Pope Francis arrives for the weekly general audience in St Peter's Square at the Vatican on March 29. Reuters
Pope Francis arrives for the weekly general audience in St Peter's Square at the Vatican on March 29. Reuters
Pope Francis arrives for the weekly general audience in St Peter's Square at the Vatican on March 29. Reuters
Pope Francis arrives for the weekly general audience in St Peter's Square at the Vatican on March 29. Reuters

Pope Francis admitted to hospital with lung infection


Neil Murphy
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Pope Francis is being held in hospital for several days with a lung infection, the Vatican said.

The pontiff, 86, experienced breathing difficulties in recent days, a statement released on Wednesday evening said.

"Pope Francis is touched by the many messages received and expresses his gratitude for the closeness and prayer," the Vatican said.

Hours earlier, it said the Pope had gone to Rome's Gemelli Hospital for a "scheduled check-up".

Earlier in the day he took part in the weekly general audience and appeared to be in good health.

Pope Francis suffers from diverticulitis, a condition that can infect or inflame the colon, and had an operation in 2021 to remove part of the organ.

This year, he said the condition had returned and that it was causing him to put on weight, but that he was not overly concerned. He did not elaborate.

He also has a problem with his knee and alternates between using a cane and a wheelchair in his public appearances.

Pope Francis said last year that he preferred not to have surgery on his knee because he did not want a repeat of long-term side-effects from anaesthesia he suffered after the 2021 operation.

Last July, returning from a trip to Canada, the Pope acknowledged that his advancing age and his difficulty walking might have ushered in a new, slower phase of his papacy.

But since then, he has visited Kazakhstan and Bahrain, and made a gruelling trip last month to the Democratic Republic of the Congo and South Sudan.

Pope Francis also said this year that he has no plans to resign any time soon and that if he eventually did it would be for serious heath reasons, such as if he were incapacitated.

Asked by Italian-Swiss television channel RSI in an interview broadcast on March 12 what condition would lead him to quit, he said: “A tiredness that doesn't let you see things clearly. A lack of clarity, of knowing how to evaluate situations.”

Ten years of Pope Francis - in pictures

  • It is 10 years since Pope Francis became head of the Roman Catholic Church. The National looks back at that decade. Getty Images
    It is 10 years since Pope Francis became head of the Roman Catholic Church. The National looks back at that decade. Getty Images
  • Pope Francis attends the funeral mass for Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI in January 2023 at St Peter's square in Vatican City. Getty Images
    Pope Francis attends the funeral mass for Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI in January 2023 at St Peter's square in Vatican City. Getty Images
  • Pope Francis leads mass with the new cardinals in August 2022 at Vatican City. Getty Images
    Pope Francis leads mass with the new cardinals in August 2022 at Vatican City. Getty Images
  • Pope Francis in March 2021 conducts mass at the Franso Hariri Stadium in Erbil, Iraq. Getty Images
    Pope Francis in March 2021 conducts mass at the Franso Hariri Stadium in Erbil, Iraq. Getty Images
  • Pope Francis arrives at the Franso Hariri Stadium in Erbil, Iraq, March 2021. Getty Images
    Pope Francis arrives at the Franso Hariri Stadium in Erbil, Iraq, March 2021. Getty Images
  • St Peter's Square stands empty while Pope Francis celebrates the Easter Mass in an empty St Peter's Basilica during the coronavirus pandemic in April 2020. Getty Images
    St Peter's Square stands empty while Pope Francis celebrates the Easter Mass in an empty St Peter's Basilica during the coronavirus pandemic in April 2020. Getty Images
  • Pope Francis drives around Tokyo Dome before conducting mass during a visit to Japan in November 2019. Getty Images
    Pope Francis drives around Tokyo Dome before conducting mass during a visit to Japan in November 2019. Getty Images
  • Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, who was Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces at the time, with Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai and Pope Francis at the Presidential Palace in Abu Dhabi, in February 2019. Photo: Ministry of Presidential Affairs
    Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, who was Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces at the time, with Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai and Pope Francis at the Presidential Palace in Abu Dhabi, in February 2019. Photo: Ministry of Presidential Affairs
  • Pope Francis celebrates mass at Zayed Sport City, Abu Dhabi, in February 2019. Getty Images
    Pope Francis celebrates mass at Zayed Sport City, Abu Dhabi, in February 2019. Getty Images
  • Pope Francis attends the festival of families at Croke Park in August 2018 in Dublin, Ireland. Getty Images
    Pope Francis attends the festival of families at Croke Park in August 2018 in Dublin, Ireland. Getty Images
  • Pope Francis during the Stations of the Cross at the Colosseum in March 2018 in Rome. Getty Images
    Pope Francis during the Stations of the Cross at the Colosseum in March 2018 in Rome. Getty Images
  • The Pope at a public engagement in November 2017 in Yangon, Myanmar. Getty Images
    The Pope at a public engagement in November 2017 in Yangon, Myanmar. Getty Images
  • Pope Francis at the Celebration of the Lord's Passion at St Peter's Basilica, Vatican City, April 14, 2017. Getty Images
    Pope Francis at the Celebration of the Lord's Passion at St Peter's Basilica, Vatican City, April 14, 2017. Getty Images
  • Pope Francis at Easter Mass at St Peter's Square, Vatican City, April 2017. Getty Images
    Pope Francis at Easter Mass at St Peter's Square, Vatican City, April 2017. Getty Images
  • Pope Francis with Prince Charles, Prince of Wales during the British royal's visit to the Vatican in April 2017. Getty Images
    Pope Francis with Prince Charles, Prince of Wales during the British royal's visit to the Vatican in April 2017. Getty Images
  • Pope Francis meets migrants at the Moria detention centre in Lesbos, Greece, April 2016. Getty Images
    Pope Francis meets migrants at the Moria detention centre in Lesbos, Greece, April 2016. Getty Images
  • Father Paschal Mwijage of the St Joseph the Worker Parish in Nairobi's Kangemi slum wears a T-shirt featuring Pope Francis in Kenya in November 2015. Getty Images
    Father Paschal Mwijage of the St Joseph the Worker Parish in Nairobi's Kangemi slum wears a T-shirt featuring Pope Francis in Kenya in November 2015. Getty Images
  • Pope Francis after conducting mass at Tacloban Airport in the Philippines, January 2015. Getty Images
    Pope Francis after conducting mass at Tacloban Airport in the Philippines, January 2015. Getty Images
  • Pope Francis greets Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI at St Peter's Basilica in September 2014. Getty Images
    Pope Francis greets Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI at St Peter's Basilica in September 2014. Getty Images
  • Pope Francis meets football legend Diego Maradona during an audience in Rome in September 2014. Getty Images
    Pope Francis meets football legend Diego Maradona during an audience in Rome in September 2014. Getty Images
  • Pope Francis prays by the Western Wall in Jerusalem, Israel, May 2014. Getty Images
    Pope Francis prays by the Western Wall in Jerusalem, Israel, May 2014. Getty Images
  • Pope Francis welcomes Britain's Queen Elizabeth II for a private audience in Rome, April 2014. Getty Images
    Pope Francis welcomes Britain's Queen Elizabeth II for a private audience in Rome, April 2014. Getty Images
  • Pope Francis during his weekly audience in St Peter's Square, the Vatican, in March 2014. Getty Images
    Pope Francis during his weekly audience in St Peter's Square, the Vatican, in March 2014. Getty Images
  • Pope Francis during the Inauguration Mass for the Pope in St Peter's Square in March 2013. Getty Images
    Pope Francis during the Inauguration Mass for the Pope in St Peter's Square in March 2013. Getty Images
  • Women read a special edition of L'Osservatore Romano newspaper, which carries a photograph of the newly elected Pope Francis, March 2013. Getty Images
    Women read a special edition of L'Osservatore Romano newspaper, which carries a photograph of the newly elected Pope Francis, March 2013. Getty Images
  • Pope Francis on the central balcony of St Peter's Basilica in March 2013. Getty Images
    Pope Francis on the central balcony of St Peter's Basilica in March 2013. Getty Images
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Brief scores:

Scotland 371-5, 50 overs (C MacLeod 140 no, K Coetzer 58, G Munsey 55)

England 365 all out, 48.5 overs (J Bairstow 105, A Hales 52; M Watt 3-55)

Result: Scotland won by six runs

The specs: 2019 Haval H6

Price, base: Dh69,900

Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder

Transmission: Seven-speed automatic

Power: 197hp @ 5,500rpm

Torque: 315Nm @ 2,000rpm

Fuel economy, combined: 7.0L / 100km

Ten10 Cricket League

Venue and schedule Sharjah Cricket Stadium, December 14 to 17

Teams

Maratha Arabians Leading player: Virender Sehwag; Top picks: Mohammed Amir, Imad Wasim; UAE players: Shaiman Anwar, Zahoor Khan

Bengal Lions Leading player: Sarfraz Ahmed; Top picks: Sunil Narine, Mustafizur Rahman; UAE players: Mohammed Naveed, Rameez Shahzad

Kerala Kings Leading player: Eoin Morgan; Top picks: Kieron Pollard, Sohail Tanvir; UAE players: Rohan Mustafa, Imran Haider

Pakhtoons Leading player: Shahid Afridi; Top picks: Fakhar Zaman, Tamim Iqbal; UAE players: Amjad Javed, Saqlain Haider

Punjabi Legends Leading player: Shoaib Malik; Top picks: Hasan Ali, Chris Jordan; UAE players: Ghulam Shabber, Shareef Asadullah

Team Sri Lanka Cricket Will be made up of Colombo players who won island’s domestic limited-overs competition

Women’s World T20, Asia Qualifier

UAE results
Beat China by 16 runs
Lost to Thailand by 10 wickets
Beat Nepal by five runs
Beat Hong Kong by eight wickets
Beat Malaysia by 34 runs

Standings (P, W, l, NR, points)

1. Thailand 5 4 0 1 9
2. UAE 5 4 1 0 8
3. Nepal 5 2 1 2 6
4. Hong Kong 5 2 2 1 5
5. Malaysia 5 1 4 0 2
6. China 5 0 5 0 0

Final
Thailand v UAE, Monday, 7am

ADCC AFC Women’s Champions League Group A fixtures

October 3: v Wuhan Jiangda Women’s FC
October 6: v Hyundai Steel Red Angels Women’s FC
October 9: v Sabah FA

The President's Cake

Director: Hasan Hadi

Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem 

Rating: 4/5

GIANT REVIEW

Starring: Amir El-Masry, Pierce Brosnan

Director: Athale

Rating: 4/5

COMPANY PROFILE

Company name: Blah

Started: 2018

Founder: Aliyah Al Abbar and Hend Al Marri

Based: Dubai

Industry: Technology and talent management

Initial investment: Dh20,000

Investors: Self-funded

Total customers: 40

U19 World Cup in South Africa

Group A: India, Japan, New Zealand, Sri Lanka

Group B: Australia, England, Nigeria, West Indies

Group C: Bangladesh, Pakistan, Scotland, Zimbabwe

Group D: Afghanistan, Canada, South Africa, UAE

UAE fixtures

Saturday, January 18, v Canada

Wednesday, January 22, v Afghanistan

Saturday, January 25, v South Africa

UAE squad

Aryan Lakra (captain), Vriitya Aravind, Deshan Chethyia, Mohammed Farazuddin, Jonathan Figy, Osama Hassan, Karthik Meiyappan, Rishabh Mukherjee, Ali Naseer, Wasi Shah, Alishan Sharafu, Sanchit Sharma, Kai Smith, Akasha Tahir, Ansh Tandon

Brief scores:

Day 1

Toss: South Africa, field first

Pakistan (1st innings) 177: Sarfraz 56, Masood 44; Olivier 4-48

South Africa (1st innings) 123-2: Markram 78; Masood 1-4

The specs

Engine: 6.2-litre supercharged V8

Power: 712hp at 6,100rpm

Torque: 881Nm at 4,800rpm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 19.6 l/100km

Price: Dh380,000

On sale: now 

Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
  • Priority access to new homes from participating developers
  • Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
  • Flexible payment plans from developers
  • Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
  • DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Three ways to limit your social media use

Clinical psychologist, Dr Saliha Afridi at The Lighthouse Arabia suggests three easy things you can do every day to cut back on the time you spend online.

1. Put the social media app in a folder on the second or third screen of your phone so it has to remain a conscious decision to open, rather than something your fingers gravitate towards without consideration.

2. Schedule a time to use social media instead of consistently throughout the day. I recommend setting aside certain times of the day or week when you upload pictures or share information. 

3. Take a mental snapshot rather than a photo on your phone. Instead of sharing it with your social world, try to absorb the moment, connect with your feeling, experience the moment with all five of your senses. You will have a memory of that moment more vividly and for far longer than if you take a picture of it.

Results

5pm: UAE Martyrs Cup (TB) Conditions Dh90,000 2,200m

Winner: Mudaarab, Jim Crowley (jockey), Erwan Charpy (trainer).

5.30pm: Wathba Stallions Cup (PA) Handicap Dh70,000 1,400m

Winner: Jawal Al Reef, Richard Mullen, Hassan Al Hammadi.

6pm: UAE Matyrs Trophy (PA) Maiden Dh80,000 1,600m

Winner: Salima Al Reef, Jesus Rosales, Abdallah Al Hammadi.

6.30pm: Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak (IFAHR) Apprentice Championship (PA) Prestige Dh100,000 1,600m

Winner: Bainoona, Ricardo Iacopini, Eric Lemartinel.

7pm: Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak (IFAHR) Ladies World Championship (PA) Prestige Dh125,000 1,600m

Winner: Assyad, Victoria Larsen, Eric Lemartinel.

8pm: Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan Jewel Crown (PA) Group 1 Dh5,000,000 1,600m

Winner: Mashhur Al Khalediah, Jean-Bernard Eyquem, Phillip Collington.

Updated: March 29, 2023, 8:53 PM