in an area roughly the size of West Virginia, the small country cannot afford to ignore Russia. It shares a 184-mile border with Russia (Kaliningrad) as well as a 420-mile border with Belarus, which she says is "now just a platform for the Russian army."

She said, "They are trying to frighten us. They are trying to make us feel insecure," about the Russian forces next door.

Lithuania is ramping up defense spending as a result of Russia launching its full-scale invasion of Ukraine and plans to exceed Trump’s demand that NATO allies spend 5% of GDP on defense. Šakalienė said her country hopes to reach 6% by next year. The U.S. currently spends 3.4%.

Last month, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also urged NATO allies to ramp up defense spending. "The United States will no longer tolerate an imbalanced relationship which encourages dependency," he warned at NATO headquarters in Brussels on his first overseas trip.

As a NATO defense minister, Šakalienė was there in Brussels. She applauded Hegseth’s remarks, calling them an "ice-cold bucket of water."

"I saw the faces of my colleagues. A lot of shock, a lot of stress," she said. "Nobody in the room mentioned 2% [of GDP] which is so redundant, irrelevant, inadequate. It's gone. It's old news."

When asked why Western Europe has been lagging on defense spending years after Russia seized 20% of Ukraine, Šakalienė replied, "I think that a very large part of the democratic world got caught up in this illusion of an idealistic world, which has never existed."

She said part of the illusion was believing wars are over. Russia never thought this way, she explained.

"The non-democratic part of the world has not changed. They are actually playing by their rules. So if they are not playing by our rules, our blindness is what put us in this dangerous position."

TRUMP THREATENS SANCTIONS ON RUSSIA, DEMANDS PEACE AFTER MAJOR HITS IN UKRAINE

Šakalienė is the only NATO defense minister sanctioned by China. When asked about Beijing’s motives in supporting Russia, her answer might surprise some people.

"Russia is able to boost its military production so efficiently because China is feeding it," she said.  "It is useful for China to have this war of exhaustion, and also it is useful for China, even though it supplies Russia, to see Russia also lose a lot of its soldiers – a lot of its weapons and equipment – because a weaker Russia is more convenient to China."

Despite heavy battlefield losses in Ukraine over the past three years, Russia is building an army of 1.5 million soldiers, according to Šakalienė, who warned Putin has "more imperial expansion plans in his hand."

When Fox News sat down at the Lithuanian Embassy on Friday, Trump was trying to secure a mineral rights agreement with Ukraine and eventually hopes to seek a ceasefire agreement with Russia.

"If Russia violates the ceasefire, the response must be immediate and violent," Šakalienė urged.

When asked for her reaction to a report that Trump is considering not defending NATO allies who do not spend enough on defense, Šakalienė applauded the harsh rhetoric from Trump, calling it "painful" but justified. "Everyone needs to contribute, burden sharing is the main rule if you really want to have a strong alliance."

She pointed to the Baltic States and Poland as leading NATO members in defense spending as a percentage of GDP.

Last year, the European Union, which Lithuania is a member, spent more on Russian oil and gas than aid to Ukraine. Šakalienė said her country was "the first one to cut off" Russian oil and gas. "We were even supporting our neighbors, Latvians and Polish with energy supplies. So for us, being independent of Russian energy is a matter of life and death."

Lithuania’s first LNG terminal was aptly named "Independence," according to Frank Fannon, who served in Trump’s first term as assistant secretary of state for energy resources.

When Fox News sat down at the embassy, Lithuania had just announced it would be withdrawing from the convention on cluster munitions, an international agreement by more than 100 nations prohibiting cluster bombs. Šakalienė explained why Lithuania is pulling out.

"We want to be ready to use anything and everything necessary to protect our borders. We don't want Russians to come to our homes again. We want to send a strategic message, a very clear message, that we will do anything to protect ourselves."  

RUSSIAN MISSILE EXPERTS VISITED IRAN AMID GROWING MILITARY TIES

Lithuania, along with other European nations, also wants to withdraw from another treaty soon known as the Ottawa Convention, which bans anti-personnel land mines.

"This is a terrible weapon, just like cluster munitions, but the Russians are using the weapons, including forbidden weapons. So we want to send the message back," she said.

In addition to Russia, China and the United States are also not parties to the agreement. In 2014, the United States announced it would abide by the Ottawa Convention, except for the landmines already deployed on the Korean Peninsula.

Šakalienė, a deeply devout Christian, said Russia is not only attacking Ukraine, but the Christian faith as well.

"It was Soviet Russia that tried to annihilate the church in Ukraine, in Lithuania, in Poland. They have now sort of revived their Christianity and are using it for KGB infiltration, for FSB infiltration, she said. "This is a betrayal."

She continued, "When we see how churches in Ukraine are being bombed, being robbed…the Christian community in Ukraine is being murdered and their beautiful heritage is being destroyed."

The Lithuanian defense minister ended the interview with a final warning.

"We tend to try to diminish our enemies. This is a mistake. You have to see them for what they are."

A newly released study is challenging the International Criminal Court's (ICC) investigation of starvation claims against Israel and exposes the Hamas terror organization's role in controlling aid distribution. 

Just last week, as a result of Hamas terrorists' refusal to extend the ceasefire deal and start releasing the 59 hostages still held in Gaza, the Israeli government decided to halt all goods and supplies going into Gaza. 

Yet despite howls of criticism from U.N. relief chief Tom Fletcher, who called the decision "alarming," the Trump administration has given its blessing to the move. 

Retired Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus, a former IDF international spokesperson and now a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, dismissed claims of starvation, telling Fox News Digital that Hamas hoards supplies while Israel ensures aid enters. "Over 25,200 trucks arrived during the ceasefire – enough for four months. If there’s hunger, it’s because of Hamas corruption, not a lack of food," he said.

The study published by Israeli public health experts, based on data from Israel’s Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), challenges these claims, showing no evidence of famine or intentional deprivation.

MORE AID IS SUPPOSED TO BE ENTERING THE GAZA STRIP. WHY ISN’T IT HELPING?

The study, named "Food supplied to Gaza during seven months of the Hamas-Israel war," was led by nutrition and public health experts Aron Troen and Ronit Endevelt, along with researchers from multiple Israeli universities and the Ministry of Health. The study analyzed food shipments into Gaza from January to July 2024. 

Using international food composition databases and the Sphere humanitarian standards, they tracked calorie intake, nutritional value, and humanitarian aid efforts, providing an objective, data-driven analysis of food supplies delivered to Gaza during the first seven months of the war.

The research assessed food shipments from international donors processed through COGAT. Each item was categorized based on its energy content, protein, fat and micronutrient composition. The total nutritional supply per capita was then measured against international benchmarks to ensure accuracy.

"We didn't enter politics," said professor Ronit Endevelt. "We just wanted to know if, from a nutritional perspective, the food entering Gaza was sufficient. We double-checked our data multiple times to avoid exaggeration."

Between January and April 2024, 14,916 trucks carrying 227,854 tons of food entered Gaza, averaging 124 food trucks per day. The study found that the daily per capita caloric supply averaged 3,374 kcal, with 101 grams of protein and 80.6 grams of fat – meeting or exceeding international humanitarian food aid standards.

ICC REJECTS ISRAELI APPEALS, ISSUES ARREST WARRANTS FOR BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, YOAV GALLANT

"In March 2024, the United Nations Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) warned of imminent famine in Gaza. Within days, cautious technical language gave way to media headlines and political statements claiming mass starvation was already underway," professor Troen told Fox News Digital. 

"One of the most persistent falsehoods has been the claim that before the war, 500 or more humanitarian trucks entered Gaza daily, and that this number was necessary to meet the population’s needs. In reality, the number of food trucks was around or fewer than 100 per day before the war, and has since increased substantially," he continued. "Our study aimed to address that gap by analyzing verified food shipments. The numbers show that while there were variations, at no point did the food supply drop to starvation levels."

When asked specifically about testimonies obtained by Fox News Digital from Gazans who reported struggling to find food on certain days, Endevelt acknowledged the study did not track final distribution within Gaza. "We can’t say there was no hunger, but we can confirm enough food entered," she said. "Most of the time, in most months, there was enough food available."

A key finding of the study is the distinction between food supply and distribution. "Hamas systematically weaponized food distribution, using it as a tool of control," said Endevelt. "Aid often didn’t reach those in need because Hamas seized supplies, sold them on the black market, or prioritized its own fighters. Reports of famine are not due to a lack of aid but Hamas’ deliberate strategy of restricting access to maintain power and profit."

Despite these findings, the ICC investigation and global criticism continued. "IPC reports, widely cited as evidence against Israel, failed to mention Hamas’ role in manipulating aid," Troen said.

When asked by Fox News Digital whether the new findings would be considered in its investigation, the ICC Office of the Prosecutor responded: "The ICC Office of the Prosecutor has a current and ongoing investigation in relation to the Situation in the State of Palestine. The Office’s investigations are built from a wide range of sources. They can encompass Article 15 communications, information from states, international partners, and civil society, publicly available sources of information, and the direct collection of evidence by the Office, including interviews with witnesses.

"The Office is unable to provide further information with respect to details of its investigative activities in response to your request at this stage. Confidentiality is a crucial part of our work and is essential to protect the integrity of the investigations and to ensure the safety and security of victims, witnesses, and all those with whom the Office interacts."

The U.N. spokesman referred Fox News Digital to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), which requested more time to respond. However, even after the extension was granted, no response was provided.

UN SILENT AS GUTERRES CALLS FOR HOSTAGE RELEASE, RECEIVES 'THUNDEROUS' APPLAUSE ON GAZA

Publishing the study posed challenges. "Given the anti-Israel bias in parts of the scientific community, we opted to submit to the Israeli Journal of Health Policy Research, a peer-reviewed journal under Springer Nature," Troen said. "We wanted the data available quickly to improve humanitarian efforts. However, the political climate made the review process unusually intense."

"This was one of the most rigorously reviewed studies I’ve ever worked on," Endevelt added. "We had five reviewers, far more than usual, and months of back-and-forth revisions to ensure absolute accuracy."

The research team, including experts from Hebrew University, Ben-Gurion University, Tel Aviv University and Haifa University, conducted the study with a commitment to scientific rigor. The paper, now widely cited, underscores the importance of transparent data in evaluating humanitarian crises.

"One thing is clear: given the amount of food entering Gaza and ongoing reports of hunger, distribution must be improved," Troen concluded. "Effective cooperation between U.N. agencies, COGAT, and Palestinian civil society, without Hamas’ interference, is crucial to ensuring aid reaches those who need it most."

Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte made an unannounced visit to Hong Kong on Sunday, leading to questions about whether he is attempting to evade a possible arrest warrant by the International Criminal Court over his extrajudicial killings amid his war on drugs during his time in office.

Duterte, 79, and his daughter — incumbent Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte — were the main speakers at a campaign rally at the Southorn Stadium in the busy Wan Chai commercial district in Hong Kong for the senatorial candidates of his political party, Partido Demokratiko Pilipino, ahead of the May 12 midterm elections in the Philippines.

In his speech, Duterte addressed reports about the ICC possibly issuing a warrant for his arrest, reiterating previous comments that he was prepared to be jailed if his arrest is ordered.

"If that’s my fate, that’s fine. I will accept it. We can’t do anything if I’m arrested or imprisoned," he said in front of a crowd of Filipino supporters.

PHILIPPINE FIGHTER JET CARRYING 2 PILOTS GOES MISSING DURING MISSION AGAINST INSURGENTS IN SOUTHERN PROVINCE

The ICC has been investigating the large number of killings by police and gunmen under Duterte's crackdown against illegal drugs during his tenure as president from 2016-2022. Thousands of people, most of whom were poor, were left dead as he sought to carry out his war on drugs.

Duterte, while in office, also prosecuted a journalist for coverage that scrutinized the government's killings.

The former populist president has denied he authorized extrajudicial killings. However, he openly and repeatedly threatened to kill suspected drug dealers during his time in office.

"What was my sin?" Duterte asked in his speech in Hong Kong. "I did everything in my time, so Filipinos can have a little peace and tranquility."

He jokingly told the crowd to make small contributions for the construction of his monument, which he said should show him holding a gun.

CHINESE NAVY HELICOPTER FLIES WITHIN 10 FEET OF PHILIPPINE PATROL PLANE OVER DISPUTED SHOAL

A senior Philippine official said the former president was scheduled to fly back on Tuesday to Manila, the capital of the Philippines, but another senior official said he could extend his stay in Hong Kong.

Current President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s administration is prepared to handle any situation stemming from an ICC arrest warrant, the president's communications secretary, Jay Ruiz, said.

"We've heard that an arrest warrant has been issued by the International Criminal Court against former President Rodrigo Duterte for crimes against humanity," Ruiz said in a statement. "The government is prepared for any eventuality."

In the southern city of Davao, Duterte's home region, police bolstered security at the international airport and will monitor new checkpoints. Philippine police told reporters the move was part of an effort to ensure law enforcement would be able to handle any contingencies.

Duterte had held office in Davao, previously serving as mayor, vice mayor and member of the House of Representatives. He was also chair of the Davao City Liberal Party from 2009-2015.

Marcos Jr. has said that Philippine law enforcement agencies would be required to fully cooperate if the ICC seeks Duterte's arrest.

The ICC was created in 2002 to serve as a court of last resort for the most serious international crimes, including genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and aggression. The ICC becomes involved when countries are unable or unwilling to prosecute crimes within their borders.

About 125 countries have signed the court’s foundational treaty, the Rome Statute. But China, which controls Hong Kong, has not signed on.

Duterte withdrew the Philippines from the ICC in 2019, which activists argued was an attempt to evade accountability and prevent an international investigation into the government-authorized killings. However, the ICC still maintains jurisdiction over alleged crimes committed when the country was a member, so Duterte could still be held accountable for possible crimes committed in the first half of his presidency.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Romania's central election authority has banned Calin Georgescu, a populist candidate and frontrunner, from running in May's presidential election re-run.

"Europe is now a dictatorship, Romania is under tyranny!" Georgescu said in a post on X, following the decision. "I have one message left! If democracy in Romania falls, the entire democratic world will fall!"

Trump’s administration has taken an interest in Romania’s presidential election since it was canceled in May because of Russian collusion allegations in Georgescu's favor. 

SpaceX CEO and DOGE leader Elon Musk chimed in and shared his reaction to the decision.

ROMANIAN FAR-RIGHT PRESIDENTIAL FRONTRUNNER TAKEN INTO CUSTODY AFTER JD VANCE'S REBUKE OF EUROPEAN ELECTIONS

"This is crazy," Musk wrote on X.

Kari Lake, Trump administration senior advisor for the US agency for global media, also reacted and compared what is happening in Romania to what "they tried with Trump here in America."

"Do you love your country & want to put it first?" Lake posted on X. "Then, the Globalists want you removed from the ballot & silenced. They tried it with Trump here in America. They did it to Bolsanaro in Brazil. Now, they're doing it to Georgescu in Romania. The people should dictate their country's future. Not the international order & their captured court."

Georgescu, 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 back in February.

ROMANIA ANNULS FIRST ROUND OF PRESIDENTIAL VOTE WON BY FAR-RIGHT CANDIDATE

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.

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." 

He also 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. 

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."

Fox News Digital's Danielle Wallace, Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

OTTAWA, Ontario — Former Central Bank Governor of Canada Mark Carney will become Canada’s next prime minister after winning the Liberal leadership race on Sunday night. Carney told cheering supporters that "Canada will never become part of America in any way, shape or form."

Carney received 86% of the vote, or 131,764 votes of the 151,899 ones cast from the nearly 400,000 party members who registered to participate in the leadership election.

The new Liberal leader told members that they should be prepared to fight "the most important election of our lives" where the "stakes have never been higher."

He said Canada is the "greatest country in the world and now our neighbors want to take us. No way," said the incoming Canadian prime minister, referring to President Donald Trump’s repeated desire for the U.S. to annex Canada as the "51st state."

TRUMP CRITIC MARK CARNEY POISED TO REPLACE TRUDEAU AS CANADA'S PRIME MINISTER

When Trump announced his tariffs against Canada last month, Carney issued a statement that "Canada will not bow down to a bully. We won’t stand by as illegal U.S. tariffs hurt our workers and their families. As Canadians, we need to face this challenge as one united team."

In December, outgoing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau reportedly approached Carney to serve as Canadian finance minister, which caused the incumbent, Chrystia Freeland, to leave the Cabinet and publicly release her resignation letter in which she wrote that she and the prime minister had "found [themselves] at odds about the best path forward for Canada."

Less than a month later, Trudeau announced his intention to step down as Liberal leader and prime minister, saying that if he’s "having to fight internal battles, [he] cannot be the best option" in a general election scheduled to be held no later than Oct. 20.

But opposition parties have vowed to force an earlier national vote through a non-confidence motion in the House of Commons against the Liberal minority government when Parliament is recalled on March 24.

On Saturday, Canada’s Globe and Mail newspaper reported that Carney will likely call a snap election the week before the March 24 resumption of Parliament, with voting day on either April 28 or May 5.

The new Liberal leader is expected to meet with Trudeau on Monday to discuss the transition that will find Carney and a slimmed-down Cabinet sworn into office by Friday.

WHO IS PIERRE POILIEVRE? CANADA'S CONSERVATIVE LEADER SEEKING TO BECOME NEXT PRIME MINISTER AFTER TRUDEAU EXIT

But regardless of the Liberals having a new leader with some momentum in the polls, Canada’s Conservatives under their leader, Pierre Poilievre, are ready for a "change election," said Laura Kurkimaki, who served as deputy national campaign manager for the Conservative Party during the last federal election in 2021.

"We’ve had 10 years of a Liberal government, and Canadians are tired of that," said Kurkimaki, who also served as principal secretary to former Conservative official opposition leader Erin O’Toole, whose party won the popular vote but not enough House seats to win the 2021 election.

Furthermore, she said the new Liberal leader would be running on "Trudeau’s record," and while Carney wasn’t a member of the prime minister’s government, he was appointed last September by the Liberal Party to chair a task force on economic growth for Trudeau.

"The next election will be about who is going to make life more affordable for Canadians," said Kurkimaki. "What’s going on in the U.S. impacts that, of course, and creates economic uncertainty in Canada."

She added that the longer Carney waits to call an election, the Conservatives get more time to launch their attack ads against him.

During an election, parties face spending limits. But before the writ is dropped to launch the election period, parties can spend as much as they want on advertising, and the Conservatives raised more than double (about $29 million) last year than the Liberals, at about $11 million.

In an interview with The Spectator, Trump, commenting on the Conservative party leader, said Poilievre’s "biggest problem is he’s not a MAGA guy. … He’s not a Trump guy at all."

The Canadian Conservative leader replied on X, "Mr. President, it is true. I am not MAGA."

"I am for Canada First. Always," Poilievre posted. "Canada has always been America’s best friend & ally. But we will NEVER be the 51st state."

A former British Conservative minister and current MP renewed his push in Parliament last week for legislation that bans first-cousin marriage, prompting opposition from the ruling Labour party, Prime Minister Keir Starmer and a British-Muslim MP.

The Conservative MP Richard Holden said during a parliamentary debate, "A marriage between first cousins carries significant health issues, many of which aren't even knowable until post-birth." He added, "When practiced generation after generation, there is a significant multiplier effect."

Adverse health effects on the children of first cousin marriages have been established in medical research. Holden added that "the real impacts on the openness of our society and women’s rights in our country are significant. After all, there are significant dynamics in sharing the same set of grandparents."

Holden urged Starmer to "think again" about blocking his legislation from moving forward. Starmer responded to Holden, stating "We've taken our position on that Bill, thank you." 

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

The Daily Mail reported that nearly 46% of females from the Pakistani community in Bradford, England had a "common ancestor," according to a 2024 study. A government study showed that the number was at 62% 10 years earlier.

While the prime minister's office did not say why they are against the bill's codification into law, a spokesman for Starmer told Fox News Digital, "Expert advice risks on first-cousin marriages are clear. In terms of legislation and what the government set up in the King’s Speech after the election, so of course we do not want people to enter in cousin marriages."

He continued, "We are focused on making sure every part of the govt is focused on delivering on issues that matter to the British public. We set out our legislative priorities in the King’s Speech."

Given the large influx of migrants from the Middle East and North Africa to Scandinavian countries, the BBC reported that Norway has banned cousin marriage while a ban is expected to come into effect in Sweden next year.

The failure to codify a ban on interfamily marriage among first cousins has outraged many prominent conservative voices in the United Kingdom.

Ben Habib, chairman of the Great British Political Action Committee, told Fox News Digital, "Liberalism in the U.K. is out of control. In the pursuit of allowing people to do whatever they like, sanity is being set aside. It matters not whether that which you wish to do is deeply damaging. If you’re a minority, you have a protective blanket put around you and encouraged to continue."

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

Habib added that "marrying cousins was a practice which exited Western culture over a hundred years ago. It’s now back with a vengeance. Why? Because we’ve had mass immigration from cultures which haven’t kept pace with ours. Instead of requiring them to adopt our approach, the British government allows them to continue this debilitating practice. Liberalism is reversing cultural advancement. And our government is in on the act. This insanity must stop."

During one of the parliamentary debates on the bill, Independent MP Iqbal Mohamed, who rejects a legislative prohibition on first-cousin marriage, admitted "there are documented health risks with first-cousin marriage." He said this is an issue that "needs greater awareness." He, however, said the way to address this "is not to empower the state to ban adults from marrying each other." He does not think a ban would be "effective or enforceable." 

According to medical experts, the children of first-cousin marriages are highly vulnerable to contracting an autosomal recessive genetic disorder, 

Mohamed said, "The matter needs to be approached as a health awareness issue and a cultural issue where women are being forced against their will to undergo marriage."

According to Mohamed, an estimated 35% to 50% of all sub-Saharan populations prefer or accept first-cousin marriage, and it is common in the Middle East and South Asia. In July 2024, British voters pulled the plug on the Conservative Party’s 14-year reign and voted in Starmer’s leftist Labour Party.

OTTAWA – Mark Carney has never held elected office, but for years has been touted as a future leader of the Liberal Party of Canada, and if the polling goes as expected, he is the favorite to win his party's leadership race on Sunday.

Carney, the former governor of both the Bank of Canada and the Bank of England, and Goldman Sachs executive, is expected to win the race to succeed Justin Trudeau as both the 14th Liberal leader and 24th Canadian prime minister by the party’s nearly 400,000 members.

Carney recently criticized President Donald Trump as a "bully" in a statement he released in response to American tariffs being put on the northern neighbor. "Canada will not bow down to a bully. We won’t stand by as illegal U.S. tariffs hurt our workers and their families. As Canadians, we need to face this challenge as one united team."

Canada's CBC reported Carney compared Trump to Harry Potter's Voldemort in reaction to the president's comments on making Canada the 51st state.

"When you think about what's at stake in these ridiculous, insulting comments of the president, of what we could be, I view this as the sort of Voldemort of comments… Like I will not even repeat it, but you know what I'm talking about."

CANADA PUNCHES BACK AGAINST TRUMP WITH MAJOR TARIFFS OF ITS OWN AS TRADE WAR SET TO BEGIN ON TUESDAY

More than half of the Liberals’ 153-member caucus in the House of Commons has endorsed him for leader over former Cabinet ministers Chrystia Freeland and Karina Gould, as well as past member of Parliament (MP) Frank Baylis – all three of whom served in Trudeau’s government.

On fundraising, Carney has amassed the most campaign contributions with $1.3 million – or more than double what Freeland, a former foreign affairs minister, collected last month.

Polls have also shown that Carney is the frontrunner to become the next Liberal leader. Should he hold that job and automatically become Canadian prime minister as Trudeau’s successor, he would help boost his party’s fortunes at the ballot box.

A survey by the Angus Reid Institute, released on March 5, found that a Carney-led Liberal Party was only three points (37%) behind the official opposition Conservative Party, at 40%. 

The results of a Leger poll, released on March 3, reported a slightly wider margin, with the Conservatives at 41% and the Liberals, with Carney as leader, at 33%.

However, the same recent Angus Reid poll also found that 43% of Canadians believe Carney would be best suited, as prime minister, to deal with Trump, compared to Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, at 34%.

Even Poilievre has acknowledged that he will face the frontrunner in the Liberal race in the next general election, regularly calling him "Carbon Tax Carney," with reference to the Canadian government’s consumer tax on carbon emissions that Carney initially supported. During his leadership run, the former central bank governor said he would replace it with an incentive program that rewards Canadians for "making greener choices," such as purchasing an energy-efficient appliance.

In a Jan. 26 open letter to Carney, Poilievre asked him whether he would be "any different than the man you are trying to replace" and commit to "banning any prior Trudeau minister from serving in your Cabinet" or "pursue the same Trudeau agenda?"

TRUMP EXEMPTS MEXICO FROM TARIFFS FOR USMCA GOODS UNTIL APRIL 2 

Norman Spector, who served as chief of staff to former Progressive Conservative Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, views Carney’s political-rookie status as serving him well as prime minister when dealing with the White House.

"He doesn’t start out with any baggage with Trump, and I think that’s very, very important," said Spector. He suggested that Carney meet with the president as soon as possible to address areas where Canada and the U.S. can closely collaborate, such as on continental security.

Carney cannot appear to be "Justin Trudeau in a different set of clothes or with a different resume," John Manley, a former Canadian Liberal deputy prime minister and finance minister, told Fox News Digital.

"He’s got to be a candidate for change and be seen as the serious dude who can take on Donald Trump," while noting that the ballot-box question in Canada has shifted from the unpopularity in Canada of Trudeau to Trump.

No longer a member of Canada's Liberal Party, Manley said Carney has "promised to move the party back toward the center and make the economy his focus, and those would both be welcome."

Last Wednesday, Carney said he would remove domestic trade barriers between the 10 provinces and three territories that would expand the Canadian economy by up to $140 billion.

On the same day, Trudeau and the provincial and territorial premiers agreed to do the very same to reduce reliance on trade with the U.S. in response to the Trump administration’s tariffs on Canada.

Manley said the Liberals "have got to stop focusing on identity politics," which he said is only "important to a small band of people."

"We can’t keep fighting cultural wars. It badly hurt the Democrats in the U.S."

He also said Carney needs to quickly call a general election before Parliament is scheduled to resume on March 24. 

Should he become Liberal leader on Sunday, Carney would also automatically become the prime minister-designate since the Liberals lead the government under Trudeau. 

The formal transition date for Carney to assume office has yet to be determined, but he would be the first Canadian prime minister to have never held elected office and would need to win a seat in the House of Commons. Therefore, the need for a national vote is also personal as it would enable Carney to run in a yet-to-be-determined riding (district) to become a member of Parliament.

TRUMP TELLS TRUDEAU FENTANYL CRACKDOWN ‘NOT GOOD ENOUGH’ TO STAVE OFF TARIFFS

Manley, who ran for the Canadian Liberal leadership in 2003, won by former prime minister Paul Martin, said Carney will need new faces in his Cabinet.

He also sees Carney – a Harvard and Oxford universities graduate with a doctorate in economics – as holding an advantage over Poilievre in the next election.

Born in Canada’s Northwest Territories, 59-year-old Carney was also a longtime Goldman Sachs executive, who additionally served as the United Nations special envoy for climate action and finance.

By contrast, 45-year-old Poilievre has "done nothing but politics for his adult life," said Manley.

The opposition leader was first elected as a Conservative MP for an Ottawa riding in 2004 when he was 24.

But Manley said, "Poilievre is a very effective communicator," and Carney has to "prove that he can relate to the ordinary man on the street."

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"Can he appeal to people who elect governments, many of whom don’t particularly read books – and may not even read newspapers?"

"Being a successful politician today requires a different skill set than it was even in my time," he said.

It is one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a woman – or a Christian. Disease is rampant, and children as young as 4 are being forced to work in mines.

The Democratic Republic of Congo is 95% Christian, yet the faithful are being targeted by jihadists. Just last month, Islamist ADF terrorists, who want the eastern part of the country to become a Muslim Caliphate, rounded up 70 Christians and beheaded them – in a church.

Women are under threat too. According to the U.N., 895 cases of rape were reported in the last two weeks of February alone – an average of more than 60 a day.

In the east, "Sexual violence and human rights abuses remain rampant, as is the looting and destruction of civilian homes and businesses," Patrick Eba, deputy director of UNHCR’s Division of International Protection, said this week.

70 CHRISTIANS BEHEADED IN AFRICAN COUNTRY BY ISIS-ALIGNED MILITANTS, GROUPS SAY; WORLD MOSTLY SILENT

Eba added that "hundreds of thousands of people (are) on the move", fleeing the violence, with many crossing into neighboring countries.

Over 150 women inmates were raped, and many of them then burned to death, in Goma in October last year. As M23 rebels advanced on the city, prison guards at the local jail fled. Hundreds of male inmates are said to have jumped over a wall and raped the women, before escaping.

The sick are also at risk. Earlier this week, the U.N. humanitarian affairs coordination office (OCHA) reported that armed men had raided at least two hospitals in North Kivu’s capital Goma, abducting dozens of patients. 

Disease also stalks people – with three mystery "outbreaks" in the past six months in the DRC. In the latest, the World Health Organization stated late last month that 60 have died and a further 1,318 have shown symptoms of suffering from an as yet unidentified serious illness in Equateur Province.

The agency said the disease spreads through the body fast "with a median time from onset of symptoms to death of one day." Tests for Ebola and the Marburg virus have come back negative so far.

In the Eastern Kivu provinces of the DRC, hundreds of thousands have been displaced, as rebel groups, often foreign-backed, push back government troops in a war "playing out in one of the poorest regions of earth," analyst Frans Cronje told Fox News Digital, adding, "Thousands have been killed, disease pandemics are commonplace, (and) women live under the constant fear of rape and abuse." 

TRUMP FACING 1ST TEST IN AFRICA AMID BLOODY BATTLES ‘OVER ELECTRIC VEHICLE BATTERY MINERALS’ 
 

"The conflict in the DRC is essentially about control of critical minerals", Cronje, an advisor for the Yorktown Foundation for Freedom, continued. "Scores of rebel groups and some state actors are engaged in the conflict. The two Kivu provinces contain vast deposits of these minerals that could be used in applications from defense and AI to green energy."

Bill Roggio, senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) and editor of the Long War Journal, told Fox News Digital, "I would argue that the minerals are only partially, or even tangentially, related. The main violence plaguing Congo runs from regional political issues, like Rwanda/M23 (rebel group), to ethnic like CODECO, (an association of militia groups) to religious, like Islamic State Central Africa Province, aka ADF, (rebel group) to just general localized banditry. And some groups do control and make money from artisanal mines, but not all."

And, for more than a decade, children in some DRC areas have faced extreme exploitation and abuse, reportedly from China, forced to mine deep underground in its quest for metals such as cobalt. An estimated 70% of the world’s cobalt is produced in the DRC, according to Michigan State University’s Global Edge Research Organization. China is said to either own, or co-own with the DRC’s government, 80% of the DRC’s cobalt mines.

This modern-day child slavery continues despite outcry. A report to a joint House and Senate Committee in November 2023 stated that the DRC "is a country that has been brutally pillaged throughout history, fueled by corrupt men’s unquenchable thirst for power, riches, land, rubber, copper, palm oil, and now cobalt, all at the expense of innocent women, men, and children." 

"Children as young as 4 are forced to mine cobalt, "Jason Isaac told Fox News Digital last year. Isaac is the founder and CEO of the American Energy Institute. 

The FDD’s Bill Roggio told Fox News Digital there are steps the Trump administration could take, "from counter-terrorism against one of IS' most active global branches (ISCAP) to walking back a potential massive regional war, or even to improving good governance, a more stable, secure and prosperous Congo would do wonders for the global economy and regional security."

The mother of Alon Ohel, a hostage taken from the Nova Music Festival Oct. 7, 2023, who remains in Hamas captivity, is pleading for her son’s release after the first phase of the ceasefire concluded last week, but no new deal for a second phase has yet been reached. 

"I think every mother in this world, if they just stopped for a second, would [they] even be able to breathe, knowing that their son or daughter have eaten dinner, are not getting any food – they're being starved, chained and in bad condition," Idit Ohel  told Fox News Digital. 

"Would they be able to just do anything?  It's unbearable. It's just unbearable." 

AFTER TRUMP THREAT, HAMAS REFUSES TO RELEASE MORE HOSTAGES WITHOUT PHASE 2 CEASEFIRE DEAL

Alon and 58 others, including one individual taken separately from the Oct. 7 attacks, remains a hostage after 518 days since the October 2023 Hamas attacks on Israel.

During the attack, Alon hid in a bomb shelter outside the Nova music festival and was injured when shrapnel hit his right eye. 

Footage shared with Fox News Digital showed the harrowing state he and others were in during the attack and their subsequent abduction. 

TRUMP STICKING TO GAZA RELOCATION PLAN, AS WHITE HOUSE SEEMS TO DISMISS EGYPTIAN PROPOSAL

According to Israelis who were held hostage with Alon, his injury was never properly treated, and he is now at risk of going blind in both eyes, Idit explained.

Alon was confirmed last month to still be alive after the release of three hostages who were held with him. He is now believed to be held on his own.

"I have no idea where Allen is right now, but I do know as a mother that I'm frightened for him, and I know that he needs to be back as soon as possible. It's urgent," Idit explained to Fox News Digital. 

President Donald Trump this week met with hostages released from Gaza who told the president they believed he had "been sent by God" to secure their release.

Idit, who is Israeli, has not heard from either the Trump administration or from Netanyahu’s office.

But she believes Trump will help to return her son.

"I know that Trump can bring my son home. I know this because he has the power to do it. And when he wants something, he does it," Idit said. "I'm rooting for him.

"I came all the way from Israel to D.C. to make sure that I’m heard, that Alon is heard," she added. "I'm advocating for him. Alon is being held. He can't speak."

News this week revealed the Trump administration was directly communicating with Hamas to secure the release of five American hostages still held in Gaza, including the only surviving American, Edan Alexander.

Reports also noted that the administration was directly negotiating with the terrorist organization, an unprecedented move that has reportedly frustrated Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, to try to secure a 60-day ceasefire in exchange for the release of 10 hostages.

But there are 25 hostages still believed to be alive, including Ohel.

In a direct message to her son, Idit said, "We pray for you, and I am doing everything in my power to make sure that you are not forgotten. 

"You are not forgotten," she added. "People here think about you every day, and they want to save you and want to bring you back home. 

"Your father and I, and your sister and your brother, are with you all the time."

Pope Francis continued his therapy and prescribed diet, which now includes eating solid foods, the Vatican said in an update on Sunday.

The Vatican said he did respiratory and motor physiotherapy and his condition "appears stable, with slight gradual improvements."

"However, the overall situation remains complex, prompting doctors to maintain a guarded prognosis," the Vatican also warned in its update.

Earlier on Sunday, the Vatican said the pope was responding well to treatment and had shown a "gradual, mild improvement" in recent days as he remains in the hospital recovering from double pneumonia.

POPE FRANCIS SHOWS 'SLIGHT IMPROVEMENT' DURING FOURTH WEEK IN HOSPITAL, VATICAN SAYS

The night was quiet; the Pope is resting," the Vatican said in its earlier statement.

Francis, 88, was admitted to Rome's Gemelli 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.

This is the fourth Sunday in a row that the pope will not appear for his weekly noon blessing, but the Vatican plans to distribute the message he would have delivered.

The pope's condition has remained stable, as he has had no fever and good oxygen levels in his blood for several days, doctors said. The doctors said that his stability "as a consequence testifies to a good response to therapy."

This marks the first time doctors have reported that Francis, who has chronic lung disease and had part of one lung removed when he was younger, was responding well to the prescribed therapies since he was admitted to the hospital more than three weeks ago.

Despite Francis' absence, the Vatican’s daily operations continued alongside celebrations of its Holy Year, the once-every-quarter-century Jubilee that brings pilgrims from around the world to Rome. The Holy Year is celebrating volunteers this weekend, and many are extending their pilgrimage to pray for Francis outside the hospital.

POPE FRANCIS CONTINUES TO REST IN HOSPITAL AS VATICAN'S HOLY YEAR PROCEEDS WITHOUT HIM

Canadian Cardinal Michael Czerny will preside over the Holy Year Mass on Sunday for the volunteers.

The pope has been using high flows of supplemental oxygen to help him breathe during the day and a noninvasive mechanical ventilation mask at night.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Pope Francis is responding well to treatment and has shown a "gradual, mild improvement" in recent days as he remains in the hospital recovering from double pneumonia, the Vatican said Sunday.

"The night was quiet; the Pope is resting," the Vatican said in a statement.

Francis, 88, was admitted to Rome's Gemelli 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.

POPE FRANCIS SHOWS 'SLIGHT IMPROVEMENT' DURING FOURTH WEEK IN HOSPITAL, VATICAN SAYS

This is the fourth Sunday in a row that the pope will not appear for his weekly noon blessing, but the Vatican plans to distribute the message he would have delivered.

The pope's condition has remained stable, as he has had no fever and good oxygen levels in his blood for several days, doctors said. The doctors said that his stability "as a consequence testifies to a good response to therapy."

This marks the first time doctors have reported that Francis, who has chronic lung disease and had part of one lung removed when he was younger, was responding well to the prescribed therapies since he was admitted to the hospital more than three weeks ago.

But his prognosis remains "guarded," doctors said, meaning he is not yet out of danger.

Despite Francis' absence, the Vatican’s daily operations continued alongside celebrations of its Holy Year, the once-every-quarter-century Jubilee that brings pilgrims from around the world to Rome. The Holy Year is celebrating volunteers this weekend, and many are extending their pilgrimage to pray for Francis outside the hospital.

POPE FRANCIS CONTINUES TO REST IN HOSPITAL AS VATICAN'S HOLY YEAR PROCEEDS WITHOUT HIM

Canadian Cardinal Michael Czerny will preside over the Holy Year Mass on Sunday for the volunteers.

The pope has been using high flows of supplemental oxygen to help him breathe during the day and a noninvasive mechanical ventilation mask at night.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Iran Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Saturday he will not negotiate a nuclear deal with the U.S., citing demands about the country's missile range and influence.

In a series of posts on X, Khamenei called the U.S. government "coercive," claiming negotiations are only a means to impose new demands.

"Such negotiations aren't aimed at solving issues," Khamenei wrote. "Their aim is to exert their dominance and impose what they want."

He added the "demands" relate to the country's defense and international capabilities.

TRUMP REINSTATES ‘MAXIMUM PRESSURE’ CAMPAIGN AGAINST IRAN 

"Telling us not to do this, not to meet that person, not to go there, not to produce this, and to limit the range of our missiles to a certain extend," Khamenei wrote. "How could anyone accept such things?"

Khamenei posted one day after President Donald Trump said he had sent a letter to Khamenei pushing for a nuclear agreement with Tehran, suggesting there could be military consequences if a deal is not reached.

Trump told reporters Friday the U.S. is "down to the final moments" negotiating with Iran, and he hoped a military intervention would not be necessary.

TRUMP'S LATEST HIRES AND FIRES RANKLE IRAN HAWKS AS NEW PRESIDENT SUGGESTS NUCLEAR DEAL 

In a statement Saturday, National Security Council spokesman Brian Hughes said the administration hopes Iran "puts its people and best interests ahead of terror."

"President Trump said it clearly that there are two ways Iran can be handled: militarily or by making a deal," Hughes wrote. 

Behnam Ben Taleblu, director of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies' Iran program, wrote in a statement that Trump should "be careful" in discussions with Tehran.

"Tehran has set a trap for him, hoping to lure him into endless diplomacy that is used to blunt maximum pressure and dampen the credibility of an American or Israeli military option while buying time to creep towards a nuclear weapon," Ben Taleblu wrote in a statement.

While Trump said in February he believed Iran was "close" to developing a nuclear weapon, he noted the U.S. would prevent the action.

IRAN'S WEAKENED POSITION COULD LEAD IT TO PURSUE NUCLEAR WEAPON, BIDEN NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER WARNS

He also signed an executive action ordering the Department of Treasury to execute "maximum economic pressure" on Iran through a series of sanctions that would devastate the country's oil exports. 

The "maximum pressure" initiative against Tehran, which was enacted during the first Trump administration, issues greater sanctions and harsher enforcement for violations.

The president's comments and Khamenei's subsequent posts came days before Sunday's 18th anniversary of the abduction of retired FBI Special Agent Robert "Bob" Levinson from Kish Island, Iran.

The FBI Washington Field posted Friday on Facebook, saying it "remembers Bob and his family every day" ahead of the anniversary and National Hostage and Wrongful Detainee Day.

The FBI is still offering up to a $5 million reward for information that leads to Levinson’s location, recovery and return, according to the post.

The State Department's Rewards for Justice program is offering a reward of up to $20 million for information leading to his location, recovery and return and information leading to the arrest or conviction of anyone responsible for his alleged abduction.

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"As part of our ongoing efforts to resolve Bob's case and hold the Iranian regime responsible for its role in Bob's disappearance, we recently released seeking information posters featuring Mohammad Baseri and Ahmad Khazai, two senior Iranian intelligence officers who worked for Iran's Ministry of Intelligence and Security at the time of Bob's abduction," the agency wrote in the post.

Fox News Digital's Diana Stancy contributed to this report.

Pope Francis has apparently shown "slight improvement" and is responding well to ongoing oxygen therapy, according to a statement from the Vatican. 

The 88-year-old pontiff has been in the hospital since Feb. 14, when he was admitted for respiratory issues that were later found to be bilateral pneumonia.

Doctors are keeping the pope’s prognosis under wraps as they continue to evaluate his condition.

On Thursday, the pope recorded a message thanking those who had been praying for his recovery. The recording was "clearly an effort for him," Vatican sources said, pointing out that the noise from the pope’s oxygen machine could be heard in the audio.

POPE FRANCIS SUFFERS 2 ACUTE RESPIRATORY CRISES, VATICAN SAYS 

"We could hear yesterday that he was getting oxygen through the nose during audio, clearly he won't read Angelus," Vatican sources told Fox News.

Ash Wednesday also looked different this year, as the pope was unable to lead mass. Instead, Cardinal Angelo De Donatis read the pope’s homily aloud at Rome’s Santa Sabrina Basilica.

POPE FRANCIS BELIEVES ‘PAPACY IS FOR LIFE,’ HISTORIAN-BIOGRAPHER SAYS 

The pope has had a long history of respiratory issues. When he was just 21 years old, Pope Francis had part of his lung removed after developing pleurisy, which is an inflammation of the membranes that cushion the lungs. Now, according to Vatican sources, he is continuing therapy for bilateral pneumonia.

Catholics across the globe have prayed for Pope Francis since he was first hospitalized in February. This includes Vice President JD Vance, who offered a prayer for the pope during last month’s National Prayer Breakfast.

"Every day me and my children have said a prayer for the Holy Father, and we pray for his health, and we pray for his comfort as he deals with what appears to be a pretty serious health crisis," Vance said.

President Donald Trump’s highly acclaimed Turnberry golf resort in Scotland was vandalized with graffiti overnight Friday by pro-Palestine activists who also dug holes into one of the course's fairways.

Drone footage shows the resort's clubhouse splattered with red paint while giant white letters reading "Gaza Is Not For Sale" were painted on an area next to a green.

The lamp post at the resort’s entrance was also damaged while graffiti reading "Free Gaza" and "Free Palestine" were sprayed on the entrance’s wall.

The group Palestine Action took responsibility following Trump’s plans for the future of Gaza, which could see millions of Palestinians displaced. 

GAZA PLAN CRITICIZED BY US AND ISRAEL GETS EUROPEAN SUPPORT

"To make that clear, we have shown him that his own property is not safe from acts of resistance," the group said in a statement.

Trump received heavy criticism last month when he suggested the U.S. take over Gaza during a press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netnayahu. His proposal would involve the relocation of Palestinians and turning the enclave into what he describes as the "Riviera of the Middle East." 

Trump’s Turnberry golf course and hotel is located in southwest Scotland and has three courses – two 18-hole courses and one 9 hole course -- with the venue previously hosting four Open Championships. However, it hasn’t staged the event since Trump bought the course in 2014 and renovated several holes.

ANTI-ISRAEL GROUPS SPRAY-PAINT COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY BUILDING, 'CEMENTED' SEWAGE SYSTEM

It wasn’t immediately clear which course had been vandalized.

The Alisa Course, its signature course, is named after an uninhibited volcanic island, Ailsa Craig, set across from the property that is half a billion years old. The course consistently ranks among the world's top 10 golf courses.

"Yesterday, it was ranked #3 golf course in Europe. Today, it's shut," Palestine Action wrote on X.

The resort is one of two that Trump, via the Trump Organization, operates in Scotland, with the second being Trump International Scotland in Aberdeen. The president is an avid golfer and his mother hailed from Scotland. 

Police in Scotland said they are investigating the incident. 

"Around 4.40 a.m. on Saturday, 8 March, 2025, we received a report of damage to the golf course and a premises on Maidens Road, Turnberry," a Police Scotland spokesperson said, adding that investigations were ongoing.

Fox News Digital has reached out to the Trump Organization for comment. 

Separately on Saturday, a man waving a Palestinian flag climbed the Elizabeth Tower - commonly known as Big Ben - at London's Palace of Westminster.

Fox News’ Rachel Wolf, Reuters and the Associated Press contributed to this report. 

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea unveiled for the first time a nuclear-powered submarine under construction, a weapons system that can pose a major security threat to South Korea and the U.S.

State media on Saturday released photos showing what it called "a nuclear-powered strategic guided missile submarine," as it reported leader Kim Jong Un’s visits to major shipyards where warships are built.

The Korean Central News Agency, or KCNA, didn't provide details on the submarine, but said Kim was briefed on its construction.

TRUMP MUST NOT REPEAT HIS KIM JONG UN MISTAKE WITH IRAN, SECURITY EXPERT WARNS

The naval vessel appears to be a 6,000-ton-class or 7,000-ton-class one which can carry about 10 missiles, said Moon Keun-sik, a South Korean submarine expert who teaches at Seoul’s Hanyang University. He said the use of the term "the strategic guided missiles" meant it would carry nuclear-capable weapons.

"It would be absolutely threatening to us and the U.S.," Moon said.

A nuclear-powered submarine was among a long wishlist of sophisticated weaponry that Kim vowed to introduce during a major political conference in 2021 to cope with what he called escalating U.S.-led military threats. Other weapons were solid-fueled intercontinental ballistic missiles, hypersonic weapons, spy satellites and multi-warhead missiles. North Korea has since performed a run of testing activities to acquire them.

North Korea obtaining a greater ability to fire missiles from underwater is a worrying development because it’s difficult for its rivals to detect such launches in advance.

Questions about how North Korea, a heavily sanctioned and impoverished country, could get resources and technology to build nuclear-powered submarines have surfaced.

Moon, the submarine expert, said North Korea may have received Russian technological assistance to build a nuclear reactor to be used in the submarine in return for supplying conventional weapons and troops to support Russia’s war efforts against Ukraine.

SOUTH KOREA'S IMPEACHED PRESIDENT YOON SUK YEOL FREED FROM PRISON AFTER CANCELED ARREST

He also said North Korea could launch the submarine in one or two years to test its capability before its actual deployment.

North Korea has an estimated 70-90 diesel-powered submarines in one of the world’s largest fleets. However, they are mostly aging ones capable of launching only torpedoes and mines, not missiles.

In 2023, North Korea said it had launched what it called its first "tactical nuclear attack submarine," but foreign experts doubted the North’s announcement and speculated it was likely a diesel-powered submarine disclosed in 2019. Moon said there has been no confirmation that it has been deployed.

North Korea has conducted a slew of underwater-launched ballistic missile tests since 2016, but all launches were made from the same 2,000-ton-class submarine which has a single launch tube. Many experts call it a test platform, rather than an operational submarine in active service.

In recent days, North Korea has been dialing up its fiery rhetoric against the U.S. and South Korea ahead of their upcoming annual military drills set to start Monday.

During his visits to the shipyards, Kim said North Korea aims to modernize water-surface and underwater warships simultaneously. He stressed the need to make "the incomparably overwhelming warships fulfill their mission" to contain "the inveterate gunboat diplomacy of the hostile forces," KCNA reported Saturday.

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard's warning of a terrorist takeover in Syria looks to be coming true amid reports that al Qaeda-linked terror forces aligned with Syria’s interim new president—a former al Qaeda terrorist—are being accused of massacring Alawites as well as members of the country's dwindling Christian community. 

Syrian security forces and affiliated gunmen have killed more than 340 civilians, the vast majority of them from the Alawite minority, over the last two days, Rami Abdulrahman of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights told Reuters on Saturday.

At Gabbard's Senate confirmation hearing she said "I have no love for Assad or any dictator. I just hate al-Qaeda. I hate that our leaders cozy up to Islamist extremists, calling them "rebels", as Jake Sullivan said to Hillary Clinton, "al Qaeda is on our side in Syria." Syria is now controlled by al-Qaeda offshoot HTS, led by an Islamist Jihadist who danced in the streets on 9/11, and who was responsible for the killing of many American soldiers."

An Alawite woman from the region of Al-Ghab plain, where there is a majority Alawite population, told Fox News Digital that the forces said, "Alawites are pigs, and they have to execute all of them and the small children before the elderly people." 

TRUMP URGES US TO STAY OUT OF SYRIAN CIVIL WAR, BLAMING OBAMA FOR FAILURE AS ISLAMISTS CLOSE IN ON CAPITAL

The witness spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal from the authorities. She said that two militias had entered her house on Thursday and searched her residence for weapons. One of the members "put a gun to my head and asked for all my money. They took all the money and took money from our neighbors."

She confirmed reports that the Islamist forces murdered the prominent Alawite 86-year-old cleric Shaaban Mansour and his son Hussein Shaaban. Reuters reported that Mansour was killed on Friday with his son in the village of Sahlab in western Syria. Residents there accused fighters aligned with Damascus of killing them.

A sizable Christian population living in the area has also reportedly been under attack. Greco-Levantines Worldwide media reported that a young family, including their infant child, was killed on Friday.  A father and son, Tony and Fadi Petrus, were also executed by Islamists.

The witness said that in other Alawite towns—Nahr al-Bared and Deir Shamil—the Islamist militias "are entering houses and killing people and stealing everything. They are covering their faces." 

"I feel there is no safety. There is no homeland. There is nowhere to escape to, and no one to defend us. I feel fear and horrifying feelings."

The witness added that the Islamists are Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and other such groups affiliated with HTS, who stormed her region. She said HTS terrorists were Syrian Arabs, because of their spoken Arabic.

TRUMP CONGRATULATES US MILITARY AFTER AIRSTRIKE THAT KILLED OFFICIAL OF AL-QAEDA AFFILIATE: 'DEALT JUSTICE'

Ahmed al-Sharaa and his group, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, a U.S.-designated Sunni terrorist organization, toppled the former Syrian President Bashar Assad in December. Assad is a member of the Alawite minority, an offshoot of Shiite Islam. The Alawites comprise roughly 10% of the Syrian population.

The Alawite source told Fox News Digital that the community is seeking support from the U.S., noting that the Islamists "want to kill all of us. They don’t want us in Syria. We have to flee Syria. They are seeking revenge from the former regime. I am asking for protection and to live in dignity, because we can be killed at any moment." 

One Alawite, who asked to remain anonymous, and who lives in Europe and is in constant contact with her community in Syria, claimed that in the coastal region and Alawite, more than 4,000 people are estimated to have been killed. She claimed to have received lists of people from Alawites who have documented the mass murder.

She and her group wrote on Telegram that al-Sharaa's "fighters have unleashed a wave of terror against civilians in Syria’s coastal cities. Reports from Alawite community sources indicate hundreds of casualties, with Christians also among the victims."

In his first comments on the violence, interim President al-Sharaa said that government forces would pursue "remnants" of the ousted Bashar Assad government.

UNCOVERING THE ATROCITIES OF THE ASSAD REGIME AT ITS 'DEATH FACTORY' ON THE HILL

"We will continue to pursue the remnants of the fallen regime. . . . We will bring them to a fair court, and we will continue to restrict weapons to the state, and no loose weapons will remain in Syria," Sharaa added in a pre-recorded speech.

The U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres, European politicians and diplomats from the former Biden administration have sought to woo Sharaa with sanctions relief and diplomatic relations since December. Critics argue that a former Islamic State and al-Qaeda terrorist, Sharra, can’t simply sport a suit and pretend he has abandoned his terrorist ideology and methods.

Just two days before the slaughter of Alawites, Guterres met with Sharaa on Tuesday in Cairo where they discussed views about a new course for Syria.

While an official statement has yet to come from the U.N. chief, his special envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, said he was "deeply concerned" by the reports of killings.

A group of Alawite clerics, the Alawite Islamic Council, blamed the violence on the government, saying that fighters had been sent to the coast "with the pretext of (combating) 'regime remnants,' to terrorize and kill Syrians." It called for the region to be put under U.N. protection.

Syrian authorities said the violence began when remnants loyal to Assad launched a deadly and well-planned attack on their forces on Thursday.

The violence has shaken Sharaa's efforts to consolidate control as his administration struggles to get U.S. sanctions lifted and grapples with wider security challenges, notably in the southwest, where Israel has said it will prevent Damascus from deploying forces.

The violence spiraled on Thursday when the authorities said groups of Assad-aligned militias had targeted security patrols and checkpoints in the Jableh area and surrounding countryside, before spreading.

ISRAEL DEPLOYS PARATROOPERS TO SYRIA IN 'DEFENSE ACTIVITIES' AFTER FALL OF ASSAD

Moussa al-Omar, a Syrian media figure close to the country's new leadership, told Reuters that tens of thousands of fighters in Syria's newly constituted security forces had been deployed to the coast in the operation and that order had been largely restored as of Friday night.

He said the crackdown was "a message to anyone in the south or east of Syria that the state . . . is capable of a military resolution at any time, even as it seeks peaceful solutions."

Alawite activists say their community has been subjected to violence and attacks, particularly in rural Homs and Latakia, since Assad was overthrown in December after decades of repressive family rule and civil war.

Saudi Arabia condemned "crimes being undertaken by outlaw groups" in Syria and their targeting of security forces.

Turkey, a close ally of Syria's new government, also stated its support for Damascus, saying, "The tension in and around Latakia, as well as the targeting of security forces, could undermine the efforts to lead Syria into the future in unity and solidarity."

Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz blasted Syria’s Islamist rulers on Friday for their campaign to smash a nascent insurgency by fighters from ousted President Assad’s Alawite group.

"[Abu Mohammed] al-Julani switched his robe for a suit and presented a moderate face," Katz said in a statement on X, using the nom de guerre of Ahmed al-Sharaa. "Now he’s taken off the mask and exposed his true face: A jihadist terrorist of the al-Qaeda school who is committing horrifying acts against a civilian population."

Katz added, "Israel will defend itself against any threat from Syria. We will remain in the security zones and Mount Hermon and protect the communities of the Golan and Galilee. We will ensure that southern Syria remains demilitarized and free of threats, and we will protect the local Druze population—anyone who harms them will face our response."

The Syrian Alawite source in Europe told Fox News Digital that the Alawites want Israel to protect them like Israel’s offer of aid to the Syrian Druze population, who are also being targeted by the Islamist government in Damascus.

Reuters contributed to this report.