Pope Francis was admitted to hospital for medical tests

Pope Francis was briefly admitted to a hospital in Rome for examination and tests because he is suffering from the flu, world news agencies reported.

The 87-year-old Francis has said that he is not feeling well. He went to Gemelli Hospital on the island of Isola Tiberina after attending his general audience at the Vatican, where he asked someone else to read his text.

The Vatican has canceled the pope's public meetings because of the ongoing symptoms.

The pope's white Fiat 500 car left the hospital around noon local time under a police escort, AFP reported.
Francis was forced to cancel his visit to the COP28 UN climate talks in Dubai in December because of similar symptoms.
The Argentine pontiff, who took over as head of the Catholic Church in 2013, has suffered several health problems in recent years, from knee and hip pain to an inflamed colon and hernia surgery last June. /BGNES