Follow the Pope's funeral here
What was he like? This is the question I’m always asked years after I met Pope Francis, shook his hand and asked him to bless rosary prayer beads for my Catholic friends and family.
It was the second-ever trip to the Gulf by the head of the Roman Catholic Church and I was covering the Pope’s four-day visit to Bahrain in November 2022 for The National.
There was a calmness about Pope Francis, an air of serenity around him and a sense that he was always fully present in the moment as he greeted each one of the more than 60 journalists on board the plane from Rome to Bahrain.
We were on board Shepherd One, the name the Italian media gave to chartered planes the Pope flew on when visiting countries.
As Pope, I want to tell you: never lose the courage to dream big and to live life to the full
Pope Francis on his second visit to the Gulf
The pontiff, then 85, was brought on board in a wheelchair and walked slowly to the back of plane leaning on a cane to meet the press after we took off from Rome’s Fiumicino Airport.
There was a polite scrummage – we were, after all, in the presence of the Pope – to get the best first shots of the leader of the world’s 1.3 billion Catholics then recovering from a knee ailment.
Speaking in Italian, translated by his aides, Pope Francis made it clear he had time to meet all media on board.
Receiving blessings
It was the first time on a papal flight for me and my colleague Amy McConaghy, The National’s multimedia producer, and we thought it was the start of a press conference.
We soon realised as per protocol, this was an informal meeting with the media on the Rome-Manama journey and he would take formal questions on the return to Italy.
On past flights, the Pope usually walked around but this time he sat in the front and patiently spent time asking each person where they were from and the media group they represented.
As journalists we are used to thrusting microphones in front of world leaders and wildly scribbling notes, not standing in a queue to say hello.
But this journey was different – veteran journalists, who travelled more than 100 times with the first non-European Pope and extensively covered his predecessors John Paul II and Benedict XVI, said the experience never got old.
We watched as journalists queued up to bless books, paintings, mementoes, asked him to say a prayer for ailing relatives.
I fished out a box of rosaries I had bought in Rome as I knew it would mean the world to my friends to have the Pope bless this. He did so with a warm smile after asking who it was for and where I was from.
It’s been three years since that trip and the photographs capture distinctive memories of Pope Francis’s gold, blue and red insignia embroidered on the headrest flaps.
His aides told us that a portrait of Mary is placed in the front where the Pope is seated and accompanied him on all his journeys.
It was an experience I cherish – that’s my answer to the question I’ve been asked. I remember kind eyes, a firm handshake, an overall sense of peace and the measured tones in which the late Pope Francis answered every question.
The video The National produced about the papal flight went viral with people from Calgary to Chennai asking if they could have the rosary beads.
One message remains with me as it mirrors his title as the ‘People’s Pope.’
“I remember your meeting with our beloved Papa Francis,” said one reader. “I feel I’ve learnt so much from him during his papacy just by the way he lived his life.”
Dreaming big and some highlights
The papal flight was the start of The National’s extensive coverage.
As media we were close at hand to record him kiss babies lifted up to the Popemobile in packed stadiums and touch the hands of cancer survivors overjoyed to watch him lead the Mass.
We saw first-hand his unflagging energy despite a painful knee that kept him in a wheelchair. His schedule ran the press to the ground from 8am stretching past 9pm daily.
But behind his smile and calm, there was a clear resolve to reiterate his message of interfaith dialogue and for the urgent need to extend a hand of friendship to strangers, new neighbours and migrants – words that will remain relevant well after his death on Monday.
There was a genuineness in the connection he had with people who lined up for hours to greet him and called him, ‘My Pope.’
Over those long hours, the Pope drew energy from his meetings with excited schoolchildren.
“Dear young people, we need you. We need your creativity, your dreams and your courage, your charm and your smiles, your contagious joy and that touch of craziness that you can bring to every situation, which helps to break us out of our stale habits and ways of looking at things,” he said.
“As Pope, I want to tell you: never lose the courage to dream big and to live life to the full.”
And as promised, on the flight back to Rome, we had an in-flight press conference where the Pope gave a fascinating insight into the making of the Document of Human Fraternity signed in Abu Dhabi in 2019.
He shared how when sharing lunch with Dr Ahmed Al Tayeb, the Grand Imam of Al Azhar, a divine force guided him to write the document that aims to open a path of harmony between all faiths.
“It emerged during a friendly lunch and that is a big thing,” he said. “It seems right that you know how the Lord inspired this path … You can't understand it otherwise, because none of us had this in mind. It was something that came from God.”
MATCH INFO
Newcastle United 3
Gayle (23'), Perez (59', 63')
Chelsea 0
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
How it works
Each player begins with one of the great empires of history, from Julius Caesar's Rome to Ramses of Egypt, spread over Europe and the Middle East.
Round by round, the player expands their empire. The more land they have, the more money they can take from their coffers for each go.
As unruled land and soldiers are acquired, players must feed them. When a player comes up against land held by another army, they can choose to battle for supremacy.
A dice-based battle system is used and players can get the edge on their enemy with by deploying a renowned hero on the battlefield.
Players that lose battles and land will find their coffers dwindle and troops go hungry. The end goal? Global domination of course.
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
Dr Afridi's warning signs of digital addiction
Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.
Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.
Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.
Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.
Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.
What are the guidelines?
Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.
Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.
Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.
Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.
Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.
Source: American Paediatric Association
CONFIRMED%20LINE-UP
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Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
How tumultuous protests grew
- A fuel tax protest by French drivers appealed to wider anti-government sentiment
- Unlike previous French demonstrations there was no trade union or organised movement involved
- Demonstrators responded to online petitions and flooded squares to block traffic
- At its height there were almost 300,000 on the streets in support
- Named after the high visibility jackets that drivers must keep in cars
- Clashes soon turned violent as thousands fought with police at cordons
- An estimated two dozen people lost eyes and many others were admitted to hospital
Five healthy carbs and how to eat them
Brown rice: consume an amount that fits in the palm of your hand
Non-starchy vegetables, such as broccoli: consume raw or at low temperatures, and don’t reheat
Oatmeal: look out for pure whole oat grains or kernels, which are locally grown and packaged; avoid those that have travelled from afar
Fruit: a medium bowl a day and no more, and never fruit juices
Lentils and lentil pasta: soak these well and cook them at a low temperature; refrain from eating highly processed pasta variants
Courtesy Roma Megchiani, functional nutritionist at Dubai’s 77 Veggie Boutique
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ONCE UPON A TIME IN GAZA
Starring: Nader Abd Alhay, Majd Eid, Ramzi Maqdisi
Directors: Tarzan and Arab Nasser
Rating: 4.5/5
Results
5pm: Warsan Lake – Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 2,200m; Winner: Dhaw Al Reef, Sam Hitchcott (jockey), Abdallah Al Hammadi (trainer)
5.30pm: Al Quadra Lake – Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Mrouwah Al Gharbia, Sando Paiva, Abubakar Daud
6pm: Hatta Lake – Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: AF Yatroq, George Buckell, Ernst Oertel
6.30pm: Wathba Stallions Cup – Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Ashton Tourettes, Adries de Vries, Ibrahim Aseel
7pm: Abu Dhabi Championship – Listed (PA) Dh180,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Bahar Muscat, Antonio Fresu, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami
7.30pm: Zakher Lake – Rated Conditions (TB) Dh80,000 (T) 1,400m; Winner: Alfareeq, Dane O’Neill, Musabah Al Muhairi.
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
Sarfira
Director: Sudha Kongara Prasad
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Radhika Madan, Paresh Rawal
Rating: 2/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
FINAL SCORES
Fujairah 130 for 8 in 20 overs
(Sandy Sandeep 29, Hamdan Tahir 26 no, Umair Ali 2-15)
Sharjah 131 for 8 in 19.3 overs
(Kashif Daud 51, Umair Ali 20, Rohan Mustafa 2-17, Sabir Rao 2-26)
The specs
Engine: 6.2-litre supercharged V8
Power: 712hp at 6,100rpm
Torque: 881Nm at 4,800rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 19.6 l/100km
Price: Dh380,000
On sale: now
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
NEW ARRIVALS
Benjamin Mendy (Monaco) - £51.75m (Dh247.94m)
Kyle Walker (Tottenham Hotspur) - £45.9m
Bernardo Silva (Monaco) - £45m
Ederson Moraes (Benfica) - £36m
Danilo (Real Madrid) - £27m
Douglas Luiz (Vasco de Gama) - £10.8m
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Global Fungi Facts
• Scientists estimate there could be as many as 3 million fungal species globally
• Only about 160,000 have been officially described leaving around 90% undiscovered
• Fungi account for roughly 90% of Earth's unknown biodiversity
• Forest fungi help tackle climate change, absorbing up to 36% of global fossil fuel emissions annually and storing around 5 billion tonnes of carbon in the planet's topsoil
The five pillars of Islam
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Paatal Lok season two
Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy
Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong
Rating: 4.5/5
