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Macron under fire over Iran, Hezbollah policy as Trump admin hosts Israel-Lebanon talks
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France’s President Emmanuel Macron is facing renewed criticism for his lack of support for President Donald Trump’s war against Iran and demands to include Lebanon in the current ceasefire as historic talks between Israel and Lebanon are set to begin Tuesday.
The historic meeting brokered by President Trump between Lebanon, a former French mandate, and Israel will take place at the ambassador level as hopes for an agreement evolve — most noticeably without French involvement. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected to host both nations’ ambassadors.
The Jerusalem Post reported that Israel’s government requested that France be excluded from the talks. An Israeli official told the paper that «France’s conduct over the past year – including initiatives aimed at limiting Israel’s ability to fight in Iran, and a complete lack of willingness to take concrete steps to help Lebanon disarm Hezbollah – has led Israel to view France as an unfair mediator.»
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French President Emmanuel Macron speaks during a meeting with President Trump and other world leaders. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)
On Monday, Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem on Monday called on the Lebanese government to cancel the Tuesday meeting in Washington, while describing the talks as pointless. In a televised speech, Qassem said the armed group will continue to confront Israeli attacks on Lebanon.
Hezbollah violated a ceasefire to enter the war on its patron, Iran’s side, in March when it launched rockets into Israel after the U.S.-Israel joint attack on the Islamic Republic began, still Macron has demanded Israel stop attacking Hezbollah’s terror infrastructure in Lebanon.
Israeli Brig. General (Res.) Yosef Kuperwasser told Fox News Digital that Macron was «working against the best interests of the Lebanese state and government. This is a very problematic direction.» He accused Macron of «taking the side of Hezbollah and normalizing Hezbollah because he is focused on «narrow interests.»
IRAN THREATENS TO END CEASEFIRE OVER HEZBOLLAH’S EXCLUSION FROM TRUCE DEAL
Hezbollah al-Mahdi scouts parade with big portraits of Iran’s late leader Ayatollah Khomeini, foreground, and Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, background, during an event for Jerusalem day or Al-Quds day, in the southern town of Nabatiyeh, Lebanon, Thursday, Aug. 1, 2013. The last Friday of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan is observed in many Muslim countries as Al-Quds day, as a way of expressing support to the Palestinians and emphasizing the importance of Jerusalem to Muslims. (Hussein Malla/AP Photo)
The former head of research for the Israel Defense Forces’ Military Intelligence Directorate, Kuperwasser, added that the «Americans want us to engage with the Lebanese along with the military [in Lebanon]. Our expectations are very similar. We want to see Lebanon do something about Hezbollah, something real, not just issue statements and pledges. We believe we have helped them by weakening Hezbollah militarily since they decided to launch missiles on March 2. If there is a breakthrough, Lebanon has a lot to gain,» but said it has to «disarm Hezbollah.»
Macron has faced accusations over the years that he has normalized Hezbollah. His government, in contrast to Germany, the U.S., Canada, the Netherlands, Japan, Austria and many other Western and non-Westen countries, refuses to designate Hezbollah’s entire organization a terrorist entity. France has classified Hezbollah’s «military wing» a terrorist organization but declined to ban its «political wing.» Hezbollah considers itself a unified movement without branches.
The French politician François-Xavier Bellamy, who is a member of the European Parliament for the Republicans Party, said last week on French television that «France must stop normalizing Hezbollah.» Macron sparked outrage in 2020 when he reportedly held a private conversation with a top elected Hezbollah official, according to the Paris-based daily Le Figaro.
Smoke rises from Israeli airstrikes in Dahiyeh, a southern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon, Sunday, April 5, 2026. (Emilio Morenatti/AP)
Edy Cohen, an Israeli security expert on Hezbollah, who was born in Lebanon, told Fox News Digital, «France is forced not to come out against Hezbollah in order to legitimize its involvement in Lebanon.»
A French diplomat told the Times of Israel that «what we are hoping for is not a ticket to the meeting, but that Israel stops its offensive on Lebanon.»
When asked if France would pressure Lebanon to recognize Israel as a state, Pascal Confavreux, a spokesman for France’s Foreign Ministry, told «Fox News Sunday» that, «Iran has to stop terrorizing Israel through Hezbollah because Hezbollah chose to bring Lebanon into a war which is not Lebanon’s war… Lebanon has to be included in the ceasefire, something that we are pushing diplomatically,» He continued that we are in favor of direct talks between Lebanon and Israel.
It is not known if France asked for a seat at the talks. Fox News Digital sent multiple press queries to France’s embassies in Washington D.C. and Tel Aviv.
IDF UNCOVERS HEZBOLLAH WEAPONS STASH INSIDE HOSPITAL IN LEBANON
Hezbollah launches long-range missiles from Lebanon into northern Israel within 48 hours of strikes on Iran, escalating the widening conflict amid Operation Epic Fury. (Hadi Mizban/AP)
On Saturday, Macron again pushed his desire for a ceasefire and wrote on X that he had discussions with Iran’s President Massoud Pezeshkian on Saturday: «I stressed the importance of full respect for the ceasefire, including in Lebanon. France extends its full support to the actions of the Lebanese authorities, who alone are legitimate to exercise the sovereignty of the State and decide the destiny of Lebanon.»
Walid Phares, an expert on Lebanon and the region, told Fox News Digital that while the talks are important, problems exist. «It is at ambassadors’ level, which means it is not destined to reach a top level of decision-making.»
He added, «Strangely, the Lebanese president and prime minister declined to invite the Lebanese foreign minister to the Washington talks, provoking a representation by Israel, also at ambassadorial level, showing that Hezbollah still has a strong influence on the Lebanese government. The militia is being rejected by the population on the ground and fears a meeting in D.C. would ostracize Hezbollah further.»
Iran rebuilds Hezbollah ties as Trump gives 10-15 day deadline. (Fadel Itani/NurPhoto)
Sethrida Geagea, a member of parliament from the Lebanese Forces party, posted on X ahead of the Israel-Lebanon talks an open letter to Nabih Berri, the powerful speaker of the Lebanese Parliament and leader of the Shiite Amal Movement. She issued indirect criticism of Hezbollah and its terrorist army within the state. Geagea appealed to Berri to unify the Lebanese to be «protected by a single army.»
Without naming Hezbollah, her letter stated that young Shiites have been plunged into war that has nothing to do with them and the conflict is really about an Iranian decision to retaliate for the joint U.S.-Israel war that assassinated the Islamic Republic’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, on February 28.
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The State Department did not immediately respond to a Fox News Digital press query.
Reuters contributed to this report.
france, donald trump, lebanon, war with iran, emmanuel macron, israel
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Blanche turns the tables on Comey indictment critics: ‘Rest assured’ case goes beyond Instagram post
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Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche insisted Sunday that the indictment against former FBI Director James Comey rests on more than just an «8647» Instagram picture, saying new evidence would come to light in court to support the government’s claim that Comey’s post amounted to a criminal threat against the president.
Blanche provided the remarks during a «Meet the Press» interview as he was grilled about the credibility of the high-profile case and whether it was politically motivated. The charges hinge on whether prosecutors can prove the former FBI director’s intent, a key legal threshold. Blanche signaled the Department of Justice will present broader evidence in court to support the charge while rejecting claims the prosecution was driven by Trump’s past clashes with Comey.
«You prove intent like you always prove intent,» Blanche said. «You prove intent with witnesses. You prove intent with documents, with materials. … This is not just about a single Instagram post. This is about a body of evidence that the grand jury collected over the series of about 11 months.»
The term «86» is understood as slang to get rid of someone or something, rooted in restaurant usage for an unavailable item or refused customer. Prosecutors allege that, paired with «47» — a reference to Trump as the 47th president — Comey’s post amounted to a threat.
HOW JAMES COMEY’S INDICTMENT COULD GO SOUTH FOR THE DOJ
Former FBI Director James Comey is vowing to fight the charges against him, with his attorney saying the former FBI director «vigorously denies» the allegations and plans to contest the case in court. (Cheriss May/NurPhoto)
Blanche noted that threatening the president was a common criminal charge. But he said the DOJ does not prosecute everyday mentions of «8647,» such as paraphernalia featuring the numbers being sold on Amazon, and that other factors were in play in Comey’s case.
«Rest assured that the career assistant United States attorneys in North Carolina, the career FBI agents, the career Secret Service agents that investigated this case didn’t just look at the Instagram post and walk away. … So I am not permitted to get into the details of what the grand jury heard or found,» Blanche said. «But rest assured that it’s not just the Instagram post that leads somebody to get indicted.»
The DOJ brought two charges against Comey in federal court in North Carolina last week alleging an Instagram post he made last year of seashells on the beach amounted to a threat to harm or kill Trump.
The post prompted an outcry from social media users, who accused Comey of threatening Trump, his longtime political nemesis, leading Comey to immediately delete the image and issue an apology. Comey said at the time he did not realize the number «86» was associated with violence.
FORMER FBI DIRECTOR JAMES COMEY MEETS WITH SECRET SERVICE AFTER CONTROVERSIAL ’86 47′ POST
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche spoke during a press conference alongside FBI Director Kash Patel at the Department of Justice on April 21, 2026, in Washington, D.C., following the indictment of the Southern Poverty Law Center. (Nathan Posner/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Then-Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem responded by announcing that U.S. Secret Service would investigate the post, and Comey voluntarily met with federal agents at the time for an interview, though no charges were brought.
The case marks the Justice Department’s second recent prosecution of Comey, after a separate indictment alleging he lied to Congress was tossed on procedural grounds. The DOJ is appealing that decision.
Blanche was also questioned over whether Comey was charged because Trump explicitly called for the DOJ to bring criminal charges against him and other political foes in a Truth Social post last fall, calling them «guilty as hell» and saying «JUSTICE MUST BE SERVED, NOW!!!»
«Do the American people think that nothing was done on those cases until President Trump posted that Truth in September?» Blanche asked. «No, these are ongoing investigations.»
James Comey posted a photo on Instagram showing him standing on a beach. (Fox News)
The latest indictment against Comey has faced widespread criticism as Democrats and some Republicans argue the charges present a free speech problem and do not rise to the «true threat» standard established by the Supreme Court. Comey’s attorney said in court that he plans to ask the judge to toss out the charges because they were selective and vindictive. Still, the DOJ and Trump allies are standing firmly behind the charges as they warn critics to wait to hear evidence before jumping to conclusions.
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Comey’s arraignment is slated for May 11 in Greenville.
Fox News Digital reached out to the DOJ and Comey’s lawyer for comment.
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La Corte de Constitucionalidad ordena ajustes inmediatos en procesos de acogimiento y adopción infantil en Guatemala
La Corte de Constitucionalidad (CC) de Guatemala estableció un nuevo hito jurídico al declarar, mediante el expediente 7745-2024, la inconstitucionalidad de dos disposiciones clave del Reglamento 40-2010 sobre el acogimiento familiar.
La resolución exige a los Juzgados de Niñez priorizar que los menores permanezcan en un entorno familiar y ordena al Consejo Nacional de Adopciones (CNA) adaptar sus procedimientos para favorecer la permanencia de los niños en vínculos afectivos ya consolidados. El objetivo central de este fallo, según la CC, es fortalecer el derecho de niñas, niños y adolescentes a crecer en familia y evitar la institucionalización que afecta su bienestar integral.
La Corte de Constitucionalidad, en su análisis del Reglamento 40-2010, eliminó dos restricciones fundamentales. En primer lugar, consideró inconstitucional el plazo máximo de seis meses para el acogimiento familiar.
Este límite temporal, al ser rígido, impedía un análisis individualizado y contravenía el principio del interés superior del niño. Con ello, no se consideraban las necesidades y el contexto concreto de cada menor, lo que podía conducir a decisiones que no favorecían ni su estabilidad ni su salud emocional. De acuerdo con el Diario Soy2502
En segundo lugar, la resolución suprimió la prohibición de adopción por parte de las familias de acogida. El fallo reconoce que los lazos afectivos generados durante el periodo de acogida constituyen un elemento esencial en la garantía de una familia permanente para los niños declarados en situación de adoptabilidad.
La Corte de Constitucionalidad sostuvo que ignorar estos vínculos resultaba en una restricción injustificada y que su eliminación era imprescindible para asegurar el pleno ejercicio de los derechos de la niñez guatemalteca.
Según la publicación de Soy502, la decisión obliga de manera inmediata al Consejo Nacional de Adopciones a suprimir cualquier barrera administrativa que impida que las familias de acogida participen en los procesos de adopción y exige a los juzgados de niñez evaluar cada caso de forma individual, asegurando así que los menores permanezcan en familia y evitando su institucionalización prolongada.
Referencia a estándares internacionales y desarrollo infantil
Lo resuelto por la Corte de Constitucionalidad se enmarca en los compromisos asumidos por Guatemala en materia de derechos de la niñez, recogidos en la Convención sobre los Derechos del Niño y las Directrices de las Naciones Unidas sobre modalidades alternativas de cuidado.
Según estos instrumentos, el acogimiento familiar debe ser priorizado sobre cualquier forma de institucionalización, y toda medida de protección ha de basarse en el interés superior del niño mediante evaluaciones caso por caso.
Especialistas en desarrollo infantil citados en la normativa internacional respaldan plenamente esta orientación. La evidencia muestra que una infancia en entorno familiar favorece la construcción de un apego seguro y reduce los riesgos de ansiedad, depresión y afectaciones emocionales.
También se observan mejoras en el desarrollo cognitivo y en la salud física respecto a los menores que permanecen en instituciones. Por el contrario, la institucionalización prolongada se correlaciona con consecuencias adversas en el desarrollo integral de niñas, niños y adolescentes.
Con este precedente, el sistema de protección de la niñez en Guatemala se enfrenta a la exigencia de eliminar toda restricción normativa o administrativa que dificulte la integración de los menores en familias de acogida con posibilidad real de adopción.
El Consejo Nacional de Adopciones debe modificar con carácter urgente todos los procedimientos implicados, mientras que los juzgados de niñez deberán fundamentar sus decisiones en evaluaciones individualizadas.
El fallo de la Corte de Constitucionalidad redefine el marco del acogimiento familiar y obliga a una transformación inmediata en los procesos administrativos para que el derecho de la infancia a vivir en familia tenga prevalencia absoluta sobre cualquier criterio procedimental o temporal. *Con información del Diario Soy502
Corte de Constitucionalidad,Guatemala,adopción,acogimiento familiar,niñez,derechos,familia,reforma legal,justicia,Infobae
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