International
Bolsonaro meets Hungary’s Orban after Putin talks
AFP
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro met Hungarian nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban Thursday, a day after talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin amid fears Moscow is planning to invade Ukraine.
On Wednesday, Putin welcomed “constructive” talks with Bolsonaro, following his first official trip to Moscow.
Western leaders remain fearful of a Russian attack on its neighbour Ukraine. Bolsonaro had brushed off pressure from Washington, Brazil’s traditional ally, and his own cabinet to cancel the trip, justifying the focus on trade.
Before the South American set off for Russia, Brazil publicly reaffirmed its diplomatic ties with Kyiv.
In Hungary, Bolsonaro met President Janos Ader followed by Orban, marking the first time a Brazilian leader has visited the EU member.
Bolsonaro told reporters in a joined press conference with Orban that he considered Hungary as “our little-big brother”.
“Small, if we take into account the differences in our respective territorial dimensions. And big, because of the values we represent, which can be summed up in four words: God, homeland, family and freedom,” he said.
Orban said Bolsonaro’s visit was a “great honour”, praising his South American counterpart for his “very precious” diplomatic efforts to discuss the Ukraine crisis during his Moscow visit.
Brazil is one of Hungary’s most important trading partners in Latin America, and Orban was one of few Western leaders to attend Bolsonaro’s inauguration in January 2019.
In late 2020, Hungary signed a deal to buy two Brazilian KC-390 military transport aircraft at an undisclosed price.
Critics have slammed the visit of Bolsonaro, who has been likened to former US president Donald Trump and who has expressed admiration for Putin.
One Hungarian news portal described the visit as a “diplomatic tour de force” ahead of April elections, where Orban is expected to face his toughest fight yet against a united opposition since returning to power in 2010.
Orban himself met Putin early this month despite objections from the opposition and his European allies.
Next month, a flagship US conservative conference is to take place in Budapest with Orban as key speaker.
During his three straight terms in office, the nationalist leader has branded his foreign policy as “eastern opening,” cozying up to Russia and China, while often antagonising European allies.
International
Kristi Noem credits Trump for mass migrant deportations by mexican president
U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem claimed that Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has deported “more than half a million” migrants due to pressure from former President Donald Trump.
During a cabinet meeting highlighting the “achievements” of Trump’s administration in its first 100 days, Noem asserted that under the Republican leader’s influence, “Mexico has finally come to the table” to negotiate on migration and fentanyl trafficking.
“The president of Mexico told me she has returned just over half a million people before they reached our border,” Noem stated, criticizing media reports that suggest the Biden administration deported more migrants than Trump’s.
“I wish those deportations were counted,” Noem added, “because those people never made it to our border—she sent them back because you made her.” She went on to thank Trump: “They never made it here because they got the message—because you were so aggressive.”
Noem has made controversial claims about Sheinbaum in the past, prompting the Mexican leader to refute them.
On April 1, Sheinbaum responded to one such statement by declaring, “The president answers to only one authority, and that is the people of Mexico,” after Noem said on Fox News that she gave Sheinbaum “a list of things Trump would like to see” and that Mexico’s actions would determine whether Trump granted tariff relief.
International
Vatican releases special “Sede Vacante” stamps ahead of papal transition
he Vatican’s post offices and select collector shops began selling special edition stamps this week to mark the period between the death of Pope Francis and the election of his successor.
Known as “Sede Vacante” stamps, they feature an image used on official Vatican documents during the interregnum between popes — two crossed keys without the papal tiara. These stamps went on sale Monday and will remain valid for postal use only until the new pontiff appears at the window overlooking St. Peter’s Square.
Until then, they can be used to send letters, postcards, and parcels. “Once the new pope is elected, the stamps lose their postal validity, but their collectible value rises,” said Francesco Santarossa, who runs a collectors’ shop across from St. Peter’s Square.
The Vatican has issued the stamps in four denominations: €1.25, €1.30, €2.45, and €3.20. Each is inscribed with “Città del Vaticano” and “Sede Vacante MMXXV” — Latin for “Vacant See 2025.”
International
Conclave to choose pope Francis’ successor could begin in early may
The conclave, which in the coming weeks must choose the successor to Pope Francis, will strictly follow a precise protocol refined over centuries.
The 135 cardinal electors, all under the age of 80, will cast their votes four times a day — except on the first day — until one candidate secures a two-thirds majority. The result will be announced to the world through the burning of the ballots with a chemical that produces the eagerly awaited white smoke, accompanied by the traditional cry of “Habemus Papam.”
The start date for the conclave could be announced today, as the cardinals are set to hold their fifth meeting since the pope’s passing. Luxembourg Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich suggested it could begin on May 5 or 6, following the traditional nine days of mourning. According to German Cardinal Reinhard Marx, the conclave could last only “a few days.”
Although the late Argentine pontiff appointed the majority of the cardinal electors, this does not necessarily ensure the selection of a like-minded successor. Francis’ leadership style differed significantly from that of his predecessor, Benedict XVI, a German theologian who was less fond of large public gatherings. It also marked a contrast with the popular Polish pope, John Paul II.
The Argentine Jesuit’s reformist papacy drew strong criticism from more conservative sectors of the Church, who are hoping for a doctrinally focused shift. His tenure was marked by efforts to combat clerical sexual abuse, elevate the role of women and laypeople, and advocate for the poor and migrants, among other causes.
Kristi Noem credits Trump for mass migrant deportations by mexican president
Vatican releases special “Sede Vacante” stamps ahead of papal transition
Conclave to choose pope Francis’ successor could begin in early may
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