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[00:00:09] Hello, this is your daily dose of news from Onmanorama. These are the major news stories of Sunday, March 23, 2025. Pope Francis made his first public appearance in more than five weeks on Sunday, waving from a balcony at Rome's Gemelli Hospital before leaving the facility. Francis went to hospital on February 14 with a severe respiratory infection that became the most serious health crisis of his 12-year papacy.
[00:00:35] The Pope's doctors said on Saturday it would still take a lot of time for his aging body to fully heal, and said they had prescribed the pontiff a further two months of rest at the Vatican. Francis appeared on a balcony at the hospital shortly afternoon on Sunday. Using a wheelchair, as he has for several years, the Pope smiled and waved at a group of well-wishers gathered outside below.
[00:00:59] Israel's Security Cabinet approved a plan to separate 13 Jewish settlements in the Israeli-occupied West Bank from their neighboring communities, Finance Minister Basil Eil Smotrich said on Sunday. The settlements will ultimately be recognized as independent, he posted on X about the move, which follows the approval of tens of thousands of housing units across the West Bank.
[00:01:20] Israel's opposition to ceding control of the West Bank has been deepened by its fears of a repeat of the October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas-led militants. Its military says it is conducting counterterrorism operations in the West Bank and targeting suspected militants. Meanwhile, an Israeli airstrike in Khan Yunus, southern Gaza, killed Salah Al-Badwil, a senior Hamas political leader, according to Hamas and Palestinian media reports.
[00:01:47] Pro-Humas media reported that the airstrikes killed Bidwil, a member of the group's political office, along with his wife. The Supreme Court has released a 25-page inquiry report by Delhi High Court Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyay on the controversy involving High Court Justice Yashwant Verma. Published on the Supreme Court's website on Saturday night, the report includes photos and videos allegedly depicting burnt cash found at Justice Verma's residence.
[00:02:15] Chief Justice Upadhyay noted that the matter warranted a deeper investigation. Meanwhile, Justice Verma has dismissed all allegations, calling them a conspiracy to tarnish his reputation. The controversy began after a fire broke out at Justice Verma's official residence in Luthiens, Delhi on March 14. Fire department personnel reportedly found stacks of semi-burnt currency notes at the scene.
[00:02:39] However, Justice Verma has denied these claims, asserting that neither he nor his family members had placed any cash in the storeroom where the fire occurred. Amid the ongoing debate over the Karnataka government's decision to provide a 4% reservation for Muslims in government contracts, RSS General Secretary Datatari Husabale on Sunday asserted that the constitution does not permit religion-based quotas.
[00:03:05] He also stated that such reservations go against B.R. Rambetkar, the architect of the constitution. Addressing reporters on the concluding day of the Akhil Bhartiya Pratinidhi Sabha, the highest decision-making body of the Rashtriya Swamsevak Sangh, Husabale emphasized that religion-based reservations are not recognized in the constitution drafted by Amidkar. He added that anyone implementing such quotas is acting against the principles laid down by the constitution's architect.
[00:03:34] The central leadership of the BJP is learned to have suggested the name of former MP and Union Minister of State, Rajeev Chandrasekhar as the president of the party's Kerala Committee. With the central leadership pitching for Rajeev Chandrasekhar, a contest has been ruled out and Chandrasekhar submitted his nomination at the BJP State Committee office on Sunday. The official declaration of the party's new president will be made after the state council meeting on Monday.
[00:04:00] It was speculated that the party may compromise on a five-year tenure condition and will give K. Surendran another term, considering the upcoming local body elections and assembly polls. That brings us to the end of this episode. Thanks for listening to Daily News Doors from On Manorama. This newscast is produced using iVoice tools. Follow OnManorama.com for detailed updates on the latest news, and be sure to come back tomorrow.