Russian general killed in Moscow-area car bombing, investigators say

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, Reuters reported, citing the Interfax news agency. 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

It 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.

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A weakened Hezbollah leads some in Lebanon to talk of peace with Israel as US pushes sides together

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.’"

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5 quotes from Cardinal Robert Sarah, a favorite among conservatives to succeed Pope Francis

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.

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Russia blamed for overnight strike on Kyiv that killed at least 9, injured dozens, including children

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.

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Palestinian leader demands Hamas release remaining hostages

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.

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Trump insists Ukraine-Russia peace deal is close, but mistrust in Putin leaves experts skeptical

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."

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Pope Francis’ body is transferred to St. Peter's Basilica for public viewing

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.

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