International

Pope Francis suffers a fall without fractures and his arm is immobilized as a precaution

Pope Francis, 88, suffered a fall this Thursday in his residence, the house of Santa Marta, suffered a hematoma on his right forearm, without fractures, and was immobilized as a precautionary measure, the Vatican press office reported.

Despite the fall, Francisco continued with his work schedule – which consisted of five hearings – without problems, although with his arm immobilized with a white bandage as seen in the photos distributed by the Vatican, such as the meeting he had with the College of Argentine priests in Rome.

This is the pope’s second fall in a short time, since on December 7, the pontiff, who has serious mobility problems, appeared with a large bruise at the height of the chin.

At that time Francis suffered “a bruise when he hit his bedside table,” according to the director of the Holy See press office, Matteo Bruni.

Also on that occasion, the pontiff continued with his agenda and the celebration of the tenth consistory, in which he appointed 21 new cardinals and in which he appeared with the showy bruise on the right side of his face.

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Francisco suffers from severe gonalgia in his right knee that prevents him from walking, so he uses a wheelchair or sometimes helps himself with a cane.

International

American Airlines sued after woman alleges sexual assault on flight

A woman has filed a lawsuit against American Airlines, alleging she was sexually assaulted during a red-eye flight from San Francisco to Dallas last year. According to court documents made public in recent hours, the woman claims airline staff failed to respond to her complaints during the incident.

The alleged assailant, identified as Cherien Abraham, is a Texas man who had previously been reported to the airline for a similar incident involving another female passenger in 2023. The lawsuit states that Abraham “placed his hand on the plaintiff’s thigh, slid it toward her vagina, and touched her genitals.”

In a statement sent to media outlets, American Airlines confirmed it is “working closely with authorities on the investigation.” The company added that “this individual will no longer be allowed to fly with us.”

The plaintiff, Barbara Morgan, was traveling to Dallas to visit her son. She was seated next to Abraham during the flight. After the assault, she attempted to notify flight attendants, but according to her testimony, she received no assistance from the airline staff.

International

Houthis threaten israeli airports, urge airlines to cancel flights

Yemen’s Houthi rebels announced on Sunday that they will begin targeting Israeli airports and urged international airlines to cancel all flights to the country. The statement came just hours after a missile launched from Yemeni territory struck near Israel’s main airport, Ben Gurion, causing panic among passengers.

“The Yemeni Armed Forces will target Israeli airports, particularly the one in Lod, known as Ben Gurion,” said Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree in a statement. He also urged “all international airlines to take this announcement seriously and immediately cancel flights to the enemy’s airport.”

The Houthis have carried out multiple attacks against Israel throughout the war in Gaza in a show of solidarity with the Palestinian people. The missile strike near Ben Gurion International Airport occurred shortly before Israel’s top cabinet ministers were scheduled to vote on whether to escalate military operations in Gaza.

In a related development, Israel’s Chief of Staff, Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir, announced the military will begin calling up tens of thousands of reservists in preparation for possible further action.

International

Vatican speeds up Sistine Chapel preparations for upcoming conclave

Work is accelerating inside the Sistine Chapel as the Vatican prepares for the papal conclave set to begin on Wednesday. The preparations include the installation of a wooden floor, the setup of a stove for burning secret ballots, and the iconic chimney that will signal the election results.

A nearly five-minute video released by the Vatican on Saturday shows technicians assembling scaffolding beneath Michelangelo’s frescoes and laying a false wooden floor, where large tables will be placed to accommodate the 133 cardinals expected to vote.

Elsewhere in the chapel, workers are installing the heavy stove that will be used to burn the ballots. The footage, dated Friday, also shows firefighters climbing the tiled roof to prepare the chimney flue, which will emit either white smoke when a new pope is elected, or black smoke if no decision has been reached.

“This is a key stage for the Catholic Church,” said Silvio Screpanti, deputy director of Vatican infrastructure, on the Vatican’s official website. The stove has been discreetly tested, and in case of any issues, a technician will remain in a nearby technical room with a remote control to manage the stove, which now operates electronically.

A team of five electricians, five technicians, and two florists will remain on-site throughout the conclave. After taking an oath, they will stay within Vatican grounds with no outside contact, including with their families.

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Some of these workers have participated in previous conclaves, while younger staff will receive guidance from more experienced colleagues, ensuring a smooth transition for future conclaves.