Pope Francis is alert in hospital, Vatican says, as people leave flowers and notes

Pope Francis is alert in hospital, Vatican says, as people leave flowers and notes
Candles with the pictures of Pope Francis are the laid under the statue of late Pope John Paul II outside Agostino Gemelli Polyclinic in Rome, Feb. 19, 2025, where the Pontiff is hospitalized since Feb. 14. (AP)
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Updated 19 February 2025
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Pope Francis is alert in hospital, Vatican says, as people leave flowers and notes

Pope Francis is alert in hospital, Vatican says, as people leave flowers and notes
  • Double pneumonia is a serious infection that can inflame and scar both lungs and makes breathing more difficult
  • The Vatican had said previously that the pope would stay in hospital as long as necessary to tackle a “complex clinical situation“

VATICAN CITY: Pope Francis, who is spending his sixth day in hospital for treatment of a respiratory infection, is alert and ate breakfast on Wednesday, the Vatican said in its latest update on the pontiff’s fragile health.
Francis has the onset of double pneumonia, the Vatican said on Tuesday, complicating treatment for the 88-year-old pope who was admitted to Rome’s Gemelli hospital on February 14.
Double pneumonia is a serious infection that can inflame and scar both lungs and makes breathing more difficult.
The Vatican had said previously that the pope had a polymicrobial infection, which occurs when two or more micro-organisms are involved, adding that he would stay in hospital as long as necessary to tackle a “complex clinical situation.”
A Vatican official, who did not wish to be named because he was not authorized to speak about the pope’s condition, said on Wednesday Francis was not on a ventilator and was breathing on his own.
The official said the pope had been able to get out of bed and sit in an armchair in his hospital room, and was continuing to do some work.
The Vatican is expected to give a further update on the pope’s condition later on Wednesday.
A wave of messages of support for Francis had come in from across the world, the Vatican’s official media outlet reported. Pilgrims at the Vatican on Wednesday for the pope’s canceled weekly audience expressed hope for his recovery.
“We will pray for him so that he can recover as soon as possible,” said Gianfranco Rizzo, a pilgrim from Bari, Italy.
The pope has been plagued by ill health in recent years, including regular bouts of flu, sciatica nerve pain and an abdominal hernia that required surgery in 2023. As a young adult he developed pleurisy and had part of one lung removed.
All the pope’s public engagements have been canceled through Sunday and he has no further official events on the Vatican’s published calendar.

’VERY TARGETED THERAPY’
Gemelli hospital, Rome’s largest, has a special suite for treating popes, and is known especially for often treating the late Pope John Paul II during his long papacy.
Francis spent nine days at Gemelli in June 2023, when he had surgery to repair an abdominal hernia.
Outside the hospital on Wednesday, people were leaving flowers and small personal notes under a famous statue of John Paul II, wishing a speedy recovery for Francis.
Victoria Darmody, a tourist from England, said she came to the hospital just to be near the pope. “We were hoping to go to the papal audience today but felt this was the right place to be instead,” she said.
Andrea Vicini, a Jesuit priest and medical doctor, said it was notable that the Vatican’s statement on Tuesday referred to the pontiff as having the onset of pneumonia and not bronchopneumonia. The latter would indicate an infection that is more widespread, he said.
“It (sounds like) it’s more localized and has not spread,” said Vicini, a professor at Boston College, who said he did not have details of the pope’s case beyond the Vatican’s public statements.
“If they identified the pathogen, as I expect they would have done, they will have a very targeted therapy,” he said. “I am optimistic. It seems they are controlling what is happening.”
Work at the Vatican was continuing as the pope was in hospital. One senior official, Cardinal Michael Czerny, was still expected to depart on Wednesday for a five-day visit to Lebanon.
The Vatican’s top diplomat, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, returned to Rome as scheduled on Wednesday morning from a trip to Burkina Faso.


Italy sees surge in migrant crossings despite PM’s tough stance

Italy sees surge in migrant crossings despite PM’s tough stance
Updated 15 March 2025
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Italy sees surge in migrant crossings despite PM’s tough stance

Italy sees surge in migrant crossings despite PM’s tough stance
  • Country sees 40% rise driven by Pakistanis and Bangladeshis, despite numbers elsewhere in Europe dropping 
  • Italy struck deals last year with authorities in Libya, Tunisia to halt Mediterranean crossings

London: Italy has experienced a sharp rise in the number of migrants arriving illegally this year, damaging Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s reputation for being tough on migration, The Times reported.

While Europe broadly has seen numbers of migrants decline, Italy saw an increase of 40 percent despite Meloni’s government striking deals last year with authorities in Libya and Tunisia to halt Mediterranean crossings, which initially led to a 58 percent drop.

The number of migrants reaching Italy so far this year is 8,232, up from 5,912 in the same period in 2024.

The increase has been driven by a 68 percent rise from Libya, facilitated by hundreds of Pakistanis and Bangladeshis arriving in the North African country to make the journey to Europe.

So far this year, 3,195 Bangladeshis and 1,247 Pakistanis have crossed into Europe, with more than half traveling to Italy.

Frontex, the EU’s border force, said labor deals between Libya and Bangladesh were making the journey easier for migrants.

It added that overall, there had been a drop in people reaching Europe of around 25 percent, including to Greece, Spain and the Balkans. The total number to reach Europe so far this year stands at around 25,000. The number of crossings from France to the UK, meanwhile, is down 28 percent.

Frontex said traffickers are using faster boats with more engines to avoid the Italian Coast Guard, with migrants paying up to €8,000 ($8,737) for the crossing.

“Smugglers are using them to get people quickly out of Libyan waters, avoiding patrols in the early stages,” a Frontex spokesman said.

“In January alone, nearly 30 of these types of boats carrying nearly 1,500 people were detected.” 


Ghosts of fast fashion: Has colonialism ruined Bangladesh’s luxury fabric trade?

Ghosts of fast fashion: Has colonialism ruined Bangladesh’s luxury fabric trade?
Updated 15 March 2025
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Ghosts of fast fashion: Has colonialism ruined Bangladesh’s luxury fabric trade?

Ghosts of fast fashion: Has colonialism ruined Bangladesh’s luxury fabric trade?
  • Dhaka was the global center of muslin and fine handloom weaving until British colonial rule
  • Top model and designer Bibi Russell spearheads a movement to revive Bangladeshi textile art

DHAKA: Now a hub of cheap, mass-produced clothing for global brands, Bangladesh was for centuries known as the opposite — a center of coveted luxury textiles. The European appeal of these fine fabrics in the late 18th century marked the beginning of the industry’s decline, ultimately leading to its eventual erasure.

Historically, eastern Bengal — now Bangladesh — was renowned for its master weavers of silk and cotton textiles and particularly for muslin, a lightweight fabric crafted from extremely fine handspun yarns.

Dhaka became the center of muslin weaving in the early 17th century when the fabric became popular on the Indian subcontinent under the Mughal Empire. It dominated the global market for 200 years.

“Dhaka muslin was a symbol of tradition and royal nobility in this land. It was celebrated for its magnificent design and exceptional craftsmanship, earning worldwide acclaim. So fine was its weaving that an entire muslin sari could easily pass through a finger ring,” said Mohammad Ayub Ali, head of the muslin revival project at the Bangladesh Handloom Board, which works to preserve classical Bengali weaving techniques.

“Traders from various European countries, including England, the Netherlands, Portugal and Greece, were actively engaged in the muslin trade.”

This flourishing market was, however, soon overshadowed by colonial influence. Bengal’s textile industry began to wither after the British East India Company conquered the region in the mid-18th century, took control of the industry and exploited it beyond its limits.

In his 1772 work “Considerations on India Affairs,” merchant William Bolts of the British East India Company describes weavers being forcibly taken from their workplaces to produce textiles at English factories. Some resorted to self-mutilation — cutting of their own thumbs — in a desperate attempt to escape forced labor.

Another devastating blow to the native industry came with the tariffs imposed by the British colonial rulers, as England entered the Industrial Revolution and itself began mass-producing fabrics.

“The British rulers suppressed our local cotton producers and muslin weavers to create a favorable market for (their) textiles. Cheap textiles started to pour into our markets ... In the middle of the 19th century, muslin production in Dhaka was completely stopped,” Ali said.

“We were forced to import British clothes ... We once had 100 percent local input in cotton production, weaving and the expertise required to create world-class garments. But now, we only produce ready-made clothing as tailors.”

Bangladesh is the second-largest exporter of ready-made garments in the world, after China, producing large volumes quickly and cheaply. Around 4 million people are employed in factories, where unsafe working conditions, frequent deadly accidents and monthly wages that rarely exceed $120 regularly make headlines in both local and international press.

There is a direct link between the exploitative sector and colonial legacy.

“The colonizers systematically dismantled our thriving artisan economy ... The destruction of that heritage was not just about economics; it was about erasing a culture of excellence and self-reliance,” top Bangladeshi model and celebrated designer Bibi Russell, renowned for her efforts to revive her homeland’s textile art, told Arab News.

“While Bangladesh has become one of the largest exporters of ready-made garments in the world, we must ask ourselves at what cost. The fast fashion industry has created millions of jobs, but it has also perpetuated a system where workers are often undervalued, artisans are sidelined, and our natural resources are exploited. In many ways, it reflects a continuation of the exploitative systems of the past, where the value of human skill and creativity is sacrificed for profit.”

Bibi Russell speaks to Bangladeshi TV in December 2024. (Bibi Russell)

Russell is an advocate of the growing defashion movement, which calls for a shift away from the disposable culture of fast fashion — including its overconsumption, environmental degradation and the exploitation of workers in countries where labor laws and wages are poor.

She believes such a change is possible as the world is waking up and the global fashion landscape is changing, with consumers becoming more conscious of sustainability and ethical practices.

“Bangladesh has an incredible opportunity to lead this change ... Our history shows that we are resilient, and I see an opportunity to reclaim our legacy as a hub of quality and innovation, not just quantity,” she said.

“By investing in our craftspeople and celebrating their work, we can create an industry that uplifts rather than exploits, honors rather than erases ... This is our moment to rewrite the narrative — not as victims of a colonial legacy, but as innovators and creators.”


Thailand says assured of Uyghurs’ safety after US visa bans

Thailand says assured of Uyghurs’ safety after US visa bans
Updated 15 March 2025
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Thailand says assured of Uyghurs’ safety after US visa bans

Thailand says assured of Uyghurs’ safety after US visa bans
  • Thailand on Saturday responded to a United States visa ban on officials from the kingdom involved in deporting dozens of Uyghurs back to China, saying it had “received assurances” of their safety

BANGKOK: Thailand on Saturday responded to a United States visa ban on officials from the kingdom involved in deporting dozens of Uyghurs back to China, saying it had “received assurances” of their safety.
The Thai government has suffered intense criticism from around the world for its decision to hand over at least 40 Uyghurs, who were flown by special plane to China’s northwestern Xinjiang region in late February.
The Uyghurs had spent years languishing in Thai detention facilities after fleeing China more than a decade ago.
On Friday US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced visa restrictions on an unspecified number of former or current officials from Thailand involved in the deportation.
Thailand’s foreign affairs ministry said in a statement on Saturday it noted the US decision adding it had “received assurances from the Government of China concerning the safety of the Uyghurs.”
It said Thailand “will continue to follow up on the well-being of this group.”
Thailand is the oldest US ally in Asia but maintains friendly relations with Beijing.
“Thailand has always and will continue to value the long-standing and close treaty alliance with the United States,” the statement said.
The United States accuses China of genocide over its mass camps for Uyghurs, a mostly Muslim minority in the northwestern Xinjiang region.
China rejects the accusations and says it is providing vocational education to improve Uyghurs’ future.


Zelensky denies Ukrainian troops encircled in Russia's Kursk region

Zelensky denies Ukrainian troops encircled in Russia's Kursk region
Updated 37 min 21 sec ago
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Zelensky denies Ukrainian troops encircled in Russia's Kursk region

Zelensky denies Ukrainian troops encircled in Russia's Kursk region
  • Zelenskiy says Kursk operation ongoing, Ukrainian troops not encircled

KYIV: Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky denied Saturday any “encirclement” of his troops by Moscow’s forces in Russia’s Kursk region, a day after US President Donald Trump made the claim.
“There is no encirclement of our troops,” Zelensky said on social media, adding: “Our troops continue to hold back Russian and North Korean groupings in the Kursk region.”

Ukraine said Saturday it had downed 130 Russian-launched drones across the country at night, as international efforts to end the three-year war intensify.
Kyiv’s air force said the Iranian-made Shahed drones were downed over 14 regions and that Moscow had also attacked with two ballistic missiles.


Musk says Starship to depart for Mars at end of 2026

Musk says Starship to depart for Mars at end of 2026
Updated 15 March 2025
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Musk says Starship to depart for Mars at end of 2026

Musk says Starship to depart for Mars at end of 2026

Washington: SpaceX founder Elon Musk said Saturday its massive Starship rocket would leave for Mars at the end of 2026 with Tesla humanoid robot Optimus onboard, adding that human landings could follow “as soon as 2029.”
“Starship departs for Mars at the end of next year, carrying Optimus. If those landings go well, then human landings may start as soon as 2029, although 2031 is more likely,” Musk said on his X social network.
Starship — the world’s largest and most powerful rocket — is key to Musk’s long-term vision of colonizing Mars.
NASA is also awaiting a modified version of Starship as a lunar lander for its Artemis program, which aims to return astronauts to the Moon this decade.
But before SpaceX can carry out those missions, it must prove the vehicle is reliable, safe for crew, and capable of complex in-orbit refueling — critical for deep space missions.
SpaceX faced a setback this month when its latest test flight of the Starship prototype ended in a fiery explosion, even as the booster was successfully caught in its orbital test.
It was a near replay of the previous attempt.
Minutes after liftoff and booster separation, a live video feed showed the upper stage tumbling uncontrollably before the signal abruptly cut.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said SpaceX will be required to conduct an investigation before it can fly again.