Pope Francis remains critical

Rome: Pope Francis, who is battling double pneumonia, remains in a critical condition for a second day and has shown an “initial, slight insufficiency” in his kidney function, the Vatican said yesterday.

The prognosis for the 88-year-old Pope, who required a transfusion of two units of blood on Saturday after experiencing a “prolonged asthma-like respiratory crisis,” remains “guarded”, according to the latest medical update.