International
Netanyahu to Iran: “Whoever hurts us, we will hurt him”
The Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, issued a message to Iran on Thursday: “Whoever hurts us, we will hurt him.”
“We will know how to defend ourselves and we will act accordingly,” the prime minister said at the beginning of a war cabinet meeting to address, among other things, the threat from Iran, which could retaliate after the attack attributed to Israel in the Iranian consulate in Damascus.
In one that the Jewish State has admitted in a veiled way against the Iranian consulate in Damascus, thirteen people died, including seven Iranian revolutionary guards, in parallel to the war in the Gaza Strip.
“For years, Iran has gone against us directly and through its emissaries, and therefore, Israel has gone against Iran and its emissaries, defensively and offensively,” Netanyahu said.
Israeli media point out that Israel is closing embassies around the world for fear of Iranian reprisals. According to the newspaper Maariv, some employees have been asked not to go to work in the next few days.
The Israeli Army suspended vacation permits to all troops “after a new security assessment,” the same argument with which yesterday increased the personnel and number of reservists serving in the air forces, in “maximum alert” before the possibility of attacks with missiles or drones from Iran or some of its pro-Irani satellite militias in the region, such as Hizbulah in Lebanon.
“The Israel Defense Forces are at war and the issue of the deployment of forces is constantly reviewed as necessary,” said a military statement about these decisions that have aroused concern among Israelis.
“His responsible behavior on the internal front saves lives. My only recommendation is to be alert and attentive to updates,” said the spokesman for the Israeli Army, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, although he warned that at the moment there are no changes in the instructions for civilians.
The president of Iran, Ibrahim Raisi, yesterday launched a serious threat to Israel, after the attack attributed to this country, in which senior Iranian officials were killed, including Mohamed Reza Zahedi, commander of the Quds Force of Syria and Lebanon.
“The attack will not go unanswered. Zionists must know that they will never achieve their evil goals through such inhumane actions,” he said.
He was joined by the supreme leader of Iran, Ali Khamenei, who even promised to take revenge on Israel for the attack on Damascus, pointing out that Israel “will regret it,” while Iran’s ambassador to Syria stressed that “Israel crossed the red lines.”
Israel’s attack on Monday in Damascus is the worst blow to the elite military corps after the death of Qasem Soleimani, an Iranian general who led the Quds Force of the Revolutionary Guard until he was eliminated by the United States in 2020 in a bombing in Iraq.
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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