International
Pope Francis’ health continues to improve and he no longer needs mechanical ventilation at night
Pope Francis’ state of health continues to “improve” and the non-invasive mechanical ventilation he used at night at the Gemelli hospital in Rome, where he has been admitted for 34 days, has been suspended, the Vatican reported on Wednesday.
“It is confirmed that the clinical conditions of the Holy Father are improving,” it is indicated in the last medical report, in which it is also pointed out that the pope “suspended non-invasive mechanical ventilation and also reduced the need for high-flow oxygen therapy,” with nasal cannulas.
Likewise, “progress in motor and respiratory physiotherapy continues,” the statement said.
In its statement, the Vatican revealed that Francisco, 88 years old and who has been admitted to the Gemelli since February 14, concelebrated the mass this morning, on the feast of St. Joseph, in which Father’s Day is celebrated in many countries.
This Tuesday, Vatican sources had revealed that Francisco, 88 years old and with chronic respiratory problems, managed to sleep the night before in the hospital without resorting to non-invasive mechanical ventilation, that is, without the oxygen mask.
This is a “good step” that must be interpreted with “prudence”, because their doctors insist that their clinical conditions are still “complex within stability,” they added.
Francisco is hospitalized because of bilateral pneumonia and, after going through four difficult crises during his hospitalization, in recent weeks he has experienced a slow and gradual improvement and is no longer in “imminent danger.”
Given the “stability” of the pope, the Gemelli doctors have decided to report after several days, when they can give more details, and the previous medical report dates back to last Saturday, when it was indicated that “the clinical conditions of the Holy Father remain stable, confirming the outstanding evolution in the last week.”
He added that although Francisco “stils requires hospital medical treatment, motor and respiratory physiotherapy,” “he shows additional and gradual improvements.”
International
Uribe requests freedom amid appeal of historic bribery conviction
Former Colombian President Álvaro Uribe on Monday requested that the Supreme Court restore his freedom while he appeals the historic 12-year house arrest sentence he received for bribery and procedural fraud.
Uribe, the most prominent figure of Colombia’s right wing, was convicted last week by a lower court for attempting to bribe paramilitary members into denying his ties to the violent anti-guerrilla squads.
Since Friday, the 73-year-old has been under house arrest at his residence in Rionegro, about 30 km from Medellín. The judge justified the measure by citing a risk of flight.
However, Uribe’s defense team rejected that argument and formally petitioned the court to immediately lift the detention order, claiming it lacks legal basis.
Uribe, a dominant force in Colombian politics for decades, is now the first former president in the country’s history to be convicted and placed under arrest, found guilty of witness tampering and obstruction of justice to prevent links to paramilitary groups.
He has repeatedly denounced the trial as politically motivated, blaming pressure from the leftist government currently in power.
His political party, Centro Democrático, has called for nationwide protests on August 7 in support of Uribe, who remains popular for his hardline stance against guerrilla groups.
Uribe has until August 13 to submit his written appeal. The case will then move to the Bogotá High Court, which has until October 16 to uphold, overturn, or dismiss the sentence. If the deadline passes without a decision, the case will be archived.
International
U.S. Embassy staff restricted as gunfire erupts near compound in Port-au-Prince
The poorest country in Latin America and the Caribbean is currently engulfed in a deep political crisis and a wave of violence driven by armed groups — a situation that an international security mission led by Kenya is attempting to stabilize.
Due to the worsening security conditions, the U.S. government has suspended all official movements of embassy personnel outside the compound in Port-au-Prince, the U.S. State Department announced Monday in a security alert posted on social media platform X.
“There are intense gunfights in the Tabarre neighborhood, near the U.S. Embassy,” the alert reads, urging the public to avoid the area.
Tabarre is a municipality located near Port-au-Prince International Airport, northeast of the Haitian capital.
According to a July report by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, at least 3,141 people were killed in Haitibetween January 1 and June 30 of this year.
International
Israel says 136 food aid boxes airdropped into Gaza by six nations
The Israeli military announced on Sunday that 136 boxes of food aid were airdropped into Gaza by the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Egypt, Germany, and Belgium.
“In recent hours, six countries conducted air drops of 136 aid packages containing food for residents in the southern and northern Gaza Strip,” read the statement, which added that the operation was coordinated by COGAT, the Israeli defense body overseeing civil affairs in the occupied Palestinian territories.
The Israeli military emphasized that they will “continue working to improve the humanitarian response alongside the international community” and reiterated their stance to “refute false allegations of deliberate famine in Gaza.”
The announcement comes as UN agencies warn Gaza faces an imminent risk of famine. More than one in three residents go days without eating, and other nutrition indicators have dropped to their worst levels since the conflict began.
The agencies also noted the difficulty of “collecting reliable data in current conditions, as Gaza’s health systems —already devastated by nearly three years of conflict— are collapsing.”
Meanwhile, Gaza’s Hamas-run Health Ministry reported on Sunday that hospitals in the enclave recorded six deaths from hunger and malnutrition on Saturday, all of them adults.
Uribe requests freedom amid appeal of historic bribery conviction
U.S. Embassy staff restricted as gunfire erupts near compound in Port-au-Prince
Israel says 136 food aid boxes airdropped into Gaza by six nations
Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
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Uribe requests freedom amid appeal of historic bribery conviction