International
Zelensky urges ‘Molotov cocktail’ sanctions on Russia
AFP
Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky asked the West to impose “Molotov cocktail” sanctions on Moscow, including a ban on Russian gas, and appealed for more weapons as he addressed Finnish MPs.
Scolding “those who are making us wait, wait for the things that we need badly, wait for the means of protecting our lives,” Zelensky called on Western leaders to impose a “sanctions cocktail” against Russia that “would be remembered just like Molotov cocktails”.
Molotov cocktails are improvised incendiary devices popularised by the Finns in their war against the Soviet Union during World War II.
The name of the bottles filled with flammable substances like gasoline or alcohol was chosen to denigrate then Soviet foreign minister Vyacheslav Molotov, the architect of the non-aggression pact between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union.
Representatives of the 27 members of the EU on Thursday agreed to a fifth round of sanctions on Moscow, including an embargo on Russian coal and closing European ports to Russian ships.
But Kyiv is asking for more, especially sanctions targeting oil and gas.
“How much longer can Europe ignore the introduction of embargo against oil supplies from Russia? How much longer?” Zelensky asked, adding that Russian banks should be isolated from the international banking system.
Zelensky also made numerous references to the Winter War (1939-1940), during which Finland put up a fierce fight against a Soviet invasion.
“The war of Russia against Ukraine is decisive not only for the future of our country and our nation, but all those who have a common border with Russia. Just like you 83 years ago, Ukraine has the bravery to defend itself,” Zelensky told the Finnish parliament via video link.
His speech coincided with several Finnish security incidents.
On Friday morning, a Russian government plane, an IL-96-300, violated Finnish airspace for three minutes off the country’s southern coast.
The websites of the ministries of defence and foreign affairs were also inaccessible Friday morning.
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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