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China is blaming the United States for the origin of COVID-19, accusing Washington of "evading responsibility" for the virus amid multiple statements by President Donald Trump that it was leaked from a lab in Wuhan.

In a multipage paper, the Communist regime said the infectious disease was present in the U.S. earlier than what was officially determined. 

"The US should cease from shifting blame and evading responsibility, stop finding external excuses for its internal malaise, and genuinely reflect on and overhaul its public health policies," the paper states. "The US cannot continue to turn a deaf ear to the numerous questions over its conduct."

Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House. 

CREDIBILITY CRISIS: NEW YORK TIMES HELPED MISLEAD AMERICA OVER COVID LAB LEAK THEORY

The paper came after the White House earlier this month revamped its COVID.gov website, showing the "true origins" of the disease. 

The website, which previously focused on promoting the vaccine to Americans, walks readers through evidence supporting the lab leak theory, how former National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Anthony Fauci promoted the idea that COVID-19 originated naturally, former President Joe Biden pardoning Fauci for "any offenses against" the U.S. he may have committed, and providing details on the origin of the "social distancing" rules and mask mandates. 

The new site outlines that a biological characteristic found in the virus was not found in nature, bolstering the lab-leak theory, while noting that Wuhan, China, where the first coronavirus case was found, is also home to China's "foremost SARs research lab" and that "if there was evidence of a natural origin it would have already surfaced. But it hasn't."

TRUMP MADE ME DO IT: LIBERAL MEDIA BLAMES ITS DISMISSAL OF LAB LEAK THEORY ON EX-PRESIDENT'S ‘XENOPHOBIA’

The Trump administration's CIA reported earlier in 2025 that a lab leak was the likely origin of the COVID-19 virus, which had been passed off by media outlets and scientists as a likely conspiracy theory during the early days of the pandemic.

However, China said in its paper that a past joint study conducted with the World Health Organization (WHO) found that COVID-19 was most likely transmitted from bats to humans via another animal.

The report also accused the U.S. of not doing more to combat the virus. 

"The slow and ineffective US response during the early stages of the outbreak set an appalling example to the international community and made the US performance in handling the pandemic the worst of all countries," Chinese officials wrote. "Instead of facing this issue squarely and reflecting on its shortcomings, the US government has tried to shift the blame and divert people's attention by shamelessly politicizing SARS-CoV-2 origins tracing."

"The US cannot continue to turn a deaf ear to the numerous questions over its conduct," the report said. 

Fox News Digital's Emma Colton contributed to this report. 

The trial of an Australian woman accused of serving her ex-husband’s family poisonous mushrooms began this week, nearly a year after the suspect pleaded not guilty to her charges.

Erin Patterson, 50, was charged with three counts of murder and one count of attempted murder. She was originally charged with two counts of attempted murder, though the charge was dropped earlier this week.

Patterson appeared in the Victoria state Supreme Court on Wednesday, where prosecutor Nanette Rogers told jurors the accused had served a meal of beef Wellington, mashed potatoes and green beans at her home in the rural town of Leongartha on July 29, 2023.

Her guests included her in-laws, Gail and Don Patterson, both 70; Gail’s sister, Heather Wilkinson, 66; and Wilkinson’s husband, Ian Wilkinson, 68.

AUSTRALIAN WOMAN PLEADS NOT GUILTY TO MURDERING HER EX-HUSBAND'S FAMILY WITH POISONOUS MUSHROOMS

The next day, all four of the guests were hospitalized with poisoning from death cap mushrooms — or amanita phalloides — which were added to the beef and pastry dish. Simon Patterson, Erin’s husband, was not in attendance despite being invited.

Ian Wilkinson spent seven weeks in the hospital following the lunch.

The other three victims died in a hospital just days after consuming the meal at Patterson’s home.

On Tuesday, the prosecution told jurors that three charges alleging Patterson attempted to murder her husband were dropped. The two had been separated since 2015.

WOMAN UNDER INVESTIGATION AFTER POISONOUS MUSHROOM MEAL KILLED HER THREE FORMER IN-LAWS

Patterson invited her husband and his relatives to lunch two weeks before the poisoning, as she was attending a church service at Korumburra Baptist Church. Ian Wilkinson was the pastor at the church, and initially, Simon had accepted the invitation.

"She said the purpose of the lunch was to discuss some medical issues that she had and to get advice about how to break it to the kids," Rogers told the jury. "The accused said that it was important that the children were not present for the lunch."

What was surprising to the Wilkinsons, Rogers noted, was that they had never been invited to Patterson’s five-bedroom home.

The morning after the meeting at Patterson’s home, the prosecution alleged, Heather Wilkinson told Simon Patterson she was puzzled that Erin was eating from a different plate than the guests.

JEFFREY EPSTEIN CASE: VIRGINIA GIUFFRE'S DEATH MARKS THIRD LOSS, EXPERT SAYS PREDATORS NEED TO BE ‘PUNISHED’

"I noticed that Erin put her food on a different plate to us," Heather Wilkinson said, according to the prosecution. "Her plate had colors on it. I wondered why that was. I’ve puzzled about it since lunch."

Simon told his aunt it was possible his wife may have run out of plates.

The prosecution also told jurors Patterson made up an ovarian cancer diagnosis to explain why her children were not at lunch.

"After the lunch, the accused announced that she had cancer and asked for advice on whether to tell the children or keep it from them," Rogers said. "They had a discussion about it being best to be honest with the children. They prayed as a group for the accused’s health and wisdom in relation to telling the children."

WELLNESS INFLUENCER EXPOSED FOR FAKING CANCER DODGES AUTHORITIES A DECADE LATER: DOCUMENTARY

Still, Patterson’s lawyer, Colin Mandy, told jurors his client never had cancer. He also said guests were poisoned by mushrooms Patterson served, though the poisoning was a "terrible accident."

Rogers advised the jury that she would not be providing a motive for the poisonings, saying, "You do not have to be satisfied what the motive was, or even that there was a motive."

Erin Patterson eventually went to the hospital complaining about diarrhea and nausea two days after serving beef Wellington. But at that point, her guests had been diagnosed with suffering from death cap poisoning.

She later told authorities she cooked with a mixture of mushrooms she purchased from a supermarket and dried mushrooms from an Asian food store, denying that she had foraged for wild mushrooms.

But Mandy said his client lied about not foraging for wild mushrooms.

"She did forage for mushrooms," Mandy told the jury. "Just so that we make that clear. She denies that she ever deliberately sought out death cap mushrooms."

The trial was adjourned until Thursday and is expected to continue for six weeks.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

The body of Viktoria Roshchyna, 27, was one of 757 bodies of mostly Ukrainian soldiers returned to Kyiv on Feb. 14, 2025, and reportedly bore unmistakable signs of torture after more than a year in Russian captivity. 

Roshchyna, who was described as a determined journalist, was captured by Russian forces while reporting behind the front lines in a Russian-occupied area of Ukraine in August 2023.

While her body was returned with hundreds of others, she was reportedly one of the few whose name was not provided, instead a tag attached to her shin read "unidentified male."

RUSSIAN ATTACKS ON UKRAINE INTENSIFY IN MAKE-OR-BREAK WEEK FOR PEACE TALKS

According to a report by the Washington Post, her head had been shaved, burn marks were evident on her feet, a rib was found to have been broken, and there were possible traces of electric shock. 

An investigation into her detention and death confirmed that some of her organs were missing in what some reports suggested was a move to conceal the extent of her torture, including her brain, eyes and part of the trachea.

Yurii Bielousov, head of the Ukrainian Prosecutor General’s Office war crimes department, which led the investigation into her death, told Ukrainian media outlet Ukrainska Pravda that there were signs she had also been strangled.

Russia did not confirm until April 2024 that it had detained the journalist, and in October 2024 it sent a letter to her father, Volodymyr Roshchyna, telling him she had died in captivity.

Her body was marked by Russian officials with an abbreviation "SPAS," which reportedly means "total failure of the arteries of the heart," a designation that Russian authorities may have used to fabricate an official cause of death.

TRUMP MARKS 100-DAYS IN OFFICE EMBROILED IN TRADE BATTLES, DEADLY WARS AND HARD-PRESSED DEALS

"The condition of the body and its mummification have made it impossible to establish the cause of death through the forensic examination," Bielousov told reporters involved in the investigation.

Roshchyna's parents have requested additional testing to be carried out.

After her capture, Roshchyna was held at a police station in the city of Energodar near the Zaporizhzhi nuclear power plant, where, according to the investigation, Russian forces set up a "torture chamber" and subjected captives to severe beatings and electric shock.

It is believed Roshchyna endured electric shock applied to her ears. 

Roshchyna was then transferred to Melitopol days later where she was held until the end of 2023 and is also believed to have endured significant torture. 

By the beginning of 2024, she was reportedly transferred along with other prisoners to a pre-trial detention center known as "No. 2" in Taganrog, a city in southwest Russia near the Ukrainian border and which has been likened to a concentration camp. 

The investigation referred to the site "as one of the most terrifying for Ukrainian prisoners" and confirmed that neither lawyers nor international organizations such as the Red Cross or United Nations observers have been allowed into this detention center.

Roshchyna reportedly went on a hunger strike before she was transferred to a hospital, revived to an extent and then sent back to the detention center.

She was intended to be returned to Ukraine in September 2024, but the exchange never happened for unknown reasons. Roshchyna was then reported to have died while in a convoy, but where she was headed remains unclear.

The United States and Ukraine are on the verge of signing a mineral deal after months of fraught and chaotic negotiations, although a last-minute snag still needs to be ironed out.

Ukraine's prime minister said First Deputy Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko was flying to Washington on Wednesday to sign the deal, which is central to Kyiv's efforts to mend ties with President Donald Trump and the White House as the U.S. president tries to secure a peace settlement in Russia's war in Ukraine.

The latest version of the minerals agreement was reached after Kyiv secured a significant concession from the Trump administration that only future military aid would count as the US contribution to the deal, according to the Financial Times.

HERE'S THE REAL REASON TRUMP AND ZELENSKYY'S DEAL BLEW UP IN THE OVAL OFFICE

Trump had indicated in February that he wanted access to Ukraine’s rare earth materials as a condition for continued U.S. support in the war, describing it as reimbursement for the billions of dollars in aid the U.S. has given to Kyiv.

But a famous Oval Office spat with Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelenskyy set negotiations back. However, the pair met face-to-face in Rome on Saturday at the Pope's funeral.

According to a draft of the new agreement seen by Reuters, the two countries would create a joint reconstruction fund funded by 50% of profits from Ukraine’s new mineral licenses.

The draft agreement gives the U.S. preferential access to new Ukrainian natural resources deals but does not automatically hand Washington a share of Ukraine's mineral wealth or any of its gas infrastructure, the draft showed.

Ukraine would not be required to pay back previous aid provided to the war-torn country by the U.S., with only future aid being counted as America’s contribution to the fund.

RUSSIAN ATTACKS ON UKRAINE INTENSIFY IN MAKE-OR-BREAK WEEK FOR PEACE TALKS

"Truly, this is a strategic deal for the creation of an investment partner fund," Shmyhal said on Ukrainian television. "This is truly an equal and good international deal on joint investment in the development and restoration of Ukraine between the governments of the United States and Ukraine."

However, a snag arose as Svyrydenko’s plane headed to Washington, with U.S. officials reportedly demanding that Ukraine sign three documents at once—the framework, a detailed fund agreement and a technical document—which Ukraine says is not immediately possible due to required parliamentary ratification, according to the Financial Times citing three people briefed on the situation.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s team told her she should "be ready to sign all agreements, or go back home," the Financial Times reports, citing three people familiar with the matter.

The U.S. is seeking access to more than 20 raw materials deemed strategically critical to its interests, including some non-minerals such as oil and natural gas. Among them are Ukraine’s deposits of titanium, which is used for making aircraft wings and other aerospace manufacturing, and uranium, which is used for nuclear power, medical equipment and weapons. Ukraine also has lithium, graphite and manganese, which are used in electric vehicle batteries.

Unlike an earlier draft, the deal would not conflict with Ukraine’s path towards European Union membership — a key provision for Kyiv.

The two sides signed a memorandum, published on April 18, as an initial step towards clinching an accord on developing mineral resources in Ukraine. In the memorandum, they said they aimed to complete talks by April 26 and to sign the deal as soon as possible.

Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

EXCLUSIVE — A United Nations watchdog organization is calling on Secretary of State Marco Rubio to take action against an appointee of the international body whose second term is set to begin on May 1.

In a letter to Rubio, U.N. Watch Executive Director Hillel Neuer argues that the U.S. government should sanction and deny entry and visas to Francesca Albanese, the U.N. Special Rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Additionally, he called for Albanese to be stripped of diplomatic immunity.

Neuer describes Albanese in his letter as being "pro-Hamas" and says her reappointment was done "illegally."

UN OFFICIAL REAPPOINTED DESPITE ACCUSATIONS OF ANTISEMITISM

"Her purported reappointment this month was illegally carried out in violation of express U.N. rules requiring investigation of her misconduct, rendering her term renewal null and void," Neuer wrote.

When speaking with Fox News Digital, Neuer pointed to the DOJ’s recent decision to allow lawsuits against the UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine) as evidence that Rubio has the ability to act against Albanese.

Neuer argued that the U.S. should act using a similar principle to the one used in cases against anti-Israel agitators, such as Mahmoud Khalil. He also wrote that "Albanese’s abuse of a global platform to spread hatred and legitimize terrorism demands an unequivocal response."

"Legally, it's very clear to me — I used to be an attorney in Manhattan for one of the major law firms in the United States — it's clear to be in any proper court of law this kind of procedural malpractice fraud would result in her not being a U.N. appointee," Neuer told Fox News Digital.

LAWYERS FOR COLUMBIA ANTI-ISRAEL ACTIVIST MAHMOUD KHALIL BLAST RUBIO EVIDENCE LETTER: 'TWO PAGES, THAT'S IT'

When asked about U.N. Watch’s letter, Pascal Sim, Spokesperson, UN Human Rights Council, told Fox News Digital that, "Francesca Albanese, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967 (a country mandate), was appointed by the Human Rights Council on 1 April 2022, which was the last day of the 49th session of the Human Rights Council. She took up her function on 1 May 2022. Therefore, according to the "no longer than six years" principle, she can serve as Special Rapporteur until 30 April 2028."

Sim also asserted that "at no time has the Human Rights Council, in any formal or informal way, been called to 'reappoint' or 'renew' any Special Procedures mandate-holder. Whenever the Human Rights Council nominates any Special Procedures mandate-holder, it does so with the knowledge that the mandate-holder may serve up to six years in this function."

Earlier this month, when the U.N. was set to consider Albanese’s reappointment, House Foreign Affairs Committee (HFAC) Chair Rep. Brian Mast, R-Fla., urged the U.N. not to allow it to go through. 

Mast argued in a letter to U.N. Human Rights Council (UNHRC) President Jürg Lauber that Albanese "unapologetically" used her role in the international body to "attempt to legitimize antisemitic tropes, while serving as a Hamas apologist."

In the past, multiple countries, including the U.S., have condemned Albanese for her remarks. In fact, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) has compiled a list of antisemitic and anti-Israel statements made by Albanese throughout the years. 

In October 2024, while serving as a U.N. appointee, she shared a post on X, calling it a "must-read for the ages." In the post, journalist Chris Hedges asserted that the "Israel lobby has bought and paid for Congress and the two ruling parties," making campaign donations by Zionists "a formidable barrier to peace."

Albanese also compared Israel’s war in Gaza to the Holocaust and, in August 2024, called the Gaza Strip a "concentration camp of the 21st century."

Fox News Digital reached out to Francesca Albanese and the State Department for comment on this report but did not receive a response in time for publication.

Mexico has received nearly 39,000 deportees from the United States in the first 100 days of President Donald Trump’s administration, according to Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum. 

More than 33,000 of the deported immigrants were Mexican nationals, Sheinbaum said on Tuesday during her regular morning press conference.

"Since President Trump's administration began, 38,757 have been deported [from the U.S. to Mexico], of which 33,311 are Mexicans and 5,446 are foreigners," Sheinbaum said. 

"The majority of people who are returning to Mexico are Mexicans, because the U.S. government, through the Department of State, has agreements for them to return directly to their countries," Sheinbaum continued.

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION DEPORTS 100K ILLEGAL MIGRANTS SINCE INAUGURATION: REPORT

For "humanitarian reasons," Mexico has "decided to accept people of other nationalities, particularly those who come from the northern border" by land, the Mexican president said.

Fewer deportees of other nationalities were arriving in Mexico because the U.S. government has agreements with "practically all of those countries, and so they send the planes directly to the countries where they are citizens," Sheinbaum said.

The Mexican president said most of the Mexicans were flown from the U.S. and that the majority of the foreigners accepted back into Mexico have since "voluntarily" chosen to return to their home countries. 

‘PROMPT REMOVAL’: TRUMP DHS EXPANDS EXPEDITED DEPORTATION POWERS AS OPERATIONS RAMP UP

Mexican data shows that Mexico accepted approximately 52,000 deportees from the U.S. in February, March and April of last year, according to Reuters. Mexico, therefore, accepted fewer deportees from the U.S. from the start of Trump’s second term compared to the same time period last year under former President Joe Biden’s administration.

U.S.-Mexico border crossings have slowed under the Trump administration, as migrants – deterred by Trump’s promised border crackdown and mass deportation plans - have increasingly abandoned their journeys north through Mexico and returned home, according to Reuters. 

Anticipating a potential influx of people earlier this year, the Mexican government in January began building large encampments in Ciudad Juárez capable of housing thousands of people, city official Enrique Licon previously told Reuters.

MEXICO SCRAMBLES TO BUILD TENTS TO HANDLE MASS DEPORTATIONS FROM US

"It's unprecedented," Licon said Tuesday of Mexico's plan to build shelter and reception centers in nine cities south of the U.S.-Mexico border. 

The Mexican government also organized fleets of buses intended to transport Mexican nationals from reception centers back to their hometowns. 

Sheinbaum has consistently affirmed the country’s commitment to receiving and supporting its returned nationals, saying that "Mexican migrants are not criminals."

Sheinbaum's administration has also launched the "México te abraza," or "Mexico embraces you," initiative to offer deportees financial assistance, healthcare access and transportation. In addition, Mexico has been creating thousands of jobs aimed at reintegrating migrants into the workforce, according to local outlets.

Fox News' Chris Pandolfo and Reuters contributed to this report.

FIRST ON FOX – Experts on the Islamic Republic of Iran’s manipulative atomic weapons bargaining strategy issued a dire warning to team Trump negotiators on how to avoid falling into the trap of former President Barack Obama’s flawed nuclear deal with Iran.

President Trump issued a scathing indictment of Obama’s agreement when he withdrew from the atomic accord in 2018, declaring, "This was a horrible one-sided deal that should have never, ever been made." Trump asserted that Obama’s 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the formal name for the Iran nuclear deal, did not stop Tehran from building an atomic bomb.

Experts from United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) published a report that outlines the 10 negotiating tactics Iran exploits to secure major concessions while retaining its capability to construct a nuclear weapon.

IRAN RAMPS UP STATE EXECUTIONS AMID NUCLEAR TALKS WITH US

The report, in an ode to President Trump’s famous 1987 book "The Art of the Deal," is called: "Iran’s Version of the ‘Art of the Deal'" and was authored by Saeid Golkar, Jason M. Brodsky and Kasra Aarabi.

The 10 tactics Iran uses in nuclear negotiations to outorganize the U.S. government and its allies, according to UANI, are:

The Grass Can Be Greener Promises vague future rewards to keep talks alive without offering anything concrete.

Exploit the illusion of political pluralism – use "moderates" vs. "hardliners" to extract concessions, even though all power lies with the supreme leader.

Dangle phantom investment deals to lure Western governments and companies – then pull the rug out.

Issue exaggerated threats to stir anti-war sentiment and paralyze tough policymaking in the U.S.

Resist clear commitments; rely on vague language to allow deniability while still benefiting from deals. 

NUCLEAR WATCHDOG URGES ‘TRUST BUT VERIFY’ THAT IRAN ENGAGES IN GOOD-FAITH NEGOTIATIONS

Engage in endless, exhausting talks to delay action, offering superficial gestures to avoid real consequences

Invoke historical grievances to justify current behavior and shift blame onto the West.

Exploit rifts within Western alliances – between the U.S. and Europe, or even within U.S. administrations 

Use bazaar-style haggling tactics – start high, concede slow, cloak intentions in false politeness.

Leak selectively and spin the media narrative to present Iran as the reasonable actor driving diplomacy.

The UANI experts explained in greater detail in their report how Iran’s regime maximizes gains with minimum concessions via its 10 deceptive bargaining tactics. 

According to the UANI "These are derived from direct accounts from individuals who have firsthand experience in negotiating and dealing with Iranian officials, native Iranian policy experts, as well as from observations from veteran Iran watchers."

The Trump administration and Iran have just completed a third round of indirect nuclear talks. According to Reuters, Omani officials have said a new round of U.S.-Iran talks could be held on May 3 in Europe. No formal decision has been taken.

Iran has reached out to Britain, France and Germany ahead of the next negotiating session. This suggests Tehran is keeping its options open, but also wants to assess where the Europeans stand on the possible re-imposition of U.N. sanctions before October, when a resolution ratifying the 2015 accord expires.

IRAN ACCUSED OF 'COVERING UP' DEATH TOLL IN PORT EXPLOSION AMID UPRISING FEARS

UANI says Iran is seeking to play the EU against U.S. to weaken the Western alliance. The experts wrote that Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali "Ayatollah Khamenei’s overarching strategy has been rooted in his so-called ‘West without the U.S.’ method. Grounded in Khamenei’s and the Islamic Republic’s vehement anti-Americanism, this strategy has sought to divide the Europeans from the U.S. to undercut U.S. national interests."

UANI argued that the Iranian regime's "gimmicks are meant to try to mask the fact that the Iranians are offering nothing more than the concessions it made to President Obama under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) of 2015."

Iran seeks to manipulate nuclear talks to diminish the "ideal conditions for Israel and/or the U.S. to take military action against Tehran," noted UANI. Trump’s military threats to target Iran’s nuclear facilities have forced Tehran to engage in negotiations, according to the experts.

President Donald Trump may prefer a diplomatic solution to stop Iran’s creep toward a nuclear weapon, but recently claimed he’ll be "leading the pack" to war with the regime if talks falter. 

"I think we're going to make a deal with Iran," he told Time magazine in an interview published Friday, while claiming that President Joe Biden had allowed Iran to "become rich." 

Fox News' Morgan Phillips and Reuters contributed to this report.

A coalition deal in Germany has paved the way for conservative leader Friedrich Merz to become the country's 10th chancellor since World War II. As part of the deal, outgoing Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s party, the Social Democrats (SPD), will join with Merz’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU).

Both parties in the agreement have ruled out governing with the far-right party Alternative for Germany (AfD).

TRUMP CELEBRATES CONSERVATIVE PARTY WIN IN GERMANY

CDU, along with its Bavarian sister party the Christian Social Union (CSU), won Germany’s elections in February after garnering 28.6% of the vote, according to Germany’s international broadcaster Deutsche Welle (DW). 

The AfD secured 20.8% of the vote. Meanwhile, Scholz’s SPD won just 16.4% of the vote, their worst result since World War II, according to the Associated Press (AP).

The coalition agreement was put to a vote among the SPD’s more than 358,000 members via an online ballot. More than half, 56%, of the party’s members voted on the deal, and of those who cast their ballots, 84.6% were in favor, the AP reported.

GERMANY'S NEW LEADER LOOKS TO DISTANCE EUROPE FROM TRUMP

CDU/CSU and SPD are looking to invest in Germany’s infrastructure, raise the minimum wage to $17.01 per hour and to cap rents, according to Reuters, which cited the coalition contract.

The coalition deal gives SPD several major positions, including the finance, justice and defense ministries, according to the AP. In total, SPD was able to secure seven ministry positions, DW reported. 

Additionally, SPD leader Lars Klingbeil is set to become vice chancellor and finance minister — a key position as the country deals with the ramifications of President Donald Trump’s tariffs.

"In these very difficult times in global politics, we bear responsibility for our security, for economic growth, secure jobs and equal opportunities," SPD General Secretary Matthias Miersch said, according to Reuters.

Merz celebrated SPD’s approval of the agreement in a post on X, which was translated by Reuters.

"The broad approval of our coalition agreement shows that the political center is capable of taking action and assuming responsibility. This clears the way for a strong government that will finally solve our country's problems," Merz wrote, according to a Reuters translation.
 

Ukraine’s military said Russia "increased the intensity" of its fighting during what Secretary of State Marco Rubio called "a very critical week" for peace talks. 

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that there have been 177 combat clashes over the past day, including 91 airstrikes "at the positions of Ukrainian units and settlements." The fighting comes despite Russian President Vladimir Putin recently announcing a three-day ceasefire next month to mark the 80th anniversary of World War II Victory Day. 

"Despite loud statements of ceasefire readiness for the May holidays, the occupiers have significantly increased the intensity of the fighting," Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi, the head of Ukraine’s military, said in a statement Wednesday. 

During a Sunday morning appearance on NBC's "Meet the Press," Rubio said a peace deal between Ukraine and Russia is "still not there," but noted that "a very critical week" lies ahead in that effort. 

RUBIO TAKES SOMBER TONE ON RUSSIA-UKRAINE PEACE DEAL: ‘CLOSE BUT NOT ENOUGH’ 

"The last week has been about figuring out how close are these sides really, and are they close enough that this merits a continued investment of our time as a mediator in this regard," Rubio said.  

"This week is going to be a very important week at which we need to make a determination about whether this is an endeavor that we want to continue to be involved in, or if it's time to sort of focus on some other issues that are equally if not more important in some cases," he continued. 

"We've made real progress, but the last couple steps of this journey were always going to be the hardest," Rubio also said. "It needs to happen soon. We cannot continue to, as I said, to dedicate time and resources to this issue if it's not gonna come to fruition." 

RUSSIA DECLARES 3-DAY CEASEFIRE IN UKRAINE FOR WWII VICTORY DAY 

The White House revealed Monday that President Donald Trump wants to do "whatever it takes" to bring Putin to the table for peace talks with Ukraine, including slapping Russia with additional sanctions. 

Over the weekend, Trump wrote on Truth Social, "This is Sleepy Joe Biden’s War, not mine." 

"It was a loser from day one, and should have never happened, and wouldn’t have happened if I were President at the time. I’m just trying to clean up the mess that was left to me by Obama and Biden, and what a mess it is. With all of that being said, there was no reason for Putin to be shooting missiles into civilian areas, cities and towns, over the last few days," Trump wrote. "It makes me think that maybe he doesn’t want to stop the war, he’s just tapping me along, and has to be dealt with differently, through ‘Banking’ or ‘Secondary Sanctions?’ Too many people are dying!!!" 

Fox News Digital’s Anders Hagstrom and Stephen Sorace contributed to this report. 

Roughly 600 North Korean troops have been killed fighting alongside Russia against Ukraine, South Korean lawmakers said on Wednesday, citing the country's intelligence agency.

North Korea has suffered about 4,700 casualties in the conflict, which includes deaths and injuries. But some of the country's troops have shown signs of improvement in combat capabilities over about six months by using modern weapons such as drones, the lawmakers said.

"After six months of participation in the war, the North Korean military has become less inept, and its combat capability has significantly improved as it becomes accustomed to using new weapons such as drones," Lee Seong-kweun, a member of the parliamentary intelligence committee, told reporters, after being briefed by South Korea's National Intelligence Service.

A total of about 15,000 North Korean troops have been deployed to fight Ukraine.

PUTIN THANKS NORTH KOREA FOR SENDING TROOPS TO FIGHT UKRAINE: 'WILL NEVER FORGET THE HEROISM'

Under a defense treaty that was signed last year, Pyongyang agreed to deploy troops and supply weapons to Russia in exchange for technical assistance on spy satellites, as well as drones and anti-air missiles, the lawmakers said.

Earlier this week, North Korea confirmed for the first time that it had sent troops to fight Ukrainian forces. It claims it has helped Russia retake its Kursk territory that was controlled by Ukraine.

North Korea's Central Military Commission said on Monday that the country's leader, Kim Jong Un, had sent troops to Russia to "annihilate and wipe out the Ukrainian neo-Nazi occupiers and liberate the Kursk area in cooperation with the Russian armed forces." North Korean troops eventually made "an important contribution" to Russia seizing the border territory, the commission said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin thanked North Korea for sending troops and promised not to forget their sacrifices.

"The Russian people will never forget the heroism of the DPRK special forces," Putin said on Monday. "We will always honor the heroes who gave their lives for Russia, for our common freedom, fighting side by side with their Russian brothers in arms."

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia could provide military assistance to North Korea if necessary in accordance with the defense treaty.

TRUMP BLASTS PUTIN, QUESTIONING IF RUSSIAN LEADER WANTS PEACE OR IS JUST 'TAPPING ME ALONG'

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The two U.S. adversaries have moved significantly closer to each other in recent years.

Lee said the remains of dead North Korean soldiers were cremated in Kursk before being shipped back home.

North Korea is also believed to have sent about 15,000 workers to Russia, according to the lawmakers, citing intelligence assessments.

U.S. President Donald Trump said Saturday he doubts Putin wants to end the war. Just a day before, Trump had said Ukraine and Russia were "very close to a deal."

Reuters contributed to this report.

FIRST ON FOX: The Islamic Republic of Iran is suspected of "covering up" the true extent of the devastating explosion that rocked the Shahid Rajaee port in Iran's southern coastal town of Bandar Abbas. 

On Tuesday, the death toll reported from Tehran after the explosion had risen to 70, with another 1,200 said to have been injured from the blast. But, according to information from eyewitnesses and the impacts of the blast radius, those figures are expected to be drastically underreported amid concerns of escalating internal unrest, sources have told Fox News Digital.

According to information provided by the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), the actual death toll from the catastrophic explosion is suspected to be closer to 250, with an estimated 1,500 injured. 

A MASSIVE EXPLOSION AT AN IRANIAN PORT LINKED TO MISSILE FUEL SHIPMENT KILLS 5, INJURES OVER 700

"The true death toll is several times higher than officially reported," Maryam Rajavi, president-elect of the NCRI, said in a statement. "The IRGC, intelligence forces and other organs of repression have mobilized — not to contain the fires or rescue the wounded — but to control the situation and cover up the shipment of solid fuel for ballistic missiles and the full scale of the disaster."

The blast originated after a cargo container suspected to be holding sodium perchlorate, a propellant for missiles, including solid fuel in ballistic missiles, apparently caught fire. 

Footage of the blast showed the substantial damage caused to shipping containers, nearby offices and a massive crater left by the explosion. Anyone within 200 feet of the blast is believed to have been killed, according to sources.

One witness told the NCRI, "The security situation is very severe. We are all trapped in our homes and have been told not to go outside. The number of casualties is greater than you can imagine. My brother, who works at the dock, said many drivers were pulverized."

One worker who survived the explosion told the NCRI, "The port and offices no longer exist."

"The shockwave from the explosion was so strong that it caused colleagues' eyes to pop out," the survivor said. "Security forces have closed off the area, and no one is being allowed in.

"In the initial explosion, 15 firefighters were killed. All the staff in the administrative building were also killed."

TRUMP MARKS 100 DAYS IN OFFICE EMBROILED IN TRADE BATTLES, DEADLY WARS AND HARD PRESSED DEALS

Another survivor accused the regime of "concealing the statistics" by sending Revolutionary Guard forces and intelligence agents to the site of the explosion. 

The survivor also pointed out that "chemical and military materials" should not have been at the port to begin with and noted that the workers at the massive site were unaware of its presence. 

Iran’s interior minister said the fire likely started due to "negligence" because the cargo was improperly stored, the BBC reported Tuesday.

Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni said "shortcomings, including noncompliance with safety precautions and negligence" led to the blast.

The officials also said "some individuals deemed responsible" had been summoned, but the regime has yet to admit that any cargo units were holding missile propellant at the civilian shipping center, which is also Iran's largest port. 

The Wall Street Journal in January reported that two solid fuel shipments had been sent from China to Iran, though it is unclear if this cargo had ever been moved off site or if additional sodium perchlorate had been sent to this port. 

In a meeting that appeared to take place Sunday between Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and regional and port officials, the president appeared to suggest that cargo shipments should not be permitted to stay on site for months at a time and said distribution processes need to be accelerated. 

In the aftermath of the explosion, Iran reportedly cordoned off the site, evacuating surrounding areas, placing security agents at local hospitals and accusing the media of perpetuating false stories about the explosion.

"The sole party responsible for this tragedy is none other than Khamenei’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), whose smuggling of various materials from abroad fuels the manufacture of missiles and other weaponry," Ali Safavi of the NCRI told Fox News Digital. 

"In the face of this disaster, rather than rushing to aid the wounded or recover the bodies of the deceased, the clerical regime — gripped by fear of a public outcry — has instead issued stern warnings against the dissemination of news, images and videos of the explosion, threatening severe legal repercussions against those who dare to expose the truth."

A large plot of private land in Norway’s Arctic Svalbard archipelago may soon be sold for about €300 million ($330 million), but the deal has raised concerns in Oslo over national security.

The property, known as Søre Fagerfjord, covers roughly 60 square kilometers (23 square miles) and is the last privately owned land in Svalbard. 

A group of international and Norwegian investors has offered to buy the land, but officials in Norway worry it could give foreign powers a strategic foothold in a sensitive Arctic region.

The land is about 60 kilometers (37 miles) from the main town of Longyearbyen and has been in Norwegian hands for over a century. It was listed for sale last year, and the government quickly made it clear that any sale must be cleared in advance due to security laws.

NORWAY TO KEEP SUPPLYING US NAVY WITH FUEL DESPITE COMPANY BOYCOTT CALL

One of the sellers even called it a "strategic foothold in the High Arctic," which has only fueled concerns. 

Svalbard is becoming more important as melting sea ice opens up new shipping routes and increases global interest in the region.

PUTIN NEEDS TO BE CONVINCED DEFEAT IN UKRAINE IS INEVITABLE, NORWAY'S FINANCE MINISTER SAYS

The buyers describe themselves as environmentalists from NATO countries who want to protect the land.

 "The consortium includes both Norwegian and international investors who have a long-term perspective of protecting this territory from environmental changes," said Birgit Liodden, a shareholder and climate activist. 

She added that about half the money from the sale would go toward environmental projects in Svalbard. So far, the group has not discussed the sale with the Norwegian government.

Still, Norwegian officials are cautious. In 2024, they blocked a similar attempt by Chinese investors. Trade Minister Cecilie Myrseth warned at the time that such actions could harm regional stability and threaten national interests.

Svalbard is governed by a 1920 treaty that gives over 40 countries, including Russia, China and the U.S., equal rights to live and do business there. 

Russia, which operates a settlement on the islands, has accused Norway of breaking the treaty by increasing its military presence, something Norway denies.

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The sellers’ lawyer, Per Kyllingstad, said the buyers only want to protect nature and that the sale should not be blocked.

Israel's foreign minister slammed the United Nations on Monday as the organization's court opened a hearing on Israel's legal responsibilities in Gaza.

Gidon Sa’ar said that the U.N. is a "rotten, anti-Israel, and antisemitic body," which ought to be on trial for covering up terror affiliates within the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), who he said participated in the attacks of Oct. 7 2023. "The U.N. must answer for these crimes," Sa’ar said.

He told reporters that Israel had decided "not to take part in this circus," which is intended to deprive Israel of its "most basic right to defend itself."

OFFICIALS IN BIDEN ADMIN WORKED TO UNDERMINE NETANYAHU AFTER CEASEFIRE TALKS COLLAPSED, FORMER AIDE SAYS

"Secretary-General [Antonio] Guterres is personally accountable. He knew what was going on in UNRWA. He knew very well and he knows very well. Israel repeatedly warned him. He did nothing. He went out of his way to whitewash UNRWA. He continues to cover up the crimes of UNRWA and its terrorist employees."

Jewish News Syndicate reported that Sa’ar later presented evidence that 25% of UNRWA staff "were implicated in terrorist activity" prior to Oct. 7, 2023.  Sa’ar said that UNRWA is a proxy of the terror group Hamas.

Fox News Digital reached out to Guterres’ spokesperson seeking comment on Sa’ar’s accusations, but did not get a response.

In a statement to the press on Monday, Guterres' spokesman, Stéphane Dujarric, told a reporter that he didn’t "think the Secretary General is a big fan of a circus." Calling the presentation to the ICJ "extremely detailed and very clear and very legal," he also said that Guterres was "very clear [and] straightforward" when the U.N. "first revealed the Israeli allegations against UNRWA." Dujarric said that UNRWA Commissioner-General Phillipe Lazzarini "took extremely quick action" responding to the complaints. 

HEAD OF UN WATCHDOG SAYS UNRWA HIRED PEOPLE ‘WHO WERE SUPPORTING TERRORISM’

Lazzarini terminated the appointments of some of the UNRWA staffers who participated in the Oct. 7 attacks.

Dujarric also noted the "depletion of critical stocks" in Gaza since Israel blocked all aid to Gaza in March in an attempt to force a ceasefire with Hamas. Not only is food running out, but Dujarric said that trauma-related medical supplies, surgical supplies, therapeutic milk, medicines, and other important items are in short supply. 

In a statement regarding the ICJ hearings on April 28, U.N. Legal Counsel Elinor Hammarskjöld outlined the U.N.’s concerns about Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian territories. Referencing the Israeli Knesset’s law banning UNRWA’s operation, passed in October 2024, she stated that Israel cannot deny impartial humanitarian organizations from providing relief, and that concerns about the impartiality of such organizations may not be made unilaterally by an occupying power.

Hammarskjöld also said that U.N. premises are "inviolable," per the Geneva Convention, and "immune from search, requisition, confiscation, expropriation, or any other form of interference." 

In February, however, the State of Israel’s statement on the ICJ’s proceedings noted various incidents that demonstrate how UNRWA has violated the guiding principles of "neutrality, impartiality, and independence" mandated by the U.N.

Israel’s statement also lays out a variety of times when terrorist organizations "use and exploit UNRWA installations as hideouts and places of refuge" and claims agency staff "have assisted or closed their eyes to terrorists seeking refuge at those sites." The U.S. suspended aid to UNRWA after learning that some of its members participated in the Oct. 7 attack. 

On April 24, the U.S. Justice Department determined that UNRWA, as a specialized agency of the U.N., is not entitled to diplomatic immunity in the U.S. In a lawsuit filed in June 2024 in the Southern District of New York, 100 victims of the Oct. 7 attack are seeking $1 billion in damages from UNRWA. Lazzarini is a named defendant in the suit.

India’s Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, is giving the armed forces near complete freedom of action to respond following a deadly attack on tourists in the disputed Jammu and Kashmir region on April 22 that saw 26 people killed by terrorists. India and Pakistan have exchanged fire every day since the attack along the Line of Control that separates the Indian and Pakistani areas of Kashmir.

The Times of India reported on Tuesday that Modi has given the military the operational freedom to decide on the mode, targets, and timing of the response to the attack in Kashmir.

PAKISTAN FEARS INDIA INCURSION 'IMMINENT' AMID HEIGHTENED TENSIONS FOLLOWING TERROR ATTACK

Modi is set to convene another meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) on Wednesday to coordinate India’s next moves.

Modi recently said India will "identify, track and punish every terrorist, their handlers and their backers," in a post on X. "We will pursue them to the ends of the earth," Modi added.

India’s Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif told Reuters that the country has mobilized its forces because retaliation is "something which is imminent now."

The Resistance Front (TRF), an extremist group linked to the Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist organization based in Pakistan, claimed responsibility for the attack in Pahalgam. Lashkar-e-Taiba was responsible for the 2008 Mumbai attacks and is known to have links with the Pakistani military and a partnership with Pakistan’s Directorate for Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).

Pakistan has denied any involvement in the attack.

The attack, which killed 26 people and was the worst terrorist attack on India since the 2008 Mumbai attacks, has increased tensions on the Indian subcontinent between two nuclear-armed powers.

"An Indian military response is likely reflecting the more muscular foreign policy of the Modi government as noted by its actions following previous terrorist attacks," Chietigj Bajpaee, senior research fellow for South Asia at Chatham House, told Fox News Digital. 

HERE'S WHY A FLARE-UP BETWEEN INDIA AND PAKISTAN OVER KASHMIR MATTERS

Bajpaee noted that a surgical strike or airstrike is the most likely form of retaliation, and the response will likely take a calibrated approach to limit collateral damage and civilian casualties and to control the escalation ladder in order to keep the conflict below the nuclear threshold. 

"However, this is easier said than done given the possibility of accidental escalation" and a "broader tit-for-tat military escalation cannot be ruled out," he warned.

Although there was limited outreach from Modi in the past, two rounds of escalation in 2016 and 2019 have soured relations.

Sadanand Dhume, senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, told Fox News Digital that Modi is facing pressure to mount a tough response.

"The Indian public is outraged by last week’s terrorist attack in Kashmir, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi is under immense pressure to respond to the atrocity by striking Pakistan, which has long sponsored attacks on India," Dhume said.

INDIA VOWS TO HUNT TERRORISTS ‘TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH’ AS TENSIONS WITH PAKISTAN RISE AFTER KASHMIR ATTACK

Already India has suspended the landmark 1960 Indus Water Treaty, a key water-sharing agreement covering rivers that overlap both countries. Pakistan’s Minister of State for Law and Justice told Reuters that Islamabad plans on challenging India’s suspension of the treaty and is raising the issue with the World Bank.

Pakistan said the impediment to the free flow of water would constitute an act of war.

The rivalry between India and Pakistan dates back to the partition of the former British colony of India in 1947, with the establishment of Muslim-majority Pakistan and Hindu-majority India. The partition plan also provided the contested regions of Jammu and Kashmir with the opportunity to choose if they wanted to join either newly established nation. Kashmir ultimately decided to join India in exchange for help against invading Pakistani militias, with India and Pakistan fighting three wars over the territory since 1947.

India and Pakistan have an estimated combined 342 nuclear warheads, according to the Arms Control Association.

Several people were injured in the Swedish city of Uppsala on Tuesday after a series of loud bangs that indicated gunfire, police said, without immediately providing any further details on what might have happened.

In a statement, the police said they had received calls from members of the public who heard noises that sounded like gunshots being fired in the city center. Emergency services are on the scene, the police added.

PM DECLARES 'WORST MASS SHOOTING IN SWEDISH HISTORY' AFTER GUNMAN KILLS 10 ON SCHOOL CAMPUS

"Several people have been found with injuries that indicate gunfire," the statement said.

A local hospital declined to comment on the condition of those injured.

Police said they had cordoned off a large area and had begun an investigation.

SHOOTING IN CANADA LEAVES A DOZEN WOUNDED, POLICE SAY

Ten people were killed in February in the Swedish city of Örebro in the country's deadliest ever mass shooting, in which a 35-year-old unemployed loner opened fire on students and teachers at an adult education center.

The Nordic country's right-wing government subsequently said it would seek to tighten gun laws.

A cardinal who was forced by Pope Francis to resign his Vatican job and was later convicted of embezzlement will not take place in the upcoming conclave to choose the next pope. 

Cardinal Angelo Becciu, 76, announced Tuesday, "Having at heart the good of the church, which I have served and will continue to serve with fidelity and love, as well as to contribute to the communion and serenity of the conclave, I have decided to obey as I have always done the will of Pope Francis not to enter the conclave while remaining convinced of my innocence." 

Becciu was once an influential Vatican chief of staff who was a leading papal contender himself, according to the Associated Press. But he fell from grace in 2020 when Francis forced him to resign his job as head of the Vatican’s saint-making office and his rights as a cardinal because of allegations of financial misconduct in relation to the purchase of a building in London. 

Becciu denied wrongdoing but was put on trial in the Vatican criminal court and convicted of finance-related charges in December 2023. He is appealing the conviction and 5 1/2-year prison sentence and had participated in the pre-conclave meetings, including on Monday. 

BIDEN PRAISES LATE POPE FRANCIS IN OP-ED, SLAMS MODERN LEADERS WHO ‘EMBRACED CRUELTY’ 

Italian daily Domani reported last week that during the initial pre-conclave discussions, Becciu was presented with two letters signed by Francis before he died saying he should not participate in the conclave.  

Becciu is under the age limit of 80 and technically eligible to vote, but the Vatican’s official statistics list him as a "non-elector." 

CARDINAL DOLAN GIVES INSIDE LOOK INTO CONCLAVE 

The conclave is set to begin next Wednesday, while Becciu’s appeal will unfold in September. 

Cardinal Gregorio Rosa Chavez of El Salvador, an 82-year-old who is not eligible to vote in the conclave, said Tuesday that "I have the impression that the conclave will be short, two or three days, this is the feeling we have inside the room," according to Reuters. 

The Vatican recently announced "the Sistine Chapel will be closed to the public from Monday 28 April 2025 for the requirements of the Conclave." 

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

A leaked budget proposal sent on April 10 from the White House Office of Management and Budget to the U.S. State Department highlighted the Trump administration’s posture toward Afghan allies, particularly those awaiting transportation to the U.S. through the Coordinator for Afghan Relocation Efforts (CARE) as part of Enduring Welcome.

The OMB budget proposes ceasing additional funds to CARE and using the program’s $600 million balance "for the orderly shutdown of the CARE program by end of [fiscal year] 2025."

The National Security Council and State Department did not answer Fox News Digital’s questions about whether these funds would be used to transport additional Afghans in the Special Immigrant Visa and the suspended U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) pipelines to the U.S., or simply to disassemble processing platforms in the Philippines, Qatar and Albania. 

EXCLUSIVE: AS AFGHAN CHRISTIANS FACE DEPORTATION, FAITH LEADERS URGE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION TO RECONSIDER

But a State Department spokesperson did tell Fox News Digital, "The Department is actively considering the future of our Afghan relocation program and the Office of the Coordinator for Afghan Relocation Efforts (CARE).  At this time, no final decisions have been made. CARE continues to provide support to Afghan allies and partners previously relocated to our overseas case processing platforms."

Veteran experts told Fox News Digital that the shutdown of CARE would be a problem for America’s reputation and for the allies who believed in U.S. promises of safety.

U.S. Navy veteran Shawn VanDiver, founder and president of the #AfghanEvac, told Fox News Digital that Operation Enduring Welcome is "the safest, most secure legal immigration pathway our country has ever seen" and allows well-vetted Afghans "to show up in our communities and start businesses and become job creators… in a time when we have a labor shortage."

VanDiver noted areas where Trump could improve on the Biden administration operation, which was carried out "so slowly that people have been left behind in Pakistan, in Afghanistan, in 90 countries around the world… for three and a half years." Particularly in Pakistan, the Biden administration promised the Pakistani government "that it would process Afghans quickly," VanDiver said. "We haven’t been keeping up our end of the deal; 10,000 people are stuck in Pakistan right now because President Biden couldn’t house them fast enough."

VanDiver emphasized that "President Trump has an opportunity to be a hero to veterans and our wartime allies, and demonstrate that when the United States makes a deal, it keeps its promise."

In an open letter sent on April 23 to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, and national security advisor Michael Waltz, #AfghanEvac states that "over 250,000 Afghans remain in the relocation pipelines."

Andrew Sullivan, executive director of the nonprofit No One Left Behind, told Fox News Digital that his organization supported congressional authorization in 2024 for the three-year appointment of a Coordinator for Afghan Relocation Efforts, which had "wide bipartisan" and "wide bicameral support." 

RETIRED ARMY CAPTAIN DEDICATES HIS MEDAL OF HONOR AWARD TO FELLOW SOLDIERS IN AFGHANISTAN

"Our belief is that Congress spoke for a reason and CARE should exist," Sullivan said. "We have a moral obligation and a national security imperative to ensure that we’re continuing the facilitation of movement and safe refuge for our wartime allies." 

Ending Operation Enduring Welcome and the CARE program "just spits in the face of veterans like myself, who’ve been working to try and keep our promise to the Afghans who fought with us for 20 years," Sullivan said. 

In addition to two Iraq deployments, Sullivan deployed to Zabul, Afghanistan, as a U.S. Army infantry company commander in 2013. In February, he "deployed forward" with No One Left Behind to processing platforms in Tirana, Albania, and Doha, Qatar, after a Jan. 20 executive order reassessing foreign funding, thus ending government-funded flights for SIV applicants. 

Thanks to "robust American support that comes from across the political spectrum," No One Left Behind received sufficient donations to fund travel for more than 1,000 Afghans.

"In Albania, I met someone that had been paralyzed by the Taliban after being shot twice," Sullivan said. "I met someone that had been tortured and shackled, hands and ankles together, for over a week before his release was secured by village elders." Both individuals were moved from Afghanistan in December 2024, which Sullivan says proves Afghans are still "facing brutality, absolutely facing death, if they remain in the clutches of the Taliban."

Sullivan says that "those same things could happen" to tens of thousands of Afghans left behind by the Biden administration. This includes "10,000 principal [SIV] applicants and their families," who, according to State Department quarterly reports, have already received Chief of Mission approval, the SIV program’s first hurdle.

With no word about the fate of allies, many worry about Taliban retribution. So do numerous Afghans in the U.S. who learned in April that their parole has been revoked or their temporary protected status (TPS) was terminated by Secretary Noem. Questions sent to the Homeland Security were not immediately returned.

Bill Roggio, editor of the Long War Journal and a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told Fox News Digital that sending allies to Afghanistan "would be a death sentence for many." 

"The Taliban have demonstrated that they have – and continue to – ruthlessly hunted down Afghans who worked with the U.S. and former Afghan government," Roggio said. "Thousands have been murdered or tortured. The Taliban cannot be trusted in any way, shape or form. Their past actions, such as openly flaunting the failed Doha agreement and allowing al Qaeda safe have, or refusing to negotiate with the now defunct Afghan government, demonstrate this."

Canadian Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is projected to lose the parliamentary seat he has held for more than 20 years in a stunning defeat to Liberal candidate Bruce Fanjoy.

The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), a state-owned outlet, projected the loss on Tuesday morning following Monday’s federal election. However, Elections Canada’s decision to pause the counting of special ballots means it remains unclear whether the Liberals, led by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, will walk away with a minority or majority mandate.

TRUMP THREATS BOOSTED CANADA’S CARNEY, HURT CONSERVATIVES AS COUNTRY VOTES FOR NEW LEADER

Fanjoy, who is projected to take Poilievre’s seat in Parliament, worked in business and marketing and lives in a carbon-neutral house in Manotick, a suburb of Ottawa, according to CBC.

"We have to look out for ourselves, and we have to take care of each other. Let’s get to work," Fanjoy wrote in a post on X.

In his victory speech, Carney appeared to criticize the U.S. for President Donald Trump’s tariff policies, which he called a "betrayal."

"We are over the shock of the American betrayal, but we should never forget the lessons," Carney said in his victory speech. "America wants our land, our resources, our water, our country. These are not idle threats. President Trump is trying to break us so America can own us. That will never ... ever happen."

TRUMP TAKES CENTER STAGE IN CANADA’S PRIME MINISTER ELECTION DEBATE

Poilievre’s loss comes after a major turn in the polls. At one point, it appeared likely that he would succeed former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. The conservative leader seems to have failed in his effort to make the election a referendum on the controversial former prime minister, whose popularity declined toward the end of his time in office.

In late 2024, just before Trudeau’s resignation, Poilievre was up 25 points over the unpopular then-prime minister, according to Politico. However, Trump’s tariffs and comments about making Canada the 51st state took over the Great White North’s election cycle, likely fueling Carney and the Liberals’ victory. 

A dramatic video captured a man fleeing a charging polar bear in Norway after dropping his gun and hopping onto a snowmobile. 

The incident reportedly unfolded in Pyramiden – an Arctic town in the archipelago of Svalbard – in late April. 

"I was woken up around midnight with someone saying there was a bear," Rebecca Baack, who was staying at a hotel, told Storyful. "A staff member was trying to scare it away when the bear charged him." 

Footage taken by Baack begins with the sounds of gunfire and a person running from a polar bear. 

HUSBAND LEAPS ONTO POLAR BEAR THAT LUNGED AT WIFE IN SURPRISE ATTACK: POLICE 

The individual then drops their weapon and jumps onto a snowmobile before speeding away.

As the snowmobile races out of the frame, the polar bear stops its pursuit. 

"Damn, that guy is brave," a female voice is heard saying. 

COLORADO BLACK BEAR ATTACKS 74-YEAR-OLD MAN AFTER BREAKING INTO HOME 

The Visit Svalbard tourism website describes the polar bear as the "King of the Arctic" and "one of the world’s largest carnivores." 

"Polar bears attack extremely quickly without warning. Be accompanied by a local guide with a firearm when leaving the settlements," it warns.  

"Adult polar bears vary in size from [440 to 1,763 pounds]. Humans are considered alien in the polar bear habitat, and a polar bear may see us as potential prey. The polar bear is incredibly strong and even cubs weighing under [220 pounds] can be extremely aggressive and dangerous," it also said. 

President Donald Trump's second term has taken the world by storm in his first 100 days, leaving allies and adversaries scrambling to respond to new U.S. tariffs, stalled peace negotiations and hardball diplomacy from the White House.

On the campaign trail, he pledged to hit allies and foes alike with massive tariffs, end Russia’s war in Ukraine within 24-hours and threatened that "all hell" would break out if all hostages were not freed from the clutches of Hamas in Gaza by the time he entered the Oval Office.

While Trump has been able to make good on some of his promises, other ambitions remain unmet. Here’s what Trump has accomplished and what challenges remain:

POLL POSITION: WHERE DONALD TRUMP STANDS WITH AMERICANS 100 DAYS INTO HIS SECOND PRESIDENCY

Trump last week conceded that his pledge to end the three-year-old war in Ukraine within 24 hours of taking office was "figurative," acknowledging it was never a realistic goal. The conflict has claimed a reported 1 million casualties.

"I said that as an exaggeration," he told reporters. 

While Trump has faced criticism over his ability to bring Russian President Vladimir Putin to the negotiating table, his team — led by Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Secretary of State Antony Rubio — has made some headway, securing a 30-day ceasefire protecting Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.

But Putin has so far refused to enter any other brokered agreements, despite Kyiv’s willingness to play ball even after the historic Oval Office blow-up between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in February.

Though Trump appeared to hold a grudge against Zelenskyy after Ukraine rejected a proposed mineral deal — even blaming him in part for Russia’s illegal invasion — relations between the two leaders appeared to improve over the weekend. Trump also set a new ultimatum for Putin, issuing a deadline to reach a ceasefire deal.

"Two weeks or less," Trump told reporters Sunday, though he later added a bit more time would be acceptable. "We'll see what happens over the next few days. We'll probably learn a lot."

TRUMP AND ZELENSKYY HAVE 'VERY PRODUCTIVE' TALK AS THEY ATTEND POPE FRANCIS' FUNERAL

Trump said he was "surprised and disappointed" after Putin last week levied a barrage of missiles at Ukraine’s capital city of Kyiv in a strike that killed 12 civilians and injured nearly 100 more.

"I want him to stop shooting, sit down and sign a deal," Trump said in reference to Putin. "We have the confines of a deal, I believe, and I want him to sign it and be done with it and just go back to life."

Trump has not said how or whether he will hold Putin accountable if he doesn’t agree to a ceasefire and the White House has not responded to Fox News Digital’s repeated questions regarding the issue.

Before entering office, Trump repeatedly threatened Hamas that "all hell" would break out if they didn’t return all hostages by the time he arrived at the White House. 

But the Palestinian terror group has ignored his threats and rejected Trump's February proposal to turn the Gaza Strip into the "Riviera of the Middle East," saying it would adhere to a ceasefire agreement brokered between the terrorist organization and Israel, mediated by the U.S., Qatar and Egypt. 

Trump has not hit Hamas, nor have his negotiations to release hostages looked all that different from his predecessor's.  

The first phase of what was intended to be a three-phase ceasefire saw the return of 33 hostages taken by Hamas, the majority of whom were abducted in the Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Israel, as well as the release of 1,800 Palestinian prisoners held by Jerusalem. 

But 59 hostages remain in Gaza, including American-Israeli Edan Alexander, and hopes of a second phase collapsed after negotiations stalled on terms surrounding future hostage releases, and in March Israel reignited military operations in the Gaza Strip.

A Qatari official on Sunday said the main hiccup in securing a ceasefire following the latest round of talks last week is that Israel has not presented a clear solution to end the war in exchange for hostage releases, Reuters reported. 

Trump on Friday said he pushed Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu to reopen aid corridors into Gaza, which have been blocked since March 2, in order to allow food and medicine to reach Palestinians, though humanitarian corridors have not yet been opened. 

IRAN, US BEGIN NEGOTIATIONS OVER TEHRAN'S ADVANCING NUCLEAR PROGRAM

Trump on Sunday said he believes a deal to end Iran’s nuclear program can be achieved "without having to start dropping bombs all over the place."

Details on nuclear negotiations between the U.S. and Iran in Oman on Saturday, in which the third round of talks were held, remain nil, though Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi reportedly told Iranian state media they were "very serious and work-focused." 

Araghchi described the hours-long talks as having finally "entered into deeper and more detailed discussions," though no specifics of the negotiations have been released. 

It remains unclear if the Trump administration is pursuing a halt to Tehran’s nuclear advancement or a complete disarmament arrangement, which would see the destruction of Iran's centrifuge facilities and its stockpiles of near-weapons-grade enriched uranium. 

It also remains unclear how much time the president will allow for the negotiations to carry on. 

CHINA’S ECONOMIC WOES THREATEN REAL WAR AMID TARIFF BATTLE

Relations between the U.S. and China have hit a level of animosity not seen between the two superpowers since Washington normalized ties with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in the 1970s. 

The initial U.S.-China trade war started during Trump’s first term, in which he hit China with 25% tariffs on $50 billion in Chinese goods in April 2018.

Beijing responded by slapping reciprocal tariffs on $50 billion worth of U.S. goods, mostly targeting U.S. agricultural products worth some $16.5 billion — a trade war that saw the loss of a quarter of a million U.S. jobs by January 2021, according to the U.S.-China Business Council (USCBC).

From the campaign trail, Trump threatened to hit China with 60% tariffs — which he nearly did in early April when he announced an additional 34% tariff on top of the existing taxes already in place. 

But what had already sent geopolitical shockwaves and sparked near-immediate market concerns was further escalated just over a week later when Trump ratcheted up tariffs on Beijing to 145%. 

China has responded by hitting Washington with its own 125% reciprocal tariffs on U.S. imports and, according to a Bloomberg report on Monday, cargo supply shipments have already dropped by 60%.

Americans are expected to begin feeling the pains of the trade war come mid-May.

Trump said last week he had reached some 200 trade deals with countries affected by his sweeping tariffs — measures that hit nearly every U.S. trading partner, including longtime allies. He paused the tariffs for 90 days earlier this month following intense backlash.

The status of trading relations with U.S. partners remains unclear, along with whether the administration will implement the blanket tariffs on those nations come July.

The 25% tariffs on steel, aluminum and imported vehicles remain in effect.

The White House did not directly respond to Fox News Digital's questions regarding next steps Trump will takes when it comes to handling thus far unresolved conflict in Ukraine and the Gaza Strip.

A White House spokesman instead said, "President Trump inherited widespread foreign conflicts and a weak standing on the world stage from Joe Biden. Now, America is strong again, hostages are free from Gaza, Marc Fogel and Ksenia Karelina are home, hundreds of Houthi and other terrorists have been eliminated, and we are closer to peace than ever before. 

"This President will never get the credit he deserves for his vast foreign policy accomplishments, but Americans know they are freer and safer under his leadership," the spokesman added.