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Among his historical achievements as both the first pontiff from the Global South and the first born outside of Europe in over a millennia, Pope Francis is remembered in the days following his death as "the People’s Pope".

The political characteristics of his sometimes controversial papacy were dedicated to environmental protection, supporting overlooked Catholic communities and compounding equality in the church.

"[The People’s Pope] is absolutely the best way to describe him," Jana Bennett, professor and chair of the Department of Religious Studies at the University of Dayton in Ohio, told Fox News Digital.

POPE FRANCIS REVEALED BURIAL WISHES JUST DAYS AFTER BECOMING POPE IN 2013

Theology experts, Catholics and critics around the world are mourning the loss of Pope Francis, 88, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Argentina, and dissecting his papacy.

Pope Francis died on Monday, April 21, 2025, after battling bilateral pneumonia in the months preceding his death.

"Even as pope, he wanted to be treated as an ordinary person," Bennett said. "I think it’s evident in the way that he wants to be buried."

Pope Francis selected the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, a cherished familiar holy place, as his final resting place just days after being elected pope in 2013. Separate from the leaders of the Holy See before him, Pope Francis chose one coffin versus three, made of wood, to be laid out as faithful pay their respects.

THEOLOGIAN ON ‘CONCLAVE’ ACCURACY, EXPECTATIONS FOR NEXT SECRETIVE EVENT AFTER POPE FRANCIS' DEATH

The former pontiff released declarations and documents throughout his papacy which pointed to advancements for the betterment of both everyday Catholics and non-Catholics. He urged the faithful to have hope and seek mercy all the time, especially through the sacrament of confession.

"He believed that everybody should be hopeful," Bennett said. "That we should hope in God and that there is always hope available, even in the darkest of times, for new life and for something new on the horizon."

She added that Pope Francis preached a path forward, even for the most egregious sinners.

"I saw the way he interacted," Bennett told Fox News Digital. "Even in the Popemobile he would try to bless people and talk with them. It was about the way he responded to common people."

POPE FRANCIS TO LIE IN STATE, MOURNERS WELCOME: WHAT TO EXPECT FROM THE PONTIFF'S FUNERAL

"I think that you can't understand Pope Francis' papacy without attending to the very direct one-on-one way that he would reach out to people," she said. "From the little baby that he would bless in the square to people with disabilities. He granted audiences with just a range of people; both people who were the most impoverished to people among the most powerful."

During his 12-year papacy, Pope Francis met with many world leaders, including President Donald Trump, Queen Elizabeth II, King Charles III, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin and Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

"I think to him, everyone is deserving of a blessing," Bennett said.

Among vocational and merciful acts of service, Pope Francis would wash and kiss the feet of men, women and children, including those of prison inmates, during an annual Holy Thursday ritual.

POPE FRANCIS EMPHASIZED CATHOLICISM GLOBALLY, REACHED BEYOND US, EUROPE INTO IMPOVERISHED NATIONS

"He changed the way we think about service to others and service to all and who is worthy of being served by a pope and respected by a pope," Bennett said.

Pope Francis was the first pope to take the name of St. Francis of Assisi, well-known for his call for engagement with the impoverished, love of creation and the Church.

"I think all of those things showed up in Pope Francis’ papacy," Bennett said.

Born in Buenos Aires, Pope Francis applied his world leadership to underscore care and concern for people at the margins, specifically in areas that lacked an abundance of clergy.

"He also had a strong awareness of the global nature of the church," Bennett said. "He had a way of responding to people from different countries, different continents. He was a very sharp politician. He was especially aware of the financial corruption at the Vatican, and he was able to respond to that."

Pope Francis instituted reforms to ensure charitable and reputable business practices at the Vatican Bank.

"He surrounded himself with advisors," Bennett said.

President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met face-to-face for the first time since their infamous Oval Office spat in February. They were attending Pope Francis’ funeral in Rome, though it is unclear exactly when they met.

Neither Ukrainian nor White House officials gave many details on the meeting; however, White House Communications Director Steven Cheung said the leaders had "a very productive discussion."

ZELENSKYY SPEAKS OUT AFTER PUBLIC SPAT WITH TRUMP, VANCE, SAYS DUSTUP 'BAD FOR BOTH SIDES'

Zelenskyy later tweeted that the meeting was "very symbolic" and could potentially be "historic."

In February, Zelenskyy abruptly left the White House after getting into an argument with Trump and Vice President JD Vance. Zelenskyy later told Fox News chief political anchor Bret Baier on "Special Report" that the incident was "bad for both sides."

This meeting comes as peace talks between Russia and Ukraine appear to be at a standstill with Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin making competing demands.

"A good day in talks and meetings with Russia and Ukraine. They are very close to a deal, and the two sides should now meet, at very high levels, to ‘finish it off.’ Most of the major points are agreed to. Stop the bloodshed, NOW. We will be wherever is necessary to help facilitate the END to this cruel and senseless war," Trump wrote on Truth Social after arriving in Rome on Saturday.

TRUMP SAYS 'INFLAMMATORY' ZELENSKYY STATEMENT ON CRIMEA PROLONGS WAR WITH RUSSIA

Trump has criticized both leaders in separate posts on Truth Social. On Thursday, Trump demanded Putin "stop" strikes on Kyiv and said he was "not happy" with the Kremlin for continuing attacks on Ukraine. The day before, on Wednesday, Trump blasted Zelenskyy after he said that Ukraine would not recognize Russian control over Crimea, which Putin invaded in 2014.

Putin so far has rejected several U.S. proposals for a peace deal, but the White House remains optimistic about Trump’s ability to end the war.

TRUMP TELLS PUTIN 'STOP' AFTER DEADLY RUSSIAN STRIKES ON KYIV

"This war is endable. Both sides just have to agree to it," Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters in the Oval Office on Thursday. He also said there were "good meetings over the weekend," which were presumably focused on ending the conflict.

Trump has said that he is sticking to his own "deadline" for achieving peace and added that he believes there is "a very good chance of getting [a deal] done."

Pope Francis’ emphasis on reaching out to the "peripheries" of the Catholic Church and world will result in the most diverse collection of church leaders in history gathering to select the new pope. 

According to Mary FioRito, an expert on papal elections and a senior fellow at the Catholic Association, this could very well result in the next pope having a very different set of priorities than the late pontiff. 

Francis has selected about 80% of the 135 church leaders – called cardinals – who will vote for the next pope in the upcoming papal conclave.

The result will be that instead of being dominated by European or even Western cardinals, the conclave will have large contingents from regions like Africa and Asia.

WHAT IS THE PAPAL CONCLAVE: INSIDE THE ANCIENT PROCESS OF CHOOSING THE NEXT POPE

"This will be the most diverse conclave in the history of the church," FioRito said.

But this diversity could spell a departure from some of the defining focuses of Francis’ pontificate, such as his emphasis on "synodality," that is, gatherings of small groups from around the world to discuss questions of theology and church practice.

FioRito sees this next conclave, which she said will likely begin May 5, as a question of whether the next pope will be a man who continues Francis’ legacy or shifts the church’s focus to problems like persecution and poverty, which are major issues in countries like Nigeria, Pakistan and India.

In Nigeria alone, where about half of the population is Christian, 3,100 Christians were killed and 2,830 were kidnapped in 2024, according a report by international religious freedom watchdog Open Doors. 

BISHOP BARRON REACTS TO DEATH OF POPE FRANCIS, PRAISES PAPACY MARKED BY 'MERCY AND EVANGELIZATION'

In this sense, FioRito predicted that the African cardinals, who now form a significant voting bloc in the conclave, will play a major role in selecting the next pope.

She explained that the African church has a very different set of priorities, which have been shaped in large part by the realities of rapid growth coupled with intense persecution.

"We're concerned about things like climate change, and they're concerned about not being locked in a church and set on fire," she explained. "They're not sitting around at these tables for 10 discussing great ideas. They just want to make sure their kid gets to school without getting shot and they can pay their rent this month."

With that will come a desire to select a pope who will respect the African church as an equal and who will stand against "ideological colonization" from the West with concepts like climate change, abortion and gender ideology.

TRUMP, WORLD LEADERS REACT TO THE DEATH OF POPE FRANCIS

"The cardinals in Africa are very sensitive to this kind of ideological colonization where they're not being colonized in the traditional way, but the ideas of the West are coming in and attempting to change African culture with Western ideas without listening to the people first," she said.

With this in mind, FioRito pointed to Hungarian Cardinal Péter Erdő, who at 71 is young enough to be selected and is seen by many as a "John Paul II-type personality." He is respected by both the Pope Francis synodality camps as well as the African bishops.

Another candidate, FioRito said, who could possibly "bridge the gap" between the different worlds is American-born Cardinal Robert Prevost, who currently serves as the president of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America. However, FioRito noted that Prevost may be less likely if cardinals "don't want to see so much of the world's power concentrated in the United States."

FioRito also predicted issues of modernity versus tradition, which have spelled some of the most significant controversies during Francis’ pontificate in the West, will also play a factor.

WHO COULD BE THE NEXT POPE?

She said that amid a general decline in faith in the West, there has been a palpable shift in young people embracing more traditional forms of worship in the church, such as the traditional Latin Mass.

"That's where the 20-somethings are going to Mass," she said. "In a world where there's so much crassness and vulgarity, you have something here that's timeless and just kind of transports you to another world."

Despite this, she said the issue of the traditional Latin Mass is more of a "niche liturgical issue that I don't think is going to have much impact."

FioRito noted that, unlike political elections, the selection of the next pope is less about a set of issues or policies, but instead is more about the man himself.

5 WAYS POPE FRANCIS IMPACTED THE CATHOLIC CHURCH

"I wouldn't phrase it in terms of issues, as if we're talking about the economy or migration. We're looking at individual men and asking ourselves, who can serve the church best at this moment and who is the person best equipped to take on this international role?" she said.

"The holy father's role is to be a center of unity for the church in preaching the message and the gospel," FioRito went on. "So, it's looking at individual people, their strengths, their weaknesses, their backgrounds, what limitations they might have. And then really, in a very prayerful way, asking, what does the church need now in a new pope?"

"My sense of it," she went on, "I think the cardinals need to be looking at the church today globally and not just in their own backyards, but globally and saying, ‘Who is the man who can best take the church forward into this new era?'" 

Iran and the U.S. began negotiations in Oman on Saturday over Tehran's advancing nuclear program, and the talks will likely depend on the Islamic Republic's enrichment of uranium.

According to Iranian state media, the talks began on Saturday in Oman's capital of Muscat. But Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and U.S. Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff offered no immediate details on the talks.

Araghchi arrived on Friday in Oman and met with Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi, who had mediated the two earlier rounds of talks in Muscat and Rome. Araghchi was seen heading to the talks late Saturday morning.

TRUMP SAYS HE'LL BE 'LEADING THE PACK' TO WAR WITH IRAN IF DEAL PROSPECTS WHITHER AWAY

Witkoff arrived on Saturday for the talks that were expected to begin in the coming hours.

The negotiations seek to limit Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for the U.S. lifting some economic sanctions it has imposed on the Islamic Republic.

U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened to launch airstrikes targeting Iran’s program if a deal is not reached. Iranian officials warn that they could pursue a nuclear weapon with their stockpile of uranium enriched to near weapons-grade levels.

Iran's nuclear deal in 2015 with foreign nations limited Tehran's program before Trump unilaterally withdrew from the agreement in 2018, leading to years of conflict and tensions.

Trump reiterated that he hoped negotiations would lead to a new nuclear deal, although he still suggested the possibility of a military strike if a deal was not reached.

"The Iran situation is coming out very well," Trump said on Air Force One as he traveled to Rome for Pope Francis' funeral. "We've had a lot of talks with them and I think we're going to have a deal. I'd much rather have a deal than the other alternative. That would be good for humanity."

FETTERMAN CALLS FOR BOMBING IRANIAN NUCLEAR FACILITIES: 'WASTE THAT S---'

"There are some people that want to make a different kind of a deal — a much nastier deal — and I don’t want that to happen to Iran if we can avoid it," he added.

The funeral for Pope Francis, who was 88 years old when he died on April 21, is expected to be widely attended by not only the faithful, who are expected to travel worldwide for the event, but also by world leaders. 

Some 130 delegations confirmed they will travel to Rome for the funeral at St. Peter's Basilica, including roughly 50 heads of state and at least another 10 world leaders.

President Donald Trump will travel with his wife, first lady Melania Trump, who is a Roman Catholic, for the funeral in a show of respect despite the fact the president and the pope at times butted heads. 

Neither Vice President JD Vance, who visited the pope on the eve of his death, nor his wife, Usha, are expected to be at the funeral. 

Former President Joe Biden is expected to be in attendance, according to Italian media reports.

TRUMP WILL ATTEND POPE FRANCIS' FUNERAL IN ROME DESPITE CONTENTIOUS PAST: 'LOOK FORWARD TO BEING THERE!'

Just as his father, now-King Charles III, represented the late Queen Elizabeth II at the funeral of Pope John Paul II in 2005, the eldest son and next in line for the throne, Prince William, will attend the funeral on Saturday.

His family is not expected to be with him, though Prime Minister Kier Starmer is expected to attend the pontiff’s funeral.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni reportedly canceled travel plans to Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan so she could attend the pope’s funeral. 

In a tribute to Pope Francis posted on social media the day he died, Meloni said, "I had the privilege of enjoying his friendship, his advice, his teachings, which never ceased, not even during times of trial and suffering."

MILEI, POPE FRANCIS EMBRACE IN ROME DESPITE PAST INSULTS

Javier Milei, president of Pope Francis’ native country of Argentina, confirmed he would make the journey to pay his respects to the man of whom he was often critical.

In a statement issued after the pope's death, Milei said, "Despite differences that seem minor today, having been able to know him in his goodness and wisdom was a true honor for me."

Ireland, a Catholic nation, will be represented by both President Michael Higgins and Prime Minister Martin for the pontiff’s funeral.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed he will attend Pope Francis’ funeral at St. Peter’s Basilica, and in a tribute to the pontiff, he said, "We remember his prayers for peace in Ukraine. Our state will be represented in Rome at the farewell ceremony this coming Saturday."

Zelenskyy last visited the pope in October 2024.

EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen confirmed she will attend the pope’s funeral in what will mark the first event she and Trump have attended since he took office.

Many other world leaders are expected to attend, though notably leaders from adversarial nations like Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping, as well as leaders of nations the pope was critical of over human rights concerns, like Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, will not be in attendance on Saturday.

Pope Francis’ funeral will be held on Saturday at 10:00 a.m. local Rome time (4:00 a.m. ET) and more than 200,000 people are expected to attend the deceased Vicar of Christ’s services.

Thousands of mourners have taken to the Vatican this week to pay their final respects to Pope Francis following his death on Monday.

The funeral Mass will be held on the parvis of St. Peter’s Basilica, and His Most Reverend Eminence Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, Dean of the College of Cardinals, will preside over the Catholic rites and blessings.

Mass will begin with an Entrance Antiphon, typically sung or recited by clergy and mourners.

FOX NEWS TO AIR SPECIAL LIVE COVERAGE OF POPE FRANCIS' FUNERAL ON SATURDAY

Then, the congregation will acknowledge their sins with the Penitential Act followed by the Collect, or opening prayer.

Cardinal Battista will then extend the First Reading, a reading from the Acts of the Apostles, to the congregation of worshipers.

The Responsorial Psalm "The Lord is my Shepherd," or "Psalm 23," is to be sung. The Second Reading, a reading from the Letter of Saint Paul to the Philippians, typically recited by an instituted lector at a pope’s funeral, will be heard among parishioners.

The Acclamation and the Gospel will follow.

Cardinal Battista will give the Homily, a reflection, which includes prayer for Pope Francis, the faithful departed and the congregation. The dean of the Roman Catholic Church's College of Cardinals will consecrate the Body and Blood of Christ and invite the faithful to receive Holy Communion following the Communion Rite, or the Our Father prayer.

THEOLOGIAN ON ‘CONCLAVE’ ACCURACY, EXPECTATIONS FOR NEXT SECRETIVE EVENT AFTER POPE FRANCIS' DEATH

Requiem Aeternam, a chant often heard among funeral-goers, is to be recited during Communion, followed by a prayer.

Cardinal Battista will offer a final Commendation and Farewell including the Prayer of the Church in Rome and the Prayer of Eastern Churches.

The funeral liturgy "I Know That My Redeemer Lives" will be sung or chanted by the congregation, and Mass will conclude with the Canticle of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Pope Francis will be buried in a wooden casket at the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, a place he often visited with flowers during his 12-year papacy.

POPE FRANCIS EMPHASIZED CATHOLICISM GLOBALLY, REACHED BEYOND US, EUROPE INTO IMPOVERISHED NATIONS

The Novendiali, an ancient and customary nine-day period of prayer, remembrance and mourning, will begin on the day of Pope Francis’ funeral on the parvis of St. Peter’s Basilica.

Pope Francis’ Holy Mass led by His Most Reverend Eminence Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, Dean of the College of Cardinals, will commence the nine Masses in memory of the deceased pontiff.

While the Masses are open to public audiences, they are specifically held for employees and faithful of Vatican City.

The schedule is as follows, according to the Vatican:

POPE FRANCIS TO LIE IN STATE, MOURNERS WELCOME: WHAT TO EXPECT FROM THE PONTIFF'S FUNERAL

Indian and Pakistani soldiers briefly exchanged fire along their highly militarized frontier in the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir, Indian officials said Friday, as tensions soared between the nuclear-armed rivals following a deadly attack on tourists.

India has described the massacre in which gunmen killed 26 people, most of them Indian, as a "terror attack" and accused Pakistan of backing it. Pakistan denied any connection to the attack near the resort town of Pahalgam in India-controlled Kashmir. It was claimed by a previously unknown militant group calling itself the Kashmir Resistance.

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

With the region on edge, three Indian army officials said that Pakistani soldiers fired at an Indian position in Kashmir late Thursday. The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity in keeping with departmental policy, said Indian soldiers retaliated and no casualties were reported.

Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs declined to comment on the report.

Tensions rise

Tuesday’s attack in Kashmir was the worst assault in years targeting civilians in the restive region. Since then, tensions have risen dangerously between India and Pakistan, which have fought two of their three wars over Kashmir, which is split between them and claimed by both in its entirety.

On Wednesday, India suspended a crucial water-sharing treaty that has withstood two wars between the countries and closed their only functional land border crossing. A day later, India revoked all visas issued to Pakistani nationals with effect from Sunday.

Pakistan responded angrily that it has nothing to do with the attack, and canceled visas issued to Indian nationals, closed its airspace for all Indian-owned or Indian-operated airlines and suspended all trade with India. Nationals from both sides began heading back to their home countries through the Wagah border near Pakistan’s eastern city of Lahore on Friday.

Islamabad also warned that any Indian attempt to stop or divert the flow of water would be considered an "act of war." The suspension of the water treaty could lead to water shortages at a time when parts of Pakistan are already struggling with drought and declining rainfall.

Pakistan has also warned it could suspend the Simla Agreement — in what would be a major and worrying step. The peace treaty signed after the 1971 India-Pakistan war established the Line of Control, a highly militarized de facto border that divides Kashmir between the countries.

The United Nations has urged India and Pakistan "to exercise maximum restraint and to ensure that the situation and the developments we’ve seen do not deteriorate any further."

"Any issues between Pakistan and India, we believe can be and should be resolved peacefully, through meaningful, mutual engagement," the statement said Friday.

India and Pakistan each administer a part of Kashmir. New Delhi describes all militancy there as Pakistan-backed terrorism. Pakistan denies this, and many Muslim Kashmiris consider the militants to be part of a home-grown freedom struggle.

Residents and police in southern Kashmir said Indian soldiers detonated explosives in the family homes of two suspected militants they accused of being involved in Tuesday’s attack. In the past, Indian troops have demolished homes as a way to punish militancy in Kashmir.

Authorities say they are investigating two local men and two Pakistani nationals for their alleged involvement in the attack. Officials have not elaborated or shared any evidence.

"He left home three years ago. We haven’t seen him since and nothing was ever recovered from this house despite multiple raids," said Afroza, the aunt of one of the local men accused, Asif Sheikh. The blast partially damaged the house in Monghama village that she shares with Sheikh's parents and two sisters, including blowing out its windows. It also shattered windowpanes of several other homes.

"Even if he had done the attack, why blow up the house of a poor family," Afroza, who like many women in Kashmir uses only one name, said as she wailed.

A police official and two residents in Guree village said a house there was also targeted by soldiers. The official insisted on anonymity because he was not authorized to speak with media while the two villagers feared reprisals from authorities.

Protesters take to the streets

Also Friday, hundreds of people rallied in Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistan-administered Kashmir, to denounce the suspension of the water-sharing treaty.

The demonstrators chanted slogans against Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and burned his effigy before dispersing peacefully. Similar small rallies were also held elsewhere.

Pakistan’s Senate condemned the attack, while passing a resolution denouncing New Delhi’s attempt to link Islamabad to it and the suspension of the water treaty.

Hundreds of demonstrators also took to streets in India’s capital of New Delhi, where most markets were shut in protest against the killings. They demanded action against Pakistan.

"Now our patience has run out," protester Surekha Sharma said. "Now we want revenge for this."

President Donald Trump’s patience is being tested by Russian President Vladimir Putin, who launched a barrage of airstrikes on the Ukrainian capital city of Kyiv, killing 12 people and injuring nearly 100 more this week, one day ahead of Special Envoy Steve Witkoff’s fourth visit to Moscow.

Trump told reporters Friday he believes it is "possible" and even "very probable" his administration will negotiate a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine. 

"I think, in the end, we're going to end up with a lot of good deals, including tariff deals and trade deals. We're going to make our country rich," Trump said ahead of his departure for Rome. "We're going to try and get out of war so that we can save 5,000 people a week. That's what my aim is."

TRUMP'S 'STOP' MESSAGE TO PUTIN ECHOES BIDEN'S 'DON'T' FROM 2022

Trump repeated that he has no deadline for a deal, only that one must be ironed out "as fast as possible."

He made his comments one week after the U.S. threatened to abandon talks if Russia and Ukraine didn’t soon reach a deal and one day after Trump issued a direct message to Putin on social media to "stop" bombing Ukraine. 

"I am not happy with the Russian strikes on KYIV. Not necessary, and very bad timing. Vladimir, STOP! 5,000 soldiers a week are dying. Let’s get the peace deal DONE," he wrote. 

Trump also conceded that his repeated claims from the campaign trail that he would have the war in Ukraine stopped within 24 hours of taking office were not based on realistic goals but were "figurative."

"I said that as an exaggeration," he told reporters, again blaming the war on his predecessor, President Biden.

But it appears Trump’s verbal warnings to Putin have fallen on deaf ears, similar to the results of Biden’s verbal warnings. Trump has repeatedly accused Biden of being partly at fault for the war, though he has not explained why. 

Former Moscow CIA Station Chief Dan Hoffman said he and other security experts repeatedly warned that, under the Biden administration, Ukraine was not sufficiently armed to adequately take on Russia. 

"After failing to deter Putin's invasion, the Biden administration just kept Ukraine in the fight but didn't give Ukraine a chance to punch back fast enough or hard enough," he said.

"There are three options," Hoffman added, explaining how the U.S. can use its position as leverage over Moscow. "One, entice Russia. That's what Trump is trying to do with trade deals and eliminating sanctions. And Putin has kind of plowed through that by rejecting confidence-building ceasefire deals.

TRUMP INSISTS UKRAINE-RUSSIA PEACE DEAL IS CLOSE, BUT MISTRUST IN PUTIN LEAVES EXPERTS SKEPTICAL

"The second option is to make Putin pay on the battlefield so that he feels so much pain he has to stop the invasion," he added. "We convince Putin that we're going to rearm Ukraine by saying, 'We've offered you a great deal. You don't want the deal, we're going to arm the Ukrainians.

"The third option is to just walk away and let Europe fend for themselves and support Ukraine as much as they can. We would run the risk that Russia would take more territory from Ukraine. That would be a victory for Russia and its allies – China, North Korea and Iran.

"Let them do it, and then you'll pay the price everywhere else in the world," Hoffman warned, referring to China's threats against Taiwan. "Americans don't like to fight wars. OK, we don't like to lose wars either."

NATO CHIEF SENDS MESSAGE TO RUSSIA: YOU 'ARE NOT WINNING THIS’

An official with knowledge of the talks told Fox News Digital Friday that "Ambassador Witkoff is in Russia to meet with President Putin as part of President Trump's efforts to make peace. 

"It's long past time for the death and destruction to stop, to move past the failed strategies of the past and for an end to this devastating conflict," the official added without commenting on the "substance of negotiations."

A report by Axios this week suggested the White House had extended a "final offer" to Ukraine and Russia that called on Kyiv to recognize Russia's occupation of nearly all the Luhansk region and the occupied areas of the Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions.

It also said the U.S. would agree to recognize Crimea, which Putin illegally seized from Ukraine in 2014, as now legally a part of Russia, and that Washington would lift sanctions. 

Neither the White House nor the National Security Council responded to Fox News Digital’s repeated questions about whether there will be consequences for Putin should he fail to enter into an agreement with Ukraine.

The administration also did not comment on why it believes Putin wants to enter into an agreement with the U.S. when security officials have repeatedly warned otherwise. 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has already said he will not acknowledge Crimea as a part of Russia but rather as Ukrainian land illegally occupied by Russia.

Zelenskyy also on Thursday posted a 2018 "Crimea declaration" by Trump's first-term Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, which said, "No country can change the borders of another by force" in a move to signify Trump’s apparent position change that now favors Russia.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the Kremlin is "ready to reach a deal" to end the war in Ukraine, which has been raging for more than three years.

In an excerpt of an interview that is set to air in full on Sunday, Lavrov told CBS News that he agreed with President Donald Trump's assertion that talks between Ukraine and Russia were "moving in the right direction." 

TRUMP TELLS PUTIN 'STOP' AFTER DEADLY RUSSIAN STRIKES ON KYIV

Lavrov’s comments came after Trump criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin and demanded he halt the deadly strikes in Ukraine. 

"I am not happy with the Russian strikes on KYIV. Not necessary, and very bad timing. Vladimir, STOP! 5,000 soldiers a week are dying. Let’s get the peace deal DONE," Trump wrote.

However, Lavrov also told CBS News that there were "some specific points, elements of the deal, which need to be fine-tuned," but did not explain what was being negotiated.

Lavrov also apparently made it clear to CBS News that Russia would not give up Crimea, which the country seized from Ukraine in 2014. However, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said this week that his country would not recognize Russian control of Crimea, as it would go against Ukraine’s constitution. Trump slammed Zelenskyy over the "inflammatory" remark and said in a post on Truth Social that the comment was "very harmful" to peace efforts.

"It’s inflammatory statements like Zelenskyy’s that make it so difficult to settle this war," Trump wrote. In the same post, he said it was time for Russia and Ukraine to "get it done" and reach an agreement.

TRUMP INSISTS UKRAINE-RUSSIA PEACE DEAL IS CLOSE, BUT MISTRUST IN PUTIN LEAVES EXPERTS SKEPTICAL

Putin has yet to agree to a U.S. proposal to stop the war, and it remains unclear what exactly would get him to sign a deal. However, the Trump administration is still optimistic about its efforts to end the deadly conflict.

When speaking to reporters in the Oval Office on Thursday, Trump said that he thinks both Ukraine and Russia "want peace right now" and that "they’re ready to do something." He then asked Secretary of State Marco Rubio to weigh in on the status of the peace negotiations.

"This war is endable. Both sides just have to agree to it," Rubio told reporters. He also said there were "good meetings over the weekend," which were presumably focused on ending the conflict.

Rubio added that the results of Russia’s deadly strikes on Ukraine should remind the world why it’s so important to see peace in the region.

A Russian general was killed Friday in a car bombing outside of Moscow, according to Russia’s top criminal investigation agency.

The Investigative Committee said that Lt. Gen. Yaroslav Moskalik, a deputy head of the main operational department in the General Staff of the Russian armed forces, was killed by an explosive device placed in his car in Balashikha.

The explosive device was rigged with shrapnel, Investigative Committee spokesperson Svetlana Petrenko said. The perpetrator of the blast is unclear. 

The attack comes as White House envoy Steve Witkoff arrived in Moscow Friday for a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The Trump administration is trying to broker a deal to end the war in Ukraine.

UKRAINIAN OFFICIAL TAKES CREDIT AFTER RUSSIAN GENERAL IGOR KIRILLOV, WHO WAS KILLED BY EXPLOSIVE DEVICE IN MOSCOW

Images taken at the scene of the bombing showed a burned Volkswagen Golf car outside an apartment building in Balashikha.

The attack also happened following the killing of Lt. Gen. Igor Kirillov, who died on Dec. 17 in Moscow when a bomb hidden on an electric scooter parked outside his apartment building exploded as he left for his office. 

Russian authorities blamed Ukraine for the killing of Kirillov, and Ukraine's security agency acknowledged that it was behind that attack.

That bombing came one day after Ukrainian Security Services charged Kirillov with crimes. The explosive in that incident had the power of roughly 300 grams of TNT, according to Russian state news agency Tass.

Kirillov was charged by Ukraine with using banned chemical weapons on the battlefield. Several countries had also placed him under sanctions for his role in the war against Ukraine, the AP reported.

Fox News Digital's Elizabeth Pritchett, Anders Hagstrom, Greg Wehner and the Associated Press contributed to this report.

The World Economic Forum – the globalist body that hosts its annual gathering of elites in Davos, Switzerland – is supporting an independent investigation into whistle-blower allegations brought against its founder, Klaus Schwab, Fox News Digital has confirmed. 

The whistleblower complaint was first reported by the Wall Street Journal on Tuesday, a day after Schwab, 87, stepped down as chairman and as a member of the Board of Trustees, effective immediately. 

According to the Journal, an anonymous whistleblower penned a letter to the board – which includes former Vice President Al Gore, Jordan's Queen Rania and European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde as members – alleging financial and ethical misconduct by Schwab and his wife, Hilde. The claims included that Schwab allegedly tapped subordinates to withdraw thousands of dollars from ATMs on his behalf and used WEF funds to pay for private, in-room massages at hotels. 

WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM FOUNDER KLAUS SCHWAB STEPS DOWN FROM GLOBALIST BODY'S BOARD

The letter reportedly also alleged his wife, a former WEF staffer, arranged "token" meetings funded by the forum to rationalize luxury holiday travel on the organization's tab. 

A spokesperson for the Schwab family denied all allegations about luxury travel and withdrawing money, telling the Journal that Klaus Schwab would always pay the forum back for any massages charged to hotels while traveling. The spokesperson also told the Journal that the family plans to file a lawsuit against whoever was responsible for the whistle-blower letter and "anybody who spreads these mistruths." 

The Journal reported that the board convened an emergency meeting on Easter Sunday about the whistle-blower allegations to consider a course of action. 

"The Board of Trustees of the World Economic Forum unanimously supported the Audit and Risk Committee’s decision to initiate an independent investigation following a whistleblower letter containing allegations against former Chairman Klaus Schwab," the WEF said in a statement obtained by Fox News Digital. "This decision was made after consultation with external legal counsel and in line with the Forum’s fiduciary responsibilities." 

"The investigation will be led by the Audit and Risk Committee with the support of independent legal experts," the statement continued. "The Committee will move expediently to determine its processes and parameters and will share its progress with the Board. While the Forum takes these allegations seriously, it emphasizes that they remain unproven, and will await the outcome of the investigation to comment further."

TRUMP'S DAVOS COMMENTS REIGNITE DEBANKING CONTROVERSY

"Under the interim chairmanship of Peter Brabeck-Letmathe and the continued leadership of President and CEO Børge Brende, the Forum remains fully committed to its mission and responsibilities." 

In announcing Schwab's departure on Monday, WEF said its board "acknowledged the outstanding achievements of the retired" Schwab. 

"He created the leading global platform for dialogue and progress, and the Board expressed its gratitude for his 55 years of relentless leadership at the helm of the Forum," the WEF said in a statement. "At a time when the world is undergoing rapid transformation, the need for inclusive dialogue to navigate complexity and shape the future has never been more critical. The Board of Trustees of the World Economic Forum underlines the importance of remaining steadfast in its mission and values as a facilitator of progress. Building on its trusted role, the Forum will continue to bring together leaders from all sectors and regions to exchange insights and foster collaboration." 

The annual meeting in Davos for years has brought together top business executives, government leaders, academics, international organizations, cultural figures, sports legends and celebrities for conversations on world economic affairs. 

President Donald Trump addressed the Davos meeting remotely in January, just three days after his inauguration. 

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"What the world has witnessed in the past 72 hours is nothing less than a revolution of common sense," Trump said, speaking of his plan to begin a "Golden Age" for America. "Our country will soon be stronger, wealthier and more united than ever before, and the entire planet will be more peaceful and prosperous as a result of this incredible momentum and what we're doing and going to do." 

French police arrested a student Thursday after he allegedly killed another student and injured three others in a stabbing attack at his private Catholic school. 

The 15-year-old attacker was overpowered by teachers at the Notre-Dame-de-Toutes-Aides High School in Nantes before police arrived, a law enforcement spokesperson told Reuters. 

"A knife attack took place this afternoon at a private school in Nantes," Education Minister Elisabeth Borne wrote on X. "I am going there with [Interior Minister] Bruno Retailleau to express my solidarity with the victims and my support for the educational community." 

The student stabbed four students with a knife during a lunch break, according to the Associated Press. 

AMSTERDAM KNIFE ATTACKER WHO INJURED 2 AMERICANS SUSPECTED OF HAVING ‘TERRORIST MOTIVE,’ PROSECUTORS SAY 

Police told Reuters that there was nothing to indicate a terrorist motive. 

Students at the school told French media at the scene that they had received an email from the assailant earlier in the day with unspecified grievances. 

FRENCH RIGHT-WING LEADER MARINE LE PEN FOUND GUILTY OF EMBEZZLING PUBLIC FUNDS, BARRED FROM RUNNING FOR OFFICE 

The attacker was dressed in all black clothing and wore a helmet and balaclava, Reuters also reported, citing local newspaper Ouest France. 

Photos taken near the school showed a heavy security presence Thursday. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

TEL AVIV – Israel came to a standstill as the entire country ground to a halt in memory of the 6 million Jews murdered by the Nazis during the Holocaust.

Israel’s official state ceremony, held under the banner "Out of the Depths: The Pain of Liberation and Growth," took place on Wednesday night, with a shadow still cast over the nation by the Oct. 7 massacre, the ongoing war against Hamas, and the 59 people, including Americans, still being held by Palestinian terrorists in Gaza.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu drew a connection between the Holocaust and the current threats facing Israel: "Eighty years ago, the Jewish people were defenseless. Today, we are no longer helpless. The State of Israel is strong, the IDF is strong, and we will do whatever is necessary to return our hostages and defeat our enemies," he said.

"No decision, no resolution can prevent us from settling the score with these despicable, terrible barbarians, who are as bad as the Nazis, who kidnapped, murdered and raped our loved ones," added Netanyahu, in reference to Hamas.

SKYROCKETING ANTISEMITISM IN CANADA SPARKS CONCERN FOR COUNTRY'S JEWS AHEAD OF ELECTION

President Donald Trump issued a proclamation to mark the solemn occasion. "The price to humanity of the lives lost during the Shoah can never be fully grasped or understood. Yet, even in the wake of the Holocaust, a self-determined Jewish homeland rose from the ashes as the modern State of Israel," he noted.

"Sadly, our nation has borne witness to the worst outbreak of antisemitism on American soil in generations. Nearly every day following the deadly October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, Jewish Americans were threatened on our streets and in our public square – a reminder that the poison of antisemitism tragically still exists," he added.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog vowed during the country's main remembrance event to never allow another genocide to be perpetrated against the Jewish people.

"From this mountain of memory, Yad Vashem, we declare: We will not forget, we will not forgive and we will not remain silent. Not in the face of Hamas, not in the face of Iran, and not in the face of those who wish us harm – whether with missiles, machetes, or lies," he said.

During the event, Holocaust survivor Gad Fartouk, 93, lit one of six memorial torches, before reciting a prayer: "May all the hostages come home soon. Amen."

Herzog on Thursday traveled to Poland to lead the March of the Living at the former Auschwitz-Birkenau extermination camp. This year, 80 survivors aged 80 to 97, many of whom were liberated from Nazi death camps, were joined by an Israeli delegation of 10 freed hostages.

"We will never forget or forgive the horrors of the Holocaust. Yet every representative who has come here from the Oct. 7 delegation is a triumph of light for the Jewish people, and a reminder that the Jewish people will exist for eternity," said former captive Eli Sharabi, who is marching in memory of his brother Yossi, whose body is still being held in Gaza.

HAMAS TERROR GROUP REPORTEDLY BUCKLING UNDER FINANCIAL STRAIN AMID ISRAELI MILITARY GAINS AND GROWING UNREST

"The Jewish people sanctify life, not death. We come here with the hope that the covenant between the state and its citizens will be honored – that all the hostages will return, both the living to their homes and the fallen to a proper burial," he added.

Also participating were family members of those murdered or still held captive, as well as relatives who have lost loved ones during the 18-month-long war.

Among the other participants was Merrill Eisenhower Atwater, great-grandson of Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower, who led the Allied push to liberate Europe. This year’s March paid special tribute to the Allied forces who liberated the Nazi camps 80 years ago.

Approximately 120,000 Holocaust survivors who immigrated to Israel remain alive, according to official data, with around 13,000 others having died in the past year. Some 2,500 survivors were impacted by Hamas’ Oct. 7 attacks, with most having been evacuated to safety from their homes.

A recent report titled "Vanishing Witnesses: An Urgent Analysis of the Declining Population of Holocaust Survivors," projects that just half of these survivors will be living in six years, with just 30%, or about 66,250, remaining in 2035. By 2040, just 22,080 survivors will remain.

Established in 1951, Yom Hashoah is observed annually in Israel on the 27th day of the Hebrew calendar month of Nissan, falling some time in April or May, with ceremonies, programs and survivor testimonies taking place across Jewish communities worldwide.

India is vowing to hunt down terrorists "to the ends of the earth" Thursday as tensions with Pakistan escalate in the wake of a shooting in India's Kashmir region that left 26 people dead.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said at a public rally that "India will identify, track and punish every terrorist, their handlers and their backers." 

"We will pursue them to the ends of the earth," he reportedly added. 

Tuesday's attack was the worst assault in years targeting civilians in the restive region that has seen an anti-India rebellion for more than three decades. Gunmen opened fire on mostly tourists who were visiting a popular scenic meadow, killing 26 and injuring 17, according to Reuters. 

INDIA DOWNGRADES TIES WITH PAKISTAN AFTER ATTACK ON KASHMIR TOURISTS 

The Indian government did not publicly produce any evidence connecting the attack to its neighbor, but said it had "cross-border" links to Pakistan. However, Pakistan denied any connection to the attack, which was claimed by a militant group that called itself the Kashmir Resistance. 

Indian authorities said Thursday that all visas issued to Pakistani nationals will be revoked with effect from Sunday, adding that all Pakistanis currently in India must leave before their visas expire based on the revised timeline. The country also announced other measures, including cutting the number of diplomatic staff and closing the only functional land border crossing between the countries. 

TRUMP EXTENDS ‘DEEPEST SYMPATHIES’ AFTER GUNMEN KILL 20 IN INDIA’S KASHMIR REGION 

In response, Pakistan closed its airspace for all Indian-owned or Indian-operated airlines and suspended all trade with India including to and from any third country. 

Pakistan’s National Security Committee also condemned India’s "belligerent measures." It said that while Pakistan remained committed to peace, it would never allow anyone to "transgress its sovereignty, security, dignity and inalienable rights." 

President Donald Trump extended his "deepest sympathies" on Tuesday following the attack. 

"Deeply disturbing news out of Kashmir," Trump wrote on his TRUTH Social account. "The United States stands strong with India against Terrorism. We pray for the souls of those lost, and for the recovery of the injured. Prime Minister Modi, and the incredible people of India, have our full support and deepest sympathies. Our hearts are with you all!"  

Fox News Digital’s Danielle Wallace and the Associated Press contributed to this report. 

Since Israel's near annihilation of Hezbollah's terror leadership, and the backing of the Trump administration, whose special envoy to Lebanon has made clear the U.S. goal of limiting the power and influence of the Iran-terror proxy, the winds of change are slowly blowing over Beirut.

"Thanks to Hezbollah being weakened and defeated after the war with Israel, we are finally in a position to have this conversation about peace with Israel," Rami Naim, Lebanon affairs journalist and analyst for Jusoor News, told Fox News Digital. "In the past the intelligence investigated me and took me to jail because I said we want peace with Israel, but now I say it openly, yes, we want normalization, and yes, we want peace with Israel without fear." Naim was personally attacked by Hezbollah last year for his outspoken views.

The weakening of Hezbollah, Iran’s proxy, and the election of Joseph Aoun as Lebanon’s president in January 2025, represents a turning point in the country’s political trajectory. After more than two years of political deadlock, Aoun’s election was seen as a victory for the anti-Hezbollah camp, and has seemingly made the shift in public opinion regarding peace with Israel more palatable.

LEBANON'S NEW PRESIDENT STRIKES A NATIONALISTIC TONE AMID REGIONAL SHIFTS, FURTHER WEAKENING OF HEZBOLLAH

Touting the U.S. president, Naim said, "We believe Trump will put things back on track and work toward peace, aiming for a major peace deal between Lebanon and Israel, which will require increased pressure on Iran." 

Interviews conducted by Jussor, a pan-Arab media outlet, have highlighted that many Lebanese citizens are now willing to consider normalization with Israel. One Lebanese man, interviewed on camera with his face showing, shared his hope: "I believe a day will come when there will be normalization with Israel. It will take time, but it will happen eventually." 

Another interviewee echoed similar sentiments: "Israel wants peace. They don’t want war. They are cleaning things up so war doesn’t happen, and we want peace too. We’re exhausted."

Morgan Ortagus, U.S. deputy special envoy for Middle East Peace, has emphasized the necessity of disarming Hezbollah to stabilize Lebanon and pave the way for peace in the region. 

In an interview with Al Arabiya earlier this month, she described Hezbollah as a "cancer" within Lebanon that must be removed for the country to have any hope of recovery. She said, "When you have cancer, you don’t treat part of the cancer in your body and let the rest of it grow and fester; you cut the cancer out." Ortagus also criticized Iran for fueling regional instability and dragging Lebanon into conflicts it did not seek. She noted, "The government of Lebanon didn’t want to go to war with Israel. It was on Oct. 8, 2023, that Hezbollah and Iran decided to get into the war… people were forced into a war that nobody wanted to be in."

"We are grateful to our ally Israel for defeating Hezbollah," Ortagus said at a news conference in Beirut’s southeastern suburb of Baabda after a meeting with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, the Associated Press reported.

Naim said that while the public may be ready for peace, it is the Lebanese political elite that must take action. "We need America to keep pressure on Lebanon’s corrupt politicians, who have enabled Hezbollah to rebuild its military capabilities… These politicians must publicly endorse peace. It’s not just activists and journalists who should be saying it. The decision-makers must step forward."

ISRAEL DEGRADES IRAN-BACKED HEZBOLLAH TERRORISTS IN SPECTACULAR PAGER EXPLOSION OPERATION: EXPERTS

Naim’s call for international intervention underscores the continued importance of U.S. influence in Lebanon’s political direction. "We have suffered under the Biden and Obama administrations, as well as those who have made compromises and deals with Iran behind our backs, disregarding our interests," Naim said. 

"During Trump’s first term, there was significant pressure on Iran, which had posed aggression in the region. However, when Trump left the White House, Iran rebuilt its capabilities and grew stronger. Now, we have big hopes for Trump’s second term. His return to the White House would change the equation. What makes us optimistic about Trump is that he fulfills his promises and conducts negotiations from a position of strength, not weakness."

While there is growing support for peace with Israel, the issue of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon remains a significant hurdle. One man interviewed by Jussor News pointed out, "I believe the whole region is heading toward peace. But we have our demands – you can’t have 500,000 Palestinians living here, then the Israelis come make peace and normalization, and leave them all here with us." 

Another woman told Jussor: "We are for peace in Lebanon. Not fighting other people’s wars which are not in Lebanon’s interests. Neutrality, as our patriarch said: enough already. We shouldn’t be looking for excuses or saying, ‘We want to liberate Palestine’ while we keep destroying Lebanon. The Palestinians told us, ‘Relax, we don’t need anything from you.’"

"The Lebanese people are divided, but not into two equal parts," said Naim. "The majority of the Lebanese people today are supportive of normalization and peace with Israel. This is no longer a taboo in Lebanon. Lebanese citizens can say today, ‘I am supportive of peace and normalization because I have suffered from these failed wars. The Israelis want peace, and we want peace. We want to live in peace. So it’s a win-win situation.’"

The Trump administration is warning of "serious consequences" over Russia’s plans to open a naval base in war-torn Sudan. News of the development of the base has triggered an unusual warning from the State Department, Fox News Digital was told.

A State Department spokesperson told Fox News Digital, "We encourage all countries, including Sudan, to avoid any transactions with Russia’s defense sector."

The Kremlin appears to be desperate to join the Horn of Africa global powers "naval club," with its approved plans for a base for warships and nuclear-powered submarines at Port Sudan. This is not far down the Indian Ocean coast from Djibouti, where there are U.S. and Chinese bases. With the new Syrian government likely to kick the Russians out of their base in Tartus, Port Sudan would be Russia’s only foreign naval base.

"Moscow views Sudan, because of its strategic location, as a logical place to expand Russia’s footprint into Africa, which Putin views as a key place of geopolitical confrontation with the United States and China," Rebekah Koffler, a strategic military intelligence analyst, told Fox News Digital. 

WORLD FORGETS ‘CATASTROPHIC’ WAR IN SUDAN AS RUSSIA, IRAN, OTHERS REPORTEDLY FEED FIGHTING WITH ARMS

"Russia views the U.S. and China as its top adversaries, with whom Moscow may in the long-term have a kinetic conflict. Hence, Putin wants intelligence and military capabilities stationed close to the U.S. Djibouti base and Chinese facilities," she said.

"Given that the U.S. and China already have [a] naval presence off of the Horn of Africa," Koffler added, "Russia is looking at Port Sudan as a logistics hub for weapons transfers, storage of military hardware ammunition, all sorts of war-fighting capabilities."

"The potential Russian naval logistics facility in Sudan would support Russian power projection in the Red Sea and Indian Ocean," John Hardie, deputy director of the Russia Program at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), told Fox News Digital. He added that "this issue has gained greater importance for Moscow, given the uncertainty over the future of its Tartus naval logistics facility."

A Russian naval base in the Indian Ocean has strategic military implications — it’s a relatively short sailing distance to the Red Sea and the Suez Canal, a choke point through which an estimated 12% of the world’s shipping passes, while 61% of global oil tanker traffic is also said to use the canal. Koffler said this poses a significant security threat. 

"If Russia perceives an impending escalation against Russia, let’s say in Ukraine — such as an impending deployment of NATO forces or draconian economic measures designed to tank [the] Russian economy — I would not rule out the possibility that Putin could authorize something disruptive to exploit the choke point and destabilize or disrupt global shipping, as a way of deterring Western actions threatening Russia."

The deal permitting Moscow to build a military base has been given the green light, although there are serious logistical challenges involved. "The agreement between Sudan and Russia was finalized in February, following a meeting between Sudan's Foreign Minister Ali Yusef Sharif and Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow," Koffler explained. 

US TROOPS IN STANDOFF IN AFRICAN NATIONS AS COLD WAR-LIKE TENSIONS TAKE HOLD ON CONTINENT

Hence the strongly worded comments to Fox News Digital from the State Department that "the United States is aware of the reported deal between Russia and the SAF [Sudanese Armed Forces] on establishing a Russian naval facility on Sudan’s coast. We encourage all countries, including Sudan, to avoid any transactions with Russia’s defense sector, which could trigger serious consequences, potentially including sanctions on entities or individuals associated with those transactions.

"Moving forward with such a facility or any other form of security cooperation with Russia would further isolate Sudan, deepen the current conflict, and risk further regional destabilization. "

On the (very) dry land that is Sudan, the situation Monday around the city of Al Fasher and the neighboring massive Zamzam refugee camp in the Darfur region is "horrifying," U.N. Assistant Secretary-General Tom Fletcher posted.

The civil war in Sudan, between the government’s SAF and the rebel Rapid Support Forces (RSF), has just passed its grisly second anniversary. Tens of thousands have been killed, and an estimated 13 million people have been uprooted from their homes. The U.N. describes it as the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, and UNICEF calls it "hell on earth."

"There can be no overstating the brutality and destructiveness of the RSF assault on Zamzam (refugee camp)," Sudan researcher Eric Reeves told Fox News Digital this week. "The camp that has existed since 2004 is no longer, even as it had grown to more than 500,000 people."

Ominously, Reeves added that "the real dying has only just begun. Nearly the entire population of Zamzam has fled, and in all directions the threat of RSF violence remains. This creates insecurity of a sort that prevents humanitarians from reaching these scattered people. Tremendous numbers will die either from RSF violence or the lack of food, water and shelter."

Another 30 were reported killed on Tuesday in a fresh RSF attack on Al Fasher. And just this past week, the RSF rebels announced they are setting up their own government. The State Department told Fox News Digital, "The United States is deeply concerned about the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and aligned actors’ declaration of a parallel government in Sudan. This attempt to establish a parallel government is unhelpful for the cause of peace and security and risks a de facto partition of the country."

"It will only further destabilize the country, threaten Sudan’s territorial integrity, and spread wider instability throughout the region. The United States has made clear that our interest is in the restoration of peace and an end to the threats the conflict in Sudan pose to regional stability. The best path to peace and stability is an immediate and durable cessation of hostilities so that the processes of establishing a civilian government and rebuilding the country can begin," the spokesperson said.

Caleb Weiss, editor of the FDD's Long War Journal and also a Defections Program Manager at the Bridgeway Foundation, put some of the blame for not ending the Sudanese war on the Biden administration. He told Fox News Digital that it "stopped short of seriously facilitating any sort of meaningful peace talks/mediation/or being tough on outside backers of various groups to really get them to be serious in previous negotiation attempts. This is where the Biden administration failed." 

Cardinal Robert Sarah – championed by conservatives as reflecting the doctrinaire and liturgically minded papacies of Popes John Paul II and Benedict XVI – is among those being considered to replace Pope Francis.

An African cardinal from Guinea, Sarah, 79, is viewed as a spiritual and theological standard-bearer for conservative Catholics, as critics of Francis have argued the late pope was too heavily influenced by modern secularism. 

Sarah previously headed the Vatican’s charity office Cor Unum and clashed with Francis on many occasions. 

Their ideological divide most seriously came to a head when Sarah and Benedict – who retired as acting pope in 2013 – co-authored a book titled "From the Depths of Our Hearts: Priesthood, Celibacy and the Crisis of the Catholic Church." The 2020 book advocated the "necessity" of continued celibacy for Latin Rite priests and came out as Francis was weighing whether to allow married priests in the Amazon to address a priest shortage there. 

WHERE WILL THE NEXT POPE COME FROM? ANALYSTS SAY IT COULD BE AFRICA’S TIME

As a result, Francis dismissed Benedict’s secretary, Archbishop Georg Gaenswein, from his papal household job, and several months later retired Sarah after he turned 75. The prospect of a retired pope trying to influence a reigning one created the scenario that canon lawyers and theologians had warned of when Benedict decided to retain the white cassock of the papacy in retirement as "pope emeritus." The scandal died down after Benedict removed himself as a co-author.

It's actually Sarah's 2019 book that's causing more of a stir with conservative Christians in the wake of Francis' passing. 

Sarah has described "The Day Is Now Far Spent" as his most significant book. In it, the cardinal decries how Europe and Western civilization have turned away from Christianity and suffer from ideological challenges brought by mass migration. 

By contrast, Francis had openly contradicted the Trump administration and Vice President JD Vance – a Catholic convert – over their crackdown on illegal immigration. 

Vance, one of the last dignitaries to meet with Francis on Easter Sunday before his passing, has referenced Pope John Paul II – ideologically more similar to Sarah – in recent public addresses. At the Munich Security Conference, Vance praised John Paul II as "one of the most extraordinary champions of democracy" when emphasizing the importance of Western values. The vice president also celebrated John Paul II's call for new evangelization at the National Catholic Prayer Breakfast in Washington, D.C.

Sarah co-authored two other books – "God or Nothing: A Conversation on Faith" in 2015 and The Power of Silence: Against the Dictatorship of Noise in 2017 – both with French journalist Nicolas Diat. 

Here are some key quotes by Sarah being highlighted ahead of Francis' funeral later this week. The papal conclave will convene in the coming weeks to choose a new leader of the Catholic Church. 

Sarah argued that the West has cut itself off from its Christian heritage in "The Day is Now Far Spent." 

"The West no longer knows who it is, because it no longer knows and does not want to know who made it, who established it, as it was and as it is. The West refuses to acknowledge its Christian roots."

"By losing its faith, Europe has also lost its reason to be. It is experiencing a lethal decline and is becoming a new civilization, one that is cut off from its Christian roots."​

VANCE WAS ONE OF POPE FRANCIS' LAST VISITORS

Sarah argued that gender ideology is an affront to God's creation and cannot fundamentally change whether a person is male or female in "The Day is Now Far Spent." 

"Gender ideology is a Luciferian refusal to receive a sexual nature from God."

In a March 2019 interview with the French publication "Valeurs Actuelles," Sarah reportedly criticized the role of the Catholic Church in supporting mass migration policies in Europe, noting the harm caused to the migrants themselves. 

"All migrants who arrive in Europe are penniless, without work, without dignity," Sarah reportedly said. "This is what the Church wants? The Church cannot cooperate with this new form of slavery that has become mass migration."​

In "The Power of Silence: Against the Dictatorship of Noise," Sarah argues that modern distractions separate humankind from God.

"Distraction is the devil’s tool for cutting man off from God."

In "God or Nothing: A Conversation on Faith," Sarah asserts that one's loyalty must be to Christ – rather than to popularity or politics – and repeatedly argues against moral relativism in family and societal norms. 

"The Church is not a human organization. She is not subject to the fashions of the day or the winds of doctrine. She must be faithful to Christ."

"God or nothing: there is no other choice. Those who choose God have everything. Those who choose nothing are lost."

"If truth no longer exists, if everything is relative, then man becomes a slave to his passions."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Ukrainian authorities say Russia is responsible for an overnight missile and drone attack on Kyiv that killed nine people and injured another 70, including children. 

The Kyiv City Military Administration said on its Telegram channel that Russia struck Kyiv with drones and ballistic missiles. At least 45 drones were detected, the administration said, adding that Ukraine's Air Force would update the figures later.

TRUMP SAYS ‘INFLAMMATORY’ ZELENSKYY STATEMENT ON CRIMEA PROLONGS WAR WITH RUSSIA

The attack, which began around 1:00 a.m., hit at least five neighborhoods in Kyiv. In Sviatoshynkskyi district, a fire broke out in a residential building that was damaged in the attack. More fires were reported in the Shevchenkivsky and Holosiivskyi districts.

At least 42 people were hospitalized, Ukraine's State Emergency Service said. First responders worked into the morning, finding bodies under the rubble. 

The attack came hours after peace negotiations appeared to stall, with President Donald Trump lashing out at Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, saying he was prolonging the "killing field" by pushing back on ceding Crimea to Russia as part of a potential peace plan. Later that day, Trump said "it's been harder" to deal with Zelenskyy than Russia.

Zelenskyy has said multiple times that recognizing occupied territory as Russian is a red line for his country.

Much remains unknown regarding the progress of Washington’s nuclear talks with Iran, but the head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said the international community must "trust but verify" that Tehran is engaging in good-faith negotiations. 

The U.S. and Iran are set to hold a third round of discussions on Saturday, which will deal with the technical aspects of Iran's nuclear program, as well as political negotiations, according to reports. 

IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi has applauded the U.S.-Iran negotiations mediated by Oman, but said the top nuclear agency has not yet been asked to assist in the negotiations, though he has been in communication with Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff. 

US CONFIRMS THIRD ROUND OF NUCLEAR TALKS WITH IRAN AFTER ‘VERY GOOD PROGRESS’

"I think there's a general expectation that this goes well, and that the agreement is verified by the IAEA," Grossi told reporters from Washington, D.C., on Wednesday. "It's good the United States and Iran have a direct conversation. Of course, there are parallel processes.

"We have to keep our eyes on the ball. We must avoid Iran or prevent Iran from getting weapons. This is the objective."

Grossi said that from the perspective of not only the top nuclear agency, but from world leaders he has been in communication with, there is a "degree of expectation" that after the political agreements are hashed out between Washington and Tehran, it will be the IAEA that makes the nuclear terms "credible" and "verifiable."

"They all are expecting the IAEA to step in at the right time," he said. "We are at their service to support, to make this thing credible. In a certain sense, they may have a political agreement, but then we have to make it verifiable." 

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

Fox News Digital obtained a copy of an address Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi — who traveled to China on Wednesday to reportedly discuss progress in the nuclear negotiations — was set to give at the Carnegie International Nuclear Policy Conference, though he never delivered the address due to format change requests by Tehran that were denied by the host. 

But in his address, he was set to position Iran as a proponent of nuclear non-proliferation and said Iran’s position had been "mischaracterized."

Since the U.S.’ withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which Tehran has argued made the deal mute, Iran has significantly advanced its programs by stockpiling near-weapons-grade-enriched uranium to levels that, if further enriched, could produce five nuclear warheads, as well as its centrifuges and missile capabilities. 

When asked by Fox News Digital if Grossi assessed the Islamic Republic’s position to be honest, he said, "Trust, but verify. We need to verify."

"We are inspectors — that's the only way we build trust," he added. 

Grossi said the administration needs to identify what the end goals of this latest deal will be, as the framework of the JCPOA — widely criticized by Trump — is now very dated due to the advancements Iran has made. 

Issues like uranium stockpiles, inventories, centrifuge advances and weaponization capabilities are all on the table in the U.S.-Iran negotiations. 

"We have a much more complex field in front of us," Grossi warned. "The good thing is we know what we need to look at. We have a unique perspective of that." 

India announced a raft of measures to downgrade its ties with Pakistan on Wednesday, a day after suspected militants killed 26 men at a tourist destination in Kashmir in the worst attack on civilians in the country in nearly two decades.

Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri told a media briefing that the cross-border linkages of the attack had been "brought out" at a special meeting of the security cabinet, after which it was decided to act against Pakistan.

PROTESTS SWEEP INDIA OVER RAPE AND MURDER OF DOCTOR

He said New Delhi would suspend with immediate effect a crucial river water treaty that allows for sharing the waters of the Indus river system between the two countries.

The defence advisers in the Pakistani high commission in New Delhi were declared persona non grata and asked to leave, Misri said, adding that the overall strength of the Indian high commission in Islamabad will be reduced to 30 from 55.

The main border crossing checkpost between the two countries will be closed with immediate effect and Pakistani nationals will not be allowed to travel to India under special visas, Misri said.

At least 17 people were also injured in the shooting that took place on Tuesday in the Baisaran valley in the Pahalgam area of the scenic, Himalayan federal territory of Jammu and Kashmir. The dead included 25 Indians and one Nepalese national, police said.     

It was the worst attack on civilians in India since the 2008 Mumbai shootings, and shattered the relative calm in Kashmir, where tourism has boomed as an anti-India insurgency has waned in recent years.

A little-known militant group, the "Kashmir Resistance," claimed responsibility for the attack in a social media message. It expressed discontent that more than 85,000 "outsiders" had been settled in the region, spurring a "demographic change".

Indian security agencies say Kashmir Resistance, also known as The Resistance Front, is a front for Pakistan-based militant organisations such as Lashkar-e-Taiba and Hizbul Mujahideen.

Pakistan denies accusations that it supports militant violence in Kashmir and says it only provides moral, political and diplomatic support to the insurgency there.