International

Death toll rises to 59 due to rains in Sao Paulo, Brazil

Photo: EFE

February 26 |

The death toll from the heavy rains that hit the coast of the state of Sao Paulo, in southeastern Brazil, rose to 59, while 13 injured are hospitalized at the Regional Hospital of the North Coast (HRLN) in stable condition, an official source reported Saturday.

In its most recent bulletin, the Government of Sao Paulo specified that so far 59 deaths have been confirmed, 58 in the district of Sao Sebastiao and one in Ubatuba, the most affected by the torrential rains and landslides that affected the coast of Sao Paulo during the Carnival weekend (February 17-19).

Of the total number of deceased, 54 have already been identified and released for burial. There are 19 adult men, 17 adult women and 18 children, the statement added.

The government of Sao Paulo pointed out that priority continues to be given to helping the victims and more than 2,251 displaced people and 1,815 homeless people are being attended to.

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The State Health Department said that 28 victims of the rains (22 adults and six children) have so far been treated at the HRLN.

Of this total, 13 remain hospitalized in stable health condition. Another 10 patients have already been discharged from the hospital and five have been transferred to other units.

The governor of Sao Paulo, Tarcísio de Freitas, announced on Saturday that a state office will be created to closely monitor the reconstruction works in Sao Sebastiao.

During the day, Governor Tarcísio visited 43 affected families who are now installed in a hotel provided by a financial entity in Sao Sebastiao.

The official informed that he is looking for more safe land, in addition to the three he has already found, to start building houses as soon as possible, using construction technologies to speed up the completion of these buildings, with safety and comfort.

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International

Iran Reports 201 Dead, 747 Injured After U.S. and Israeli Strikes

The Iranian Red Crescent Society reported Sunday night (local time) that at least 201 people were killed and 747 injured following attacks carried out by Israel and the United States against the Islamic Republic.

A spokesperson for the humanitarian organization said more than 220 rescue teams have been deployed across affected areas and that relief operations are continuing without interruption. The official highlighted the difficulty of treating the large number of wounded and the urgent need for additional resources in impacted provinces.

Out of Iran’s 31 provinces, 24 have reported damage, according to a statement carried by the Isna news agency. This marks the first overall casualty toll released by Iranian state-affiliated media since the launch of the offensive.

Among the dead are 85 schoolgirls from a school in the southern city of Minab, according to the country’s judiciary. “The number of martyrs at the Minab girls’ school has risen to 85,” the local prosecutor’s office said, as quoted by the judiciary’s website, Mizan Online.

Iranian President Masud Pezeshkian described the attack as a “savagery” that “constitutes a new black page in the record of countless crimes committed by the aggressors.”

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Meanwhile, the international community continues to monitor the situation closely amid concerns about possible further reprisals and the broader impact on Middle East stability, energy markets, and global security.

AFP noted that it was unable to independently verify the casualty figures or the circumstances surrounding the events.

International

Pope Leo XIV Urges End to ‘Spiral of Violence’ in Middle East

Pope Leo XIV on Sunday called for an end to the “spiral of violence” in the Middle East, following military strikes by the United States and Israel against Iran and subsequent retaliatory bombardments in the region.

“Faced with the possibility of a tragedy of enormous proportions, I urge the parties involved to assume their moral responsibility and stop the spiral of violence before it becomes an irreparable abyss,” the pontiff told the crowd gathered in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican.

Speaking during the Angelus prayer, the U.S.-born pope said stability and peace cannot be achieved through threats or weapons. “Stability and peace are not built with reciprocal threats or with arms that sow destruction, suffering and death, but only through reasonable, sincere and responsible dialogue,” he declared.

The leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics also called for diplomacy to “regain its role” amid escalating tensions.

In addition, the pope urged Afghanistan and Pakistan to urgently resume dialogue after several days of clashes between the two countries.

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International

Security Council to Hold Emergency Meeting on Middle East Crisis

UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Saturday condemned the “military escalation in the Middle East” following attacks by the United States and Israel against Iran and Tehran’s retaliatory strikes, just hours before an urgent meeting of the UN Security Council.

“I call for the immediate cessation of hostilities and de-escalation,” Guterres said in a statement.

The Security Council is scheduled to meet on Saturday at 21:00 GMT (4:00 p.m. in New York) to address “the situation in the Middle East,” the United Nations announced.

The meeting, during which Guterres will deliver remarks, was convened at the request of France, Bahrain, Colombia, Russia and China, according to a diplomatic source.