International

Biden tells Netanyahu that the future of US support will depend on the protection of civilians in Gaza

US President Joe Biden warned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday that the future support of the United States for the war in Gaza will depend on the “concrete” actions he takes to minimize the damage to civilians in the Gaza Strip and ensure the safety of humanitarian workers.

The two leaders spoke this Thursday by phone, in what is their first direct contact since the attack that on April 1 killed seven co-workers from World Central Kitchen (WCK), the NGO founded by Spanish chef José Andrés.

According to the White House in a statement, Biden took advantage of the call to ask Netanyahu to announce and implement “a series of specific, concrete and measurable steps to address the damage to civilians, humanitarian suffering and the safety of aid workers.”

He then warned that his Government’s future policy regarding Gaza “will depend” on the actions that Israel takes to comply with those requests and considered that the attacks on humanitarian workers and the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, where 33,000 people have died, “are unacceptable.”

Biden also stressed to Netanyahu that “an immediate ceasefire is essential to stabilize and improve the humanitarian situation and protect innocent civilians,” and urged him to empower his negotiators to conclude an agreement without delay for the hostages to return home.

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Biden’s words imply a hardening of tone, although already in recent months he has been critical of Israel’s military strategy in Gaza.

However, in practice, your Government has not modified the support it has provided to Israel since the beginning of the conflict.

In fact, this same Thursday, The Washington Post newspaper reported that the United States approved on Monday – the same day that the attack on WCK took place – a new weaponry package to Israel that includes 2,000 small and medium-diameter bombs.

The White House statement did not mention that delivery of weapons and it is only said that both also talked about Iran’s threats to Israel. In this regard, Biden made it clear that the United States strongly supports Israel in the face of those threats.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Thursday that President Joe Biden asked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to have a ceasefire in Gaza to protect innocent civilians.

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During today’s telephone conversation with Netanyahu, Biden told him that “an immediate ceasefire is essential to stabilize and improve the humanitarian situation and protect innocent civilians,” Blinken said at a press conference in Brussels, after having participated in a NATO ministerial meeting.

He also urged him to allow his negotiators to conclude “an agreement without delay to return home the hostages” kidnapped by the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas after its attack on Israel on October 7, in which about 1,200 people also died.

“If we don’t see the changes we have to see, there will be changes in our policy,” Blinken insisted.

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.

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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.