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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

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In court filings, the government maintained that visa eligibility can be withdrawn if a student's name shows in criminal history databases, but plaintiffs say that many terminations violate existing legal requirements.

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.

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.