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South Korea’s impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol was freed from prison on Saturday after a court canceled his arrest to allow him to stand trial for rebellion without being physically detained.

This comes after Yoon was arrested and indicted by prosecutors in January over his martial law decree on Dec. 3 — leading to political turmoil in the country — that the National Assembly voted to reverse just hours later. The National Assembly also voted to impeach him, resulting in his suspension from office.

Yoon was seen on Saturday waving his hand, clenching his fists and bowing to his supporters who were shouting his name and waving South Korean and U.S. national flags. He entered a black van to travel to his residence in Seoul.

COURT ORDERS SOUTH KOREAN PRESIDENT YOON FREED FROM JAIL FOR MARTIAL LAW TRIAL

In a statement, Yoon said he "appreciates the courage and decision by the Seoul Central District Court to correct illegality," in what appeared to be a reference to questions over his arrest. He also thanked his supporters and urged people who are on hunger strike against his impeachment to end it.

The Constitutional Court has been deliberating whether to formally dismiss or reinstate Yoon as president. If the court upholds his impeachment, an election for a new president will be held within two months.

The Seoul Central District Court said Friday it accepted Yoon’s request to be freed from prison, pointing to the need to address questions over the legality of the investigations of the president.

SOUTH KOREAN PROSECUTORS INDICT IMPEACHED PRESIDENT WHO DECLARED MARTIAL LAW

Yoon’s lawyers have argued that the investigative agency that detained him prior to his formal arrest lacked legal authority to probe rebellion charges.

The court in Seoul also said the legal period of his formal arrest expired ahead of his indictment.

Yoon’s release from prison came after prosecutors opted against appealing the ruling by the Seoul Central District Court. South Korean law allows prosecutors to continue to hold a suspect in custody as they pursue an appeal, even after the arrest is canceled by a court.

The main liberal opposition Democratic Party, which led Yoon’s impeachment in December, criticized the prosecutors for their decision not to appeal, labeling them as "henchmen" of Yoon, who is a former prosecutor general.

Democratic Party spokesperson Cho Seung-rae called on the Constitutional Court to dismiss Yoon as soon as possible to avoid further public unrest.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Pope Francis remained in the hospital on Saturday recovering from double pneumonia as the Vatican’s Holy Year proceeded without him.

"The night passed quietly, the pope is resting," the Vatican said Saturday morning.

Three weeks have now passed since Francis, 88, was admitted to Rome's Gemelli Hospital on Feb. 14 after a week-long bout of bronchitis worsened. Doctors first diagnosed the complex viral, bacterial and fungal respiratory tract infection and subsequently the onset of pneumonia in both lungs.

POPE FRANCIS STILL RECEIVING OXYGEN THERAPY, WILL NOT READ SUNDAY PRAYERS: VATICAN

The pontiff's condition stabilized following acute respiratory crises.

The Vatican proceeded with its Jubilee celebrations, the once-every-quarter-century Holy Year that is bringing pilgrims from around the world to Rome. The Holy Year is celebrating volunteers this weekend, and many are extending their pilgrimage to pray for Francis outside the hospital.

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

Francis spent 20 minutes on Friday in the Gemelli hospital chapel praying and doing some work in between rest and respiratory and physical therapy, the Vatican said.

POPE FRANCIS SHARES FIRST AUDIO MESSAGE SINCE HOSPITALIZATION: 'MAY GOD BLESS YOU'

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

Earlier this week, Francis, who has chronic lung disease and had part of one lung removed when he was younger, suffered acute respiratory failure and underwent bronchoscopies to suction mucus from his lungs.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

A shooting Friday at a pub in Toronto, Canada, left a dozen people wounded, as police continue to search for the suspect.

Toronto Police responded at about 10:40 p.m. to the shooting in the area of Progress Avenue and Corporate Drive in eastern Toronto. The shooting happened near Scarborough Town Centre.

There were reports of gunfire and an active shooting inside a Scarborough pub, Toronto Fire Services said, according to CBC.

ONE POLICE OFFICER KILLED, ANOTHER INJURED IN NEWARK, NEW JERSEY SHOOTING

The 12 victims were transported to a hospital for treatment. Police said four of the victims suffered non-life-threatening injuries but the extent of the injuries of the remaining eight is unclear.

Police said the suspect was wearing a black balaclava mask and was seen driving away in a silver car, CBC reported.

CANADA'S FOREIGN MINISTER OFFERS BLUNT EXPLANATION FOR NATIONAL ANTHEM BOOING: 'WE'RE INSULTED'

Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow said on X she "is deeply troubled to hear reports of a shooting at a pub in Scarborough."

The mayor said she spoke to Toronto Police Chief Myron Demkiw and he assured her "all necessary resources have been deployed."

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"This is an early and ongoing investigation - police will provide further details. My thoughts are with the victims and their families," Chow said.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said Friday that his government is working on a plan to prepare large-scale military training for every adult male in response to the changing security situation in Europe.

The military training would create a reserve force that is "adequate to possible threats," Tusk said in a major speech on security to Poland’s lower house of parliament, or Sejm.

He said that there's a need for an army of 500,000 soldiers, which would include reservists.

Last year, the Polish government said that the military was made up of around 200,000 soldiers and was to grow to 220,000 this year with the objective of increasing it to about 300,000.

EU WEIGHS $840 BILLION PLAN TO 'REARM EUROPE' AFTER US PAUSES UKRAINE AID

But security fears have grown far more dramatic in recent weeks, as Russia continues to pound Ukraine with missiles and drones, and as the Trump administration has withdrawn military and intelligence support for Ukraine while putting its commitments to NATO in question.

"Today we are talking about the need for a half-million army in Poland," Tusk said.

After his speech, Tusk explained to reporters that he wasn't considering a return of universal military service, but rather a reserve system based on the model in Switzerland. In that country, every man is obliged to serve in the military or an alternative civilian service, while women can volunteer if they choose.

Poland, with a population of 38 million people, is located along NATO’s eastern flank and is deeply concerned by the war in Ukraine. There are fears that if Ukraine is defeated, Russia will turn its imperial ambitions next to countries like Poland, which Moscow controlled during the 19th century and during the Cold War.

Jaroslaw Kaczyński, the head of Poland’s largest opposition party, the conservative Law and Justice, said that a mental shift in society would also be needed in addition to the military training of men.

"We will have a return to the chivalric ethos and to the fact that men should also be soldiers, that is, be able to expose themselves, even to death," Kaczyński said.

Concern has grown in Poland and across most of Europe as U.S. President Donald Trump has signaled a dramatically shifting stance in Washington to one that includes support for Russia's position — even though on Friday he issued a stern warning to Russia after it attacked Ukrainian energy facilities with dozens of missiles and drones.

"If Ukraine loses the war or if it accepts the terms of peace, armistice, or capitulation in such a way that weakens its sovereignty and makes it easier for (Russian President Vladimir) Putin to gain control over Ukraine, then, without a doubt — and we can all agree on that — Poland will find itself in a much more difficult geopolitical situation," Tusk said.

President Andrzej Duda said Friday that he was submitting an amendment to the Polish Constitution for consideration which would oblige the country to spend at least 4% of its gross domestic product each year on defense.

Poland is already NATO's top spender on defense as a percentage of its overall economy, spending above 4% of its GDP this year. But Duda said that he wanted to take advantage of the consensus on the political scene in Poland today on the matter to enshrine it in the highest law.

Trump has suggested that the U.S. might abandon its commitments to the alliance if member countries don’t meet defense spending targets.

Infighting between factions of a gang vying for control over territory in Ecuador's largest city Guayaquil, left nearly two dozen people dead, authorities said on Friday.

Gun battles broke out across the northern neighborhood of Nueva Prosperina on Thursday afternoon between members of criminal group Los Tiguerones, local police chief Pablo Davila told reporters.

"Yesterday criminals killed each other in these certain parts of town," Davila said. "The problem is that they know each other, they know where they live, and they're fighting over who has power over that territory."

ECUADOR'S PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION GOES TO RUNOFF BETWEEN CONSERVATIVE INCUMBENT, LEFTIST LAWYER

Police launched an offensive in response, carrying out around 200 searches and seizing guns and ammunition. Fourteen people, including two minors, were arrested in the area.

Several of those killed and arrested had criminal records, according to authorities, with charges ranging from robbery to drug trafficking.

The government in recent weeks has doubled down on its response in Ecuador's most violent regions, as part of President Daniel Noboa's war on drug-trafficking gangs.

Los Tiguerones and other gangs are considered terrorist groups by the government.

Noboa, who is seeking re-election in an April runoff vote, has said military and police officers will be allowed to respond to the Guayaquil violence without fear of being punished for acting with a heavy hand.

"Defend the country, I will defend you," he wrote on X.

A tropical cyclone weakened to a tropical low weather system on Saturday as it approached Brisbane, Australia’s third-most populous city, bringing flooding rain to the coastal region.

Tropical Cyclone Alfred had been expected to become on Saturday the first cyclone to cross the east Australian coast near the Queensland state capital since 1974.

On Friday, it was moving west toward Brisbane with sustained winds near its center of 59 mph and gusting to 81 mph.

SECRETARY DUFFY TOURS HELENE DAMAGE, SAYS RESIDENTS FEEL 'FORGOTTEN' AFTER HISTORIC STORM

But it had weakened early Saturday to a tropical low, which is defined as carrying sustained winds of less than 39 mph.

The system was expected to cross the coast north of Brisbane between Bribie Island and the Sunshine Coast region later Saturday, the Bureau of Meteorology said.

Cyclones are common in Queensland’s tropical north but are rare in the state’s temperate and densely populated southeast corner that borders New South Wales state.

"Despite its weakening and moving inland, heavy rainfall and coastal surf impacts are expected to continue over southeast Queensland and northeast New South Wales during the weekend," the bureau said in a statement.

Rivers were flooding in Queensland and New South Wales after days of heavy rain, the bureau said. In New South Wales, 39 people had been rescued from flood waters and a man remained missing after being swept down a river on Friday, officials said.

More than 19,000 people have been evacuated from low-lying homes.

More than 250,000 homes and businesses had lost power in the region, mostly in Gold Coast city south of Brisbane.

A South Korean court on Friday ordered impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol to be released from jail, a move that could allow Yoon to stand trial for his rebellion charge without being physically detained.

Yoon was arrested and indicted in January over the Dec. 3 martial law decree that plunged the country into political turmoil. The opposition-controlled parliament separately voted to impeach him, leading to his suspension from office.

The hearings in his impeachment trial at the Constitutional Court concluded in late February, and that court is expected to rule soon on whether to formally remove him from office or reinstate him.

The Seoul Central District Court said it accepted Yoon’s request to be released from jail because the legal period of his formal arrest expired before he was indicted.

SOUTH KOREAN PROSECUTORS INDICT IMPEACHED PRESIDENT WHO DECLARED MARTIAL LAW

The court also cited the need to resolve questions over the legality of the investigations on Yoon. Yoon’s lawyers have accused the investigative agency that detained him before his formal arrest of lacking legal authority to probe rebellion charges.

Investigators have alleged that the martial-law decree amounted to rebellion. If he’s convicted of that offense, he would face the death penalty or life imprisonment.

Yoon's defense team welcomed the court's decision and urged prosecutors to release him immediately. The presidential office also welcomed the court’s decision, saying it hopes Yoon will swiftly return to work.

However, South Korea law allows prosecutors to continue to hold a suspect whose arrest has been suspended by a court temporarily while pursuing an appeal.

The main liberal opposition Democratic Party, which led Yoon’s Dec. 14 impeachment, called on prosecutors to immediately appeal the court’s ruling.

IMPEACHED SOUTH KOREAN PRESIDENT DETAINED WEEKS AFTER MARTIAL LAW CHAOS

Yoon’s martial law decree, which involved the dispatch of troops and police forces to the National Assembly, evoked traumatic memories of past military rules among many South Koreans. The decree lasted only six hours, as enough lawmakers managed to get into an assembly hall and voted to overturn it unanimously.

Yoon later argued his decree was only meant to inform the people of the danger of the opposition Democratic Party, which undermined his agenda and impeached top officials, and said he dispatched troops to the assembly only in order to maintain order. But some top military and police officers sent to the assembly have told Constitutional Court hearings or investigators that Yoon ordered them to drag out lawmakers to obstruct a vote on his decree or detain politicians.

If the Constitutional Court upholds Yoon’s impeachment, he will be officially thrown out of office and a national election will be held to choose his successor within two months. If the court rejects his impeachment but he is still in jail, it's unclear whether and how soon he will be able to exercise his presidential powers.

Massive rallies by opponents and supporters of Yoon have filled the streets of Seoul and other major South Korean cities. Whatever the Constitutional Court decides, experts say it will likely further polarize the country and intensify its conservative-liberal divide.

Yoon is the first South Korean president to be arrested while in office. South Korean law gives a president immunity from most criminal prosecution, but not for grave charges like rebellion or treason.

By law, a president in South Korea has the power to put the country under martial law in wartime and similar emergency situations, but many experts say South Korea wasn’t in such a state when Yoon declared martial law.

At least two people have died and 186 others are missing after four boats carrying migrants from Africa capsized overnight in waters off Yemen and Djibouti, the U.N.'s migration agency said on Friday.

Two vessels capsized off Yemen late Thursday, said Tamim Eleian, a spokesperson for the International Organization for Migration, or IOM. Two crewmembers were rescued, but 181 migrants and five Yemeni crewmembers remain missing, he told The Associated Press.

VENEZUELAN GANGS ARE FAR FROM A 'FAKE' PROBLEM, COLORADO DA SAYS: 'GIANT ISSUE'

Two other boats capsized off the tiny African nation of Djibouti around the same time, he said. Two bodies of migrants were recovered, and all others on board were rescued.

Strong winds caused the two boats to capsize near the beach in Djibouti after they started sailing off, Abdusattor Esoev, head of the IOM mission in Yemen, told AP.

COAST GUARD INTERCEPTS 21 ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS OFF CALIFORNIA COAST

The third boat, which capsized off Dhubab district in Taiz governorate, southwestern Yemen, was carrying 31 Ethiopian migrants and three Yemeni crew.

The fourth boat, which capsized near the same area, was heading to Ahwar district in Abyan governorate and carried 150 Ethiopian migrants and four Yemeni crew.

DEATH TOLL IN SUDAN MILITARY PLANE CRASH RISES TO 46

Yemen is a major route for migrants from East Africa and the Horn of Africa trying to reach Gulf countries for work, with hundreds of thousands attempting the route each year. To reach Yemen, migrants are taken by smugglers on often dangerous, overcrowded boats across the Red Sea or Gulf of Aden.

The numbers making it to Yemen reached 97,200 in 2023 — triple the number in 2021. Last year, the number dropped to just under 61,000, probably because of greater patrolling of the waters, according to an IOM report this month.

Over the past decade, at least 2,082 migrants have disappeared along the route, including 693 known to have drowned, according to the IOM. Some 380,000 migrants are currently in Yemen.

Hostages freed from Gaza visited President Donald Trump in the Oval Office to tell him that his re-election to the White House gave them hope after hundreds of days in Hamas captivity. 

In a Thursday press event, U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff told reporters that seven people freed from Gaza, along with some of their loved ones, met with the president this week to share their horrific stories of abduction, severe abuse and time in captivity.

One Israeli hostage, Omer Shem Tov, who was freed on Feb. 22, told the president that he believed Trump had "been sent by God" to secure their release.

HAMAS TREATMENT OF HOSTAGES 'INTOLERABLE,' TRUMP ENVOY SAYS

"They talked about how they heard about his election, and they were uplifted," Witkoff said of the meeting.  "They were elated waiting for him because they knew he was going to help them get rescued."

Witkoff, who described the event as "emotional," also reiterated the Trump administration’s commitment to securing the release of more hostages.

Reports this week revealed that the Trump administration has begun directly negotiating with Hamas – a revelation that apparently frustrated Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Details of the negotiations remain unclear, though reports suggested the Trump team had proposed a 60-day ceasefire and the release of an additional 10 hostages – though who would be included in the next release remains unclear as there are 25 hostages still assessed to be alive, including one American.

"Edan Alexander is very important to us as – all the hostages are – but Edan Alexander is an American, and he's injured. And so, he's a top priority for us," Witkoff told reporters.

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

Witkoff confirmed that Adam Boehler, special envoy in charge of hostages, had been involved in the recent negotiations attempting to secure the second phase of the ceasefire agreement which is supposed to see the release of the remaining hostages. 

"We feel that Hamas has not been forthright with us. And it's time for them to be forthright with us," Witkoff said.  "Edan Alexander would be a very important show."

Trump issued another warning on social media this week, telling Hamas to release all hostages immediately. Though Hamas has thus far responded by saying they will only begin the release of more hostages if a second phase in the ceasefire is agreed to.  

There are 59 hostages still held by Hamas, including one individual who was taken by the terrorist group separate from the October 2023 attacks.

Some 35 hostages are assessed to have been killed by Hamas and whose bodies are still being held, including four Americans: Omer Neutra, Itay Chen, Gadi Haggai and Judi Weinstein Haggai – all of whom are believed to have been killed on Oct. 7, 2023. 

Pope Francis is still receiving breathing assistance using different types of ventilation, Vatican sources said on Friday. While the pope is "not running down the halls" of Rome’s Gemelli, he is apparently able to move. Additionally, Vatican sources say the pope is eating solid food and does not need "assisted feeding."

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

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

POPE FRANCIS SHARES FIRST AUDIO MESSAGE SINCE HOSPITALIZATION: 'MAY GOD BLESS YOU'

As the pope enters his fourth week at Gemelli Hospital, his road to recovery remains unclear. The 88-year-old pontiff’s doctors seem to be hoping for more stability in his condition before giving the public another update. 

Dr. Claudio Santini, head of internal medicine at Grassi Hospital, told Corriere della Sera that the lack of bulletins from the Vatican noting the pope’s condition has improved is "not a positive sign."

"Let us take into account that the Pope probably suffers from a chronic respiratory disease that has recently made him partially disabled. Now double pneumonia has also been added," Dr. Santini said.

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

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

While oxygen therapy has been helping Pope Francis so far, Dr. Santini warns that the pontiff cannot rely on it. The doctor warns that therapies like the ones the pope has received are "necessary," but they subject the patient to "considerable stress" and can eventually impact other vital systems.

Catholics across the globe have been praying for Pope Francis, who was unable to lead Ash Wednesday mass earlier this week because of his health struggles. Instead, Cardinal Angelo De Donatis read the pope’s homily aloud at Rome’s Santa Sabrina Basilica.

In his homily, the pope spoke of the significance of the ashes and the act of receiving them.

"We bow our heads in order to receive the ashes as if to look at ourselves and to look within ourselves. Indeed, the ashes help to remind us that our lives are fragile and insignificant: we are dust, from dust we were created, and to dust we shall return," the homily read, according to the Vatican.

The pope also called for a "return to God with all of our hearts" in his homily, urging Catholics to "place Him at the center of our lives."

Fox News' Courtney Walsh contributed to this report.

A half-ton World War II-era bomb found near train tracks in a crowded residential area just outside of Paris unleashed travel chaos across the region Friday, prompting disruptions at Europe's busiest rail station and closures of major roads leading into the French capital. 

The unexploded bomb was found overnight by workers doing earthmoving activity near the tracks in the Seine-Saint-Denis area north of Paris, according to French Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot.  

Bomb disposal experts were called to the scene, locals were evacuated and "a quite large" security perimeter was set up around the operation, he added. 

Eurostar, operator of high-speed trains through the Channel Tunnel that links England with the European continent, announced the cancelation of all its services to and from its Paris hub at Gare du Nord and the U.K. and Belgian capitals. 

FLIGHT PASSENGERS NOW PAYING PLANE TICKET TAX TO DEPART POPULAR TRAVEL DESTINATION 

"An unexploded bomb from the Second World War was discovered in this area," French national rail operator SNCF wrote on X. "Traffic will not resume until mid-afternoon, after formal authorization from the authorities." 

Paris police also announced the closure of the A1 highway and sections of the capital's always-busy ring road around the city. 

MOCKING HIM AS ‘MICRON,’ RUSSIA WARNS MACRON AGAINST MAKING NUCLEAR ‘THREATS’ 

At Paris' usually bustling Gare du Nord station, bright red signs warning of disruptions greeted commuters.  

SNCF says the station hosts 700,000 travelers per day, making it the busiest rail hub in Europe. 

Images captured crowds of stranded travelers there and at the St. Pancras International train station in London. 

"Due to an object on the tracks near Paris Gare du Nord, we are expecting disruption to our services this morning. Please change your journey for a different date of travel," Eurostar wrote on X. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed that his team will meet with their American counterparts in Saudi Arabia for peace talks. The statement comes just one week after Zelenskyy’s Oval Office clash with President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance, which ended with him leaving the White House ahead of schedule.

"Next Monday, I have a visit planned to Saudi Arabia for a meeting with the Crown Prince. After that, my team will stay in Saudi Arabia to work with our American partners," Zelenskyy wrote in a post on X. "Ukraine is most interested in peace."

TRUMP READING ZELENSKYY LETTER MET WITH SUPPORT FROM GOP, INDEPENDENT VOTERS

Zelenskyy included a message to President Trump in the post, vowing Ukraine "is working and will continue to work constructively for a swift and reliable peace."

On Thursday, Ukrainian opposition leaders, former President Petro Poroshenko and former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, confirmed that they had their own talks with the U.S., the Guardian reported. However, they deny being part of an alleged White House plan to remove Zelenskyy from power. 

Prior to the Oval Office blowup, in a post criticizing Zelenskyy, President Trump slammed the Ukrainian leader for not holding elections. However, Poroshenko, who lost to Zelenskyy in 2019, said he was against wartime elections and believes they should be done when martial law ends, according to the Guardian.

Russia appeared to respond to Zelenskyy’s agreement to have his team participate in the talks by launching an attack on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.

SECRETARY OF STATE RUBIO VOWS DIPLOMACY ATTEMPTS WILL CONTINUE IN EFFORT TO END RUSSIA'S WAR IN UKRAINE

Ukrainian Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko confirmed the "massive missile and drone" attack on his Facebook page, according to the Associated Press. At least 10 people, including a child, were reportedly injured, the Associated Press reported, citing authorities.

"Ukraine is ready to pursue the path to peace, and it is Ukraine that strives for peace from the very first second of this war. The task is to force Russia to stop the war," Zelenskyy wrote about the attack in a post on X.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov reportedly said the attack on Ukraine’s energy supply was legitimate because it is "linked with Ukraine’s military industrial complex and weapons production," according to the Associated Press.

Russia has attacked Ukraine’s energy infrastructure multiple times during the bloody three-year war. In April 2024, Russia destroyed one of Ukraine's largest power plants, and in December 2024, Russia pummeled Ukraine's power grid.

On Tuesday, while delivering an address to a joint session of Congress, Trump spoke about his desire to end the war and announced that he had received a letter from Zelenskyy. President Trump read the letter aloud and said that he appreciated it.

"Earlier today, I received an important letter from President Zelenskyy of Ukraine," President Trump said. "The letter reads, ‘Ukraine is ready to come to the negotiating table as soon as possible to bring lasting peace closer. Nobody wants peace more than the Ukrainians, he said. My team and I stand ready to work under President Trump's strong leadership to get a peace that lasts.’"

Zelenskyy’s emphasis on peace seems to be a response to Trump’s accusation that the Ukrainian leader had no interest in it following last week’s Oval Office clash.

"I have determined that President Zelenskyy is not ready for peace if America is involved, because he feels our involvement gives him a big advantage in negotiations. I don’t want advantage, I want PEACE. He disrespected the United States of America in its cherished Oval Office. He can come back when he is ready for peace," Trump wrote on Truth Social shortly after the heated meeting.

An internal United Nations memo obtained by Fox News Digital shows that the organization is trying to brace itself for U.S. funding cuts as the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) works to root out waste.

The memo was sent to heads of various departments and offices with the subject line "Managing the 2025 regular budget liquidity crisis." According to the memo, U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres issued a directive to manage cashflow "conservatively" and to suspend hiring. It also contained a warning to the department heads, telling them to prepare to work with 80% of their allocated budgets. 

"We are aware that the 80% ceiling could pose significant challenges for many entities to meet some of their non-discretionary spending for non-post costs. However, we are constrained by the lack of overall liquidity," the memo reads.

UN CHIEF SOUNDS THE ALARM AMID FEARS OVER POSSIBLE DOGE-INSPIRED CUTS AFTER TRUMP'S ORDER

Secretary-General Guterres’ spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric confirmed to Fox News Digital that this memo was sent out and said that it was "not unusual."

Despite the U.N. memo stating that cutting back to 80% of allocated funds would potentially harm entities, insiders tell former Principal Deputy Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs Hugh Dugan that they do not see any "real cuts" in it. Insiders were allegedly surprised by the personnel freeze, though they doubt there will be any concrete pause to hiring.

In addition to the memo, Secretary-General Guterres sent an invitation to all secretariat personnel to participate in a virtual town hall later this month. The invitation did not state an official topic for the town hall, but Dujarric confirmed to Fox News Digital that "the secretary-general will address the financial situation of the U.N."

FORMER HIGH-LEVEL UNITED NATIONS OFFICIALS TO LAUNCH 'DOGE-UN' TO HIGHLIGHT AGENCY INEFFICIENCIES

Dugan told Fox News Digital that the town hall invitation’s lack of a topic and the event’s late date show that "the urgency is not present enough at all." 

While the U.N. has been able to get by on its assumption that it could find ways to bail itself out, it may have exhausted those methods, according to Dugan. Additionally, Dugan said the U.N.’s assumption that it can use its power on the world stage as leverage in negotiations with the U.S. has proven to be "preposterous" in recent years.

The U.N. may very well have a reason to worry after President Donald Trump’s address to a joint session of Congress in which he listed numerous examples of "appalling waste" identified by DOGE. However, the possibility of other countries that provide major funding to the international body reassessing their spending as well could be causing further concern.

However, Dujarric denied the memo was a "direct result of the political situation in the U.S." and that the U.N. has "faced a liquidity crisis" for decades, as "not all member states pay in full" or "on time."

The memo comes just about a month after Secretary-General Guterres sent a letter to staff reassuring them that the U.N. was working to mitigate the impact of possible budget cuts. He also doubled down on the importance of the international body and seemed to include a message to boost morale.

"Now, more than ever, the work of the United Nations is crucial. As we face this difficult challenge, your dedication and support will help us to overcome and move forward," Guterres’ February letter read.

Norwegian Crown Princess Mette-Marit's chronic lung disease has worsened to the point where it’s affecting "her ability to perform her duties," the Royal House of Norway announced. 

Mette-Marit, 51, is suffering from pulmonary fibrosis, described by the Mayo Clinic as a condition that irreparably damages and scars the lungs, leading to shortness of breath. 

"The Crown Princess has daily symptoms and ailments that affect her ability to perform her duties," the Royal House of Norway said in a statement, noting her disease has "progressed." 

"The Crown Princess needs more rest, and her daily routine changes more quickly than before. This means that changes to her official schedule may occur more frequently, and at shorter notice than we are used to," it added. 

FLASHBACK: METTE-MARIT OF NORWAY REVEALS SHE’S BEEN DIAGNOSED WITH CHRONIC LUNG DISEASE 

"The Crown Princess has a strong desire to continue working, and therefore we will organize her official program in the future in the best possible way so that her health and work can be combined," the Royal House of Norway also said. 

Mette-Marit was diagnosed with the disease in October 2018. 

"For a number of years, I have had health challenges on a regular basis, and now we know more about what is involved. The condition means that my working capacity will vary," she said at the time.  

SON OF NORWAY’S CROWN PRINCESS ARRESTED ON SUSPICION OF RAPE 

"The Crown Prince and I are choosing to make this public now partly because in future there will be a need to plan periods of time without an official program to accommodate treatment and when the disease is more active," she added. 

The Mayo Clinic said some people with pulmonary fibrosis "can stay stable for a long time, but the condition gets worse faster in others."  

"As it gets worse, people become more and more short of breath," it also said. "Medicines and therapies can sometimes help slow down the rate of fibrosis, ease symptoms and improve quality of life. For some people, a lung transplant might be an option." 

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Friday accused the United States of "meeting good with evil" for imposing a new round of "arbitrary tariffs" and vowed retaliation.  

The fiery words from Wang came during a Friday news conference on the sidelines of China’s annual parliamentary session, just days after the U.S. levied duties against China – as well as Canada and Mexico – over accusations of fentanyl smuggling.

All countries have called these allegations unjustified, with China maintaining it has done a lot in recent years to curb the exports of industrial chemicals that are used to make fentanyl – which, Wang alleged, have been with punitive tariffs. 

Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian earlier this week argued that fentanyl was a "flimsy excuse" to raise tariffs on Chinese imports, cautioning that "intimidation does not scare us" and "bullying" would not work. 

CANADIANS ARE ‘FED UP,’ SAYS ALBERTA LAWYER LEADING DELEGATION TO WASHINGTON FOR STATEHOOD TALKS

Speaking to reporters on Friday, Wang said it was a fantasy to believe that the U.S. could simultaneously "suppress China and maintain a good relationship." 

"Such two-faced acts are not good for the stability of bilateral relations or for building mutual trust," Wang said. 

The duties were the latest in a series of retaliatory tariffs Washington and Beijing have imposed against one another since President Donald Trump's return to office in January. Trump raised flat tariffs on all Chinese imports to 20%, while Beijing countered with additional 15% duties on American imports including chicken, pork, soy and beef, and expanded controls on doing business with key U.S. companies.

GOLDMAN SACHS HIGHLIGHTS TARIFF WARS WINNERS AND LOSERS

The foreign minister's annual press conference is the one occasion on which Wang speaks to Chinese and foreign media on a range of topics. Friday's event was dominated by questions about China's ties with the U.S., along with other topics such as regional conflicts and collaborations within the Global South.

Regarding the Trump administration's policy of safeguarding U.S. interests above international cooperation, Wang said such an approach, if adopted by every country in the world, would result in the "law of the jungle."

"Small and weak countries will get burnt first, and the international order and rules will be under severe shock," Wang said. "Major countries should undertake their international obligations … and not seek to profit from and bully the weak."

The Albanian Cabinet decided on Thursday to shut down TikTok for 12 months, blaming the popular video-sharing platform for inciting violence and bullying, especially among children.

Education Minister Ogerta Manastirliu said officials are in contact with TikTok on installing filters like parental control, age verification and the inclusion of the Albanian language in the application.

Authorities had conducted 1,300 meetings with some 65,000 parents who "recommended and were in favor of the shut down or limiting the TikTok platform," the minister said.

The Cabinet initiated the move last year after a teen stabbed another teenager to death in November after a quarrel that started on TikTok.

APPLE AND GOOGLE RESTORE ABILITY TO DOWNLOAD TIKTOK APP

TikTok did not immediately respond to a request to comment on the government's decision.

When Prime Minister Edi Rama said in December they were aiming at closing the social media platform, TikTok asked for "urgent clarity from the Albanian government" on the case of the stabbed teenager.

On Thursday Rama said they were in a "positive dialogue with the company," and that TikTok would visit the country soon to offer "a series of measures on increasing the security for children."

The company said it had "found no evidence that the perpetrator or victim had TikTok accounts, and multiple reports have in fact confirmed videos leading up to this incident were being posted on another platform, not TikTok."

Albanian children comprise the largest group of TikTok users in the country, according to researchers.

There has been increasing concern from Albanian parents after reports of children being inspired by content on social media to take knives to school, or cases of bullying promoted by stories they see on TikTok.

Authorities have increased police presence at some schools and set up other measures including training programs for teachers, students and their parents.

The opposition has not agreed with TikTok’s closure and has set March 15 for a protest against the move. It said the ban was "an act of intolerance, fear and terror from free thinking and expression."

TikTok, which is operated by Chinese technology firm ByteDance, has faced questions in many countries and was briefly offline in the United States recently to comply with a law that requires ByteDance to divest the app or be banned in the U.S.

The app suspended its services in the U.S. for less than a day before restoring service following assurances from Trump that he would postpone banning it.

Earlier this week, the U.K.’s data protection watchdog said was investigating how the app uses the personal information of 13 to 17-year-olds to deliver content recommendations to them.

The Information Commissioner’s Office said that there are growing concerns around how social media platforms were using data generated by children’s online activity to power their recommendation algorithms, and the potential for young people to see inappropriate or harmful content as a result.

Russia warned French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday not to threaten it with nuclear rhetoric and, mocking his height by calling him "Micron," ruled out European proposals to send peacekeeping forces from NATO members to Ukraine.

Macron said in an address to the nation on Wednesday that Russia was a threat to Europe, Paris could discuss extending its nuclear umbrella to allies and that he would hold a meeting of army chiefs from European countries willing to send peacekeeping troops to Ukraine after a peace deal.

The Kremlin said the speech was extremely confrontational and that Macron wanted the war in Ukraine to continue.

FORMER LEADER OF NATO NATION SLAMS PRESIDENT TRUMP IN BLUNT INTERVIEW: 'NO LONGER AN ALLY'

"This (speech) is, of course, a threat against Russia," Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said.

"Unlike their predecessors, who also wanted to fight against Russia, Napoleon, Hitler, Mr. Macron does not act very gracefully, because at least they said it bluntly: ‘We must conquer Russia, we must defeat Russia.’"

Russia's invasion of Ukraine has led to the biggest confrontation between the West and Russia since the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, and the Kremlin and White House have said missteps could trigger World War Three.

Russia and the United States are the world's biggest nuclear powers, with over 5,000 nuclear warheads each. China has about 500, France has 290 and Britain 225, according to the Federation of American Scientists.

Russian officials and lawmakers accused Macron of rhetoric that could push the world closer to the abyss. Russian cartoons cast him as Napoleon Bonaparte riding towards defeat in Russia in 1812.

"Micron himself poses no big threat though. He'll disappear forever no later than May 14, 2027. And he won't be missed," former President Dmitry Medvedev wrote on X, looking ahead to the end of Macron's term.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova suggested Macron might want help measuring his true military size, and her ministry said his speech contained "notes of nuclear blackmail" and amounted to a threat directed towards Russia.

"Paris' ambitions to become the nuclear 'patron' of all of Europe have burst out into the open, by providing it with its own 'nuclear umbrella', almost to replace the American one. Needless to say, this will not lead to strengthening the security of either France itself or its allies," it said.

Russian advances in Ukraine and U.S. President Donald Trump's upending of U.S. policy on the war have caused fears among European leaders that Washington is turning its back on Europe.

Russian officials say tough rhetoric from Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and other European powers is not backed up by hard military power and point to Russia's advances on the battlefield in Ukraine.

Lavrov and the Kremlin dismissed Macron's proposal to send peacekeepers to Ukraine and said Russia would not agree to it.

"We are talking about such a confrontational deployment of an ephemeral contingent," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

Lavrov said Moscow would see such a deployment as NATO presence in Ukraine.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has dismissed Western assertions that Russia could one day attack a NATO member.

He portrays the war as part of a historic struggle with the West following the collapse of the Soviet Union and NATO's encroachment on what he considers Moscow's sphere of influence.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio this week cast the conflict as a proxy war between Russia and the U.S., a position the Kremlin said was accurate.

"This is actually a conflict between Russia and the collective West. And the main country of the collective West is the United States of America," Peskov said. "We agree that it is time to stop this conflict and this war."

Lone-wolf terrorist attacks were more common than ever in the West during 2024 as terrorism continues to spread across the globe, according to a new report from the Global Terrorism Index (GTI).

The GTI released its 2025 report on Wednesday, finding that the number of countries that recorded a terrorist attack grew from 58 in 2023 to 66 last year. That reverses nearly a decade of improvement on the issue, GTI said.

In the West, 93% of fatal attacks were carried out by lone wolf terrorists. 

"The majority of Western attacks are now carried out by individuals without formal group affiliations, who radicalize through social media, gaming platforms and encrypted messaging apps," GTI said in its report.

ALLEGED ABBEY GATE PLOTTER EXTRADITED TO US TO FACE ‘JUSTICE FOR OUR 13,’ FBI DIRECTOR KASH PATEL SAYS

"The shift towards online radicalization has enabled potential terrorists to access extremist content, and organize with minimal physical contact. Algorithmic radicalization on popular social media sites can drive users toward progressively more extreme content over time," the report continued.

ISIS-K MEMBER CONFESSED TO SCOUTING ABBEY GATE ATTACK ROUTE, TRAINING MOSCOW ATTACKERS: AFFIDAVIT

The report came the same day U.S. authorities arrested a suspect who the Justice Department says confessed to scouting the attack route in 2021’s Abbey Gate bombing in Afghanistan, which left 13 service members dead.

ISIS-K member Mohammad Sharifullah made his first federal court appearance in Virginia Wednesday on a charge of providing and conspiring to provide material support and resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization, resulting in death.

Sharifullah was extradited to the U.S. on Tuesday night to "face American justice," FBI Director Kash Patel said.  

"3 and 1/2 years later, justice for our 13," Patel added on X.

President Donald Trump announced Sharifullah’s capture during his address before a joint Congress on Tuesday night, saying he was "pleased to announce that we have just apprehended the top terrorist responsible for that atrocity."  

New Zealand’s most senior diplomat to the UK was fired after seeming to question President Donald Trump’s understanding of history and his handling of Russia. The incident took place during an event hosted by Chatham House, a think tank in London.

Phil Goff, who was serving as New Zealand’s High Commissioner to the UK, apparently tried to draw a contrast between Winston Churchill’s handling of Nazi Germany and Trump’s approach to Russia. 

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

The New Zealand official said he was re-reading a famous Churchill speech from 1938 in which the British leader blasts then-Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain’s decision to sign the Munich Agreement with Adolf Hitler. 

"President Trump has restored the bust of Churchill to the Oval Office. But do you think he really understands history?," Goff asked Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen, referencing the bust seen during President Trump's heated exchange with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Valtonen seemed uncomfortable with the question, saying she would "limit" herself in her response. Rather than saying anything about Trump, the Finnish official said many of Churchill’s remarks were "timeless."

BIDEN ADMINISTRATION DEFENDS REMOVING CHURCHILL STATUE FROM OVAL OFFICE

When speaking with media, New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters, who fired Goff, called the diplomat’s question "deeply disappointing." He also said that it made "his position as high commissioner to London untenable."

Peters called Goff’s firing "one of the most difficult" things he has had to do in his career. He also said that had the former high commissioner made the statement about any other nation, he would have been "forced to act," implying that the firing was not because Goff specifically insulted Trump. 

"When you’re in that position, you represent the views of the government and the policies of the day – you’re not able to free-think, you are the face of New Zealand," Peters told the press on Thursday.

Goff has had a storied political career and has served as foreign minister, a Labour Party leader and mayor of Auckland. He was appointed to his position as high commissioner to the UK in 2022.

The Hamas terror group on Thursday dismissed President Donald Trump’s latest threat and refused to release more Israeli hostages without a permanent ceasefire deal in the Gaza Strip.

Hamas spokesman Abdel-Latif al-Qanoua said the "best path to free the remaining Israeli hostages" is through negotiations on a second phase of the ceasefire agreement. 

The first phase of the ceasefire, which lasted 42 days, ended on Saturday. A second phase was supposed to begin in early February, though only limited preparatory talks have been held so far.

Hamas’ response comes after Trump met with eight former hostages in Washington and posted what he called a "last warning" to Hamas on his Truth Social platform on Wednesday.

KAROLINE LEAVITT EXPLAINS US EFFORTS TO NEGOTIATE WITH HAMAS TO FREE AMERICAN HOSTAGES

"‘Shalom Hamas’ means Hello and Goodbye - You can choose," the president's post began. "Release all of the Hostages now, not later, and immediately return all of the dead bodies of the people you murdered, or it is OVER for you."

Trump added that he is "sending Israel everything it needs to finish the job," and that "not a single Hamas member will be safe if you don’t do as I say.

"Also, to the People of Gaza: A beautiful Future awaits, but not if you hold Hostages," the president wrote. "If you do, you are DEAD! Make a SMART decision. RELEASE THE HOSTAGES NOW, OR THERE WILL BE HELL TO PAY LATER!"

ISRAEL AGREES TO TRUMP ENVOY'S TEMPORARY GAZA CEASEFIRE EXTENSION PROPOSAL AS FIRST PHASE EXPIRES: REPORTS

Hamas is believed to still have 24 living hostages taken in the Oct. 7, 2023, attack that led to the ongoing war. It is also holding the bodies of 34 others who were either killed in the initial attack or in captivity, as well as the remains of a soldier killed in the 2014 war.

Hamas terrorists killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, in the Oct. 7 attack and took a total of 251 people hostage. Most have been released in ceasefire agreements or other arrangements. Israeli forces have rescued eight living hostages and recovered the bodies of dozens more.

Israel's military offensive has killed over 48,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which does not say how many of the dead were militants. Israel says it has killed over 17,000 fighters, without providing evidence.

Fox News Digital's Andrea Margolis and The Associated Press contributed to this report.