Flowers and candles are laid at the statue of John Paul II outside the Gemelli hospital where Pope Francis is hospitalized with pneumonia, in Rome on February 27, 2025. (Photo by DIMITAR DILKOFF/AFP via Getty Images)
(ROME) — The Vatican said that the pope “slept well during the night and is now resting” peacefully on Thursday morning as the pontiff begins his 14th day in hospital.
Pope Francis’ condition improved slightly on Wednesday, though officials say they “remain guarded” over his prognosis, according to the Vatican.
The slight renal insufficiency the pope had in recent days has subsided and a Tuesday CAT scan of the chest showed a normal evolution of the pulmonary inflammatory picture.
The blood chemistry and blood cell count tests carried out Wednesday have confirmed the pope’s improvement, but he remains on high-flow oxygen therapy and did not have any asthmatic-like respiratory crises.
The pope received the Eucharist on Wednesday morning and the afternoon was dedicated to work activities, the Vatican said.
Pope Francis’ condition remains “critical but stable,” Vatican officials said in a brief update on Tuesday.
“There have been no acute respiratory episodes and hemodynamic parameters continue to be stable. In the evening, he underwent a scheduled CT scan for radiological monitoring of the bilateral pneumonia. The prognosis remains uncertain,” the Vatican said Tuesday.
The pontiff, who has led the Catholic Church since 2013, was diagnosed with pneumonia last week, according to the Vatican.
(MANDALAY CITY, MYANMAR) — A 63-year-old woman was pulled alive from under the rubble Tuesday about 91 hours after Myanmar was struck by a devastating, 7.7 magnitude earthquake, the Myanmar Fire Services Department said on social media.
At least 2,719 people have been confirmed dead in the aftermath of Friday’s massive earthquake in Myanmar, a government official reportedly told local media on Tuesday.
Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, the leader of the country’s military junta, also said during a televised broadcast that another 4,521 people were injured, according to The Associated Press and Reuters.
“Among the missing, most are assumed to be dead,” he said on state television. “There is a narrow chance for them to remain alive as it has been over 72 hours.”
Rescues efforts were still underway on Tuesday, according to the Myanmar Fire Services Department.
With many areas hit by Friday’s earthquake still not reached by rescue crews, the number of people injured or dead is still expected to rise.
The epicenter of the earthquake was in Mandalay, Myanmar, the country’s second-largest city. Even Bangkok, some 600 miles away, felt widespread shaking and saw significant damage from the quake — including the total collapse of a skyscraper under construction. More than a dozen people were killed in the collapse, officials said, with recovery efforts for the construction workers still ongoing.
The International Rescue Committee, an aid group, has reported “staggering humanitarian needs on the ground.”
“People require urgent medical care, clean drinking water, tents, food and other basic necessities,” the IRC said in a statement.
The IRC said it may be weeks before the full extent of the destruction is understood.
Ciarán Donnelly, senior vice president of international programs at the IRC, told ABC News Live that teams are dealing with an “unimaginably horrendous situation on the ground,” with 80% of buildings destroyed in some towns.
“The challenges are immense. You’ve got infrastructure that’s been destroyed, airports and roads that have been damaged, supply chains disrupted,” Donnelly said.
After the U.S. State Department said Monday that it was “in the process” of sending disaster relief experts to Myanmar, a leading aid group said in a statement to ABC News on Tuesday that the U.S. has already “missed the first urgent window to help find survivors.”
“With USAID effectively gutted and critical staff receiving their final notices in the midst of an emergency, the US Government’s ability to respond to the humanitarian crisis in Myanmar and future crises is severely compromised. Speed, collaboration, and resources are life and death matters when disaster strikes. The illegal decision to dismantle USAID means the U.S. will be unable to show up like it has in past emergencies,” said Abby Maxman, president and CEO of Oxfam America.
“The U.S. has already missed the first urgent window to help find survivors. The second wave of crisis is the millions of people displaced who will soon face threats of disease, hunger, and more without access to clean water, food, shelter and other resources. The Trump administration must step up and continue the U.S. legacy of providing partnership and leadership right now for the communities who need urgent support,” Maxman said.
ABC News’ Joe Simonetti, Guy Davies and Helena Skinner contributed to this report.
(WASHINGTON) — Belarusian journalist Andrei Kuznechyk was released from prison on Wednesday after serving more than three years in prison, according to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.
The terms of the deal were not immediately clear.
“This is a joyous day for Andrey, his wife, Alesya, and their two young children. After more than three years apart, this family is together again thanks to President [Donald] Trump,” RFE/RL President and CEO Stephen Capus said in a statement.
“We are also grateful to Secretary Rubio and his team, and to the Lithuanian government for their support,” Capus added.
Kuznechyk’s release comes a day after American schoolteacher Marc Fogel returned to the U.S. after being released from Russia.
Kuznechyk was initially sentenced in November 2021 to 10 days in jail on hooliganism charges, which he rejected at the time, according to RFE/RL.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
A general view of a Mosque in Mogadishu on March 4, 2025. (Photo by Hassan Ali Elmi/ AFP via Getty Images)
(LONDON) — The U.S. embassy in Somalia has warned Americans that they are tracking “credible information” regarding potentially imminent terror attacks “against multiple locations in Somalia including Mogadishu’s Aden Adde International Airport,” officials said.
The U.S. embassy in Somalia’s capital city of Mogadishu said that all movements of embassy personnel have been canceled until further notice in a statement released on Tuesday.
“The U.S. Department of State level four travel advisory (“do not travel”) for Somalia remains in effect due to crime, terrorism, civil unrest, health issues, kidnapping, and piracy,” U.S. officials said.
“The U.S. Embassy in Somalia reminds U.S. citizens that terrorists continue to plot kidnappings, bombings, and other attacks in Somalia,” the statement continued. “They may conduct attacks with little or no warning, targeting airports and seaports, checkpoints, government buildings, hotels, restaurants, shopping areas, and other areas where large crowds gather and Westerners frequent, as well as government, military, and Western convoys.”
Shortly after Donald Trump’s return to the White House, the United States used manned fighter jets to conduct an airstrike against Islamic State targets in Somalia in early February.
President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed the airstrike, claiming no civilians were harmed in the attack. No details were released about the targets aside from the president labeling the target as a “Senior ISIS Attack Planner.”
Hegseth said the airstrikes were carried out “at President Trump’s direction and in coordination with the Federal Government of Somalia.”
The embassy warned that potential methods of attack include, but are not limited to, car bombs, suicide bombers, individual attackers and mortar fire.
“The U.S. government has extremely limited ability to provide emergency services to U.S. citizens in Somalia due to the lack of a permanent consular presence in Somalia,” officials said.
The embassy warned Americans who are still in Somalia to continue to exercise vigilance, review your personal security plans, notify a trusted person of your travel and movement plans and to avoid all large crowds, gatherings and demonstrations.
