International
Israel agrees to expand humanitarian aid to Gaza after a call between Biden and Netanyahu
Israel will take “immediate measures” to increase the amount of humanitarian aid that allows entry into the Gaza Strip, after US President Joe Biden urged to improve the humanitarian situation in the enclave in a telephone conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“This increase in assistance will prevent a humanitarian crisis and is essential to guarantee the continuation of fighting and achieve the objectives of the war,” said a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office about the decisions taken by the war cabinet at its meeting last night.
In this way, Israel will allow the temporary provision of aid through the port of Ashdod, in southern Israel, as well as through the Erez crossing, which directly accesses the north of the Strip, in addition to increasing the flow of aid from Jordan that enters through the Kerem Shalom crossing, in the south.
The Erez crossing will open for the first time since the beginning of the war, a recurring request from humanitarian agencies and the international community because it allows the entry of food and aid directly to the north of the enclave, where the situation is more serious.
There it is estimated that about 300,000 live in a situation of famine, for which 34 people have already died, 31 of them children.
Biden and Netanyahu had a telephone conversation last night, in which the US president warned that U.S. support for Israel could change if he did not take “concrete” actions to minimize the damage to civilians and ensure the safety of humanitarian workers, after a convoy of the NGO World Central Kitchen (WCK) was attacked on Monday up to three times killing seven of its employees.
The United States welcomed the measure and asked for it to be implemented “totally and quickly,” according to a statement from the White House.
From Brussels, the Secretary of State of the United States, Antony Blinken, celebrated Israel’s decision this Friday, but demanded concrete “results” in the “next few days and weeks.”
“They are steps in the right direction, but the real test is the results and this is what we hope to see in the coming days and in the coming weeks,” Blinken told the press in the community capital.
During the month of March, an average of 159 trucks per day entered Gaza with food and basic necessities, which is an upturn compared to previous months.
However, that figure is still low compared to the half-thourd that did it before the war, according to the United Nations.
So far, Israel has only allowed the entry of aid through the two of the seven crosses to the enclave: that of Rafah, between Egypt and Gaza; and Kerem Shalom, in its territory that connects with the southern Strip.
Israeli soldiers subject the convoys to exhaustive controls that slow down the process, in addition to the difficulties in reaching the north, in the face of the widespread destruction of the enclave’s roads.
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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