International
‘We will win’: Ukraine families mourn their fallen soldiers
AFP
“My sunshine, my little one, we are going to win,” sobs a woman, stroking the wooden coffin.
She is standing at the door of a hearse in the centre of Lviv in western Ukraine, where her son’s flower-covered coffin has just been laid by six young soldiers.
He was a military engineer, killed by a Russian artillery strike near Mariupol in the south of the country.
“His name is Vasyl Vyshyvany, he was 28-years-old,” the father tells AFP.
He had been mining the area around a bridge to stop the Russian advance when Grad missiles struck the location, killing him instantly, he says.
“There is no body inside, just fragments.”
His eldest son is also a soldier in the Ukrainian army, posted near the Belarussian border in northern Ukraine.
They have just emerged from Lviv’s iconic Saints Peter and Paul Garrison Church, where a service for three soldiers killed in combat has just been held.
Inside the majestic 17th century baroque church, where the walls are lined with marble statues, dozens of soldiers and civilians have gathered for the ceremony.
Several young women in military fatigues and red berets are holding bouquets of flowers.
– Final journey –
At the head of the coffins, which are closed against tradition, six young soldiers serve as the guard of honour with large wooden crosses and the country’s blue-and-white flag.
Next to Vyshyvany is the coffin of lieutenant Dmytro Kotenko, 20, and Kyrylo Moroz, 25.
In red and gold garb, the Greek Orthodox priest shakes his incense burner while another priest anoints the coffins with holy water.
“We are accompanying them on their final journey, a journey to the sky where they will continue to defend us,” reads one of the faithful.
Clutching a white handkerchief in her trembling hand, Vasyl’s mother staggers and must be held up by a friend.
“Glory to God. Glory to Ukraine,” concludes the priest.
“Why are they taking such good people, why are they taking our children?” she cries.
Her face puffy from tears, a young woman with a black bandana around her head, holds the photo of a young soldier close to her chest.
The funeral processions head out to the military section of the historical cemetery of Lychakiv.
Shots ring out in honour of the fallen and their fellow recruits sing the national anthem. A young soldier wipes tears from his eyes.
Slowly, the coffins are lowered, joining many other fresh graves.
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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