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A Lufthansa flight flew for more than 10 minutes without a conscious pilot last year, according to a report conducted by the Spanish accident investigation authority CIAIAC. 

An Airbus A321 flight was traveling from Frankfurt, Germany, to Seville, Spain, on Feb. 17, 2024, when the co-pilot suffered a "sudden and severe incapacitation," losing consciousness in the cockpit while the captain had stepped out of the cockpit for "physiological reasons," the investigation reported.

Autopilot was engaged during that time, according to the report, allowing the flight, which carried 199 passengers and six crew members, to continue flying in a stable manner. 

"We are aware of the report issued by the Spanish authorities," Lufthansa Airlines told Fox News Digital. 

UNITED AIRLINES FLIGHT FORCED TO MAKE EMERGENCY LANDING AT NEWARK

"Lufthansa has provided intensive and comprehensive support to the authorities in their work. In addition, Lufthansa's flight safety department has conducted its own extensive investigation," the airline said, noting that they could not provide any further comment on the report. 

The Spanish investigation revealed that at 10:31 UTC, the captain left the flight deck to use the restroom moments before the copilot collapsed alone. When the captain returned eight minutes later, repeated attempts to unlock the door failed with the standard entry procedure. A cabin-crew intercom call to the flight deck also went unanswered.

FAA INVESTIGATING AFTER UNITED, DELTA FLIGHTS NEARLY COLLIDE BEFORE LANDING AT PHOENIX AIRPORT

After an emergency access code was entered and moments before the automatic door was released, the copilot opened the deck door manually from the inside despite being ill, the report continued. The captain took control of the aircraft at 10:42 UTC.

The captain found the copilot "pale, sweating and moving strangely," according to the investigation report. After a crew member and on board doctor administered first aid and suspected a possible heart condition, the captain then diverted the plane to the most suitable airport and landed in Madrid approximately 20 minutes later. The copilot was then taken to the hospital. 

The copilot was later diagnosed with a previously undetected neurological condition, the report said.

Nearly a decade after the United Kingdom (U.K.) voted to leave the European Union (EU) under Brexit and amid shifting relations with the U.S. under President Donald Trump, Britain and the EU significantly bolstered their trade and defense partnership on Monday. 

In what is the largest deal the bloc and the U.K. have agreed to since the controversial Brexit vote in 2016, the two economic powerhouses agreed to increase defense ties and slash red tape, making it not only easier for U.K. food and visitors to access the continent, but also granting fishing rights to EU vessels off of Britian’s coastline. 

The agreements have been described as a "reset" and championed by U.K. Prime Minister Kier Starmer, who opposed Brexit, and EU leader, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who said, "At a time of global instability, and when our continent faces the greatest threat it has for generations, we in Europe stick together."

TRUMP IS COMMITTED TO 10% BASELINE TARIFF, WHITE HOUSE SAYS, DESPITE UK TRADE DEAL ANNOUNCEMENT

While the U.K. talked down the Trump administration’s 25% "reciprocal" tariffs earlier this month to limit the fees to 10% on up to 100,000 car exports to the U.S. – the U.K.’s chief export item to the States – the EU has reached no such agreement with Washington and faces 20% tariffs on all U.S. exports come July. 

While EU and U.S. officials are still working to find an agreement, reports on Monday suggested that even the existing 10% tariff slapped on the EU over the last 50 days has left a negative mark and the bloc anticipates a drop in growth for 2025.

However, it is not only Trump’s tariffs that have pushed Western allies to strengthen relations following his re-entry into the White House. 

ZELENSKYY SPEAKS WITH TRUMP, ALLIES AFTER RUSSIA PEACE TALKS BROKER NO CEASEFIRE

Trump’s hardline push for increased NATO defense spending, along with his sharp break from the Biden administration on Ukraine aid, left European allies scrambling after his inauguration.

While the Trump administration has seemingly improved ties with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Trump’s refusal to outright condemn Russian President Vladimir Putin has resulted in stronger ties between top nations like the U.K., France and Germany, as well as within the EU bloc.

At the heart of the new defense agreement is the U.K.’s ability to access an EU defense loan program worth roughly $170 billion, expanding joint defense procurement opportunities. 

"Britain is back on the world stage," Starmer said. "This deal is a win-win."

Far-right conservatives in the UK like Nigel Farage, an ardent proponent of BREXIT, have condemned the recently announced deal. 

The White House did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's questions. 

Reuters contributed to this report. 

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian spoke over the weekend, reiterating Iran’s commitment to dialogue and desire for a civilian nuclear program.

The Iranian leader addressed navy officials in Bandar Abbas, discussing the ongoing negotiations for a deal with the United States.

"We are not seeking war, we favor negotiation and dialogue, but we are not afraid of threats either, and we will in no way retreat from our legal rights," Pezeshkian said.

IRAN FOREIGN MINISTER VOWS NUCLEAR ENRICHMENT WILL CONTINUE 'WITH OR WITHOUT A DEAL'

Compared to previous Iranian presidents, Pezeshkian has emerged as a more level-headed and reformist leader, aiming to reach new understandings with the West, according to Politico.

The United States and Iran have completed four rounds of indirect negotiations regarding Iran’s nuclear program, though the public has received mixed messages on the path forward. While officials from Washington and Tehran have expressed optimism about the conversations, a number of technical details have yet to be discussed, including the specifics surrounding uranium enrichment and stockpile levels. 

Iran is insisting they will continue to enrich uranium for civilian and research purposes, while the Trump administration is calling for all enrichment to end. Right now, Iran is enriching uranium to up to 60% purity, well beyond the confines of the 2015 nuclear deal that President Donald Trump withdrew from in 2018.

IRAN'S KHAMENEI LAUNCHES BLISTERING ATTACK ON TRUMP AFTER MIDDLE EAST VISIT

Over the weekend, Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi commented on the current situation, saying that Iran has received no written proposal from the United States about an agreement.

"Mark my words: there is no scenario in which Iran abandons its hard-earned right to enrichment for peaceful purposes: a right afforded to all other NPT signatories, too," Ataghchi said in a post on X.

In an interview with Fox News, Trump spoke about the ongoing talks with Iran, opening up the possibility of trade with the country, if the talks lead to a deal.

"Iran wants to trade with us," Trump told Bret Baier. "And I’m OK with it."

Trump wrapped up a four-day tour of the Gulf last week, pushing for new normalization deals and an agreement with Iran. Any deal with the United States is expected to lead to much-needed sanctions relief for Iran.

"I’ve told Iran, we make a deal," Trump said, "you’re going to be very happy."

The United Kingdom and the European Union reached a landmark agreement centered on fishing rights and defense cooperation Monday, five years after Brexit. 

British Cabinet Office minister Nick Thomas-Symonds announced the deal as officials from both sides met in London for their first major summit since the U.K. formally left the 27-nation trade bloc in 2020. That followed a slim-margin 2016 referendum vote calling for the U.K.'s departure. The government of British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who met with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and other senior EU officials, billed the summit as a major milestone in resetting relations. 

"Historic day," Thomas-Symonds wrote on X on Monday. "After months of negotiations, I can announce that the Labour Government has secured a new agreement with the EU." 

Starmer’s chief negotiator said the agreement was good for jobs, bills, borders and more. 

RUBIO TEASES DETAILS OF POTENTIAL TRUMP, PUTIN IN-PERSON MEETING AFTER RUSSIA-UKRAINE CEASEFIRE TALKS STALL

"Britain back on the world stage, with a Government in the service of working people," Thomas-Symonds added, without further elaborating on the details of the deal.

Starmer has stressed that the U.K. will not rejoin the EU's frictionless single market and customs union, nor agree to the free movement of people between the U.K. and the EU. The prime minister has faced growing challenges from the Reform U.K. party, which supported Brexit and opposes mass migration policies upending the powerful island nation. 

Reform, which recently won big in local elections, and the opposition Conservative Party have already called the deal a "surrender" of U.K. sovereignty to EU leadership in Brussels.

"The white flag has been waved outside Downing Street. The great EU surrender by the UK is taking place as we speak," Reform UK's Richard Tice told British media, billing the deal as a betrayal of the terms of Brexit on fishing in particular.  

Talks on strengthening ties focused largely on security and defense, and on a youth mobility plan that would allow young Britons and Europeans to live and work temporarily in each other’s territory. That remains a politically touchy issue in the U.K., seen by some Brexiteers as inching back toward free movement, according to the Associated Press. The U.K. already has youth mobility arrangements with countries including Australia and Canada. 

JOHNSON PUSHES 'AGGRESSIVE' TIMETABLE FOR HOUSE TO PASS TRUMP'S BUDGET BILL AFTER GOP MUTINY: 'WE CANNOT FAIL'

Another issue that has long been a sticking point in U.K.-EU relations is fishing — a symbolically important issue for the U.K. and EU member states such as France. Disputes over the issue nearly derailed a Brexit deal back in 2020. The summit is also expected to cover aligning standards on the sale of agricultural products, which could eliminate costly checks on food products exported across the English Channel. 

Thomas-Symonds told the BBC he was confident that trade could be improved for food imports and exports. 

"We know we’ve had lorries waiting for 16 hours, fresh food in the back not able to be exported, because frankly it’s just going off, red tape, all the certifications that are required, we absolutely want to reduce that," he reportedly said. 

The New York Times cited an unnamed European diplomat as saying the agreement will allow European boats access to U.K. fishing waters until June 30, 2038. 

The agreement comes as the return of President Donald Trump brings a greater sense of urgency for cooperation between the U.K. and the bloc, as the incoming U.S. administration takes a new approach to European trade and security, as well as the Ukraine-Russia war. It’s unclear how Trump, who backed Brexit, will react to Starmer’s new deal with the EU. 

"The reset could still be blown off course by disagreements over how to consolidate existing areas of cooperation like fisheries and/or external factors, such as a negative reaction from the U.S. to the U.K. seeking closer ties with the EU," Jannike Wachowiak, a research associate at the UK in a Changing Europe think tank, told the AP. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Russia targeted Ukraine with its largest single drone attack yet just hours ahead of President Donald Trump’s phone call with Vladimir Putin about ending the war. 

Russia on Sunday fired a total of 273 exploding drones and decoys targeting Ukraine's Kyiv, Dnipropetrovsk and Donetsk regions, according to Ukraine’s air force. Of those, 88 were intercepted and 128 lost, likely being electronically jammed.  

The barrage was the biggest drone attack since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022, Yuriy Ihnat, head of the air force's communications department, told the Associated Press. 

It came after Trump said he would be "speaking, by telephone, to President Vladimir Putin of Russia on Monday, at 10:00 a.m." regarding the war in Ukraine. 

PRESIDENT TRUMP DISHES ON 'GREAT' PHONE CALL WITH RUSSIA'S VLADIMIR PUTIN

"The subjects of the call will be, stopping the ‘bloodbath’ that is killing, on average, more than 5,000 Russian and Ukrainian soldiers a week, and trade," Trump wrote on Truth Social on Saturday. "I will then be speaking to President Zelenskyy of Ukraine and then, with President Zelenskyy, various members of NATO." 

"Hopefully it will be a productive day, a ceasefire will take place, and this very violent war, a war that should have never happened, will end," Trump added. "God bless us all!!!" 

The previous largest known single drone attack from Russia against Ukraine was on the eve of the war’s third anniversary, when Russia pounded Ukraine with 267 drones. 

Kyiv regional Gov. Mykola Kalashnyk said a 28-year-old woman was killed in Sunday’s drone attack, and three other people, including a 4-year-old child, were wounded, the AP reported. 

MASSIVE RUSSIAN DRONE ATTACK KILLS 7 IN UKRAINE AHEAD OF US PEACE TALKS

Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio also met with Zelenskyy in Rome Sunday for ongoing peace talks. 

"During our talks we discussed negotiations in Istanbul to where the Russians sent a low-level delegation of non-decision-makers. I reaffirmed that Ukraine is ready to be engaged in real diplomacy and underscored the importance of a full and unconditional ceasefire as soon as possible," Zelenskyy shared on X regarding the meeting.  

"We have also touched upon the need for sanctions against Russia, bilateral trade, defense cooperation, battlefield situation and upcoming prisoners exchange. Pressure is needed against Russia until they are eager to stop the war. And, of course, we talked about our joint steps to achieve a just and durable peace," he continued.  

World leaders converged in Rome this weekend for Pope Leo XIV's inaugural mass at the Vatican on Sunday, with Vance leading the U.S. delegation. Zelenskyy also attended the mass. 

Fox News’ Emma Colton and the Associated Press contributed to this report. 

Pope Leo XIV on Monday held a private meeting with U.S. Vice President JD Vance and his wife, Usha, according to the Holy See Press Office.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and his wife, Jeanette, were also at the private meeting, according to Vatican News.

Vance, Rubio and their wives had attended the pope's inaugural mass on Sunday.

POPE LEO SAYS FAMILY BASED ON ‘UNION BETWEEN A MAN AND A WOMAN,’ DEFENDS DIGNITY OF UNBORN

After the private audience with the first American pope on Monday, Vance met with Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, Secretary for Relations with States and International Organizations, the Holy See Press Office said.

Vance and Gallagher had "cordial" talks in the Secretariat of State, where they reiterated good bilateral relations between the U.S. government and the Holy See.

POPE LEO XIV VOWS TO WORK FOR UNITY, PEACE DURING INAUGURAL MASS

The two also discussed the collaboration between the Church and the U.S. government as well as "some matters of special relevance to ecclesial life and religious freedom."

"Finally, there was an exchange of views on some current international issues, calling for respect for humanitarian law and international law in areas of conflict and for a negotiated solution between the parties involved," the Holy See Press Office said.

Iran’s foreign minister said Sunday that regardless of whether a nuclear deal is reached with the U.S., enrichment will continue.

Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi addressed negotiations between Iran and the U.S. in a post on X regarding Iran’s "peaceful nuclear program."

In the statement, Araghchi pointed out that U.S. officials privy to the discussions are free to state whatever they want to ward off special interest groups or malign actors that set the agendas of previous administrations.

"Iran can only control what we Iranians do, and that is to avoid negotiating in public—particularly given the current dissonance we are seeing between what our U.S. interlocutors say in public and in private, and from one week to the other," Araghchi said. "Our stance on Iran's rights as a [Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty] member is crystal clear, and there is no scenario in which Iranians will permit deviance from that. 

TRUMP SAYS US HAS GIVEN IRAN PROPOSAL FOR NUCLEAR DEAL

"Mastering enrichment technology is a hard-earned and homegrown scientific achievement; an outcome of great sacrifice of both blood and treasure," he continued. "If the U.S. is interested in ensuring that Iran will not have nuclear weapons, a deal is within reach, and we are ready for a serious conversation to achieve a solution that will forever ensure that outcome. Enrichment in Iran, however, will continue with or without a deal."

The statement comes just days after President Donald Trump announced on Friday that the U.S. had given Iran a proposal for a nuclear deal.

While making the announcement, Trump said Iranian officials know they have to move quickly or "something bad is going to happen."

MARCO RUBIO WARNS IRAN 'AT THE THRESHOLD' OF NUCLEAR WEAPON CAPABILITY AS US-IRAN TALKS CONTINUE

U.S. and Iranian officials have held four rounds of talks, primarily in Oman, since Trump took office to address Tehran’s nuclear program.

The International Atomic Energy Agency, often referred to as the United Nations' nuclear watchdog, noted in a March report that Iran’s stockpile of 60% enriched uranium had alarmingly grown from 182 kg to 275 kg, approximately 401 pounds to 606 pounds, in early 2025.

"Once you're at 60, you're 90% of the way there. You are, in essence, a threshold nuclear weapons state, which is what Iran basically has become," Rubio said Thursday on "Hannity".

IRAN’S LONG TRAIL OF DECEPTION FUELS SKEPTICISM OVER NEW NUCLEAR DEAL AS TALKS CONTINUE

"They are at the threshold of a nuclear weapon. If they decided to do so, they could do so very quickly. If they stockpile enough of that 60% enriched, they could very quickly turn it into 90 and weaponize it. That's the danger we face right now. That's the urgency here," he said.

The president also said Thursday in the United Arab Emirates that the U.S. and Iran have "sort of" agreed to terms on a nuclear deal.

"Iran has sort of agreed to the terms. They’re not going to make — I call it, in a friendly way — nuclear dust," Trump told reporters. "We’re not going to be making any nuclear dust in Iran."

Fox News Digital's Greg Norman, Ashley Carnahan and Christina Shaw contributed to this report.

Pope Leo XIV spoke of unity and those suffering due to war during his inaugural mass in St. Peter's Square.

The 69-year-old Augustinian missionary, who is the first American pope, spoke before 200,000 people on Sunday, Vatican News said. 

"I would like that our first great desire be for a united church, a sign of unity and communion, which becomes a leaven for a reconciled world," he said during his homily, the Associated Press reported. 

"In this our time, we still see too much discord, too many wounds caused by hatred, violence, prejudice, the fear of difference, and an economic paradigm that exploits the Earth’s resources and marginalizes the poorest."

POPE LEO SAYS FAMILY BASED ON ‘UNION BETWEEN A MAN AND A WOMAN,’ DEFENDS DIGNITY OF UNBORN

His call for unity was significant, given the polarization in the Catholic Church in the United States and beyond.

"In the joy of faith and communion, we cannot forget our brothers and sisters who are suffering because of war," Leo said while praying the Regina Caeli, mentioning Gaza, Myanmar and Ukraine. 

POPE LEO XIV DISHES ADVICE TO JOURNALISTS, MENTIONS AI CHALLENGE IN FIRST NEWS CONFERENCE

The pope said he "strongly felt the spiritual presence of Pope Francis accompanying us from heaven."

He concluded by inviting Catholics to pray to the Blessed Virgin Mary, under her titles as "Star of the Sea and Our Lady of Good Counsel," to entrust his ministry.

"We implore her intercession," he said, "for the gift of peace, for support and comfort for those who suffer, and for the grace for all of us to be witnesses to the Risen Lord."

Leo officially opened his pontificate by taking his first popemobile tour through the piazza, a rite of passage that has become synonymous with the papacy’s global reach.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

Pope Leo XIV has affirmed traditional Catholic doctrine regarding marriage, saying that it is founded on the "stable union between a man and a woman."

The pope, who was elected to lead the Catholic Church on May 8, was making his first major remarks as pontiff during a private audience with the Vatican's diplomatic corps on Friday, where he also stressed the inherent dignity of the frail and vulnerable, including the unborn, elderly and immigrants.

"It is the responsibility of government leaders to work to build harmonious and peaceful civil societies," the pope said. "This can be achieved above all by investing in the family, founded upon the stable union between a man and a woman."

While Pope Francis also said the Church could not accept same-sex marriage, conservatives accused the late pontiff of sowing confusion among the faithful by being more welcoming than his predecessors to LGBTQ people and approving the blessing of individuals in same-sex relationships.

FOOTBALL LEGEND LOU HOLTZ CALLS ON CATHOLICS TO 'DEFEND AND ENCOURAGE' POPE LEO XIV

Pope Leo, the first American to lead the Catholic Church and a member of the Augustinian order, reaffirmed the Church's position against abortion, called for protection of religious freedom and said he would continue to pursue inter-religious dialogue.

"No one is exempted from striving to ensure respect for the dignity of every person, especially the most frail and vulnerable, from the unborn to the elderly, from the sick to the unemployed, citizens and immigrants alike," Leo said.

The gathering with the Vatican's diplomatic corps is standard protocol following the election of a new pope and allows him to greet representatives of world governments ahead of his formal installation Mass on Sunday. Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, along with many other world leaders, will attend the mass, the Vatican said. 

In emphasizing dignity for immigrants, Pope Leo noted that his own family had immigrated to the United States. His remarks could lead to friction with President Donald Trump, who seeks to deport millions of illegal immigrants from the U.S. Trump and Pope Francis also publicly clashed on immigration. 

MEDIA POSITIONS POPE LEO XIV AS POTENTIAL 'COUNTERWEIGHT' TO TRUMP

"My own story is that of a citizen, the descendant of immigrants, who in turn chose to emigrate," Pope Leo told ambassadors at the Vatican.

"All of us, in the course of our lives, can find ourselves healthy or sick, employed or unemployed, living in our native land or in a foreign country, yet our dignity always remains unchanged. It is the dignity of a creature willed and loved by God," he added.

Pope Leo's father was of French and Italian descent, while his mother was of Spanish descent.

Pope Leo called on attendees to keep in mind three essential words – "peace," "justice" and "truth" – and said that they represent the pillars of the church’s missionary activity and the aim of the Holy See’s diplomacy. 

Truth, for instance, he said, "does not create division, but rather enables us to confront all the more resolutely the challenges of our time, such as migration, the ethical use of artificial intelligence and the protection of our beloved planet Earth."

"These are challenges that require commitment and cooperation on the part of all, since no one can think of facing them alone.

Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

Just hours after President Donald Trump concluded his Middle East visit, Iran’s Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Saturday launched a tirade against America and Israel, charging that Trump is a liar and calling for the destruction of the Jewish state.

"Trump said he wants to use power for peace. He's lying," wrote Khamenei on X, adding, "Some of the remarks made during the US President’s trip to the region aren’t even worth a response at all. The level of those remarks is so low that they are a source of shame for the American nation." 

Washington has designated Iran as a state sponsor of terrorism since the 1980s. The rabidly anti-Western and antisemitic ayatollah called the Jewish state—America’s key ally in the Middle East — a "cancerous tumor" that must be uprooted.

According to the Trump administration, Khamenei’s regime is the world’s leading state-sponsor of antisemitism.

TRUMP PRAISES SAUDI ARABIA IN FIRST STOP ON MIDDLE EAST TRIP

Khamenei also took aim at the Sunni Arab countries that are allied with the U.S. in the Mideast, including Saudi Arabia and Qatar.

"This failed model, where Arab states are told they can’t survive ten days without US support, is being imposed again. But it will collapse, and America will leave this region."

The wily 86-year-old revolutionary Islamist said that Washington aimed to promote Sunni Arab dependency on Washington. "The US wants these countries unable to function without it — that’s the message in their behavior and their proposals." 

Khamenei also accused America of using its resources to attack the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip.

"The US has used its power to massacre in Gaza, to stoke war wherever possible, and to arm its mercenaries," said Khamenei. The U.S.-designated terrorist movement, Hamas, is a strategic partner of Iran’s regime. Hamas invaded Israel on October 7, 2023, and slaughtered over 1,200 people, including many Americans.

TRUMP SAYS HE'LL DROP SANCTIONS ON SYRIA IN MOVE TO NORMALIZE RELATIONS

During his trip to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, Trump called Iran’s regime the main force of instability in the Middle East.

 "The biggest and most destructive of these forces is the regime in Iran, which has caused unthinkable suffering in Syria, Lebanon, Gaza, Iraq, Yemen and beyond, "said Trump in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Alireza Nader, a Washington, D.C., expert on Iran's regime, told Fox News Digital that Iran "has been dealt a severe military setback by Israel, and the Iranian public desires the regime’s overthrow. President Trump has an overwhelming advantage in the negotiations and could severely restrict and limit the regime’s nuclear program."

Trump said he wants a deal with Iran to stop its illegal nuclear weapons program. In his speech, Trump told Iran that it must abandon its drive to build an atomic bomb.

"While you have been constructing the world's tallest skyscrapers in Jeddah and Dubai, Tehran's 1979 landmarks are collapsing into rubble," Trump said. "[Iran’s] corrupt water mafia . . . causes droughts and empty riverbeds. They get rich."

A grandmother in the U.K. who was arrested for holding a sign outside an abortion clinic is sounding the alarm against further attacks on free speech as lawmakers move to expand so-called "buffer zones" outside such facilities.

Rose Docherty, 74, was arrested in Glasgow, Scotland near the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital (QEUH) in February for holding a sign that read: "Coercion is a crime, here to talk if you want."

Docherty was the first person to be arrested and charged under the Abortion Services (Safe Access Zones) Act, which went into effect in September, the BBC reported. 

The law prohibits any protests or vigils from taking place within 200m or 656ft of 30 clinics offering abortion services in Scotland, but the law specifies that the Safe Access Zone could be extended if considered appropriate. 

Docherty’s arrest came just days after Vice President JD Vance highlighted the law as an example of free speech being under attack in the U.K.

UK WOMAN THREATENED WITH FINE FOR PRAYING WITHIN ABORTION FACILITY'S ‘BUFFER ZONE:’ ‘ GROSSLY ORWELLIAN’

Now, Gillian Mackay, the Green Party parliamentarian responsible for introducing the buffer zones legislation, has now suggested that the Scottish government consider expanding the area of prohibition on "influence" outside hospitals, according to ADF International, a Christian legal advocacy group.

Docherty has rejected a formal warning from the Crown Office - arguing that it was "unjust" - and is waiting to find out what action may now be taken against her.

In her first broadcast interview since her arrest, she told the BBC she had "no reason to regret" the incident, noting it was an "alarming" and "surreal" experience. 

She said she had read the law and believed her actions did not violate the legislation. 

"I gave consideration to what I was doing…I looked at the law and saw what it said I couldn’t do, and thought, OK, well, this is what I can do…I can offer to listen, and if anyone wants to come and speak to me, they can do so, only if they want to come and speak with me," she told BBC’s Scotcast.

She said she is prepared to go to prison over the offense.

Docherty has also said that the government essentially wants to stamp out any opposition to abortion.

"I believe it wouldn’t matter where we stood…it wouldn’t matter how far they pushed the ‘buffer zone,’" she told ADF International, a Christian legal advocacy group.

NEW ONLINE 'MISINFORMATION' BILL SLAMMED AS 'BIGGEST ATTACK' ON FREEDOMS IN AUSTRALIA

"It wouldn’t matter where we stood –201 meters, or 500 meters away – it seems the authorities would still try to crack down harshly and unfairly on individuals because the government simply disagree with their point of view. This is unjust – of course, there should be laws against harassment, and we all condemn such behavior. But merely offering conversations near a hospital is not a crime." 

Dr Greg Irwin, a doctor at the QEUH, was pictured confronting a group of protesters in February 2023, saying that they "cause emotional upset to patients, but also to staff members," per the BBC. Groups have been protesting outside the hospital for 10 years, leading to the passing of the Safe Access Zones Act.

Mackay said patients and staff had told her that they still had to pass the protesters when attending the QEUH leading to distress.

"I think it's appropriate that we take those concerns seriously and the government take a look at whether an extension is appropriate or not," Mackay told the BBC.

The act allows ministers to extend the size of a buffer zone if it is decided that the existing zone is not adequate, a Scottish government spokesperson told the outlet.

Docherty isn’t the first person to be arrested outside abortion facilities. 

For instance, Isabel Vaughan-Spruce, a prominent pro-life activist, was arrested twice in Birmingham for silently praying without any signs near an abortion facility within a buffer zone. She was arrested under a local law known as a Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO). She was later awarded $13,000 in compensation for wrongful arrests, according to Christian Today.

The U.K. has drawn international attention for its alleged clampdown on free speech. A number of people have been investigated and arrested for social media posts. 

TEL AVIV – As President Donald Trump wrapped up his high-stakes Middle East tour on Friday, many media outlets portrayed his decision to bypass Israel as evidence of a rift with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. 

However, while Air Force One did not land in Israel, experts say Trump’s visit advanced policies that align closely with Israeli interests and presented a strategic opportunity that Jerusalem has yet to seize.

Avner Golov, vice president at MIND Israel and a former senior director of Israel’s National Security Council, told Fox News Digital, "Israel sees a massive wave approaching to sweep across the Middle East — a wave of momentum and change. The decision it faces is whether to ride it or be crushed beneath it."

TRUMP MAKES HISTORIC UAE VISIT AS FIRST US PRESIDENT IN NEARLY 20 YEARS

Throughout the visit, Trump emphasized points that directly reflect Israeli priorities. On Tuesday, he condemned the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks, called for Saudi Arabia to join the Abraham Accords and warned Iran over its nuclear ambitions. On Wednesday, he even extended the normalization initiative to Syria.

When asked aboard Air Force One about skipping Israel, Trump said, "This is good for Israel. Having a relationship like I have with these countries... I think it's very good."

In Doha on Thursday, Trump went further, stating: "I want to see [Gaza] be a freedom zone. And if it’s necessary, I think I’d be proud to have the United States have it, take it, make it a freedom zone."

According to two Arab officials quoted by The Times of Israel, U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff told mediators in Doha that Washington does not intend to pressure Israel into ending the war in Gaza — aligning with Prime Minister Netanyahu’s firm stance.

On Friday, President Trump was asked in an interview with Fox News Chief political anchor, Bret Baier on Special Report, if he was frustrated with Netanyahu. Trump responded, "No, look, he's got a tough situation. You have to remember there was an October 7th that everyone forgets, it was one of the most violent days in the history of the world. Not the Middle East, the world, when you look at the tapes. And the tapes are there for everyone to see."

A readout released on Thursday by the State Department of a call between Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Prime Minister Netanyahu, also showed continued support for the Jewish state.

"The Secretary stressed the deep U.S. commitment to its historic relationship with Israel and the ironclad U.S. support for Israeli security," adding "The Secretary and Prime Minister discussed Syria following President Trump’s historic meeting with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa in Saudi Arabia. The Secretary and Prime Minister also shared their mutual commitment to make sure Iran never possesses a nuclear weapon."

TRUMP SIGNS AGREEMENTS WITH QATAR ON DEFENSE AND BOEING PURCHASES

Channel 12 chief political correspondent Amit Segal told Fox News Digital, "There is an uncomfortable experience from an Israeli perspective to see Air Force One flying over us on its way to countries, some of which are outright hostile and others semi-hostile. If you are not at the table, you are on the plate."

"But this isn’t personal. It’s not about Netanyahu and Trump," Segal added. "Trump has full support for Israel — but when American interests come first, he acts accordingly. It’s America First."

Dan Senor, host of the podcast "Call Me Back" and a former state department official, agreed that despite headlines suggesting tension, policy tells a different story.

"There’s always noise in the press," Senor told Dana Perino, co-anchor of Fox News Channel's "America's Newsroom." "But policy right now is very strong. We’re seeing maximum pressure on Iran, no public criticism of Israel — even as dozens of Israeli tanks are positioned near Gaza."

TRUMP SAYS HE'LL DROP SANCTIONS ON SYRIA IN MOVE TO NORMALIZE RELATIONS

"What I found problematic in past administrations — especially under Obama — was when private criticism became public," Senor added. "That gave others a green light to pile on Israel. This administration, even if it disagrees, isn’t airing it. And that matters most."

On Friday, in a proclamation marking Jewish Heritage Month, Trump stated, "I believe there has never been a greater friend to the Jewish people than my Administration.  We will never deviate from our conviction that anti-Semitism has no place in the greatest country in the world.  As the 47th President of the United States, I will use every appropriate legal tool at my disposal to stop anti-Semitic assaults gripping our universities.  We will proudly stand with our friend and ally, the State of Israel.  I will never waver in my commitment."

Tamir Haiman, former head of Israel’s Military Intelligence and now director of the Institute for National Security Studies, said the Israeli government feared being caught off guard.

"This is a player so strong that sometimes, without intending to, he can throw a small player off the field — like a giant who’s spinning and accidentally knocks someone out of his way with his shoulder," Haiman told Fox News Digital.

However, he emphasized that the developments in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Syria are not inherently bad for Israel — unless the government fails to act.

"The missed opportunity here is enormous," he said. "There were two major levers Israel had — Israeli consent to U.S. arms deals with Saudi Arabia and American consent to lifting sanctions on Syria. Both could have been used to advance key Israeli interests: normalization with Saudi Arabia and ensuring Syria’s development follows a non-jihadist path. And we [Israel] lost both."

TRUMP SAYS US HAS GIVEN IRAN PROPOSAL FOR NUCLEAR DEAL

The sense of urgency grew last week when Trump abruptly paused U.S. airstrikes on Iranian-backed Houthis just days after a missile landed near Ben Gurion Airport. Reports soon followed that Washington had dropped its demand for Israeli-Saudi normalization as a prerequisite for a U.S.–Saudi nuclear pact — a strategic goal long championed by Netanyahu.

Reuters later confirmed the shift. Meanwhile, Saudi officials made clear that progress on the Palestinian issue remains a prerequisite for any nuclear deal — something seen as unlikely while the war in Gaza continues.

"After the Saudi story, where we were thrown under the bus, I said we need to stop and investigate," Haiman said. "We shouldn’t just say it’s the president’s whims. We need to ask, ‘What depends on us? What needs to change?’ I’m not sure they’re doing that."

The sharpest potential rift remains Iran. Jerusalem views a nuclear-armed Tehran as an existential threat. Haiman calls this "a historic window" to stop it, by force if needed. "The American interest is to finish wars, not enter them, and to seal a deal better than Obama’s," he said, warning that a diplomatic track pursued over Israel’s head could soon limit Israeli military options.

Monday’s release of 21-year-old American-Israeli Edan Alexander, freed after direct talks between Washington, Qatar and Hamas, added to some fears of Jerusalem being sidelined. Israel played only a logistical role. 

Within Israel, the Gaza war continues to divide strategists over whether to keep pressing Hamas or stop the war for a hostage deal. Haiman called the current "fight, deal, fight" rhythm "boiling the frog," but acknowledges that without a hostage deal now, the 21 living hostages might not survive.

Golov believes it is time for Israel to stop reacting and start shaping events. He urged Jerusalem to push Washington to demand that "Qatar must stop funding Hamas, stop Al Jazeera’s incitement, and pay a price for interfering inside Israel." Israel, he argued, does not have the leverage to do that alone.

"It must anchor itself in a regional bloc — with the Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan — states that are just as terrified of a Muslim Brotherhood resurgence." To get there, he said, Israel must climb aboard the wave Trump has already set in motion.

A Russian drone strike hit a passenger bus in northeastern Ukraine on Saturday, killing nine people and injuring four others, Ukrainian officials allege. 

The attack came just hours after Russian and Ukrainian officials held their first direct peace talks in years, although the two sides failed to reach a ceasefire agreement for the conflict that began with a February 2022 invasion by Moscow.

Ukraine’s national police released photos showing the aftermath of Saturday's strike in the city of Bilopillia in the Sumy region. The city is about six miles from the front line and border with Russia.

"This is another war crime by Russia — a deliberate strike on civilian transport that posed no threat," the Sumy regional administration said on Telegram.

ZELENSKYY SPEAKS WITH TRUMP ALLIES AFTER RUSSIA PEACE TALKS BROKER NO CEASEFIRE

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described the attack as "deliberate killing of civilians."

A mourning period has been declared in Bilopillia from Saturday through Monday. Local community chief Yurii Zarko called the day of the attack "Black Saturday."

The passengers on the bus were being evacuated from Bilopillia when the drone struck, according to local media outlet Suspilne. Authorities were working to identify some of the victims, most of whom were elderly women.

The injured victims were transported to a hospital in Sumy, the regional capital. Three people were listed in serious condition.

On Saturday morning, Russia's defense ministry claimed its forces hit a military staging area in the Sumy region, around 31 miles southeast of Bilopillia, but did not mention any other attacks in the area.

It was not immediately clear how the strike would affect peace efforts.

On Friday, Russian and Ukrainian officials met in Turkey in an attempt to reach a temporary ceasefire, but the talks ended in less than two hours without a truce. The negotiations were the first face-to-face talks between the two countries since the early weeks of the war.

Both sides agreed on a large prisoner swap, but remained far apart on key conditions for ending the conflict.

One condition for Ukraine, which has the backing of its Western allies, is a temporary ceasefire as a first step toward a peaceful settlement. Russia, however, has pushed back against the truce, which remains elusive.

In Turkey, Russia and Ukraine agreed to each exchange 1,000 prisoners of war in what would be their biggest such swap, according to the heads of both delegations. Both sides also talked about a ceasefire and a meeting between their heads of state, according to chief Ukrainian delegate, Defense Minister Rustem Umerov.

An aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin said both sides also agreed to provide each other with detailed ceasefire proposals, with Ukraine requesting the heads of state meeting that Russia took under consideration.

TRUMP, AFTER SKIPPING RUSSIA-UKRAINE PEACE TALKS, WANTS TO MEET PUTIN ‘AS SOON AS WE CAN SET IT UP’

Zelenskyy said he discussed the negotiations with U.S. President Donald Trump and the leaders of France, Germany, the U.K. and Poland. On X, he called for "tough sanctions" against Moscow if it rejects "a full and unconditional ceasefire and an end to killings."

Zelenskyy was in Tirana, Albania, on Friday, to meet with leaders of 47 European countries to discuss security, defense and democratic standards. The leaders he met included French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk.

"Pressure on Russia must be maintained until Russia is ready to end the war," Zelenskyy said on X.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un oversaw the country's air force drills and emphasized the need to intensify war preparation, according to state media. 

Kim inspected anti-aircraft combat and air strike drills conducted by North Korea's 1st Air Division on Thursday, the Korean Central News Agency reported.

The North Korean leader called for all military units to achieve "a breakthrough in war preparation," according to the outlet.

NORTH KOREA LAUNCHES SHORT-RANGE BALLISTIC MISSILES INTO SEA, SOUTH KOREA SAYS

Footage of the drills aired on state TV showed a MiG-29 jet launching a missile that appeared to be a North Korean version of a Russian-developed mid- to long-range air-to-air missile, according to Hong Min, North Korea analyst at the Korea Institute for National Unification.

Earlier this month, the North Korean leader supervised a missile test, inspected tank and munitions plants, and made a rare stop at the Russian embassy in Pyongyang to reaffirm the nation's alliance with Moscow. He also oversaw tank firing drills and special operations training.

600 NORTH KOREAN TROOPS KILLED WHILE FIGHTING UKRAINE, SOUTH KOREA SAYS

North Korea also condemned the U.S. State Department for including it on a list of countries that do not fully cooperate with U.S. counterterrorism efforts -- a designation it has received annually since 1997, according to South Korea's Yonhap News Agency. 

"The more the U.S. provokes the [Democratic People's Republic of Korea] with unnecessary and inefficient malicious acts, the further it will escalate the irreconcilable hostility between the DPRK and the U.S.," a North Korean Foreign Ministry spokesperson said.

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"The DPRK will ... take effective and proper measures to cope with the U.S. hostile provocations in all spheres," the spokesperson continued.

Reuters contributed to this report.

A bronze statue of Melania Trump was sawed off at the ankles and stolen this week in the first lady’s native Slovenia, police said. 

The statue replaced a wooden one that was erected near her hometown of Sevnica in 2020 at the end of President Donald Trump’s first term after it was targeted in an arson attack. 

Both statues were a collaboration between Brad Downey, an artist from Kentucky, and a local craftsman, Ales "Maxi" Zupevc. 

The original figure, made of wood and cut from the trunk of a linden tree, portrayed the first lady in a pale blue dress, similar to the one she wore at Trump’s 2016 inauguration.

FIRST LADY MELANIA TRUMP TURNS 55: HER LIFE IN PHOTOS, FROM SLOVENIA TO WHITE HOUSE

The new statue was placed on the same stump as the old one and modeled after the previous design. In July 2020, Downey said the statue would be made "as solid as possible, out of a durable material which cannot be wantonly destroyed," according to The Guardian.

Slovenian police spokesperson Alenka Drenik Rangus said Friday that police were investigating after the vandalism and theft were reported Tuesday. 

Franja Kranjc, a worker at a bakery that sells cakes with the first lady’s name in support of her, told The Associated Press the rustic likeness wasn’t well liked. 

WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY SAYS STATUE OF LIBERTY GOING NOWHERE, REPLIES TO FRENCH POLITICIAN

"I think no one was really proud at this statue, not even the first lady of the USA," Kranjc said. "So, I think it’s OK that it's removed."

Zupevc said he and Melania Trump were born in the same hospital, which partly inspired him to create the design. He carved the statue with a chainsaw and sanded it with a power tool. 

"I plugged in my angle grinder. … I worked and made mistakes … finished the hair … the eyes and all. Then, I called my brother, who said, ‘Spitting image of our waitress.’ And so it was," Zupevc said during a documentary film by Downey on the making of the original statue.

A plaque next to the statue says it is "dedicated to the eternal memory of a monument to Melania which stood at this location."

Born Melanija Knavs in nearby Novo Mesto in 1970, the first lady grew up in Sevnica while Slovenia was part of the Communist-ruled former Yugoslavia. An Alpine nation of 2 million people, Slovenia is now a member of the European Union and NATO.

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The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

While the United Nations, through its UN80 Task Force, continues a public-facing attempt to slash its budget to manage a decline in external contributions and in recognition of overlapping mandates and duplicated efforts, a U.N. diplomatic source tells Fox News Digital that the effort is an attempt "to keep a mammoth organization untouched" until 2026 midterm elections.

The source explained that the "zero-growth budget" proposed for 2026 has already been prepared, and that "talk about how we’re going to get it leaner" is only intended to "take [President] Trump for a sucker." The source said that the U.N. believes that the budget will tide the U.N. over until the House flips to Democratic control and Trump will no longer be able to "inflict damages to the U.N."

The source claimed the effort is the "brain child" of the U.N. Foundation, something the group refuted.

"We have never proposed linking U.N. budgetary deliberations to the U.S. mid-term elections," a spokesperson from the U.N. Foundation told Fox News Digital.

WATCHDOG ORG CALLS FOR SANCTIONS AGAINST UN APPOINTEE ACCUSED OF ANTISEMITISM

"The U.N. Foundation is an independent organization, separate from the U.N. itself. We are not involved in the U.N.’s budget process, which is decided by the U.N. General Assembly. We also share a widely held view that there is scope for efficiencies and innovations to strengthen delivery of the U.N.'s lifesaving work," the spokesperson added.

Fox News Digital viewed internal documents which show efforts by various U.N. entities to direct cost-cutting measures. The source says some show the disingenuous nature of the effort. 

A UN80 memo from the U.N. Resident Coordinators in Africa from April 2025 discusses how previous reforms have failed. It explains that they "did not fully address incentives for collaboration," which left U.N. entities to "too often prioritize their corporate obligations over system-wide coherence." Coordination, the memo reads, "is too easily viewed as additional work rather than a core responsibility," and "funding competition further compounds these issues."

UN GLOBAL COMMS ARM UNDER FIRE FOR ANTI-ISRAEL BIAS AS CRITICS CALL FOR REFORMS

While the memo identifies two options for reorganization, it notes that "implementing such ambitious structural reforms, especially Option 1, will require a medium-term phased approach over a 5-10 year horizon," and notes that Option 2 "is not likely to be viable if no structural changes are made to [headquarters] level entities." 

The U.N. source says the memo "shows…the inability of the U.N. to reform itself." 

Another memo from the office of the Secretary-General sent on April 25 directs Secretariat entities to perform a "functional review for cost reductions and efficiencies." Among the directions provided is that personnel "identify which functions could be relocated," including "at a minimum the functions, organizational units, post numbers, and grade levels proposed for relocation." 

Numbers were to be sent to the Office of the Controller by May 16, noting that the "tight deadline" is in line with the "very limited timeframe" the U.N. has "to prepare and submit the revised estimates through [the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ)]" so they might be considered "within the overall context of the proposed programme budget for 2026."

Fox News Digital’s source called foul on the earnestness of the endeavor. "This Secretary-General has to deal with bodies that, even though they are called the United Nations, they do not depend on him," they explained. "The document does not represent any value legally, because none of their boards have committed nor listened or reviewed" the order. 

REPUBLICANS SEEK TO BLOCK THE REAPPOINTMENT OF UN OFFICIAL ACCUSED OF ANTISEMITISM

Fox News Digital asked Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ spokesperson Stephane Dujarric whether Guterres could expect organizations with independent boards to enforce changes like those addressed in his memo. "We do not take such a pessimistic view. The Secretary-General and the heads of the U.N. Funds and Programmes will act in areas under their authority while, of course, keeping the governing bodies informed," Dujarric said.

Before the deadline for responses came due, Guterres delivered a May 12 briefing admitting that the proposal for the 2026 budget "was already given to ACABQ some time ago and it will be impossible to change it at the present moment." While Guterres said he would present revised proposals in September in time for budget approvals, he explained that "changes that require more detailed analysis will be presented in the proposal" for the 2027 budget.

Fox News Digital’s source says the admission is proof that "this whole attempt is a lie to appease the Americans so they don’t go harsh enough and cut anything right now." 

On May 13, Guterres addressed a letter to all U.N. staff about the need for "bold, transformative thinking" and extensive reforms to bring the U.N. out of its liquidity crisis. While expressing gratitude for employees’ "extraordinary dedication, expertise and creativity" he warned "that ‘leaks’ and rumours may create unnecessary anxiety," Guterres said that "it will be inevitable that we cannot leave all posts untouched."

After over three decades of working for the U.N., the source says they have "seen the U.N. attempt to change itself at least five times." Instead, they said that the U.N. only got "a larger footprint." They explained that other insiders "are fed up that the organization is not changing."

"You have…a super state that basically controls itself," the source explained. "And you should also trust them to reorganize themselves?" they asked.

Whether the U.N. could hold out for promised change is unknown. The Economist reported in May that due to nonpayment of fees, the U.N. may run out of funds to pay its suppliers and employees by the General Assembly in September.

JERUSALEM—The scandal-plagued prosecutor for the International Criminal Court (ICC) has been compelled to step down, pending the outcome of an investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct, the court announced Friday. Khan has categorically denied the allegations against him. 

Fox News Digital sent detailed press queries to the ICC and embattled prosecutor Karim Khan on Thursday, asking if the world court planned to oust him and whether he would resign.

The Associated Press reported the court said in a statement that Khan on Friday ″communicated his decision to take leave until the end″ of an external investigation that will be carried by the Office of Internal Oversight Services, the U.N. internal watchdog.  

That same report said that women's rights groups welcomed the move, who had called for him to step down after the allegations emerged last year, but Khan initially resisted leaving.

ICC REQUESTS ARREST WARRANTS FOR NETANYAHU, HAMAS LEADERS OVER ‘WAR CRIMES’ 

Last year, an Associated Press investigation found that two court employees in whom the alleged victim confided came forward with the accusation in May. That was a few weeks before Khan sought arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu, his former Defense Minister, Yoav Gallant, and three Hamas leaders on war crimes charges.

Israel has been waging an existential war against the U.S.-designated terrorist movement, Hamas, since it invaded the Jewish state on October 7, 2023 and slaughtered more than 1,200 people, including American citizens.

Eugene Kontorovich, a legal expert and senior fellow at the Heritage Foundation’s Margaret Thatcher Center for Freedom, told Fox News Digital, "Removing Khan is not enough. The entire tribunal, including his prosecutorial team and judges, enabled his blood libel. The scandal points to the inherent defects of the institution - a total lack of accountability."

The Associated Press reported that two co-workers in whom the woman confided at the ICC’s headquarters at The Hague reported Khan’s alleged misconduct in May to the court’s independent watchdog, which says it interviewed the woman and ended its inquiry after five days when she opted against filing a formal complaint. Khan himself wasn't questioned at the time.

While the court’s watchdog could not determine wrongdoing, it nonetheless urged Khan in a memo to minimize contact with the woman to protect the rights of all involved and safeguard the court’s integrity.

Khan has been facing increasing pressure on multiple fronts. U.S. President Donald Trump filed sanctions against Khan in February in relation to his Israel warrants. The sanctions are hampering work on a broad array of investigations at the court.

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

The Wall Street Journal reported Khan’s decision to prosecute Netanyahu and the country’s former Defense Minister raised "questions about whether Khan was aiming to protect himself from the sexual-assault allegations. The day before announcing the warrant application, Khan abruptly canceled a trip to Israel and Gaza that he had previously said was important to make his decision." 

The Wall Street Journal reported the ICC employee’s graphic account of Khan allegedly raping the woman and sexually molesting her.

Lawyers for Khan from the firm, Carter-Ruck Solicitors, told Fox News Digital on Friday that, "Our client does wish to make clear, however, that it is categorically untrue that he has engaged in sexual misconduct of any kind."

Khan’s lawyers continued, "Our client is cooperating fully and transparently with the investigation by the U.N. Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) in relation to allegations that have been raised against him."

With respect to information that Khan exploited the ICC to save his own skin by charging Israeli leaders, Carter-Ruck Solicitors said "The decision to announce that arrest warrants for individuals including Mr. Netanyahu, Mr. Gallant and leaders of Hamas, our client also wishes to make clear that the fact that ICC Judges approved the applications for those warrants underscores that the evidence on which they were based met the rigorous legal threshold required under the Rome Statute. Suggestions that the Prosecutor’s applications were linked to, or precipitated by, unrelated allegations of misconduct are totally false."

HOUSE PASSES BILL THAT WOULD SANCTION INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT FOR TRYING TO ARREST NETANYAHU

Kontorovich said about the ICC case against Israeli leaders: "This fundamentally undermines the integrity of the case, and in a normal judicial system, would lead not just to these charges being thrown out, but cast doubt on all his prior cases."

He continued that "Given that the ICC has only managed to secure final convictions against six people for atrocity crimes in its quarter-century of existence, a massive scandal of prosecutorial misconduct should be grounds for shutting down the institution, not just removing the prosecutor."

When asked if the ICC plans to rescind the arrest warrants against the Israeli leaders, Fadi El-Abdallah, the spokesman for the ICC, told Fox News Digital that "As there is a pending request, I can’t offer comment or speculation on its outcome."

El-Abdallah referred Fox News Digital to Khan’s media team regarding questions related to his alleged sexual misconduct and allegations he damaged the integrity of the world court.

Israel asked the ICC to withdraw the arrest warrants in early May. 

Fox News Digital previously reported the British chief prosecutor, Khan, published an academic essay in 2013 that suggested his own current effort to arrest Netanyahu would be a travesty of justice because the court cannot provide due process to defendants. 

"Make no mistake: the problem is bigger than Khan. They’re throwing him under the bus to protect the institution and salvage their campaign against Israel. But the rot runs deep. This was never about justice, it was always about a political agenda," Hillel Neuer, a lawyer and UN Watch Executive Director, told Fox News Digital.

A spokesperson for the United Nations told Fox News Digital that it does not comment on the ICC because it is an independent judicial body.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke with President Donald Trump and chief Western allies from France, Germany, the U.K. and Poland after peace talks with Russia on Friday failed to secure any ceasefire terms. 

Delegations from Ukraine and Russia met for the first time in three years in Turkey as Trump looks to pressure both sides to end the war as quickly as possible.

"Spoke with [the President of the United States] together with President Macron, Federal Chancellor Merz, Prime Ministers Starmer and Tusk," Zelenskyy said in a Friday post on X. "We discussed the meeting in Istanbul." 

TRUMP, AFTER SKIPPING RUSSIA-UKRAINE PEACE TALKS, WANTS TO MEET PUTIN ‘AS SOON AS WE CAN SET IT UP’

"Ukraine is ready to take the fastest possible steps to bring real peace, and it is important that the world holds a strong stance," he continued. "Our position – if the Russians reject a full and unconditional ceasefire and an end to killings, tough sanctions must follow. 

"Pressure on Russia must be maintained until Russia is ready to end the war," Zelenskyy added. "Thank you to everyone in the world who is helping."

French President Emmanuel Macron confirmed Moscow’s renewed rejection of a ceasefire and said, "Once again, [Russian President Vladimir] Putin refuses to respond to the unconditional ceasefire proposal put forward by the Americans and supported by Ukraine and the Europeans."

"By rejecting the ceasefire and dialogue with Ukraine, Russia shows it does not want peace and is merely trying to buy time by continuing the war," Macron added, noting the U.S. and European allies must "define a united response."

President Trump has not commented on the failed talks or the conversation he had with the world leaders on Friday, and Fox News Digital could not immediately reach the White House for comment. 

RUBIO DOUBTS 'ANYTHING PRODUCTIVE' WILL HAPPEN IN UKRAINE PEACE TALKS WITHOUT TRUMP, PUTIN

Instead, Trump reiterated his belief that he and Putin need to meet in order for any progress to be made and told reporters on Friday from the UAE, "We have to meet. He and I will meet. I think we'll solve it. 

"Or maybe not, but at least we'll know," Trump continued. "And if we don't solve it, [it’ll] be very interesting."

Trump has not said when he plans to meet with Putin or what steps he will take if Putin does not agree to end his war. 

The talks, first proposed by Putin last week, were agreed to by Zelenskyy, who upped the ante and suggested the leaders of the warring nations should attend the negotiations. 

However, in a last-minute announcement on Thursday, after officials from Russia, Ukraine and the U.S. landed in Turkey, the Kremlin confirmed that not only would Putin not be in attendance, but the delegation would not be led by any senior members of Putin’s government – a move Zelenskyy said proved Russia was "unserious" about a ceasefire.

The talks failed to materialize on Thursday after officials were left wondering when and if they would even meet for discussions. The negotiations were then pushed to Friday, but this time neither Zelenskyy nor Secretary of State Marco Rubio said they would be in attendance. 

EXCLUSIVE — Israeli U.N. Ambassador Danny Danon condemned a United Nations official over remarks that he said "shattered any notion of neutrality."

On Tuesday, U.N. Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher accused Israel of committing genocide in his remarks before the U.N. Security Council.

"Israel is deliberately and unashamedly imposing inhumane conditions on civilians in the Occupied Palestinian Territory," Fletcher told the Security Council on Tuesday. He went on to say that most of Gaza "is either within Israeli-militarized zones or under displacement orders."

ISRAELI FOREIGN MINISTER SLAMS UN, CALLS IT 'ROTTEN, ANTI-ISRAEL, AND ANTISEMITIC BODY'

Fletcher, who heads the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), also described how Gazans are struggling due to a lack of supplies, as aid trucks have not been allowed to enter the Gaza Strip for 10 weeks. Hospitals are "overwhelmed," and people are facing famine and starvation, according to Fletcher. 

"So, for those killed and those whose voices are silenced: what more evidence do you need now? Will you act – decisively – to prevent genocide and to ensure respect for international humanitarian law? Or will you say instead that ‘we did all we could?’," Fletcher said.

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TRUMP'S DOJ SAYS UN AGENCY CAN BE SUED FOR OCT. 7 ATTACKS, REVERSING BIDEN-ERA POSITION

While much of Fletcher's remarks focused on Gaza, he also condemned the "appalling violence" increasing in the West Bank. The next day, May 14, a pregnant Israeli woman was killed in a shooting attack while on her way to the hospital to give birth. Tzeela Gez lost her life, but doctors were able to save her baby, who, according to The Associated Press, is "in serious but stable condition."

UN CASH APP FOR GAZANS EXPLOITED BY HAMAS AS TERROR GROUP STEALS AID MONEY MEANT FOR CIVILIANS

In his response, Danon said Fletcher’s remarks "shocked and disturbed" him, accusing the U.N. official of making an "utterly inappropriate and deeply irresponsible" statement that "shattered any notion of neutrality."

"You had the audacity, in your capacity as a senior U.N. official, to stand before the Security Council and invoke the charge of genocide without evidence, mandate, or restraint," Danon wrote in his response. "As a senior representative of the United Nations, you are obligated to refrain from prejudging complex international matters. Yet, this is precisely what you did before the Council. You did not brief the Council; you delivered a political sermon."

In response to a Fox News Digital request for comment, OCHA spokesperson Eri Kaneko said that "As Mr. Fletcher made clear in his Security Council remarks, it is for legal bodies to consider whether a genocide is taking place - Mr. Fletcher's point is that the world must take decisive action to prevent genocide and ensure respect for international humanitarian law."

When asked whether Fletcher was accusing Israel of deliberately killing and harming civilians, Kaneko said that the official's words speak for themselves, as "not a single civilian in Gaza - teachers, artists, merchants, aid workers, hostages - has been spared."

Danon questioned under whose authority Fletcher issued the accusation and said the U.N. official’s use of the word "genocide" was a "desecration and subversion of a term with unique force and weight." He went on to say that what made Fletcher’s remarks "far worse" was the fact that Israel had "engaged with you and your office in good faith at the highest levels."

The Israeli ambassador concluded his letter by turning the questions around on Fletcher, telling the OCHA chief to ask himself whether he had done enough to prevent Oct. 7, accelerate the release of the hostages and hold Hamas accountable.

Kaneko told Fox News Digital that "Mr. Fletcher has repeatedly and publicly spoken out against what he calls the horrendous Hamas-led attacks and called for the release of the hostages. Mr. Fletcher was deeply moved by his visit in February to the kibbutz of Nir Oz, where one in four people were killed or taken hostage."