International
The pope suffers from “bilateral pneumonia” and his clinical picture remains “complex”
Pope Francis suffers from bilateral pneumonia that requires additional pharmacological treatment to that used for polymicrobial infection and his clinical picture remains “complex”, the Vatican reported on Tuesday.
“The chest computed tomography that the Holy Father underwent this afternoon, prescribed by the Vatican health team and by the medical team of the Polyclinic Foundation “A. Gemelli,” demonstrated the appearance of bilateral pneumonia that requires additional pharmacological therapy.”
Pope Francis will not attend the jubilee hearing scheduled for this Saturday, while at the mass on the occasion of the Jubilee of the Deacons on Sunday he will be replaced by the head of the dicastery for Evangelization, Rino Fisichella, the Vatican reported on Tuesday.
Pope Francis spent a quiet night and during the morning he has dedicated himself to reading the press, on the fifth day of hospitalization at the Gemelli Polyclinic in Rome.
The medical reports released this Monday explained that the pope’s clinical picture is “complex”, so his hospitalization will be prolonged at the Gemelli Polyclinic in Rome, where he is admitted for “a polymicrobial infection of the respiratory tract”, which forced him to change the therapy he receives.
Despite his hospitalization, Francisco spoke again last night with the parish of the Sagrada Familia, the only Catholic church in Gaza, his parish priest, the Argentine priest Gabriel Romanelli, explained to the Italian media.
For the moment, it has only transpired that the pontiff has spent his fourth night quietly at the Gemelli and today an update of the report on his health conditions and on whether the treatment is working is expected.
“The Holy Father continues without fever and with the prescribed treatment. The clinical conditions are stable,” said the latest statement issued on Monday afternoon, the Holy See, about the state of health of the 88-year-old pontiff.
Previously, the Vatican had explained that the latest tests carried out showed “a polymicrobial infection of the respiratory tract that has forced to further modify the therapy” of Francis, whose treatment had already been modified on Saturday, after the first tests.
The Vatican added that the “complex clinical picture will require adequate hospitalization”, which suggests that the pope will remain in the hospital for several days and that he will probably miss some of the many acts of the Holy Year, as has already happened with this Monday for the Jubilee of the artists in the Cinecittà studios or the Jubilee of the deacons this weekend.
International
Armed forces target illegal mines in Northern Ecuador with bombing raids
Ecuador’s Armed Forces carried out an operation on Monday — including airstrikes — against illegal mining in the town of Buenos Aires, in the country’s north, Defense Minister Gian Carlo Loffredo reported.
The mountainous, gold-rich area has been a hotspot for illegal mining since 2017, located in the Andean province of Imbabura.
In 2019, former president Lenín Moreno deployed around 2,400 soldiers to the region in an attempt to curb the illegal activity. “The operation began with mortar fire, followed by gunfire and bombing runs by Supertucano aircraft,” Loffredo said in a video released by the Defense Ministry.
He added that the operation would continue on Tuesday with patrols across the area to locate possible members of “irregular armed groups that may have crossed from the Colombian border.”
The Armed Forces stated on X that the intervention focused on the “complete elimination of multiple illegal mining tunnels” in the areas known as Mina Nueva and Mina Vieja.
The operation coincided with the deployment of a military and police convoy into Imbabura, which has been the epicenter of protests against President Daniel Noboa since September 22, following his decision to scrap the diesel subsidy.
International
Caracas shuts embassy in Oslo without explanation following Machado’s Nobel win
Venezuela has announced the closure of its embassy in Norway, just days after opposition leader María Corina Machado was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. The Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the Venezuelan diplomatic mission provided no explanation for its decision on Monday.
“It is regrettable,” a ministry spokesperson said. “Despite our differences on several issues, Norway wishes to keep the dialogue with Venezuela open and will continue to work in that direction.” The ministry also emphasized that the Nobel Committee operates entirely independently from the Norwegian government.
In its announcement, the Nobel Committee stated that Machado met the criteria established by Alfred Nobel, “embodying the hope for a different future, where the fundamental rights of Venezuelans are heard.”
International
Sheinbaum: Urgent to restore access to towns cut off by heavy rains
Thousands of military personnel and civilians in Mexico worked tirelessly on Tuesday to clear roads blocked by the torrential rains of recent days, which have left more than 300 communities cut off across central and eastern regions of the country. Authorities also launched mass fumigation efforts in several affected areas to prevent the spread of dengue fever.
The official death toll remains at 64, though dozens of people are still missing. President Claudia Sheinbaumacknowledged that the government does not yet know the full situation in many of the isolated villages, which range in population from 500 to 1,000 inhabitants.
“The reopening of roads is one of the greatest urgencies,” Sheinbaum said. “It’s essential to guarantee air bridges, food supplies, clean water, and a proper census of the isolated communities so we can determine the condition of every person living there.”
Private construction companies are also assisting the effort with heavy machinery and technical support to help reopen highways and reconnect rural areas.
Armed forces target illegal mines in Northern Ecuador with bombing raids
Caracas shuts embassy in Oslo without explanation following Machado’s Nobel win
Sheinbaum: Urgent to restore access to towns cut off by heavy rains
Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
Defense Minister commends salvadoran soldier for Central American Cross Country victory
Extension of the state of emergency approved in southern Chile
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