Nepal sets March elections after naming interim prime minister
Nepal’s President Ramchandra Paudel has dissolved parliament and called fresh elections for 5 March, following a week of deadly unrest that ended wi...
A quiet Thursday afternoon at St. Peter’s Basilica turned into something extraordinary, as visitors caught a rare glimpse of Pope Francis — not in his familiar white papal robes, but dressed in black trousers and a striped blanket.
The 88-year-old pontiff, recovering from double pneumonia, made an unannounced appearance inside the Vatican’s grand basilica, his second public outing since leaving the hospital on March 23. In a video verified by Reuters, he is seen in a wheelchair, waving gently to visitors, a thin nasal hose supplying oxygen tucked under his nose.
"We were visiting St. Peter's Basilica and saw some guards passing by and making way, so we went to see what it was, and it was the pope," said Luiz Gil, who captured the moment. "Few people noticed, it was very quick, but he stopped to talk to a family with a baby."
The appearance, though brief, offered a glimpse into the pope’s slow recovery. His aides have kept his schedule light since he left hospital, following a 38-day stay — the longest of his 12-year papacy. Only once before had he appeared in public since then, when he greeted crowds during an April 6 event in St. Peter’s Square.
Francis is known for his humility, but it remains uncommon for a sitting pope to wear civilian clothes in the heart of the Vatican. He has dressed down before, usually during low-key events or international travel, but Thursday’s sighting was different — personal, quiet, unannounced.
No formal statement accompanied the visit, but the message was clear. Even in recovery, even in black trousers, Francis remains close to the people.
AnewZ has learned that India has once again blocked Azerbaijan’s application for full membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, while Pakistan’s recent decision to consider diplomatic relations with Armenia has been coordinated with Baku as part of Azerbaijan’s peace agenda.
A day of mourning has been declared in Portugal to pay respect to victims who lost their lives in the Lisbon Funicular crash which happened on Wednesday evening.
A Polish Air Force pilot was killed on Thursday when an F-16 fighter jet crashed during a training flight ahead of the 2025 Radom International Air Show.
Music mega-star Taylor Swift and National Football League player Travis Kelce announced their engagement. “Your English teacher and your gym teacher are getting married," the couple wrote in a joint Instagram post, alongside photos of Kelce proposing to Swift in a garden of pink and white flowers.
Nepal’s President Ramchandra Paudel has dissolved parliament and called fresh elections for 5 March, following a week of deadly unrest that ended with the country appointing its first woman prime minister.
A few days after U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order renaming the Department of Defense as the Department of War, his administration has carried out a similar rebranding within the White House.
London police will deploy additional officers on Saturday as right-wing, anti-immigration activists and anti-racism campaigners stage rival demonstrations, heightening concerns of possible clashes.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that Washington stood firmly with the Philippines, rejecting what he called China’s “destabilising plans” for a disputed atoll in the South China Sea.
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