Brazil 'Strongly Condemns' Killing of Hamas Leader

Hamas politburo chief Ismail Hanieh. (Reuters)
Hamas politburo chief Ismail Hanieh. (Reuters)
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Brazil 'Strongly Condemns' Killing of Hamas Leader

Hamas politburo chief Ismail Hanieh. (Reuters)
Hamas politburo chief Ismail Hanieh. (Reuters)

Brazil said Wednesday it "strongly condemns the murder" of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh and called for global efforts to prevent the Middle East from sinking into a wider conflict, AFP reported.

Brazil, which holds the rotating presidency of the G20, said it "rejects the flagrant violation of Iran's sovereignty and territorial integrity, in clear violation of the principles of the United Nations Charter."

These acts of violence "further hinder the possibilities of a political solution to the conflict in Gaza," the foreign ministry said in a statement, calling for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.

Hamas has said Haniyeh was killed by an Israeli strike. Israel has declined to comment on the attack in Tehran.

In another statement published earlier Wednesday, the Brazilian government also condemned "the air strike carried out by Israel on July 30 on a residential neighborhood in Beirut."

The Israeli army said it had "eliminated" a senior Hezbollah official on Tuesday evening in the strike on the stronghold of the powerful pro-Iranian group, in the southern suburbs of the Lebanese capital.

Brazil's foreign ministry said it was following escalating tensions between Israel and Hezbollah "with extreme concern".

The statement urged the international community to mobilize to "make every possible effort to promote dialogue and contain the escalation of hostilities."

Relations between the Brazilian and Israeli governments are very tense.

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has accused Israel of committing "genocide" in Gaza and Israel has declared him "persona non grata".

 



Vatican Cancels Pope’s Weekend Engagements as He Battles ‘Complex’ Infection 

Pedestrians walk past the statue of Pope John Paul II outside the Gemelli hospital where Pope Francis is hospitalized for tests and treatment for an infection in Rome, on February 18, 2025. (AFP)
Pedestrians walk past the statue of Pope John Paul II outside the Gemelli hospital where Pope Francis is hospitalized for tests and treatment for an infection in Rome, on February 18, 2025. (AFP)
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Vatican Cancels Pope’s Weekend Engagements as He Battles ‘Complex’ Infection 

Pedestrians walk past the statue of Pope John Paul II outside the Gemelli hospital where Pope Francis is hospitalized for tests and treatment for an infection in Rome, on February 18, 2025. (AFP)
Pedestrians walk past the statue of Pope John Paul II outside the Gemelli hospital where Pope Francis is hospitalized for tests and treatment for an infection in Rome, on February 18, 2025. (AFP)

Pope Francis, who began his fifth day in hospital on Tuesday for what doctors have described as a "complex" respiratory infection, will not take part in this weekend's Holy Year events, the Vatican said on Tuesday.

The 88-year-old pontiff has been suffering from a respiratory infection for more than a week and was admitted to Rome's Gemelli hospital on Friday.

A planned public papal audience set for Saturday had been cancelled "due to the health condition of the Holy Father", the Vatican said in a brief statement.

A papal mass scheduled for Sunday will still take place, but will be led instead by a senior Vatican official, it added.

The Vatican said on Monday that doctors had changed the pope's drug therapy for the second time during his hospital stay to tackle a "complex clinical situation". They described it as a "polymicrobial infection of the respiratory tract".

Doctors say polymicrobial diseases can be caused by a mix of viruses, bacteria and fungi.

Francis, who has been pontiff since 2013, has had influenza and other health problems several times over the past two years. As a young adult he developed pleurisy and had part of one lung removed, and in recent times has been prone to lung infections.