Pope Francis to make first public appearance in five weeks
"The pope is doing very well, but high-flow oxygen dries everything out. He needs to relearn how to speak, but his overall physical condition is as it was before," Cardinal Victor Fernandez said on Friday, Reuters reported.The Vatican added that the pope's condition was stable, with some improvements in breathing and mobility.It confirmed he no longer uses mechanical ventilation for breathing at night, but was instead receiving oxygen via a small tube under his nose. During the day, he is using less high-flow oxygen. Doctors have not given any indication regarding his discharge from hospital, the Vatican said.Earlier this month, an audio recording of Pope Francis speaking in his native Spanish was played in St Peter's Square in Vatican City.His voice was breathless as he thanked the Catholic faithful for their prayers.The Cardinal, who is head of the Vatican's doctrinal office, dismissed speculation that the pontiff would follow his predecessor Benedict XVI and resign the papacy.When asked if he thought the pope could be discharged in time for Easter which falls on 20 April, the Cardinal said he did not know.Pope Francis has spent nearly 12 years as leader of the Roman Catholic Church.He has suffered a number of health issues throughout his life, including having part of one of his lungs removed at age 21, making him more prone to infections.
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Reuters
16 hours ago
- Reuters
Somalia faces diphtheria surge amid vaccine shortages and aid cuts
MOGADISHU, Aug 19 (Reuters) - Diphtheria cases and deaths have risen sharply this year in Somalia, where the response has been curtailed by vaccine shortages and U.S. aid cuts, Somali officials said. More than 1,600 cases, including 87 deaths, have been recorded, up from 838 cases and 56 deaths in all of 2024, said Hussein Abdukar Muhidin, the general director of Somalia's National Institute of Health. Diphtheria, a bacterial disease that causes swollen glands, breathing problems and fever and mostly affects children, is preventable with a vaccine that became widely available in the mid-20th century. Childhood immunisation rates in Somalia have improved over the past decade, but hundreds of thousands of children are still not fully vaccinated. After fleeing fighting between government forces and Islamist militants in the central Somalia town of Ceeldheere three months ago, all four of Deka Mohamed Ali's children, none of whom was vaccinated, contracted diphtheria. Her 9-year-old daughter recovered, but her 8-year-old son died and two toddlers are now being treated at a hospital in the capital Mogadishu. "My children got sick and I just stayed at home because I did not know it was diphtheria," she told Reuters from the bedside of her 3-year-old son Musa Abdullahi whose throat was swollen to the size of a lemon from the infection. Health Minister Ali Haji Adam said the government had struggled to procure enough vaccines due to a global shortage and that U.S. aid cuts were making it difficult to distribute the doses it had. Before President Donald Trump cut most foreign assistance earlier this year, the United States was the leading humanitarian donor to Somalia, whose health budget is almost entirely funded by donors. "The U.S. aid cut terribly affected the health funds it used to provide to Somalia. Many health centres closed. Mobile vaccination teams that took vaccines to remote areas lost funding and now do not work," said Adam. Muhidin separately echoed his comments about the closures. Overall U.S. foreign assistance commitments to Somalia stand at $149 million for the fiscal year that ends on September 30, compared with $765 million in the previous fiscal year, according to U.S. government statistics. "The United States continues to provide lifesaving foreign assistance in Somalia," a U.S. State Department spokesperson said when asked about the impact of its aid cuts in the country. "America is the most generous nation in the world, and we urge other nations to dramatically increase their humanitarian efforts." Aid group Save the Children said last month that the closure of hundreds of health clinics in Somalia this year due to foreign cuts has contributed to a doubling in the number of combined cases of diphtheria, measles, whooping cough, cholera and severe respiratory infections since mid-April. Besides the U.S., Britain, France, Germany and other major Western donors are also cutting aid budgets. Somalia's government has also faced criticism from doctors and human rights activists for its limited funding of the health sector. In 2024, it allocated 4.8% of its budget to health, down from 8.5% the previous year, Amnesty International said. The health ministry did not respond to a question about that criticism. It has said it is planning to launch a vaccination drive but has not given details when.
The National
a day ago
- The National
Historic 140-year-old metal bridge in Inverness closes
During a routine inspection of the city's Infirmary Bridge, part of the structure, called a hanger, had been found to be sheared and has since been closed due to concerns for public safety Following further examination, a small number of similar defects on other hangers, which hold the bottom cord of the bridge deck, were found. Highland Council said it was in the process of appointing a contractor to carry out the repairs on the crossing, which bridges the River Ness, but did not confirm a timescale for the work to be carried out. READ MORE: 2000-year-old Roman road and roundhouse discovered in Scottish park A statement issued by the council said: 'Infirmary Bridge was closed last week following a failure in one of the hangers. 'We are currently in the process of appointing a contractor to undertake repairs to allow the bridge to be reopened. 'We have identified a small number of similar defects on other hangers, and these will also be included in the repair works. 'We cannot commit to an exact timescale at the moment, but we are working to reopen the bridge as soon as possible.' Highland Council had planned to begin repairs to the bridge last year but delayed the work as officials said the scheme had been pushed back because money was needed for other projects.
Metro
2 days ago
- Metro
Chihuahua rushed to vet after taking cocaine and fentanyl
Most dog owners have a traumatic memory of the time their dog ate a sock, a packet of raisins, or an entire Christmas's worth of Quality Street chocolates, still in their wrappers (cough). But one chihuahua took the tendency to eat anything available to new levels after taking so much cocaine it collapsed, with its tongue lolling out and eyes failing to focus. Despite cocaine use stereotypically leading to people not shutting up, the little dog did not become yappy, but was really suffering. Its heart rate slowed right down – an unusual presentation, which vets said showed the importance of real world case studies. The dog was taken to the vet for emergency treatment, and given a urine test after two previous episodes of suspected drug exposure, as well as a history of 'dietary indiscretion'. Owners said there were no drugs at home, but the dog might have been able to find some at a friend's house. The results were positive for cocaine, cocaine metabolites, norfentanyl and trace amounts of fentanyl, which could be explained from eating the same bag due to cocaine being cut with other substances. The two-year-old male dog, whose identity has not been made public, made a full recovery after it was given a large dose of atropine, then epinephrine. It is estimated to have consumed up to 96mg of cocaine, most likely by snorting (inhaling) it or eating (ingesting) it. The owners were advised to muzzle their 5.5kg chihuahua, who mostly lives outdoors, when he could not be constantly monitored, to stop him eating anything more hazardous than dog biscuits in future. A medical report into what happened has now been published in the journal Frontiers in Veterinary Science. Lead author Dr Jake Johnson, a cardiology specialist, told owners to be honest if this happens to them too, as vets won't judge or report them to authorities, and 'this fear prevents crucial information sharing that could save lives'. More Trending He added: 'Dogs are natural scavengers and will investigate anything on the ground, so be vigilant during walks. 'Pet owners can prevent ingestion by keeping their dog on a leash, watching for any attempts to pick up or consume unknown items from the ground, and using a basket muzzle if necessary. 'Train your dog with 'leave it' and 'drop it' commands, which can be lifesaving if they encounter dangerous substances. 'If you suspect any exposure or feel as though your dog is not acting normally, it's important to seek immediate veterinary attention – early intervention can be lifesaving.' Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Scientists warn of 1,000ft 'mega tsunami' that could kill millions in minutes MORE: 'Brazen' drug dealers selling cocaine during Mass at the UK's biggest Catholic cathedral MORE: Drug driver, 81, told police someone 'slipped' cocaine into his birthday lemonade
