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Approximately 250,000 people visited St. Peter's Basilica over three days to pay their final respects to Pope Francis, the Vatican reported on Friday, as public viewing ended, according to the Firstpost.

The 88-year-old pontiff, the first Latin American pope, died on Monday after a bout with acute pneumonia.

Throughout the day, people gathered on Via della Conciliazione, with many taking advantage of Italy's April 25 public holiday.

Pope Francis rests in a simple wooden coffin, dressed in red liturgical vestments with a rosary in his hands. The coffin is scheduled to be sealed in a private ceremony, Firstpost reported.

Security around the Vatican has been heightened, with restricted airspace, rooftop snipers, and fighter jets on standby. Authorities have also set up additional checkpoints ahead of the funeral

Pakistan has called for an international investigation into the deaths of 26 men in Indian-administered Kashmir, expressing a willingness to cooperate with global inspectors.

While India has accused Pakistani groups of being behind the attack, Islamabad strongly denied any participation and criticized New Delhi for using the tragedy to suspend the Indus Waters Treaty and pursue domestic interests, Reuters reported.

Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif has warned that rising tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbors could result in regional instability and calamity.

Although the group Kashmir Resistance claimed responsibility for the attack, Indian authorities allege it is linked to Pakistan-based terrorist networks, as stated by Reuters.

Minister Asif rejected these accusations, asserting that such groups are no longer active in Pakistan and that their remaining members are either under house arrest or in custody.

The Trump administration has reinstated the legal status of hundreds of international students whose records were wrongly terminated from a federal visa monitoring system, putting them at risk of deportation, according to BBC.

The move came during a court hearing in Boston, where a case filed by an affected student is still pending. Many students claimed their records had been destroyed because of minor or dismissed allegations, despite rules requiring removal only after conviction for significant crimes.

University groups and immigration advocates have criticized the administration's moves, warning that they may deter international students, who contribute an estimated $44bn to the US economy each year and play an important role in academic and research innovation, BBC reported.

In court filings, the government maintained that visa eligibility can be withdrawn if a student's name shows in criminal history databases, but plaintiffs say that many terminations violate existing legal requirements.

Apple plans to assemble most iPhones sold in the US in India by the end of 2026, reducing its dependence on China amid ongoing trade tensions. The move would double its current Indian output, as stated by Reuters.

The company is in talks with manufacturers such as Foxconn and Tata Group to expand its operations. In March, Apple exported $2bn worth of iPhones from India to the United States, marking a record shipment.

India's push to become a global manufacturing hub, which includes recent tax cuts on mobile components, has contributed to Apple's expansion, Reuters reported.

Currently, India accounts for only 20% of worldwide iPhone production.

The UN World Food Programme has run out of food in Gaza after seven weeks of blocked aid. Its last stocks were delivered to community kitchens, expected to shut down within days, UN News reported.

All 25 WFP-supported bakeries closed in March due to a lack of wheat and fuel, and food packs were insufficient. The United Nations warns that malnutrition is progressively worsening.

Israel claims to be following international law after suspending supplies on March 2 and resuming military operations in mid-March, as stated by UN News.

The UN insists Israel is responsible for ensuring basic supplies for Gaza’s 2.1m residents.

US President Trump's envoy, Steve Witkoff, met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Friday to discuss an envisioned strategy to end the Ukraine war, raising concerns among Kyiv and European allies over conditions perceived to be too advantageous to Moscow, Reuters reported.

The encounter, Witkoff's third with Putin, comes amid rising suspicion in Ukraine and Europe. Kremlin footage showed a formal sit-down with top Russian officials.

A day earlier, Trump condemned a deadly Russian strike on Kyiv but claimed progress in peace talks, warning both sides that if negotiations stalled, the US would withdraw.

Senior Russian General Yaroslav Moskalik was killed in a car bomb explosion in Moscow, which investigators believe was a planned strike.He is the latest high-ranking pro-Kremlin official to die under dubious circumstances in Russia, BBC reported.

Donald Trump's envoy, Steve Witkoff, is reportedly in Moscow to meet with President Putin.

Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov says Russia is open to a settlement with the United States to end the Ukraine conflict, but key aspects remain unsolved, as stated by BBC.

Meanwhile, a Russian drone strike in Ukraine killed three people, including a youngster and a woman aged 76.

Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba proposed an emergency economic package on Friday to mitigate the impact of increased US import tariffs on Japanese households and businesses.

As claimed by Reuters, the measures include increased gasoline and electricity subsidies, as well as low-interest loans for small and medium-sized businesses. Ishiba urged ministers to support sectors such as automobiles and steel, which face significant risks.

Finance Minister Ryosei Akazawa stated that the package would be provided from reserve money, with additional actions feasible if necessary. He will visit Washington next week for further trade talks, Reuters reported.