Mexican president deflects blame to US for mass-casualty fire at migrant detention center

Mexico’s president promised to visit hospitals treating injured migrants in the border city of Ciudad Juarez Friday, where 39 men died in a immigration detention center fire late Monday.

President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said he was personally devastated by Monday’s tragedy. But it appears he will bring little new with him in the way of immigration policy during Friday’s visit to Ciudad Juarez, across from El Paso, Texas.

"I confess it hurt me a lot, it damaged me," López Obrador said before the trip. "It ripped my soul apart." The president said the Ciudad Juarez fire was the second most painful moment of his administration, exceeded only by a 2019 pipeline fire in the central Mexico town of Tlahuelilpan that killed about 135 people.

MEXICO MIGRANT CENTER FIRE DEATHS INVESTIGATED AS HOMICIDES; ARREST WARRANTS IMMINENT: OFFICIALS

However, it hasn't cost him much politically.

Many residents of Mexican border cities mourned the death of the migrants in the smoky mattress fire, set by some migrants to protest perceived moves to deport them. But in Ciudad Juarez, many residents were fed up with migrants largely from Central America and Venezuela begging for change at street corners and blocking border bridges.

López Obrador's visit to Ciudad Juarez was marked by anger over the deaths. A group of migrants and their supporters tried to block the president's motorcade, leading to scuffles Friday afternoon.

Eager to gain favor with the United States, López Obrador has made life hard for migrants seeking to cross Mexico to reach the U.S. border. He has assigned tens of thousands of army troops and National Guard officers to retain migrants, and allowed the United States to return migrants from Venezuela, Honduras, Nicaragua and Cuba to Mexico.

But the U.S. has contributed little to helping Mexico shelter or integrate the returned migrants.

López Obrador lashed out Friday, saying the United States should be spending more on economic development in Latin America to prevent migrants from leaving their homes, rather than sending military aid to Ukraine. He suggested the U.S. should provide direct cash support payments to families in the region.

"How can you compare what the U.S. government send to Central America, with the $30, $35 billion it is spending on buying weapons for Ukraine?" López Obrador said.

That impasse — with federal governments in Mexico and the United States loathe to touch the migration issue — often leaves the situation up to local leaders, many of whose constituents view the migrants as a nuisance.

Federal Public Safety Secretary Rosa Icela Rodríguez said the government would close the detention center where the fire occurred.

López Obrador said Friday he was going to set up a commission to ensure the human rights of migrants are protected. He said the commission would be headed by longtime migrant activist and Roman Catholic priest Rev. Alejandro Solalinde. But it was unclear what powers the commission would have.

In the meantime, López Obrador said "I will concentrate on the medical side, basically. What matters to me is treatment for the injured." Mexico has turned down a U.S. offer to help provide medial treatment to the injured, most of whom suffered smoke inhalation, saying they were too ill to move.

Rodríguez said Thursday that 24 migrants remained hospitalized, all of them in apparently either serious or critical condition. Four migrants had been discharged, she said.

FIRE AT MEXICO MIGRANT FACILITY THAT KILLED 38 STARTED IN DEPORTATION PROTEST, PRESIDENT SAYS

The migrant accused of starting the fire suffered only slight injuries and has already been released from the hospital, presumably into custody.

That migrant, along with three officials from the National Immigration Institute and two private security guards at the detention center face charges of homicide and causing injuries.

A video from a security camera inside the Ciudad Juarez facility showed guards walking away when the fire started inside the cell holding migrants and not making any attempt to release them. It was not clear whether those guards had keys to the cell doors.

But there have been years of complaints about poor conditions and human rights violations at migrant detention facilities in Mexico, including inadequate ventilation, food and water, and overflowing toilets.

Moreover there is mounting evidence of corruption throughout Mexico's immigration system, in which everyone from lawyers and immigration officials to guards have taken bribes to allow migrants out of detention.

Little has been done up to now to address these concerns.

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'Just Stop Oil' protestors who stormed British Grand Prix track avoid prison time

Six climate change activists who stormed the track at last year’s British Grand Prix Formula 1 race in one of a series of disruptive protests against fossil fuels were spared prison sentences Friday.

Five of the activists had to be dragged from the track as cars passed by during the July protest on behalf of the group Just Stop Oil, which has staged a series of protests blocking a major highway and targeting priceless artworks with stunts designed to attract publicity.

The protesters ran onto the track at the Silverstone Circuit after a crash on the first lap led to a red flag that slowed traffic.

ACTIVISTS VANDALIZE SCOTLAND'S 'BRAVEHEART' MONUMENT IN CLIMATE PROTEST

"This was not trespass or obstruction of a highway or criminal damage — to put it colloquially this was in a different league," Justice Neil Garnham told the protesters in Northampton Crown Court.

The group wants the U.K. government to halt new oil and gas projects.

Three of the protesters were given suspended prison terms and three were ordered to complete a year of community service.

Two of the protesters given suspended sentences — Louis McKechnie, 22, and Emily Brocklebank, 24 — were convicted of gluing themselves to the frame of a 70 million pound Vincent Van Gogh painting days before the speedway protest.

The judge said the race track protest had created the risk of injury or death, though he understood they did not intend to cause harm but draw attention to climate change.

JUST STOP OIL OPENS DOOR TO MORE EXTREME PROTESTS, INCLUDING 'SLASHING' FAMOUS ARTWORK

"I knew I was safe and secure where I was on the track. I understood that where I was would be perfectly fine," McKechnie testified. "Those drivers are the best drivers in the world. They would not even have flinched at something like this."

The anti-oil group has also splattered tomato soup on the glass covering a van Gogh painting in London’s National Gallery and glued themselves to the frame of a copy of Leonardo da Vinci’s "The Last Supper" in the Royal Academy of Arts.

Similar protests have been staged in other European cities, with participants gluing themselves to Johannes Vermeer’s "Girl With a Pearl Earring" in The Hague and throwing mashed potatoes at a Claude Monet painting in a German museum.

Just Stop Oil is backed by the U.S.-based Climate Emergency Fund, which supports youthful disruptive environmental protests.

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Two men accused of foiled Passover attack appear in court

Two men accused of planning a Passover attack on a Jewish center in central Athens appeared in court Friday to answer to terrorism charges and were ordered to remain in pre-trial detention, authorities said.

Greek officials announced the suspects' arrests earlier this week and described the men as being of Pakistani origin.

Police alleged they were planning to attack the Chabad of Athens center, which is part of Judaism's international Chabad-Lubavitch movement. The center hosts religious services, as well as a kosher restaurant and grocery.

Passover, one of the most important Jewish holidays, starts next Wednesday at sundown.

Investigators are trying to determine whether the suspects were planning attacks at other locations. Police have searched multiple sites in Athens as well as in southern Greece and on the western island of Zakynthos.

TURKEY WARNS GREECE OF 'HEAVY PRICE' OVER ISLAND 'OCCUPATIONS': REPORT

The two men appeared before a public prosecutor, who ordered their detention in prison pending trial.

A third man, who is not in Greece, is wanted for questioning and has been charged with terrorism-related offenses in absentia.

Israel has thanked the Greek government for its response and said that its national intelligence agency, Mossad, had provided information about the suspects.

A Greek lawyer representing the two suspects told reporters after the hearing that one of the men had agreed to take videos of the Jewish center using his cell phone but had decided not to go through with the attack.

"My client believed that the third man, who has not been arrested, was in a position to threaten him and carry out criminal acts against him and members of his family," lawyer Iraklis Stavaris said.

"He acknowledges the part that was an attempt: meaning that he went and checked out the location, the scene where the crime would be committed, and he withdrew. He saw that the operation would not be easy and would have consequences."

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Blade Runner Oscar Pistorius denied parole for 2013 slaying of model girlfriend

Former South African track star Oscar Pistorius was denied parole Friday in the 2013 slaying of model Reeva Steenkamp in a case that has captured international attention. 

After a closed door hearing, the Correctional Supervision and Parole Board issued a press release saying that Pistorius hadn't yet served enough time behind bars to be eligible for release.

The double amputee, 36, was sentenced to 13 years and five months in prison for fatally shooting Steenkamp, his 29-year-old girlfriend, in the bathroom stall of his house after he claimed he mistook her for an intruder in the early morning hours of Valentine’s Day.

Pistorius, who has served more than half of his sentence, can reapply in August 2024, according to the parole board's statement. 

The parents of Steenkamp attended the hearing to oppose Pistorius' release.

"Unless he comes clean, they don't feel that he is rehabilitated," the family's lawyer, Tania Koen, told reporters outside the Atteridgeville Correctional Centre prison in Pretoria, where the Paralympic champion has been incarcerated since 2016. "He's the killer of their daughter. For them it's a life sentence."

Pistorius is a double amputee who earned the nickname Blade Runner for the futuristic carbon-fiber prosthetics he used for competitions. 

He made history in 2012 when he competed against able-bodied athletes at the 2012 Olympics. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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North Korea plans trading Russia weapons for food, National Security Council says

North Korea is seeking to make a deal with Russia exchanging its glut of weaponry for much-needed food supplies, according to U.S. security officials.

National Security Council (NSC) coordinator John Kirby made the assertion Thursday during a press conference.

"We remain concerned that North Korea will provide further support to Russia's military operations against Ukraine," Kirby said. "As part of this proposed deal, Russia would receive over two dozen kinds of weapons and munitions from Korea."

CHINA INSTALLS NEW AMBASSADOR IN NORTH KOREA, ONE OF FEW IN THE COUNTRY

He continued, "We also understand that Russia is seeking to send a delegation to North Korea and that Russia is offering North Korea food in exchange for munitions."

The alleged arms deal may be coordinated by a notorious Slovakian arms dealer, Ashot Mkrtychev, Kirby claimed.

NORTH KOREA REVEALS NEW NUCLEAR WARHEADS AS US CARRIER STRIKE GROUP DOCKS IN SOUTH KOREA

The NSC will continue monitoring the relationship between the two countries, warning that evidence of an arms deal could lead to an international incident.

"Any arms deal between North Korea and Russia would directly violate a series of U.N. Security Council resolutions. We've taken note of North Korea's recent statements that they will not provide or sell arms to Russia, and we are continuing to monitor this closely," Kirby said at the Thursday press conference.

NORTH KOREANS FORCED INTO MARRIAGES, SEX SLAVERY IN CHINA’S ‘RED ZONE,’ HUMAN RIGHTS GROUP SAYS 

He added, "We are going to continue to identify, expose and counter Russian attempts to acquire military equipment from North Korea or from any other state that is prepared to support its war in Ukraine."

North Korea revealed new, smaller nuclear warheads on Tuesday as a U.S. aircraft carrier strike group docked in South Korea. 

The unveiling of the weapons, called Hwasan-31s, show potential progress by the North in creating warheads that are strong, yet small enough to place on intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of reaching American shores, experts told Reuters. 

Images released by North Korea showed Kim Jong Un viewing the weaponry at an undisclosed location. 

Fox News Digital's Greg Norman contributed to this report.

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US foreign policy 'paralysis' allowed China opportunity to pursue path to 'top superpower': experts

U.S. foreign policy has stalled in key regions as the Biden administration focuses on China as its paramount threat. It's allowed Beijing to present itself as a superior alternative as it seeks to become the top global superpower, according to experts. 

"I think the U.S. policy has been one of paralysis," Dr. Michael Pillsbury, senior fellow of the Heritage Foundation for Change of Strategy and author of "The Hundred Year Marathon," told Fox News Digital. "Not backing off, but it's just very little is actually happening other than the military support of the Ukrainian resistance to Putin's invasion and various other fronts.

"I don't see any new Biden doctrine, do you? I don't see a new foreign policy," he added. "They attack the Trump administration more than they put forward their own ideas."

The State Department told Fox News Digital the Biden-Harris administration has "a clear strategy" for the Middle East and Africa, two regions of intense interest for both China and Russia as the competition for energy resources pushes more diverse investment from world superpowers.

SAUDI ARABIA GROWS CLOSER TO BEIJING WITH STEP TOWARD MEMBERSHIP IN CHINA-LED SECURITY BLOC

A State Department spokesperson cited several policy gains in the Middle East, such as a truce in Yemen, a "historic agreement" to establish a maritime boundary between Israel and Lebanon and "strengthened Gulf regional security discussions," noting that some of the work "expanded the Abraham Accords."

But, following the U.S. military withdrawal from Afghanistan and the failure to close the deal on the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) with Iran, China has stepped in and scored some major policy wins while also supplanting the U.S. as the major source of support in those areas. 

TOP SENATOR PUSHES BAN ON ALL CHINESE PURCHASES OF US LAND: ‘NOT ONE MORE INCH’

Rebekah Koffler, president of Doctrine & Strategy Consulting and a former Defense Intelligence Agency officer, told Fox News Digital the intelligence community believes China’s main goal is to become the dominant superpower on the planet, with a timeline that would see it overtake the U.S. militarily and economically by 2049.

"They’re marching steadily into that direction," Koffler said. "Now, obviously, it's not something that's going to happen right away. But they are well on track to have to do that because in certain areas they already are holding advantage."

"They want control, supply chain routes … they’re standing up the alternative financial architecture, alternative energy," she added. "They want to replace the dollar with the yuan, and they're getting on board all these other countries, not just Russia and Iran, but also looking to Saudi Arabia and India." 

China in January cut a deal with the Taliban to allow Beijing to extract oil from Afghanistan, providing significant funds to a country that struggled with a brittle economy since the major switch in power in 2021. 

Beijing also secured a deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia — longtime regional rivals — that has led to both countries committing to resume diplomatic operations, including the reopening of embassies in their respective capitals. 

Biden referred to the latter as a "pariah" during his 2020 campaign but appeared to renege and visited Riyadh to try and deal with them anew, enjoying a very mixed reception in the process. That ambiguity — trying to admonish countries for their crimes and human rights issues while also trying to engage with them diplomatically — has resulted in a seemingly mixed policy in the region. 

WHITE HOUSE DEFENDS TAIWANESE PRESIDENT VISIT TO US AMID CHINA THREAT

"The withdrawal from the JCPOA brought us much closer to Saudi and to our other Gulf partners that were enormously concerned about that deal and gave clarity to them that the United States, under President Trump, was not going to … legitimize [Iran]," Victoria Coates, senior research fellow at the Margaret Thatcher Center for Freedom, explained. 

"I think what you've seen from the Biden administration is the mirror opposite of that," Coates, former National Security Council official for the Trump administration, added. 

Joel Rubin, former deputy assistant Secretary of State under President Obama, argued that a peace deal between Saudi Arabia and Iran was "good for everybody" since it decreased tensions in the region, particularly through proxy wars in Yemen, Syria and Iraq. But he questioned China’s broader ability to secure peace deals. 

"They didn't create this one," Rubin said. "[China] did leverage what was done for several years what we and others led in Iraq, in particular: There were a lot of discussions in Iraq for a couple of years between the Iranians and the Saudis." 

WHITE HOUSE CONDEMNS WSJ REPORTER'S ARREST IN RUSSIA

Rubin pointed to Ukraine’s unwillingness to deal with Chinese President Xi Jinping concerning a deal with Russia, calling it a significant failure for the "Chi-ssia" relationship if Xi can’t help Russian President Vladimir Putin broker a deal to end the Ukraine war.

"[Xi] talks to Putin all the time, but he's actually not doing anything on peace negotiation," Rubin said. 

Instead, he argued that the U.S. has essentially increased its focus on China, trying to "box in" Beijing with stronger regional alliances and investment in the region, particularly with Japan, which doubled its military spending, and arming Australia with nuclear submarines. 

"It’s not like we're just sitting back and doing nothing," Rubin concluded. "This is all American diplomacy, recognizing an interest in Russia and China."

WORLD CHAOS STARTED WITH BIDEN'S AFGHANISTAN DEBACLE: REP. MIKE WALTZ

Pillsbury similarly rejected the notion that the U.S. has "slipped" in the Middle East and instead has focused more heavily on China as it prepares for a new Cold War, even if it is to the detriment of progress in those other regions. 

"When [China] sees an American foreign policy blunder, even if it’s something relatively minor … they echo and amplify any kind of American mistake or indecision as part of a long-term campaign to disqualify America from global leadership," Pillsbury explained. 

Coates argued that the shift in policy to focus more fully on China is "real, but also short-sighted." 

"We have to be able to walk and chew gum at the same time," she argued. "The Saudi, Iran, China deal shows you that we can decide we're going to focus on the Pacific and just look at the China problem set, and then China pops up in the Middle East in our traditional sphere of influence.

"You could call it a symbiotic or parasitic relationship between China and Russia, [but] those problem sets are now emerging, and the ability to disaggregate between a China threat and Russia threat, well, those may be becoming one and the same," Coates added. 

"So you can try to pivot to Asia, but that doesn't mean the Middle East is not going to pivot back toward you. We do not have the luxury of just being a Pacific power."

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Third round of Kenyan anti-government protests begins despite legal crackdown

Kenya’s opposition leader Raila Odinga has led thousands of protesters in a third round of anti-government demonstrations on Thursday as the government warned that no more violent protests would be tolerated.

The opposition is blaming President William Ruto for the rising cost of living and alleges he illegally manipulated his election in last year’s polls, although the Supreme Court has upheld the validity of the election results.

Odinga says the protests will only stop after the government lowers the cost of basic food items and allows access to the 2022 election results from the electoral commission's main computers.

ANTI-GOVERNMENT PROTESTS BREAK OUT IN KENYA DESPITE GOVERNMENT'S DECLARATION THAT PROTESTS ARE ILLEGAL

Ruto, who on Thursday arrived back in the country from a four-day trip in Belgium and Germany, has remained adamant that the ongoing protests are illegal.

Interior Minister Kithure Kindiki, who is in charge of the police, on Wednesday said no more violent protests would be tolerated, stating "we must halt the descent."

U.S. Senator Chris Coons on Wednesday met Kenya’s Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua for what the Kenyan leader described as "strengthening ties."

Coons also met opposition leader Odinga for talks about "upholding the constitution and the rule of law," according to the Kenyan politician.

Police have been using force to disperse protesters and so far four people are reported to have died since the protests started last week.

Odinga said the protests will be held twice every week until the opposition’s demands are met. A governor from Odinga’s stronghold of Kisumu county had banned protests in the area but quickly rescinded and local government officials joined in Thursday’s demonstrations.

The protests have sparked counter violence against opposition targets. Last Monday saw the destruction of private property at former President Uhuru Kenyatta’s family farm outside the capital, Odinga’s gas cylinder manufacturing firm near the central business district and the burning of shops in Odinga’s stronghold of Kibera slums.

The independent Policing Oversight Authority is investigating four incidents of police shooting and killing protesters as well allegations that police failed to respond to a report on the damaging of private property. The authority has urged police to abide by the law while protecting life and property.

KENYA'S PRESIDENT CRITICIZES SUPREME COURT RULING ALLOWING ACTIVIST TO REGISTER AN LGBTQ RIGHTS ORGANIZATION

Civil society groups that include Amnesty Kenya and the Kenya Human Rights Commission have expressed concern over the abuse of human rights by the police during the protests and urged police to uphold their service to humanity.

The African Union has called for calm and dialogue among stakeholders recalling a "successful conduct of the general elections and confirmation of the outcome by the Supreme Court."

Western diplomatic missions in Kenya expressed concern over the violence and damage to places of worship and private property.

The Media Council of Kenya said that journalists have been attacked in the demonstrations and said it would work closely with the police to ensure perpetrators face the law.

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Egypt announces 2% rate hike as inflation worsens

Egypt’s Central Bank said it raised interest rates on Thursday as the embattled Middle Eastern country continues to battle surging inflation and a depreciating currency.

In an online statement, the bank’s monetary policy committee said the most basic lending rate, the overnight deposit rate, has increased from 16.25% to 18.25%.

The hike aims to ease spiraling inflation, with the annual figure reaching 32.9% in February, up from 26.5% in January.

ANNUAL INFLATION RATE IN EGYPT REACHES NEW HIGH AS CURRENCY SURGES

Nearly a third of Egyptians live in poverty, according to official figures, and are struggling to keep up with rising prices, which have soared since Russia invaded Ukraine last year. The prices of basic items such as grains, meat, poultry, fish and fruit, have risen drastically over recent months.

Since the outbreak of the war in Europe, the Egyptian pound has lost more than 50% of its value against the dollar.

EGYPT CONTINUES TO BATTLE INFLATION AS ITS CURRENCY LOSES VALUE

The currency slide accelerated after Egypt first announced it had reached a $3 billion bailout agreement with the International Monetary Fund last October. In exchange, Egypt's Central Bank agreed to implement several economic reforms, including a shift to a flexible exchange rate.

To alleviate the hardship, Egypt's government has set up markets selling basic goods for cheaper prices and increased public servants’ pay.

Earlier this month, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi announced that government employees would receive pay increases of 1,000 Egyptian pounds a month, about $34.

Egypt last raised its interest rates in December.

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Europe's anti-torture monitor decries police, border guards that use dogs, violence to humiliate migrants

Europe’s anti-torture monitor said Thursday that police and border guards in some countries are using violence, dogs and the humiliation of stripping migrants of their clothing to drive them back across borders, and routinely deprive people of their right to apply for international protection.

In an annual report for 2022, the Council of Europe’s Committee for the Prevention of Torture urged European governments to protect foreign nationals who are taken into custody on the basis of immigration laws. It believes that some abuses inflicted on migrants could amount to torture.

"We have come across persons who have been beaten at the time of their apprehension by police," CPT President Alan Mitchell told reporters in Brussels as he unveiled the report. The Council of Europe is the continent’s main human rights watchdog. It is not part of the European Union.

"We have met with persons who have been stripped naked and made to walk across countries’ borders. We have met with persons who have displayed evidence of recent dog bites; dogs having been let loose on them in order to encourage their expulsion across the border," he said.

UNITED NATIONS PANEL ATTACKS U.S. RECORD ON POLICE BRUTALITY, TORTURE

Mitchell declined to name any countries suspected of abuses, but CPT teams made planned trips last year to Croatia, Italy, Latvia, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal and San Marino, and other visits to look into "specific issues" in Azerbaijan, Belgium, Britain, Cyprus, Greece, Montenegro, Moldova, Romania and Turkey.

The committee also urged the 46 Council of Europe member countries to put an end to pushbacks at land or sea borders, particularly at EU borders.

Pushbacks are illegal under international refugee treaties. They involve the act of preventing people from exercising their right to apply for international protection — if they fear for their lives or that they may be persecuted — often by use of force or collective expulsions.

Greece and even the EU’s border and coast guard agency Frontex are among those accused of pushbacks or complicity in them. They have denied using such methods.

TRUMP SAY ANTI-TORTURE LAWS PUT US AT DISADVANTAGE

"Pushbacks are a reality in Europe at the moment. Violent pushbacks are a reality, and as such, migrants in a number of instances are at real risk of violation of their fundamental rights," Mitchell said. Some abuses linked to their use "could be described as amounting to torture," he added.

Mitchell said the CPT is concerned that some people are "not being afforded the appropriate opportunities to apply for international protection or asylum, and in some cases, they are at a real risk of (pushback) to countries" they left or transited and where they could face persecution.

Human rights group Amnesty International welcomed the report, with the head of its Europe office, Eve Geddie, saying that it "adds to the growing mountain of evidence of serious and systemic human rights violations perpetrated against people at borders by European states’ authorities."

"It confirms the testimonies of thousands of people who have experienced violence at Europe’s land and sea borders," Geddie said. She said that the findings dovetail with much of Amnesty’s own research, including recently in Spain, Croatia, Poland, Lithuania, and Latvia.

Earlier this week, a U.N.-commissioned investigator raised concern about rights abuses and other crimes against migrants in Libya. The investigator accused the EU of aiding and abetting the commission of those crimes by providing funding, equipment and other support.

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Sperm donor sued for increasing 'accidental incest' risk after allegedly fathering 500 kids

A prolific sperm donor from the Netherlands who allegedly fathered over 500 children worldwide now faces a lawsuit over the potential increased risk of accidental incest. 

"If I had known that he had already fathered more than a hundred children, I would never have chosen this donor," Eva, a mother who helped launch the lawsuit, said in the press release. "When I think about the consequences this could have for my child, I get a bad gut feeling and I become uncertain about his future: how many more children will be added?"

"In conversations with the donor, many mothers have indicated that he should stop, but nothing helps," she added. "Going to court is the only way to protect my child."

The DonorKind Foundation, a Dutch organization that defends the rights of donor children, filed a lawsuit against Jonathan Jacob Meijer, 41, claiming he lied about the number of children he had fathered through sperm donations. 

KENTUCKY, WEST VIRGINIA ENACT BANS ON TRANSGENDER MEDICAL TREATMENTS FOR MINORS

Meijer faces charges of acting unlawfully after misleading the clinics about the extent of his activities and "endangering" the psychological well-being of his children in addition to the increased risk of incest or inbreeding. 

Guidelines limit a person to 25 offspring or 12 women to prevent potential incest issues, according to a press release from DonorKind. One mother claims he admitted to her that he may have fathered as many as 500 children. 

When he met with Eva, a mother who chose him as a donor in 2018, he allegedly told her he would stop at the legal limit when he hit it. She later learned he had hit that limit long before he met her. 

NORTH DAKOTA SCHOOLS REQUIRED TO SHOW HIGH-QUALITY FETUS DEVELOPMENT VIDEO TO DETER ABORTIONS

Meijer may have in fact fathered as many as 102 children in the Netherlands, which prompted officials to blacklist him from any further donations in 2017. Now living in Kenya, he has continued to donate in other countries, including Denmark and Ukraine.

DonorKind brought the lawsuit against Meijer on behalf of 25 families who wish to prevent him from donating any more sperm, which he allegedly did using a variety of pseudonyms, The Times of London reported. 

The foundation said Meijer "does not want to stop his behavior" and continues to meet with new parents. 

COVID VACCINE FATIGUE: STUDY EXPLORES WHY MANY ARE REFUSING BOOSTER SHOTS

"At the Donorkind Foundation, we think it is important that people realize that they become family in a certain way through donor conception," the organization said in its press release. "This means that both parents and donors take into account the interests and rights of the donor children."

"Unfortunately, there is no such thing with this man, which means that we as a foundation have to stand up for the interests of the donor children who cannot do this themselves."

The Dutch Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology urged all sperm banks and clinics to stop using Meijer’s samples after his 2017 blacklisting, but he continued to offer his sperm "under the counter," according to EuroNews. 

"The donor prioritized his urge to reproduce and his conduct poses a threat to the mental and physical well-being of donor children," Mark de Hek, the foundation’s lawyer, said. 

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Spain springtime wildfires more ferocious than previous years due to climate change, according to EU officials

In his more than a decade battling wildfires, firefighter Manuel Rubio had never seen a blaze like the one that raged for the past week in eastern Spain. Not this early in the year.

The forest fire that that broke out last Thursday near the village of Villanueva de Viver surprised Rubio and fire experts by displaying an unusual ferocity for spring, when in previous years lower temperatures helped keep fires manageable. That doesn't bode well for a country that led Europe in burned land during a record-hot 2022.

"I was expecting a fire like the ones we normally see in March, which can consume 100, 200 hectares, not the more than 11,600 acres that this one has burned," Rubio, 39, told The Associated Press hours before going back into the fray. "We are dealing with weather conditions appropriate for the summer and have a fire that is behaving like a summertime fire."

The Mediterranean region is warming faster than the global average due to climate change caused by the release of greenhouse gases. The effects, European and Spanish officials agree, are already being seen in the multiple heat waves and the prolonged drought that Spain has endured over several months.

Those conditions have turned Spain’s vast expanses of woods into a tinderbox just waiting for the random lightning strike, spark from a tractor or saw, negligently cast cigarette, or act of arson to ignite the landscape.

Some 666,000 acres burned last year in Spain, making 2022 its worst year of fire destruction since 1994, government statistics say. That was three times the national average for the past decade of 94,000 hectares 232,000 acres. According to the European Union’s Copernicus satellite observation service, Spain accounted for 35% of all burned land in European wildfires in 2022.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez warned of worse to come unless some desperately needed rain comes to the rescue, on his visit to the country’s first major fire of the year.

SPAIN ENTERS PERIOD OF LONG-TERM DROUGHT, LIKELY TO FACE ANOTHER YEAR OF HEATWAVES, FOREST FIRES

"Unfortunately, over the last few years these fires are becoming normal. What is not so normal is that we see them in March," Sánchez said on Monday. "This has a lot to do with the climate emergency that the world is facing."

The fire has forced the evacuation of nearly 1,400 people from their homes in Villanueva de Viver and other small villages in the hilly, rural provinces of Castellon and Teruel. Like many parts of Spain's interior, the regions have shrinking, and aging populations.

Some 4,600 hectares of forest that authorities deem of "high ecological value" have gone up in huge plumes of smoke. Five hundred firefighters, supported by 20 water-dumping aircraft, battle on to protect a nearby nature reserve.

To make things tougher for Rubio and his fellow firefighters, the area is full of tiny villages that are surrounded by trees, making them difficult to protect. A generation ago, the lands were tended to by the villagers. Now that younger generations have abandoned those agricultural jobs, which included collecting firewood, the land is overgrown with dense foliage that fuels fires when dry.

Rubio said that the area’s vegetation, mainly made up of small pine trees typical of the Mediterranean, and brush, which is very dense, combined with abnormally high temperatures and well-under-average rainfall produced the perfect conditions for the fire. In this part of Castellon, only 0.8 inches of rain fell during the winter months, when the average is over 4 inches.

SPAIN COLLECTS 445 CHURCH SEX ABUSE COMPLAINTS

France, too, saw surprisingly early forest fires this year, after having several major fires in 2022 like Spain. Amid a record-breaking stretch of winter drought across France, wildfires broke out in February near Avignon in the southeast, in the Pyrenees region in the southwest, and the Charente-Maritime region on the Atlantic coast.

The spokesperson for Spain’s weather service, Rubén del Campo, warned Wednesday that higher temperatures, reaching 9-18 degrees Fahrenheit above average, were forecast for Castellon and the rest of eastern Spain in the coming days. He said the expected temperatures are "normally seen in mid-to-late May."

"The rising temperatures combined with westerly winds, which reach the Mediterranean hot and dry, cause the relative humidity to fall, and the risk of wildfires goes up dramatically," Del Campo said.

More fires flared up across northern Spain on Thursday. Over 2,718 acres were scorched in the northwest province of Lugo, while authorities in the Asturias region reported over 97 different fires that forced at least 20 people to evacuate their homes.

Army firefighting units were deployed to all three areas to help extinction efforts.

The situation north of the fire in Spain’s Catalonia, which borders with France, is also incredibly delicate, and authorities are bracing for the worst.

The region home to Barcelona is suffering its worst drought on record and temperatures beat yearly averages by a full 4.9 degrees Fahrenheit last year. The director of Catalonia weather service, Sarai Sarroca, said Wednesday that their climate models hadn't expected such a huge surge in temperature until the year 2050.

Sarroca said that one cause of the drought is the collapse of strong, humid winds that usually blow over the Pyrenees Mountains and help produce snow and rain in the winter.

For Juli Pausas, a specialist in fire ecology who researches desertification for the Spanish National Research Council, this was all sadly predictable.

He said that with temperatures over 84 degrees Fahrenheit during the Castellon fire and a lack of rainfall, "we now have 20th century vegetation in a 21st century climate."

"We are in climatic conditions that favor big fires," Pausas told the AP. "We have known for a long time that the climate is changing, and we have known that this would have consequences, including more wildfires, yet we haven't done enough to stop it."

 

 

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Thailand tries to contain overnight fire that engulfed 2 mountains

Thai authorities used helicopters Thursday to try to contain a fire that overnight engulfed two mountains on largely undeveloped forest land in a province northeast of the capital Bangkok.

The fire broke out Wednesday night in Nakhon Nayok province, 70 miles northeast of Bangkok, but firefighters could not directly tackle it because the mountains are too steep to safely climb, especially in the darkness of night, provincial Governor Bancha Chaowarin told reporters.

"Apart from the wind’s direction, I also have to look after the lives and safety of those conducting the operation. After reviewing the situation, since it is at a mountaintop, we had to retreat to standby and convene over what we can do," Bancha said late Wednesday night.

At least 10 firefighting vehicles were dispatched to battle the blaze, and they were joined Thursday afternoon by at least two helicopters, which surveyed the situation and dumped water.

FIRE BREAKS OUT AT BANGKOK MALL COMPLEX; 1 REPORTED DEAD

Initial efforts to contain the blaze had concentrated on creating firebreaks.

Bancha was quoted by the newspaper Thai Rath as saying it was initially estimated the fire could be brought under control within five days, but that he would try to do it in just three.

Other forest fires have broken out in recent days in provinces farther north as seasonal temperatures rise, a perennial problem that contributes to dangerously high levels of air pollution.

About 275 acres of forest in Nakhon Nayok had been burned by noon Thursday as the fire continued to smolder, Bancha said.

The fire began on a high part of Khao Chaplu mountain and then spread to the adjacent Khao Laem mountain. Local media said it burned easily because much of the growth was bamboo, and high winds fanned the flames.

THAILAND NIGHTCLUB FIRE LEAVES AT LEAST 13 DEAD, DOZENS INJURED

The mountains sit in a vast parcel of land not far from one of the country’s best known nature reserves, Khao Yai National Park. Chulachomklao Royal Military Academy, Thailand’s version of West Point, is close to where the fire broke out and a village of about 500 residents is about half a mile from the fire site, Thai Rath reported. Residents were warned to alert officials about any wild animals they saw fleeing the burning forest.

Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha was closely monitoring the situation and had ordered officials and the army to mobilize to stop the fire’s spread, government spokesman Anucha Burapachaisri said.

He added that Prayuth ordered officials to watch for anyone deliberately lighting fires to clear land for farming and other purposes, a practice that has been blamed for past fires. The cause of the fire in Nakhon Nayok was not yet clear, though some local media reports said it was set off by lightning.

Bancha was quoted by Thai Rath as saying a storm on Tuesday ignited a fire nearby that strong winds blew to the Khao Laem area.

Separate forest fires have been raging farther north, Anucha noted, including in Chiang Mai province, where water was dumped from the air Wednesday in an effort the dowse the flames.

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Reporter's Notebook: Our man in Rome retires at 96

Believe it or not, Mario Biasetti surprised us with his announcement, but he is not going to sit on a Mediterranean beach. Ninety-six-year-old Mario Biasetti, a man who’s been called one of the deans of international journalism and whom we have effectively called the Fox News Rome bureau chief for the past two decades, is hanging up his news hat. 

Former longtime Fox News Rome correspondent Greg Burke credits Mario with having shown him the ropes.

"What a career!" Burke said of Mario. "I came to Fox without a TV background and couldn’t have found anyone better to teach me the business. He was doing TV before I was born. Literally."

But Mario’s not retiring so that he can garden, play golf or just chill out. He’s got another project lined up. He’s going to write that book he’s been talking about for ages. "Relaxing," he told me when we spoke on the phone this week, "is not in my nature. I don’t have hobbies."

What Mario does have is a life story more than worthy of a book. I will give you some highlights of the story. A tease, as they call it, in our business.

BENJAMIN HALL REFLECTS ONE YEAR AFTER DEADLY UKRAINE ATTACK ON FOX NEWS JOURNALISTS: 'REAL MIXED EMOTIONS'

Born in the Abruzzo region of Italy in 1926, Mario moved to Boston as a young boy not long before World War II broke out. He enlisted in the U.S. Army as soon as he was old enough and became a scout. His job was to move at the front of a diamond-shaped formation, alerting his comrades at the first sight of enemy troops as they progressed through France.

"I did the sign of the cross 50 times a minute," Mario said about each time the Nazis opened fire. "And my Jewish buddy (his fellow scout at the top of the diamond) would mutter his prayers under his breath."

Mario went on to receive a Bronze Star and Infantry Combat Badge for his service. His next military job was photographing license plates on Russian cars in Berlin right after the war to help Western intelligence keep tabs. This was an excellent segue to the next chapter of Mario’s life: TV news cameraman!

SEE MORE PICTURES FROM MARIO'S CAREER IN THIS PHOTO GALLERY

Upon his return to Boston, Mario found work with WBZ and other stations, but in reality he did more than that, often working as a one-man news band. In the days before drones and cell phones, there was a lot more improvising that went on to get the story, and Mario became expert at getting the goods, renting anything from cherry-pickers to airplanes—on the fly--so he could literally cover the story. He went on to work decades at CBS, where he documented wars and revolutions. Film, used back in the day, was handed off in reels to the first American heading back to the States with instructions to leave it at customs. They’d know what to do.

"Security wasn’t what it is today," Mario said lightly.

REPORTER'S NOTEBOOK: FOX NEWS HEROES HONORED AT ITALIAN AWARDS CEREMONY

Telegrams were king. Often they were the only means of communicating with bosses and family. In fact, each time Mario was meant to get married to his wife Joan, he said, he’d get sent on some assignment—often for months. Until he finally got a telegram from her saying "Now or never." Mario recounts how he swiftly tacked a plea to his news editor to the end of one of the reels of footage he sent to New York. He was asking to be sent home right away. Mario's request was swiftly honored. 

Along the way, Mario learned the art of making friends wherever he could. Having worked with Mario, I can add that part of this was just his nature and not necessarily transactional. Nobody loves a good schmooze more than Mario. In our business, knowing lots of people is helpful if not crucial. For example, it was Mario’s friend in the coast guard who alerted him to the fact that the cruise ship the Andrea Doria was going down off Nantucket in 1956 and Mario got the images.

SEE MORE PICTURES FROM MARIO'S CAREER IN THIS PHOTO GALLERY

Mario was also fearless—spending the bulk of his working life in danger zones. From Cuba to Nicaragua to Iran to what was then Belgian Congo, now the Democratic Republic of Congo he had many a close call. Mario tells me he’s got more lives than a cat. He won the prestigious Robert Capa photographic prize in 1959 for his work in Nicaragua.

REPORTER'S NOTEBOOK: ITALY'S MELONI FACING FIRST CRISIS AS PRIME MINISTER OVER MIGRANT BOAT TRAGEDY

One story he loves to recount is getting to Fidel Castro in the Sierra Maestra Mountains of Cuba against all odds. The area had been declared off-limits by Castro himself, but he just kept telling Castro’s armed henchmen that he had an interview with "The Chief". When Mario arrived, "The Chief" sent him packing. But Mario got there. And managed to secure a future interview by his efforts. He was in and out of trouble and up close and personal with the most powerful, alluring, and dangerous characters of the last century.

SEE MORE PICTURES FROM MARIO'S CAREER IN THIS PHOTO GALLERY

"I used my Italian charm. Italians do that well. You don’t get angry at someone smiling!" Mario says. While he relied on his Italian charm to get him out of pickles, he says feels very much American. "It is a great, great country. It gives you a chance, gives you an opportunity!"

Burke said Mario made the most of it.

"Mario is a great American success story. A lot of people forget that he was an Italian immigrant and came to the U.S. as a young kid. To think that he rose to become one of the best cameramen at CBS is pretty amazing. I have never seen anyone who loves TV news as much as Mario. That’s probably why he’s so good at it."

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Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant oversees launch of new spy satellite, raising questions about his future

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant oversaw the launch of a new spy satellite on Wednesday, just days after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that he would dismiss Gallant from his post, triggering a wave of backlash.

Gallant broke ranks with Netanyahu over the weekend when he called for a halt to the prime minister's judicial reform plan, which has ignited mass protests among civilians and the military. 

Netanyhau said in a brief statement on Sunday that he decided to dismiss Gallant. One day later though, he reached an agreement with other officials to postpone his coalition's plan for a judicial overhaul until the next parliamentary session. 

While the judicial reform is paused, Gallant's future is still murky. After overseeing the launch on Wednesday, he said that the "Ofek 13" satellite is "further proof of the groundbreaking technological innovation that characterizes the Israeli security system." 

"Israel has already demonstrated many times its diverse capabilities in the field of space and is among a limited list of countries that possess these capabilities, which we will continue to develop and deepen," Gallant said in a statement. 

The "Ofek 13" is a "radar-based observation satellite" that will "allow day and night photography capabilities" and "significantly improve the intelligence of the State of Israel," according to Avi Berger, the head of the Space Directorate at the Israeli Ministry of Defense.

The Israeli Defense Ministry and Netanyahu's office did not immediately return a request for comment on Wednesday about Gallant's status. 

NETANYAHU TELLS PIERS MORGAN DEMOCRACY IS SAFE IN ISRAEL DESPITE HIS MOVES TO WREST CONTROL OF ‘TOO POWERFUL’

Netanyahu's pause on the judicial overhaul plan came after large parts of society shut down on Monday, with universities, hospitals, and transportation hubs grinding to a halt amid a strike. 

The prime minister has argued that unelected Supreme Court justices wield too much power and wants to limit judicial review of laws while giving the governing coalition final say over judicial appointments. 

"There is one other thing that characterizes the judiciary in Israel and that is that the judges veto the appointment of judges, they effectively select themselves and that doesn’t exist in any democracy. The reform that we’re dealing with right now corrects that," Netanyahu told Piers Morgan in an interview that aired on Fox Nation this week. 

The Umbrella Movement Leadership, which has organized protests against the reforms, said that the reforms should be rejected outright. 

"The government has brought Israel close to destruction and they still threaten to dismantle democracy. A temporary freeze does not suffice and the national protests will continue to intensify until the law is rejected in the Knesset," the groups said in a statement. 

Israel's next parliamentary sessions begins on April 30. 

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Sri Lanka's government announces significant cuts in fuel prices amid economic crisis

Sri Lanka’s government on Wednesday announced significant cuts in fuel prices, providing welcome relief for many after a year of shortages and skyrocketing prices amid the country’s worst economic crisis.

Minister of Power and Energy Kanchana Wijesekara told reporters different categories of petrol and diesel will be sold at prices from 8% to 26% lower starting Wednesday midnight. He said the price reduction is in line with an agreement with the International Monetary Fund, which includes adjusting fuel subsidies and prices based on production costs and global oil prices.

Sri Lanka earlier this month secured approval of a $2.9 billion IMF bailout program a key step in its recovery from a crisis brought on by the pandemic and other troubles. Last year, severe shortages of food, medicine and fuel led to street protests that forced then-President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to flee the country and resign.

SRI LANKA PRESIDENT FLEES COUNTRY, PROTESTERS STORM PRIME MINISTER'S OFFICE AS STATE OF EMERGENCY IS DECLARED

In a related development, petroleum industry trade unions opposing a government decision to give licenses to three companies from the United States, Australia and China to run fuel stations in Sri Lanka were threatening to strike.

The unions are protesting a plan to partially privatize government-owned Ceylon Petroleum Corp., which now only faces competition from Indian Oil Corp. as competition.

People rushing to beat a possible strike lined up near fuel stations, fearing supply would run out. Wijesekara said even though the strike had caused some disruptions, the military was helping to ensure normal operations. Any shortages were due to dealers not ordering enough fuel because they were anticipating a price cut as part of a monthly revision in April.

SRI LANKAN PRESIDENT, PRIME MINISTER TO RESIGN AFTER PROTESTERS STORM RESIDENCES, SET FIRE

The government plans to get out of business and privatize key semi-state-owned companies to raise revenue to build its reserves and resume payments of foreign debt.

Some opposition political parties and trade unions oppose the idea, contending that selling off state resources might compromise national interests.

Last year, Sri Lanka suspended repayment of about $7 billion of its foreign debt that was due in 2022. Sri Lanka's creditors have agreed to restructure its debt, in addition to the IMF bailout.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe has said that giving up the IMF program would compel cash-strapped Sri Lanka to repay $6 billion-$7 billion a year until 2029.

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WATCH: Sharks swarm offshore of popular tourist beach as beachgoers keep distance

Sharks have returned in full numbers to a popular destination in Thailand, creating a difficult situation for an area looking to revive its tourism attraction. 

Video of Maya Bay, located on the island of Ko Phi Phi Leh off the southwest of Thailand in the Andaman Sea, shows a heavy volume of beach-goers on the beaches and hesitant to walk deeper into the water as sharks swarm around in the waters just feet away. 

"We don’t talk about closing down everywhere or reducing the tourism numbers, but I think we are talking about managing it wisely," said Petch Manopawitr, a marine advisor to Thailand’s National Parks Department.

The shark population returned and thrived over the past four years after a tourism ban and the COVID-19 pandemic restricted all visits to the area. 

46-YEAR-OLD ELEPHANT EUTHANIZED AT OAKLAND ZOO DUE TO ARTHRITIS, OTHER AGE-RELATED PROBLEMS

The beaches of the island came to prominence following the Leonardo DiCaprio movie "The Beach," released in 2000. At its peak, the island saw 5,000 tourists and 200 boats a day, according to The Guardian. 

Local authorities grew concerned with the extensive environmental damage caused by the spike in tourism and announced a "temporary closing" from June 1, 2018. The pause extended from four months to four years, partially due to travel bans implemented to combat the coronavirus.

US LAWSUIT SEEKS TO PROTECT HABITAT OF ENDANGERED CORALS

Authorities allowed limited tourism to resume in 2022, but observation through the use of drones and underwater cameras allowed researchers to track the number of sharks and notice a decline once tourism was up and running again. 

Tourism accounted for 12% of Thailand’s GDP before the pandemic, and revenue for Phi Phi Island National Park dropped by almost half following the tourism ban. The government remains keen to recapture that significant income, but conservationists have pressured for new restrictions, which the government has implemented. 

ORANGE LADYBUGS AND THE SPIRITUAL MEANING BEHIND THE INSECT: WHAT TO KNOW

"We are hoping that with the restrictions in place, we can mitigate the disturbance to (the sharks)," marine researcher Metavee Chuangcharoendee said of the situation. "We are doing this research in hopes that we can find the best way to manage and the best way for tourism and the environment to coexist." 

Tour boats must dock on the other side of the island from the beach; visitors must walk to the beach; the number of visitors allowed every hour is capped at 375, and they are allowed to wade only knee-deep into the water.

"If you can create a new image of Maya Bay as a nature reserve ... I think that is actually going to create a new tourism scheme as well and we (are) going to benefit from it overall," said National Parks Department advisor Petch.

Reuters contributed to this report. 

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Kamala Harris set to unveil $1 billion plan in Ghana to promote women’s economic empowerment

Vice President Kamala Harris is set to unveil a $1 billion initiative to promote women’s economic empowerment in the country of Ghana, where she has spent several days touring and meeting with government officials.

"While we face real challenges, I look around tonight and I am truly more optimistic than ever," Harris said at the presidential palace Monday evening during a toast at the state banquet.

The money is expected to come from a mix of nonprofit foundations, private companies and the federal government, and it's intended to expand access to digital services, provide job training and support entrepreneurs, her office said.

The vice president added: "And I know that by working together, the United States and Ghana, alongside the diaspora and the people of this beautiful continent, will share and share our future for the better."

KAMALA HARRIS STUMBLES OVER HER WORDS IN GHANA SPEECH: 'A LOT OF THAT WORK IS THE WORK THAT I AM HERE TO DO'

She has focused her efforts on Ghana’s economic development and its youth. The median age of all people across the African continent is 19 years old.

Harris, her husband, Doug Emhoff, and a group of celebrities have spent days meeting with thousands of young people, including children and teens at skate parks, recording studios, and other entertainment venues. They have also met with civil rights leaders and businesspeople.

Emhoff also spoke at an event and said the message was about "having confidence in yourself to know that you can do whatever you want to do in this world."

Harris is scheduled to announce the plan during a meeting with six Ghanaian female entrepreneurs on Wednesday, March 29, her final day in Ghana before she travels to Tanzania and Zambia.

KAMALA HARRIS GETS EMOTIONAL IN GHANA AS SHE VISITS SLAVE TRADE SITE

She is the most senior member of the Biden administration to visit Africa, as Washington looks to build partnerships and bolster Africa’s growth amid global rivalry over the continent.

Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo said Harris’ visit "encouraged" his country.

"We’re encouraged by the fact that more American companies than ever are looking to invest in Ghana," Akufo-Addo said. "And we will continue to create and maintain the conducive investment atmosphere that will not only guarantee the safety of their investments, but good returns on those investments as well."

Ghana faces skyrocketing inflation and growing debt that is being exacerbated by "pernicious developments" like the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

"We want to work together to change the African narrative, which has been characterized largely by a concentration on disease, hunger, poverty and illegal mass migration," he said. "Together, we must help make Africa the place for investment, progress and prosperity."

The leaders also discussed job growth, especially among the youth.

"If we don’t find jobs — because that’s what it’s about — for this growing young population, it will be dangerous for the political stability on the continent," said Rama Yade, the senior director of the Atlantic Council’s Africa Center.

The African Development Bank has estimated that there are about 11 million people entering the job market, although businesses have only created about 3 million jobs.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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China threatens to take 'resolute countermeasures' over meeting between Taiwan's Tsai, House Speaker McCarthy

China has threatened to retaliate against the United States and Taiwan over a planned meeting between Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.

Beijing has repeatedly alleged the U.S. and Taiwan are acting in secret to push for Taiwan’s independence and threatened "resolute countermeasures" should the two leaders meet.

Tsai is scheduled to meet McCarthy on Wednesday, April 5, when the head of the self-governing island democracy visits Los Angeles, California.

"We firmly oppose this and will take resolute countermeasures," Zhu Fenglian, the spokesperson for the Cabinet’s Taiwan Affairs Office, said during a press conference on Wednesday.

CHINA WANTS TAIWAN FOR MORE THAN 'HISTORICAL VALUE,' COULD DISRUPT GLOBAL POWER DYNAMIC: EXPERTS

The official cautioned the U.S. to "refrain from arranging Tsai Ing-wen’s transit visits and even contact with American officials." It also urged Washington to "take concrete actions to fulfill its solemn commitment not to support Taiwan independence."

Tsai’s itinerary includes a brief stop in New York on Thursday, March 30, before she heads to Guatemala and Belize for several days. She will return to the U.S. in the middle of the week to stay in Los Angeles, where the meeting with McCarthy is scheduled to take place.

She will then head back to Taiwan.

BIDEN SAYS CHINA-RUSSIA PARTNERSHIP IS ‘VASTLY EXAGGERATED’ DURING CANADA VISIT

In recent weeks, China has ramped up diplomatic pressure on Taiwan, which governs independently as a democracy, and has mobilized its military forces over the island. The Communist-ruled Chinese mainland has also cautioned regional countries and the West, including the U.S., not to interfere in how it decides to rule over Taiwan.

Beijing has made similar threats to any country that could push for Taiwan’s independence.

Although the U.S. officially recognizes the One-China policy that observes China has sovereignty over Taiwan, China has repeatedly alleged the U.S. is undermining this rule.

China has sent military fighter jets near or over the island of Taiwan almost daily.

CHINESE ‘SPY BALLOON FIASCO’ REQUIRES FULL REVIEW OF US AIR DEFENSES, DAINES SAYS AT MALMSTROM AFB VISIT

Tsai left Taiwan Wednesday afternoon to begin her 10-day tour of the Americas.

She has described the trip as a chance to show Taiwan’s commitment to democratic values.

"I want to tell the whole world democratic Taiwan will resolutely safeguard the values of freedom and democracy, and will continue to be a force for good in the world, continuing a cycle of goodness, strengthening the resilience of democracy in the world," she told reporters before she boarded the plane. "External pressure will not obstruct our resolution to engage with the world."

Tsai has met with members of Congress, including former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who visited her in Taiwan over the summer. China was critical of Pelosi's visit.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Netanyahu throws shade on Biden after president says he’s ‘very concerned’ about Israel’s judicial reforms

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday pushed back at President Biden over his criticism of Israel’s proposed judicial overhaul that has ignited waves of protests. 

Netanyahu said he has known Biden for more than 40 years and expressed appreciation for the president’s "longstanding commitment to Israel."

"The alliance between Israel and the United States is unbreakable and always overcomes the occasional disagreement between us," Netanyahu said. 

The prime minister said he was committed to "strengthening democracy by restoring the proper balance between the three branches of government, which we are striving to achieve via a broad consensus." 

MOSSAD THWARTS ‘IMMINENT’ ATTACK ON JEWISH RESTAURANT IN GREECE, ‘EXTENSIVE’ LOSS OF LIFE

"Israeli sovereign country which makes its decisions by the will of its people and not based on pressures from abroad, including the best of friends," Netanyahu said. 

The comments appeared to be aimed at President Biden, who earlier Tuesday told reporters he was "very concerned" about Israel’s planned judicial overhaul and said he hopes Netanyahu "walks away from" it. 

"Like many strong supporters of Israel, I’m very concerned, and I’m concerned that they get this straight. They cannot continue down this road," Biden said, following a speech in North Carolina. "Hopefully, the prime minister will act in a way that he can try to work out some genuine compromise. But that remains to be seen." 

The judicial reforms would, among other things, allow the ruling coalition to control the appointment of judges and give it the authority to strike down Supreme Court rulings it dislikes.

BIDEN BADGERS BIBI: NETANYAHU SAYS PRESIDENT WARNED BILL TO REFORM ISRAEL SUPREME COURT THREATENS DEMOCRACY

Netanyahu’s conservative allies have said the bill is needed to rein in a system of judges who are unelected and overly interventionist in political issues. But opponents have likened the overhaul to a power grab that would erode a system of checks and balances and concentrate authority in the hands of the prime minister and his allies. 

After weeks of mass protests that brought Israel’s largest cities to a standstill, Netanyahu delayed the plans on Monday, saying he wanted "to avoid a civil war" by making time to seek compromise with political opponents. 

The announcement appeared to calm some of the tensions that have fueled three tumultuous months of unrest. But it failed to address the underlying issues that have polarized the nation, and the anti-government protest movement vowed to intensify its efforts. 

Netanyahu has vowed to pass the reforms through parliament "one way or another." 

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

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France refuses to extradite far-left Italian terrorists who have eluded justice since 1980s

France’s highest court ruled Tuesday against extraditing 10 former far-left militants who were convicted of attacks in Italy carried out in the 1970s and 1980s.

The two women and eight men fled Italy after their convictions and before they could be sent to prison. Now ranging in age from 62 to 79, they have lived freely in France for decades.

The crimes of which they were convicted include the killing of a Carabinieri paramilitary general and the kidnapping of a judge, both in 1980.

MOSSAD THWARTS 'IMMINENT' ATTACK ON JEWISH RESTAURANT IN GREECE, 'EXTENSIVE' LOSS OF LIFE

A Paris court also had ruled against their extraditions, and the decision was appealed last year. But Tuesday’s decision by the Court of Cassation is the final French legal ruling on the decades-long affair.

Italy’s justice minister, Carlo Nordio, said Italy "had done everything in its power" to remove the political obstacles that had guided the French policy allowing the militants to live freely in France, and took note of the court’s final decision.

In a statement carried by LaPresse news agency, Nordio praised the efforts of his French counterpart, Eric Dupond-Moretti, for having responded to Italy’s requests for justice.

Resistance by French authorities to incarcerating the Italians has long been a thorny issue between Paris and Rome.

Over the years, Italy has sought the extradition of around 200 convicted former militants believed to be in France.

Under a 1980s policy known as the "Mitterrand doctrine," named after Socialist then-President Francois Mitterrand, France refused to extradite Italian far-left activists unless there was evidence that they committed "crimes of blood."

Italian officials have challenged that criteria as too vague and said the doctrine was based on the false notion that Italy respects democratic freedoms less than France.

Most of the 10 people who were the subject of the extradition requests the Court of Cassation rejected were dramatically arrested at their homes in France in April, 2021, a development Italy hailed as historic. They were held in French judicial supervision since then.

Some of them were linked with the Red Brigades group, which during the 1970s and 1980s carried out killings kidnappings and "kneecappings," in which targets were shot in the legs.

The court also refused to extradite Ciorgio Petrostefani, a militant from the far-left group Lotta Continua, which in English means The Struggle Continues. He was convicted of the 1972 slaying of Milan Police Chief Luigi Calabresi and sentenced to 22 years in prison.

TOP PAKISTANI INTELLIGENCE OFFICER ASSASSINATED BY SUSPECTED TALIBAN MILITANTS

The police chief was shot three times from behind while he walked to his car. His slaying was one of the more notorious crimes during the so-called "Years of Lead,″ the period when acts of terrorism committed by the extreme right and the extreme left bloodied Italy.

Before his death, Calabresi had led the interrogation of Giuseppe Pinelli, a suspected anarchist, about the 1969 bombing of a Milan bank that killed 17 people. Pinelli fell to his death from the 4th floor of police headquarters, an event that inspired a play and a movie.

Another Italian whom the court cleared to remain in France was a former member of the Armed Cells Against Territorial Power who was convicted of the 1979 killing of a Carabinieri police officer.

Adriano Sabbadin, whose father — a butcher — was killed in 1997, said he was "disgusted" by the French court’s decision. "Let the judges tell us: who are the guilty ones? They have dead people on their consciences," the ANSA news agency quoted him as saying.

The Italian justice minister Nordio, a former prosecutor, offered his thoughts to the families of the victims "of that bloody season, who waited for years along with the entire country for a response from the French judiciary."

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Canadian crypto prodigy accused of scamming investors out of millions was kidnapped, 'tortured': reports

Canada's self-proclaimed Crypto King, accused of duping investors and accruing losses in the tens of millions of dollars, was allegedly kidnaped in the middle of the night in December and driven around and tortured for three days as he begged his landlord to pay $3 million in ransom, according to news reports citing new filings in bankruptcy proceedings. 

A 750-page trustee report related to bankruptcy proceedings against Aiden Pleterski details allegations that the 20-something was kidnaped from downtown Toronto in December. 

Rob Stelzer, appointed bankruptcy trustee on the case, told CTV News Toronto he was informed by Toronto police that Pleterski had been kidnaped. 

CTV News Toronto reported that transcripts from court examinations with Pleterski’s father and landlord detailed the allegations further. 

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"He was taken. They basically held him for approximately three days, drove him around different, various parts of southern Ontario, beat him, tortured him, allowed him to make specific phone calls to specific people only," his father told a courtroom in December. "I was not one of those people that he was allowed to contact." 

The landlord said Pleterski told him he has no one else to call and asked him for $3 million as a ransom payment. 

"I received multiple calls from Aiden, but it was late at night … and then at around 1:30 a.m., I finally had enough, and I picked up the call," the landlord told the court on Feb. 9. "I said, ‘There's absolutely nothing that I can do.’"

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Canadian Broadcasting Corporation also reported that court documents allege Pleterski was released three days late but still ordered to come up with the money fast. 

"We cannot confirm any information that would identify a victim, or witness," a spokesperson for Toronto Police said in a statement to Fox News Digital when asked about the case. 

Toronto police did not respond to questions about the identities of the alleged kidnapers or if any arrests have been made. 

Fox News Digital also reached out to Ontario Provincial Police regarding the incident but did not hear back before publication.

The trustee report, released on March 14, says Pleterski invested less than 2% of the more than $40 million given to him by investors. Instead, he allegedly spent nearly 38%, almost $16 million, on luxury cars, private jets, and elaborate vacations, according to CTV News Toronto. 

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Russia fires nuclear-capable, anti-ship missiles in Sea of Japan during simulated attack

Russia fired several anti-ship missiles in the Sea of Japan, according to its defense ministry.

Moscow said Tuesday its military was conducting a simulated missile attack, involving two of its boats firing on a mock enemy warship about 60 miles away.

Russia's Defense Ministry said the target was successfully hit by two Moskit cruise missiles. The Moskit, whose official NATO-designated name is the SS-N-22 Sunburn, is a supersonic anti-ship cruise missile that can carry conventional payloads or nuclear warheads.

The ministry said the exercise took place in the Peter the Great Gulf, a waterway along Russia’s eastern border in the Sea of Japan. The Kremlin did not give more precise coordinates.

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The gulf acts as the Russian Pacific Fleet headquarters at Fokino and is approximately 430 miles from Japan's northern Hokkaido Island.

Japanese Foreign Ministry Tasuku Matsuki said Japan does not plan to lodge a protest over the missile exercise as the location where it was carried out — Peter the Great Bay — is considered Russian coast, although the water is between the two countries.

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"On the whole, Japan is concerned about Russia’s increasing military activities around the Japanese coasts and watching them with great interest," Matsuki said.

Russian forces have conducted similar missile drills in that area in the past and issued maritime advisories ahead of time.

The Japanese foreign minister did not comment on Russia’s intention of the exercise.

The Indo-Pacific region remains tense as Russian nuclear-capable Tu-95 bombers flew over the Sea of Japan for several hours last week, North Korea has conducted its own ballistic missile tests in the sea and the U.S. and China have mobilized several ships in the surrounding areas. Also, the U.S. and South Korea participated in their springtime joint military drills, which included the flighting of a B-52 bomber over the Korean Peninsula.

In September, Japan protested military exercises Russian held on the Kuril Islands — some of which are claimed by Japan. Tokyo has similarly expressed concern about Russian and Chinese warships conducting shooting drills in the Sea of Japan.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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CS Lewis, Tolkien, Orwell among works tagged as triggers for 'far-right' extremism by anti-terrorism group

A government anti-terrorism unit in the U.K. has reportedly flagged key English literature as potential triggers for right-wing extremism – leading one author whose work is on the list to bash the agency's strategy.

Classic authors such as C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, George Orwell, Joseph Conrad and Aldous Huxley were included on the list of potentially problematic texts compiled by Prevent’s Research Information and Communications Unit, according to The Spectator.

Other authors whose work is allegedly shared by people sympathetic with "the far-right and Brexit" also reportedly include Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, Edmund Burke, Thomas Carlyle, Adam Smith and William Shakespeare.

In 2011, the U.K. introduced the "Prevent duty" as a component of its broader counter-terrorism approach, which is known as "Contest." Its primary objective is to employ preventative measures to decrease the risk of terrorist threats, which encompasses the prevention of individuals from being enticed into terrorist activities, according to its guidance.

Ulster Unionist Party councillor John Kyle blasted the list, according to Northern Irish outlet News Letter. "I know that communist and totalitarian regimes have viewed Christianity as dangerously subversive, but when the British Government labels C.S. Lewis’s Narnia books a terrorist threat its counter-terrorism unit has lost touch with reality," he said.

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Author Douglas Murray, who first reported on the list, echoed Kyle, noting that his own 2017 book "The Strange Death of Europe" was also flagged. He told Fox News Digital that the list "is a sign that the people advising the government have completely lost their way."

"This is quite typical that you set something up in government to deal with one issue, and it ends up spreading its remit until its remit is so broad that it includes the mainstream texts of the culture," said Murray, who noted Prevent was first established to combat Islamic extremism but has since shifted its focus.

"It's exceptionally self-immolating, all because they can't deal with the one thing they were set up to address at the beginning," he said.

The list surfaced following an assessment of the Prevent strategy by Commissioner for Public Appointments William Shawcross, who determined earlier this year that the anti-extremism program focused too much on the far-right and not enough on Islamic extremism, according to The Guardian.

Shawcross' report was met with pushback, though Prevent's own statistics indicate that for the second consecutive year, from April 2021 to March 2022, referrals for extreme right-wing radicalization (20%) exceeded those for radical Islamist referrals (16%).

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Multiple Christians have been reported to the anti-terrorism watchdog in recent months for publicly opposing homosexuality. The Rev. Bernard Randall, a Church of England minister and former school chaplain, told Fox News Digital last fall that he was reported to Prevent and blacklisted by his own diocese for telling students they were free to make up their own minds about the claims of LGBTQ activists.

"The Shawcress Report shows that what actually happened was you had an unequal attitude toward what extremism was depending on the ideology," Murray said. "So Islamic extremism was ‘kill the non-believers,’ and so-called ‘right-wing’ or ‘nativist’ extremism was reading books that are classics of British culture."

"That says an awful lot about the sorts of low-grade figures who have been involved in the Prevent strategy in recent years," he added.

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Murray said that while he doesn't believe the majority of British people hate their own culture, a small segment in political leadership derives "bullying power" by undermining it. He said the same attitude has also infected elites in the U.S. and throughout the Western world.

"That's effectively what's happened: very dogmatic people have put majority populations into the 'deplorables basket,' and they put our history into the deplorable basket, along with our culture, our writers and much else," he said.

"If you don't go along with it, you're a deplorable right-winger; and as somebody who's dogmatic and bullying, you can get an awfully long way," he added.

A spokesperson for the U.K.'s Home Office did not respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment by time of publication.

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Russia warns Armenia against siding with ICC after Putin arrest warrant: 'serious consequences'

Russia is warning Armenia that there would be "serious consequences" if the latter were to follow through on plans to become a member state of the International Criminal Court. 

The state-run RIA news agency cited a source in the Russian Foreign Ministry as saying that Armenia’s ICC plans as "unacceptable." 

It said Russia had warned Armenia’s government there would be "extremely negative consequences" between their two nations if it were to become a state party to the Rome Statue – a move that would need to be ratified by the Armenian parliament after approval by the constitutional court. 

"Moscow considers official Yerevan’s plans to accede to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court to be absolutely unacceptable against the background of the recent illegal null and void warrants of the ICC against the Russian leadership," the Russian Foreign Ministry source reportedly said. 

PUTIN ALLY SAYS RUSSIA HAS ‘WEAPONS CAPABLE OF DESTROYING ANY ADVERSARY, INCLUDING THE UNITED STATES’

Armenia has been a traditional ally of Russia. The two nations have a mutual defense pact and Russia maintains troops and a military base in Armenia. 

But relations have soured in recent months. Yerevan accuses Moscow of failing to uphold a 2020 ceasefire treaty it helped broker between Armenia and Azerbaijan to end a war over Nagorno-Karabakh – an Armenian-populated region of Azerbaijan. 

The ICC said earlier this month it had issued an arrest warrant for Putin for war crimes, accusing him of personal responsibility for the abductions of children from Ukraine. The Kremlin condemned the move as a meaningless and outrageously partisan decision. 

It was the first time the global court had issued a warrant against a leader of one of the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

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