Pope Francis was placed on a breathing machine on Friday after experiencing a sudden episode of respiratory difficulty, the Vatican has confirmed in its latest medical update.

The episode was complicated by vomiting, some of which he aspirated.

Medical staff addressed the aspiration issue before placing him on mechanical ventilation. Despite this, the Vatican stated that the pontiff “remained alert and oriented at all times.”

A spokesperson later clarified that he is not yet considered out of danger.

Francis was first admitted to Rome’s Gemelli Hospital two weeks ago following persistent lung-related issues, including bronchitis and pneumonia. This marks his fourth and longest hospitalization since becoming pope in 2013.
The pontiff has faced lung-related health struggles for much of his life. As a young man, he had severe pneumonia, leading to the removal of part of one lung.

The Vatican has since been providing twice-daily updates on his condition. On Thursday, it reported that Francis’ health was “improving” but that his prognosis remained uncertain.

Due to his intensive medical treatment, his schedule has been cleared. Earlier on Friday, the Vatican announced that he would not lead next week’s Ash Wednesday service, marking the beginning of Lent. This will be only the second time in his 12-year papacy that he has missed the service, with a cardinal expected to lead in his place.

Lebanese Army continues deployment in southern Lebanon.

A man allegedly carrying $2.5 million in cash destined for the Lebanese terrorist group Hezbollah reportedly was detained Friday at Beirut’s airport in a bust that an expert told Fox News Digital is “unprecedented.” 

“The detainee and the seized funds will be handed over to the investigation division at the General Directorate of General Security,” Lebanon’s finance ministry said in a statement obtained by Reuters, which cited sources saying that the man had been traveling from Turkey.  

“We are seeing indications that the terrorist Hezbollah group funded by the Islamic Republic is still committed to rearming and rebuilding its decimated infrastructure,” Israeli ambassador to the U.N. Danny Danon told Fox News Digital. “This is yet another attempt of Tehran to destabilize the Middle East. Israel will not hesitate to defend itself from any threat it perceives from the north.”

“The $2.5 million dollar seizure is unprecedented,” added David Daoud, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.

“We haven’t seen anything like this. Now, this does track though the fact this money is coming in from Turkey, this does track with Israeli claims that Turkey is being used as a conduit by the Iranians to get more funds to Hezbollah,” Daoud told Fox News Digital.

“Plausibly, this is one thing that got caught – how many cash transfers are getting through the dragnet?” he also said.  

The money the individual was carrying was bound for Hezbollah, which has been weakened recently by Israel’s military, sources told Reuters. 

A Middle East Airlines plane takes off from Beirut’s international airport as people inspect damage from an area on the southern outskirts of Beirut that was targeted by Israeli airstrikes on Nov. 7, 2024. Sources told the Times of Israel on Friday that the man carrying the cash for Hezbollah was stopped at the airport. (AFP via Getty Images)

There was no immediate reaction from Hezbollah on Friday. 

Since the onset of Israel’s war against Hamas, the Israel Defense Forces engaged in cross-border skirmishes with Hezbollah – including ground operations on Lebanese soil – until a ceasefire deal was struck late last year. 

Mourners attend the funeral of slain Hezbollah leaders Hassan Nasrallah and Hashem Safieddine at the Camille Chamoun Sports City Stadium on the outskirts of Beirut on Feb. 23, 2025.  (Anwar Amro/AFP via Getty Images)

Former Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was killed in Lebanon by an Israeli airstrike in September. 

Vice President JD Vance accused Zelensky of being “disrespectful” and demanded he thank Trump.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky left the White House early on Friday after a contentious Oval Office meeting with President Donald Trump, a White House official said.

Trump said he couldn’t believe he described Ukraine’s Zelensky as a “dictator” when questioned on Thursday, a day before he accused the Ukrainian leader of “gambling with World War III.”

“Did I say that? I can’t believe I said that,” Trump answered when asked if he still thought of Zelensky as a dictator.

The American president later shared an explosive conversation with Zelensky on Friday. Trump accused Zelensky of being ungrateful for the support provided by the United States.

Vice President JD Vance accused Zelensky of being “disrespectful” and demanded he thank Trump.

Trump warned that failing to accept a US-led peace deal with Russia, which invaded Ukraine in 2022, would mean “gambling with World War III.”

“You’re either going make a deal or we’re out,” Trump added. “And if we’re out, you’ll fight it out and I don’t think it’s going to be pretty.”

“You don’t have the cards. Once we sign that deal, you’re in a much better position. But you’re not acting at all thankful, and that’s not a nice thing. I’ll be honest. That’s not a nice thing.”

Zelensky openly challenged Trump over his softer approach toward Russian President Vladimir Putin, urging him to “make no compromises with a killer.” He also pushed back on Trump’s claims that Ukrainian cities have been reduced to rubble by three years of war. Trump stressed that Putin wants to make a deal.

No security guarantees in the deal
The agreement negotiated in recent days would open Ukraine’s vast mineral wealth to the United States but does not include explicit American security guarantees for Ukraine, a disappointment for Kyiv. Trump says the presence of Americans in business would serve as a form of guarantee.

How much the deal would be worth to the United States is not spelled out. Trump has said he expects to gain hundreds of billions of dollars. Zelensky has said he would not sign an agreement that would put his country in debt for generations.

Ukraine would contribute 50% of “all revenues earned from the future monetization of all relevant Ukrainian Government-owned natural resource assets” to a reconstruction fund jointly owned and managed by the United States and Ukraine.

The agreement does not specify how the funds would be spent, or identify specific assets it covers, though it says they would include deposits of minerals, oil and natural gas as well as infrastructure such as gas terminals and ports.

The Washington talks are a diplomatic boost for Zelensky who has repeatedly spoken of the importance of meeting Trump in person before the US president holds talks with Putin.

“The Ukrainians have been quite savvy at turning it round, and using this (the minerals deal) as an opening to engage the US,” said a senior Kyiv-based European diplomat, who requested anonymity to discuss sensitive matters.
Kyiv hopes the agreement will spur Trump to back Ukraine’s war effort, and potentially even win support from Republicans in Congress for a new round of aid.

Ukraine has rapidly expanded its defense industry production but remains heavily reliant on foreign military assistance, while also struggling to replenish manpower as it battles a much larger foe.

While Ukraine repelled Russia’s invasion from the outskirts of Kyiv and recaptured swathes of territory in 2022, Russia still controls around a fifth of Ukraine and has been slowly taking ground since a failed Ukrainian counteroffensive in 2023. Kyiv’s troops hold a chunk of land in Russia’s western Kursk region after a 2024 incursion.