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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.

Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas demanded Hamas disarm, relinquish power and release the hostages.

The Palestinian leader said that by letting the hostages go, Hamas would "shut down" Israel’s "excuses" to continue the war that began after the terror group's massacre on Oct. 7, 2023.

"The first priority is to stop the war of extermination in Gaza. It must be stopped – hundreds are being killed every day," Abbas said, according to the Times of Israel. "Why don’t you hand over the hostages?" 

The Palestinian Authority president also apparently called Hamas "sons of dogs" during his address.

HAMAS TERROR OUTLET QUIETLY CUTS GAZA DEATH COUNT, REVEALS MOST KILLED WERE COMBAT-AGE MEN

Abbas was speaking at a meeting of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Central Council, which is expected to select a deputy who could be a successor to the 89-year-old PA president.

This marks the first time since the start of the war in Gaza that Abbas has called on Hamas to transfer its authority to the PA, according to Reuters, but he has done so in the past. 

HAMAS FACES FINANCIAL SQUEEZE AMID ONGOING WAR IN GAZA

It is unclear whether Hamas will comply with Abbas’ demand, despite his assertion that it could help end the war and save Palestinian lives in Gaza. Hamas and the PA have been at odds for nearly two decades, since the terror organization seized power in 2006 and pushed the PA out of Gaza.

The international community has pushed for the PA to play a role in a "day after" plan for Gaza, but Israel has not been receptive to this idea.

The Israeli government and the Trump administration have long criticized the PA’s "pay for slay" policy, which Abbas reformed in February of this year. The policy saw payments go to family members of Palestinians who were imprisoned, killed or injured in connection with attacks against Israelis.

"This is a new fraudulent trick by the Palestinian Authority, which intends to continue making payments to terrorists and their families through other payment channels," the Israeli Foreign Ministry said at the time, according to Axios.

President Donald Trump this week said he is "very" optimistic that Ukraine and Russia will enter into some sort of deal in the coming days, but security experts are still sounding the alarm that Russian President Vladimir Putin does not want peace. 

A feeling of geopolitical whiplash is surrounding Washington after the Trump administration last week said it would abandon peace efforts if a ceasefire cannot be secured, though days later Trump said there is a "very good chance" a deal will be reached this week.

The White House did not respond to Fox News Digital’s questions about what it would mean should the U.S. walk away from one of Trump’s top campaign trail issues: ending the war in Ukraine. 

TRUMP HOPEFUL RUSSIA AND UKRAINE CAN MAKE A DEAL AFTER TEMPORARY EASTER CEASEFIRE ENDS

The administration also has not clarified if Washington would take retaliatory measures against Putin, as Trump threatened to do last month.

"Simply because Trump hasn’t announced any consequences yet does not mean that he doesn’t plan on taking some anti-Russia measures," former DIA intelligence officer and Russia expert Rebekah Koffler told Fox News Digital. "Trump almost certainly intends for his economic warfare against China to serve as an example to Putin how far Trump is willing to go to compel his adversaries to his will."

"But unlike the China case, there’s no similar dependence between the U.S. and Russia. Trump’s decision on Russia is much more complicated, more risky and requires more thought," she added. "He may or may not take draconian economic steps against Russia, as Putin may take devastating, non-kinetic actions against the U.S. 

"It’s Trump’s risk tolerance vs. Putin’s now," Koffler said. "And both like to win and both have risk tolerance way above average."

The White House did not respond to questions by Fox News Digital on whether the U.S. would still aid Ukraine in some capacity, particularly given recent restrictions on military aid Trump has implemented on Kyiv, like refusing to sell Patriot missiles previously used to defend civilian populations from Russian strikes and that cost $1.5 billion a piece.

"If we want to be a global superpower, and we want to deter aggression, not with U.S. troops on the ground, but in general, to deter aggression because it is good for our national security, then we should continue to support Ukraine," former CIA Moscow Station Chief Dan Hoffman told Fox News Digital. "It's a tiny percentage of the Department of Defense budget."

TRUMP SAYS US WILL 'TAKE A PASS' ON UKRAINE PEACE EFFORTS IF RUSSIA REFUSES TO PLAY BALL

"The return on investment is pretty high," he added, referring to the $66.5 billion in military assistance Washington has provided Kyiv since Russia’s February 2022 invasion, compared to the $841.4 billion defense budget congressionally approved for 2024 alone, a figure which Trump has pushed to increase.

A Ukrainian delegation was set to meet with Trump administration officials in London on Wednesday alongside other European partners, including representatives from the U.K., France and Germany.

Special envoy Steve Witkoff is reportedly set to return to Moscow this week to continue negotiations with Russian officials, though the Kremlin has not indicated they are anywhere near agreeing to ceasefire terms, let alone a peace deal.

A spokesperson for Putin, Dmitry Peskov, on Tuesday reportedly said the issue of Russia’s invasion was too "complex" to achieve a quick fix and warned against rushing into a deal.

"It is not worth setting any rigid time frames and trying to get a settlement, a viable settlement, in a short time frame," he said.

The Kremlin’s position has given credence to repeated warnings from security experts that Putin is not interested in securing a peace deal with Ukraine. 

"There's no indication that Putin wants to stop the war," Hoffman said. "That isn't surprising. Because for a war to end, somebody has to win or both sides have to be so tired they can't continue to fight. 

"Russia is the invader, so you have to stop them in order to have an end of the war," he added. "The one consistent thing here is Putin is continuing to fight. His objective is to overthrow the government in Ukraine. He’s going to keep fighting until he feels like he has accomplished that goal or he can't fight anymore."

Koffler echoed Hoffman’s position: "Putin will be pursuing the same strategy regardless of Trump’s actions; that is continuing the war of attrition until Ukraine capitulates or is completely destroyed and the government collapses."

"Putin would like to string Trump along and will continue to try doing so," she added.

A report by the Moscow Times on Tuesday cited sources close to Putin and said the Kremlin chief is looking to reorder the global "spheres of influence" by negotiating leverage points between the U.S. and adversaries like Iran and North Korea. 

The article claimed that Putin would attempt to get Trump to either force a less-than-desirable deal for Ukraine or potentially stop the U.S. from aiding Kyiv by proposing personally enticing deals, like allowing Trump to build a hotel in Moscow, and geopolitical wins, like securing a nuclear agreement with Iran and a "peace deal" in Ukraine.

Fox News Digital could not verify the report’s claims, but Koffler agreed it could be a strategy that Putin is looking to employ as the U.S. pushes deals across Europe and the Middle East. 

"He could promise Trump not to share certain sensitive technologies to these two [nations]," Koffler said. "And he could convince Iran not to operationalize and weaponize its nuclear program in exchange for Trump’s promise not to target Iran’s nuclear facilities in a kinetic strike and to lift sanctions from Russia. 

"The important aspect of all of this is to give these adversaries face-saving opportunities, which is not a strong point for the U.S. style of diplomacy," Koffler said. "But Putin’s ability to convince Trump and Trump’s decision calculus are two different things."

Catholic cardinals performed the ritual ceremony on Wednesday to transfer Pope Francis’ body from his home in the Vatican hotel to St. Peter’s Basilica to offer three days of public viewing before his funeral.

Cardinal Kevin Farrell, who is running the Vatican administration until Francis' successor is elected, presided over the ceremony in the chapel of the Domus Santa Marta hotel where Francis lived.

A choir sang as cardinals wearing their red cassocks and capes stood in prayer.

Francis' casket was escorted by a procession of solemn cardinals and Swiss Guards through the same piazza where he greeted the faithful from his popemobile just days before in what would be his final goodbye.

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

Pallbearers carried the simple wooden coffin on their shoulders through the Vatican's archway gates and out into St. Peter's Square and into the basilica. The cardinals and the Swiss Guards processed slowly behind.

Ordinary faithful filled St. Peter’s Square to watch the procession enter the basilica.

Heads of state are expected for the funeral Saturday in St. Peter’s Square, but the three days of public viewing are largely for ordinary Catholics to pay their respects to the pontiff.

The basilica is being kept open until midnight on Wednesday and Thursday. The public mourning period will end on Friday at 7 p.m., when Francis' casket will be closed and sealed.

The funeral has been set for Saturday at 10 a.m. in St. Peter’s Square. Leaders from around the world, including U.S. President Donald Trump, Ukrainian President Volodmyr Zelenskyy and Argentine President Javier Milei, will attend the funeral for the pope, who was born in Argentina.

FIRST PHOTOS RELEASED OF POPE FRANCIS IN HIS CASKET; FUNERAL SET FOR SATURDAY

Inside the basilica, Francis' casket will not be put on an elevated bier like with past popes. Instead, it will just be placed on the main altar of the 16th-century basilica, simply facing the pews.

Cardinals continue to meet this week to plan the conclave to elect the next pope and make other decisions about running the Catholic Church.

Francis died Monday morning at the age of 88 after suffering a stroke that landed him in a coma and resulted in his heart failure. His death marked the end of his 12-year papacy as the 266th pope and spiritual leader of the Roman Catholic Church.

The pope, who suffered from chronic lung disease and had part of one lung removed when he was younger, spent 38 days in Rome's Gemelli hospital starting on Feb. 14 to treat a respiratory crisis that developed into double pneumonia.

He was still recovering when he made his last public appearance on Sunday, delivering an Easter blessing and what would be his final greeting to followers from his popemobile. The pope also met with U.S. Vice President JD Vance on Easter Sunday at the Casa Santa Marta.

In his final will, Francis confirmed he would be buried at St. Mary Major basilica, which is located outside the Vatican and home to his favorite icon of the Virgin Mary.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

For his final journey, Pope Francis, dressed in red vestments and a traditional white cassock, will be carried to the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore outside the Vatican on Saturday, where he will be laid to rest.

Pope Francis, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio to Regina Maria Sivori and Mario Jose Francisco in Argentina, died on Monday, April 21, 2025, of a stroke and cardiac arrest, according to the Vatican.

In the early morning of Easter Monday, Pope Francis suffered a stroke, followed by a coma. The former head of the Catholic Church then went into irreversible cardiocirculatory collapse and died at 88 years old, according to the Vatican.

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

His final public appearance was on Easter Sunday, when he provided blessings to crowds of faithful at St. Peter's Square.

On Feb. 14, 2025, Pope Francis was admitted to Rome's Gemelli Hospital, where he received a medical diagnosis of double pneumonia and remained hospitalized for 38 days.

On Tuesday morning, around 60 Catholic cardinals held their first meeting since Pope Francis’s death, from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. local time in Rome.

The meeting began with a prayer for the deceased pontiff. The high-ranking priests swore to obey the rules of the funeral plans that Pope Francis made last year. Finally, Bergoglio’s final will and testament were read.

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

He requested that the tomb read only "Franciscus," with no mention of his 12-year papacy, a unique shift from the burial places of past popes.

On Monday in Rome, a rosary service was held for Pope Francis in St. Peter’s Square by Cardinal Mauro Gambetti.

Beginning Wednesday at 9 a.m. local time (03:00 ET) and continuing until the funeral, Pope Francis’s body will lie in state at St. Peter’s Basilica, where mourners can pay their respects.

The procession of Pope Francis’s body will pass through Santa Marta Square, the Square of the Roman Protomartyrs and the Arch of the Bells into St. Peter’s Square before entering the Vatican Basilica.

Mourners are welcome to pay their respects at St. Peter’s Basilica in the following days and times:

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

On Saturday, April 26, 2025, at 10 a.m. local time, Pope Francis’s life will be celebrated during a Mass presided over by His Most Reverend Eminence Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, dean of the College of Cardinals.

Bishops, priests, cardinals, archbishops and patriarchs from around the world will officiate the service.

The events will conclude with the beginning of the Novemdiales, a symbolic and procedural period of nine days of prayer, mourning and remembrance.

Another funeral Mass will be held on Sunday by Italian Cardinal and Secretary of State Pietro Parolin.

Pope Francis will be taken to the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore for burial.

FIRST PHOTOS RELEASED OF POPE FRANCIS IN HIS CASKET; FUNERAL SET FOR SATURDAY

The 266th pontiff revealed his burial wishes just days after being elected in 2013.

"It was his belief that he may not live very long," Neomi DeAnda, a trained constructive theologian, told Fox News Digital. "He was already in his 70s when he was elected pope, and he wanted to be prepared when God called him home."

"In the Name of the Holy Trinity. Amen.

"Feeling that the sunset of my earthly life is approaching and with lively hope in the Eternal Life, I wish to express my testamentary will only with regard to the place of my Burial.

"I have always entrusted my life and the priestly and episcopal ministry to the Mother of Our Lord, Mary Most Holy. Therefore, I ask that my mortal remains rest waiting for the day of the resurrection in the Papal Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore.

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

"I want my last earthly journey to end in this ancient sanctuary Mariano where I went for prayer at the beginning and end of each Apostolic Journey to confidently entrust my intentions to the Immaculate Mother and thank Her for the docile and maternal care.

"I ask that my tomb be prepared in the hole of the aisle between the Pauline Chapel (Chapel of the Salus Populi Romani) and the Sforza Chapel of the aforementioned Papal Basilica as Indicated in the attached annex.

"The tomb must be in the earth; simple, without particular decorum and with the only inscription: Franciscus.

"The expenses for the preparation of my burial will be covered with the sum of the benefactor who I have arranged, to be transferred to the Papal Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore and of which I have provided to give appropriate instructions to Mons. Rolandas Makrickas, Extraordinary Commissioner of the Chapter Liberian.

"May the Lord give the well-deserved reward to those who have loved me and will continue to pray for me. The suffering that was made in the last part of my life I offered to the Lord for peace in the world and brotherhood among peoples."

President Donald Trump extended his "deepest sympathies" on Tuesday after gunmen reportedly killed at least 20 people in India's Kashmir region. 

"Deeply disturbing news out of Kashmir," Trump wrote on TRUTH Social. "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!" 

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters that Trump had been briefed by National Security Adviser Mike Waltz on the matter. 

Trump will speak with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi "as soon as he possibly can to express his heartfelt condolences for those lost," Leavitt said at Tuesday's White House briefing. "And our prayers are with those injured in our nation's support for our ally, India. These types of horrific events by terrorists are why those of us who work for peace and stability in the world continue our mission. So we'll give you a readout of that call later this afternoon." 

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Leavitt said the press may hear from Trump directly later Tuesday afternoon. 

The shooting coincided with Vice President JD Vance and his family's visit to India. 

Vance met with Modi on Monday and delivered a speech on strengthening the economic partnership between their two nations in the northwestern Indian city of Jaipur earlier Tuesday. 

"Usha and I extend our condolences to the victims of the devastating terrorist attack in Pahalgam, India," the vice president wrote on X after the attack. "Over the past few days, we have been overcome with the beauty of this country and its people. Our thoughts and prayers are with them as they mourn this horrific attack." 

Indian police said gunmen shot dead at least 20 tourists at a resort in Indian-controlled Kashmir in what appeared to be a major shift in the regional conflict in which tourists have largely been spared.

Modi said he strongly condemned "the terror attack" in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, and offered condolences to those who have lost their loved ones. 

"I pray that the injured recover at the earliest," Modi wrote on X. "All possible assistance is being provided to those affected. Those behind this heinous act will be brought to justice...they will not be spared! Their evil agenda will never succeed. Our resolve to fight terrorism is unshakable and it will get even stronger." 

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The country's police also described the incident as a "terror attack" and blamed militants fighting against Indian rule. 

"This attack is much larger than anything we’ve seen directed at civilians in recent years," Omar Abdullah, the region’s top elected official, wrote on social media.

Two senior police officers said at least four gunmen, whom they described as militants, fired at dozens of tourists from close range, according to the Associated Press. The officers said at least three dozen others were injured, many in serious condition.

Most of the tourists killed were Indian, the officers reportedly told the AP on condition of anonymity, in keeping with departmental policy. 

Officials collected at least 20 bodies in Baisaran meadow, some three miles from the disputed region’s resort town of Pahalgam. 

The meadow in Pahalgam is a popular destination, surrounded by snow-capped mountains and dotted with pine forests. It is visited by hundreds of tourists every day as Kashmir, known for Himalayan foothills and exquisitely decorated houseboats, has become a major domestic tourist destination. It has drawn millions of visitors who enjoy a strange peace kept by ubiquitous security checkpoints, armored vehicles and patrolling soldiers.

Nuclear-armed rivals India and Pakistan each administer part of Kashmir, but both claim the territory in its entirety.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility. Police and soldiers were searching for the attackers.

"We will come down heavily on the perpetrators with the harshest consequences," India’s home minister, Amit Shah, wrote on social media. He arrived in Srinagar, the main city in Indian-controlled Kashmir, and convened a meeting with top security officials. He said Modi, on an official visit in Saudi Arabia, has been briefed.

Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, a key resistance politician and Kashmir’s top religious cleric, condemned what he described as a "cowardly attack on tourists," writing on social media that "such violence is unacceptable and against the ethos of Kashmir which welcomes visitors with love and warmth."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.